《ISSTH has been deleted》


 1 Prologue: Cultivation is Boring

    Located at the foot of the Kun Lun Mountains, the village was surrounded by verdant trees on all sides. The vast empty fields stretched underneath the clear, blue skies, farming tools, carts and equipment abandoned alongside untended crops.


    The farmers had deserted their post to watch the single most important yearly event in the village. All of them had gathered in the village square, worried parents fussing over their excited children. The adults exchanged nervous glances as they forced their offspring to stand in line, fidgeting nervously as they lifted their eyes to the podium.


    The village chief, an old man of about eighty, stood at the podium and cleared his throat. Taking a deep breath, he rested his weathered gaze upon the eighty-odd children who were lined up before him. They were resplendent in their golden and white ceremonial garb, chattering incessantly as they looked forward to the ceremony.


    After all, this was the most important event in their lives, one that would determine the path of their futures.


    "It''s very good to see you all here today." The village chief bowed politely. "As you know, today is the Evaluation Ceremony."


    The parents listened intently as the village chief went through the formal speeches and explained the significance and importance of the ceremony. All very boring stuff, and several of the kids actually dozed off when listening to the old man drone on and on¡­


    However, the moment the ceremony finally began, they snapped to full wakefulness.


    "Ang Di Yi! You''re first in line. Please step forward!"


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    A chubby boy nervously stumbled forward, his ruddy cheeks glistening with perspiration. He approached the podium hesitantly, staring at the obsidian rock that was nestled on a mahogany table next to it.


    "Please place your hands here," the village chief instructed as he gestured toward the gleaming rock. Ancient runes glowed as the obsidian stone gave off a soothing air of qi, throbbing with energy as if it was alive.


    Di Yi gulped and nodded before he obediently pressed his palms against the obsidian stone. A bright light instantly flashed the moment he made contact, and arcane symbols materialized in the air above it.


    "Three Star Constitution!"


    Cheers and applause broke out from the other children and adults. The village chief nodded in approval and clapped an encouraging hand on Di Yi, who was rooted to the spot in disbelief.


    "Very respectable talent," the chief told him warmly. "I look forward to seeing your exploits in future, Di Yi."


    "T¡­thank you!"


    Di Yi shuffled away, barely able to contain his excitement. Three Star Constitution was rare even in the history of the village, but it guaranteed him a career as a martial artist. Even among the great Zhou Empire, martial artists with Three Star Constitution could become renowned heroes who put their lives on the line to defend civilians from the demonic sects and magical beasts.


    "Next! Chen Er Ren!"


    Not wasting any time, the village chief turned to the next child in line. The tension continued to climb as the kids were evaluated one at a time, but unfortunately, the next ten weren''t lucky enough to receive such a high rank. Many of them received a rating of One Star Constitution, which caused them to burst into tears.


    Such a rank would mean they had no talent for martial arts whatsoever, and they were consigned to perform menial labor or other non-combat vocations. Most likely, the majority of them would follow their parents in becoming farmers.


    With their fates determined by this single event, it was only natural that the children were all tense and anxious.


    Among them, only one child seemed relaxed. Unlike the majority, he did not have any parents accompanying him. He stood alone, off to the side, his handsome face sliding into an utterly bored expression. He stifled a yawn and shook his head, causing his brown curls to rustle against his temples. He glanced at the worried children and tense adults around him, scornful of all the fuss they were making over this little event.


    It wasn''t long before it was finally his turn.


    "Next!" the village chief shouted. "Hao Cai Neng!"


    Cai Neng leisurely strolled toward the obsidian slab, his expression as relaxed as ever. With a single, flippant motion, he stuck his hand on the stone.


    Instantly, a brilliant golden glow erupted from the slab and materialized in gigantic runes above the podium. The village chief gaped at the runes, his eyes bulging in disbelief.


    "F¡­Five Star Constitution?!"


    The moment the words left the chief''s lips, the entire square fell into deathly silence. Everyone present, from the youngest child to the most seasoned adult, turned to stare at the still-bored Cai Neng, who looked as if he didn''t understand what was going on.


    "That''s¡­that''s impossible¡­" the village chief murmured, his aged voice cracking. "The legendary Five Star Constitution, the highest in the history of Zhou Empire? Only the legendary Emperor Zhou Zui Qiang has ever achieved such a rank!"


    The crowd finally remembered to breathe, gasps echoing across the square as they began mumbling to each other. The highest rank that even the oldest adults had seen was Four Star Constitution, a genius who had left the village a few years ago to become a legendary martial artist in the service of the great Zhou Empire. Even a Four Star Constitution was just beyond their imagination, yet here was a kid who surpassed even that!


    Nobody knew quite how to respond to this sudden turn of events.


    Cai Neng yawned.


    "Can I go now? I''m getting tired."


    Then the square exploded into chaos. The crowd was in an uproar, with the adults rushing forward to congratulate the child, with several people rubbing their eyes in disbelief, and several children glaring daggers at him out of jealousy. There was quite the mixed reaction, and before long, Cai Neng found himself mobbed by the excited crowd.


    "I don''t really see why you''re all making such a fuss," Cai Neng complained as he attempted to get away from the crowd.


    "Fu Man Chu!" the village chief shouted to his deputy. "Get Cai Neng to my office! I''ll be talking to him later. The rest of you, get back in line! The ceremony''s still not over! Back! Back, the lot of you!"


    As the village chief struggled to rein the agitated crowd back under his control, a middle-aged deputy with a mustache seized Cai Neng''s arm and dragged the bewildered boy away from the square and toward the biggest house in the village.


    *


    Cai Neng awoke with a start when someone shook him. He blinked, realizing that he must have dozed off while waiting for the village chief. Deputy Fu had placed him upon a bench outside the chief''s office, and he taken the opportunity to nestle against the soft cushion and leather to take a nap, figuring that the chief would still need quite some time to wrap up the ceremony.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting. You can come in now."


    "Right."


    Cai Neng rubbed his eyes and stretched himself. Glancing out of the window, he saw that the skies had gotten a little darker. The ceremony had taken place close to noon, but now the sun was past its zenith. Glancing at the clock hanging in the lobby, he realized that three hours had passed since he was brought here.


    Taking his own sweet time, huh?


    Cai Neng suppressed his annoyance and followed the village chief into the office. Stepping onto the polished, marble floor, he glanced around curiously. As expected, the interior was lavish, with red carpet lining the floor, and the walls polished to glimmer. Scrolls and gold-lined stationary were scattered across a large, expensive-looking wooden desk, and a large, velvet chair sat at the back. The chief wasted no time settling himself comfortably in that luxurious piece of furniture before gesturing for Cai Neng to take a seat in a slightly smaller but also similarly expensive chair on the other side of the mahogany desk.


    "First of all, allow me to congratulate you."


    "For what?"


    Cai Neng yawned. The chief raised an eyebrow at his response.


    "For being evaluated with a Five Star Constitution, of course. Do you know what that means?"


    "I have an idea, but I think you''re going to tell me anyway."


    The chief chuckled and reclined back in his seat. "Well, it means you''ll definitely be a legendary hero in future. You have unparalleled talent for martial arts¡­the potential to be the strongest warrior in all of Heaven and Earth. If you harness your potential, you will become invincible¡­you might even achieve feats on the same scale as the legendary Emperor Zhou, the founder of our great Zhou Empire."


    "So? That doesn''t mean I will."


    "¡­huh?"


    The village chief wasn''t sure he had heard Cai Neng right. The boy was scowling impatiently, crossing his arms as he glared at the chief.


    "Quit wasting my time. If you want something from me, hurry up and spit it out. I''m late for my afternoon nap."


    The chief was taken aback by his rudeness. There were few in the village who dared to speak to him in such a tone, and those who did were either idiots or not afraid of death. However, Cai Neng clearly belonged to the latter, so the chief merely chuckled and smiled indulgently.


    "What have I done to deserve such disrespect, young one?"


    "Well, you forced me to come here."


    "Will it kill you to indulge an old man like me in conversation?" Then realizing what Cai Neng''s reply would be, the chief quickly raised his hand and shook his head. "Never mind. Anyway, you have great potential, and it is our duty to help you realize your innate abilities to the fullest. Our village will sponsor your enrollment in a martial arts academy. We''ll send you to Martial City where you can choose whichever martial arts academy you want to enroll in. Upon your enrollment, you''ll be granted entry to a famous sect among the Martial Arts Alliance, the Alliance who established all the various martial arts academies. Which one would you like to join? There is the Nine Tail Fox Sect, the Kun Lun Sect, the Snow Valley Sect, and the Heavenly Way Sect. These are four out of the eight strongest orthodox sects. Or you can join one of the Celestial Creature Sects¡­maybe the Green Dragon Sect or the White Tiger Sect. I''ll personally recommend the Kun Lun Sect, but any one of them will definitely accept you as an inner sect disciple. Under their guidance, you will reach the Qi Gathering Stage in one month, which will make you a fully-fledged martial artist¡­"


    "Hold it," Cai Neng interrupted. "What makes you think I want to be a martial artist?"


    The chief blinked. "What?"


    "Honestly, all you people seem to want to do is meditate and punch other people. Boring!" Cai Neng yawned.


    A long, uncomfortable silence stretched out between them.


    "Well, that''s hardly what martial arts is about!" the chief laughed. "We train ourselves to become physically and spiritually stronger. If you train hard enough, you''ll be able to pull off superhuman feats. You can kill magical beasts with your bare hands, shoot energy beams, control the elements and have the heavens bow down to you! Don''t you want that kind of power? You know? Wielding fire or shooting qi beams out of your hands?"


    "You conveniently left out the part where I have to go through years of super-boring training to reach that stage." Cai Neng shook his head, disgruntled. "Sounds completely unnecessary. I would rather spend my life doing something more interesting."


    "Don''t worry." The village chief held up a hand of assurance. "With your talent, you''ll be able to reach that level in half the time most people require."


    "Still too many years for me¡­and it just ain''t worth the effort."


    "Cai Neng," the chief said seriously. "You have the potential to be the strongest martial artist in the world. Don''t throw that away. If you do, you''ll ascend to the highest ranks¡­probably become the Emperor''s most trusted Divine General himself. You''ll be renowned and honored not just in this village but throughout the Zhou Empire and the Middle Continent¡­even the world. You could protect those you love and attain everything your heart ever desires. You could be truly great."


    "I''m an orphan. I don''t have anybody I want to protect." Cai Neng rolled his eyes. "Also, that whole glory stuff sounds like too much work. I don''t want to fight people and climb to the top. I don''t care about being super-strong or becoming some stupid lapdog general that barks to the Emperor''s every whim. I just want to take naps and laze around. I just want to be happy."


    "What about the happiness of everyone else?" The chief countered. "There are so many disasters and crises in this world. So much evil. You could destroy them all. You could save lives. You could fight the legendary dragons that terrorize the villages in the south. People would erect statues of you in your honor and lay down flowers at your feet. You could drive the demonic sects back to the north. You would become revered as a hero and savior of the entire Middle Continent!"


    "Not my problem," Cai Neng grumbled. "Why should I risk my life for other people?"


    "That," the village chief sighed. "Is remarkably selfish."


    "And you forcing me to be a martial artist is not? Shoving responsibilities of being a world savior onto a kid like me?" Cai Neng retorted. "What a hypocrite you are."


    "I won''t deny that," the village chief admitted. "But it''s for the greater good of the village, and the empire."


    "And who decides that?" Cai Neng snapped as he turned away. "I''ve heard enough. I''m leaving."


    Without another word, he strode toward the door and twisted the knob, only to frown when it refused to budge.


    "Well¡­as you know, this world is a cruel one. The strong rules over the weak. The word of the strong is law. If you''re weaker than someone else, you''ve to listen to them. And right now you''re weaker than me."


    Cai Neng slowly turned around to glare at the village chief.


    "You did something to the door, didn''t you?" he spat. "Open it."


    "No," the village chief replied coldly. "Perhaps if you trained, perhaps if you were strong, you could break free. If you choose to be lazy, you''ll be subjected to the whims of those stronger than you. Like now."


    "Open the door."


    "No."


    "I hope you feel good about yourself," Cai Neng snarled. "Bullying a 12-year-old kid like me."


    The village chief shrugged. "Actually, I do feel good about it. As I said, if you''re strong, you can make others bow down to you and listen to you. That''s how this world works." His lips curled into a smile. "You should try it¡­I''m sure you''ll enjoy the feeling of subjugating others."


    "That''s fucked up!" Cai Neng complained.


    "Maybe you''re the one who''s overly na?ve." The village chief shook his head. "But I am a fair man. How about a deal? If you can break the door, I''ll allow you to leave. I''ll teach you a martial arts technique that would require most people at least a month to master. For you, one day should be enough."


    Cai Neng glowered at him. "Okay, fine. Show me the move."


    "First, lift your dominant arm like this¡­"


    "No, I don''t want your instructions. Just demonstrate the move."


    A fierce light shone in the old man''s eyes. He stood from his seat and slowly raised his hand. White light gathered on his palm before flattening into a gauntlet-like aura. With a single flick of his arm, the village chief sent the fist-shaped qi hurtling through the air. The energy projectile slammed into the wall and left a huge dent in it, carving out a chunk of marble with a dull thump.


    "This white energy is qi," the village chief explained as he conjured another sheen of qi. "Most people are unable to gather enough of it to make it visible, so you probably won''t be able to see this white glow during your first attempt. To execute this move, all you need is to coat your palm with a thin layer of qi and then blast it toward the door."


    "¡­"


    Cai Neng studied him quietly.


    "Most people can''t even sense qi to begin with. Even if it''s you, you''ll require a few hours under my guidance to finally be able to feel essence. To learn to convert essence into qi and then manipulate it will take a bit longer. This is the most basic martial arts techniques, Palm Strike." The village chief grinned. "I told you that martial artists will be able to fire off energy blasts. Still not convinced?"


    Cai Neng closed his eyes in reply. When the village chief first executed Palm Strike, he had observed how the energy of the universe had gathered and condensed into a fiery brilliance in his palms. He had always sensed this energy, but never knew that he could use it in such a manner. Now that the village chief had shown him how, he could attempt it. Raising his hands, he mimicked the village chief and summoned the qi around him.


    Warmth circulated around him, and he channeled the qi into his palms. He focused on the exact qi pathways that he had seen circulate into the chief''s strike, accumulating as much qi as possible into the palm of his hand. With a flick of his hand, he imitated the chief and unleashed the qi in a single burst, but the white energy fizzled out almost as quickly as it appeared.


    "A very impressive first effort," the chief praised him sincerely. "But¡­"


    But Cai Neng wasn''t paying any attention to him.


    Instead, he repeated the procedure and gathered qi into his hands before lashing out again. This time, he relaxed so as to make his movement a lot less rigid and forced. Glimmers of light burst to life along the edges of his palm, coating his hand in a silvery aura. He swung it with as much force as possible.


    A second before the white energy blast made contact with the door, it stopped, as if hitting an invisible barrier, and dissipated.


    Cai Neng turned to the chief, who was staring at him with wide eyes.


    "A day, you said?" he mocked the older man.


    Blinding light erupted across the room. Time seemed to slow as the essence of the universe condensed into a ferocious supernova in his palm. The next moment, blazing fury rent wood apart in an explosion of splinters. When the white flash died down, the village chief could only gape in disbelief at the ravaged, scorched remains of his door. By the time he recovered from his shock, Cai Neng was long gone.


    *


    "Bloody geezer."


    Grumbling to himself, Cai Neng stomped toward his home. Flinging his door open, he barely threw himself inside his house and plopped down onto the ground, exhausted. Martial arts burned away a tremendous amount of energy and he was now feeling completely spent.


    Good. This was a great time to take a nap. It wasn''t ideal to nap on the floor, but the bastard village chief had made him late for his nap and right now he didn''t care if he was in the bed or out in the woods. He just wanted to sleep.


    "¡­huh?"


    Cai Neng blinked when he realized that something was amiss. Earlier, he didn''t realize it because he was tired, but now he remembered that he had locked the door before he left for that stupid ceremony earlier that morning.


    Yet he had just flung it open without unlocking it with his keys.


    "What?!"


    Cai Neng bolted to his feet, his weariness suddenly forgotten. He tensed when he sensed that he wasn''t alone in his house.


    There was an intruder. No¡­there were many intruders.


    "Ah, damn it! Can''t everyone just leave me alone?!" he howled in exasperation. Gathering qi into his hand as he recalled the move he had just learned from the village chief, he stomped angrily toward the trespassers.


    There was a rustle as the intruders became aware that he had just returned home. However, Cai Neng was in no mood to wait for an explanation.


    "Get out of my house," he snarled. "I''m in a foul mood today, and if you''re going to bother me about this whole martial artist thing again, I swear I''ll kick your ass¡­"


    He never completed his sentence. A scythe swung through the air.


    "¡­eh?"


    Cai Neng never saw the attack coming. The next thing he knew, his vision was spiraling upward, the floor, walls and ceiling of his house rolling around like some disorientated marble. There was a thud and a spray of something wet hitting the ground. As the constantly shifting vision stopped, he caught sight of a headless body wobbling, a geyser of blood spurting from its neck.


    "Ah¡­I thought this house was abandoned."


    A massive man with red skin and black tattoos strode out of the shadows, stroking his bloodstained scythe. He stared disdainfully at the headless body and then at Cai Neng, even as the shadows stirred behind him.


    To Cai Neng''s shock, he found that he actually recognized that massive man. That was Tian Sha Tian Zun, one of the most malicious and cruel exponents of the demonic way. He was the sect leader of the Tian Sha Sect ¨C that must mean the other intruders hidden in the shadows were his subordinates.


    But that wasn''t the most shocking thing at all.


    Cai Neng understood that the headless body that he was seeing belonged to him.


    W¡­what happened? No way¡­


    Cai Neng tried to say something, but his voice wouldn''t come out. It was only natural. His head had been completely severed from his body, his throat cleanly sliced into two. His vocal chords were separated from his mouth, drenched in the gushing geyser of blood.


    "Hmph. Just a rotten kid."


    Tian Sha Tian Zun''s lips curled into a sneer as he gazed down on Cai Neng, who was gradually being swept away by the darkness of oblivion. Cai Neng couldn''t even follow Tian Sha Tian Zun as the demonic sect leader stalked off to some other part of his house, presumably looking for something. He would find nothing.


    An orphan like Cai Neng didn''t own anything, after all.


    As Cai Neng''s consciousness was consumed, he felt a deep sense of regret. If he had taken the village chief''s advice, he wouldn''t have died a pathetic, dog''s death like this. He would be learning martial arts right now and fighting monsters like this smug, red-skinned bastard.


    But it was too late.

 2 Chapter 1: The acciden

    Howling, I held my head in both hands as I stared at the screen. The words "Game Over" flashed across the scene that was darkening with blood, indicating my death. An option appeared for me to respawn in five seconds, but I ignored it.


    Instead, my eyes were drawn to the chat screen. Mocking messages filled my view, with the enemy team taunting me.


    "Ha ha ha, NOOB."


    "Weak. L2P."


    "Get rekt!"


    It wasn''t just the opposing team, though. My teammates were spamming me with angry messages.


    "Wtf r u doing?!"


    "If u don''t know how to play, gtfo."


    "Dun drag us down!"


    "Ugh!" I growled, feeling the frustration well up inside me. Shaking my head, I left the game, leaving my teammates to fight an increasingly uphill battle. To be honest, my departure wouldn''t make much of a difference. My incompetence was handing the opposing team too many points in terms of kill count.


    They were right. I was causing my team to lose with my inept play.


    Why the fuck did they group me up with such high-level players anyway? I grumbled to myself, cursing the matchmaking system. The game should fix that and put me with players on my level. Bronze league players should be placed with other bronze leaguers. There was no point pitting me against diamond league gamers unless they wanted every game to be a one-sided massacre that boosted the ego of these elitist "hardcore" gamers while crushing the self-esteem of "casual" gamers. Then again, the possibility that these guys were Smurfs looking for an easy time and having a laugh over destroying newbies was high.


    Pushing my glasses up my nose, I exhaled deeply before switching the game off. Grudgingly, I abandoned the attempt to get at least one win after a ten-match losing streak. It seemed that I was not destined not to win even once today.


    Bloody f¡­!


    "I should go cool off."


    After slamming my fist on my desk, the resulting pain cleared my head a little. Rubbing my temple, I sighed again and rose to my feet. The heater hummed in the background, but it was still a little chilly. Winter had descended upon Cheng Shi City with a harsh embrace, and even with the heater at full blast I could still feel her chilling touch.


    But I''ve no choice¡­


    I had run out of snacks and drinks. I needed to run to the convenience store a few blocks away from my apartment to replenish my supplies. Chocolate and coke were great for keeping me awake while studying, and munching on chips while watching anime was a guilty pleasure. Glancing at the clock, I realized I had spent a little too much time on the game. I had been obsessed with getting at least one victory that I had lost track of time.


    Even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew it wasn''t possible. Those hardcore gamers spent countless hours every day gaming and honing their skills to the max. I only spent three to four hours gaming a week. Sometimes I didn''t game for months at a time, too caught up with homework and studies. That was the fate of being a university student. And not just any university student ¨C I was a graduate student chasing a PhD.


    In other words, I had even less time for games¡­


    Good thing I finished my assignments and readings earlier today, or I''ll be in trouble.


    Having been raised by my father, I had inculcated a habit of finishing my homework and duties before gaming. It was just an impulse, sheer discipline. Gaming or watching anime came as a reward to finishing my studies. It was just that simple. If anything, I was at least proud of my iron will that resisted all temptations to detract away from my studies.


    I didn''t apply for graduate student because I was lazy and easily distracted, after all.


    Since I''m planning on writing the popular culture paper on web novels tomorrow, I need to stock up on bottle iced coffee or coke¡­anything with caffeine. Chocolate would be nice too¡­


    Locking my door, I stepped out of my apartment and proceeded downstairs. Shielding my eyes, I squinted at the bright morning sun. Oh, crap, I forgot to sleep. After finishing my homework at around 3am, I spent the next 3 hours gaming (and getting my ass kicked), and before I knew it, dawn had arrived. Good thing my classes were in the afternoon, which meant I could grab about 4 hours of sleep before noon. After I watched today''s anime episodes, of course¡­


    "?"


    My planning was interrupted by an unusual sight. As I strolled to a stop at the traffic light junction, I spotted him. An old man hobbling across the junction despite the pedestrian crossing clearly being red. Perhaps he was color-blind. Actually, I wouldn''t be surprised if he was blind. His eyes were veiled by dark shades and he was poking at the front with his wooden walking stick. I didn''t know they made sticks out of wood like that anymore. These days everything was made out of plastic. Even football fans, particularly my fellow supporters of Blackburn Rovers.


    Normally I wouldn''t even have noticed, but this particular old man stood out like a sore thumb. For one thing, he must have emerged from some backwater rural farm somewhere and fell behind modern fashion. I swear, if he wasn''t just randomly wandering about the streets of Cheng Shi City, he looked like a character out of a historical drama.


    Hell, he behaved like one. The way he walked seemed to indicate that he was a fish out of water. Clearly he didn''t understand how traffic light signals worked.


    And that was dangerous.


    HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!!!!


    An irate driver honked his horn at the old man furiously and swerved out of the way in time, carving a beautiful arc around the pedestrian that would have made any Formula One driver proud. Flashing a finger at the oblivious old man, the driver then continued to speed forward without any other incident.


    However, the old man wasn''t out of danger yet. I told you earlier, didn''t I? I got hit by a truck, not a car.


    Said truck was barreling forward right after the car vanished out of sight. While the truck driver wasn''t as rude as the previous car driver, he neither possessed the skills nor a light enough vehicle maneuverable to pull off what the other guy did earlier. Evidently he hadn''t read enough Initial D or something. Tires screeched as he slammed on the brakes, but the truck wasn''t slowing down fast enough, its massive momentum hurling itself forward lethally at the old man.


    And the old man still didn''t notice the danger, blissfully plodding on at his maddeningly slow pace with that stupid stick of his.


    "HEY!"


    Before I knew it, my body had reacted and I threw myself at old man. I succeeded in pushing him out of the way in time, but not before I felt a sickening crunch. The next thing I knew, the sky had flipped itself up and was spinning around, replaced by the ground, which was subsequently taken over by the sky again. Then a sharp pain surged through my body as I slammed into the ground and skidded several meters across the road.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I let out a groan, feeling fiery hot agony flare through my body. I couldn''t move my limbs. They seemed twisted at an unnatural angle, and I could vaguely feel my blood pooling beneath me. Gasping for air, I felt something stab through my chest and strangle my throat. Perhaps the tremendous impact had broken my ribs, which were now rupturing my lungs.


    In any case, it didn''t seem that I had long to live. With one final shudder, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink into the cold darkness of oblivion.


    *


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    And that was how I found myself in line, waiting behind a snaking queue that was hundreds of people long. The line was so long that it stretched past the bridge, which was several miles long, and spilled over to the coast where it began.


    This was going to be a long wait.


    I watched the people who were ahead and behind me. There was a very faint quality to them, almost as if they were transparent. Their complexions were ghastly and inhumanly white, but that was probably because they were no longer quite human. None of them had legs ¨C all of them were floating a foot or so above the ground or bridge. Dressed in white hospital gowns, the majority of them wore forlorn, downcast expressions as they bowed their heads gloomily.


    Noticeably enough, the vast majority of the people in the queue were old, with a few of them actually being so old that they were literally ancients. There were a few young ones, a few middle-aged ones, and many kids, but their numbers were dwarfed by wizened, wrinkled seniors with white hair and ghostly airs of resignation. Several of the kids were looking around dumbly, unable to believe where they were.


    I didn''t blame them. Just a day ago, if someone told me I was going to die, I would have laughed it off. Yet here I was in the underworld, queuing upon a bridge. Not just any bridge, mind you. The Naihe Qiao or Bridge of Helplessness. At the end of the bridge was a massive gate, and guarding the gate was an ancient lady.


    Standing right in front of the massive, red double doors, the old lady was scooping tea out of a bubbling cauldron and handing it to the ghosts in line to drink. One by one, the ghosts in line accepted the cup, albeit with bitter expressions on their faces, drank the liquid before walking through those gates and disappearing from the underworld forever.


    "Heh, so did you kill yourself too?"


    A ghost my age elbowed his way to my position, earning himself a few glares from otherwise patient and tolerant seniors. He must have spotted someone from his generation in the long line, and wanting to alleviate the tedious boredom of standing in the queue with nothing else to do for days, he decided to fight his way toward me. I wondered if I should be touched.


    However, one of my veins twitched at his rude question.


    "Of course not¡­"


    Then I blinked and calmed down as I recollected on the events that led to my death.


    "¡­technically, you''re not wrong."


    In a way, I did end up killing myself, after all. I sacrificed myself to save that old man''s life, even though I knew it would lead to my death. Now that I calmly thought about it, when the guy put it that way, he wasn''t mistaken at all.


    "I know, right? Living is horrible."


    The guy threw an arm over my shoulder. I flinched and tried to pull away, but he held on tightly. What was wrong with this guy? Why was he acting all friendly with me? I was pretty sure I didn''t know him and had never met him before in my life.


    "I''m Xiang Si," the guy introduced himself without me asking. "I was being bullied in school, and driven to suicide by those bastards¡­you know what I''m talking about, right?"


    "Uh, sure¡­"


    While I did experience bullying at the hands of several of my classmates, it was never so bad to the extent I was driven to kill myself. But I didn''t have the chance to tell Xiang Si that, for he was already launching into a long rant.


    "This world sucks. If only the human race will all die! If only there''s a way to destroy the world! I''m tired of living in this world."


    "We''re already dead," I reminded him. "We''re no longer in that world. We''re in the underworld."


    Xiang Si plainly ignored me.


    "Most people are alive only because it''s against the law to kill them." he cracked his knuckles. "If I have it my way, I''ll allow people to execute motherfuckers for being motherfuckers without needing to wait for the police."


    Wow, the edge¡­I was bleeding just from listening to him speak. This guy reminded me of all those edge lords on the Internet. Just my bad luck that I had to run into one of them in hell.


    "Anyway¡­" Xiang Si stared nervously ahead. I hadn''t noticed when he was speaking, but it seemed that my turn was drawing nearer and nearer. The few hundred in front of me had been reduced to mere dozens. I guessed I would be through the gates before the day was done. Lucky me. But Xiang Si didn''t seem to think so. "You know what that tea is, right?"


    "That''s soup," I corrected. "That''s Grandmother Meng. She serves the Mi Hun Tang or Soul Bewitching Soup. It''s supposed to bewitch your soul and cause permanent amnesia, wiping out all memories of your current life."


    "I know what that means," Xiang Si snapped. Oh, really? Then why the fuck were you asking me about it? "After we drink that soup, we forget everything and we walk through that gate to get reincarnated."


    "Yeah." I stared longingly at the red gates, whose interior stayed teasingly out of sight. "I wonder what kind of family I would be born into."


    Xiang Si stared at me as if I was mad. I stared back at him, suspecting that he was mad.


    "Why the fuck would you want to be reincarnated?"


    I shrugged. "Why wouldn''t I?"


    "You want to return to that fucked up world? To get abused again? To get tortured and looked down by everybody, then driven to suicide again? I already have enough of living. I killed myself to escape living in that messed-up world! Of course I don''t want to go back there!"


    I nodded in feigned understanding. I did have several of those thoughts occasionally, but only in the heat of the moment. But when I calmed down, I realized how juvenile those edgy thoughts were. Perhaps Xiang Si would finally realize what a fool he was making himself out to be when he came to his senses. Behind, an old man snorted.


    "The younger generation is so weak these days. Can''t even take something like that, and start crying all over the place."


    "Shut up, geezer!" Xiang Si rounded on him. "It''s your fault that the world is so screwed up right now! All because of people like you!"


    "Hey¡­" I spoke up, trying to bring Xiang Si''s attention away from the poor old guy, who looked as if he was going to flare up and fight. "That''s enough. I understand your pain, but don''t take your anger out on other people."


    Xiang Si turned on me, his nostrils flaring. He grabbed me by the shoulders.


    "Friend, let''s go. Let''s get out of here before they force us to reincarnate. I''m never going back to that world!"


    "Uh, good for you. I''ll stay in line."


    Like hell I was going to run off and give up my spot after queuing for what seemed like several days.


    "Are you crazy?!"


    Xiang Si was shaking me violently now. Dude, you need to take a chill pill. I tried to brush his hands off and stumble away.


    "You want to go back and live in that world?! That crazy, fucked up world?!"


    "Look," I growled impatiently. "I don''t know what kind of experiences you had, but this is a chance for a new life, one that might be free of abuse, of¡­"


    "Hah!" Xiang Si snorted. "I have lost faith in the human race. All humans are evil. Don''t delude yourself. If you get reincarnated, you''ll just suffer again."


    Wow¡­this edgy guy was really on edge.


    "I''ll take my chances."


    The bastard looked like he was going to slap me. "Why did you even kill yourself in the first place?!"


    I smiled at him pleasantly. "I sacrificed myself to save an old man from getting hit by a truck. It was worth it."


    Xiang Si looked as if he was the one who got hit by a truck. He staggered back, shocked at what he deemed was my betrayal, then jabbed his finger at me and began raving and ranting.


    "Traitor! Fucker! You lied to me!"


    "No, I didn''t¡­"


    As usual, Xiang Si interrupted me and refused to listen to what I had to say.


    "I hate you! It''s people like you that fucked up the world! Go reincarnate and get driven to suicide again! I hope the world ends while you''re still in it!"


    With that, he sprinted off.


    I watched after him in exasperation, then decided not to pursue him. Whatever that idiot wanted to do was completely none of my business.


    Xiang Si didn''t get very far. Suddenly, two gigantic demons descended from the murky, cloudy skies and landed on either side of him. Their grotesque, grinning visages bore down on the hapless teenager, causing him to shriek. Despite the fella pissing his pants (or gown), the two demons mercilessly snatched him up and carried him toward the gate. Xiang Si''s struggles intensified as he sought to free himself, but the demons'' grips were too strong. I watched their massive gruesome figures, fiery red skin that stretched over their heavily muscled, humanoid torsos, and shuddered.


    "Let me go! I don''t want to be reincarnated! I don''t¡­!"


    I caught one last glance from Xiang Si, the fool actually pleading me for help. I rolled my eyes and turned away. This was for his own good.


    Come to think of it, while Xiang Si told me his name, he never asked me for mine. The guy was so self-centered and self-absorbed in his own misery that he didn''t care about anybody except himself. No wonder he wasn''t interested in listening to anyone but himself. Ironically, he blamed others for deceiving him when he was the one who interrupted them before they could explain fully.


    "Serves him right," the old guy behind me muttered.


    I watched coldly as the demons forcibly pinned Xiang Si down on the floor for Grandma Meng to pour the soup into his mouth. Xiang Si choked and tried to spit it out, but he couldn''t. He wept, wailed and gnashed his teeth, but then the effects of the Soul Bewitching Soup took effect and he suddenly slumped down, slack-jawed and hollow-eyed. The demons hauled him to his feet and threw him through the slightly ajar gates.


    I definitely didn''t want to be manhandled like that, so I behaved myself as best as I could until it was finally my turn. When I finally stepped up to the fuming, bubbling cauldron, waiting for Grandma Meng to give me my cup of soup, she suddenly frowned and consulted the list she had in her hand.


    "You''re Fei Wu, right?"


    "That''s right, ma''am."


    "¡­your name is not on the list."


    "Then why do you know my name?"


    Grandma Meng raised an eyebrow, but then realized that was a good question. She smiled good-humoredly.


    "I know the names of every ghost who walks the Bridge of Helplessness." She raised the list. "But your name is not on the list."


    "Uh¡­so what do I do?"


    Grandma Meng shrugged. "For one thing, you don''t drink my soup."


    "But, Grandma!" I protested hotly, not wanting to go through this whole ordeal again. "I''ve been waiting in line for almost seven days! You can''t do this to me!"


    "Yes, I can," Grandma Meng replied coolly. "And I''m not your grandma."


    "Hey!" one of the ghosts shouted callously behind me. "You''re holding up the line! Just get lost!"


    "And go where?" I glanced upward, half-expecting the giant demons to appear out of the sky and escort me somewhere. At least that would be much preferable to leaving me in eternal limbo, wandering around the underworld for eternity.


    "Hmm, about that¡­"


    Grandma Meng stopped stirring the steaming stew in her cauldron and placed a wrinkled, bony finger on her chin as she pondered thoughtfully. I half-wanted to just throw myself between the gates, but I dismissed that desire, knowing that the demons would just appear out of nowhere and grab me before I could.


    "In cases like this, it means that you''re not dead and your soul somehow mistakenly ended in the underworld by mistake. So you''ll have to go by that gate."


    I blinked and stared as Grandma Meng pointed at a much smaller gate by the side of the gigantic red gates that led to reincarnation. It was brown and green, and looked a lot more furnished and taken care of than the gigantic red ones.


    "¡­where does that lead to?"


    Grandma Meng shrugged. "As compensation for accidentally taking you to the underworld when you''re not supposed to die yet, we''ll give you something as a token of apology."


    "Give me what?" I asked nervously. Grandma Meng smiled enigmatically.


    "You''ll find out when you walk through those gates."


    Ah. I think I knew what this was all about. I had read about this in web novels before. Compensation for taking my soul when I wasn''t supposed to die yet¡­in other words, they were going to make it up to me by allowing me to reincarnate not in Earth but another world! A medieval fantasy world with swords, magic and monsters! I was going to be reincarnated in the body of an adventurer or magician! That must be the "token of apology"! That was also why they weren''t going to take my memories. Adventures in other fantasy worlds had a requirement that the reincarnated main characters preserve their memories of Earth so that they could make use of their modern scientific knowledge and education for unfair advantages in a medieval world!


    "Thank you very much, Grandma!"


    "Well, it was our mistake, after all." Grandma Meng shrugged and went back to stirring the contents of her cauldron. "And stop calling me grandma."


    I bowed gratefully for one last time before I sprinted toward the small gates. The brown gates automatically opened, as if welcoming me, and I plunged into it eagerly.

 3 Chapter 2: Reincarnation

    After all those tedious and downright boring experiences in the underworld I looked forward to waking up and finding myself surrounded by beautiful nature. Perhaps the body of the guy I just transmigrated into had just been fished out of a lake after drowning. Or maybe I would wake up in a wooden house after being poisoned. Or probably I would wake up in the middle of nowhere, after having been beaten to death by the Emperor''s soldiers once my cultivation and talents were stolen by his daughter. Most likely I would have just woken up in a noble''s manor after my previous incarnation died from an overdose of spirit medicine. I sure as hell hoped I didn''t die stupidly by falling off a horse and hitting my head against a boulder.


    Beep. Beep. Beep.


    "¡­"


    I frowned as I vaguely made those sounds out. That certainly didn''t sound like anything I would expect from a fantasy cultivation world. I could still feel dull pain throbbing throughout my body, and massive discomfort, but that could be explained by the numerous scenarios of death that my previous incarnation had been through before I was transmigrated here. Damn it, it felt like I had been bludgeoned to death.


    That must be the scenario for this particular story.


    With great reluctance, I forced my eyes open.


    "¡­you''ve got to be kidding me."


    I was greatly disappointed to see that I was not in any fantasy world but a hospital room instead. Linked to my left arm was some medical machine that displayed my vitals, which included my heartbeat and blood pressure. My legs were hoisted into the air and wrapped in cast, as was my right arm. My body was encased in bandages and bound in white covers and the usual green hospital gown.


    Looked like I was very much alive and stuck in this dull, normal world.


    When Grandma Meng said everything was a mistake and I would be compensated, I assumed she meant I would be reincarnated in a fantasy world, just like all those fantasy web novels. I never thought she meant I would be simply sent back to my broken, comatose body and forced to live through sheer agony, crippled and wasted. This was, in a lot of ways, much worse than death.


    Oh, well¡­it wasn''t as if I wanted to die anyway.


    Unfortunately, it seemed that I was pretty much screwed. Three of my four limbs were broken, which would make my everyday life highly inconvenient. Not to mention the red-hot agony that I had to endure after surviving the accident. It appeared that I had been hooked up to drips of painkillers, otherwise I suspected the pain would be much worse.


    The consequences of my actions¡­huh¡­speaking of which, is that old man all right? I hope he didn''t get hit by another vehicle.


    I had pushed him out of the truck''s way, but I wasn''t in any condition to ensure that there wasn''t another vehicle barreling along the road to hit him. It would suck if I went through all this trouble and pain, only for him to get killed in such an ignominious manner. It would also make my sacrifice completely meaningless.


    Damn¡­right now I should worry about myself more¡­


    Like how I was supposed to go to the bathroom when I needed to? Damn it¡­why did I have to break both my legs!?


    Right now I supposed there were plenty of edge lord readers who would be heavily criticizing me for saving the old man. I could literally see the comments now¡­ "Stupid MC, should just let the old man die." You know, the type of readers who complain about the protagonist not being ruthless enough and wanting him to kill every character in the story. Never mind that such behavior was downright juvenile and psychotic, and no person in his right mind would indulge in meaningless slaughter. But what else would you expect from the Internet?


    Suddenly I remembered Xiang Si. If I would be honest, that guy should be the one surviving his suicide attempt. Then he would know what real suffering was. I had no doubt he would be mocking me for being so noble if he hadn''t lost his memories after being force-fed the soup. Hah, with that sort of attitude, it was better that he lost all his memories and personality. I really hoped that the edge lord lost his edge after drinking the soup.


    Speaking of losing one''s edge¡­


    "¡­eh?"


    The room was blurry, and I realized it was because I wasn''t wearing my glasses. Reaching out with my left hand, I fumbled for my glasses on the bedside desk and put them on, and my vision became clear again.


    "That''s better."


    After adjusting my glasses, I reached for the glass of water and downed it. My throat was parched after such a long while. It seemed I had been relying on IV drips to get the necessary nutrients and fluids into my body.


    "What should I do?"


    I scratched my head. Grandma Meng said they would give something as a token of their apology. They couldn''t mean give me my life back, could they? That wasn''t compensation or a token of apology. It was like an insurance company screwing up by forgetting to give my family money for the hospital bills, then compensated or offered a token of apology by paying the hospital bills that they should have footed in the very first place.


    That reminded me¡­I hope the insurance company didn''t make things too difficult for my family, or they wouldn''t be able to afford my hospitalization bills¡­


    My family wasn''t very rich, after all.


    "Wui''er! You''re awake!"


    My attention was jolted away from financial concerns and toward the screen as my father called out to me. Tilting my head slightly, I saw my family standing on the opposite side of a glass wall. There was a soft whir and the doors slid open for my family to pour in.


    "You''ve finally woken up!"


    My mother was sobbing, but she was careful not to hug me. I was grateful that she retained her senses. It would have hurt a lot if she had ignored my injuries and tried to embrace me.


    "I''m glad you''re all right, bro."


    My younger brother, Ji, was smiling in relief as he stood beside my father, whose usually stern visage was cracked by a similar smile.


    I took a deep breath and slowly cocked my head as an odd sort of nod.


    "Yeah. I''m glad to be back."


    I meant it. Even though it hurt like hell, and I had literally been through hell and back, returning to see my family again was worth it. Totally worth it.


    "¡­?"


    Then I suddenly realized something when I stared at my family. Was it my imagination, or did my parents look younger than before? My father was missing his wrinkles and a few graying hairs, and my mother''s hairstyle as a bit shorter than I remembered it to be when I last saw her a few days ago online. Speaking of which, I was attending university in Cheng Shi City, which meant that they had to fly all the way here from Jia Xiang town to visit me in hospital. I hoped I wasn''t costing them too much in terms of money¡­


    But the biggest change was my brother, Ji. I wasn''t sure if I was seeing things, but he looked a lot smaller and a lot shorter in terms of height. He looked as if he was¡­twelve.


    That couldn''t be right. Ji was only one year younger than I was. He should be twenty-nine this year. I knew many people told us that we looked pretty young, but surely it wasn''t to the extent that he looked like a kid.


    "Wu''er? Are you all right?"


    My father noticed that something was amiss when I glanced across the three of them, bordering on panic. My mouth dry, I slowly nodded and forced out a question.


    "Um¡­what year is it?"


    My parents exchanged a strange look, but my brother seemed to understand. He chuckled.


    "Don''t worry, you''ve only been unconscious for three days. You didn''t miss much. It wasn''t as if you were in a coma for years."


    "That''s great," I replied dryly, but despite Ji''s good intentions, he hadn''t exactly answered my question. "So it''s not the year 2019, right?"


    My parents and brother gave me a strange look.


    "No, you weren''t out for that long." Ji laughed. "It''s still 2002. Don''t worry, you will be back in school before you know it."


    "Yeah," my father agreed, getting in on the joke. "If you were hoping to skip school just because of an accident, you''re fresh out of luck."


    "Don''t worry too much about school and classes, okay?" my mother assured me, concerned. "Just focus on recovering for now."


    My jaw dropped when I realized they weren''t joking. And it dropped even further when I realized that they were telling the truth and that my body was a lot smaller than it used to be.


    *


    So the gift was returning me back to my thirteen-year-old self? This was my compensation? The underworld''s token of apology?


    What the fuck?


    This felt more like a punishment, a curse. I was a lot happier staying thirty. I remembered my 13-year-old self as a cringe-worthy, ill-behaved social outcast who was partially bullied by others. Not that I could blame them ¨C I did a lot of stupid things when I was thirteen ¨C things that I was ashamed to remember even when I was thirty. I had thought it funny to provoke my classmates, kick their chairs or pull all sorts of pranks. No wonder they ended up ganging up on me. Fortunately, my rebellious phase ended when I was fifteen and I returned to the well-disciplined, mild-mannered and diligent guy I was in elementary school.


    Perhaps Grandma Meng and the underworld had saw this as a chance for me to relive my teenage years and right all my wrongs. That was why this was my compensation ¨C it was for me to behave myself and make a better impression on my teachers and classmates during that period, for me to clear any lingering regrets I had over this dark period of my life. Oh, and probably to stop myself from indulging in chuunibyou moments.


    Oh, gosh¡­just remembering those made me want to kill myself. Now I understood why Xiang Si was so obsessed with killing himself.


    In other words, the compensation is a second chance for me to relive my life.


    The funny thing was that I didn''t remember ever getting into an accident major enough for me to get hospitalized like this. I had been a pretty active and healthy, albeit mischievous and bratty socially awkward idiot, but I had never been involved in an accident and gotten this hurt. It would be difficult to make use of this second chance to relive my life if I spent most of my dark period lying on a hospital bed, unable to move because of my broken limbs¡­


    Fortunately, after I regained consciousness, I was moved out of the intensive care unit and into the normal rooms, which I shared with a couple of older patients. Since my family wasn''t rich, they couldn''t afford to put me in a private room, and I didn''t want to be in one anyway since it would be too expensive.


    Since I couldn''t do anything except wait to recover, I spent most of the next day sleeping.


    When I woke up, I almost screamed when I saw an old, wizened face peering down on me.


    "Holy s¡­!!!!!"


    "Whoa! Calm down, young man. You''ll wake the other patients." The old guy gestured to the other three patients in the room. Fortunately, they were all sound asleep, snoring as loudly as ever. I had since learned to sleep through noise a few days ago, or maybe I was just too exhausted that I could sleep through the din of a battle. "It''s me."


    "Huh? Who are you?"


    Blinking, I stared at the old man standing by my bedside, baffled by his sudden appearance. I didn''t recognize him at all.


    "Have you forgotten who I am already?"


    ¡­ah. Those sunglasses and old-fashioned clothes that looked right at home in a historical drama. He was the old man I saved from the truck the other day. Why the hell was he wearing sunglasses inside a dark hospital room that had its lights off, though? And it was night too!


    Those shades made him seem really shady.


    "Glad to see you weren''t hurt."


    "Yes, thanks to you." the old man bowed deeply. "I''m very sorry for all the trouble I caused you. And I''m very grateful to you for saving my life."


    I waved his thanks away. "As long as you''re all right."


    The old man smiled, shaking his wrinkled head. "I see you''re not just a brave person, but also a very kind person as well. In a world as cruel as this, it''s very rare to find nice young people such as you, young lad."


    "Nah, I''m sure there''s a lot of other people who would have done the same thing." I truly believed what I was saying. It was impossible that I was the only nice guy in this world.


    "Actually, there''s a lot of people who would push me in front of the truck to deliberately murder me."


    I found that hard to believe, but I wasn''t in a mood to argue. Being stuck in bed with your arm and legs suspended in the air and completely unable to move would do that to you. So I decided to humor the guy.


    "Who? Sounds like you''re being chased by a bunch of killers."


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    The old man grinned ironically. "Oh, you have no idea how right you are."


    ¡­okay¡­I wasn''t sure what he was trying to get at, but maybe he was one of those paranoid conspiracy theorists who thought the world was out to get him or something. Even though he was in good physical health, I wondered if he was somewhat mentally ill. It was normal for someone of his age to suffer from dementia.


    "But since it''s my fault that you''ve ended up in such a condition, I''ve come to take responsibility."


    "¡­take responsibility? How?"


    "Well¡­" the old man scratched his head. "By giving you a reward, I suppose."


    I immediately tensed at that. The last time someone offered to give me compensation for mistakenly dragging me to the underworld, I ended up being reverted to my thirteen-year-old self. Even if this was supposed to be my second chance at correcting my life, I didn''t like it.


    Honestly, I wasn''t looking forward to reliving my entire life and going through all the trials I did before reaching thirty for the second time. All that cramming and studying again. The annoying obstacles that life threw at me. Bureaucratic bullshit and administrative nightmares that plagued me when I was a student. One might think it would be great because I probably already knew what would come out for the exams, but no. Unlike a certain Nie Li, I didn''t have a perfect memory. I couldn''t remember every single event, moment or instant in my life. I couldn''t remember every single question on every single exam. I couldn''t recall every disaster or misfortune I had been through in order to avoid it, but I did recall vividly a few ¨C falling sick to dengue fever was something I was not looking forward to suffering through again, as was other diseases here and there.


    The worst thing was that I couldn''t remember when I fell sick or how to avoid those. Damn it.


    "So what kind of reward are we talking about here?" I asked with a sigh. "Are you going to help my parents pay for my hospital fees?"


    The old man merely smiled mysteriously


    "No. I''m afraid I do not possess the money necessary for that."


    "Right."


    Resisting the temptation to roll my eyes, I maintained a polite tone despite thinking that there was nothing the old man could offer that would serve as an adequate reward. Probably another token of appreciation, but¡­


    "Hey, wait a second¡­"


    I suddenly frowned. Something wasn''t right here.


    "This can''t be possible. I saved you when I was thirty¡­I saved you seventeen years in the future. I''m thirteen right now, right? So how did you¡­did you travel back in time or something?"


    "Very astute. Something like that." the old man reared to his full height as he smiled, impressed. "To be more precise, I merely followed the alternate timeline to which you were sent back from the underworld, and traced you here."


    My jaw dropped as I stared at him, not believing what I had just heard. "You can do that?"


    "Indeed." The old man nodded. I continued to scrutinize him, not knowing if he was insane. Then again, even if he was some crazy old man, it wouldn''t explain how I got sent back in time and reverted to my thirteen-year-old self.


    I had no choice but to believe him for now.


    "I''m an immortal, after all." (The word he uses here is xian, which is usually translated as immortal, but as most Chinese speakers would tell you, has a completely different connotation and meaning from the Anglo or Western conception of immortal)


    "Uh, right." Sure, that explained a lot. Not.


    "Still¡­I didn''t expect you to be pulled into our world in such a manner. Such a pity. Such a pity."


    The old man was shaking his head. He then straightened up and then took something out of his pocket, placing it on my bedside table.


    "I''m sorry, but this is the only thing I have of value. I hope you''ll be satisfied with it."


    "That''s¡­?"


    It was a golden medallion with the emblem of a dragon carved into its surface. He slid it across the tabletop and positioned it as close to me as possible.


    "I hope you like it."


    "Well, it''s shiny¡­"


    Not to mention, there was a lot of yellow currents of energy billowing out from it. I had no idea what that was supposed to be. Initially I wondered if the old man was performing some sort of special effects, but why the heck would be bother to trick me? It wasn''t as if he was selling the medallion to me.


    No, wait¡­it''s not a trick.


    Frowning, I noticed that there was something beyond natural about the energy. I could detect a vitality that surpassed normal human understanding, a kind of energy that throbbed with all sorts of arcane potential. It wasn''t something I could tap into, but it maintained a mysterious signature that set it apart from any other sort of energies that I normally sensed.


    I was about to open my mouth and ask about the mystical energy, but as if he sensed my question, he quickly shook his head.


    "I''m sorry. It was never my intention to drag you into this world. To protect you, it''s best that I keep you ignorant."


    "This world? Keep me ignorant?"


    There was nothing I hated more than being ignorant. And I was sure there was nothing more frustrating for readers than being kept in the dark because of some dubious plotline later or whatever. I wanted to know, and I wanted to know now.


    But the old man was having none of it. He didn''t pay me any attention and was stepping away. He then bowed deeply.


    "Once again, I thank you for saving my life. I''m very sorry that I wasn''t able to offer up a more appropriate reward, but this will do."


    He patted the medallion on my bedside table.


    "Keep this close to you. It''s a lot more valuable than you think it is."


    I suspected I knew just how valuable this shiny little trinket was. After all, I was planning to pawn it off at the nearest pawnshop the moment I was discharged and make a lot of money off it. Right now my family needed money more than any sentimental items.


    As if he had read my mind, the old man''s expression turned severe.


    "Please promise me that you''ll never sell it."


    Damn. Busted.


    "Fine, fine. Then what am I supposed to do with it?"


    "You''ll know when the time comes."


    Fuck. I absolutely hate it when someone gets all cryptic and vague with me. 90% of stories could be resolved if the characters actually manned up and communicated clearly and properly instead of going through this roundabout bullshit.


    "Well then¡­this is farewell. I doubt we''ll meet again." the old man''s expression turned sad. "It''s probably rude to say this to someone who just risked his life to save mine, but I don''t have much time left. Please take care."


    The hell?! Did he just raise a death flag? Right after I rescued his life at the cost of breaking three of my limbs? Fuck you!

 4 Chapter 3: Recovery

    I lay on my bed as I stared at the ceiling, bored out of my mind. It had only been a day or two since I recovered consciousness. The old man had paid me an unexpected visit on the very next day, but other than that I received no other visitors except my family.


    "Did the school give me any homework or assignments to do? I''ll do them in the hospital and try my best not to fall behind."


    "No, not really." Dad stared at me for a moment before breaking into a grin. "I''ve never seen you so excited to go to school."


    Why wouldn''t I be? The only thing I was good at was studying. In fact, I was so useless at everything else that I ended up applying for graduate school and entering a career of lifetime studying. I was probably among the worst scholars in academia, but at least I wouldn''t be causing deaths with my incompetence if I somehow ended up working as a bus driver or in a factory. Hell, I would probably kill more patients than save them if I somehow ended up as a doctor despite my meager intelligence.


    Simply put, I was a lot better at handling books and writing stupid essays (basically making stuff up as I went along) than dealing with people.


    "But that explains your act of valor," Dad continued with a nod of his head. I gaped at him, not sure I heard him right.


    "Huh? Act of valor?"


    "Yeah. You wanted to impress the teachers at Wu Ling Academy with a show of bravery, so you risked your life to save that old man." He glanced around suddenly, looking a little guilty. "Don''t worry, I won''t tell your mother."


    "Wu Ling Academy?"


    "You don''t remember?" Ji asked with a tilt of his head. "You''re supposed to enroll in Wu Ling Academy this week, but you got caught in that accident¡­"


    Now this was news to me. I was pretty sure I never applied for any Wu Ling Academy when I was thirteen. If I recalled correctly, I attended Gong Jiao Middle School when I was thirteen, which emphasized on a bilingual education. That helped me a lot when I applied for graduate school, being able to speak two languages.


    But I had never heard of Wu Ling Academy before.


    "You were so eager to learn martial arts that you were so excited when you were accepted into Wu Ling," Dad spoke up proudly. I could only stare at him, baffled.


    "I¡­did¡­?" I mumbled dumbly. Ji gave me a strange stare.


    "You don''t remember, Big Brother?"


    "No, I don''t." pushing my glasses up with my uninjured hand, I glanced from Dad to Ji, but they didn''t elaborate. I sighed. "So what''s this Wu Ling Academy? You mentioned something about martial arts earlier, right, Dad?"


    "Wu Ling Academy is one of the most prestigious martial arts academy in Martial City (Wu Cheng)," Ji explained helpfully. Dad nodded and continued.


    "You took the theory exam last month and passed with flying colors, making us proud! To be accepted into the top martial arts academy in Wu Cheng¡­"


    "Wait, Martial City?"


    I had to stop them while I attempted to wrap my head around what I was hearing. Weren''t we from a small village called Jia Xiang? And I remembered I attended schools in Cheng Shi City. I had never heard of Wu Cheng City (Martial City) before, not once in my entire thirty years in my previous lifetime.


    Even though my family and identity were all the same, it seemed that I was no longer in the same world.


    "Yeah," Dad affirmed. "You''ll be heading to Martial City after you recover and learn martial arts in Wu Ling Academy."


    I snorted and gestured toward my bandaged arm and legs.


    "Do I look like I''m in any condition to learn martial arts in this condition?"


    "About that, Mom has gone to fetch Doctor Gui Yi. He''ll heal you up in no time."


    Ji said something unbelievable as if it was an everyday thing.


    "Doctor Gui Yi?"


    "The Ghost Hands Doctor, master of the Twelve Mystical Earthly Branches," Dad explained. "One of the top twelve Saints in the Jianghu (martial arts world)."


    This was getting more and more bizarre. Okay, so I did get transported to another world after all. A modern martial arts world at that. While somehow retaining my past identity. It was as if my life was transplanted into another world.


    "Wu''er!"


    Mom burst into the room, a big smile across her face. Behind her, an old man who looked as if he was almost a hundred years old, swaddled in. unlike normal doctors, he was dressed in traditional Chinese robes, and even had a hat perched atop his wrinkled face. He had a perpetual scowl, his beady eyes hidden behind small glasses, and a small wisp of a white beard hung down from his gnarled chin. Beaming, Mom stepped forward.


    "Doctor Gui Yi is here!"


    Gui Yi glared at me and snorted.


    "So this is the brat who tried to play hero and almost got himself killed?"


    What the heck? There was something about his tone that ticked me off, but I held my tongue. In addition to his traditional appearance, he had this menacing air about him that intimidated me into silence. This man possessed power enough to allow him his arrogance and condescending attitude toward mere mortals such as me.


    "Um¡­Doctor, so do you think you can help my son?" Mom asked somewhat timidly. Gui Yi''s lips curled into a sneer.


    "Of course I can! Who do you think I am?"


    He rolled up his sleeves and stuck his hand out. Behind, a pair of doctors in long flowing white coats hurried to his side and produced a case of needles.


    ¡­needles? What?


    "I guarantee that this brat will be up and running about tomorrow."


    "Is that even possible?" I blurted out, unable to help me.


    Bad mistake.


    As Gui Yi glared at me, I suddenly felt extremely tiny. Shrinking back into bed as much as I could, I shuddered involuntarily. This was not a man I could afford to piss off. There was something divine about him, something that told me that he transcended humans.


    Was he a xian just like the old man who I saved from the accident?


    "Are you questioning my skills, brat?"


    "No, I''m just¡­a little light-headed. Sorry."


    "Hmph." Gui Yi raised a few needles. "Looks like I need to fix your head as well."


    No, you did not. Nonetheless, I did not argue. Learning from my mistakes, I kept my mouth shut. That said, I couldn''t help but tremble at the sight of the needles.


    "What, you''re afraid of needles?"


    Gui Yi finally pulled his mouth into some semblance of a mocking smile as he waved the needles in his hands. I sighed.


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    "Well, let''s get the injections done and over with."


    "Who said they''re injection needles? Do they look like syringes to you?"


    Now that I had a closer look, I suddenly realized how the needles weren''t injections syringes but just ordinary stainless steel needles. In fact, they resembled sewing needles more than medical devices. Then I understood what they were.


    "I''m going to perform acupuncture, not injections." Gui Yi''s unkind smile spread wider across his face as he advanced closer. "Don''t worry, it won''t hurt."


    Somehow, that expression on his face didn''t convince me.


    *


    Unexpectedly, the acupuncture session didn''t hurt at all. And Gui Yi also infused my body with qi. While I lay on the bed, I could feel a strange warmth circulate through my body.


    "Hmph. I heard you''re going to Wu Ling Academy tomorrow."


    Huh? Tomorrow? That was fast!


    However, to avoid suspicion, I nodded. I had no idea what was going to happen to me the next day, or how the martial arts academy worked. I guess I would figure everything out tomorrow. For now, I just had to survive¡­


    ¡­well, considering that I was still making snarky remarks in my mind while having a hundred needles sticking out of my body, I probably didn''t have to worry about preserving my life. Actually, I was feeling a lot better than I was over the last two days. The pain was slowly fading away and the qi Gui Yi infused into me was flowing throughout my body, carrying with it a nourishing warmth that breathed new life into my veins.


    This felt so comfortable that I could just doze off there.


    "Well, good luck."


    That was unexpected. I almost thought Gui Yi would ridicule me for not knowing my place and attempting to learn martial arts despite my obvious lack of talent. But here he was grunting, in his usual gruff manner, his own form of an encouragement. I supposed I should be grateful for that. I didn''t know it then, but later I found out that Gui Yi held everyone in contempt.


    "And be careful." Gui Yi twisted a needle that almost felt painful in my arm. "While I am somewhat impressed with your courage and selflessness, have a bit more consideration for your parents before you do something so reckless." He then relaxed and the pressure fell away. "That said, I''m heartened to know that the younger generation still has brats like you. I was almost disillusioned with how self-centered and arrogant the current generation of martial artists are."


    "¡­eh?"


    That did not sound good at all. I couldn''t help but gulp.


    "Okay, done!"


    Before I knew it, Gui Yi was already pulling out all the needles from my body and placing them back into the case that his assistants bore. He placed both palms on my back and transfused more qi into me.


    "This should be enough. Rest for today, and tomorrow you''ll be back up and running on your own two feet."


    "Amazing," I muttered. Though I was skeptical at first, presently I felt no pain in my limbs. In fact, I could move them slightly, and as long as I didn''t overexert them, I was able to even lift them normally. I didn''t try to stand on my legs, though.


    Still, to be free of excruciating agony and the hard cast and bandages was a tremendous improvement over my earlier condition.


    "Thank you very much!"


    I bowed deeply. Gui Yi merely snorted and waved my thanks away.


    "You should be grateful to your parents, not me. They were the ones who convinced me to treat you." He then stopped and pondered for a moment. "Well, to be honest, your actions were what persuaded me the most." He turned and for the first time I saw a genuine smile on his face. "Make sure you use the martial arts you learn to continue protecting people."


    "Will do!"


    I saluted awkwardly with my not-injured hand. Gui Yi waved his hand one final time before strolling out of the room. I watched him leave, and then slightly bowed my head in reverence and gratitude.


    It was only a few minutes later that I realized that the qi that Gui Yi imparted to me was still circulating in my body.


    *


    "Are you feeling better today?"


    "Yeah!"


    I perked up at Dad''s question and hopped to both feet. As Gui Yi promised, it only took me a day of rest before I fully recovered. I could finally stand on both my feet without needing to rely on crutches or a wheelchair.


    My regaining mobility felt liberating. I had to restrain myself from running and jumping around the room to ensure that this wasn''t a dream, and that I was really fully healed.


    "Doctor Gui Yi says that you shouldn''t force yourself so soon after you recover," Mom warned. "Don''t overexert your right arm and both your legs. If you put too much pressure on them, you''ll injure them again."


    "Give them more time to heal," Dad agreed.


    "I understand." Not wanting to worry my parents, I consented. Besides, I wasn''t stupid or reckless enough to throw myself into vigorous activity so soon after my recovery. I didn''t want to go back to the hospital so soon after I was discharged.


    "But you made it in time, didn''t you, big brother?"


    "Eh?" I turned to Ji, bewildered. "Made it in time for what?"


    "Have you forgotten?" Ji frowned in disapproval. "The opening ceremony for Wu Ling Academy is tomorrow!"


    "Oh, yeah. I forgot. Sorry." I laughed sheepishly. Truthfully, I didn''t even know about that, since my memories from my previous lifetime clearly differed from those of this timeline. But when I thought about it, the dates did correspond somewhat, so there were large similarities between the two parallel worlds.


    "They shouldn''t expect you to do strenuous training on the very first day," Dad murmured with a thoughtful expression. "And in any case, I''ve already sent them a letter, so the teachers should know about your condition."


    Uwah, that was going to be embarrassing. I so did not want to be at the center of attention. I honestly would prefer if nobody knew what I did. It was a better idea to remain nondescript and not stand out at all, especially in a brand new world where the knowledge of my previous lifetime did not apply. I didn''t want to attract any attention from the teachers and other students if I could help it. But maybe my actions were pretty common in this world as well.


    "Well, let''s go!"


    Following my family out of the hospital room that had been my home for the last three days, I was somewhat treated to a little shock when I stepped into the outside world.


    It was really a completely different world from the one I lived my first life in.


    "That''s¡­"


    There were floating islands in the sky. Yeah¡­literally floating islands in the sky, complete with waterfalls streaming off their edges and turning into a sapphire curtain that stretched to the earth. There were many shapes that soared through the heavens as well. Initially I mistook them for dragons or magical beasts, but when I looked more closely, I saw that they were in fact modern vehicles. Flying cars or motorbikes, if you will, but without wheels.


    The technology in this world had developed to the point where vehicles could defy gravity and hover in the air. Or perhaps it wasn''t entirely technology. Even this far down on the ground, I could actually detect the mystical qi flowing from the relatively small vehicles. They weren''t powered by gas or petrol. No, they ran on¡­qi?


    What amazed me more was the humans themselves. Craning my neck, I watched in awe as one of the salarymen in a business suit jumped off the ground and practically soared. Was that qigong or something?


    He was not the only one. All over, ordinary citizens were engaged in various interesting abilities. While not all of them could use qigong to that extent, a few of them were essentially soaring in the air, either using qigong or creating gusts of wind. There was also a street stall just outside the hospital. My jaw dropped when I saw the chef raised his hand and create a spark of fire with his bare fingers, and using that to heat his stove.


    The people of this world can actually do that?


    Ji caught my stare and misunderstood my wonder. He raised a hand and slapped me in the shoulder.


    "Big brother, you really can''t wait to find out what your element is, huh?"


    "My¡­element?"


    "Well, yeah. Your element."


    "Everyone has different elemental affinity, depending on the nature of their qi," Dad explained. "I''m sure you''ll find out which elemental affinity you have tomorrow, when you attend Wu Ling Academy."


    "¡­I see."


    In other words, depending on the kind of qi I possessed, I could wield fire, ice, lightning, earth, wood or wind elements.


    Oh, wow¡­this is just¡­


    I still had trouble wrapping my head around what was going on, but this was just insane. I never would have thought that my saving an old man from an accident would land me in a modern martial arts world with elemental techniques that bordered on magic. It made suffering the excruciating pain almost worth it.


    "Well, let''s go."


    I followed Dad to his car, which like the vehicles above, did not have wheels. Crawling into the seats at the back, I belted up and watched as he started the car up. The vehicle levitated a few meters off the ground, hovering for a while before Dad shifted gears. With a roar, and a slight explosion of qi, the car soared into the air.


    As we moved toward the direction of our home, I couldn''t help but allow my eyes to be drawn to the floating islands in the skies.


    This really is a brand new world, isn''t it?

 5 Chapter 4: Martial Academy

    It was an hour ride away by train, which was an improvement over the three-hour train ride I had to take to Cheng Shi City from Jia Xiang Village when I was in my previous world. Here, the trains literally floated atop invisible tracks as they surged from city to city at incredible speeds. Powered by qi, their magnificent frames streaked across the heavens like blazing spears, crossing vast distances in almost a blink of an eye.


    Picking up my luggage, I followed the countless other students who wore the same uniforms as I did. Just like during my time in Cheng Shi City in my previous lifetime, I had to find accommodation in Martial City. It just wasn''t practical to commute across long distances everyday, and apparently it was a school rule.


    Wu Ling Academy seemed to be a boarding school.


    "This way! Over here!"


    There were already teachers present in the train station at the edge of Martial City. They waved the students over, calling to us. I went with the flow, trying my best not to get crushed in the unceasing sea of human traffic, and proceeded toward the teachers.


    "Whoa!"


    "Stop pushing!"


    "All of you, get in line!"


    The train station was chaotic, with masses of students pressing against each other in their bids to reach the head of the lines, and the teachers bellowing at them to organize themselves.


    "Ugh!"


    I was trying my best not to shove others, but someone shoved me and I fell over. Fortunately, one of the teachers were near enough to grab me before I crashed onto somebody.


    "You okay?"


    "Y¡­yes, sir."


    I looked up at him. He resembled an adult version of myself, also wearing glasses like I did. But he was wearing a brown suit with a tie as opposed to my school uniform and had a somewhat stern expression on his aged face.


    He nodded, distracted by the mass of students pressing upon me from all sides, and then consulted his tablet that was powered by qi rather than electricity.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Fei Wu."


    The teacher typed in my name in his tablet, and nodded when he saw the results. He pointed toward a neat row of students behind the line of flustered teachers.


    "You''re in class 1-4. That way."


    "Thank you, sir."


    Trying my best not to get crushed by the endless flow of students, I made my way toward the group of students who seemed to be designated as my new class.


    "Oh, hey!"


    One of the students, a fairly handsome and cheerful boy with wavy brown hair waved and greeted me as I approached. I nodded in return.


    "Hello."


    "I''m Tong Xue. It seems like we''ll be classmates from now on, so let''s get along!"


    "Same. I''m Fei Wu."


    "What, are you half-Japanese or something?"


    "No, not exactly." Ah, my bad habit was kicking in. During my past life, I majored in Japanese history and literature, and sort of picked up Japanese mannerism. Trying to correct myself, I took his hand and shook it. "I''m a big fan of Japanese manga and anime."


    "Nothing to be ashamed about," Tong Xue assured me with a broad grin. "I''m a big fan of those myself."


    I felt like I liked the guy. That was good. Tong Xue was my new classmate, and being new here, not knowing anyone else, it was important to befriend at least one person. Tong Xue was very friendly and seemed pretty reliable. I hoped the rest of my new classmates were as easy to get along with as he was, but I wasn''t going to hold my breath regarding girls.


    I normally had a bad history with girls, at least until I got into university and learned that girls liked you a lot more when you weren''t desperately trying to hit on them, and that there was absolutely nothing wrong in maintaining a platonic relationship with members of the opposite sex. Not everything had to be romantic.


    As we looked for a place to settle down, I studied the group I was assigned to. There was a huge variety of people. A serious-looking, thin guy was sitting with his arms folded, the very picture of serenity and discipline. A group of girls had gathered together, whispering excitedly and giggling as they glanced at the boys. There was a single girl who was so beautiful that she caught the eyes of not just the guys in my group but all over the new students crowding behind the teachers. Long, silver hair flowed past her shoulders and toward her waist, and her sapphire eyes stared distantly into nowhere. There was a frosty aura about her that seemed to keep people away from her. Even the group of chatty girls weren''t able to muster the courage to approach her.


    Not far away, there was a massive guy staring at her, desire evident in his eyes. Flanking him were two cronies who were almost as huge as him, the three of them resembling towering immovable mountains that stood out in a sea of students.


    "Oh, that girl is Bai Ning Xue," Tong Xue informed me helpfully. His eyes were brightening as he stared at her, enraptured by her beauty. "She''s an unparalleled genius. I heard that she received the top scores in the entrance exam this round. She also belongs to the Bai Clan, one of the largest and most esteemed clans in Martial City."


    "¡­I see."


    "There''s a lot of guys chasing after her, but she has rejected them all. She''s like the ultimate ice queen, and I heard that her martial arts are unrivaled too."


    "¡­martial arts?"


    Weren''t we going to Wu Ling Academy to learn martial arts? Or were we supposed to learn martial arts as a requirement to enter the academy? To my horror, I realized that I possessed no knowledge of any martial arts. This was bad¡­the memories I possessed were those of my previous lifetime, but they had somewhat merged with the memories of this lifetime. That said, because of the merger and the overlapping, my memories tended to be fuzzy, but I was pretty sure this version of me hadn''t learned any martial arts either.


    Tong Xue chuckled bitterly. "As expected of a big clan. They''re different from us commoners, you know? I heard the big clans train their children in their own clans'' martial arts since young. They''re mostly traditionalists."


    "Traditionalists?"


    The term wasn''t familiar with me, but it could be that my memories hadn''t fully settled and merged yet.


    "You know, the faction that insists on preserving traditional martial arts in their supposedly original form and making minimal changes instead of improving them, and proponents of the rule that martial arts should only learn techniques of their own sects." He stared at me suspiciously. "You do know that it was taboo for martial artists to learn techniques from other sects, right?"


    Now that I remembered. "Yeah. Sort of. But they''re changing that, right?"


    "Ah, yeah. The Experimentalist faction. They encourage learning a variety of martial arts and mixing them together to form new, innovative techniques. But the old masters and sects with long, ancient histories continue to wield power, so they are able to protest against that. Furthermore, in some cases, they are even right ¨C not many of the new, so-called innovative techniques are on par with the traditional ones."


    I honestly appreciated the lesson. With the memories of my first lifetime overwriting the majority of the memories from my current one, I really needed the reminders as I slowly got used to this new world and its rules.


    "Oh, looks like they''re almost done."


    At Tong Xue''s comment, I looked up and saw that the tide of onrushing students were beginning to thin. By now, the vast majority of students had already been sorted to into their assigned classes, having moved and divided themselves into organized groups.


    "Then we''ll be heading to the actual academy soon," I muttered as I watched the last of the students filter into their groups. With their task done, the teachers then waved for us to follow them outside of the open-space station. I noticed the bespectacled teacher who helped me earlier approaching my new class.


    Before that, however¡­


    "Wait for me!"


    A spiky-haired guy rushed toward us, sprinting for his life. Apparently he had just gotten off a flying motorcycle and was dashing toward us, his helmet dangling from his hand. He was so panicked that he forgot about his motorbike. Then again, he was wearing the same uniform as us, so he had to be a student of Wu Ling Academy as well.


    "Sorry for being late! I had something come up this morning!"


    "It is fine," the bespectacled teacher assured him as he retrieved his tablet. "You just barely made it. What''s your name?"


    "Zhu Jiao."


    The teacher glanced and swiped his tablet, then nodded in satisfaction. He gestured for Zhu Jiao to follow him.


    "You''re in my class. 1-4."


    Wow, what a coincidence. Not only was Zhu Jiao in our class, it seemed that the bespectacled teacher was also in charge of us. I felt a little relieved. From what I had seen, that teacher seemed helpful and not that strict.


    As there were so many students, the teachers decided to hold their briefings separately. The bespectacled teacher stood in front and gestured for us to gather around.


    "I''m Jiao Shi," he told us promptly and without hesitation. "I''m your homeroom teacher. So if you have any questions regarding school life or Wu Ling Academy, or your curriculum, feel free to approach me."


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    "Yes, Teacher Jiao," the class chorused. I also joined in, not wanting to be left out.


    "Good. For now, we''ll be heading to Wu Ling Academy proper. Get aboard the boat."


    "The boat?" a male student asked, puzzled. Teacher Jiao smiled and nodded.


    "You''ll see what I mean."


    Indeed, outside the station were rows and rows of hollowed-out boats. There were some arcane-looking machinery at the back of each of the boats, but the wooden seats had cushions. Teacher Jiao led us to one of the boats and got us to board it.


    "This is quite the fancy transport they''re ferrying us in," I muttered. Tong Xue chuckled.


    "Ferry is right. But this is nowhere near fancy."


    "But why a boat?" Zhu Jiao asked as he came alongside us with a confused expression. "Couldn''t they have chartered a normal bus?"


    "It''s a Wu Ling Academy tradition," the stern, lanky-looking guy I saw earlier explained. The three of us stared at him, and he shrugged. "You''ll see what I mean later, but for centuries the students of Wu Ling Academy always cross into its ground on boats."


    "¡­I see."


    The four of us took seats adjacent to each other, and Tong Xue broke the ice by introducing himself. Zhu Jiao followed suit and I joined in.


    "I''m Ban Zhang," the fourth guy gave his name somewhat stiffly.


    "Nice to meet you," I said. Ban Zhang''s shoulders loosened somewhat and he nodded.


    "Same."


    "But say, Zhu Jiao, you were really cutting it close, weren''t you?" Tong Xue asked him with a chuckle. "That was a cool motorbike."


    "Yeah, Teacher Jiao told me the school staff will bring it and keep it for me, though." he sighed. "They had better. The motorbike isn''t mine. I''ve to return it to my older cousin when we''re allowed to leave school."


    I frowned at that. When we were allowed to leave school? What did that mean? Somehow it carried the implication that there would be a period of time when we wouldn''t be allowed to leave the campus grounds.


    "Huh? Is it my imagination, or is Bai Ning Xue staring at you?"


    Tong Xue''s sudden question broke me out of my thoughts. My heart skipped a beat, but then I realized that Tong Xue was addressing Zhu Jiao. Not me.


    Stupid. Yeah, I shouldn''t be so self-conscious. Why would Bai Ning Xue be staring at me? She didn''t even know who I was.


    In contrast, Zhu Jiao grinned as if that was normal. He turned toward Bai Ning Xue, waved at her and called out in a loud voice.


    "Oh, Ning Xue! You''ve made it to Wu Ling Academy as well!"


    From a distance, Bai Ning Xue nodded. She met Zhu Jiao''s warm, honey-brown gaze with her glacial sapphire eyes.


    "It''s good to see you here as well, Jiao."


    Even though she wasn''t speaking as loudly as Zhu Jiao, her voice rang clearly across the boat as if she was sitting next to us.


    "Of course. Who do you think I am? There''s no way I would fail the exam."


    Zhu Jiao puffed his chest out proudly. Then he blinked and whirled around when he caught sight of me, Tong Xue and Ban Zhang gaping at him with our mouths wide open.


    "What?"


    "You know Bai Ning Xue?" Tong Xue spluttered. Zhu Jiao shrugged and snorted as if it was obvious.


    "Of course I know Ning Xue. She''s my childhood friend. We''ve known each other since young. I used to play with her often."


    "You traitor¡­!" Tong Xue howled as he grasped his face in both his hands. As for me, I didn''t know whether to laugh at this somewhat predictable development. With a name of Zhu Jiao, of course he would be the typical protagonist of a story. Of course he would be childhood friends with the most unattainable, beautiful, talented genius girl in our generation. Of course she would be in love with him because he was the protagonist.


    Ban Zhang, on the other hand, had other concerns.


    "Why is that guy looking at Zhu Jiao like that?"


    The three of us followed his gaze and caught the massive guy with his two almost equally gigantic sidekicks sitting at the back of the boat, glaring at Zhu Jiao in sheer hostility. Zhu Jiao blinked, puzzled.


    "Did you do something to piss them off?" Ban Zhang asked cautiously. Zhu Jiao snorted dismissively.


    "Of course not! I don''t even know who the hell that fella is!"


    "He''s Qi Fu Ren." As always, Tong Xue was on hand to supply useful information. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he cast glances about warily. "I''ve heard many bad things about him. He''s from one of the lesser clans, but still has quite the influence. Because of that, he uses his position to bully others. The other two who follow him around are his cronies Hu Shuo and Ba Dao. They''re not very bright, but they listen to everything Qi Fu Ren tell them to do."


    "So he''s targeting Zhu Jiao now because he plans on bullying him?" Ban Zhang asked somewhat skeptically.


    "No," I replied as I restrained myself from adding "you idiot." "He''s glaring at Zhu Jiao right now because he''s jealous."


    "Jealous? Why? Of what?"


    As expected of the typical dense light novel protagonist, Zhu Jiao couldn''t conceive of any reason why Qi Fu Ren would be jealous of him. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and clobber him.


    "Because of your relationship with Bai Ning Xue."


    "Huh? What does Ning Xue have to do with anything¡­?"


    I was saved from either insulting him or replying when Teacher Jiao spoke up.


    "We''re almost there!"


    At his words, the students began to peer over the boat''s edges. A gigantic, pearly white academy loomed ahead, stretching across miles. For some reason, Wu Ling Academy resembled a castle, or a luxurious palace more than a school, but I kept that to myself. Furthermore, Wu Ling Academy even had a moat surrounding it.


    So that''s what the boats are for.


    Evidently, Wu Ling Academy had a long history that stretched back to ancient times, and the moat that protected its perimeters was one that remained unchanged. Past students must have taken boats to cross the moat to enter the campus grounds, and the academy had preserved that tradition for ages.


    That said, the countless boats ferrying dozens of classes and hundreds of students soared over the dark waters that circled the campus, rather than sail across the rippling surface of the moat. Thus defeating any point of preserving the tradition in the first place. Other than the shape of our transports, there was nothing in common between the flying contraptions that relied on qi and ancient wooden boats that braved rivers and seas.


    I also noticed that there was no gate for us to enter. Instead, the flying boats soared over the towering white walls that served as barriers to separate the interior of the academy from the outside world. There was a shimmering blue screen of pure, defensive qi that served as a mystical barrier to keep intruders out, but Teacher Jiao raised something and the boat we were on passed through the gleaming barrier as if it didn''t exist.


    "If you plan to leave campus grounds to take missions or explore Martial City, you must attain the skills to jump over the walls and walk on water," Teacher Jiao informed us coolly.


    In other words, we had to master qigong or something similar to that if we ever wanted to leave the academy. No wonder there was no gate. There was no need for a gate, not when any competent martial artist could jump over it. The barriers not only served as a defensive measure to keep invaders out, but also a barricade to ensure we reached a certain level of skill before venturing out into the dangerous martial world outside.


    The boat dipped after it crested the gate and dove at a slight angle toward a courtyard with neatly mown grass. All around us, the boats settled on the vast field, and teachers had their students disembarked. Teacher Jiao was no different, hopping off the boat and then gesturing for us to follow him.


    "Let''s go."


    "Teacher Jiao!" Ban Zhang called out as he took his place at the front of the class. "Where are we going?"


    "Oh, right." Teacher Jiao nodded as he turned back to us. "I know you''ve all already passed the entrance exams and successfully enrolled in the academy, but before you begin to officially take classes, you''ll have to take one last test?"


    "Test?!" Zhu Jiao spluttered, alarmed. He was not the only one. The entire class was exchanging panicked glances, murmuring in low, concerned tones. None of us had prepared or studied for any test.


    "What sort of test?" Ban Zhang asked, the only student calm in a rolling sea of frantic chaos.


    Teacher Jiao smiled enigmatically as he swept his gaze across the pale, flustered faces of his new charges.

 6 Chapter 5: Talen

    It was possible, though, that they were merely overly excited over the prospect of receiving new disciples and students. I wondered if these old men were teachers too, like the relatively younger adults guiding us toward the bare square.


    Well, it wasn''t exactly empty. There was a gigantic black monument stone in the middle of the square, basking lazily in the sunlight. The crowd of old dudes had assembled in a circle that was quite some distance from the monument, serene and patient expressions on their faces. There were a few middle-aged ones, a few young ones (though, with the concept of xian, I couldn''t tell if it was only their appearances that were youthful), and a handful of ancient ones. What caught my eye particularly were several old dudes dressed in flashy, extravagant robes, which made them stand out from the rest of their compatriots. Green, flowing robes with dragons etched onto the fabric. Red and golden robes of soft silk that featured an emblem of a soaring phoenix. Silver and blue robes that bore the crest of a roaring tiger. Black robes that displayed a tortoise surrounded by snakes.


    "Aren''t those the four major sects?" Tong Xue murmured when he caught sight of those elders. I nodded, having a portion of my memory of this lifetime return to me.


    The current big four sects. Green Dragon Sect, Red Phoenix Sect, White Tiger Sect and Black Tortoise Sect. even back in my first lifetime, within a world of normalcy, those four Celestial Creatures were renowned in both Chinese astrology and constellations, as well as the Five Elements principle. They were the ultimate celestial guardians, supposedly protecting both heaven and earth from evil and demonic forces.


    "Those masters," Ban Zhang spoke up calmly. "They''re here to pick disciples from within our batch."


    "How are they planning on picking disciples?" Zhu Jiao wondered out loud. "What''s the criteria for choosing who is worthy of being their disciples?"


    Teacher Jiao offered a curt explanation without turning back, especially since he had already told us earlier.


    "We''re going to measure your talent. The masters will make their selections according to the talent you possess."


    "Is talent something that can be measured in the first place?" I muttered skeptically under my breath. However, Teacher Jiao heard me. Shaking his head, he turned around with a wry and disapproving smile.


    I could tell that Teacher Jiao strongly disagreed with this method of judging one''s worth, but he couldn''t do anything about it because he was clearly ranked below the masters.


    "¡­constitution?" Tu Zi Yi, a pretty girl from our class, asked in a puzzled tone. Teacher Jiao nodded.


    "That''s right. We call them Star Constitutions. Simply put, Star Constitutions are an individual''s innate qi essence. With a good Star Constitution, cultivating will be much more efficient, and it usually is accompanied by excellent perception."


    "And how do you define a good Star Constitution?" Zhu Jiao wondered out loud.


    "The higher the number of stars, the better your Star Constitution," Teacher Jiao explained wearily. "For example, if two practitioners are at the same cultivation level, the one with a Two Star Constitution will have an overwhelming advantage over the one with a One Star Constitution. A practitioner with Three Star Constitution would be much better than a cultivator with Two Star Constitution. And so on and so forth."


    Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, probably worried about their type of Constitution. I sighed heavily, knowing that I would be a pathetic protagonist with only a One Star Constitution. Given my horrible luck, these bad things always happened to me. Furthermore, I was completely aware that I had no talent in anything whatsoever.


    I had to be prepared for the worst.


    But I had another question in mind.


    "Aren''t we already students of Wu Ling Academy? Why are these sects still trying to recruit us?" I whispered to Tong Xue, who turned to stare at me in surprise.


    "Don''t you know? Wu Ling Academy isn''t a sect. It''s an academy where disciples from all the different sects gather to learn martial arts together. It provides an intense, competitive environment, pools all the sects'' resources together to ensure that no one gets left out or is inherently disadvantaged ¨C ideally, anyway ¨C and allows us to spar and learn from each other. It''s also the best institution who works on preserving endangered martial arts and restoring lost techniques from the ancient times. It''s not a sect per say, but an alliance of sects."


    "Wow, that''s amazing," Zhu Jiao murmured, totally impressed. Evidently he was just as ignorant about this world as I was. I didn''t know if it was because he came from another life, or was the typical protagonist who didn''t know anything.


    We reached the field and formed up in rows before the old masters. One of them stepped forward, dressed in traditional black and white robes that sported a yin-yang circle at the back. He resembled a Taoist priest from ancient times, with a magnificent-looking sword sheathed by his sword. Even when kept under a scabbard, I could feel the potent power radiating from its blade.


    "I am the Principal of Wu Ling Academy, Xiao Zhang," the old man introduced himself. "And I welcome you all to the great, prestigious halls of our revered Wu Ling Academy! Feel honored, for all of you will now be a part of our glorious history!"


    There was a cheer from the back, and then all the students clapped enthusiastically, somewhat affected by Xiao Zhang''s speech. The old man swept a long glance over the mass of students fondly, smiling genially as he took us in.


    "As your homeroom teachers have told you by now," the old man continued after the applause died down. "Right now you were all be subjected to one final test before you become official students of Wu Ling Academy."


    So if we failed, we would be forced to drop out? After coming this far? This wasn''t fair!


    "You are probably aware of this, but like every other martial arts academy in Martial City, we base our measurement on the Star Constitution system. Meaning, we''ll be measuring how many Stars your Constitutions have."


    There was a murmur in the crowd of students, but Xiao Zhang raised a hand and everyone fell silent immediately.


    "Under normal circumstances, an individual with better quality Star Constitutions will possess a better cultivation level. And the quality of your Star Constitutions will determine your perception as well."


    "That''s not necessarily the case," Teacher Jiao spoke up, interrupting the principal. Wow, but I didn''t expect him to be so bold. "Perception is a completely different thing from Star Constitution, so it is possible to have good perception and a low quality Star Constitution, or bad perception even if you have a high quality Star Constitution."


    "But such cases are rare."


    I noticed that Xiao Zhang didn''t refute Teacher Jiao''s point.


    "Normally, an excellent Star Constitution will promise you a limitless future. Nothing else will matter. If you possess a Four Star Constitution, all these big sects will be willing to snap you up. You will have your pick. But if you only have a One Star Constitution, then most likely none of these sects will be willing to recruit you."


    There was an unspoken "you''ll be treated like trash" tacked onto the end of his sentence. I frowned at that.


    "To put it bluntly, your Star Constitution will determine your future. With a good quality Star Constitution, even without any fateful opportunities, one''s achievements will not be far from greatness. However, if you have a poor Star Constitution, no matter how much effort you put in, you''ll barely avoid being left behind only if you also possess excellent luck." Xiao Zhang stroked his beard and sighed. "That is the harsh truth of Martial City."


    The fuck is this bullshit? Your future was decided by some stupid measuring instrument that claimed to be able to quantify how much potential you had? In a way, I guess, that was exactly what the education system did with grades. Scored bad grades and went to a bad school? Well, regardless of ability, the hiring company would rather employ someone with better grades who had enrolled in a prestigious school. That said, it wasn''t always the case, and even those who didn''t perform academically could succeed beyond their wildest imaginations. Furthermore, grades were decided by how much you studied and how well you actually performed in examinations, not by some stupid computer measuring your IQ and then deciding that you would have a bleak future and fail even before you took the damned examination!


    The logic of these martial artist settings was just astounding.


    "Why isn''t this part of the entrance examinations?" a student from another class shouted from behind. "Why have all of us take this exam only after we came all the way to the academy? What''s going to happen if we get eliminated?"


    "Don''t worry," Xiao Zhang assured him. "Our rigorous examination system ensures that no one unworthy will pass through to this stage. Even if you''re a One-Star Constitution practitioner, you''ll be allowed to stay. Just don''t¡­expect to have an easy time, or look forward to a bright future."


    So he was already writing us off.


    "In any case, the black monument is built into academy grounds. We''re not able to move it. If you remember, you''re only allowed into the academy if you pass the entrance exams. Outsiders will not be able to make use of the monument to measure their Constitutions."


    Now that he mentioned it, I had a faint memory that wasn''t from my original timeline that told me the entrance exams were conducted in a different location, far away from the actual academy. That was why they didn''t bring the black monument with them.


    "So how do we measure our Star Constitutions?" Qi Fu Ren demanded impatiently. Unlike me, he seemed pretty confident, already believing that he would possess unsurpassed talent. I wished I could be as delusional as him.


    Xiao Zhang gestured toward the black monument. I wonder if I should call it a Blackstone or in High Gothic, the noctilith. I wondered if it also possessed the power to nullify psychic sorcery and the strength of the warp as well as to amplify the witchery of the warp. If that was the case, I prayed there wasn''t an ancient tomb of mechanical undead xenos lying in slumber beneath this world, waiting to awaken and claim the galaxy once more.


    "Place your hand on the black monument and focus. The monument will measure your Star Constitution."


    "How can we tell what our Star Constitutions are?" Ban Zhang asked curiously.


    "By the glow. I''ll be here to gauge the brightness of the glow, but for general purposes, the brighter the glow, the higher the quality of your Star Constitution."


    That sounded pretty dismal. I could already tell that I wouldn''t have a bright future.


    The rest of the students stirred, chattering to each other.


    "I guess we should just go for it?" Tong Xue whispered to me. I shrugged, not at all eager to test myself. I could already imagine everyone''s response when they see my One Star Constitution. No doubt I was destined for a life of ridicule and scorn.


    And to make matters worse, I bet everyone else would have a Three or Four Star Constitution or something, which only served to cement their belief of superiority over me. In wuxia novel terms, I would be trash among a sea of talent.


    "Oh¡­I can''t wait!"


    In contrast to me, Zhu Jiao was rubbing his hands enthusiastically, his eyes shining with expectation.


    "I wonder what Constitution I will have!"


    "Given that you''re the main character (it''s a pun on Zhu Jiao''s name, because main character is Zhu Jiao in Chinese), I wouldn''t be surprised if you get a Five Star Constitution or something."


    "Ha ha ha ha¡­you really think so?" Zhu Jiao was laughing in embarrassment, completely oblivious to my sarcasm and bitterness. I sighed and shrugged.


    "Only one way to find out."


    As there were hundreds of students and only one monument, the final test took quite a long while. My class was scheduled to be the fourth one, and we patiently awaited our turn as the students of the first three classes stepped forward to have their talent measured.


    Before I knew it, time had flown by and the first three classes were done. My class was already lining up in front of the monument, with Xiao Zhang standing beside it and waiting for each of us to step up. He gestured for us to begin. We all looked at each other, suddenly frozen by indecision and nerves.


    "¡­I¡­I guess I''ll go first."


    As always, our future class representative, Ban Zhang, was reliable. He swallowed, but determined to be a good example to the rest of class, took the lead and stepped up first. He took a deep breath, then pressed his palm against the smooth surface of the black monolith.


    It glowed brightly, a purplish light shimmering around the entire structure. The class gaped at the magnificent view, enamored by the beauty of soft colors swirling around the Blackstone. It was easy to lose oneself just from staring at the comfortable display of qi.


    "Three Stars Constitution." Xiao Zhang smiled. "Above average. Not bad, not bad at all. You have a bright future ahead of you, young man."


    The relief on Ban Zhang''s face was visible. He wiped the perspiration from his face, and then nodded his thanks to the Sage before withdrawing.


    From what I saw, none of the students from the first three classes had gotten anything below Two Star Constitutions. Most of them had Three Star Constitutions, and there was a sizeable number of Two Star Constitution candidates, and Xiao Zhang made a huge deal when one or two of them was gauged to have Four Star Constitutions.


    Apparently, Xiao Zhang was telling the truth when he said the entrance exams had already weeded out the untalented and the unworthy.


    "It isn''t so bad, guys."


    Everyone watched Ban Zhang in awe as he descended the stage and gave us a thumbs up. Then they began cheering.


    "Not bad!"


    ''Well done!"


    "Great job!"


    "Ahem." Xiao Zhang cleared his throat, and our cheers died down. He smiled at us patiently. "So who''s next?"


    "Me! Me!"


    Qi Fu Ren barreled his way to the front, knocking over outraged and fearful classmates. But none of them dared to bar his path or protest. Except me and Zhu Jiao, but it was too late. As we helped Tu Zi Yi and a few of the other classmates back up to their feet, Qi Fu Ren had already climbed the stage and was hastily approaching the Blackstone.


    "Heh¡­we have quite the eager young one, don''t we?"


    Xiao Zhang chuckled indulgently as he watched Qi Fu Ren, his voice devoid of reproach. I suddenly had the feeling that this world was slightly different from my previous timeline. The mentality of that Qi Fu Ren was right, after all. Martial City prized strength over everything else. Thus it didn''t matter how he bullied others ¨C might made right, and his abusive actions were justified by his being stronger than everyone else.


    I suddenly wished I wasn''t reincarnated to this world.


    Qi Fu Ren slammed his palm into the monument, probably accidentally using more strength than what was necessary. A split second later, the Blackstone flared up, a silver and white light streaking out of it like a miniature sun.


    "Heh! I don''t know what this is, but this looks good!"


    Remembering what the sage said about brighter being better, Qi Fu Ren looked pretty pleased. At the very least, his glow was brighter than that of Ban Zhang''s.


    The principal''s eyes widened, and he smiled, impressed.


    "Amazing! You have a Four Star Constitution! You are one of those rare geniuses¡­your future certainly is very bright, young man. I''m sure there will be a lot of sects vying for you."


    "Hah! I''ll only choose the very best!"


    Qi Fu Ren looked smug, and he swept his arrogant gaze across the rest of class, as if challenging them. Then he looked at Ban Zhang mockingly, certain of his superiority to our future class representative.


    Ban Zhang merely frowned, but didn''t say anything.


    "Star Constitution doesn''t decide everything," Teacher Jiao spoke up. He was folding his arms and watching from a distance, having stood at the back of the class to look after us. "If you don''t put in the effort and underestimate your rivals, even those with a lower quality Star Constitution will surpass and defeat you."


    "Jiao Shi is right." Despite the lack of disagreement, there was no reproach in the principal''s tone. He smiled encouragingly at Qi Fu Ren. "Make sure you work hard, young man."


    "Hah! I don''t need you to tell me that!"


    After that, the class began lining up and getting their Constitutions measured. It seemed that the majority of the class was Three Star Constitution candidates. There were a few Four Star Constitution here and there, but they were pretty rare. Tong Xue came back enthusiastically after being measured at Three Star.


    "Oh! I passed! I can''t believe it!"


    "Good job," I responded and patted his shoulder. "So have you decided which sect you want to join yet?"


    "I honestly haven''t thought about that," Tong Xue admitted. "I was so worried about how my Star Constitution would be measured that it was all I was thinking about!"


    Understandable. As more of our classmates went up the stage, the pressure and fear began to mount upon my shoulders.


    There were a few¡­disappointing ones. Unlike their leader, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao only received Two Star Constitutions. A girl named Tu Zi Yi, as well. Even though she was considered by many to be the third most beautiful girl of our class (based on first impressions by the guys, anyway), with her pretty features and long, silky black hair, the moment she received an average rating, most people tended to¡­not associate with her.


    This was reinforced by the principal''s response.


    "Two Star Constitution," he announced when seeing the lukewarm glow. He looked at Tu Zi Yi sympathetically. "It''s on the average side, and to be honest, you will find it difficult to find a sect willing to accept you¡­but it''s not impossible. Work hard, young lady, and I''m sure you''ll be able to get by."


    Get by. Not succeed, but just to get by. Wow, this world was pretty brutal. Seeing Tu Zi Yi''s gloomy expression, I couldn''t help but feel even more worried.


    As for the two flunkies, Xiao Zhang didn''t even pay much attention to them. He merely shook his head in disappointment and said nothing. But when they descended down the stage, Qi Fu Ren jumped on top of them and threw a hand over each of their shoulders.


    "Don''t worry, my brothers. If you follow me, I''ll promise to make you guys powerful."


    "You will, boss?"


    "Really, boss?"


    "Of course!" Qi Fu Ren slapped their backs. "When have I ever let you down before?"


    I hate to admit it, but as much as Qi Fu Ren was a bullying bastard, he really did take care of his underlings who followed him with unquestioning loyalty. To be fair, I didn''t know him that well, and what I knew of him, I only heard from Tong Xue. It was also possible that Tong Xue was exaggerating, or that the rumors about him were unfounded. But his rough and arrogant treatment certainly cemented his terrible reputation. Xiao Zhang didn''t look like he approved, but he was careful not to offend someone with Four Star Constitution.


    "Hah! I have a Four Star Constitution too!"


    Tang Qi Hong threw her fist triumphantly into the air after her measurement. The second most beautiful girl in our class looked pretty smug and triumphant, throwing a glance in Bai Ning Xue''s direction, as if to say, "What can you do about that?"


    Even though Tang Qi Hong was also a striking beauty with long, strawberry blond hair and blazing ruby eyes, she was often overshadowed by the cooler and more composed Bai Ning Xue. She had one-sidedly viewed Bai Ning Xue as her rival, but it was clear that Ning Xue didn''t even place her in her eyes. Sometimes I felt sorry for Tang Qi Hong, but her attempts to compete with Ning Xue were¡­well, let''s just say she was just asking to be humiliated and beaten.


    Of course, the girls decided to follow their messiah, Ning Xue, and poor Tang Qi Hong was forgotten and left to the side. Anyway, this was something I only found out about later, and not at that time. At this very moment, I had no idea who she was, or why she was acting that way, and I had a somewhat poor impression of her. Not that I was in any position to judge others, especially given her overwhelming talent.


    "Impressive. Undoubtedly impressive." The principal of Wu Ling Academy was raining down praises on her, nodding his head in excitement. "You certainly have a great future ahead of you, young lady. Make sure to continue working hard!"


    "I will! I will definitely reach the top!"


    Tang Qi Hong maintained her fist in the air, her head held up high and proud. Again, she glanced at Bai Ning Xue and smirked, but the latter didn''t even seem to notice her. Tang Qi Hong scowled, but she obediently got off the stage.


    Qing Xin Xia was next, and she also had a Four Star Constitution. Xiao Zhang was getting increasingly happy at what he thought was a good haul of candidates with excellent potential. There were already quite a few Four Star Constitution candidates, such as Li Chun Long, Feng Tian Yong, and Wu Hei Gui. So four guys and two girls, six Four Star Constitution candidates out of a class of forty people.


    "Given how you normally would only have one Four Star Constitution candidate out of a hundred, a fraction like this is already amazing¡­"


    Xiao Zhang was shaking his head in disbelief, a silly grin spreading over his usually wise-looking face. He could hardly contain his joy.


    "This really is an excellent batch of candidates, Jiao Shi!"


    Jiao Shi merely grunted and looked away in annoyance. It was clear that he still didn''t approve of this farce.


    "There''s still three of you¡­"


    Xiao Zhang turned expectantly to me, Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue. I glanced at the other two, not sure if I wanted to go. Zhu Jiao also hesitated. While the two of us guys were being indecisive, Bai Ning Xue wasted no time and moved forward. Zhu Jiao and I sighed, somewhat in relief, as Bai Ning Xue climbed the stage.


    "Oho¡­this young lady¡­"


    Xiao Zhang noticed that there was something different about Bai Ning Xue and stroked his beard, fascinated. Tang Qi Hong sulked and clenched her fists, probably secretly praying that Bai Ning Xue crashed and burned so that she could take her spot as the number one princess. The rest of the class murmured excitedly in a low voice as they watched the First Princess of Class 1-4 approach the monument and wordlessly place her hand on the Blackstone.


    The moment her palm made contact, the Blackstone immediately flashed blindingly. A pillar of golden light blasted toward upward, disintegrating clouds and cracking the heavens apart with immense force. Lightning roared as the massive pillar of light expanded to envelope Bai Ning Xue within its luminous embrace.


    "This¡­this is¡­!"


    Xiao Zhang''s jaw dropped and he stared in total disbelief.


    Even Teacher Jiao had dropped all pretense of nonchalance and was staring at the spectacle in awe. In the distance, the elders of the other sects were in an uproar, yelling and shouting toward each other in delight and disbelief.


    "What''s¡­what''s going on?!" Tang Qi Hong demanded, her eyes round. Even Qi Fu Ren was frozen in silence, his mouth hanging open like a goldfish''s. I would have made fun of him, but I was pretty sure I had the exact same expression as him right now.


    "F¡­Five Star Constitution¡­"


    Xiao Zhang finally spoke up, forcing the words out of his throat.


    "Incredible¡­I don''t believe it. This young lady is unprecedented genius. Even in the millennia of cultivation, the number of those cultivators with Five Star Constitutions is less than ten! How in the nine heavens were we able to¡­?!"


    Bai Ning Xue merely removed her hand from the Blackstone and glanced at the stunned principal of Wu Ling Academy.


    "Five Star Constitution. I see."


    With that simple sentence, she descended the stage.


    "W¡­wait! You will be in high demand, you know that? Your future¡­your future is limitless! Every sect will kill each other trying to recruit you! Do you know how much significance this have?"


    While Xiao Zhang rambled on, the class had fallen into silence. Tang Qi Hong looked like she was about to faint. Qi Fu Ren looked overawed and bitter, not because he was jealous, but because it would be difficult for him to impress Bai Ning Xue and woo her. Everyone else was just too shocked to be able to absorb what had just happened.


    It wasn''t just our class. The entire cohort of hundreds of students behind Class 1-4 had also fallen into stunned silence. The teachers as well ¨C not only Teacher Jiao, but every single teacher present were rubbing their eyes, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.


    "I will choose which sect I will join," Bai Ning Xue replied simply, and that was it. Still shaking his head, unable to digest the fact that an unprecedented genius in history had just appeared in front of him, Xiao Zhang turned to me and Zhu Jiao.


    "Go ahead."


    Zhu Jiao nudged me forward. I frowned, but I didn''t object. Even though I would prefer to have gone last, there was some sense in getting over this as quickly as possible. I had made a mistake. I should have gone before Bai Ning Xue. Right now, her Five Star Constitution had overshadowed everyone else''s status. It would be a tough act to follow.


    Not that I wanted to follow, but I was pretty sure that anyone after Bai Ning Xue would seem pretty lackluster. Even on the miniscule chance that I somehow managed to possess a Four Star Constitution. Given the laws of average, I suppose I would fall somewhere between the range of Two Star Constitution and Three Star Constitution. Perhaps I could follow Tu Zi Yi and join the same sect as her when I received a Two Star Constitution rating.


    Yeah, yeah. I had low self-esteem. But that came from commenters on a certain writing website who always called me trash and utterly destroyed my self-confidence and self-belief. This was why cyber-bullying was such a serious issue. It wasn''t as simple as toughening up and ignoring insults. If you received abuse and people condescendingly telling you that you were useless trash, that your writing is horrible, and that you should get off the site everyday, eventually you would normalize those insults and come to believe it, no matter how many times you tell yourself that you should be tough and you should ignore those abuses.


    Taking a deep breath, I climbed the stage, suddenly aware of everyone''s gaze upon me. Especially Qi Fu Ren, who was mocking me even though we had never met before. He probably knew there was a slim chance of me being on par with him, and was looking forward to looking down on me. To be fair, he was already doing that to Ban Zhang and all the other classmates who were ranked lower than him, so it was not as if he was singling me out in particular. And then there were those other students who wondered if I would turn out to be another Bai Ning Xue. Not a chance in hell. But I didn''t blame them. If I were down there with them, I would be wondering if the person ¨C such as Zhu Jiao ¨C would pull a second miracle.


    "Place your hand on the monument," Xiao Zhang instructed. I nodded and then reached out with my hand.


    The Blackstone felt smooth and cool to the touch. At first, there was nothing. Then a very weak glow emanated from it, so weak that it was almost invisible in the sunlight. My classmates craned their necks, as if expecting something, but frowned when they saw nothing. I didn''t blame them. From their distance, they probably wouldn''t be able to see the soft, black glow that extended a few millimeters away from the cold Blackstone.


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    I gulped. This was clearly not good at all.


    "One Star Constitution."


    The declaration from Xiao Zhang was damning and vindicative. I withdrew my hand and hung my head before shuffling off the stage.


    "You''re¡­trash." Xiao Zhang shook his head in disappointment, ridicule curling up in his tone. "Not fit to be a cultivator at all. I''m sorry, but I''m afraid that there will be no sect that will accept you as a disciple."


    "Then what am I supposed to do?" I grumbled angrily. "Quit the academy and return home?"


    "I''m sure you''re already aware that unless you''ve reached a certain level in cultivation, you won''t be able to leave the academy grounds." Unlike the tone he had taken with others, the Sage of Wu Ling sounded cold and almost cruel. "It is a pity, but until you learn how to jump over the wall and walk on water, you''ll be doomed to stay in the academy for the rest of your life."


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I knew it! Fei Wu is just trash, like his name states (Trash in Chinese is also written as Fei Wu)!"


    Qi Fu Ren burst out laughing, and his two cronies joined in, despite them not being that much better than me. Evidently he had heard my name when I was talking to Tong Xue and the others, and thought this whole thing was funny. I glared in his direction, but there was absolutely nothing I could say. While I didn''t buy this whole stupid system of quantifying one''s talent or might makes right principle, right now I had no choice but to abide by the rules and culture of Martial Academy.

 7 Chapter 6: Fei Wu the trash

    "That still doesn''t change the fact that this brat is trash," Xiao Zhang replied indifferently. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists tightly, but couldn''t say anything. Not caring about my response, the principal continued. "Well, it''s within the parameters of expectations. In every batch, there''s bound to be at least three or four One Star Constitution trash. I was already surprised that there wasn''t one so far. It just so happened that this guy happened to be it."


    "Ha ha ha ha ha! Fei Wu is really trash! Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Qi Fu Ren couldn''t stop laughing. His underlings laughed alongside him, though I suspected that they hadn''t the faintest clue what their boss was amused by, given their limited intelligence. The rest of the class either looked at me in pity, or were just as condescending as Xiao Zhang. Given that I wasn''t in a world I was familiar with, it seemed that the might is right mentality was the hegemonic social attitude here.


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    Teacher Jiao merely shook his head in disgust and gestured for me to leave. I hastily withdrew, not wanting to remain in the spotlight any longer.


    You''ve got to be kidding me.


    I couldn''t help cursing the heavens. Of all the people to have a One Star Constitution, it had to be me, didn''t it? And right after Bai Ning Xue received news that she was a Five Star Constitution. It was as if the heavens were deliberately making fun of me.


    Damn it!


    "Don''t worry. We''ll figure something out."


    Zhu Jiao consoled me as I returned to the place below. He placed an assuring hand on my shoulder and nodded grimly.


    "I won''t let these bastards look down on you."


    "Thanks."


    "It''s your turn now."


    Xiao Zhang ignored me and turned his gaze onto Zhu Jiao, looking as if he held some sort of expectation. Zhu Jiao swallowed nervously, gave me one last look, and then stepped forward. Taking a deep breath, he climbed the stage.


    "Heh¡­will he be another trash like Fei Wu?"


    Zhu Jiao paid him no attention. He took another deep breath before he stepped forward and placed his hand on the Blackstone.


    For a moment, nothing happened. Then the Blackstone flared brilliantly, a golden pillar of light blasting into the skies. Identical to Bai Ning Xue, who was smiling in satisfaction ¨C the first time I had actually seen the Ice Princess smile ¨C Zhu Jiao''s result pierced the heavens with a sharp intensity, overawing everyone.


    "Amazing¡­! He''s also a Five Star Constitution candidate?!"


    "We have two Five Star Constitution people in our class?!"


    "That''s awesome!"


    Xiao Zhang also looked impressed and delighted. At least until the light sputtered and flickered to nothingness.


    "¡­eh?"


    Zhu Jiao looked puzzled, even as he continued pressing his hand against the Blackstone. He glanced at Xiao Zhang, hoping that the old man would explain what that meant.


    Xiao Zhang merely shook his head in disappointment.


    "Alas¡­you did indeed have a Five Star Constitution, but it seemed like that was only in the past. For reasons unknown, you lost your talent, and have fallen into that of a One Star Constitution. I hope you regain your talent, but such things rarely happen. I am sorry, but it seems that you are also trash. I do not think any sect will want to risk taking you as a disciple on the slim hope that you would somehow recover your Five Star Constitution."


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! So Zhu Jiao is trash as well? How funny! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Qi Fu Ren burst out laughing once again, slapping his thighs in delight.


    That bastard really enjoyed watching the misfortune and suffering of other people. I clenched my fists, wishing that I would be able to pay him back for his insults and condescending attitude one day. One fucking day¡­


    Huh? But this whole stupid scenario where a talented guy suddenly lost his talent for unknown reasons and got reduced to trash¡­where did I hear that before?


    Right. The protagonists of many wuxia novels. For reasons unknown, the talented protagonist would suddenly lose his talent, and become trash, and was ridiculed by the antagonists, his own clan and family members, and everyone. But he somehow regained his talent and even surpassed his former glory either through Deus ex Machina scenarios where he met a ghost master or received a burst of lightning from the heavens or conveniently stumbled across a secret manual. I had literally seen dozens of stories repeating that same pattern over and over again.


    Zhu Jiao is really a wuxia protagonist, huh? (A pun here, because protagonist also reads as Zhu Jiao in Chinese)


    No doubt Zhu Jiao would find a way to overcome his predicament and pay back tenfold all those who mocked and humiliated him. Standard, repetitive wuxia story pattern. I could already guess the plot advancement even this early into the story.


    The only problem is me, who''s merely a non-protagonist side character who would get forgotten as the plot advances and either get left behind or killed by the antagonists. I wouldn''t be surprised if I get killed by Qi Fu Ren as a way to justify Zhu Jiao getting revenge on the bastard later on and legitimize his taking of Qi Fu Ren''s life.


    ¡­not that it would help me much. Fuck.


    "Well, looks like you''re not alone."


    Zhu Jiao forced a smile as he dropped off the stage and approached me. I didn''t know what to say. I wanted to scream that my situation was different, that at least he used to have talent, before he somehow lost it. That his case was somehow much more different from mine, who was completely hopeless because I never had talent to begin with. That his fate was to overcome all these hurdles, surpass even his former lost talent and wreak vengeance upon all those who were looking down on him right now.


    Like Qi Fu Ren.


    Credit to them, not all our classmates were mocking or looking down on us. A few looked at us sympathetically, and a few seemed to be at a loss as to what they could do. Ban Zhang made to step forward, probably to offer some help or encouraging words, but Xiao Zhang broke in with another announcement.


    "Class 1-5, it''s your turn."


    That was right. There were still about 6 more classes behind us. There was a total of ten classes, each with about forty students. All in all, there were approximately four hundred students in the current batch.


    Seemed like it was going to be a long morning¡­


    Fortunately, time seemed to fly past, and the other six classes were done before an hour was up. Granted, it didn''t take too much time to step up the stage, place your hand on the black monument, and then have Xiao Zhang announce your Constitution.


    Once everyone was done, Xiao Zhang resumed his place in front of the entire cohort.


    "Now¡­you may choose your sects. All those masters there will come forward and try to recruit you. Talk to them, see what sects are the best fit for you, and make your decision wisely." he smiled broadly. "But if you''re interested in learning a variety of different martial arts, or perhaps intend to learn and restore some of the lost ones, or maybe experiment and combine a myriad of techniques in order to advance the progress of martial arts, of course you''re more than welcome to approach me. We have a completely different program for that."


    The martial arts masters of the myriad of sects wasted no time coming forward eagerly, approaching all the higher-star Constitutions. Zhu Jiao and I stood off to the side, and as we expected, not even one master looked in our direction.


    "Our situation is hopeless, huh?"


    Placing his hands behind his head, Zhu Jiao muttered darkly. I glanced at him, resigned to becoming either his sidekick as he surged toward the top, or ending up dead as a plot device to motivate him to gain power.


    "As long as we don''t give up, we''ll find a way." I sighed. "I guess the only option we have right now is to self-learn. Get into the Experimentalist program and try to restore lost martial arts. If no one wants to teach us, we''ll have to learn techniques on our own."


    "I''m afraid it''s not that simple."


    Both of us spun around and saw Teacher Jiao heading toward us. He looked a little sad and sympathetic.


    "In order to gain access to sensitive documents and archives containing lost martial arts, or to have permission to learn all the different martial arts techniques that Wu Ling Academy is allowed to disseminate freely, you are required to reach a certain level. A level that you won''t be able to reach easily without any guidance or teaching. That, and a lot of resources¡­" he glared at Xiao Zhang. "Resources that the principal would refuse to spend. Not for two people he views as ''trash''."


    He then turned back to us and placed each hand on our shoulders.


    "But I know you''re not trash. You just have different things that you''re good at. Not everyone is equal, but everyone is different. Each person has a unique talent, something that only he or she is good at. You might not be cut out for martial arts, but you can still contribute to the martial world and Martial Academy. To dismiss you as trash because you can''t fight is utterly narrow-minded and short-sighted."


    "Thank you," Zhu Jiao bowed his head gratefully, but then he sulked. "That doesn''t really help our situation right now, though. And I want to learn martial arts and fight."


    "Oh, I''ll take care of that." Teacher Jiao raised his head and glanced at the row of luxurious buildings built from white marble. Again, I was reminded of how Wu Ling Academy resembled a palace more than a campus. "While your access to Wu Ling Academy''s store of martial arts techniques is certainly restricted, there are a few martial arts that you''ll be allowed to learn."


    Zhu Jiao brightened. "Really?! That''s great!"


    "Not exactly." I sighed, already half-anticipating the catch that came with that supposed piece of good news. "I bet the techniques we are allowed to access are the inferior, weak ones that nobody wants to learn because they are useless."


    "Well, you don''t have to put it like that¡­but you''re not wrong." Teacher Jiao raised his hands haplessly. "But you shouldn''t give into despair yet. Who knows, you might be able to combine all these supposedly useless martial arts techniques into a powerful one that will take everyone by surprise. Some of the best martial arts have been developed in this way before."


    "Easier said than done. It''s not like we have the talent for it."


    I shook my head and grumbled in frustration. Teacher Jiao rubbed his bow, and then glanced at Zhu Jiao.


    "Well, that''s your choice. You can do whatever you want as long as you complete your chores. But there''s no harm trying. You might even regain your talent that way."


    "Yeah, Zhu Jiao shouldn''t give up. But I don''t have any talent to regain in the first place."


    I realized I sounded pretty bitter, but given the circumstances and pressure mounting upon me, that couldn''t be helped. I was only human. My fragile psyche was already beginning to crack.


    "I think the whole talent thing is bullshit!" Zhu Jiao growled as he slapped my shoulder. "Don''t worry about it too much. Don''t give up! The moment you give up, everything''s over!"


    Easy for him to say. But I realized that he meant well, so I held in my resentment and complaints and merely nodded.


    "That''s right," Teacher Jiao agreed. "Don''t give up, you two. For now, at least we''ll have resolved the two pressing problems that you face. Don''t worry, there are huge benefits to being Experimentalist students. Even if Xiao Zhang doesn''t think highly of you, by rules and on paper, you will have the same amenities and stipends as every other Experimentalist student. You''ll get bonuses for wanting to experiment instead of siding with the Traditionalists."


    Now that caught my interest. "What sort of bonuses?"


    "Increased stipends, unrestricted access to training rooms, more resources." Teacher Jiao smiled. "Well, the Traditionalists will get additional stipends and resources from their own sects, so it''s not as if being an Experimentalist will give you an added advantage but to encourage people to follow this route, I daresay Wu Ling Academy provides an amount of resources that is on par with, if not more than those the traditional sects can offer."


    That sounded pretty good. Granted, I didn''t have a choice anyway, but if I could milk as much benefits as I could from my current circumstances, then I had no complaints.


    "How are the others doing, though?"


    Zhu Jiao turned his attention back to the square, where the rest of our classmates were being swarmed by eager masters trying to vie for their attention and persuade them to join their sects. I had no idea which sect was which. Fortunately, there were hundreds of students, more than enough candidates for the hundred or so sects who had gathered around here to recruit disciples. Quite noticeably, none of the traditional sects paid me or Zhu Jiao any attention.


    Not that they needed to. They clearly had a surplus of potential disciples to choose from. If I had to compare this to my previous lifetime, it was analogous to the number of applicants outnumbering the jobs available on the market. I was sure there would be several left over, and they would have no choice but to be Experimentalists like me and Zhu Jiao if they couldn''t join a sect. interestingly, there were very few students who willingly chose to be Experimentalists.


    Evidently the route of the Traditionalists was perceived to be far more superior and prestigious. It was hard to shake off the rich cultural history of sects who had roots that dated back into the ancient ages.


    "All right, it''s decided then."


    Nodding, I turned back to Teacher Jiao and accepted his offer. From what he said, it didn''t seem like being in the Experimentalist faction was a bad thing. Honestly, it was a lot better than being kicked out of Wu Ling Academy and being sent home in disgrace. On the other hand, I couldn''t leave even if I wanted to, what with the high walls, barrier and moat¡­


    But Zhu Jiao is right. I do want to learn martial arts.


    For now, I would experiment and see how far I could go with the inferior martial arts that were available to me right now. I could worry about anything else later.


    *


    We later learned who in our class went into what sect. It was actually Teacher Jiao who compiled the information and told us. Being our homeroom teacher, he was naturally concerned for our wellbeing.


    As expected, Bai Ning Xue was pursued by all the four major sects, but she eventually chose to join the White Tiger Sect. I wondered if it was because of her family name (Bai is white in Chinese).


    Qi Fu Ren was undecided at first, but he also joined the White Tiger Sect after Bai Ning Xue made her decision. I knew that he was still pursuing her. He even managed to convince the masters at the White Tiger Sect to accept his flunkies as outer disciples. As he was a Four Star Constitution disciple, they decided to indulge him in that request. It also helped that they were Two Star Constitution candidates, so they were regarded as average rather than trash. Another two guys and three of Bai Ning Xue''s close female friends, excluding Qing Xin Xia, followed, thus swelling their numbers.


    Speaking of Two Star Constitution candidate, Tu Zi Yi was recruited into the Lunar Rabbit Sect. according to Teacher Jiao, the Lunar Rabbit Sect was one of the smaller sects, so they were satisfied with people of average ability. The master would have offered to take Zhu Jiao and me as disciples, but given the tiny size of the sect, they wouldn''t have been able to afford it. The smaller the sect, the less resources they had, even with the establishment of Wu Ling Academy. Ideally, no disciple of any sect should suffer disadvantages, but each sect still maintained its own pool of resources to nurture their exclusive disciples. So in reality, it was still very much a capitalistic society where even the different sects were divided into classes, where some were bigger and richer than the others, and some were at the bottom of the economic ladder. At least Tu Zi Yi had a sect to join, so we didn''t have to worry about her. The Lunar Rabbit Sect might be very poor, but they had just enough resources to rear one disciple.


    A few of the girls joined the Red Phoenix Sect, along with Feng Tian Yong. Given his fiery disposition, I did agree that the Red Phoenix Sect would be a good fit for the red-haired guy. I wasn''t on close terms with Feng Tian Yong, but after the first day, I got along well with him, so I was actually happy for him a couple of weeks after learning about it. He was quite the passionate guy, and I hoped to see him succeed.


    Li Chun Long and Qing Xin Xia had joined the Green Dragon Sect. that sect was popular with a lot of guys, but only three other guys managed to join the Green Dragon Sect, and one more girl. The Green Dragon Sect refused admittance to the others, despite most of the guys boasting a Three Star Constitution. Probably because they didn''t want to incur the wrath of the other sects by monopolizing such a large proportion of the candidates.


    Wu Hei Gui and Ban Zhang were part of the Black Tortoise Sect. despite being one of the four major sects, there weren''t as many people enthusiastic about joining it as those in the Green Dragon, Red Phoenix or White Tiger Sects. Probably because the first thing one pictured when hearing about the tortoise was the poor reptile slowly crawling across the beach. Or something. Never mind that it stood for longevity.


    Tong Xue joined the Smart Shadow Sect. He had winked at Zhu Jiao and me, and promised something about giving us information in future, then disappeared with the rest of the mysterious-looking disciples and masters of that sect before returning to the dorm later that night. Teacher Jiao later said that despite their low combat ability, the Smart Shadow Sect exceled in intelligence, reconnaissance and espionage.


    That sounded like something Tong Xue would be interested in. From my first impressions of him, he was the type of guy who collected information on almost everybody and anybody, so he was quite the appropriate candidate for that specific set of skills.


    A classmate called Du Lang joined the Silver Wolf Sect. A lot of the students joined this sect or that sect, but I wasn''t that close with most of them, so I couldn''t remember. Particularly the girls. I knew Du Lang because I ended up on good terms with him as the semester progressed, so I remembered where he went. Teacher Jiao later informed me that the Silver Wolf Sect was known for being a Lone Wolf type of sect that tended to operate on their own, without adhering much to the authority of the alliance.


    The last person of interest was Tang Qi Hong. I was surprised that she didn''t join the Red Phoenix Sect or one of the four major sects. It wasn''t surprising that she would decline to join the White Tiger Sect, where her rival now resided in, but I thought she would at least consider the Green Dragon Sect or Red Phoenix Sect ¨C the latter particularly fitted her proud, majestic personality well. Instead, Tang Qi Hong opted to join the Nine-tailed Fox Sect. Teacher Jiao wasn''t astonished, though. He explained to me that the Nine-tailed Fox Sect was still considered a major sect, having been one of the eight major powers that included the four Celestial Guardian Sects.


    "Among the eight, they are currently ranked fifth," Teacher Jiao declared. "In fact, some may consider them to be on par with any one of the four Celestial Guardian Sects."


    "Wow. I see."


    Even if Teacher Jiao told me that, whatever happened to the Nine-tailed Fox Sect had absolutely nothing to do with me. I was just a trash that no sect wanted. To be honest, I wasn''t that reluctant to be an Experimentalist. This faction had its own benefits.


    "Well, it''s been a long day, so the two of you should rest for now. I''ll bring you to the dorms."


    "What about the rest of the class?" I asked. They had all scattered after being selected by their respective sects, and were following their new masters and sect mates. While Teacher Jiao had given us a brief overview of who joined which sect, he didn''t mention the students from the other classes. I could see students from the other classes mingling with my new classmates, having joined the same sects as them.


    Somehow it felt as if the academy should have divided the students into their sects instead of their classes.


    "Their masters will let them go tonight, and we''ll have staff on standby to escort them back to the dormitories."


    I nodded at Teacher Jiao''s answer. So only Zhu Jiao, me, and a handful of other students were retiring early today.


    "Still, there aren''t many Experimentalists," Zhu Jiao remarked, looking at the small number of students who had opted, voluntarily or otherwise, to join the Experimentalists. I noted that the vast majority of them were Two or Three Star Constitution practitioners. There were probably a handful of Four Star Constitution practitioners who had bought into the idea of innovating their own techniques, and they were enthusiastically speaking to a grinning Xiao Zhang at the moment, leaving the rest of us commoners to follow Teacher Jiao.


    Teacher Jiao seemed to be the only one sympathetic to our plight.


    The dormitories weren''t very far away from the square, being a set of buildings that stood at the back of the academy. They resembled high-class condominiums that even my family wouldn''t be able to afford to rent.


    "You''ll each have your own room," Teacher Jiao assured us, and then swung his hand toward a low-rise complex that was dwarfed by the condo-styled dormitories, but much wider than them in terms of breadth. "That''s the student commons hub. It should have everything you need, from a 24/7 convenience store, gyms, pools, clinic, and even a cinema. It has a huge array of facilities designed to enrich your student life while providing both necessities and entertainment. Use the money from your stipends to purchase whatever you need."


    Wow, that was quite amazing. I didn''t expect that we would have such a good life here. I was half-expecting to be thrown in a broken-down, dilapidated shack for our residence, given my status of trash.


    "As I said, if you have any questions, feel free to approach me." Teacher Jiao turned to look at us sharply. "I know a few of you are disheartened after having your talent measured, but I''ll still advise you not to give up. Prove those naysayers wrong and work hard to surpass each and every one of them. Talent isn''t everything."


    "Yes, Teacher Jiao!"


    This was the best kind of teacher, someone who took care of the less fortunate students and did not practice favoritism.


    "Classes begin tomorrow, so you guys should get some rest." Teacher Jiao turned away, the lenses of his glasses glinting under the fading afternoon light. At some point of time, the sun had begun its lazy descent as the day transited into evening. "I won''t go easy on my class, and I''m sure your respective homeroom teachers won''t either. Tomorrow, in class, we''ll have a briefing for Experimentalists to explain what sort of resources you have access to. So don''t be late."


    "Yes, Teacher Jiao!"


    As I watched him leave, I felt a renewed determination to defy my fate. Proceeding toward my assigned room in the dorm, I saw that Zhu Jiao shared my sentiments.


    "Let''s crush this academy''s concept of talent and their bullshit notion of Constitutions," Zhu Jiao growled enthusiastically as he raised his hand. I couldn''t help but smile and bump his fist with mine.

 8 Chapter 7: First day of class

    Are they going to teach us martial arts or combat in classes?


    That certainly was one possibility, but the whole class thing made no sense to me. If the other students were going to be recruited into the various sects, then what need do they have of learning in the same class with disciples from other sects? Wouldn''t it benefit them more to stay within their sects and learn whatever traditional martial arts that their masters taught them? Furthermore, their masters could devote more time and energy teaching these disciples. The current system meant that most of the students, despite being in the same class, had absolutely nothing in common with each other. So what could Teacher Jiao teach us in class that the masters of the respective sects couldn''t?


    Only one way to find out.


    "Oh, hey, Fei Wu! You''re up early today."


    I waved when Zhu Jiao called out to me, and slowed down so that he could catch up. As he jogged to my side, I smiled wryly.


    "You''re pretty early yourself."


    "Ha ha, I couldn''t sleep. I was too worried about today''s class."


    Chuckling, Zhu Jiao rubbed his head sheepishly. I raised an eyebrow at that. Why would a class in Wu Ling Academy warrant such worries? And what was he worrying about? Ah¡­now that I thought about it, it should have been obvious. We were both One Star Constitution practitioners. Of course Zhu Jiao would be worried about "trash" like us trying to keep up with the class.


    "What do you think they will teach us in class?" I asked. "It can''t be martial arts, right? I mean, if we''re supposed to learn martial arts, why can''t they let the masters of the respective sects that everyone belongs to teach the disciples directly? Why gather various students from all the different sects into a single class?"


    "You don''t know?" Zhu Jiao sounded surprised. "They''re not teaching us martial arts in class. That''s the masters'' job."


    "Then¡­"


    "You''ll see." Zhu Jiao groaned as he stared at the skies, his fingers knitted behind his head. "Man, I hope I''ll be able to survive this semester."


    So that was what he was worried about. Right, now that I thought about it, the typical protagonists tended to be those who didn''t do very well academically, and their low grades were a constant concern. A good number of them, anyway.


    Tired because I actually slept a little late last night, I placed my head on my newly acquired desk and dozed off. Before I knew it, I was woken up by chattering. At some point during my short nap, my classmates had gathered in the classroom.


    "Hey!" Tong Xue greeted me cheerfully as he took the seat in front of mine. "You guys are here early!"


    "You''re the one who''s late," Zhu Jiao muttered. Tong Xue merely chuckled.


    "Sorry, my new master kept me back until late at night. I didn''t return to the dorm until after midnight."


    That shocked me out of my drowsiness and I gaped at him. "Whoa! Why so late?!"


    "Training, introduction to the Smart Shadow Sect, and a bit of learning." Tong Xue grimaced. "They sure don''t plan on giving us a break, already starting on training on our first day here."


    I leaned back in dismay. While the Experimentalists had no choice but to retire early in their dorm last night, the Traditionalists already embarked on their first steps to becoming proper martial artists. If we maintained this pace, the gap between us would grow larger and larger.


    "Okay, everyone! Find yourself a seat and settle down!"


    While I was descending into gloom, Teacher Jiao strolled into the classroom and barked firmly.


    "¡­"


    The students all resumed their seats without complaints. Predictably, Qi Fu Ren and his two flunkies occupied the seats at the back, having intimidated a trio of timid classmates away and seizing those desks for themselves. The bully was already making use of his status as a Four Star Constitution practitioner to extort from others.


    "I''m sure you guys must be wondering why you''re in a classroom instead of learning martial arts under your masters," Teacher Jiao began. I leaned forward, having occupied the front row just so I could pay more attention. It seemed that the decision paid off, because Teacher Jiao was addressing the one question I had in my mind.


    "Yeah!" Qi Fu Ren shouted, cutting in. "Why aren''t we at the White Tiger Sect learning White Tiger techniques?" he pulled his lips into a sneer. "It can''t possibly be that you intend to teach us White Tiger Sect techniques, Teacher Jiao?"


    "Unfortunately, I do not possess any knowledge of the esteemed White Tiger Sect''s techniques," Teacher Jiao replied without missing a beat. "And in any case, a non-disciple like me is forbidden from learning those techniques. Your White Tiger Sect masters will most certainly flay me alive if I attempt to do so." He cast a stern glance across everyone in the classroom. "And that warning applies equally to all of you. If you''re not a disciple of a sect, you''re not allowed to learn martial arts of that sect. you''re not permitted to learn any martial arts from any existing sect that is not your own, unless they have already agreed with the Alliance to share and disseminate their arts. In such cases, it''s best not to assume ¨C if you want to learn a technique that is not from your sect, you should approach me or any of the Wu Ling Academy staff to ensure that the technique is available for public access. Otherwise, learning a technique from another sect without permission is punishable by death."


    What the fuck?! By death? What was this, the eleventh century or something?


    Then again, I was in an alternate timeline that operated on rules and culture completely different from the one I originally grew up in. there was no point trying to enforce my own moral values on a system that wasn''t mine.


    "The Experimentalists shouldn''t have any problems in that regard," Teacher Jiao continued. I noticed that he shot a furtive glance in the direction where Zhu Jiao and I were seated. "Especially since we''ll already provide you with resources and techniques that have already been posted on the public domain." He cleared his throat. "I say public domain, but I don''t mean that literally. Obviously it''s not open to all public, and non-martial artists or people who are not students and staff of Wu Ling Academy would not have such unrestricted access to these resources."


    "My master told me to devote all my attentions to learning the Red Phoenix techniques," Feng Hua, a female classmate with her long red hair tied into a ponytail, quipped. Teacher Jiao nodded.


    "And you should listen to your master." He pushed his glasses up and gave me and Zhu Jiao a meaningful look. "This information is generally for the Experimentalists. That said, I''m just warning you of consequences if you commit a taboo. Some students don''t know, and attempt to learn another sect''s martial arts. Even Principal Xiao Zhang will not be able to save you from one of the major sects if you cross them like that."


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    An uneasy silence fell over the classroom. Teacher Jiao forced a smile, and then continued ¨C partially because he wanted to break the awkward atmosphere.


    "To return to the topic at hand, the reason you''re here is for theoretical classes." Teacher Jiao picked up a book. "Wu Ling Academy inculcates the Wu and Wen binary. That is to say, the warrior and cultural ethics. You''re not here just to become a martial artist, but also to become a cultured and intelligent one. Strength must serve a purpose, and be wielded carefully. Education is to temper your powers with reason and intelligence. Otherwise, there is nothing separating a violent brute from a wild beast."


    That last comment seemed directed at Qi Fu Ren, but the huge guy ignored the jab. He was instead leaning back in his chair while planting both feet on the desk. His bored expression clearly indicated that he didn''t take Teacher Jiao''s words seriously.


    "Anyway, that''s the reason. On that note, let''s begin the lesson." At a flick of his fingers, our desks suddenly hummed and tablets emerged on the surface. Electric qi powered on and colored screens came to life. I gaped when I saw the digital pages of a textbook appear, bearing rows of text and a vivid illustration at the bottom of the page.


    Wow, even though this was a martial arts world, the technology had become really advanced. There were so many things we could do with qi.


    "We''ll begin with the first page¡­"


    Even as the students chattered excitedly over the unexpected development, Teacher Jiao''s voice resounded firmly throughout the classroom. Before we knew it, we were all swept away by his words and immersed with his class.


    *


    Despite this being a different world, the educational curriculum in Martial Academy was almost identical to that in my previous world.


    Teacher Jiao taught us history, language and literature. Other teachers, such as Teacher Shu Xue, taught mathematics, and there was Teacher Wu Li who taught us physics. Which was funny, considering how everyone in this world defied the laws of physics. All in all, a pretty standard education not too different from that of my original timeline.


    Even more interesting was alchemy, which was this world''s version of chemistry. For our first lesson, our alchemy teacher, Teacher Lian Jin Shu, brought us to the chemistry laboratory where beakers of bubbling chemicals held over blazing Bunsen burners hovered.


    "Be careful," Teacher Lian warned us as we peeked curiously at the beakers. "Some of the chemicals are volatile. And the Bunsen burners run on methane gas, which is highly combustible. Don''t play with them!"


    Seemed like some things never changed, no matter what world I was in.


    Having been through this student''s experience before, I found it hard to be fascinated by everything. While I had long forgotten the majority of what I had learned in school seventeen years ago, the exposure to these subjects brought back nostalgic memories. I had vague recollections of having learned this fact or that formula before.


    I probably wouldn''t have any trouble with the theoretical curriculum of Wu Ling Academy.


    In fact, I would have an advantage. While I definitely would not be able to score perfect marks ¨C my memory was not eidetic after all. I wasn''t like Nie Li, who had some bullshit ability to remember every single detail accurately and could scheme and plan accordingly. And even if I did, I was pretty sure there were quite a few differences that I continued to be unaware of because of my gaps in memory. Seventeen years were a long time, after all.


    However, the history was clearly different. Martial arts permeated the history of this timeline, with martial artists playing major roles in pivoting and directing history. Alchemy was orientated more toward the arcane and the use of qi than any actual scientific concepts and formulae of chemistry. Similarly, physics didn''t bother with gravity ¨C because martial artists could defy gravity. But it was undeniable that such gravitational forces held down "mortals" who didn''t cultivate. And our biology classes focused not on the cells or tissue, but the qi circulatory system, and the natural flow of inner energy throughout our bodies and internal organs.


    I realized that many of these theoretical concepts on qi were actually meant for us to eventually apply to our practical martial arts. Qi Fu Ren didn''t seem to be aware of that, but I saw no reason to inform the arrogant bastard about it.


    "Phew¡­it''s finally over!"


    Zhu Jiao stretched himself when the last lesson for the day ended. Here, another difference vividly marked itself apart from what I remembered in my original timeline. The theoretical lessons for Wu Ling Academy ended at noon. The afternoons were set aside for students to return to their respective sects and learn practical martial arts.


    "Yeah! I''m free!"


    Whooping, Qi Fu Ren jumped from his seat even before Teacher Jiao dismissed us, and exited the classroom with his flunkies hot on his heels. Teacher Jiao glared in their direction and shook his head before he raised a hand.


    "All right, class dismissed. All of you should have your respective sects to report to. As for the Experimentalists, please stay behind."


    Unsurprisingly, Teacher Jiao held the briefing for us after the Traditionalists departed. It was only natural ¨C the briefing was completely irrelevant to them, after all.


    "If you look at your screen, you''ll see an array of options," Teacher Jiao explained as he guided us through the application on the tablet. There was something resembling a website on the tablet, an electronic portal created by the academy.


    Tapping on an icon, I opened up the list of available martial arts that Wu Ling Academy possessed. There was a database listing the various martial arts, and some were underlined and bolded in red. I stared at them, fixated by the contrast between these martial arts and the rest, which were coded in normal black text.


    "You''ll see that some of them are in red," Teacher Jiao spoke up, almost as if he had read my mind. "These are lost or partially lost martial arts belonging to now extinct sects. You''re more than welcome to try and restore them once you''ve reached the required level."


    "¡­required level?"


    I then noticed that there were numbers right next to the martial arts, separated by lines in a table. The Flaming Comet Strike, for example, was rated at level 4, and the Mystic Scarlet Flame Formula was rated at level 8.


    "All of you are currently level 1," Teacher Jiao explained helpfully.


    "Eh?!" Zhu Jiao exclaimed in dismay. "Then doesn''t that mean most of these martial arts are closed off to us?"


    He was right. Scrolling through the table, I saw that most of them were levels 2 and above. Only a handful was level 1, and they didn''t sound very impressive. Like¡­Feline Claws. Or Flowing Raiment Formula. What the heck was that supposed to be?


    "You didn''t think this would be easy, did you?" Teacher Jiao was wearing a wry smile. "But we have good reasons for doing so. You see¡­many of these martial arts are dangerous. While they might be powerful, because the proper ways of learning them are lost ¨C such as breathing techniques, qi circulation, or body tempering ¨C you could make a fatal mistake and cause qi backlash, rupturing your own qi vessels or overloading yourself with qi and causing your body to self-destruct. There have been many cases in the past, with students trying to secretly learn skills and techniques higher than their current levels, and them dying horribly because of it."


    Immediately, all the students in the classroom turned pale. Except for me, probably because I thought that was obvious. Or maybe I had read wuxia manhwa before and heard of a similar case. I wasn''t sure which, given my jumbled memories.


    "But this sure is convenient," I remarked as I stared at the tablet. "To think we can download techniques off the school''s intranet system¡­"


    Teacher Jiao and Zhu Jiao stared at me blankly. "Download?"


    "Uh, no," I hastily corrected myself. "I mean it''s pretty convenient to be able to read and learn techniques just from consulting the tablet!"


    "Hah!" Teacher Jiao snorted. "Who says it''s that easy? Of course you can''t learn it from the tablet. When you find a technique that you''re interested in, click on it. The database will inform you of the venue where you can collect the manual for the techniques."


    "¡­manual?"


    This time it was my turn to stare blankly at Teacher Jiao. He placed his hands on his hips.


    "Of course! How will you learn martial arts if you don''t have the manual for it? You''ll have to go to the appropriate library to retrieve it!"


    What the hell¡­?! Despite having such advanced technology, this world still relied on anachronistic methods such as paper-based manuals to learn martial arts? They hadn''t figured out how to upload digital copies of martial arts manuals into the internet, or whatever the counterpart for this timeline was?


    "Well, that''s about it," Teacher Jiao ended his briefing. "Take your time and choose whatever level 1 technique you want wisely. You can even choose multiple level 1 techniques and attempt to combine them all into a single, self-created martial art. If you have any questions, or if you have problems trying to learn the techniques from the level 1 list, feel free to approach me and I''ll assist you." he grinned. "Think of me as your semi-master."


    "Yes, Teacher Jiao."


    "Then I''ll see you tomorrow. If you need to find me, I''ll be in my office."


    Saying that, Teacher Jiao departed, leaving me and Zhu Jiao behind in the classroom. I barely noticed, with most of my attention focused on the screen before me. Now that I looked closely, there were over fifty level 1 martial arts, but¡­when I clicked on them and saw the descriptions, I understood why they were rated as level 1.


    To put it simply, most of them were lackluster, and even Wu Ling Academy''s rating of them was poor. Within the descriptions themselves was included an entire passage that detailed the weaknesses and flaws of the various martial arts. Like how some lacked firepower or attacking power, some were defensively weak, some caused side effects when learning (like rupturing blood vessels), and more than a few were extremely inefficient techniques that died out because they simply weren''t efficient at producing qi.


    "Hey, what do you plan on learning?" Zhu Jiao asked as he glanced up from his tablet, frustration creeping into his voice. I shrugged.


    "I''ve no idea."


    "There has got to be something¡­" Zhu Jiao growled.


    "Like what?" I grumbled as I swept through the list again. Right now, the best technique without side effects seemed to be Feline Claws, but the description explained that while it could be deadly if the opponent was caught off guard, the qi claws that the technique produced were weak especially when compared with other higher-level techniques. On the other hand, such an implication meant that Feline Claws could serve as a beginner skill to learn before advancing to higher-level techniques, such as the Level 5 Sharpened Sword Force, which seemed to operate on a similar principle of condensing one''s qi into a sharp weapon.


    But level 5 was pretty far away¡­


    The other viable option was Shadow Step, a level 1 martial art that focused on movement and kicking. As with Feline Claws, it was heavily lacking on the offensive power, and possessed no defensive attributes at all¡­but at least it granted the practitioner relatively remarkable speed. But what interested me was the kicking aspect ¨C Shadow Step had a couple of kicking techniques that supplied the offensive strength that its other techniques lacked.


    The legs have three times the power of the arms, and has longer reach too, I read the final paragraph of the description, which was describing the kicks. Well-timed and aimed at the appropriate place, a practitioner of Shadow Steps will be capable of laying low even an opponent superior to himself.


    I guess this was my best option for now.


    "Shadow Steps sounds like a good one," I spoke up. Zhu Jiao made a face.


    "Shadow Steps? Sounds pretty¡­shadowy."


    "What are you planning to learn?" I demanded, trying not to sound too annoyed.


    "Red Jade Swordsmanship," Zhu Jiao replied wearily. "Seems like the only sword technique that doesn''t have a horrible side effect."


    "Oh! That''s not a bad choice."


    Red Jade Swordsmanship possessed lethal attacking power, but its defense was too fragile and it consumed too much qi, making it an inefficient technique. With my current condition, I doubted I would be able to master such a qi-consuming technique with what little qi I had.


    "Well, let''s head to the library then."


    "Good idea."


    The both of us left the classroom and headed toward Wu Ling Library. The library was quite some distance away from the buildings housing the classrooms, located in the center of Wu Ling Academy. On our way there, I noticed that there were quite a lot of security staff lingering around and vigilantly watching out for intruders.


    Makes sense. They need to protect the martial arts manuals that they have collected and stored in the library.


    If those manuals and techniques were stolen and fell into the wrong hands, I dread to imagine what sort of disastrous consequences would follow.


    There was a singular librarian seated at the reception desk when we entered the library. He raised his wizened head and stared at us when we approached.


    "How can I help you?"


    I hesitated as I stared at him. The librarian was ancient, looking almost as if he was a hundred years old. Long white hair drooped over his face, his eyebrows lengthening into what looked like tresses. A similar wisp of white beard hung from his chin, almost reaching to his chest. Not only that, he was dressed in traditional robes, and even had an old-fashioned cloth to bundle up his long hair into a single neat bun.


    "We''re looking for techniques."


    Unlike me, Zhu Jiao wasn''t fazed by the librarian''s appearance and spoke up eagerly and without hesitation.


    "Ah¡­first year students, huh?"


    The librarian nodded sagely. He then summoned a tablet from his desk before glancing back at us.


    "Do you already have in mind what manuals you wish to borrow?"


    "Yeah!" Zhu Jiao responded excitedly. "Red Jade Swordsmanship, please!"


    "Hmm, good choice." The librarian nodded in approval before turning back to his screen. After a few seconds, he looked up again and gestured toward one of the aisles. "That way. It should be among the back of Shelf 205A."


    "Thank you!"


    Zhu Jiao rushed off eagerly, unable to wait any longer. His enthusiasm brought a smile to my face.


    "What about you, young man?"


    Breaking out of my thoughts, I nodded when the librarian addressed me.


    "Um¡­Shadow Steps, please."


    "Hmm¡­" the ancient librarian studied me for a few moments, and then nodded in satisfaction. "It does suit you."


    It does? Really?


    I couldn''t help but be skeptical. But I was too polite to point that out, and merely smiled in return while waiting patiently as the ancient librarian consulted his tablet. After a while, he glanced up, peered in the distance, and pointed a gnarled finger at one of the aisles.


    "That way. Shelf 408B. It should be near the bottom of the shelf."


    "Thank you!"


    Bowing gratefully, I proceeded toward the shelf the librarian directed me toward. But I froze when the librarian spoke again.

 9 Chapter 8: Martial Arts Manual

    Approaching the massive shelf, I took a step into the aisle. Suddenly, the air around me shimmered and I detected a ripple in the dense qi that permeated the library. To my amazement, the shelf in front of me seemed to warp and shapeshift, and suddenly transformed into a small shelf.


    "Whoa!"


    Instinctively, I took a step back. Was this yet another kind of martial magic that this timeline adhered to? Nonetheless, I could guess what happened. Either the librarian had programmed the shelf, or the shelf itself had intuitively adjusted to my request, saving me the trouble of rummaging through countless manuals for the right one.


    "Near the bottom of the shelf¡­right?"


    Recalling what the librarian told me, I squatted down and tilted my head to get a better look at the bottom of the shelf. There were a few manuals stacked against each other, all of them level 1 techniques. I suspected that Shelf 408B held more than just level 1 techniques, but the higher level ones did not appear because I wasn''t qualified to browse through them.


    This must be it!


    Spotting the Shadow Steps manual somewhere in the middle, I reached out with my fingers and pulled it out. The crisp, papery feel of the scroll felt dry and coarse against my fingers, the surface yellow with age.


    But that wasn''t what surprised me.


    The moment my fingers came into contact with it, I felt a tingle. That tingle grew exponentially when I pulled it out and held it in my hand, turning into a raging current that threatened to devour me. I staggered back, stunned by the manual''s response.


    I see¡­so that''s why they don''t upload the martial arts manuals digitally into the school''s intranet system. The manuals themselves contain power!


    The Shadow Steps manual was just bursting with qi, arcane qi that was not part of the library but originating from the ancient scroll itself. Martial arts manuals weren''t just mere copies of books, but entities that seemed to possess life and qi of their own. The martial arts inscribed into their pages had imbued them with some sort of arcane power. It wasn''t the same type of strength that physical martial arts possessed, but something more mystical¡­something spiritual.


    No wonder Wu Ling Academy preserved archaic copies of martial arts manuals rather than just render everything digital. There was power to be held within these physical scrolls, power that simply couldn''t be replicated digitally and electronically.


    Ah¡­so that''s why the librarian told me to beware of the shadows.


    Damn it¡­


    I had no idea how to deal with this. Teacher Jiao never mentioned this, and even my fuzzy memories of this timeline said nothing about manuals coming to life and attacking the bearer. The librarian''s words were the only one¡­


    Like hell I''ll let you devour me!


    With an explosive force of will, I yelled at the dark shadows that had now reached my shoulders and were threatening to wrap around my neck in a suffocating grip. The shadows abruptly stopped, and suddenly retreated. I glared at the fleeing tendrils as they escaped back into the scroll, trying to exert my willpower onto it.


    Then¡­nothing.


    "Phew¡­"


    I sighed in relief after a few seconds when it seemed that the shadows intended to stay in the scroll for good. Shaking my hands as if it would loosen whatever remnants of shadows on my skin ¨C not that there were any visible traces on my arms ¨C I turned and left the aisle. Despite conquering the Shadow Steps manual, I could still sense potent qi swirling from the other manuals stacked within the shelf, circling around my body as if threatening to strangle me.


    So that''s the other risk of trying to learn more than one martial arts at the same time¡­you''ll get overwhelmed by the manuals.


    With manuals behaving like this, it was no wonder that they established an ancient tradition of banning practitioners from learning martial arts not from their sects. It was as much for the practitioners'' safety as it was to protect the sects'' secrets and martial arts.


    Staggering out of the aisle, I approached the librarian shakily. He looked up and smiled.


    "You didn''t take as much time as I thought you would. Impressive."


    "Huh?"


    I stared at him blankly. Well, come to think of it, I did spend less than a minute before conquering the manual and bending the shadows to my will¡­


    "All right, you''re good to go." The librarian had made some note in his tablet, allowing me to sign out with the Shadow Steps manual in hand. He waved somewhat impatiently for me to leave. "Good luck with learning Shadow Steps."


    "Thanks." I craned my neck and glanced in the aisle where Zhu Jiao had disappeared to. That was weird. He had went in to retrieve his book earlier than me, so he should be out by now. Well, it was fine. I didn''t mind waiting for him.


    The librarian noticed that I was still dawdling at the front of the reception desk and staring at the aisle. He smiled.


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    "If you''re waiting for your friend, he has left already. I told him to head back without you."


    "Eh? That was fast!"


    "No, not really." The librarian chuckled. "To be honest, I expected you to take a while longer, but you still took quite some time to escape the grasp of the shadows."


    "What do you mean¡­?" the question died in my throat when I caught sight of the clock. It had been approximately 3.30pm when we stepped into the library, but now the hands were indicating that it was a little after four.


    Huh?! How¡­?! Did I really spend thirty minutes fighting with those shadows?


    "Your sense of time can get confused when you''re in there, especially when you''re dealing with darkness-type elemental qi such as shadows," the librarian explained kindly. Then his smile widened. "To be honest, I thought you would take an hour, but you only took half of that time. Oh, don''t worry," he added when he saw me looking aghast. "If anything untoward happened, I was ready to step in and help you. We can''t have our students dying from manuals before they even start embarking on the path of martial arts."


    I nodded numbly, then bowed to express my thanks. My head still swimming from the revelation, I turned to leave the library.


    "Oh, and you have six months to return the Shadow Steps manual!" the librarian called out after me. "But you''re more than welcome to apply for an extension to your loan if you still have not finished making a copy or studying the scroll by then!"


    "Thank you."


    Then I paused when I thought of something. Since I had come all the way to the library, I might as well pick up more books.


    "Do you have encyclopedias? Normal books?"


    "¡­encyclopedias?" the librarian frowned when he heard my question.


    I nodded "Yeah, history books¡­books that provide general knowledge on the world¡­like on monsters and stuff."


    "Ah¡­we do have monster encyclopedias and history books." The librarian rummaged through his tablet again. "Hmm, that shelf. I would recommend these titles, though."


    A buzzing sound roared by the side of the desk and a printer churned out a small slip of paper bearing several titles.


    "Here you go."


    "Thanks!"


    I accepted the slip of paper and scanned through the list of titles. Then I proceeded to the shelf and earnestly took the books out to borrow them. Having come from another timeline, or a different dimension, I needed to stock up on my knowledge regarding this world. I knew next to nothing regarding this timeline, and knowledge was a very important commodity.


    As they said, knowledge is power.


    "Phew¡­"


    Once I picked out the books that the librarian recommended me, I then ferried them to the desk for him to scan.


    "Six months for them as well." The librarian raised an eyebrow at the number of volumes I had checked out. "Will that be all?"


    "Nope. For now, anyway. Thank you very much!"


    Trying to carry all the books with both my hands, I bowed awkwardly one last time before stepping out of the library and into the vast courtyard that surrounded the complex.


    *


    "Okay, so how do I start?"


    I was browsing through the manual, checking how many pages it had. Weirdly enough, it was pretty thin, and was only about twenty pages long. There weren''t that many techniques, and in fact, it was focused on building the body.


    "¡­so I have to run everyday, and gradually increase the distance?"


    Sounded like the typical training regimen. There were instructions on how to strengthen my body, build up my fitness and increase my stamina. Hell, it reminded me of the military exercises that I went through in my previous lifetime when I served the mandatory national service. Conditioning, strengthening and acclimatization.


    Well, that makes sense. Martial arts is a physical activity, after all. The whole point is to strengthen your body and build up your fitness.


    It wasn''t as if I was expecting to copy wuxia novel protagonists who spent all day sitting down and meditating, and suddenly they had awesome spiritual powers and could level mountains or destroy concrete with their bare hands just because of qi. As if you could just rely solely on meditation to grow physically powerful.


    There was also the fact that this was a step or movement technique with a few kicks inscribed into its nature. It was only natural that the first¡­uh, step to mastering it was to strengthen my legs and ensure they were fit and strong enough to execute what seemed like complex maneuvers. Plus there was no point relying on kicking as my main offensive methods if my legs were weak. Of course, it made sense to strengthen my legs if I wanted to kick people to death. Or at least to knock them out. I wasn''t a psychotic murderer, after all.


    Pushing up my glasses, I took a deep breath, closed the scroll and stood up.


    "Might as well get it done and over with."


    The first step was always the hardest and most boring, but I recognized that it was essential if I wanted to build a solid foundation. When my Traditionalist classmates were already surging far ahead of me, I had no room to complain about the methods. I couldn''t afford to be picky about my methods, nor could I attempt to compete with them. I could only establish a firm, solid foundation, and build upon there. It was the same whether I was in a sect or not, I was sure.


    Changing into a jersey, I left my room and began jogging along the campus. There was a winding track that snaked along the perimeter of the vast academy grounds which was perfect for jogging. There were even markings on the ground to indicate how far you had covered, and from the ever-changing numbers ¨C which was powered by qi ¨C I could estimate the distance.


    The entire perimeter was about sixteen kilometers long, and the campus ground itself covered about approximately sixteen square kilometers in terms of area. I doubted I could run the full sixteen kilometers on my first try, so my goal was four kilometers. I was only thirteen, I had just recovered from an accident, and I hadn''t built up my fitness prior to enrolling in Wu Ling Academy, so it was preposterous for me to attempt to cover all sixteen kilometers¡­or even half of that distance in one go.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    It wasn''t even two kilometers and I was already perspiring from head to toe. It was a good thing that the temperature was cooling, about ten degrees Celsius and chilly, so I wasn''t suffering as badly as I would when I served National Service in my home country to the south. Sucking in a lungful of air, I powered on, refusing to give up. It didn''t matter if I had to stop and walk some of the way, I was going to complete all four kilometers.


    It took me almost forty minutes, but I did it. Damn, but I was definitely out of shape. My drill sergeant would definitely yell at me if he saw how pathetic I was right now. I could already imagine him frothing at the mouth, his face red, and bellowing at how I was an embarrassment to the army.


    Speaking of which, if I remember correctly, there is no National Service in this timeline¡­


    Since military prowess was determined by martial arts, qi and other mystical techniques, there was little point in having a citizen-conscripted military to defend one''s nation. Apparently one martial artist was equal to a hundred, or even a thousand normal men. In fact, the higher-ranked martial artists could be considered as either one-man armies, or weapons of mass destruction. No, seriously. They were actually using that term to describe some of the legends out there.


    Well, that''s way out of reach for someone like me. I''ll just focus on strengthening myself for now.


    Wiping the perspiration from my face, I glanced at the numbers that layered itself upon the jogging track. It was 4.012km. Hell, the technology here was so advanced that they actually measured the distance to three decimal places. I couldn''t help but be impressed. Best of all, they were using natural qi, so there wasn''t any pollution or environmental degrading.


    Looks like I have a long way to go¡­


    Feeling a little discouraged, I trudged back to my room for a much-needed rest.


    "You okay, my friend?"


    On my way back, I passed by Zhu Jiao. He also looked pretty ruddy and reddened, his skin glistening with perspiration. Evidently I wasn''t the only one working hard on learning martial arts techniques or trying to improve my fitness.


    "Yeah. You?"


    Zhu Jiao grinned. "Couldn''t be better."


    Infected by his enthusiasm, I raised my hand in response to his waving hand we traded a fist bump.


    "We''re going to do this, aren''t we?" Zhu Jiao declared determinedly. "We''re going to become stronger than everyone else and make them regret ever looking down on us."


    "Yeah," I agreed half-wearily and half-angrily. "Screw the whole Star Constitution thing. We''re going to prove their bullshit method of measuring strength wrong."


    Then my legs buckled and I had to grab onto the railing to prevent myself from toppling over. Way to go. That was humiliating.


    Zhu Jiao laughed and slapped my back, but I felt the trembling in his hand, as well as saw the blisters.


    "Let''s go rest. You look like you really need it."


    "Yeah. You too."


    Zhu Jiao didn''t argue, and we returned to our rooms to grab a clean change of clothes before hitting the showers.


    *


    And just like that, three months passed.


    I kept up a slow and steady progress, increasing my distance by a kilometer every week until I could finally run all sixteen kilometers by the end of three months. And that was just the start. I planned on increasing the distance to twenty once I had built up the adequate fitness.


    I had also begun adding more exercises to my training regimen, as advised by Teacher Jiao. As our homeroom teacher, he took an interest in the techniques that Zhu Jiao and I picked, and was on hand to advise or make adjustments to our training regimen. It appeared that he had great knowledge of Shadow Steps as well, and was thus able to help me better than when he tried assisting Zhu Jiao with mastering the Red Jade technique.


    "It''s good that you''ve considered building up your physical strength and stamina as your first step, to establish a solid foundation," he told me during my first few days. "I think I can help with that. Here''s a training schedule I''ve come up with."


    He also did one for Zhu Jiao, and monitored our progress. It was fairly easy for him to do so because we were the only two Experimentalists in his class, and the other students all had their masters to learn from.


    After the first three weeks, I was instructed by Teacher Jiao to add pushups and sit-ups to my regime. He also advised me on which training room to book, where I would practice kicks that he demonstrated for me. Right now, my kicks were still pretty weak ¨C judging from the measuring gauge that quantified and measured the power of my kicks. But predictably enough, the values fluctuated wildly, depending on how tired or frustrated I was. Like I said, the person who decided that our whole life or "talent" could be quantified, measured and coded by a fix number was an idiot.


    On the other hand, I could see the benefits of qualifying one''s power. I was a little heartened to see the numerical values increase day after day, week after week, month after month. At least psychologically wise, I was encouraged from seeing a steady pace of progress.


    By now I was doing a hundred pushups, a hundred sit-ups and sixteen kilometers everyday. Normally, such a punishing training regimen was ill-advised because it put tremendous stress on my joints and would cause my body to break down. Over-exercising was not a good thing and would often cause more damage than enhancement.


    But in this timeline, such problems and injuries were mitigated by qi. Qi was an omnipotent natural energy that could do everything, from powering electronic devices to creating spirit pills to healing one''s injuries. Some said that if one reached a certain divine level that allowed him to tap and wield the power of heavens, he could even use qi to restore lost limbs. Probably the only thing it can''t do was bring back the dead.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    And thus, after the end of three months, I found myself panting upon the completion of my sixteen kilometers. Forcing myself to straighten up, I took a huge swig of water from my bottle and then proceeded toward my dormitory. I had already completed the pushups and sit-ups prior to my run, and now all that remained was some rest. Then I would probably hit the training room in the evening to practice my kicks.


    I had barely mapped out the rest of my daily routine for the day when a fist flew toward my head.


    "!"


    I instinctively ducked under the punch, then brought my arms up in reflex to parry a kick that lifted me off my feet and sent me flying a few meters away."


    "Kuh!"


    Stumbling, I landed on my feet and slid about half a meter back, leaving two trails in the broken soil. Lowering my trembling hands, I looked up to glare at my assailants.


    "As expected of the disciple of the Absolute One."


    Blinking, I gaped as a trio of heavily muscular guys stepped forward, hunching as they tried to intimidate me. Personally I was more annoyed at the shadows they were casting over me than being terrified of their immense sizes.


    They were wearing the same Wu Ling Academy uniform as I was, which meant they were also students of this school. But I hadn''t seen them before, at least not in the first year building. That must mean they were seniors.


    "What can I do for you, seniors?"


    I watched them warily, wondering if they were here to bully me. I had escaped bullying for the last three months, and I had thought my peaceful life would continue like this, but it appeared that the clich¨¦ bullying event was inevitable. As with every other bullshit wuxia novels out there, you always had a bunch of characters who decided to pick on people weaker than them for no reason other than because they were bullies who could. Or, if I were to apply real-life logic, because they wanted to assuage their egos and feel powerful by assuring themselves that there existed people weaker than them.


    However, their response surprised me.


    "Where is the Absolute One?" the first guy, with hair cropped close to his scalp, demanded.


    "Absolute One?"


    I had never heard of that title before. Not that the trio cared. Their leader, the senior with the crewcut, stepped forward intimidatingly.


    "Where is what?" I repeated dumbly, still not comprehending the situation. Baldie reached out to grab me, but I withdrew beyond his reach. There was no way I was going to let the bastard touch me with his filthy hands.


    "The techniques!"


    "What techniques?"


    "Stop pretending! We know you have them! Give them to us, now!"


    What the fuck was this moron blabbering about? I had completely no idea what he was shouting about, and I honestly didn''t want to waste too much time listening to his indecipherable nonsense. That said, I could sense that he was dangerous.


    Even as their mountainous figures blocked out the sun, I could see the swirls of energy flowing around them. These guys were similar to me, packing dense amounts of natural energy in their bodies. Yet the differences between us were as vast as the gap between heaven and earth. It wasn''t merely a matter of them having more energy than me.


    Rather, it was the quality of their qi. While mine was crude, raw and infantile, these guys'' qi were hard, solid and unyielding. Their qi matched their brutish and large physical appearances. It was almost as if I was looking at human-shaped rocks.


    This can''t be good¡­


    I took another step back, trying to put as much distance between myself and these guys. Even if they were somehow superior in terms of brute strength, it didn''t necessarily mean they were clumsier and slower. I didn''t possess the same amount or quality of qi/energy (I was beginning to warm up to the idea of calling this energy qi) as them. In terms of cultivation, I was a complete amateur. I wasn''t delusional enough to think I could outfight or outrun my present opponents.


    Even so, there was no way I was going to stand around and let them push me around.


    "I''m not pretending," I growled in a low voice. "I really have no idea what the fuck you are talking about."


    "Quit your acting!"


    The first guy threw his fist, but I ducked it. Nonetheless, I could literally feel a sonic boom bursting past my face. While I spun away, I watched in horror as the guy punched the wall behind me and shattered the concrete.


    "Holy¡­!"


    I retreated a few steps, my eyes still fixated on the destruction. Flickering my gaze to my assailant in anxiety, I gulped.


    "How the hell did you do that?"


    "Hey, Tie Shan¡­maybe he really has no idea what you''re talking about."


    One of the other seniors ¨C a guy with messy hair ¨C spoke up. Tie Shan merely glared at him.


    "Don''t be gullible! You know as well as I do that the Absolute One met and talked to this punk!"


    That did it. I couldn''t help but snap, a vein throbbing in my temple as I fought to control my temper. I didn''t care if they were my seniors. They had no right to expect respect and deference from me after all the bullshit they were pulling.


    "Fucking idiot. You show up suddenly, ambush me and try to punch me while shouting all sorts of incomprehensible questions, and get angry when people don''t understand you? I can''t read your fucking mind. Not that you have a mind for me to read in the first place."


    "What did you say?!" Tie Shan roared. I sighed and shook my head.


    "Why should I answer your question when you won''t answer mine? In the first place, who the hell is this Absolute One?"


    "Stop pretending!" Tie Shan bellowed as he punched at me again, forcing me to duck. Another pillar was reduced to rubble as his fist smashed into it, and I staggered back as pieces of concrete and dust billowed into me.


    "Dude, I''m not pretending. Get it in your thick skull already!"


    "Why should we believe you?!"


    "If you can''t even believe the truth I''m telling you right now, why even bother asking me stupid questions about some technique or whatever in the first place?"


    "Tie Shan! Calm down!"


    The senior with messy hair and the third guy quickly seized Tie Shan and stopped him from assaulting me further. He thrashed about wildly in their grip, but the combined strength of his two juniors finally managed to arrest his struggle and he stopped.


    "Now, can someone please explain to me what in the nine hells are you guys talking about? Who is this Absolute One?"


    "Liar! You met and talked to him! How can you not know¡­?"


    "Tie Shan." The senior with the crewcut shut up when the senior with messy hair spoke up. The latter then turned to me. "Do you really not know?"


    "I talk to a lot of people, and even if I somehow did run into him and spoke to him, he''s not going to introduce himself as the Absolute One, is he? Unless he''s suffering from middle school syndrome. But I haven''t met any such people lately."


    The senior with messy hair guy sighed. "The old man who visited you in the hospital¡­"


    I stared at him. "Which old man? My uncle? I''m pretty sure he doesn''t call himself the Absolute One¡­"


    "Not that one," the third senior interrupted. This time, he sported a Mohawk, so I decided to call him that. "The old man you saved from the truck. He gave you his techniques as a reward for saving his life, didn''t he?"


    "Oh, that old man." I finally understood which old man they were referring to. But that last part made no sense whatsoever. "Uh, no? He didn''t?"


    "Liar!" Tie Shan tried to lunge at me, only for his two buddies to hold him back. "Stop lying! I know you received his techniques!"


    "I did not." this guy was getting annoying. I really had to resist the urge to kick him in the face. "All he did was thank me for saving his life. Then he left. That''s all."


    "Liar!" Tie Shan howled. "He definitely gave you his techniques! There''s no way he didn''t teach you! No way that he wouldn''t leave a successor!"


    "Successor?"


    "To the Heaven and Earth Sect," Mohawk supplied helpfully. "The Heaven and Earth techniques."


    "Sorry. Doesn''t ring a bell." I stared at them dumbly. "What, you think I''m the protagonist of some shitty martial arts story? That I''ll automatically be entitled to learn martial arts upon meeting some old man? And why the heck would that old man just teach some kid he randomly encountered in the street? Even if he wanted to reward me, he couldn''t have taught me anything. I spent a couple of the months in the hospital with three out of my four limbs broken. You think I can learn martial arts in that sort of condition?"


    "¡­he''s got a point," the senior with messy hair conceded. "Besides, if he''s really the successor of the Heaven and Earth Sect, then why is he in Wu Ling Academy? From the other intelligence I''ve collected, he has spent the last months doing basic physical training. It seems like he''s an Experimentalist who''s learning the Shadow Steps for now."


    "Whoa! How do you know that?!" I demanded, my jaw dropping. "Are you guys stalking me or something?"


    "Oh¡­well¡­information is pretty easy to obtain as long as yyou have the credits and right contacts." The senior with messy hair smiled and offered me his hand. "Sorry for causing you trouble, Junior Fei."


    I bowed respectfully. At least this senior was the only guy who treated me decently and had the decency to listen to my side of the story.


    "Are you really going to believe him, Luan Fa?!" Tie Shan demanded. "It''s obviously that he''s lying!"


    I couldn''t help but sigh, irritated. "The old man only visited me once, only to leave after a few minutes. Do you think that''s enough time to teach me anything?"


    Mohawk scratched the bald part of his head. "We certainly haven''t seen the Absolute One contact or talk to him other than that one meeting¡­"


    "You fools!" Tie Shan hollered. "He''s lying! Don''t fall for it! This is the Absolute One we''re talking about here! He has ways of transferring his skills!"


    "Like what?" I asked, annoyed.


    "By transmitting all of his techniques to your mind directly!"


    "And did you actually see him do that?"


    "¡­"


    Tie Shan said nothing, but his silence conveyed everything.


    Slumping onto the ground, dejected, Tie Shan punched the ground in frustration. His two buddies released him and stood off to the side uncertainly.


    "Well, of course it wouldn''t be so easy to get the Heaven and Earth techniques¡­"


    "Yeah. Why would he teach it to some random kid?"


    "Looks like this guy is some uninvolved outsider¡­"


    "The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. This kid only has a One Star Constitution. The Absolute One would pick much better and more appropriate candidates for his successors."


    Oi, I can hear you guys, you know?


    "Then who would he choose?!" Tie Shan thundered. The other two seniors were unable to answer.


    Well, I didn''t want to get wrapped up in this farce any longer, so I turned away. The sun was still up and it was still relatively early, but that didn''t mean I wanted to stick around any longer than was necessary. I wanted a shower to cool off, and I still had kicking practice in the evening, in addition to homework for theoretical lessons. I had no time to waste.


    "Wait!"


    Tie Shan sounded so desperate that I actually felt sorry for him. Shaking my head, I turned back to glance at him. He looked so pitiful, kneeling on the ground. He glared at me, his fists clenched and his teeth gritted.


    "The Absolute One must have given you something!" he insisted stubbornly. Guy just didn''t know when to give up. "What was it?!"


    "Well¡­" I slipped my hand into my pocket and produced the golden dragon medallion that the old man gave me. "This is the only thing he gave me. I swear. Nothing else."


    The three seniors froze when they saw the golden dragon medallion glinting in my hand, the yellow rays of the sun reflecting off its shiny surface.


    "What? What''s this thing?" I asked when I saw their unusual reactions.

 10 Chapter 9: A fight against 3 seniors

    I jumped away desperately, just barely able to dodge the freight train of massive, mountainous guys charging at me.


    Tie Shan''s iron fist slammed into the ground where I stood, carving a crater into the concrete. I stumbled back, pelted by the debris, and had to duck under a hook from Luan Fa, which ripped a huge chunk from the wall of a nearby building. I shifted my trajectory and jumped back, along the wall, narrowly evading Mohawk''s kick that reduced a good part of the structure into rubble. Once again, I found myself under assault from the debris.


    "Kuh!"


    Spinning around, I dodged under Tie Shan''s iron fist again, but the sheer blast from the qi coating his hand knocked me over.


    "!"


    I rolled away before Mohawk could finish me off with a stomp that smashed a crater into the solid concrete. Jumping to my feet, I staggered back just beyond the reach of Luan Fa, whose fist pulverized the wall that was unfortunate enough to be beside me when I stood up.


    "Holy f¡­!"


    I threw myself backward to avoid getting obliterated by Tie Shan''s attack, as well as trying to stay out of the reach of Luan Fa and Mohawk.


    "Those skills¡­what are you, the Iron Fist Sect or something?"


    Tie Shan''s eyes narrowed.


    "Still trying to pretend that you don''t know anything, I see!"


    "¡­give it a rest already¡­"


    I couldn''t help but sigh as I avoided yet another deadly blow from Mohawk''s kick, then jumped away before Luan Fa crushed the ground where I was standing on with his qi-enveloped fists. Debris pelted me as I reeled back from the shockwaves.


    "We''re from the Iron Mountain Sect," Luan Fa explained helpfully. "Our techniques are focused on hardening our bodies into steel, which grants us a ton of offensive and defensive power as well as envelop our bodies in armored qi. Immovable as the mountains, unyielding as the landscape. We have a great affinity with metal qi of the five elements."


    "Oh, that''s amazing¡­"


    "Why the hell are you explaining everything to him?!" Tie Shan yelled at Luan Fa, who had the decency to look chagrined.


    "Well¡­he asked."


    I really like this guy. He really was a model senior¡­if only he wasn''t attacking me.


    "He''s acting! Trying to distract you from the battle! Don''t fall for it!" Tie Shan bellowed. I sighed yet again. This guy was really getting on my nerves.


    "No, I''m not. I really don''t know anything about the Heaven and Earth techniques."


    "You''re lying! Then why would you have that medallion?"


    Mohawk hollered as he swung his foot at me. I sidestepped the kick, glad that I managed to escape having my skull caved in.


    "I already told you! The old man gave me that as a reward for saving his life!"


    "Kuh!"


    Cursing, I ducked under another swing from Tie Shan. The sonic boom from his vicious punch blasted me off my feet and knocked me flat onto my back. Mohawk tried to capitalize on the moment by stomping on me with those deadly feet of his, but I managed to roll away. Even then, the impact generated from the collision between his foot and the ground lifted me up bodily and sent me hurtling across the school compound.


    "Ugh!"


    I crashed heavily onto the ground, but tried to mitigate the impact by rolling to my feet. Swaying unsteadily, I looked up just in time to see the three seniors charge at me.


    "Bloody hell¡­"


    Wiping the blood from my mouth, I slowly rose to my feet to glare at the trio of seniors. While they advanced, I held up both hands in surrender.


    "Before you kill me for some stupid reason, can you at least tell me what this medallion is?"


    "Do you really not know?" Luan Fa scowled.


    "Stop pretending!" Tie Shan bellowed. "That medallion is evidence that you are the successor to the Heaven and Earth Sect! That''s no use hiding the fact that you''ve inherited the Heaven and Earth techniques!"


    Say what?


    If I was getting this right, this medallion was proof that the bearer was the leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect, or at the very least the successor to the Heaven and Earth techniques. Then why the heck did the old man give something as valuable as this to a complete stranger like me? He didn''t even tell me what this thing was, or tell me a single thing!


    Gratitude?! Fuck, this was downright irresponsibility!


    "Look, if you want this medallion, I''ll give it to you. You guys can be the leaders of the Heaven and Earth Sect or whatever. I''m not interested."


    I held out the medallion. Whatever this stupid thing was, it wasn''t worth giving up my life just to hang onto it. I didn''t even have any emotional attachment to it.


    The trio stared at me as if I had just said something incredibly stupid. Which, to be fair, was probably what happened.


    "Idiot!" Tie Shan roared as he threw his iron fist at me. "The medallion''s worthless without the Heaven and Earth techniques!"


    I considered telling him that they weren''t going to get those out of me if they killed me, but by then it was clear that they were way past listening to reason or the truth. I also realized the futility of telling them the truth ¨C I did not possess the Heaven and Earth techniques. In fact, this was the first time I had ever heard of such a thing.


    "What exactly are these Heaven and Earth techniques?" I demanded. "Some kind of ultimate martial art?"


    "Sort of."


    Luan Fa replied as he struck at me with his qi-immersed fists, forcing me to duck. The shockwaves buffeted me, knocking me off my feet and causing me to sprawl on the ground. I rolled away before Mohawk could smash my head into the dirt.


    Did they want the techniques or not? Idiots¡­


    "The Heaven and Earth Formula is the most powerful martial arts in the world," Luan Fa continued to explain while throwing punches. The seniors might undoubtedly be more powerful, but they were slow. Thankfully, I had built up my fitness and stamina with all that running, so I was fast enough to evade the main bulk of their attacks. For now, anyway. "It''s supposed to grant the cultivator near infinite qi and allow him to eventually become one with the heavens. It''s an important step into gaining immortality and becoming invincible."


    That sounded really dubious, like some sort of myth or legend passed down along generations. But they clearly believed that it existed, which made me question more about the old man. Was he an immortal? And if he was supposedly invincible because of this technique, why hadn''t I seen him ever since? Why did it seem like he was running and hiding instead of crushing all of his foes head-on? The old man didn''t give off the feeling that he was an immortal.


    "¡­and you think I have learned these techniques?"


    "The fact that you possess the medallion is proof that you inherited the Heaven and Earth Formula."


    "Well, then take the damned medallion and look for the techniques inside it!" I threw the medallion at Luan Fa, who was the only senior reasonable enough to at least talk to me. He punched it away by reflex and sent it flying back to me.


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    Thanks to my training over the last three months where I practiced kicks against an automaton inside one of the training rooms that I booked every night, I caught the damned thing by reflex. Annoyed, I glared at Luan Fa.


    "Do you want it or not!?"


    "Are you stupid?" Tie Shan snarled. "Do you take us for fools? Hiding a martial arts manual inside a small medallion? Who would believe that?"


    "Ugh¡­" I sighed, frustrated. "I already told you, the only thing the old man gave me was this medallion. He mentioned absolutely nothing about martial art techniques, and he certainly didn''t teach me any ultimate move!"


    "Do you honestly expect us to believe that?" Mohawk scoffed as he chopped toward me with his axe, forcing me to duck or lose my head. "That the Absolute One would appoint you his successor and the new leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect, entrust you with the proof of your appointment, but not pass down his techniques and ultimate weapon to the one he chose as his heir before he died?"


    "Wait¡­are you telling me that old man died?"


    A chill ran down my back.


    "The Martial Arts Alliance killed him," Luan Fa explained simply before he threw a hook that blew the wall behind me into bits. Damn, I had to get away from the building or he would demolish academy property. "After committing so many atrocities and massacring so many sects, the various orthodox sects banded together and united to kill him. They finally succeeded after much sacrifice and bloodshed. But there was no sign that he left any successor or will behind when they defeated him."


    "That sucks." I shrugged before dodging another fatal blow that took out a huge chunk of the wall behind me. "So why are you assuming that I am the successor when it''s quite obvious he didn''t leave any behind?"


    To be honest, I felt uncomfortable and stunned by the revelation, but I refused to show it. Even though I didn''t know the old man very well, he was someone who I had met and conversed with. It was just so difficult to believe that he was gone like that, killed by the very same Martial Arts Alliance whose Wu Ling Academy I was enrolled in.


    Damn, and the last time I talked to him, he seemed fine and healthy. Could he really be dead? Did they really kill him?


    Furthermore, it was also difficult to believe that a seemingly kindly and gentle old man like him was such an atrocious villain. He was so helpless that I had to save him from a bloody truck. How could someone like him be immortal and invincible? Not only that, he actually visited someone who saved his life, going to the hospital to personally thank me and even gave me his medallion as a token of his gratitude and appreciation. How could someone like that be a murderous villain who did not hesitate in committing atrocities and massacring countless people?


    It made no sense.


    But¡­


    "Sounds like you''re being chased by a bunch of killers."


    "Oh, you have no idea how right you are."


    Those lines returned to the surface of my memory and I frowned. The old man admitted that he was being chased by people trying to kill him. If he was referring to the martial arts alliance, then technically everything made sense. Even so, I was still unable to wrap my head around the fact that he was supposed to be a homicidal villain.


    "You were the only person he was in contact with before his death¡­the only one he actually talked to without killing."


    "So¡­because he talked to me to express his gratitude for saving his life, you somehow believe that he managed to transfer his techniques to me in those brief seconds and those few words?" I asked, flabbergasted. "Don''t you think that''s too much of a stretch?"


    "It is," Luan Fa admitted. "But you''re the only lead we have. And our master has ordered us to retrieve the information and Heaven and Earth techniques by whatever means necessary."


    "Your master did?" my frown deepened. "Wait a minute, that can''t be right. Aren''t you disallowed from learning techniques from other sects? That''s supposed to be a taboo!"


    "It only applies if the sect still exists, or refuses to give permission." Luan Fa shrugged nonchalantly. "The Heaven and Earth Sect is destroyed¡­or is presumed to have been destroyed, so it''s fair game. We''ll be ''restoring'' the Heaven and Earth Formula."


    "Especially if we eliminate you after seizing the techniques from you!" Mohawk laughed cruelly. "Then the Heaven and Earth Sect will truly be destroyed!"


    I ignored him even as I evaded another kick from the bastard, and instead focused my attention on Luan Fa.


    "When did the old man die? When was he killed?"


    "About two months ago," Luan Fa supplied helpfully. "I don''t know the details, but I do know that every master from every orthodox sect under the Martial Arts Alliance gathered to finish off the Absolute One and his followers. There was a massive war about six months ago, where the Heaven and Earth Sect was utterly annihilated, and the Absolute One, despite slaying so many masters and veterans of the Martial Arts Alliance, was severely injured and forced to flee. He was in hiding for almost half a year before we located him again. The leaders of the Martial Arts Alliance gathered what survivors they could and launch an attack on him before he could escape."


    "There was a huge war half a year ago?"


    It might have been my confused memory, which was trying to reconcile two different timelines together, but somehow I didn''t remember hearing about that.


    "Yeah." Luan Fa nodded. "That''s why all the Martial Academies are so eager in recruiting new disciples. They''re trying to replenish and rebuild their sects, most of which were utterly devastated after the war."


    Ah, so that was why I wasn''t expelled even after being identified and singled out as a One Star Constitution practitioner. I was also thinking about how ridiculous it was for the different sects to choose so many different disciples from the four hundred students in our batch, even though they already had so many disciples among the seniors and possibly from the other academies. Turned out it was out of necessity. After being severely reduced to the brink of annihilation by the war against the Heaven and Earth Sect, they were forced to recruit vast numbers of new disciples to restore their sects. As Luan Fa explained, I vaguely recalled reading about that war in the news, but in a different, distant timeline that seemed detached from my original one.


    "Why the hell are you explaining it to him, Luan Fa?!" Tie Shan shouted furiously. "Just kill him already!"


    "If you kill me, then how am I supposed to tell you about the Heaven and Earth techniques, assuming I do really have them?"


    I couldn''t believe that I had to point out the obvious, but here I was having to explain to my enemies how to rob from me. Albeit they were trying to rob me of something that I did not have, but there was no point telling them that.


    They would never believe me. It was clear they only wanted to hear whatever they wanted to hear.


    "Ho? So you''re finally willing to give the Heaven and Earth techniques to us?"


    Tie Shan smirked triumphantly. I buried my face in my palm. Did he not have ears? Or was his mind so warped that it automatically distorted anything I said into something that he only wanted to hear?


    There was only one word to describe such characters. Delusional.


    "I already told you, that old man never taught me any martial art techniques. Just this damned medallion. And if you want it, you can have it."


    Mohawk responded by scything his leg downward, forcing me to jump back. The blast from his kick sent me tumbling backward.


    "You can drop your act now. It''s getting really tiring."


    Yeah. I was getting sick and tired of these seniors. If words didn''t get through, then I had no choice.


    To be honest, I was still mired in disbelief. I couldn''t believe that I was being assaulted by a trio of seniors from my own school trying to kill me. Normally you would expect the seniors to mentor you, not try and kill you. And it wasn''t because I was being arrogant or "didn''t know my place" or because they wanted to bully me. They wanted to seize something from me that I did not have. The Heaven and Earth techniques. And they were determined to kill me before or after they succeeded. I could sense their killing intent as well. They were keenly honed and tempered.


    By the way, Luan Fa''s killing intent was the weakest. Given that his attacks were somewhat lackluster compared to the other two seniors, I doubted he really intended to kill me. That said, he was still doing his best to incapacitate me, so I couldn''t let my guard down. But he probably had the sense to realize that dead men did not impart martial arts techniques.


    "Even if you really don''t possess the Heaven and Earth techniques, it''s undeniable that you are the new leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect. that means you the enemy of the Martial Arts Alliance."


    Luan Fa was a lot less deluded and more open to considering the possibility that I was telling the truth. Not that it was doing me much good.


    "And furthermore, even if you really don''t know anything about Heaven and Earth Formula, we still have no choice but to eliminate you. We cannot allow anyone to know about our master''s orders. We have to eliminate all eyewitnesses, to ensure that the academy does not find out about our attack. Otherwise our sect will be in trouble."


    The fuck?! You were the ones jumping in and attacking me over some mistaken assumption, and I had to die for your stupid mistakes? What sort of logic was that?


    That did it. I jumped as far back as possible, allowing Tie Shan''s strike to carry me across several dozen meters. Curling my body into a ball, I landed on the ground, rolled and then jumped back to my feet. Straightening myself, I pushed my glasses up my nose.


    "Well, while I really don''t have the Heaven and Earth techniques or whatever you guys are talking about, but I''m still a student of Wu Ling Academy."


    While the trio lunged at me, crossing the relatively vast distance between us, I raised both my hands up and adopted a defensive stance.


    "Hah! So you''ve finally decided to stand and fight instead of running around like a coward!" Tie Shan scoffed as he closed in, swinging his huge fists. To his utter shock, I simply parried his massive fist with my arm. Taking care not to absorb the full power behind his blow, I altered the trajectory of his fist by using my arm to knock the inside of his forearm to the side and causing the punch to breeze past my face. The shockwave stull buffeted me, causing my head to snap to the side, but aside from a wince I ignored the pain. Cursing, I stepped in and rammed my elbow into his gut.


    Despite my best efforts, my opponent wasn''t doubling over in pain from the blow. Well, obviously. I wasn''t as strong as my seniors, who had several more years of experience, cultivation and training than I did.


    "Hah!" Tie Shan snorted before he recovered and threw another punch again, forcing me to parry his fist and deflect it to the side. The force of his blow lifted me off my feet and sent me flying a few meters, but I managed to elegantly land on my feet.


    "Not strong enough, huh¡­"


    I pushed my glasses up my nose as I stared at the trio. Tie Shan''s gut felt like a brick wall. Slamming my elbow into the densely packed muscles almost hurt me more than it hurt him. Furthermore, he didn''t look as if he was affected at all.


    "It''s useless."


    It was Luan Fa. He warily maintained his distance, eying my hands. He probably was trying to figure out how I knocked Tie Shan''s punches aside despite being physically weaker and smaller. To be honest, that was pure luck. I didn''t know how I did it either.


    "What?"


    "You don''t seem to be emanating much qi¡­I would say you''re only at the first level of the Qi Gathering Stage at most."


    "¡­Qi what stage?" I repeated, bewildered, only to parry another strike from Tie Shan. The wall behind me was obliterated as an azure blast was let loose from his fist, but thankfully it didn''t hit me directly. While shrugging him off, I spun around and intercepted a vicious swing from Mohawk''s kick. Mohawk was utterly shocked that my leg didn''t break at all, but I didn''t care. I merely twisted my foot around and surprised him with a kick to his chin, causing him to topple over. Behind, the entire earth next to me blew up as the force from Mohawk''s foot split it apart.


    That was close. If I hadn''t blocked his kick¡­


    Nonetheless, I was impressed that I managed to counter a kicking senior with my own kick. Great job, me! It looked like all that training in the past three months were starting to pay off!


    "We''re in the third level of the Qi Essence Stage. There is a whole different of stages between us, and furthermore, there are three of us. I would advise you to give up."


    "Look, I have totally no idea what the fuck you''ve been blabbering about since earlier," I snapped as I blocked Luan Fa''s punch with my arm, then sidestepped to counterattack. To his credit, he blocked my strike. To either side of us, shockwaves rampaged throughout the ground, splitting earth and throwing up clods of grass.


    "For cultivators, there are several stages. The higher your stage, the more powerful you are. The differences are absolute."


    "I still have no idea what you''re talking about." Ducking under his punch, I swung my branch, forcing him to retreat. I wanted to pursue, but I was forced to turn around to parry Tie Shan''s punch. After defending that attack, I spun around and deflected Mohawk''s kick. Again, a qi blast traveled past me and tore chunks out of the ground.


    Was it just me, but was I actually fighting on par with three seniors at the same time?!


    "For martial artists, we all begin with the Qi Gathering Stage. Above that is the Qi Essence Stage. Then the Flowing Qi Stage, followed by the Qi Fusion Stage. After that is the Pure Spirit Stage, and finally the ultimate, pinnacle stage of all cultivators ¨C the Nascent Soul Stage."


    "¡­from earlier, I have no idea what these stages are. Are you trying to stage something?"


    "Shut up! Stop pretending! If you really are a martial artist, then you''re complete trash!" Tie Shan shouted. Everyone ignored him. Luan Fa continued to explain.


    "The stages are indicative of the amount of qi you possess, and the level of techniques you have mastered. A Qi Gathering Stage practitioner trying to fight a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner would be like an ant fighting a dragon. His amount of qi would be a single drop of water as compared to the ocean of qi that the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner possesses."


    "¡­"


    I didn''t know whether to call bullshit or not, but whatever.


    "Each Stage has nine levels. The ninth and top level is usually a bottleneck, the most difficult period of time to breakthrough to the next stage. But of course, even among practitioners of the same stage, the one with a higher level ¨C and thus more qi ¨C will have an advantage over his opponent with a lower level."


    "So sort of like gaming, then," I mused.


    "So you understand?" Tie Shan snarled as he punched at me. Azure blasts of qi rippled dangerously across his arms. "A Qi Gathering Stage trash like you will never be able to match up against Qi Essence Stage practitioners like us! Just give up and hand over the Heaven and Earth techniques!"


    "Ah¡­I see. I do understand."


    I dove to the side, instinctively understanding that I wouldn''t be able to block his attack this time. Tie Shan''s fist smashed a huge hole in the wall behind me, revealing the chemistry laboratory where my alchemy lessons were held.


    "¡­your whatever Stages are absolutely meaningless to me."


    "Big talk coming from a weakling!"


    So he knew I was weak. Then why the hell was Tie Shan so bent on believing that I inherited the Heaven and Earth techniques? Surely if I had inherited those Heaven and Earth techniques, I wouldn''t be weak, right?


    No, he was probably believing whatever he wanted, and not caring about logic or consistency.


    "Guh!"


    Rolling on the ground, I found my back pressed against the wall. Tie Shan slashed at me, and I waited until the last moment before I jumped to the side. Baldie''s fist smashed into the wall, obliterating the concrete.


    Now!


    Seizing the chance, I hooked my foot around Tie Shan''s and tripped him over. It helped that his momentum from his punch was carrying him forward. With a bellow, Tie Shan disappeared underneath the falling rubble.


    "H¡­how is this possible?!" Mohawk demanded as he fell back, gaping at the horrific sight. "The amount of qi this kid is emanating¡­it can''t be higher than a Qi Gathering Stage practitioner! This is impossible!"


    "I told you," I repeated as I strolled forward casually, the building still collapsing behind me. "All these Stages are meaningless to me."


    Wailing, Mohawk lunged at me, swinging his leg upward to kick me in the head. Seeing openings all over the place, I stepped to the side and tripped him. It was almost too easy. Mohawk stumbled right into the still crumbling building and vanished under the falling rubble.


    Huffing, I straightened up and turned away from the devastating sight.


    "!"


    I suddenly spun to the side, neatly evading the lethal fists of Luan Fa. He tumbled past me, but was able to block my counterattack. Not bad.


    Having understood that I presented a very real threat, Luan Fa wasn''t holding back now. He was doing his best to attack, plunging his foot down firmly on the ground and twisting around to launch another attack. I whirled away from his right fist, then ducked under his left.


    "Thanks for all the explanations earlier. You really taught me a lot about the sects and other things, and thank you for telling me about the old man''s death."


    "You¡­are you really not the Absolute One''s successor?"


    "Nope," I affirmed. I doubted there was any point to telling him that I was from an alternate timeline. "I''m just an ignorant junior who''s still in his first year at Wu Ling Academy. Which is why I don''t know about all these weird stages and whatever. And I honestly doubt they mean anything to me. Nonetheless, it was useful to know about them, which is why I''m grateful to you."


    "¡­"


    I jumped into the remains of the building, staying out of reach of both of his fists, then danced away to stay out of range of a barrage that he threw at me in silent anger.


    "But I really am telling the truth," I assured him. "I know nothing about Heaven and Earth techniques or the Heaven and Earth Sect. I have no idea why the old man gave me the medallion, and I plan to find out. After I take care of you guys."


    "!"


    Luan Fa felt a chill and he threw a punch desperately at me. This time, I had led him to the portion of the building that was still standing. The remains of a laboratory stood, with scattered desks buried under debris or knocked to their sides. At the back of my mind, I knew Teacher Lian Jin Shu would be furious when he saw the ruined state of his beloved alchemy lab. I could see broken gas pipes leading to what used to be Bunsen burners. Chairs were overturned or smashed into oblivion, and the lab was in ruins.


    I hoped they didn''t make me pay for the damages. Nah, I would convince the teachers to charge the destructive trio instead. But I had to survive first. While my eyes flickered around the ruined lab, a plan formed in my mind.


    Luan Fa smashed a few bricks off the wall behind me when I found myself cornered. I flinched as the shower of broken concrete pelted me, but maintained my composure.


    "Since you were so kind to explain everything to me, I will let you off with nothing more than a little singe."


    Luan Fa narrowed his eyes as he charged forward, rearing his right arm back to deliver a devastating hook.


    "Underestimating me, aren''t you?"


    I said nothing and let his attack come. Ducking under his punch, I threw myself to the ground. The senior''s fist slammed into another wall and reduced it to debris.


    At that moment, the remaining part of the ceiling gave way and crashed down on Luan Fa before he could react, burying him under concrete and dust.


    "Phew¡­"


    Scrambling to the front of the devastated lab, I found the teacher''s desk. As I suspected, there were still equipment and other stuff I could use.


    "You bastard!"


    While I was rummaging through the contents of the teacher''s desk, a voice bellowed from behind. Glancing back, I saw a familiar silhouette burst out from under the debris.


    Tie Shan still hadn''t given up. He was screaming as he charged at me, his right fist cocked back for a punch. I stared at him and shook my head. The poor guy still hadn''t learned his lesson.


    "I won''t forgive you!"


    It wasn''t just Tie Shan. Mohawk had emerged from the rubble too. Further back, Luan Fa was quick to recover, clawing his way free of the pile of concrete. All three of them were converging on me.


    I smiled as they ventured toward me, stepping to the center of the destroyed chemistry lab. While they did so, I jumped back and struck a match.


    "What are you doing?" Tie Shan growled when he caught sight of the matchstick in my hand. I grinned and shrugged.


    "Well, you know¡­lighting things up."


    I tossed the matchstick at them. It never reached them, of course, but it didn''t have to. The moment the flame came into contact with the leaking methane gas that was spilling from the broken pipes, the entire space that used to be the chemistry laboratory exploded.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    All three mountainous seniors screamed as a colossal conflagration consumed them, the massive flames sweeping across and engulfing the remains of the chemistry laboratory. I retreated as quickly as I could, but even as the distance between myself and the inferno widened, I could still feel the intense heat scalding my skin.


    Yeah¡­it was going to be difficult for the trio to survive that.


    At least that was what I thought, until I saw the flames go out. Gulping, I tensed and prepared for another assault, only to see the three blackened figures lying on the ground. It seemed that they had used the last of their strength to extinguish the flames, for I couldn''t feel any qi emanating from them any longer.


    "Hmm¡­"


    I approached them almost casually, looking down on their fallen bodies. They stirred and glanced up helplessly, indicating that they were still alive despite the powerful explosion.


    "W¡­we surrender!" Luan Fa spluttered, holding his hands up. "P¡­please! Please spare us, great hero!"


    What the fuck? I was a great hero now?


    "C¡­coward¡­"


    Despite taking twice as much damage as his comrades because he was closest to the epicenter of the explosion, Tie Shan was still conscious. He glared at me, his face contorted in rage, and his mouth frothing with blood. But that was nothing compared to his severe third-degree burns. He clearly had suffered the worst of the blast, having been right on top of the epicenter when the lab blew up. If he didn''t get any treatment soon, he might die.


    Not that I cared.


    "Resorting to such filthy tricks¡­have you no honor? Coward! Despicable villain!"


    "Funny hearing that from you." I couldn''t help but shake my head from the irony. "So it''s fair and honorable of you to gang up on me and attack a junior who is weaker, it''s honorable and fair to attack a single victim with three people¡­but it''s dishonorable and cowardly for me to fight back using my knowledge of science and the school grounds?"


    "Yes!"


    The hypocrisy was astounding. I shook my head in disgust and stomped on Tie Shan''s neck.


    "NOOOO!" Luan Fa shouted. Even Tie Shan lost his air of defiance and screamed as my foot crashed down upon his neck.


    My shoe never touched his skin. There was no need to, though. Tie Shan had lost consciousness, his eyes rolling up in his sockets and his mouth foaming from fear. I wouldn''t be surprised if he had pissed himself. Not that I was going to check his pants if it was wet.


    Raising my foot and stepping back, I turned to stare at Luan Fa and Mohawk, whose expressions were a mix of horror and immense relief.


    What? I was a completely normal guy born and raised in the modern world. I wasn''t a psychotic murderer going around killing people just because they pissed me off. I had never killed another human before, and I didn''t intend to do it right now. Maybe in the heat of the battle, perhaps, but obviously I didn''t have the stomach to slaughter helpless opponents who had already been clearly defeated.


    Glaring at the still conscious duo, I took a deep breath.


    "You might not believe me, but I''ll tell you guys again. I don''t have the Heaven and Earth techniques. The only thing I received was this medallion¡­" I raised the golden dragon medallion with my right hand for emphasis. "But I am not the leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect. I didn''t even know it existed. Get it through your thick skulls already."


    "¡­yes¡­we understand."


    Luan Fa nodded, his face pale. Beside him, Mohawk blubbered, tears leaking from his eyes as he whimpered pathetically.


    "Good. And another thing¡­if you guys ever come after me again¡­" I raised my foot visibly and mimed a stomping action. Both Luan Fa and Mohawk eyed my blackened shoe nervously, on the verge of pissing themselves. They got the message. Excellent.

 11 Chapter 10: Relentless Assaul

    How¡­?


    There was no sign of the damage that had been wrecked upon the alchemy laboratory the day before. The building stood proudly, as if nothing had ever occurred. There weren''t even any traces of destruction on the grounds outside the laboratory, as if everything that had transpired yesterday was a dream.


    Did they seriously repair everything in just one night?


    I shuddered at the possibility. True enough, I could detect a huge aura of qi that permeated the entire building, which had not been there previously. Whatever had happened, I knew for sure that someone used a qi technique to restore everything.


    Can you really repair stuff with qi techniques?


    Evidently qi wasn''t just for martial arts or enhancing one''s body. It was practically some kind of magic that could be used for anything. This nothing short of incredible, and at the same time terrifying. Wouldn''t that make cultivators godlike?


    Would they launch an investigation to find out who wrecked the alchemy lab?


    That thought unnerved me. even though I was certain that the three seniors weren''t stupid enough to spill the beans ¨C particularly when it would get their sect into trouble ¨C the very fact that cultivators were capable of such magical feats exposed the possibility that they could very easily dig out the truth of what happened here yesterday if they wanted to. For now, I hadn''t been called up to the principal''s office and asked to explain, so I was safe for now. But I knew that illusion of safety wouldn''t last forever.


    "Hey, Fei Wu!"


    Tong Xue waved at me when he passed by, only to stop when he caught me staring at the alchemy lab in amazement.


    "What''s the matter? What happened to the alchemy lab?"


    "Nothing."


    I shook my head and then resumed my journey toward the classroom. Tong Xue gave the alchemy lab one last glance before following me, a puzzled look on his face. Given how the intelligence guy in my class didn''t know anything about yesterday''s incident, it was safe to say that nobody knew about it either.


    Or the higher-ups didn''t want to expose the information to the public.


    "Oh? Really?"


    Tong Xue sounded skeptical. I forced a smile.


    "Nah, I was just wondering what we''ll be doing for alchemy class today. Will we ever get to concocting spirit pills or forging spiritual armaments?"


    I knew Tong Xue didn''t mean anything by it, but it still hurt whenever I was reminded of my complete lack of talent and my One Star Constitution.


    "That said, neither an alchemist or weapon smith are easy vocations. You still need superlative skills, unyielding determination, and remarkable talents to be either of those. In some way, they''re even more difficult than the direct combat route."


    "I know. But it can''t hurt to try, right?"


    Even as I said that, I actually had no intention of going down either of those routes. Both Zhu Jiao and I had resolved to become the strongest martial artists in Martial Academy, lack of talent or One Star Constitution be screwed.


    While we continued toward class, a conversation between several of the senior students heading toward the second-year building caught my attention.


    "Did you hear?"


    "Hmm? About what?"


    "The Iron Mountain Sect! Three of their main disciples were injured yesterday!"


    "Heh¡­what happened? Did they just return from a high-rank mission?"


    "No, they didn''t go out for any mission at all! I heard they challenged one of the seniors and ended up getting beaten up pretty badly!"


    "Ah! I heard about that too! Apparently the senior was a fire-using martial artist!"


    I gaped at the group of second-year girls as we passed by them, not believing what I was hearing. So the trio of seniors from the Iron Mountain Sect did get found out, after all. But funnily enough, nothing was mentioned about me, the Heaven and Earth Sect or the explosion in the alchemy lab. Rather, the incident seemed to have evolved into something else altogether¡­


    "How do you know?"


    "Didn''t you hear what sort of state they were in yesterday, when they limped back to the dorm? My boyfriend saw them, he says they were severely burned."


    "Ah! I heard from a friend who was in the infirmary yesterday. Yes, Teacher Yi Liao was treating them for third and second degree burns. Especially Tie Shan, he was suffering from many third degree burns all over his body!"


    "That must be one vicious fire user!"


    "But Tie Shan and the others from the Iron Mountain Sect are pretty skilled, you know? Even though they''re not as strong as the disciples from the major sects, their strength is at least mid-tier. I wonder who could have beaten them up so badly¡­"


    "Do you think it was Feng Tian Xia from the Red Phoenix Sect?"


    "Maybe Huo Xiong from the Nine-tailed Fox Sect?"


    "Can''t be¡­I just saw Senior Huo Xiong yesterday¡­"


    "Then maybe someone from the high school section?"


    "Impossible! The high school seniors never come to the middle school area!"


    I stifled a cough and turned away, half in relief. Evidently it seemed that nobody found out that I was the real culprit. That was great. As long as I kept mum and continued keeping a low profile, I wouldn''t have to worry about people coming after me.


    "Heh¡­interesting¡­"


    Tong Xue had perked up when he overheard the rumors. Stroking his chin, he mused quietly to himself.


    "I should find out more about this."


    "Why?" I blurted out, almost too forcefully. "It''s not as if it''s any of our businesses."


    "You''ll never know," Tong Xue replied flippantly. "Having more information is better than having less. And this sounds like an interesting case!"


    I groaned inwardly, but it would seem suspicious if I protested any further. Inwardly, I prayed that Tong Xue never found out the truth.


    As we neared class, I caught sight of Zhu Jiao.


    "Hey, Zhu Jiao!"


    "Ah, Fei Wu! Tong Xue!"


    Zhu Jiao stopped and waved to us, waiting for us to catch up before he resumed his steps toward our classroom.


    "Oh¡­looks like you''ve powered up?"


    Tong Xue paused as he studied Zhu Jiao. The latter laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.


    "You can tell?"


    "Yeah. Your aura is more potent than yesterday."


    Even I could see a distinct difference in the qi that Zhu Jiao was emanating. It was several times stronger than the presence he exuded yesterday. I couldn''t believe there was such a marked difference produced within just one day. His qi was more¡­how do I put it, fiery. It felt a little warm just standing next to him, and I could almost see the red tinge in the air shimmering about his body. There was also a tremendous increase in his yang qi.


    "Ha ha, yeah. I broke through to the second level of the Red Jade Swordsmanship yesterday. I didn''t think that it would produce this much difference."


    "Heh¡­congratulations!"


    Unlike Zhu Jiao''s Red Jade Swordsmanship, there weren''t any levels or whatever for the Shadow Steps, so there was no difference in my qi no matter how much progress I made. Nonetheless, I was still pleased for my friend. The two of us had been through quite a lot together over the past three months, surviving hardship after hardship.


    "Hmm¡­only the second level, huh? As expected of a One Star Constitution cultivator. Your pace is so slow!"


    The three of us whirled around, only to spot Qi Fu Ren and his two cronies strolling forward. Speak of the devil ¨C one of the major hardships that had plagued us throughout these three months had chosen that exact moment to show up.


    "I''ve already broken through the fourth level of White Tiger Claws," Qi Fu Ren sneered. Raising his hand, he coalesced the silver qi into triple shimmering claws that rippled in the building light. "I should demonstrate for you."


    "No need to¡­" I began, but it was futile. Qi Fu Ren slashed with his qi tiger claws, taking Zhu Jiao by surprise. Despite bringing up both his arms to block on reflex, blood spurted and Zhu Jiao was hurtled into the wall with such force that the concrete cracked.


    "Gah!"


    "Hey!" I yelled at Qi Fu Ren, livid. "Don''t you think you''re going too far?"


    "Shut up, trash. Know your place."


    I managed to dodge the almost casual flick of sharpened qi that Qi Fu Ren threw in my direction. The sharp tiger claws ripped into the wall, tearing the plaster from concrete. Jumping back, I avoided the next three attacks.


    "Stop dodging!" Qi Fu Ren snarled. I almost rolled my eyes at that.


    "What, and let you hit me? Are you stupid?"


    "You''ll pay for that!"


    Somehow I doubted that. Even though Qi Fu Ren was clearly tougher and stronger, I was faster because of all the running I did and the Shadow Steps I practiced. If I focused all my attention on developing my footwork, speed and agility, it was possible that there would be no one in my generation able to catch me¡­


    Unfortunately, I didn''t account for Qi Fu Ren''s two cronies.


    Hu Shuo came from the side, distracting me for a second. Silver qi shrouded his palm as he punched at me, but I dodged that, only to jump above a leg that Ba Dao tried to hook under me to trip me up. Spinning around, I kicked Ba Dao in the face, knocking him over, before slamming my elbow into Hu Shuo''s midriff.


    Hu Shuo doubled over, but he had fulfilled his role. Hu Shuo and Ba Dao''s attacks had served to distract me momentarily ¨C only for a second. But a second was all Qi Fu Ren needed.


    "!"


    I just barely dodged under the sharpened Tiger Claws that Qi Fu Ren slashed toward my face, but too late I realized that the Tiger Claws from his right hand weren''t his real attack. His left hand had curled into a fist, which crackled thunderously with lightning, and he slammed it into my midriff before I could retreat.


    "Gaaaah!"


    An explosion of electricity, and I fell onto the floor, twitching as my body went numb. Losing control of my limbs, I helplessly flailed on the ground as devastating lightning coursed through my body and burned my flesh.


    "Heh. Finally."


    Qi Fu Ren stomped on my face and leaned over triumphantly, shifting more of his weight onto my head.


    Damn it¡­I managed to beat three seniors with strategy yesterday, but now I had fallen to a single bully? Granted, I had gotten a little cocky, and there were also three opponents this time, but I still couldn''t help but feel frustrated. On the other hand, it did feel as if Qi Fu Ren had surpassed the three seniors from the Iron Mountain Sect.


    It was likelier that Qi Fu Ren''s specific set of skills happened to counter mine just as my speed and agility countered the slow but powerful techniques of the Iron Mountain Sect disciples. While it was easy for me to dance circles around the extremely strong and durable Iron Mountain Sect disciples, the White Tiger Sect was known for their speed. That superior speed, combined with their ferocity and sheer firepower that bordered on animalistic violence, was a direct counter to my speed techniques, given how I was less talented and physically inclined than someone like Qi Fu Ren.


    Damn it!


    "You really ought to behave like the bug you are."


    "Get your foot off him¡­" Zhu Jiao grunted, only for Hu Shuo to punch him in the gut, causing him to drop to his knees. A gleeful Ba Dao then pulled his head back by the hair, rendering him helpless despite his struggles.


    On the other hand, Tong Xue was made conspicuous by his absence. The guy had run away at the first sign of trouble. Not that I could blame him. Few people in the first years were able to stand up to Qi Fu Ren in a direct fight. There was nothing Tong Xue could accomplish other than being beaten up along with me and Zhu Jiao.


    Ugh¡­


    I clenched my fists as the pressure from Qi Fu Ren''s foot grew. This was the sort of hardship Zhu Jiao and I had to face everyday, being looked down upon and bullied by bastards such as Qi Fu Ren and his underlings. The other more talented students such as Li Chun Long also treated us with contempt while Du Lang treated us with indifference ¨C meaning that he wouldn''t step in to help us even when we were in trouble. But as long as we didn''t offend or provoke him, he wouldn''t bother us either, which was why I was on relatively good terms with him.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Teacher Jiao''s voice cut across the corridor. Instantly the pressure on my head ceased and Qi Fu Ren backed away. His cronies took a bit longer to digest what was going on, then they dropped Zhu Jiao like a hot potato and took shelter behind their leader.


    "Nothing, Teacher Jiao. Just¡­a bit of sparring."


    "No fighting on school grounds without approval." Teacher Jiao fixed Qi Fu Ren sternly with a glare. "You know the rules, Qi Fu Ren."


    "Yes, yes."


    Qi Fu Ren waved the reprimand away, but didn''t argue. Even though he was the second-favorite in the White Tiger Sect, he still had to respect the school rules of Wu Ling Academy. Even one of the four major sects couldn''t cover for their disciples if they blatantly flouted and broke the rules of Wu Ling Academy.


    "Are you two all right?"


    Qing Xin Xia was rushing over and conjuring green qi into her hands. Within moments, she knelt by Zhu Jiao''s side and healed his injuries. Once she was done with Zhu Jiao, who stirred and got up, she tended to me.


    "Thanks!" Zhu Jiao told her, looking at himself in awe. The wounds he had sustained during the fight with Qi Fu Ren and friends had vanished without a trace. He tilted his arm, as if trying to find any sign of them. "You''re amazing! Is this martial arts too?"


    Qing Xin Xia blushed at the praise. "Uh, yes. This is the healing techniques of the Green Dragon Sect. as our elemental affinity is wood, we practice regenerative martial arts techniques and healing arts. I''m still not very good at it¡­"


    "Nonsense! This is amazing! You''ve completely healed me!"


    "Thanks." I exhaled in relief as I sat up. The pain was slowly fading away, and Qing Xin Xia''s qi effused me in a gentle green glow. As Zhu Jiao remarked, this was nothing short of amazing. In a few seconds I couldn''t even tell that I had been in a fight.


    "No problem¡­I''m glad you two are all right."


    I wasn''t stupid, and I recognized the gaze Qing Xin Xia was sending Zhu Jiao. It was clear that she held some sort of affection for him. As expected of the protagonist, all the pretty girls around him were falling in love with him.


    "Xin Xia, let''s go."


    Xiang Xun Yi stepped in to gently pull her away. She cast a worried glance in Qi Fu Ren''s direction. Evidently she knew the consequences of getting on Qi Fu Ren''s bad side, and she was worried for her friend.


    "Yes, but¡­"


    Xiang Xun Yi wasn''t paying attention to Qing Xin Xia''s protests. She turned to us and swallowed.


    "Take care of yourselves, you too," she told us. At least she was not a complete bitch about it.


    "Are you two all right?"


    Teacher Jiao approached us, concerned. Tong Xue also showed up, now that the fight was over. In fact, I had an inkling that Tong Xue had slipped away in order to inform a teacher that Qi Fu Ren was up to no good.


    "Yeah. Thank you." I nodded both my thanks to Teacher Jiao and Tong Xue.


    "¡­"


    "Zhu Jiao?"


    Everyone turned to Zhu Jiao when he remained silent. The spiky-haired protagonist wasn''t paying any attention to us, and was instead staring at the end of the corridor.


    "?"


    I wasn''t sure what he was staring at, and followed the direction of his gaze. Then I understood.


    Bai Ning Xue was standing there, a cold expression on her beautiful face. She was locking eyes with Zhu Jiao, those sapphire orbs unreadable and void of emotion. It wasn''t as if she was staring at Zhu Jiao in contempt or pity¡­but more of indecision. Like she knew that there was nothing she could do or say that wouldn''t make Zhu Jiao feel worse, and therefore she was stuck keeping her distance and staring at him, not knowing how to proceed.


    "Damn it."


    Zhu Jiao lowered his head and punched the floor. I could almost hear him seething, what second level of Red Jade Swordsmanship. In the end, I was still unable to do anything against Qi Fu Ren, wasn''t I?! Then he rose to his feet.


    "Sorry¡­I am all right. Let''s go to class or we''ll be late."


    Without looking at any of us properly, Zhu Jiao stalked off.


    I was at a loss at what to say, but I knew how frustrated Zhu Jiao must be feeling right now. To show such a vulnerable and pathetic side of himself toward a girl who he had been in love with since they were little children¡­


    He must be cursing his powerlessness from the bottom of his heart right now. I knew that sentiment very well, because I was feeling the same way. But for Zhu Jiao, that terrible sensation was multiplied several times over because the girl he had a crush on since childhood had witnessed his helplessness.


    "Ouch¡­he must really be hurting," Tong Xue remarked as we watched Zhu Jiao disappear into the classroom.


    *


    There wasn''t much else I could do for Zhu Jiao, so I respectfully and tactfully kept my distance. Hell, I couldn''t even take care of myself, so I honestly was in no position to worry about others. I was just as weak and powerless as he was.


    Well, that''s why we''re training. To remedy that.


    As usual, once school ended, I resumed my training regimen and began doing my hundred pushups and hundred sit-ups. And by now I could probably lengthen my running to seventeen kilometers. My goal was to hit twenty by the end of this week.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    The moment I passed the seventeen kilometer mark, the number clearly showing itself the moment my shoe took that final step to clear the distance, I paused to catch my breath. Leaning over, I wiped the perspiration off my face and closed my eyes. I stayed in that posture for a bit longer, allowing my body to recover.


    "¡­?"


    Pushing my glasses up, I turned around and noticed that there were a few figures shadowing me. They were doing their best to hide behind trees and make themselves look as inconspicuous as possible, but honestly¡­calling them amateurs would be too bloody kind.


    I turned around and glared at them. They quickly shifted or crouched down, seeking cover behind trees or underneath shrubs, but their silhouettes stuck out like sore thumbs. I rubbed my head and sighed.


    "Seniors, I can see you, you know."


    "¡­"


    The group that was tailing me exchanged glances and finally emerged. The next thing I knew, the lot of them were surrounding me.


    Fast!


    I almost didn''t notice their movements. One moment they were still hiding around like monkeys, and the next they had already formed a ring around me.


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    "Who are you guys?"


    Even as I asked that question, I could already guess the answer. Just like Tie Shan, Luan Fa and Mohawk from the day before, they were seniors from the middle school section. They were dressed in the same Wu Ling Academy uniform as I was, which was distinct from the high school seniors'' uniforms.


    One of them stepped forward in an intimidating manner, towering over me. He glared at me with his dark eyes.


    The one who stepped forward, a tall, lanky fella, narrowed his eyes in a condescending manner. I met his gaze evenly, not backing down.


    "We are the Dark Shadow Sect."


    "Hello, seniors from the Dark Shadow Sect." That explained their pathetic attempts at being ninjas. I tried not to let sarcasm ooze out of my polite greeting. "Nice to meet you. Is there anything I can help you with?"


    "You can start by handing over the Heaven and Earth techniques."


    I groaned. Not this shit again.


    "I don''t have the Heaven and Earth techniques."


    "Don''t lie!" the leader snarled as he bore down on me. "We know you defeated three schoolmates from the Iron Mountain Sect yesterday! And we have received indisputable information that you have met with the Absolute One!"


    "Oh?" I pushed my glasses up as my voice took on a dangerous tone. "So did those three from the Iron Mountain Sect tell you all that?"


    "Of course not. Why would they tell us anything? But we have a vast information network! Don''t underestimate our intelligence!"


    Actually, there was a higher chance of me overestimating their intelligence than underestimating them, given how utterly stupid of them. As an aside, it meant I didn''t have to hunt down the trio from yesterday and punish them for spreading stuff about me.


    "If your intelligence is even partially competent, then they should have confirmed that I didn''t inherit any Heaven and Earth techniques from any master. I''m just an ordinary One Star Constitution student."


    "Don''t lie! There''s no way the Absolute One wouldn''t teach you when you saved his life! There''s no way he wouldn''t have left a successor behind! He must have given you something!"


    "The golden dragon medallion. According to our spies, you showed the golden dragon medallion to our schoolmates from the Iron Mountain Sect to prove that you''re the new leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect yesterday."


    One of the other Dark Shadow Sect members spoke up. I couldn''t help but stare at him, my jaw dropping.


    How the fuck did the incident yesterday get distorted into such a weird scenario? I only showed them that to prove that the golden medallion was the only thing I received from the old man, not to establish my claim to the leadership of the Heaven and Earth Sect!


    "Yeah!" another senior shouted as he drew a weapon. It was a short dagger with green qi swirling around it. "Hand over the techniques immediately! Since you''re the new leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect, you must possess the Heaven and Earth Formula!"


    "I don''t have any Heaven and Earth Formula or whatever you''re talking about." I raised both my hands to show my Shadow Steps manual. "All I have is the Shadow Steps manual. Perhaps you would like to learn that instead? It''s only a level 1 technique, so you can borrow a copy from the library."


    "Shut up! There''s no use pretending! Our intelligence network has already confirmed that you''re the new leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect!"


    Someone needed to fire those guys operating in the Dark Shadow Sect''s intelligence network and hire people who were actually intelligent.


    "Besides, how else did you defeat the three big experts of the Iron Mountain Sect if you don''t know the Heaven and Earth techniques?"


    With other techniques? Did your stupid spies not tell you that? On the bright side, it seemed that none of them knew that I used the methane that was leaking from the broken Bunsen burners inside the alchemy lab to blow up the Iron Mountain trio. Perhaps I could use that to my advantage.


    "Now hand it over, or we''ll kill you!" the leader snarled, producing a sword. I watched the obsidian blade warily, noticing the creepy purple qi that wreathed it. I so did not want to get cut by that thing. Most likely it was poison, but I didn''t know enough of martial arts and qi color-coding to be sure.


    Still, I couldn''t help but snort at the guy''s threat.


    "If you kill me, how do you expect me to hand over the techniques?"


    "¡­"


    The members of the Dark Shadow Sect stared at each other, not knowing how to reply. Like I said, they were complete amateurs.


    "We''ll cut off your hand then," the leader sneered. "And cripple your cultivation."


    Did this guy think I was stupid? Then all the more reason I had not to give whatever techniques they thought I had to them. Those threats¡­I knew for sure that they would still cripple me or kill me after robbing me of my techniques, because they obviously wanted to monopolize the Heaven and Earth techniques or they would be afraid of me mastering those at a later date, and would want to neutralize the threat before it materialized.


    There was another thing that also occurred to me and I smiled as an idea formed in my head.


    "Let me get this straight. You think that I possess the ultimate techniques that I inherited directly from the strongest martial artist in history¡­and your plan is to threaten me so that I can hand them over?"


    I shrugged and shook my head with a smirk.


    "Good luck."


    The Dark Shadow Sect members were now apprehensive and nervous. They were exchanging glances and taking several steps back, unsure of what to do. A few of them actually looked afraid, no doubt bolstered by the rumors that I defeated the trio from the Iron Mountain Sect yesterday. Looked like encountering those three seniors did have its uses.


    "D¡­don''t falter!" the leader shouted as he brandished his sword. "According to our information, he only met the Absolute One about three months ago! It''s too short of a time period for him to have any real mastery of the Heaven and Earth techniques! He''s most vulnerable and at his weakest right now! We can overpower him!"


    So we did have a smart guy here after all. No wonder he was the leader.


    Not that it wasn''t going to help me much, though. The other members of the Dark Shadow Sect were being rallied when they realized that their leader had a point. They were being a bit bolder now, drawing their weapons and stepping forward.


    Seemed like I needed to up the ante.


    Flopping down on the ground, I sat in a peaceful, relaxed manner and beckoned for them to come at me.


    "If you think so, you''re welcome to test me out. Since you want to see the Heaven and Earth techniques so badly, I might as well show them to you."


    Everyone froze. As for me, I could feel cold perspiration dripping down my back. This was a huge gamble ¨C of course I didn''t know anything about any Heaven and Earth techniques, but it seemed that these idiots didn''t know for sure. So if I kept up the pretense, I might just be able to bluff my way out. Besides, they refused to believe that I didn''t possess the techniques, so I might as well play the role of the Heaven and Earth successor and pretend that I had learned some ultimate technique that could kill them in one strike.


    "That''s¡­"


    "¡­no way¡­"


    "¡­be careful," one of the Dark Shadow Sect members warned, gulping. "I can hardly feel any qi from him¡­he must have mastered the ability to conceal his qi almost completely."


    No, the only reason why you could barely feel any qi from me was because I didn''t learn any proper qi techniques at all. Despite trying to learn Shadow Steps over the past three months, all I accomplish was strengthening my physical constitution and improving my stamina and fitness tremendously, but I made little progress in terms of accumulating qi.


    Not that they needed to know that.


    "What are you all waiting for?!" the leader roared. "He''s just one guy! And he has only learned the Heaven and Earth techniques for a month at most! There''s so many of us! We should be able to take him down!"


    "Seems like you''re the leader," I spoke up before the guy could convince his subordinates to attack.


    "So what if I am?"


    Good. This guy was clearly the brains of the outfit. If that was the case, the situation was easier for me to handle. Cut off the head, and the rest of the body would die along with it.


    "Then why aren''t you leading by example? Are you trying to sacrifice your men and get them to die for you so that you alone can reap the benefits later?"


    The other members began to step away, staring at the leader. Expressions of suspicion flashed across their faces. I couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly. I had succeeded in sowing seeds of discord and distrust in this shadowy group of ninja wannabes. The leader might have noticed that, for he flushed and pointed his sword at me.


    "Don''t talk nonsense!"


    "Then prove it."


    "Huh?!"


    I beckoned him with my right hand.


    "If you really think you can beat me, then go for it. Why rely on your¡­pawns to do the dirty work? Good leaders lead by example, do they not? If you want your underlings to attack, then you should lead the charge. Otherwise who''s going to be stupid enough to risk their lives for someone cowardly enough to stand in the back to give such audacious orders?"


    "Fucker!"


    The leader snapped and charged, his sword swinging downward.


    His blade never reached me.


    Before his sword could cleave my skull in half, I suddenly lunged forward. The sword whistled past where I was sitting earlier, missing me by a hair''s breadth. Ignoring the close shave, I spun around and slammed my foot into his chest.


    Shadow Kick, one of the kicking techniques in the Shadow Steps.


    "Gah!"


    The leader was sent hurtling backward, blood spurting from his mouth. He soared across the courtyard and slammed into a tree before sliding down helplessly, his sword clattering next to him.


    "What¡­what just happened?"


    "How?!"


    "I¡­It was so fast, I couldn''t see anything!"


    "I didn''t even see him move!"


    The other members of the Dark Shadow Sect backed away, their eyes wide in fear.


    To be honest, I wasn''t stronger than their leader. Actually, I was weaker. But as the description for Shadow Steps in the academy''s intranet accurately told me, with a well-timed kick aimed at the opponent''s vulnerable area when his guard was down, I would be able to defeat him even though he was superior to me.


    Unfortunately, none of the Dark Shadow Sect members recognized the techniques of Shadow Step, so they believed that I was using Heaven and Earth Formula. I had no intention of correcting their misperception.


    "So, seniors¡­" I smiled at the remaining seniors pleasantly. "Anyone else wants to try?"


    Evidently not. The majority of the Dark Shadow Sect members had fled, shrieking or whimpering. A few had stayed behind to haul their wounded leader to his feet and ferry him out of here. I allowed them to.


    "Phew¡­"


    I breathed a sigh of relief and watched them disappear, glad that they didn''t call my bluff. Good thing my current opponents were all idiots, or I would have a much harder time dealing with them. They were clearly greater than me in terms of strength, and that wasn''t even taking their superior numbers into consideration. Rubbing my neck, I relaxed my muscles, which had gone all tense in the encounter, and exhaled.


    "I really have to do something about this¡­I don''t want to deal with this shit everyday."

 12 Chapter 11: Golden Amule

    "Ah, so it''s you."


    The teacher at the front of the training facility, Teacher Kun Lian, looked up when I stepped through the automatic glass doors. Before I even reached his desk, he grunted as he pulled out his tablet to make a note that I was here to book another of the room.


    "Teacher Kun," I greeted with a bow.


    "Here, room 404." Teacher Kun pulled out a key card and handed it to me. I straightened up and accepted it, thanking him. "2 hours. Don''t overstay."


    "Sorry. Thanks."


    Teacher Kun merely waved me inside. Stepping into the shiny, spotless corridor, I could see dozens of other students using the middle school training facility.


    While many of the major sects had their own resources and could provide their disciples spaces to train in, many students chose to utilize Wu Ling Academy''s ultramodern and state-of-the-art facilities. Some of them had no choice, coming from smaller sects that did not possess the necessary resources (which made me doubt the Martial Arts Alliance''s claim that they were giving every disciple equal opportunity based on meritocracy), but many chose the academy''s facilities because they were simply better than the facilities that even a lot of the richer sects possessed.


    "Classmate Fei Wu."


    "Oh? Ban Zhang, you''re here too?"


    As I strolled toward Room 404, I encountered the class representative. He was toweling off as he proceeded toward the reception desk, no doubt intending to return the key card in his hand. Evidently he had just finished his own training session.


    "Yes. Been practicing some of the new techniques that the Black Tortoise Sect taught me." Ban Zhang nodded, and then clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Good to see you training diligently too. I''m glad you didn''t take this whole One Star Constitution thing too seriously."


    "Yeah." I nodded. "Can''t let Qi Fu Ren bully me just because I''m weaker. I''m going to fight back."


    "Heh." Ban Zhang shook his head before giving me an encouraging pat. "Try not to get into fights. If you really want to duel him, apply for an official match."


    "I''ll think about it."


    I watched as Ban Zhang left, and then continued toward my room. While passing by the countless doors, I could hear noises and crashes inside as various students practiced their techniques and sparred with training dummies.


    "There you are."


    Stepping to the center of the room, I held out my hand and waited as a blue-tinted hologram came to life. Studying the diagrams on it, I then picked an icon that was labeled Level 2 Training Dummy.


    Woo¡­


    A whir echoed at the back of the room. The walls slid open, like double doors made of stainless steel, and an automated puppet staggered outside. Cables and wiring dangled from above, disappearing inside the chamber from where the puppet emerged, connected to its limbs.


    Hiss¡­


    With a hiss, the wires fell away and retracted. The mechanical puppet trembled for a bit, and then suddenly straightened up. A red light flashed in the single optical lenses built into its cylindrical head.


    "Level 2," it murmured in a robotic voice.


    And then it suddenly lunged at me.


    "!"


    The clumsiness and jerkiness from earlier was no longer present. The battle puppet''s movements were sharp, crisp and precise. I almost couldn''t react in time as it spun above me to fluidly swing its silvery leg at my head. I parried its strike with both my hands, but was pushed back by the tremendous impact. Immediately my arms went numb from the blow.


    So that''s the difference between level 1 and level 2.


    However, I had beaten not just the three seniors from Iron Mountain Sect, but also the de facto leader of the Dark Shadow Sect today. I wasn''t going to let a mere puppet beat me.


    As the puppet descended upon me with a crash, its kick resembling that of Mohawk''s from yesterday, I stepped to the side. Its scything mechanical foot smashed into the ground, carving up concrete despite the floor being made from reinforced material. Even as some of the debris bounced upward, I braved the storm of concrete and stepped into range in order to slam my elbow into the puppet''s gleaming, metallic chest.


    At level 2, the battle puppet wasn''t that strong, and even someone as weak as me was able to knock it back a little. But the battle puppet was quick to recover, immediately straightening p and switching its stance.


    But it was too late.


    I slammed my foot under its guard, rocking it, and then spun around to deliver a roundhouse kick to the head. The battle puppet was sent hurtling head-over-heels into the wall, spinning in a clumsy manner that contrasted against its graceful movements from before, and vanished in a tiny explosion of dust.


    "Phew¡­"


    I watched as the puppet slid down to the floor, the malicious red light in its lenses dimming. Then the puppet spoke.


    "Level 2 training dummy incapacitated. Shall I switch to level 3?"


    "Er¡­" I pondered for a moment, and then shrugged. "Why not? Okay."


    The automata puppet picked itself back up, and then straightened itself. The red light flared in its single optical lens again, giving it a demonic yet mechanical visage that made it seem eerie. I was astonished to see that there was no sign of damage. Damn, but these things were built tough. Well, that was no surprise, considering they were designed to endure the full brunt of martial artists'' attacks. Of course a thirteen-year-old amateur like me wouldn''t be able to put a scratch on it.


    "Anytime you''re ready," the puppet droned emotionlessly. I nodded.


    "Go ahead."


    The puppet disappeared. Before I knew it, I was thrown off my feet. Slamming into the wall, I collapsed, blood leaking from my mouth. I couldn''t even get up. Falling over, I clutched my chest, coughing and wheezing.


    The automaton puppet mercilessly crashed down upon my position, and I barely avoided being pulverized into a bloody pulp by rolling away.


    "I surrender!" I shouted, blood dribbling from my lips. "Cancel duel! Stand down!"


    The puppet immediately deactivated, kneeling and awaiting further orders. Its optical lens continued to flare in bright crimson, but otherwise it was utterly still.


    "Damn it¡­"


    I had no idea there was such a massive difference between level 2 and 3. Clearly I was still a long way from my goal.


    "Hey¡­" I wiped the blood from my mouth as I staggered toward the training dummy. Given my injuries, it was clear my sparring was done for the day. At least I learned something ¨C never underestimate your enemy, even if it was a mechanical puppet. "Is there a level 2.5?"


    The puppet seemed to consider my question, its optical lens glowing as it processed my words.


    "I am afraid not."


    "Damn¡­"


    I sighed, shaking my head. Level 2 was a little too easy for me, but level 3 was impossible for me to spar with right now. Why was there such a huge difference?


    "Well, thanks anyway. I guess we''ll end the session early today."


    It would be too dangerous to continue. I had to heal my injuries first. I wouldn''t be surprised if I had broken a few ribs, or if at least one of my internal organs had been ruptured. I had best see Doctor Yi Liao after this.


    "Acknowledged."


    The automaton puppet nodded and stood up. It then proceeded back to the chamber, the walls sliding open to allow it entry. Turning around to face me, it disappeared behind the closing metallic doors even as unseen machinery connected wires and cabling to its mechanical limbs in the darkness. The last thing I saw was the red light in its optical lens before it flickered off, and the doors concealed the whole training dummy from view.


    Grimacing, I picked myself up and began staggering to the exit.


    *


    "Hey, you''re back."


    Zhu Jiao looked up when I walked through the door of our dormitory building. Apparently he had just returned from a training session and hadn''t returned to his room just yet. Same as me, I suppose. I waved at him and nodded.


    "I''m home."


    Having lived in the dormitory for three months now, it now felt like a genuine home to me, as if I had lived here all my life. Zhu Jiao stayed in the room a few doors away from mine, so it wasn''t common to run into him. As we stayed in the same level, I followed him to the elevator.


    "Went to the training facility again?"


    Even though he was still seething from the bullying from earlier, Zhu Jiao had finally calmed down and refocused his energy into meditating. He was adopting a totally different approach from me, and as such didn''t agree with mine.


    "Yeah," I nodded. Zhu Jiao smiled in approval.


    "Had a good workout, I assume?"


    "Sort of. I got beaten up instead."


    I winced as I rubbed my chest. After returning the keycard to Teacher Kun, I had headed to the infirmary. Teacher Yi Liao told me off for being reckless in training, but she used her qi to heal my injuries. As expected, it didn''t take her more than a minute to completely restore me back to full health.


    "You got beaten up by those stupid training dummies? Really?"


    Zhu Jiao stared at me in shock. I chuckled in embarrassment.


    "Well¡­yeah. Level 2 was a bit too easy, so I set it to level 3. Big mistake."


    "Huh?!"


    Ding!


    Zhu Jiao''s voice overlapped with the elevator''s chime. The doors slid open and I stepped out. Still in a stupor, Zhu Jiao hurried after me.


    "You were trying to fight a level 3 battle puppet?"


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    "Yeah, I was."


    "Why?!"


    "Because level 2 was too easy."


    "How is that possible?!"


    That was a fair question, to be honest. While most of our classmates were on par with level 2 battle puppets, the two of us should still be on level 1 because of our One Star Constitutions and slow progress. There was no way I should find level 2 too easy, because it meant I was on equal grounds or even superior to most of our classmates.


    On that note, Qi Fu Ren had beaten a level 3 battle puppet, so that was probably why I was thrashed by him so easily.


    However, I had experienced a fight with multiple seniors, so that must have helped me grow stronger somehow. Furthermore, I didn''t buy these whole levels and strength quantification bullshit. Certainly, the level 3 battle puppet was much stronger and faster than a level 2 one, but exactly what that meant in terms of values or numbers was overly vague. Was there a whole band of ranging values, or was it the median? What did level 3 mean with respect to level 2? How exactly do you define or quantify the difference?


    Was level 3 ten times stronger than level 2, for example? Or twenty times?


    Ugh, all these levels and whatnot are meaningless to me anyway.


    For me, personally, I just assumed the levels were stages of difficulty, much like a game. But other than that I didn''t take the whole level thing too seriously.


    "You''re amazing!" Zhu Jiao exclaimed.


    "No, I''m not." I was feeling sheepish right now, regretting having told Zhu Jiao that. "Please don''t tell the others about this."


    "But why not?"


    "I would prefer to keep a low profile, especially right now."


    Qi Fu Ren was one thing, but after two consecutive days of seniors coming after me, I would prefer to lay low and stay hidden from view for a while.


    Zhu Jiao considered for a moment, and then he nodded.


    "Sure." He grinned. "But if Qi Fu Ren knows about this, he might think twice about attacking you! We can start paying him back!"


    "Yeah."


    I nodded in agreement, but I picked up some sense of discontent in Zhu Jiao''s otherwise bright tone. He was genuinely happy for me, I could see that, but¡­he seemed frustrated somehow.


    He doesn''t want to fall behind, I realized. Taking a deep breath, I patted him encouragingly.


    "Don''t worry," I assured him. "You''ll catch up and overtake me immediately."


    I had no idea how true my words would become.


    *


    The next day, we managed to get through class without Qi Fu Ren and his cronies coming to bother us. I was also relieved that the seniors didn''t confront me this time. Perhaps they finally realized that I wasn''t some inheritor or successor of the Heaven and Earth Sect. or maybe they were just afraid of me.


    If they were, then great, but somehow I doubted that. Aware of the usual clich¨¦s, I predicted that stronger seniors would come to take revenge for their defeated juniors, just like in every wuxia web novel where antagonists were shameless enough to beg their seniors to take revenge for them. If this was fiction, I might welcome it, as no doubt the plot would have me thrashing the stronger seniors too, most likely in front of everyone so as to prove my strength and Mary Sue-ness. You know, typical wuxia protagonist fare.


    Unfortunately, this was reality, and I knew for sure that I would be the one getting destroyed one-sidedly instead.


    As I neared the completion of my twenty kilometer run, I suddenly caught sight of Zhu Jiao in the distance. As Zhu Jiao adopted a different training regimen from mine, we usually trained separately, which was why we weren''t running together. As always, Zhu Jiao finished his physical training way before I did, so he had more time to meditate. Or to relax.


    Relax¡­? Was that what Zhu Jiao was doing right now?


    I watched as Zhu Jiao moved toward a deserted part of the academy, which was a huge hill located inside a vast courtyard of sprawling green grass. Despite the great expanse of verdant fields free from human buildings and residence, we were still clearly within academy grounds. Curious as to what Zhu Jiao was up to, I altered my running route and followed him.


    Zhu Jiao climbed up the slope until he reached the peak of the hill, which was high enough to overlook the tall walls that served as a perimeter for the academy. He stood atop the very edge of the cliff, glaring down at the buildings of Martial City, which were beginning to look like Lego toys from this height. Fortunately, I was behind him, but I remained out of sight. I was going to call out to him, but my voice died in my throat when I saw what Zhu Jiao was staring at.


    He had shifted his gaze toward the skies. Even though it was still afternoon, the weather appeared to be unusual. The sun was still high in the heavens, yet there were already streaks of gold spilling from between the beleaguered clouds that were being churned and torn apart by a fierce gust of wind.


    "Hey¡­"


    I was about to call out to Zhu Jiao, but he paid no attention to me. Instead, he made a fist and punched toward the heavens, as if imitating a martial arts strike from one of our classmates who he saw practicing within the inner academy grounds or the training facilities.


    "If there comes a day when I can punch through the heavens, then I will be able to die without any regrets."


    "Why the fuck are you saying such a cheesy line?" I demanded, annoyed by his pompous attitude, but Zhu Jiao didn''t hear me. He was too busily imagining that his punch had somehow penetrated the golden hued clouds, the force of his strike mercilessly and gloriously hurtling toward the stars beyond.


    "Heh! Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Zhu Jiao must have realized just how idiotic and cheesy he sounded, for he suddenly burst out laughing. He shook his head, and was about to turn around as if he was going to descend the relatively large hill.


    However, he suddenly stopped, stunned.


    What''s the matter?


    Wondering, I stepped out to wave at him, but froze as well. This was because the clouds were splitting open, ruptured by a sudden elemental force that surpassed the fury of the winds from earlier. A golden beam of light pierced through the broken clouds, tore through the skies and sped toward Zhu Jiao so quickly that he didn''t even have time to blink.


    "Watch out!" I yelled, but I was too late.


    Zhu Jiao wasn''t able to respond. His body was frozen, his eyes staring blankly at the onrushing ray of golden light. Then the light struck him, bathing him in an intense glow so brilliant that I was forced to shut my eyes to protect them.


    "?!"


    There was a huge explosion that hurled me off my feet. I almost fell off the steep slope, and had to scramble to grab hold of a clump of grass, struggling to pull myself up before I fell to my death¡­or at the very least, a serious injury. While I yanked myself back up the hill, I watched in awe as massive amounts of qi swirled and billowed around Zhu Jiao.


    "What the hell is this?"


    I tried to approach him, but there seemed to be an invisible barrier between us. The moment I took a step forward¡­


    Bang!


    "Ugh!"


    I was hurled across the air and landed at the base of the hill, where it rose from the ground. Thankfully I didn''t roll all the way to the bottom of the hill, or I would have missed this spectacular sight and not know what was going on with my friend.


    Now that was something I really didn''t want to happen.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Heaving, the wind knocked out of me, I gulped down air and slowly rose to my feet. I staggered and fell over, unable to stand. Perhaps it was the tremendous pressure of whatever qi was being emanated from Zhu Jiao''s body, but I felt as if there was an enormous weight crushing down on me, pinning me to the ground.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    As much as I struggled, I couldn''t get any higher than kneeling. Never mind walking, I couldn''t even stand up straight!


    "Zhu Jiao!"


    Concern for my friend outstripped everything at this moment. I called out to him, hoping that he was still alive, that he wasn''t being obliterated by this strange new force. If I was already being overwhelmed like this even though I was such a far distance away, how much worse must it be for Zhu Jiao, who was at the center of this mysterious power?


    However, in contrast to me, Zhu Jiao woke up with a smile.


    "What a pleasant dream!"


    What the fuck?!


    I wanted to shout, but I found that my voice was gone. The pressure seemed to increase even further, drilling my knees into the ground. I gritted my teeth and focused all my strength into my legs, trying not to get squashed to death by a power that vaguely resembled gravity.


    Unfurrowing his brow, Zhu Jiao beamed brightly, his expression vigorous and lively. He looked around, as if staring at the sky. I realized he must be wondering how much time had passed. It had only been a few seconds¡­probably a minute or two at the most. But he couldn''t tell, having been knocked unconscious by that strange light.


    Nonetheless, from how the sky was still bright, he probably knew it wasn''t that long.


    "What just happened?"


    Zhu Jiao continued to glance around. Puzzled, he reached up and massaged his forehead, and then he suddenly jumped up.


    "Whoa! Isn''t this my family heirloom?"


    I craned my neck and looked, only to see Zhu Jiao produce a golden amulet out of nowhere. He was holding it up with his hand, closely scrutinizing it in curiosity.


    "What happened to it? It has never glowed like this before. Don''t tell me¡­it was that golden light?"


    Huh? What the heck?!


    Why did this development sound so familiar?


    But before I could complain about this scene being suspiciously similar to some wuxia novel about a Mary Sue protagonist who was arrogant as hell and beat up everybody in his path while learning countless martial arts techniques left and right, the golden amulet glowed and sparkled.


    "Whoa!"


    Zhu Jiao cried out again and almost dropped the golden amulet.


    "Oi! Be careful with that!" an old, wizened voice shouted out. Zhu Jiao blinked, and then gaped upward when he realized that there was where the voice came from.


    There, above his head, a single ghostly old man with no legs however, his long white hair dropping and disappearing into smoke-like wisps.

 13 Chapter 12: The Mysterious Elder

    "Oho? Lad? Are you all right?"


    The old man waved a hand in front of Zhu Jiao''s face. And then¡­


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Zhu Jiao screamed.


    "A ghost! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! There''s a ghost!"


    "How rude!" the ghost snapped, and then he folded his arms. "Well, it is true that I''m a ghost, though. But that''s not the point! Shouldn''t you be honored to be in my presence?"


    "Ah¡­huh? What?"


    Zhu Jiao blinked and stared at the old man, not understanding what was going on. Then he tilted his head while forcing himself to calm down and swallow his fear. Clenching his fists, he managed to stop himself from trembling.


    Bravo. Good job, my friend. Face your fear of ghosts and overcome it! Then only will you understand the importance of spirit!


    "Uh¡­who are you?"


    The old ghost blanched at that, then waved his hands furiously.


    "How can you not know who I am?!"


    "Well, sorry to break it to you, grandpa, but I honestly have not seen you or heard of you at all in my whole life."


    Zhu Jiao laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. The old ghost glared at him, then turned away with a "hmph!"


    "I see. So many years must have passed since my demise, huh?"


    "Your¡­demise?" Zhu Jiao repeated dumbly. "You''re dead?"


    "No, I''m alive. That''s why I''m a ghost." The old man glared at Zhu Jiao. "Have you ever heard of a living ghost before?"


    "Yeah!" I shouted. "Lady Rokujou from Genji Monogatari is the most famous example of a living ghost!"


    Too bad neither of them heard me. Zhu Jiao just withdrew, chagrined. Damn it¡­this is why reading a lot was so important! You could counter such broad, sweeping statements with existing examples and throw your opponent''s stupidity back at him!


    On the other hand, Zhu Jiao was far too stunned to react properly. He could only nod his head dumbly.


    "I¡­see¡­"


    "Hey! Why is your response so underwhelming?"


    "No, it''s nothing."


    Zhu Jiao shook his head, and then forced a smile.


    "Well, anyway¡­sorry about that. Um¡­who are you again?"


    The old ghost looked irritated, but he didn''t snap this time. Instead, he took a deep breath (I didn''t know ghosts could still breathe).


    "You sealed yourself into my golden amulet?" Zhu Jiao''s jaw was hanging. "But this is my family heirloom that has been passed down for generations!"


    That''s what you''re concerned about?!


    I almost fell over from the ridiculousness of it. Here you are, finally getting your wish to succeed a secret martial art from some ghost that emerged from your family heirloom, but you were more concerned if he was telling the truth about your family treasure?


    "Generations? So it really has been many years since my death. My guess is that my golden amulet had somehow landed in the hands of your ancestor, probably by way of stealing or buying or discovery. Then he passed down his amulet to his descendants."


    Going, "hmm¡­", the old ghost looked up and stared around.


    "It seems that at least a century has passed from when I was sealed. The air feels a bit different, as does the qi. Is this Wu Ling Academy? It looks very different from when I remembered it."


    "Well, they probably renovated it several times during the last hundred years or so."


    Zhu Jiao shrugged nonchalantly. I would have offered up a snarkier and more sarcastic reply, if this stupid preternatural pressure wasn''t weighing down on me and sapping my strength. I realized, disgruntled, that if I was stronger ¨C as strong as Qi Fu Ren ¨C I would have been able to withstand this. Ugh. I hated imagining the smug expression on Qi Fu Ren as he looked down on me.


    "Hmph. What a complete waste of money." The old man stared scornfully at his surroundings and folded his arms. "They should have spent all those resources on training the students instead."


    "¡­I''m sure that''s what they''re trying to do. We have state-of-the-art training facilities, access to vast resources, and even granted free medical services."


    Zhu Jiao was actually defending Wu Ling Academy. Come to think of it, other than the condescending attitude from Xiao Zhang and the majority of staff and students, the academy''s infrastructure, facilities and services were actually topnotch. At least we weren''t denied access to the library, training facilities and medical care. Despite the abuse and insults that we had to deal with all day, the academy actually took good care of all its students, One Star Constitution or otherwise.


    But the old man didn''t seem interested in how charitable and magnanimous the academy was. He leaned closer as he raised his voice enthusiastically.


    "More importantly, lad, you have great potential! Become my disciple, and I will teach you the secret Golden Kirin Sacred Creature Arts! You will become invincible, and will restore our preeminent position within the Alliance once more!"


    "Really?!" Zhu Jiao brightened up. Then he sobered. "But¡­I''m only a One Star Constitution candidate. Will I really be able to¡­?"


    "Nonsense! I can sense the talent in you. In fact¡­" the old man studied him for a while, and realization dawned on his wrinkled face. "I must apologize. I believe the reason why you weren''t able to cultivate far for the last three months or so is because your qi has been continually absorbed by my golden amulet. The amulet was designed in a way that it wouldn''t activate until it detects a suitable candidate, and one way it does that is by leeching off qi from the wearer until it gathers enough to awaken me. For you to have awaken me at such a young age means that you possess a natural affinity to gather large amounts of qi, at a rapid pace too!"


    Everything was falling into place now. Now I understood why the test first indicated Li Fu Chen, no, I mean Xiao Yan¡­ugh, I mean Zhu Jiao as someone with Five Star Constitution. He really did possess that tremendous potential, but his qi was sucked away by the golden amulet that he thought was his family heirloom. That led to his Five Star Constitution plummeting to One Star during the test and also explained his extremely slow progress of cultivating when compared to the rest of our class.


    Wait¡­then what about me? So Zhu Jiao had a way out, but I was still stuck in the bottom? I was the only one who was genuine trash? I was fated to be a mob character forever?


    What the fuck?!


    "Hang on¡­"


    My attention was drawn back to Zhu Jiao, who had folded his arms and was furiously glaring at the smug-looking old ghost.


    "Are you telling me that the reason why I lost my talent¡­was because of you?"


    "Uh, well¡­even if you put it that way, you''re not wrong¡­"


    Facing Zhu Jiao''s wrath, the old ghost suddenly sounded uncertain of himself. He chuckled sheepishly and bowed his head apologetically.


    "It appears that I''ve put you through quite a bit of suffering, my disciple. Sorry about that."


    Hey, when did Zhu Jiao agree to be your disciple? Don''t act as if that''s already a given, you old bastard!


    "You''ve no idea what I''ve been through!" Zhu Jiao growled. "The last three months have been nothing but frustration and hell for me!"


    "I''m sorry."


    "Give my qi and talent back to me!"


    "I plan to do that. No¡­in fact¡­" the old ghost turned serious. "I will make sure to mold you into an invincible warrior, one who will surpass even your past potential. After all, martial arts isn''t solely about talent. If you learn from me, I know you will be number one under heaven."


    "You do realize that story has been deleted and removed from Royal Road, right?" I muttered under my breath. Thankfully, neither of them heard me.


    Zhu Jiao regarded the old man skeptically. "How can I trust someone who has been leeching off my qi this entire time?"


    "Well¡­I mean, despite this seeming to be a misfortune on the surface, you''ve to admit, this period of suffering helped build up your character, didn''t it? If it wasn''t for this period of humility, you wouldn''t be able to develop such a strong character and formidable mental fortitude."


    What the hell was the old man babbling about?


    Unfortunately, Zhu Jiao was stupid enough to buy that bullshit. He was nodding, seemingly pleased by the praise.


    "I guess that''s true."


    No, it was not! What character development?! Other than his unfounded optimism, I couldn''t see where Zhu Jiao actually had strength in character or formidable mental fortitude. Additionally, why did the old man''s reasoning sound so suspiciously familiar, like some other old master''s ghost that was trying to convince yet another protagonist that he was right to steal the poor guy''s qi for three years (instead of months) and justifying it as "character building"? Then went and told the guy to bow down and become his disciple? And despite the protagonist supposedly having matured and strengthen his character, being described as calm, logical and reasonable by the author, acted like a spoilt brat who was easily enraged and went around shouting at the old man?


    So, was the old man going to teach Zhu Jiao how to be a receptarier or alchemist next? Or give him a low-tier mystic heart flame technique that could evolve in future?


    "Please teach me. I, Zhu Jiao, pay my respects to Master!"


    "Good, good." Zhu Jiao''s new master nodded and stroked his beard. "And I, Qi Lin, will accept Zhu Jiao as my heir and disciple. I will make sure you reach the very pinnacle of martial arts and dominate the Celestial Realm!"


    "Thank you, Master!"


    "Well then, let''s begin." The old man named Qi Lin rose to the air and snapped his fingers. "I aim to bring your strength up to par as quickly as possible. Right now¡­hmm, yes, you are still only at level one. But under my guidance, I will bring you up to level nine of the Qi Gathering Stage within two months!"


    Zhu Jiao''s jaw dropped. "Can you really do that?"


    Qi Lin chuckled. "Of course. Have faith in your master."


    "Uh¡­sure." Zhu Jiao nodded. Then he jolted upright, as if suddenly remembering something. He immediately bowed down.


    "Master, your disciple has a favor to ask of you!"


    "What is it?"


    Qi Lin watched the prostrate Zhu Jiao curiously. Zhu Jiao maintained his posture, his face still on the ground, as he made his request.


    "I have a friend¡­a friend in a similar condition as me¡­can you also accept him as my fellow disciple and teach him the Golden Kirin Sacred Creature techniques as well? Please! This will be the only request I make of you!"


    I couldn''t help but be touched. Even when he found fortune and latched on to a huge sliver of hope that allowed him to learn martial arts and catch up¡­no, surpass the others, he didn''t fail to remember me. Zhu Jiao was a real bro. I was on the verge of tears. I would have run up there and hug him if I wasn''t pinned down by this mysterious force of qi.


    From henceforth, I decided to label this strange power the Hand of God (cough, Author). A convenient Deus ex Machina that descended from the heavens to stop me so that a particular plotline could advance without any interference.


    Qi Lin stayed quiet for a few long seconds, to the point that even I became nervous when waiting for his answer. Then he finally shook his head and sighed.


    "I''m very sorry, my disciple. This request¡­your master is unable to carry it out."


    "Eh? Why?!"


    Zhu Jiao stared upward, crestfallen. I lowered my head and gritted my teeth. Of course. Of course Qi Lin wouldn''t accept me as his disciple. I was just a mob character. It was my role to remain as nothing but wallpaper, to serve as a foil to main characters like Zhu Jiao. It would be impossible for unnamed mob trash like me to learn a super martial art to elevate me to the top.


    "The Golden Kirin Sacred Creature techniques aren''t a martial art that can be casually taught to just anyone. There are heavy limitations. Only candidates with the right affinity and suitable talent will be able to master it. Forcing your friend to learn this martial art would only harm his progress, not help him. He''ll be better off learning martial arts from another sect."


    "But¡­he only has a One Star Constitution¡­none of the other sects will accept him or teach him anything."


    Qi Lin sighed dramatically. "A One Star Constitution, huh? Such is the fate of the untalented. I hate to say this, Jiao, but your friend''s future is bleak."


    "No way¡­"


    "If you really want to help him, then you have to grow strong in his place. Become powerful enough to change things. Protect him. Then, when you reach the top, you can overturn this stupid system where the only the strong are respected. Help your friend find a niche where he excels in. it doesn''t have to necessarily be martial arts."


    "Ah¡­that''s right. Fei Wu is very smart. He''s more the type to study¡­"


    "Sounds like he should be a scholar or official instead of a martial artist then." Qi Lin smiled wryly. "So before he achieves that eminent position, you will have to protect him."


    Bloody hell, I don''t need protection! I''m not some frail girl looking for prince charming to sweep me off my feet and save me! I''m not some pathetic nerdy loser¡­okay, maybe I was, but like hell was I going to just depend on other people to haul my ass out of the fire every single time! I wanted to learn how to fend for myself too! And who the hell are you guys to decide my career for me?! I wasn''t even going to let my parents decide what my career will be, never mind you guys! I never intended to be a scholar! I was going to be a martial artist like everyone else! No, I was going to become a martial artist who surpassed everyone!


    Not that anyone cared.


    "¡­I understand."


    No, you don''t! You don''t understand at all! Damn fucking it!


    While I raged inwardly, I suddenly realized that my prophecy had come true. I just fucking knew it. I knew Zhu Jiao was different from me. Even though we had spent three months surviving insults and abuses together, and I had slowly forgotten about it and got used to thinking we would continue moving forward together, Zhu Jiao was a protagonist-type character. Like I suspected, he would receive a Deus ex Machina type of aid in the form of a golden light from the heavens and an old master ghost teaching him invincible techniques. Within a short period of time, he would be beating everyone up right and left ¨C especially Qi Fu Ren and all those arrogant young masters and stuck-up geniuses who looked down on him ¨C and causing every single beautiful girl in the continent to fall for his charm and strength. This was already set in fucking stone!


    "I will make sure I become strong enough so that I can protect myself and my friend. I will help him succeed as well, even if it''s no longer in the field of martial arts."


    Don''t make that choice for me! I want to become a martial artist! I want to stand by your side and gain the power pierce the heavens and split the earth too!


    "Good. While on this topic, I would need you to swear to me, my disciple."


    Qi Lin sounded solemn.


    "You must keep my existence a secret. Do not let anyone know that you''re now a disciple of the Golden Kirin Sect until I permit it. Do not tell anyone about me or the Golden Kirin Sacred Creature techniques. You''re allowed to use them when you fight, because nobody will recognize the Golden Kirin martial arts after so long, but make sure you withhold the name of our martial arts from them. Don''t mention this meeting, don''t talk about me to anyone."


    "Eh?"


    Zhu Jiao glanced up in surprise, as if to ask why. Qi Lin had anticipated his question, for he continued to explain without pausing.


    "You see¡­there are enemies. Not just in the demonic sects, but within the Alliance too. They might have forgotten the form and shape of my techniques, but I doubt they would have forgotten the name of the Golden Kirin Sect, and its former reputation. They will look for ways to destroy our sect, and hunt my spirit down. That''s why you must never reveal our meeting or my existence to anyone, or both of us will be in terrible danger."


    "I understand." Zhu Jiao nodded briefly.


    "Good."


    Qi Lin seemed pleased as he folded his arms in approval. Was it my imagination, or did his eyes flicker in my direction.


    "That includes your friend¡­the friend you want me to teach. I''m afraid I can''t teach him anything, but we can at least try and protect him. However, you also cannot tell him anything about me. I''m sorry. Even if you trust me, it''s not worth the risk. Furthermore, he''ll be in terrible danger if he possesses the knowledge of my existence, or of the Golden Kirin Sect. our enemies will stop at nothing to obtain information, and they might capture and torture the info out of him."


    "That''s¡­"


    Zhu Jiao paled.


    I couldn''t help but sigh. It was way too late for that. I had seen and heard everything. Even if I wanted to forget, I couldn''t. Not after listening to such an interesting and insulting conversation that further damaged my already non-existent self-esteem and pummeled my crumbling morale to complete oblivion.


    "¡­I understand."


    "Good. Let''s go. First, let''s get off this hill. Then we''ll start our training."


    "Yes, Master."


    The moment Qi Lin vanished, the tremendous pressure that was holding me down disappeared as well. I was finally able to breathe properly. Noticing that Zhu Jiao was approaching my position, I panicked and quickly slid down the slope, stealthily using my Shadow Steps to throw myself in a cluster of trees and seek refuge in the shadows.


    Why am I hiding?


    Because I didn''t want to get Zhu Jiao into trouble. He had promised his new master that he wouldn''t tell anyone about him, even me. I didn''t want to force Zhu Jiao to break his promise and get him into trouble with Qi Lin.


    That was what friends were for, right? I owed him¡­even when he was receiving such immense fortune, he didn''t forget about me. He didn''t succeed in helping me out, but the sentiment alone was worth a great deal to me.


    Once Zhu Jiao was gone, I slipped out from my hiding place amongst the trees and resumed my run.


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 14 Chapter 13: Dark Shadows

    I looked up when Zhu Jiao trudged back into the shack we shared, looking completely exhausted and wiped out.


    "Hey. You''re early today."


    "No, you''re late. I just returned from the training facility thirty minutes ago."


    "Eh? Oh, you''re right. Ha ha ha ha!"


    Zhu Jiao laughed sheepishly when he glanced outside and saw that it was already night. Usually Zhu Jiao finished his training way before I did, and that wasn''t even including the evenings I spent sparring against automaton puppets in the training facility.


    "Oh, hey¡­Wui¡­"


    "?"


    I glanced at Zhu Jiao. He looked like he was about to say something, but at the last moment he turned away and shook his head.


    "What is it?"


    "No, nothing. Just watch out, you know? I don''t think Qi Fu Ren and his flunkies are going to let us off."


    "Yeah, I know. Don''t worry."


    I suspected I knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell me about his encounter with Qi Lin, and how he pleaded with him to take me as a fellow disciple. But he made a promise and swore not to tell anyone about Qi Lin or the Golden Kirin Sect. Even me.


    Not wanting him to get into trouble with his new master, I kept my counsel and feigned ignorance. Inside, I was feeling conflicted. While half of me was happy for my friend, the other half was feeling sheer frustration, bitter resentment and unbridled fury that I was being left behind in the dust yet again, treated like unwanted trash in a cold, uncaring universe that mocked my existence and made fun of my horrible luck by showing off the incredible fortune of others.


    If God wants me to suffer so much, why doesn''t He just kill me already? End the suffering. Is it that fun to torture me like this?


    "Wu? Are you okay?"


    "?!"


    I hastily turned away, realizing that my forced neutral fa?ade was cracking. Swallowing, I calmed myself down and nodded.


    "Yeah."


    "You look pretty angry." Zhu Jiao chuckled slightly. "I don''t blame you. I''m pretty mad at Qi Fu Ren and friends myself."


    He held up a fist and punched it toward the air.


    "But I''m going to work hard to change things. I''m going to make sure those punks will never dare to touch us ever again."


    *


    Despite me thinking to myself, good luck with that, Qi Fu Ren and friends didn''t bother the both of us for a few weeks. But I knew it was coming. His bullying was inevitable. Not only that, Zhu Jiao had triggered a bully flag by making his declaration.


    Yeah. It was so predictable that I wanted to dig a hole and hide myself before all of that happened.


    Fortunately, nothing happened. At least for the next two weeks. We continued training, and Zhu Jiao would go his separate way to learn under his master in secret¡­or at least that was what they believed. I knew. There was little point in revealing that I knew, firstly because I didn''t want Zhu Jiao to get into trouble with his master, and secondly, what did it achieve? That I was genre-savvy? Was I expecting Qi Lin to take me as a disciple? I would be lucky if he didn''t order Zhu Jiao to kill me on the spot.


    And I didn''t want to put Zhu Jiao on the spot¡­


    I increased the distance of my running to twenty-four kilometers, and my pushups and sit-ups to two hundred each. While I couldn''t cultivate as well as my classmates, I could at least do my best and surpass them in sheer physical fitness. Not wanting to be left behind, I brutally punished myself by stretching my body to its physical limits, so much so that I almost collapsed after each Spartan training session.


    Unfortunately, it was not Qi Fu Ren who showed up this time, but a new group of seniors.


    "!"


    I had almost forgotten about the seniors from the Iron Mountain Sect and the Dark Shadow Sect who harassed me a couple of weeks ago regarding my supposed inheritance of the Heaven and Earth Sect. when no one bothered me about that for weeks, I had thought it was only a handful of idiots who were deluding themselves with misinformation, and was relieved as the weeks dragged by without anything happening.


    But it seemed that I was mistaken.


    "Fei Wu?"


    "¡­yes?"


    I looked up at the new group of seniors. This time, the uniforms they were dressed in were slightly different. These new seniors were clearly from the high school section of Wu Ling Academy. Not only were their uniforms a little more exquisite and elegantly designed, they were also physically larger in size and bulk.


    "How can I help you seniors?"


    The leader of the high school division, a gruff-looking guy with close-cropped hair, a square jaw and a high forehead, stepped forward. He raised his hand expectantly.


    "The Heaven and Earth techniques. Give them to us."


    I stared at him blankly for a moment before the memories from what happened two weeks ago hit me.


    Not this bullshit again¡­


    "I told you," I growled. "I don''t have any Heaven and Earth techniques."


    The high school senior frowned. "That''s not what I heard." He turned back and I suddenly recognized the small group of students hiding behind the high school seniors. They were the middle school seniors from the Dark Shadow Sect who I chased away back then. The former leader from back then was whimpering as he stared at me in fear.


    "If you didn''t, how did a middle school first year like you manage to defeat Luo Zhe who''s a middle school third year student?"


    "He was just stupider than me and fell for my bluff," I replied bluntly.


    "Oh?" the high school leader raised an eyebrow as he studied me. "Interesting."


    I honestly didn''t see what was so interesting about this, but I was in no position to make snarky comments. Already, the high school seniors were circling me and cutting off any path of escape. Unlike the middle school seniors, they weren''t falling for my bluff. Yet at the same time they were being extra cautious.


    I was dealing with a completely different level of opponent here.


    The high school senior stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. One of the girls in the group hurriedly called out to him.


    "Wait, Mo Ying, be careful. That brat might really be hiding some Heaven and Earth technique¡­"


    "I know. That''s why I want to test him." The leader of the high school students from the Dark Shadow Sect waved her away dismissively. "Stay in position and watch carefully. But no one is to interfere. Understand?"


    The girl frowned, but reluctantly obeyed, stepping back to reform the circle. Mo Ying approached me, his hands glowing darkly with shadowy qi.


    "So¡­show me your Heaven and Earth techniques."


    "I don''t have any Heaven and Earth techniques," I growled, annoyed. "I''ve been telling you that from the start."


    "Well, think about it from my perspective," Mo Ying replied with a shrug. "If you were me, would you so readily believe the words of your target? Might you not be desperate enough to bluff people who are after you?"


    "You''re misunderstanding the word desperate, aren''t you?" I sighed. "If I''m driven to desperation, of course I would give you whatever techniques I have. But I don''t have them. Never had them. I''m sure if you actually bothered to do an actual investigation, you''ll find out that I''m telling the truth."


    "Forgive me for being skeptical," Mo Ying countered. "But you don''t really expect me to just take your word for it, do you?"


    "¡­"


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    He had a point there. If I was in his shoes, I wouldn''t necessarily knew if the other party was telling the truth or not, not if I was able to read minds.


    "Besides, think of this as an investigation. A test¡­to check if you really did inherit the Heaven and Earth techniques or not. If you die even without using even one of them, then we will believe that you''re telling the truth."


    "What use is that if I''m dead?!" I yelled, annoyed. "So you want me to let you murder me in cold blood just to prove that I''m telling the truth? What kind of logic is that?!"


    Mo Ying smiled thinly. "I''m afraid you don''t have a choice. That is the fate of all who are weak. Either you succumb because of your lack of power, or¡­"


    I never saw his attack coming. Something struck my face and knocked my glasses away. Blood burst from my nose and mouth as I flew backward, my vision turning into a dark red. I tumbled over the ground, rolling helplessly from the tremendous impact.


    "How disappointing."


    Mo Ying smashed a foot into my stomach and I coughed out a geyser of blood. Writhing underneath his foot, I tried to free myself, but Mo Ying only increased the pressure of his foot and pinned me down cruelly.


    This guy¡­he was much stronger and faster than the level 3 battle puppet that I used for training practice!


    "Are you that determined to keep the Heaven and Earth techniques a secret, that you don''t mind sacrificing your life?"


    "I already told you," I wheezed in between bloody coughs. "I don''t have any Heaven and Earth techniques. I never learned them."


    Mo Ying responded by grinding me further into the ground, rupturing some of my internal organs and causing my spine to creak.


    "Don''t think we aren''t afraid to kill you. You might think that we will never kill you because we need you alive to tell us the techniques, but we have ways of extracting that information from your corpse."


    "Then do it," I spat, my lips frothed in blood. "Not only you''ll find that I''m telling the truth, you''ll be charged with murder."


    Mo Ying merely shook his head. For a moment he relaxed his foot. I immediately seized the chance to slip out from under his foot. Spinning on the ground, I used the centrifugal force to direct a Shadow Kick right at him.


    Thunk!


    "?!"


    I watched in horror as Mo Ying gripped my foot with his bare hand. He crushed my foot with his fingers, causing me to yelp in pain, and then lifted me bodily off the ground. I dangled helplessly, but I tried to whirl around and kick with my other leg, only for him to casually parry my foot with his other hand. Before I knew what was going on, I received a blow in my chest, which caused me to almost black out.


    "So this was what you lost to, Luo Zhe?"


    Mo Ying''s voice dripped with contempt as he turned toward the cowering middle school senior. Luo Zhe whimpered.


    "Pathetic. This is just a normal Shadow Kick, a basic kicking technique from one of the level 1 martial arts that all Wu Ling Academy students have access to. Have you gotten so complacent with learning the Dark Shadow arts that you''ve neglected simple foundational skills? You let your guard down and mistakenly believed that this was a Heaven and Earth technique?"


    "B¡­but¡­!"


    "Silence."


    Mo Ying''s cold voice cut Luo Zhe off, and he turned back to me.


    "My apologies. It seems that you are telling the truth, after all. But just to make sure¡­"


    He threw me toward one of his comrades. I spun about in the air haplessly, unable to control my momentum or trajectory, and crashed into the ground in an undignified manner. I tried to scramble to my feet, only to collapse as my limbs gave way under me.


    "Kuh!"


    "Du Xing. I''ll be relying on you to pry the truth from his mind."


    "Understood." The girl from earlier stepped forward. She leaned over and seized me by my hair, yanking my head up painfully. "Give us the Heaven and Earth Formula."


    "I told you, I don''t have it¡­"


    Du Xing shook her head. "I see you want to do this the hard way."


    I gritted my teeth. "Why won''t anyone believe me?! I really don''t have any stupid Heaven and Earth Formula! Nobody taught me anything! Except Teacher Jiao!"


    Du Xing ignored me and merely grabbed my head with both hands. Dark qi flowed out of her fingers and crept into my mind, their icy tendrils seeping under my skin and nudging my mind. My vision darkened as excruciating agony filled my world.


    And I began to scream.


    *


    "How pathetic."


    Before I knew it, I found myself sitting in a dark space. Blinking and shaking my head in confusion, I struggled to stand.


    "¡­who?"


    I rubbed my eyes and glanced around. To my surprise, my glasses were back on my face. When did they¡­? I was pretty sure Mo Ying knocked them off earlier. Did somebody retrieve my glasses and returned them to me?


    Scratching my head, I tried to piece my fuzzy memories together. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was getting attacked by the high school seniors from the Dark Shadow Sect. Mo Ying crushed me utterly, and then Du Xing did something weird to my head¡­


    "I didn''t teach you the Heaven and Earth Formula to lose to chumps like these."


    A dark silhouette emerged from the shadows and strolled toward me. I recognized the old man I saved from the accident. He was glaring at me as he strode forward, his expression grave and disapproving.


    "Fuck you!" I shouted, unable to control my fury. "What teach me the Heaven and Earth Formula?! You never taught me anything! Expressing your gratitude?! All you''ve caused me is suffering and pain! It''s all your fault!"


    The old man remained silent, staring at me accusingly. There was a flicker of puzzlement in his eyes, but I didn''t care, unable to restrain my rage.


    "This is all your fucking fault! Just because you showed up in the hospital, everyone thinks you taught me some stupid martial art I have never heard of before!" rummaging my pocket, I yanked out the Golden Dragon Medallion and threw it at the old man. "And you can take that back! I don''t want it! I don''t know what the hell you''re thinking, giving me something like this! Now everyone thinks I''m the new leader of your sect! Even though you never told me anything about your sect, or what this golden dragon medallion is! You never informed me about anything, and now I''m being chased around and attacked by bloody idiots who refuse to believe me!"


    The old man shifted uncomfortably, his gaze wavering a little, but he persisted.


    "Are you sure? I''m pretty sure I passed something to you¡­"


    "Yeah, that stupid golden dragon medallion. You can have it back! I don''t want anything to do with your sect! Hell, at least tell me what the medallion is supposed to be about before giving it to me! Had I known it would cause me so much trouble, I would never have accepted it!"


    "No, I mean the Heaven and Earth Formula¡­"


    "Have you gone senile, old man?" I snarled. "You never mentioned anything about any Heaven and Earth Formula. I didn''t even know you were a martial artist!"


    The old man was backing away now, looking extremely bewildered. Despite still simmering in rage, I suddenly noticed that something was amiss.


    "Wait, what''s with that dumbfounded expression? You''re the one who visited me and gave me this medallion. Why can''t you remember what you told me?"


    "Yes, I remember telling you about the Heaven and Earth Formula¡­"


    "¡­you''re a fake."


    I understood everything now. Pushing my glasses up my nose, I advanced onto the old man, my fury blazing bright.


    "You''re an illusion. You don''t know what happened in the hospital. All you did was show up and thank me. If you were the real thing, you would have known that. Yet all you do is talk about some stupid Heaven and Earth Formula¡­I see. So you''re some illusion conjured by Senior Du Xing in order to trick information out of me."


    "That''s¡­" the old man no longer seemed sure of himself. For someone impersonating the Absolute One, he was cowering and backing away from me.


    Yeah, this guy was definitely fake.


    I leaped off the ground and kicked him, and the old man exploded into countless fragments.


    *


    "Aaaaaah!"


    Du Xing staggered back after she released my head, blood dripping from her mouth as she suffered from the backlash from her technique. Or the backlash generated when I smashed her Dark Shadow Illusion into bits.


    "Du Xing!" Mo Ying sprang forward and caught her before she could fall over. "Are you all right?"


    "¡­yes." Du Xing shook her head, looking a little dazed and weakened. "¡­the boy¡­he was telling the truth. The Absolute One really did not teach him anything."


    "What?!"


    "Wait¡­" one of the other high school seniors from the Dark Shadow Sect spoke up. "Are you sure? It looks like he broke your illusion. Maybe he was hiding the truth because he knew the whole thing was an illusion from the start."


    "No." Du Xing was slowly recovering, and with Mo Ying''s help, she was able to sit up. "He only realized it was an illusion because he was telling the truth, and my illusion was forcibly trying to ask about things that the real Absolute One never talked about when he met the boy."


    "It seems we owe you an apology," Mo Ying said as he turned to glare at me. I remained silent as I held his gaze. It was all I could do to stop myself from yelling at these bastard seniors.


    They refused to believe me, beat me up, threw me into an illusion, caused me a lot of suffering, and they thought they could get away with a mere apology? Unfortunately, I was in no position to demand compensation.


    The high school seniors outnumbered me, and even if they didn''t, each one of them was several times stronger than me. There was no way I could do anything. If I tried to push my luck, they might beat me even more.


    "Unfortunately, we can''t let you live."


    "Huh?!" I blurted out, outraged. "What the fuck?!"


    "If we let you go, and this gets out, the Dark Shadow Sect will be in trouble. We''ll have to silence you."


    Mo Ying wasted no time lunging forward to bury his fist in my body, presumably to destroy me in one blow. I tried to get up and evade, but my limbs refused to obey. Currently I was far too wounded to move, never mind dodge.


    Mo Ying''s fist never reached me.


    Bam!


    An explosion of qi billowed across the courtyard, sending clouds of dust and rock flying up and obscuring vision. Despite the expanding fumes, I could clearly see an outline of a teacher''s silhouette between me and Mo Ying.


    "Stop this at once."


    Teacher Jiao held Mo Ying''s fist, having caught his shadow punch with his bare hand. He tightened his grip and a flash of pain raced across Mo Ying''s face.


    "Don''t you think you''re going too far, bullying a middle school student like this? Were you actually trying to murder him?"


    "I¡­I wouldn''t dare!" Mo Ying spluttered as he tried to retreat, but wasn''t able to because Teacher Jiao was still gripping his fist tightly.


    Liar! I thought vehemently. Just a few seconds ago, he was trying to silence me so that there would be no witnesses to his sect''s brutal crimes.


    "Really?" Teacher Jiao glared at him, but released his fist. "I saw everything."


    Mo Ying''s complexion was so pale it was almost as if he had seen a ghost. Or more accurately, he probably thought he saw the manifestation of the grim reaper himself. He staggered back, massaging his sore fist, then whirled around and fled. The rest of his sect followed closely, not daring to look back at the cold and furious figure of Teacher Jiao.


    "Are you all right?"


    "Yeah. Thank you, Teacher Jiao."


    I struggled to get up, only to collapse again. Teacher Jiao''s scowl deepened as he stepped forward to help me up.


    "Those disciples from the Dark Shadow Sect are really vicious¡­I''ll talk to Xiao Zhang about this and have their sect censured. Don''t worry about it."


    I nodded wearily, still engulfed in pain. Looking around, I managed to spot my glasses. Catching my glance, Teacher Jiao helpfully retrieved my half-broken glasses for me.


    "We''ll bring you to the infirmary and get you healed." Teacher Jiao sighed as he supported me, throwing one of my arms around his shoulder. "Come on, let''s go. Teacher Yi Liao should still be in her office."

 15 Chapter 14: Revelation

    Lying on the bed, I let out a sigh of relief. Teacher Yi Liao had immediately tended to me when she saw the horrible state I was in. at first she was furious, having believed that I was too reckless with training, but she glanced at Teacher Jiao, who shook his head.


    Teacher Jiao probably told Teacher Yi what had transpired, for when I woke up, she had a gentle expression on her face that I rarely saw.


    "Hang in there," she told me. "Get some rest. The school will take care of it."


    I didn''t need to ask what "it" was about.


    After an hour of resting in bed and allowing my body to fully mend after Teacher Yi''s treatment, I stood up, getting ready to be discharged.


    "Oh, Fei Wu. You''re finally okay?"


    "Thanks to you, Teacher Yi." I bowed to express my gratitude. "You saved me."


    "No, it''s nothing." Teacher Yi waved my thanks away. "Just doing my job."


    "Nonetheless, I''m still grateful." I rubbed my chest. There was no sign of injury, not even a phantom pain that throbbed incessantly as a reminder of Mo Ying''s punch. The same went for my face. Teacher Yi had even fixed my broken nose.


    "Ah, before you go¡­wait here for a moment."


    "Eh?"


    I stared at Teacher Yi, bewildered, but she merely gestured for me to be patient as she retreated to her desk.


    "Jiao Shi¡­Teacher Jiao wants to talk to you."


    "Ah¡­yeah. I understand."


    No doubt Teacher Jiao would want details of the bullying incident, and probably ask me to write a report. Basically, all the formalities that went with investigating the incident and bringing the high school seniors from the Dark Shadow Sect to justice.


    I sat on the bed for a few minutes before the door to the infirmary opened and Teacher Jiao stepped in. he glanced at me and nodded in relief.


    "Your healing techniques are as excellent as ever, Liao''er," he told Teacher Yi. She smiled as she leaned back in her chair.


    "Of course. Who do you think I am? Even though I look like this, I''m still a master from the Green Dragon Sect."


    "Yeah, I''m so grateful to you for taking care of my students." Teacher Jiao then turned to me. "Student Fei Wu, do you have a moment? I have something to discuss with you."


    "Sure." Originally I thought this was going to be regarding the report of the incident, but Teacher Jiao''s tone told me that this was more complex than that.


    He led me to his office. At least that was what I first thought, but Teacher Jiao didn''t stop even when we reached the staff room and walked past it. Glancing at the staff room, I hurried to follow him despite my confusion.


    Where are we going? I wondered.


    That question was answered less than a few minutes later when I found myself in front of the principal''s office.


    "Come on, go in. what are you waiting for?"


    Teacher Jiao turned to look at me, puzzled by my hesitation. I gulped.


    "Are we going to see Principal Xiao Zhang?"


    "Yes." Then Teacher Jiao burst out laughing when he suddenly understood my trepidation. "Don''t worry, the principal isn''t going to reprimand you."


    "A reprimand is the least I''m worried about," I muttered, remembering his treatment after the test. He literally called me trash. And no, I wasn''t referring to my name.


    "Don''t worry¡­this time, the meeting will go better," Teacher Jiao assured me. He then pushed me inside. "Go in. Don''t be afraid. I''ll be there to help you."


    Without any choice, I obeyed and stepped into the office.


    True enough, Xiao Zhang was waiting for me. Seated behind a massive mahogany table, with his hands steepled, he stared at me with his aged, steely eyes.


    "Ah¡­Fei Wu." His tone was cool, but at least it wasn''t as condescending as before. "So how have your first three months at the academy been?"


    "¡­"


    I wasn''t sure how to reply. Rather, I wasn''t sure what the right answer was. Was this some kind of test? Do I respond positively or negatively?


    Teacher Jiao must have noticed my predicament, for he stepped in.


    "Well, let''s get straight to the point." Teacher Jiao gestured for me to sit, then he took a seat beside me. There were a few chairs in the spacious office, and I had the impression that the room was often visited by officials, dignitaries and high-ranking representatives from all over the nation and beyond. "This isn''t the first time you''ve been attacked by students believing that you possess the Heaven and Earth Formula, right?"


    "Wait?!" I jolted upright to glare at him. "You knew?"


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    "Yes. I was ready to interfere and help you whenever necessary, but you handled them spectacularly." He cast a glance at Xiao Zhang. "Even though you''re a mere One Star Constitution cultivator."


    "Did Tian Mo mention us?"


    This time, it was the principal''s turn to ask a question. I turned to him, bewildered.


    "¡­who?"


    "Tian Mo, the Absolute One, the former leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect before it was destroyed." Teacher Jiao was on hand to helpfully supply the information.


    "No, he never mentioned anything to me at all," I replied, still trying my best to wrap my head around what was going on.


    Teacher Jiao smiled as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands.


    "You really have no idea what''s going on, do you?"


    "Uh¡­what''s going on?"


    Sorry, but I just had to ask. I honestly had no clue what they were trying to get at.


    "To put it simply, the Martial Arts Alliance is a coalition of orthodox martial arts sects who gathered together before the last war in order to fight against the demonic sects who were rampaging throughout the middle continent."


    "Uh¡­I know that much, at least." I was wondering why Xiao Zhang had to explain the obvious. He merely smiled.


    "And the Wu Ling Academy is an organization established under the Alliance. Well, that''s not exactly accurate. The Wu Ling Academy has a long, long history of being a school where all the disciples of different martial arts sects could gather and train alongside each other. The fierce competition and constant chance to spar against disciples from other sects provided an optimal environment for raising the strongest and best disciples."


    Yeah, but I already know that too¡­


    I was still wondering why Xiao Zhang was explaining all that to me.


    "But that''s not the only purpose of Wu Ling Academy."


    Now that caught my attention. Not knowing what other purpose there could possibly be, I sat up rigidly and stared at Xiao Zhang intensely. The old man broke into an indulgent smile and sipped some coffee from his mug before continuing.


    "You probably are already aware of this, but there exists thousands¡­tens of thousands of different martial arts all over the middle continent. Most of them stretch back to antiquity, ancient arts that preserve the arcane prowess of our ancestors, allowing the wielders to bend the elemental forces of nature to their will. But sects come and go, many have been destroyed, while many new ones are constantly created to take their place."


    "¡­I see."


    I wasn''t sure what else to say, and I had a feeling I knew where this was going.


    "One of the main purposes of Wu Ling Academy¡­" Xiao Zhang continued. "¡­is to find all these lost ancient martial arts and restore them. To protect and preserve them, to create an archive that provides an infinite number of martial arts, catering to any number of disciples. This includes not only orthodox martial arts but also the so-called demonic martial arts."


    I felt a chill run down my spine. Xiao Zhang merely chuckled when he saw my reaction, and he waved his hand reassuringly.


    "Relax. I''m not accusing you of anything."


    "Uh¡­no¡­I¡­"


    While I stammered, Xiao Zhang raised a hand to cut me off so that he could continue with his longwinded explanation.


    "Of course, we receive backlash, especially from the most conservative traditionalist orthodox martial arts sects. They strongly believe that we should eradicate all demonic martial arts from the world, thoroughly destroy all of them, and hunt down every practitioner who dares violate the warrior''s ethic and resort to learning such despicable techniques."


    Can''t say I blame them, but yeah, that was way too extreme.


    "However, we at Wu Ling Academy don''t agree with them." Xiao Zhang fixed me with a steely gaze. "We believe that there''s no such thing as an orthodox martial art or a demonic martial art. Martial arts and techniques are neither good nor evil. It''s the cultivator who wields them that embodies such qualities. Just because you practice an orthodox martial arts with a long tradition in the righteous way doesn''t mean you will never commit any evil, doesn''t mean that you will never murder anyone with the martial arts you''ve learned or use those skills for violence. Similarly, as long as you have good self-control, there is no reason why you can''t use those so-called demonic martial arts for good, for example to protect people or to save lives."


    "¡­yeah."


    I agreed with that. I was also of the opinion that no martial art was inherently good or bad. Just like weapons ¨C whether a weapon was used for good or for evil was entirely dependent on the owner. Similarly, martial arts couldn''t think or act on their own. They were tools, weapons used by the wielder to commit whatever benevolent or nefarious purposes he had in mind.


    "Seeing that you don''t know anything, I''m guessing that Tian Mo didn''t want you discovered." Xiao Zhang paused for a moment to stare at the ceiling, his shoulders drooping as if a tremendous weight had descended upon them. He sighed heavily and returned his gaze to me. "Well, he''s not the type to have his disciple fight his enemies."


    "I''m not his disciple."


    "No, you probably aren''t¡­at least not consciously. But¡­" Xiao Zhang reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder. "¡­this is Tian Mo we''re talking about here. The greatest mastermind in the history of the Jianghu. If there''s a way he could impart his techniques without anyone knowing, including the inheritor himself, then he would be the one to know it."


    "But I really don''t¡­"


    "I heard you possess the Golden Dragon Medallion," Xiao Zhang interrupted me. I hesitated, and then nodded. Reaching into my pocket, I produced it and placed it on the table. Xiao Zhang smiled grimly as he leaned back in his leather chair. "That alone is the single greatest proof of my suspicions. The Absolute One would never freely give the proof of being the leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect to just anyone."


    I felt a chill run down my spine.


    "You probably believe that Tian Mo didn''t teach you anything. And in a way, you''re right. He didn''t teach you, but he most likely gave you a way of learning the techniques¡­either by implanting something in your subconscious or otherwise."


    "What if you''re wrong?" I blurted out, refusing to believe the bullshit that he was spouting. Xiao Zhang shrugged.


    "No big loss. We''ll just be wasting money chasing after an ancient ultimate martial art that will most likely never be seen again. But what do you have to lose? After all¡­" Xiao Zhang''s lips curled unpleasantly. "You''re just a One Star Constitution practitioner."


    "We''ll give you the chance to learn other martial arts too," Teacher Jiao broke in, glaring at Xiao Zhang. He offered me an encouraging smile. "You''re making incredible progress with the Shadow Steps and you''ll be able to access level 2 techniques soon."


    "Yes, certainly you can go down that route," Xiao Zhang agreed disinterestedly. "But if you choose to attempt and restore and recover the Heaven and Earth Formula, Wu Ling Academy will give you our full support. You''ll get additional resources, a much wider access to normally restricted manuals, theories and techniques, and permission to train at our most advanced training facilities. Not the one you''ve been attending every night," he added before I could point out that the one I used was already good enough. "An isolation chamber with more advanced battle puppets, sophisticated artificial intelligence for assistance, and other training equipment."


    I stared at him skeptically. "Why?"


    "Why?" Xiao Zhang echoed before he grinned, his eyes glinting manically. "As a martial artist, wouldn''t you want to try to restore the Heaven and Earth Formula? The ultimate martial arts technique that made the Absolute One unrivaled throughout the Middle Continent, granting him power to strike terror in the hearts of everyone? The skills he used to raze hundreds of sects and obliterate thousands of foes in a single battle? A technique that raised him to near-godhood, and could almost resist the combined attacks of a few peak Nascent Soul Stage practitioners before they finally brought him down, at great costs to themselves?"


    I swallowed. No doubt, when Xiao Zhang put it that way, the offer was too tempting to resist. Of course it was the dream of any martial artist to learn the ultimate technique in order to be invincible. But there was always a catch. And I wasn''t unrealistic and deluded enough to think something like this was easily achieved.


    No, it was probably impossible to achieve.


    "It''s not smooth-sailing, though." This time, it was Teacher Jiao who spoke up. He narrowed his eyes at Xiao Zhang and turned to warn me. "We''re facing incredible resistance from the conservative orthodox sects."


    "But you don''t have to worry about them," Xiao Zhang declared dismissively. "Leave them to me. I''ll deal with them. And I bet several of those hypocritical geezers want the ancient art of the Heaven and Earth Sect for themselves."


    He smiled at me, idly tapping his fingers against his large desk. I noticed that there were piles of documents next to a laptop.


    "First and foremost, you''re a student of Wu Ling Academy. So nobody can touch you. The academy will protect you at all costs."


    "Like you''ve done a good job of it so far," I muttered. Teacher Jiao looked a little guilty as he raised his hand.


    "Uh, that''s my fault. I didn''t step in because I knew you could handle it. You were never in any danger. If I think you can''t deal with your opponent, I will interfere before the matter goes out of hand, like earlier."


    "You mean, you just stood and watched the high school seniors from the Dark Shadow Sect beat me up and almost kill me before you decided that I couldn''t handle it?!" I growled. Teacher Jiao glanced down sheepishly.


    "Jiao Shi, make sure you do your job properly," Xiao Zhang said sharply. "Or should I assign some other teacher to protect him?"


    "No, I''ll do it. To be fair, that''s the only reason why you''ve progressed to where you are right now, haven''t you?" Teacher Jiao stared at me with a smirk. "If I saved you every time you were attacked, would you have gained the experience and strength to defeat opponents like Tie Shan, Luan Fa and Luo Zhe, all of whom are a year your senior?"


    "That¡­" I couldn''t deny that those battles granted me valuable experience. But even so, Teacher Jiao''s almost complete lack of interference pissed me off somehow. That said, it did feel satisfying blowing the three seniors from the Iron Mountain Sect up, and I also had a rush of achievement when I kicked the lights out of Luo Zhe.


    "I''ll also teach him the Shadow Steps properly. Once you''ve mastered that and proceeded to level 2 techniques, then we can begin preparing you for trying to restore Heaven and Earth Formula."


    "How am I supposed to restore Heaven and Earth Formula when I haven''t had the foggiest clue how? You made all these claims about subconscious or whatever, but I really don''t have any impression regarding it." I tapped the golden dragon medallion irately. "This was all the old man gave me. Couldn''t you get some clues out of it?"


    "You don''t get it, do you?" Xiao Zhang pushed the medallion toward me without looking at me. "You are our biggest clue. The medallion alone isn''t enough. I''m sure that in those brief moments of contact, Tian Mo must have done something."


    "And if he didn''t?"


    "Then it''ll be a wild goose''s chase, and the only thing that would be wasted is money and your time." Xiao Zhang leaned back in his chair in a carefree manner. "It''s not like you''re our only student, or the Heaven and Earth Formula is the only ancient martial art we''re trying to restore. You''re just one of many. We''re staking quite a bit of resources on you because the payoff would be tremendous, but even if you fail, it''s not like the academy will collapse. We''re not going all-in on this one."


    "¡­"


    I studied Xiao Zhang for another few moments before I sighed and nodded.


    "I understand. I''ll do my best."


    "That''s all I ask." Xiao Zhang nodded toward Teacher Jiao who rose to his feet. "Now that you''ve the gist of it, I guess that will be all."


    "If you have any questions or need any assistance, feel free to approach me." Teacher Jiao patted me encouragingly on the back. "I guess we''ll start with completing the Shadow Steps. You only have about two months before you''ve to return the manual, right?" he pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled. "But I think you''ll be able to finish it before this month is over."


    "Uh¡­thanks?"


    I bowed politely. Taking the hint, I departed the office. The large wooden double doors closed behind me, their lacquered surface glinting under the fluorescent light. With nothing else to do, I began to make my way back to my dormitory room.


    "¡­"


    I froze when I heard voices from inside the office. Turning my head slightly, I couldn''t help but eavesdrop on Teacher Jiao''s conversation with Xiao Zhang.


    "Is this really necessary?" Teacher Jiao asked.


    "Yes," Xiao Zhang replied coolly. "Right now that boy is our greatest clue to the Heaven and Earth Formula. You know as well as I do that Tian Mo didn''t leave any trace or any other successor behind. The Alliance succeeded in exterminating the Heaven and Earth Sect, and the Absolute One did not have any direct contact with anyone other than that boy."


    "Even then¡­there are many ways of learning Heaven and Earth Formula. Student Fei Wu even offered the medallion to us. Would it not be more practical to study and analyze the Heavenly Dragon Golden Medallion?"


    "If it was that easy, don''t you think I would have done that?" Xiao Zhang responded evenly. "Don''t forget that this is Tian Mo we''re speaking about. The Absolute One¡­the demonic king and master of the fearsome Heaven and Earth Sect. there is no way Tian Mo would have simply left the techniques in the Heavenly Dragon Golden Medallion without any protection. In fact, that''s exactly why he didn''t teach the boy directly. To prevent us from taking the techniques from him by force."


    "You¡­" Teacher Jiao growled. "Do you think I''ll let you hurt my student?"


    "You''re too overprotective of him, Jiao Shi," Xiao Zhang replied dismissively. "But I have no intention of being rash and causing Heaven and Earth Formula to disappear forever. Sometimes, it''s best to take the patient route. Besides, shouldn''t you be happy for your student? If he indeed holds the only clue to Heaven and Earth Formula, he would become one of our academy''s greatest assets. He''ll be much more powerful than even the Four Star Constitution candidates in our school."


    "Do you think I''ll just watch as you let him finish learning Heaven and Earth Formula, then take it away from him? I won''t allow anything so despicable."


    "Oh, of course I''ll let him keep his Heaven and Earth Formula. He has earned that right, after all. And we need his strength, for if he does succeed, he will undoubtedly become one of our greatest combat assets." Xiao Zhang sounded like he was rubbing his palms in anticipation. "All I ask is that he replicates a manual for Heaven and Earth Formula to store in the archives of Wu Ling Academy, for future generations to learn."


    I guess if I was expecting some sort of evil conspiracy, I would be disappointed. While the principal of Xiao Zhang was slightly unscrupulous and greedily ambitious, he wasn''t exactly the scheming villain who plotted my downfall. He just wanted Heaven and Earth Formula to become part of the techniques available in Wu Long Academy.


    Of course, for that to happen, I would have to succeed first.


    But¡­can I?


    I still held doubts that I was really the successor to the Heaven and Earth Formula. Despite Xiao Zhang''s claims, I honestly did not believe that the old man had somehow transmitted Heaven and Earth Formula to my subconscious or something. That was just ridiculous.


    Then again, I had seen some pretty absurd stuff ever since I was spiritually transported into this world. Healing qi techniques that could bring a person back from the brink of death. Qi magic that could repair destroyed buildings and restore them whole. Dark Shadow Illusions that could take the form of a person and cause hallucinations.


    Who was to say that such a transmission method was impossible, especially for someone revered as the single most powerful martial artist in the world?


    Speaking of which, no wonder no one knew about my fight with the Iron Mountain Sect trio and the alchemy lab being blown up. Teacher Jiao must have repaired the damage and then covered everything up¡­


    Why didn''t he tell me, though?


    Fortunately, it seemed that Teacher Jiao had my best interests at heart. At the very least, I trusted him more than I believed Xiao Zhang.


    The scrape of the chair inside Xiao Zhang''s office brought me back to the present, and I hastily left the corridor before either adult realized that I was outside eavesdropping.

 16 Chapter 15: Talent Restored

    For a martial arts academy, the students were left to their own devices to do a whole lot of self-learning. I was beginning to wonder what the point of joining a martial arts academy was, given that the only things the teachers and staff taught us were theoretical subjects that we could learn in any regular school.


    What was the point of enrolling in a martial academy then?


    The answer was the competitive environment.


    "Hah!"


    "Oraaaa!"


    Instead of going on a run today, I had taken a detour to watch an official duel between two of my schoolmates. Feng Tian Yong was dueling against a student from Class 1-3, and they were viciously trading blows.


    Boom!


    Fires erupted from Feng Tian Yong''s hands as he slashed at the other guy with his Flaming Phoenix Claws technique. The other guy countered with Soaring Eagle Talons, a light blue aura of predatory qi shrouding his hands. The clash between their attacks caused the colliding qi to detonate and both fighters staggered back.


    The other guy, who was from the Soaring Eagle Sect, was a student named Fei Ying¡­if I remembered correctly. No, he had no relation with me, and the Chinese character for our family name was completely different. In any case, I heard of him. He was a highly competent Three Star Constitution practitioner, and for him to fight this long against a Four Star Constitution cultivator like Feng Tian Yong proved his ability.


    "Heh¡­not bad."


    Feng Tian Yong looked impressed. Grinning excitedly, he increased the intensity of his blazing yang qi, shrouding himself within a ravenous inferno.


    "You''re pretty good! There''s no need for me to hold back!"


    Fei Ying watched him silently, but I could see the perspiration dripping down his face. Nonetheless, he clamped down on his fears and bravely faced the human torch that Feng Tian Yong had become. A pair of azure wings materialized on his back and spread out, and I could almost see feathers made of qi fluttering to the ground.


    "That''s the¡­Soaring Eagle Double Wings technique!" one of the students from class 1-3 murmured.


    "Fei Ying is really going all out, eh?"


    "Do it! Beat that guy from class 4!"


    While the students from class 1-3 roared their approval, the students from class 1-4 refused to back down.


    "Feng Tian Yong!" I hollered. "Do your best!"


    "Yeah!"


    The girls joined me, screaming and cheering. Feng Tian Yong was one of the most handsome guys in class, and thus garnered a huge following from our female classmates.


    Feng Tian Yong smiled as he glanced at us, then he turned back to smirk at his opponent.


    "Wings, huh?" he asked. "I can do that too."


    Blazing wings of fire burst out of his back, unfolding to unleash a rain of fiery feathers onto the ground. Even more massive and majestic than Fei Ying''s, the flaming wings took on a golden tinge that enveloped the entire arena in a yellowish glow.


    "¡­"


    Fei Ying watched his opponent cautiously, but he did not back down. Gritting his teeth, he hardened his resolve and sped forward. His wings flapped and he soared high in the vast space of the arena, which despite being an enclosed space was about twenty meters in height and fifty meters in length and breadth.


    There clearly was enough space for both duelists to fly around.


    Not wanting to be upstaged, Feng Tian Yong flapped his fiery wings as well, and took off. The two of them wheeled, jinked and cartwheeled in the air, using their heightened mobility and agility to dodge each other''s attacks.


    It was almost like watching a pair of fighter jet planes dueling in the skies.


    "Amazing¡­even though Feng Tian Yong and Fei Ying are only middle school first year students, they''ve already reached such a level?!"


    "Geniuses¡­both of them are geniuses!"


    "The only one who can surpass them is Bai Ning Xue!"


    Just so you know, this was most certainly not a normal duel between middle school first year students. It resembled the high-level battles between high school students. Most of our duels were a lot more low-key than this, which was exactly why this was one of the rare instances I actually bothered to watch a duel between my classmates.


    There was an explosion as the two combatants collided in the air again, Feng Tian Yong''s Flaming Phoenix Claws clashing against Fei Ying''s Soaring Eagle Talons. Both of them plummeted toward the ground, exchanging vicious blows, striking and slashing at each other''s faces, chests or arms. Flames pounded against a blue sheen, while sharp azure qi scratched against a blazing barrier. For a moment, it seemed neither duelist would give ground.


    Boom!


    Wrestling with each other, the duo slammed into the ground and vanished in a cloud of dust. Slight tremors shook across the arena, but the reinforced material ¨C which was far more durable and sturdier than the one used in the training facilities ¨C held. The spectators held their breaths as they waited for the cloud to dissipate.


    It didn''t take long for the cloud of dust to dissipate, and when it did, many of the spectators gasped. Both figures were lying on the ground.


    "That''s¡­"


    "It''s a¡­draw?"


    "No¡­wait!"


    Someone shouted when one of the figures rose unsteadily to his feet. Holding his fist up, diminished flames flickering weakly but surely, Feng Tian Yong yelled triumphantly.


    "OOOOOH!"


    "Awesome!"


    "Amazing!"


    The spectators broke into applause, having enjoyed that fight tremendously. As for me, I was both pleased for my friend as well as satisfied that I had learned something from this fight.


    "Feng Tian Yong is super strong, isn''t he?" Zhu Jiao commented, thoroughly impressed. "He''s probably one of the best in our cohort."


    "Yeah," I agreed, watching as Feng Tian Yong strode over to his fallen opponent. He offered Fei Ying a hand, and the latter took it, allowing Feng Tian Yong to pull him to his feet.


    "You were amazing," Feng Tian Yong praised Fei Ying, patting him in the shoulder. "You really pushed me all the way."


    "Heh. Thanks. But I still lost." Fei Ying shook his head. Feng Tian Yong beamed in response.


    "You know I''ll accept your challenge anytime. I would love to fight against you again."


    "Of course." Fei Ying smiled back. "Next time the result might be different."


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    Feng Tian Yong laughed. "I look forward to that!"


    "Let''s go congratulate Tian Yong," I told Zhu Jiao, getting ready to descend to the backstage of the arena. The girls in our class were already heading in that direction, no doubt trying to appeal to him by offering him a towel or something.


    "Oh? Where do you think you''re going?"


    I felt a chill run down my spine when I heard the familiar voice. Turning around, I caught sight of Qi Fu Ren showing up in the spectator box, his flunkies in tow.


    "Hey, it''s been a while." Forcing my discomfort away, I looked up at him and waved absentmindedly. "Hello."


    Qi Fu Ren''s lip curled and he glared at me. He seemed pretty annoyed by my sarcasm. Good. That was the point of my sarcasm.


    "Why haven''t you bowed down already?" he sneered. I stared at him, taken aback by the ridiculous words.


    "Why should I bow down to you?"


    Shrugging, I made to brush past him and head downstairs to where Feng Tian Yong and the others were, but Qi Fu Ren reached out and shoved me back.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    I met his gaze evenly. "I don''t believe that''s any of your business?"


    Qi Fu Ren placed a hand on my shoulders, and in a single motion, slammed my knees into the ground. I gritted my teeth and forced myself not to let out a cry of pain to the sadistic bully. As if he was disappointed, Qi Fu Ren exerted more force into his hand on my shoulder, grinding my knees painfully against the concrete.


    "Kneel. Didn''t you learn from your months in Wu Ling Academy? The correct way of greeting a superior and stronger person is to prostrate themselves. I''m already magnanimous in only letting you kneel instead of prostrating."


    Bloody fucker¡­


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Zhu Jiao growled as he hurried over to help me. He was the only one who did so. Even though most of the student spectators from all the different classes had remained behind in the box, the majority of them had gathered behind Qi Fu Ren and his underlings to spectate. They either stood by, doing absolutely nothing, or they enjoyed what they perceived as entertainment. "Get your hands off Fei Wu!"


    "What''s going on here?" Ban Zhang emerged. "Why are you all standing around, watching¡­? Hey! Qi Fu Ren! What do you think you''re doing?"


    Before he could get to our position, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao barred him. Craning my neck, I saw that it wasn''t just Ban Zhang. A few other guys, and girls such as Qing Xin Xia and Xiang Xun Yi had quickly stepped forward, but the two cronies continued to block them.


    "Stop it! Stop picking on Zhu Jiao and Fei Wu!"


    "You guys should be ashamed of yourselves!"


    "Heh." Qi Fu Ren relaxed his grip on my shoulder, and I quickly seized the chance to withdraw. Ignoring me. Qi Fu Ren turned to glare at the classmates who dared gathered in front of him. "None of you are a match for me."


    "That''s not the point! You shouldn''t be bullying other people¡­"


    Ban Zhang barely finished his sentence when Qi Fu Ren struck him. Lightning exploded and Ban Zhang was sent hurtling across the air, crashing onto the ground heavily in a heap. After carving a trail, he lay motionlessly on the floor, his body smoking.


    Qi Fu Ren raised a lightning-wreathed fist. "Anyone else wants to interfere?"


    Nobody said anything after that. Qing Xin Xia quickly hurried over to treat Ban Zhang with her healing techniques from the Green Dragon Sect. after a few moments, Ban Zhang began to stir, and I finally let out an exhalation of relief.


    Meanwhile Qi Fu Ren turned gleefully toward me and despite being a distance away, he punched out.


    At first I thought he was merely threatening me, but a lightning bolt rippled from his hand and slammed into me. I shrieked as electricity incinerated and shocked me, causing my body to jerk uncontrollably.


    "Ha ha ha ha! Would you look at that?" Qi Fu Ren and his two flunkies guffawed at the sight. "Did you take dance lessons, Fei Wu? Those are some pretty good moves!"


    I collapsed onto the ground wordlessly, fumes rising from my electrocuted body. I coughed, feeling numb all over. Gritting my teeth, I tried to crawl to my feet, only for Qi Fu Ren to approach and hit me.


    However, before his blow could land, Zhu Jiao caught his fist. Lightning crackled and surged violently, but Zhu Jiao didn''t seem the least affected. Instead, he shoved Qi Fu Ren away.


    "Is it that fun picking on the weak?" he demanded.


    "Eh?" Qi Fu Ren looked astonished that his lightning didn''t seem to have any effect on Zhu Jiao, but he quickly wrote that off as an aberration. Regaining his malicious grin, he mocked Zhu Jiao derisively. "Of course! There''s no greater joy than putting trash in their place¡­in the bin!"


    Zhu Jiao met his scornful gaze evenly, his eyes steely and cold. "If you want to pick on Wu, you''ll have to go through me first."


    "Hah! That''s what I wanted! I wanted to teach you a lesson as well! You''re getting pretty uppity lately, aren''t you?" Qi Fu Ren sneered as he glowered at Zhu Jiao. "And stop bluffing. None of the teachers are here today. Don''t think you can rely on Teacher Jiao to save your sorry ass now, like he did the last time."


    A cold smile spread over Zhu Jiao''s handsome face. "Good. Then you won''t be able to hide behind Teacher Jiao."


    "What did you say?!" Qi Fu Ren roared. Zhu Jiao smirked.


    "Oh, so you''re deaf as well as stupid? I said that it''s a pity you won''t be able to hide behind Ning Xue today." He shrugged. "How pathetic of you to always hide behind adults. Are you planning to be a kid forever?"


    Qi Fu Ren stared at him, astounded. Then he began chuckling, his laughter quaking with barely concealed rage.


    "Good. Very good. I see that you''ve finally lost your mind. Being trash must have damaged you psychologically. I feel so sorry for you." he reached out to strike Zhu Jiao, but the latter caught his Lightning Fist without breaking a sweat. Qi Fu Ren''s brow furrowed, but he retained his composure. "Since you''re so confident, then you won''t refuse my challenge, right?"


    Zhu Jiao sighed and shook his head exaggeratedly. "You''re not my match."


    "What did he say?"


    "Huh?!"


    "Did¡­did I mishear what he said?"


    A murmur rippled across the crowd of students as they closed in to watch, a few out of concern, but the majority for entertainment. The latter were staring at each other in amusement and disbelief, and like Qi Fu Ren, they clearly thought that Zhu Jiao had lost his mind.


    "Classmate Zhu Jiao!" Xiang Xun Yi shouted in concern. "Don''t force yourself! I''ll go get Teacher Jiao! Hang in there!"


    "There''s no need to. Trust me."


    When Zhu Jiao plainly stated that, more of our classmates were looking bewildered or burst out laughing.


    "Really? That Zhu Jiao thinks he can beat Qi Fu Ren?"


    "Hasn''t Qi Fu Ren already reached the fourth level of Qi Gathering Stage? Zhu Jiao is only at the first level, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s correct."


    "So where is he getting that confidence from?"


    Everyone continued chattering to each other under their breaths, and several of the guys even began to make bets. In fact, the other Four Star Constitution guys had shown up, their interest in this match roused by Zhu Jiao''s bravado.


    Normally, they wouldn''t even have bothered to watch, but they seemed to sense a change in the atmosphere today. I could see Li Chun Long, Feng Tian Yong and Wu Hei Gui. Even the aloof Du Lang had taken up a spot in the distance, to watch.


    "Hey! Don''t you think you''re going too far?!"


    It was Tang Qi Hong. She strode forward, only for Hu Shuo and Ba Dao to block her path. Irritated, she snapped at them.


    "Get out of my way!"


    "Tang Qi Hong¡­do you really want to fight with me?" Qi Fu Ren asked without even turning to look at her.


    "Why not? Who''s scared of whom? I''m also a Four Star Constitution practitioner, and I''ve also reached the fourth level of Qi Gathering Stage. You think I can''t defeat you?"


    Qi Fu Ren scoffed. "You''re just a girl. If you''re Bai Ning Xue, then perhaps you might stand a chance, but¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes flashed dangerously. "Bai Ning Xue, Bai Ning Xue, Bai Ning Xue! Is that all you guys think about?! She''s not always going to be number one forever!"


    Oh, wow. A woman was really horrifying when scorned. Not to mention, the burning jealousy in her ruby eyes were giving her a fiery aura that scorched the ground around her. The rest of our classmates quickly moved away to give her a wide berth. Obviously no one wanted to be burned from standing right next to her.


    "Classmate Tang Qi Hong, do you mind letting me fight him first?" Zhu Jiao was feigning politeness. "I''m afraid I won''t get a chance to hit him if you burn him into ash. Besides¡­" he returned his attention to Qi Fu Ren. "Your opponent is me. Like I said, if you want to have a go at anybody, whether it''s Fei Wu or Tang Qi Hong, you''ll have to get past me first." His smile widened. "Provided you are able to even defeat me, of course."


    "Hah!" Qi Fu Ren snorted. "Zhu Jiao, this has to be the worst joke I''ve ever heard. You think acting like an idiot will help you?"


    "Oh, so you''re know I''m actually smart. Too bad for you, you don''t have to act like an idiot. You already are one."


    Qi Fu Ren''s face flushed. His fist crackled with lightning and he bellowed furiously, swinging at Zhu Jiao with a vicious hook.


    "Stop talking nonsense! Die!"


    "No one''s going to die." Zhu Jiao merely parried Qi Fu Ren''s punch and gripped the latter''s fist tightly. Qi Fu Ren''s eyes bulged in surprise. "Besides, the arena is just over there." Letting go of Qi Fu Ren, Zhu Jiao stepped back and gestured to the now vacated arena. "If we don''t fight in an official match, we might both get into trouble. What do you say, let''s go down there and settle our grudges in the arena?"


    "Fine then¡­" Qi Fu Ren growled. "I''ll make sure to humiliate you in front of everybody."


    "We''ll see about that. Less talking, more doing." Turning away, Zhu Jiao swung himself over the stairs and landed at the bottom of the building. He glanced up and gestured for Qi Fu Ren to follow. "What are you waiting for? Are you scared?"


    "You¡­!"


    But Qi Fu Ren obediently went down. Hu Shuo and Ba Dao exchanged confused glances, not knowing what to do, but under their leader''s orders, they remained upstairs in the spectator box to watch the match.


    With another match taking place, almost all the students remained. In fact, an influx of new students showed up, their interest piqued by the unlikely matchup. Apparently the news of Zhu Jiao''s challenge had spread rampantly through social media and cellphone messages, and a lot of the first year students were intrigued by the story behind it.


    The two persons in question were now standing in the middle of the arena. Qi Fu Ren cracked his knuckles, lightning crackling around his hands, while Zhu Jiao stretched himself in a relaxed manner. Once he was done with his warmup, he cocked his head and beckoned Qi Fu Ren over.


    "Shall we begin then?"


    "DIE!"


    Without any hesitation, Qi Fu Ren lunged forward. Devastating electricity wreathed his fist, and he drew back his arm to deliver a punch brutal enough to pulverize solid concrete.


    Unfazed, Zhu Jiao sidestepped Qi Fu Ren''s fist. He placed a hand on Qu Fu Ren''s outstretched arm, and in a single motion, flipped the much larger guy over his head. Qi Fu Ren''s eyes widened as his world turned upside down, and the next thing he knew, he landed heavily on the ground. He grunted and stared up at the metallic ceiling, unable to comprehend what had just transpired.


    "Sleeping already? It''s just the first move of the match, you know?"


    Throwing those same words that Qi Fu Ren tossed at us all those weeks ago, Zhu Jiao chuckled before he stomped on Qi Fu Ren''s gut.


    "Ugh!"


    Qi Fu Ren threw up a massive spurt of blood and clutched his stomach, unable to control his nausea. He rolled away, his body clad in lightning. With a growl, he wiped the blood away from his mouth and struck the ground.


    "Have a taste of my newly acquired Thunder Break!"


    I almost rolled my eyes at that cheesy line. Did people actually go around announcing that they were going to use a technique that they had just learned? Furthermore, was there even a need to inform us that he only just recently learned Thunder Break?


    Zhu Jiao was right. Qi Fu Ren was an idiot through and through.


    Unfortunately, even as a moron, Qi Fu Ren''s skills were the real deal. All of us jumped away in reflex as lightning traveled up to the reinforced glass that separated the arena from the spectator box, detonating in a dazzling display that clawed and scrabbled ferociously at the transparent barrier.


    However, none of the electricity hit Zhu Jiao. Almost as if he was dancing across the ground or waltzing atop the wind, he deftly evaded all of the electricity that blasted out of the reinforced floor, dodging most of them by the narrowest of margins or by a mere hair''s breadth.


    "Impossible!"


    Qi Fu Ren couldn''t believe his eyes. Snarling, he increased the amount of qi in his fist.


    "Oh, wow. That''s a really big attack."


    Zhu Jiao observed Qi Fu Ren''s Lightning Flash calmly, admitting that this time he wouldn''t be able to block it without negative repercussions. He nodded respectfully, acknowledging his opponent''s brute strength.


    However¡­


    "It''s pointless if you can''t hit me."


    Zhu Jiao could see so many openings when Qi Fu Ren abandoned caution and went for a big move. Exploiting the gaps in his opponent''s defense, Zhu Jiao whirled away from the devastating Lightning Flash, and then slammed his fist against Qi Fu Ren''s unguarded chest.


    For a moment, it seemed that nothing happened. Then a golden burst of qi blasted out of Zhu Jiao''s fist and hurled Qi Fu Ren across the arena, sending him flying and slamming against a stainless steel wall. The surface actually cracked and shook wildly when Qi Fu Ren''s large frame collided with it, several cobwebs spreading rapidly across the wall.


    "Ugh¡­argh!"


    Coughing out blood, Qi Fu Ren struggled to his feet, only to topple over helplessly. He looked up, his expression still mired in that of disbelief and denial. Clutching the grass, he gritted his teeth in agony and frustration as he lay on the ground.


    "Qi Fu Ren lost?"


    However, those without insider knowledge or the ones who were less genre savvy were dumbstruck at the totally predictable scene, fulfilling their roles as NPCs who served to praise the protagonist''s strength and indicate how powerful he had grown.


    "How is this possible?! Half a month ago, Zhu Jiao got beaten up by Qi Fu Ren and needed Teacher Jiao to save him. Did his talent get restored within these two weeks?"


    "Oi, oi, what the hell are you talking about?"


    "Even if his talent returned, using just two weeks to surpass Qi Fu Ren is way too exaggerated, isn''t it?!"


    Everyone was muttering and whispering to each other, still unable to comprehend what had just happened. As for me, I merely shook my head and sighed.


    "Thanks, Zhu Jiao."


    "No problem. I''m glad everything got resolved." Zhu Jiao flashed me a thumb''s up, then he turned to look up at Hu Shuo and Ba Dao, who were totally at a loss now that their leader was incapacitated. I was surprised that he could see and hear us from down there, despite the heavily reinforced glass blocking any of the sounds the spectators made. "How about the two of you?"


    "Uh¡­"


    "Huh?"


    "Do you want a go at me?" Zhu Jiao beckoned them downward, inviting them to jump down into the arena. The two of them exchanged a nervous look, then shook their heads.


    "We''ve to look after the boss."


    "Yeah! Boss! Are you all right?!"


    The two flunkies raced down the stairs, past the backstage and into the arena to help the semiconscious Qi Fu Ren up, and then they quickly fled the scene before Qing Xin Xia could offer her assistance to heal him.


    "Heh¡­interesting¡­"


    "Not bad¡­I knew something was up when Zhu Jiao began acting so confidently."


    "Seems like Zhu Jiao is someone to keep an eye on¡­"


    In the shadows, four of the Four Star Constitution practitioners murmured to themselves and then melted away before anyone realized they were there. Li Chun Long, Feng Tian Yong, Wu Hei Gui and Du Lang.


    As for the last remaining Four Star Constitution practitioner, Tang Qi Hong, she was gaping at the spectacle, her mouth still open.


    "What¡­what just happened?"


    She was shaking her head in disbelief.


    "Someone, please tell me¡­is this a joke? Did Zhu Jiao really defeat Qi Fu Ren? That Qi Fu Ren? Seriously?"


    "Yes, it really happened," Xiang Xun Yi told her. After a while, when the information finally sank in, Tang Qi Hong held her head and shrieked.


    "Eh?! No way!!!!!"


    Not far away, Tu Zi Yi was gazing at Zhu Jiao in wonder, suddenly feeling hope that she might be able to surpass the others despite only being Two Stars.


    I knew better. Zhu Jiao was a Five Star Constitution practitioner to begin with. That was why he was so good. Without talent like his, there was no way I could catch up to him. I was resigned to being a mob character for the rest of my pathetic existence, existing just so he could save me, and later die for some sort of¡­


    "Wu, are you all right?"


    I realized that Zhu Jiao was still keeping an eye on me to ensure I was all right. While I was lost in thought, he had climbed back up to the spectator box to rejoin the rest of the class. I hastily nodded and waved my hands.


    "Yeah, I''m good. Sorry." I shook my head and focused on the present. If Zhu Jiao could miraculously encounter a master, then I probably could learn the Heaven and Earth Formula. That''s it. No more excuses. No more moping around and whining. It was time to actually do something. And I will start by looking at all possible clues.


    Turning around, my resolve hardened, I proceeded toward the courtyard where I conducted my daily runs. I had best kept up my training regimen. At least that was my intention, but I froze the moment I caught sight of someone.


    It was Bai Ning Xue. At some point of time, she had arrived. Even without looking closely, I could tell at first glance that she was watching Zhu Jiao. Her sapphire eyes were riveted upon him, overflowing with affection, admiration and relief.


    That wasn''t all.

 17 Chapter 16: The Announcemen

    Fortunately, as Teacher Jiao predicted, I had finished learning everything I needed from it. Without any need for the manual, I proceeded to return it and all the other books I had borrowed to the library.


    "!"


    I hadn''t gotten very far when I sensed movement behind me. Ducking my head, I barely managed to dodge a kick from behind. Spinning around, I jumped to evade another kick, and then whirled away from a punch that breezed past the front of my nose. The fist missed me by a hair''s breadth, but the arm flicked toward my face, forcing me to retreat and bend my back. I kicked out, met resistance, but used the force to propel myself to a distance.


    Who¡­!?


    Straightening myself, I prepared myself for another assault. No doubt it must be one of those pesky seniors who believed that I was in possession of the Heaven and Earth Formula, and was going to threaten me over it again. Man, but I was sick of them. I hoped they weren''t from the high school section again, but even if they were, Teacher Jiao should be keeping an eye on me¡­


    "¡­eh?"


    My jaw dropped when I realized that my assailant was none other than Teacher Jiao himself. Glaring at him, I dropped into a defensive stance.


    "What''s the big idea?" I demanded, raising my guard and preparing for another attack. Wasn''t Teacher Jiao supposed to watch out for me? Why was he¡­?


    "Not bad, not bad¡­"


    However, Teacher Jiao had lost all intention to attack. Cupping his chin, he nodded in approval as he studied my stance.


    "You''ve truly mastered Shadow Steps, haven''t you? Like I said, you only needed five months in total to learn everything."


    I relaxed a little, realizing that Teacher Jiao was merely testing me. Bowing my head, I cupped my hands in a respectful manner.


    "Yeah. I have finished learning Shadow Steps."


    "Very good. So I presume you''re on your way to return the manual?"


    Teacher Jiao glanced at the library behind him, which was less than fifty meters away. I nodded without any hesitation.


    "Yeah."


    "Excellent. You''re ahead of schedule."


    "No, before that¡­I wish to teach you something else. So don''t borrow any new manual yet."


    I felt a surge of excitement when I heard that. Was Teacher Jiao going to provide me resources or teach me something related to the Heaven and Earth Formula? So it was possible for me to restore that ancient martial art after all?


    "To be honest, I wanted to start as soon as possible, but I have an appointment tonight." Teacher Jiao looked a little apologetic. "So we''ll start tomorrow instead."


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    "What are you going to teach me? The Heaven¡­"


    Honk!


    Before I could finish asking my question, someone rudely cut me off by pressing her car''s horn to divert Teacher Jiao''s attention away.


    "Jiao Shi! Are you done?"


    My jaw dropped when I saw Teacher Yi Liao driving toward us in a red, flashy convertible (that run on qi instead of fuel). She swerved to a stop on the main road next to the courtyard in front of the library, then pushed her sunglasses down to glare at Teacher Jiao.


    "Whoa!"


    "Oh. You are that student¡­if I''m not mistaken, Student Fei Wu?"


    Teacher Yi noticed that I was here as well, and she turned to me.


    "Yeah, I was just giving him instructions for now," Teacher Jiao informed her. "Sorry to keep you waiting."


    I could only gape at both of my teachers, my mind still unable to digest what was happening. Turning back to me, Teacher Jiao patted my shoulder.


    "So remember, Fei Wu, don''t borrow any new manuals. Just patiently wait until tomorrow night, all right? I''ll see you in class tomorrow then!"


    I nodded dumbly as I watched him climb into the passenger seat of Teacher Yi''s convertible. No matter how I looked at it, the two of them seemed to be going out on a date tonight. I didn''t know they were a couple.


    Teacher Yi waved at me one last time before zooming off. I could only stare numbly as my two teachers left the academy grounds, the convertible actually taking off and soaring high into the air a few dozen meters away from the barrier. By the time they reached the thick walls that guarded Wu Ling Academy, the convertible was high enough to crest even the tallest emplacement.


    Then they were gone, just like that.


    Shaking my head in disbelief, I turned back to the library to return the Shadow Steps manual and the rest of the books.


    Maybe I''ll borrow some new books and encyclopedias while at it¡­


    *


    The next day, when class ended, Teacher Jiao had the whole class stay back. Usually, after the theoretical lessons ended at noon, the rest of the class would disperse and leave, presumably to head to their sects for their practical martial arts training. But today, Teacher Jiao held them back.


    "Sorry, but I''ve a bit of an announcement to make. Well, not me, actually¡­but the principal. It''s for all the first years."


    "Eh¡­"


    "How boring¡­"


    There were grumbles and complaints amongst the classrooms, but nobody defied his instructions. Not even Qi Fu Ren and his cronies, despite the three of them lounging defiantly at the back of their classroom. With a huff, Qi Fu Ren rose and left the classroom while Hu Shuo and Ba Dao scurried in his wake. Ever since his crushing defeat to Zhu Jiao, he had remained in a foul mood.


    "What do you think this is all about?" Tong Xue asked as Zhu Jiao, Ban Zhang and I followed him closely out of the classroom.


    "No idea," Ban Zhang replied. "But if it involves all the first years, then it must be something very major."


    "Eh? What''s going on?"


    Zhu Jiao looked perplexed. I shrugged, just as bewildered as him and Ban Zhang. Tong Xue looked like he might have a clue, but he refrained from saying anything.


    "Well, I guess we''ll find out. Let''s go."


    The two of us tailed Teacher Jiao. He guided us along the path, leading us out of the middle school campus bulilding and toward the academy square. Despite the buildings towering over us, there was no shade. The sun continued to relentlessly bear down on the compound.


    A large majority of the first year cohort was already waiting there, having gathered there some time ago. The Principal of Wu Ling Academy was present, and was currently engaged in discussion with several of the other teachers. I noticed that he sent a surreptitious glance in Zhu Jiao''s direction.


    The movement was not lost on Teacher Jiao, who smiled wearily. He turned his head slightly to look at Zhu Jiao.


    "I heard that you regained your talent and beat up Qi Fu Ren a couple of weeks ago."


    "He was getting uppity and trying to bully me and Fei Wu," Zhu Jiao protested hotly. "I was only teaching him a lesson!"


    Teacher Jiao chuckled. "Oh, no. don''t get me wrong. I''m not reprimanding you. I agree with you, actually. Qi Fu Ren''s behavior was getting out of hand, and he was becoming too arrogant for his own good. You''re not the only ones he has been bullying. I''m glad you managed to knock some sense into him. Besides, you challenged him to an official match, so you didn''t break any rules."


    Zhu Jiao looked relieved, but Teacher Jiao continued.


    "However, knowing Qi Fu Ren''s personality, I don''t think this will be over. He will stop harassing you for a while, but he''ll come back for revenge."


    "Hah!" Zhu Jiao snorted. "If he''s still stupid enough to come bother us, then I''ll just have to kick his ass again!"


    "I''m more worried that Qi Fu Ren will resort to more¡­indirect methods," I muttered under my breath, maintaining an air of caution.


    "Yeah. Fei Wu has a point." Teacher Jiao nodded. "Watch your backs, you two."


    "Will do, Teacher Jiao."


    "Speaking of which¡­where did you learn martial arts from?" Teacher Jiao asked Zhu Jiao. "I don''t think you''re in any sect, are you?"


    "Uh¡­actually, well¡­I mean¡­"


    "He is. But for reasons, he can''t tell us which sect he is from, or who his master is." I decided to help him. When Zhu Jiao stared at me in shock, I shrugged. "It''s a standard clich¨¦ in martial arts stories. The master will sometimes ask his disciple to keep everything a secret, at least until he''s ready or something."


    "Ah! Yeah! That''s what it is!"


    Zhu Jiao was gullible enough to accept my explanation at face value. Then again, I did have a point. Such clich¨¦s were pretty commonplace.


    Teacher Jiao frowned, but he didn''t question further. He must have known that it was pointless because it was clear that Zhu Jiao wouldn''t give anything away.


    "All right! Gather around!"


    When Xiao Zhang saw that all of us had assembled, he shouted out in a loud voice. Teacher Jiao went off to the side and joined the other teachers, being discreet so that he wouldn''t divert the students'' attention away from the principal. The teachers the principal was speaking to earlier had also retreated, staying away from the front so that he could deliver his speech undisturbed. After they left the stage, Xiao Zhang swept his friendly gaze over all the students.


    I noticed him shooting a sly glance in my direction. He probably knew that I had completed Shadow Steps and was proceeding to the next stage in supposedly restoring Heaven and Earth Formula.


    "It is time."


    "¡­time?"


    "Huh?"


    "What is he talking about?"


    After that dramatic line, the students all began staring at each other and murmuring amongst themselves, unsure of what had just happened. Xiao Zhang observed us smugly, like a proud parent surveying his children who just scored perfect marks.


    "Your training has been progressing well. I''ve been speaking to each of your respective masters and teachers, and they are impressed with the rate at which you are improving and learning martial arts. As such, I believe that all of you are ready!"


    "Ready for what?"


    Tong Xue couldn''t help but ask. Xiao Zhang merely chuckled. I swear, he was purposely withholding the answer to artificially create tension and increase the dramatic mood of the atmosphere.


    "A month from now, as practical training, all of you will be sent to the Sen Lin Forest."


    It seemed like he was right in being dramatic. There was a low murmur as the students began whispering to each other.


    "By that point, it would be six months since you have entered the academy." Xiao Zhang was nodding indulgently, not at all offended by the noise his announcement had generated. "I believe it would be a good time as any to test your newly learned skills and see how far you''ve progressed. After all, learning martial arts is pointless if you don''t have any real combat experience. Consider it a sort of school tradition necessary for all of you to grow into fine warriors."


    Despite his grand-sounding speech, there was unease and anxiety rankling the ranks of the student. Several of the girls were pale with fright.


    "Isn''t that dangerous?"


    "I don''t know if we''re ready¡­"


    "No way! I don''t want to!"


    "So scary!"


    Xiao Zhang must have heard the terrified musings, for he smiled and assured the students.


    "Don''t worry, we''ve prepared all the necessary equipment, weapons and items for the journey, such as food, water and armor. Even though all of you have impressed me and your masters in training, you should not let your guard down. The monsters in the wild are completely different from the automaton puppets you''ve been training against in the academy."


    I recalled my sparring against a level 3 training dummy the night before. While I was no longer getting instantly destroyed in one shot like a few months ago, I still had yet to beat a level 3 battle puppet. On the bright side, it wasn''t as if I lost either. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be proud about when all I did was run away or evade every attack the level 3 puppet threw at me.


    There was only so much I could do with evasion. In the end, I still needed to deliver a finishing blow if I wanted to defeat my opponent.


    "So be careful, all of you. Don''t underestimate the monsters in the wild. Sen Lin Forest is a very dangerous place, so stay on alert and don''t be reckless."


    Qi Fu Ren coughed, but his hacking sounded suspiciously like laughter. The bastard obviously didn''t think too highly of the monsters in the forest.


    "You have one month to prepare yourselves. Review whatever you''ve been taught, procure whatever equipment or weapons you think is necessary, consult your masters for advice regarding the practical training. Speaking of which, your masters should already know about this, and every single one of them have approved of this. Especially since this trip has been a yearly tradition for ages. You''ll find that they''re actually pretty eager to see the fruits of your training."


    Xiao Zhang favored the milling and muttering first year students with a smile, but most of them still seemed somewhat afraid and nervous.


    "All right, that''s it! Disperse!"


    With a clap of his hands, Xiao Zhang issued the order. Then he turned away with great flair and self-importantly descended from the stage.


    After he left, the majority of the first year cohort immediately exploded with excitement, all of them gathering around to chat enthusiastically.


    "We''re finally going to Sen Lin Forest next month!"


    "At last! I thought we would never be sent there!"


    "I can''t wait!"


    "I wonder what sort of treasures will be waiting inside¡­"


    "Eh?! Isn''t it dangerous? I''m still kind of worried, you know¡­"


    "Don''t worry! I''ll protect you!"


    Listening to the dialogue from the rest of class, I could only slink away in dejection. Zhu Jiao noticed my sullen mood, for he quickly caught up to me.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll keep an eye on you, so you won''t be in any real danger."


    That''s not necessary. I can take care of myself!


    At least that was what I wanted to snap, but I knew Zhu Jiao only meant well. Not wanting to waste his good intentions, I just nodded.


    "Thank you."


    Despite forcing a smile on my face, I could only feel that the future was looking bleak.


    "Ah, you are Zhu Jiao, aren''t you?"


    Xiao Zhang suddenly appeared. Both of us stepped back, startled by his sudden intrusion. The sage smiled.


    "Do you mind? I want to have a word with you."


    "Sure."


    Zhu Jiao waited. Xiao Zhang raised an eyebrow at me.


    "Alone, if you don''t mind."


    I wasn''t stupid enough to know what he was trying to imply. Then again, it wasn''t proper for me to eavesdrop on a private conversation, so I backed down and distanced myself.


    "I heard that you''ve regained your talent. That was quite an impressive display a week ago. I''ve even seen the recording. Impressive. Can''t say I''m surprised, because I know you are originally a Five Star Constitution candidate. Congratulations on getting your talent back."


    Oh, so that was what this was about. News of Zhu Jiao kicking Qi Fu Ren''s ass had reached even the ears of the principal of Wu Ling, and he wanted to find out more.


    "If I''m not mistaken, you''re not in a sect yet. If you''d like, I can speak to one of the major sects and request for one of the masters to begin teaching you in the next one month before¡­"


    "I am grateful for the offer, but I already have a master." Zhu Jiao bowed respectfully as he declined. Xiao Zhang blinked, his eyebrows rising.


    "What? Who?"


    "I''m afraid that I''ve promised my master to keep his identity a secret."


    "Ah¡­I see¡­if that''s the case, then¡­"


    Xiao Zhang sighed, as if ruing over a wasted opportunity. But he continued to smile and placed an encouraging hand on Zhu Jiao''s shoulder.


    "Regardless, I would like you to know that we''re always here to help. If you need anything, anything at all ¨C resources, martial arts manuals, spirit pills, medicine, money, or whatever ¨C do not hesitate to let me know. We''ll do everything within our power to help you."


    That was a complete change in attitude. Before, the Xiao Zhang treated us as if we didn''t exist. Now that Zhu Jiao had regained his talent, he was desperately licking the Golden Kirin Sect disciple''s boots and get into his good books.


    Zhu Jiao, unfortunately, wasn''t smart enough to realize that and he nodded.


    "Sure. Thank you."


    Xiao Zhang beamed, and shook his head while stroking his long, white beard.


    "You younglings continue to surprise me. I had thought you were lost causes after being revealed as One Star Constitution cultivators, but one has turned out to be the only clue to the lost Heaven and Earth Formula, and the other has miraculously recovered his talent. The heavens can be really fickle, huh?"


    The only one fickle was you. And didn''t you say you weren''t surprised? Now you were expressing your astonishment! Make up your mind, you hypocritical old geezer!


    "Fei Wu."


    Fortunately, I didn''t have to listen too long to their conversation. Teacher Jiao was beckoning for me to go over. I quickly complied.


    "About tonight¡­"


    I swallowed and nodded, adjusting my glasses that had slipped down my nose from the excitement earlier.


    "¡­is it regarding the Heaven and Earth Formula?"


    Teacher Jiao looked as if he was caught off guard. "The Heaven and Earth Formula? Oh, no¡­ah, I mean, it''s somewhat related, but¡­"


    I frowned, puzzled. "I thought you were going to teach me something tonight, or advise me on the next manual."


    "Yes, I was just about to talk about that¡­" then Teacher Jiao''s eyes lightened up in realization. "Oh, I see. You thought I was going to help you with the restoration of the Heaven and Earth Formula?"


    "Um¡­you''re not?"


    Teacher Jiao sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "Well, I wish to¡­but unfortunately I can''t." he glanced at Xiao Zhang, and seeing that the latter was still speaking to Zhu Jiao a distance away, dropped his voice into a whisper. "Did you realistically think that this academy will be able to help you restore a lost martial art when we don''t even have a single clue about any of its techniques?"


    "¡­I knew it was too good to be true."


    Even though I had always suspected it deep down, Teacher Jiao''s confirmation that the whole thing was a farce brought my whole world crashing down upon me. Even though I knew it was highly unlikely, I had clung to that slight sliver of hope. Now, Teacher Jiao had crushed that last shred of hope with the truth and doomed me to an oblivion of obscurity.


    I really was doomed to be a mob character forever.


    "Nonetheless, I''m still assigned to help you, and I''ll definitely assist you in your training." Teacher Jiao glanced at Xiao Zhang again, then continued whispering. "The reason why I insisted on being your mentor is because the other teachers would merely foist unrealistic expectations upon you, then leave you to your own devices to learn a technique that''s impossible to recover, and then throw responsibility upon you when you fail." He straightened up. "Of course I hope that you''ll succeed, but realistically speaking, it''ll be near impossible unless you''ve been lying all along and somehow received a manual or the teachings from the Absolute One."


    I stared at Teacher Jiao, thunderstruck. "What do I do?"


    "That''s why I''m helping you. don''t worry." Teacher Jiao patted me on my shoulder. "First, we''ll have to prepare for the training journey to Sen Lin Forest. I have a month to ensure that you''ll be ready for it."


    I gulped and nodded. "I''ll do my best."


    Sen Lin Forest.


    This was a massive forest that covered a large area in the Middle Continent. It stretched for hundreds of miles, and predictably the deeper you venture into the heart of the forest, the stronger the monsters you would encounter. Despite the massive threat and immense dangers, it was still an extremely popular place for martial artists and mercenaries, because of the treasure and mystical herbs located within. Additionally, it also served as an excellent training ground for recruits ¨C which was why we were being sent there.


    I wondered if my mastery of Shadow Steps would help me survive the forest. Even though I had learned nothing more than two kicks, I was good at evasive techniques. I also learned basic qi cultivation and breathing methods, but that was it. I had no idea how to convert my qi into elemental forces like Qi Fu Ren. Fortunately, I knew how to transform my qi into raw physical prowess like Zhu Jiao, for I had been relying on my qi to subtly increase my stamina whenever I went running or did my hundred pushups and hundred sit-ups. Admittedly, I had succeeded in converting my qi into brute force and smashed rocks during my training after several hundred failed experiments.


    It wasn''t just pure strength. I also learned how to convert qi into speed, which allowed me to run faster. Hence I could run up to fifty kilometers a day. If we were talking in terms of having a solid foundation, I was sure I wouldn''t lose to anyone.


    That was why I was as eager as everyone to go into the forest. Not only that, I was looking forward to collecting monster cores from monsters from the wilderness. Defeating a monster would allow one to retrieve its core and use it for a variety of things, from using them as ingredients in strength-enhancement potions or selling them for a great amount of cash. Since merchants had to rely on martial artists to fight and gather such valuable and flexible monster cores, they were willing to pay a high price for them. Moreover, modern society relied on many of these monster cores to power their technology. Cars like Teacher Yi''s convertible, electric lights, air conditioning and heaters, computers and tablets ¨C all of these run off monster cores, burning the qi contained within them in place of fuels.


    The monster cores of a monster was something like their dantian, where they accumulated and collected natural essence and store the converted form as qi within their core. The larger and better quality their core, the more powerful the monster would be. But my interest were in these cores because they were often used as ingredients for spirit pills and medicine for strengthening ¨C as stated earlier, or also for enhancing equipment, armaments, armor and weapons. By using a monster core as the core of your weapon, you could imbue it with the monster''s power, thus amplifying the weapon''s strength, toughness, sharpness or speed.


    I remembered reading about powerful monsters with high quality demonic cores being able to use attacks or possess abilities very similar to that of humans'' martial arts techniques. If this was a fantasy game or story, it would be easy to say that such strong monsters were capable of "magic". Unfortunately, this timeline, despite being pseudo-fantasy and using martial arts techniques that were indistinguishable from magic, didn''t use the term magic. Politics and all that, I guess. Anyway, the reason why I recalled that was because I needed to be extremely careful when encountering such monsters, especially since I had only learned a mere level 1 Shadow Steps technique.


    But if I can leech of the class and claim a monster core or two for myself, I might be able to concoct some spirit medicine that will improve my Star Constitution, or strengthen my qi, so that I will be on par with the rest!


    Obviously that was doping, and relying on steroids or drugs to artificially enhance one''s body was not good, but at this point I was pretty desperate. I would eat a bloody monster core raw if that would help me grow stronger. I had been driven to such a corner that I was resorting to such barbaric measures. In terms of practicality and realism, I would most likely use the monster cores to forge a spirit weapon that might help me close the gap between myself and my classmates. Or perhaps I might discover that my talent lay not in martial arts but in Spirit Engraving, and I would become a blacksmith who forged weapons for my class.


    I couldn''t help but imagine look on Qi Fu Ren''s face if he realized that he would be relying on me to build a weapon for him¡­oh, boy. That would be hilarious.


    "Hello? Student Fei Wu? Are you paying attention?"


    I realized that Teacher Jiao was talking to me. Wiping off the idiotic grin off my face, I cleared my throat and put on a serious expression.


    "Yeah. I understand¡­I will do my best in the practical training one month from now."


    "Not that," Teacher Jiao sighed. "Do you think you''re ready for it?"


    There was something about his tone that had me all worried. I swallowed nervously and hesitated for a moment before shaking my head.


    "I¡­guess not?"


    That was the right answer.


    "Don''t worry. I know how hard you''ve worked in the past five months," Teacher Jiao assured me. "In fact, for a One Star Constitution practitioner, you''ve done an impressive job." He winked. "If you ask me, all those measurements and Star Constitutions are bullshit."


    "That still doesn''t change my situation." My shoulders drooped as I considered my options. They all seemed pretty bleak right now.


    "That''s where I come in." Teacher Jiao slapped my shoulder. "Have you forgotten? I''m going to teach you something tonight. Something that will be even better than any level 2 technique you can borrow from the library."


    "¡­eh?"


    I stared at Teacher Jiao, not daring to believe¡­not daring to hope that this was my lucky break.

 18 Chapter 17: The next step

    "You can put it that way," Teacher Jiao replied mysteriously. Then he paused and shook a finger at me. "But that doesn''t mean I''m your master. In the end, I''m just teaching you basic techniques that''s available in the library and open to all public access."


    "Huh? But you said you''re teaching me something that''s better than any technique I can find in the library¡­"


    "No, I said I''ll be teaching you something that''s better than any level 2 technique you can find in the library," Teacher Jiao corrected me. He grinned. "Don''t let anyone know, but it''s actually a level 5 technique."


    Holy¡­! What?! Teacher Jiao was going to teach me a level 5 technique?!


    "Huh?! But I''ve only just learned a level 1 technique. How am I supposed to skip three levels and jump straight to level 5?"


    Teacher Jiao held up a finger. "Firstly, the set of techniques I''m teaching you will be very compatible with the Shadow Steps that you''ve mastered. And after testing you yesterday, I''m confident that you''ve established a solid foundation with those Shadow Steps." He then held up a second finger. "Secondly, if you ask me, I honestly think all these levels are bullshit. Sure, they might be a good estimate of the difficulty and usefulness of the technique, but it''s kind of ridiculous to adhere to a rigid step-by-step, level-by-level progress for something like martial arts. Martial arts are a lot more fluid, innovative and flexible than that."


    "Uh¡­okay, Teacher Jiao."


    Inwardly, I couldn''t help but be thrilled. Teacher Jiao actually shared the same sentiments as me. He also believed that all these levels and Star Constitutions thing were nonsense. I was glad I had a teacher like him.


    "All right." Teacher Jiao patted my back, then he turned and strode away. Raising a hand, he beckoned. "Follow me."


    I obeyed, leaving Zhu Jiao, Xiao Zhang and the rest of the first year students behind. Most of them had already dispersed anyway, heading toward their dormitories or wherever it was that they took their breaks. I bet a significant number of them were on their way to their respective sects, intending to consult their masters on this training journey and hopefully use the chance to learn new skills and techniques.


    None of them paid any attention to me. A few of my classmates sent curious looks after Teacher Jiao, but that was it. The other teachers were either leaving or answering the questions from concerned students who belonged to their respective classes.


    It was tough being a teacher, huh?


    Where is he bringing me?


    No sooner than the thought left my mind when we arrived at the vast rooftop. Teacher Jiao pushed the door open, and suddenly we were bathed in sunlight. Without pausing, Teacher Jiao proceeded to the center of the rooftop. I followed apprehensively, and it occurred to me that Teacher Jiao might be planning to throw me off the rooftop and make my death look like an accident.


    Stop thinking stupid things.


    Why did he bring me up here, though? Out of sight of everyone, in a deserted place where there were only two of us?


    Teacher Jiao glanced around, as if making sure no one could see us. From my position, I could still see Xiao Zhang, who had finally finished speaking to Zhu Jiao and was leaving for his office. Teacher Jiao waited until he disappeared before breathing a sigh of relief and turning back to me.


    "Am I supposed to keep this a secret from the principal?" I asked intrigued by his behavior. Teacher Jiao smiled.


    "No, you don''t. Principal Xiao will find out about this eventually, especially when you start using these techniques, but by right I''m not supposed to be teaching you level 5 techniques. So technically I am breaking the rules."


    "Uh oh¡­" I gulped.


    "Don''t worry." Teacher Jiao chuckled. "Honestly, the academy isn''t that rigid or strict. As long as you show results and prove your strength, you can pretty much get away with this. Wu Ling Academy prizes results above everything else¡­as long as you don''t indulge in criminal behavior, anyway. So I''ll be putting my faith in you to learn these well."


    "What are you going to teach me?" I asked curiously.


    "You''ll see. Let''s begin immediately."


    Teacher Jiao turned away and proceeded to the other side of the rooftop. Once he distanced himself, he spun around to face me. I also rose to my feet and faced him, but at his signal, I stayed where I was.


    "Watch carefully."


    "?"


    I watched as Teacher Jiao adopted a stance I had never seen before.


    "This will probably be the only time I''ll be teaching you actual martial arts."


    "Huh?" I sounded a little disappointed. "Then what do I do after learning this?"


    "We''ll discuss it when you actually master this set of martial arts." Teacher Jiao smirked. "To be honest, by then you will be at a level where you don''t need me to teach you anything, and you would have unlocked access to other level 5 techniques."


    That was right. Level 5 was the highest level for all the martial arts techniques stored within the Wu Ling library. If I could get access to it, then I probably could pick any martial arts technique of my choice. But before I could get carried away, my attention was forcibly tugged back to the present.


    "I''m only going to show you just once." My homeroom teacher shrugged. "After all, I''m not supposed to be teaching you level 5 martial arts techniques. I''m just showing it to you once, and whether you succeed in learning it or not is entirely up to you."


    "Right¡­"


    So Teacher Jiao was using a loophole. He was practicing or showing off his techniques, and not exactly teaching me anything. If I wanted to learn anything from this, I had to watch him very carefully and commit every little detail to memory. I wondered if I would be able to do that. My memory wasn''t exactly very good.


    No excuses. I already decided to stop whining, to stop making excuses. So I''m going to do my best under my current circumstances.


    "Ready?" Teacher Jiao asked. "I''m just going to practice by myself. You''re welcome to watch if you''re interested."


    Hell yeah, I was interested. I smiled and sat back, watching carefully as Teacher Jiao turned back to face me.


    I watched as he scraped his foot against the concrete, a small wisp of qi rising from his polished, black leather shoes.


    "I''ll be teaching you five basic footwork techniques."


    "Footwork techniques?" I repeated, puzzled. Now this was something I didn''t see coming. I was half-expecting a proper martial arts technique such as a punch (Soul Crushing Strike!) or a kick (No Shadow Kick!), but I guess this worked as well.


    "That''s right. To be proficient in any martial arts, whether it is swordsmanship or punching techniques, you need a solid foundation in footwork before you begin." He glanced at my feet. "The Shadow Steps manual has been instructing you to run everyday. I''ve seen you judiciously follow that routine, gradually increasing the distance you cover day by day. Thanks to that, you have built up a firm base and shape your physical constitution for footwork." He smiled and nodded encouragingly. "I''ve watched you train by yourself, and I''m impressed by your determination and discipline. You really did your best not just to run, but also to improve your physical fitness and stamina with various exercises. I think you''re finally ready."


    I swallowed and watched him carefully, trying my best not to miss anything.


    "The first one is ''Advance'' (jin). It allows you to move forward quickly, and is usually use to close the gap between you and your opponent in an instant."


    I frowned as I studied Teacher Jiao''s movements, but he seemed like he was walking normally.


    How is this any different from how he normally walks?


    Then suddenly Teacher Jiao''s feet turned into a blur, flickering and disappearing.


    "Eh?"


    My eyes widened, and the next thing I knew, Teacher Jiao was right in front of me.


    The fuck?! He closed at least fifty meters in just a millisecond?!


    My jaw dropping, I backed away on instinct. While I was flustered, trying to absorb what was going on, Teacher Jiao reached out and tapped my chest.


    "This is ''jin''."


    "Amazing¡­"


    I pushed up my glasses as I marveled over the technique and ran through what I had just seen in my mind. Even though I was paying as much attention as possible, I still wasn''t able to capture the movement. I gritted my teeth as I tried to visualize how Teacher Jiao did it, and replayed it in my head.


    Unfortunately, Teacher Jiao wasn''t going to wait for me to figure it out.


    "And the second one is¡­"


    "Huh?"


    Teacher Jiao was sliding backward, his feet flickering into a blur again. In another millisecond, he was suddenly back where he started, fifty meters away from me.


    "''Retreat'' (tui). As it name implies, it is a technique used for retreating from your opponent."


    Well, that was obvious. If there was a technique for advancing, then there must be a technique for retreating. I had expected that.


    If Teacher Jiao was disappointed by my calm reaction and lack of shock, he didn''t show it. Instead, he continued without missing a beat.


    "And the third¡­"


    Teacher Jiao disappeared completely from sight. I glanced around to make sure I wasn''t seeing things, but he really wasn''t there. I turned around, half-expecting to see him behind me, but I didn''t manage to spot him.


    "Oh, you''re good."


    I did sense movement behind me before I turned around, though. And Teacher Jiao''s voice spoke up from somewhere behind me.


    "That''s right. This is ''Evade'' (duo), which allows you to evade your opponent''s attacks and line of sight."


    I continued turning around in an attempt to keep him in my sights, but Teacher Jiao casually kicked my feet out from beneath me, causing me to topple over.


    "Whoa!"


    I managed to throw out my hands and break my fall in time to prevent my face from meeting concrete. In a second I bounced back up to my feet using a basic technique of Shadow Steps, only to see Teacher Jiao''s approving gaze.


    "And this is the fourth technique¡­''Flow'' (liu), which allows you to read and predict the flow of moment from your opponent. Used correctly, you can disrupt the flow and use it offensively."


    "Cool."


    I was still trying to do my best to digest what I was seeing, hoping to somehow etch those techniques into my mind. I really needed to try these techniques out in reality later, and practice as much as I could in the one night I had left.


    "Take note that you can''t simply use Flow however you want. You need to read your opponents'' footwork well, and adjust accordingly, adapting your own footwork to the opponent''s so that you can disrupt his flow and neutralize his techniques."


    "Gotcha." I nodded as Teacher Jiao walked away. Without turning back, he continued speaking gravely.


    "And finally¡­the last one."


    I blinked, not sure if I was seeing a mirage or something. Slowly, one by one, copies of Teacher Jiao were splitting off from his original body, each one so vivid and solid that I couldn''t tell them apart, couldn''t distinguish which of the several Teacher Jiao before me was real.


    "Whoa?!"


    There were five clones of Teacher Jiao casually standing in front of me, basking in the silvery moonlight that shone down on the rooftop.


    "This is a secret technique that''s the most advanced of the five. Using your qi, you can create illusions to confuse your opponent psychologically. It is called ''Shadow'' (ying)."


    "!!!"


    How was I supposed to learn something like that?! This practically bordered on magic!


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    Then again, most martial arts ¨C especially the elemental ones did.


    "With a month of practice, you should be able to pick up at least the first two pretty easily." Teacher Jiao smiled. "You already have quite the excellent foundation for using footwork techniques, thanks to you consistently running everyday."


    "Thank you." I hesitated for a moment and stared at him. "I don''t mean to sound rude and ungrateful, but¡­why? Why are you teaching me? And a level 5 technique at that."


    "Well¡­the cold hard truth is that I feel sorry for you." Teacher Jiao shrugged as he offered the blunt reply. "You''re tasked with the ridiculous and unrealistic goal of restoring the Heaven and Earth Formula. You''re left out and excluded from all the sects and forced to be an Experimentalist. Even Zhu Jiao found a master and is leaving you behind. Everyone is forging ahead in training and are rapidly attaining high levels of strength. For you to flail about on your own¡­it just looks really pitiful."


    I felt as if I had been stabbed by several swords. Sucking in a deep breath, I winced and grumbled under my breath.


    "Couldn''t you have use a little more tact?"


    "Why? Can''t handle the truth?"


    "¡­"


    I sighed and shook my head. In any case, I was grateful to Teacher Jiao for teaching these techniques to me even though such an action would have gotten him into trouble. Even though I only had one month left to try and practice such advanced techniques, I was still going to make the best use of what I had in order to salvage my current situation.


    I closed my eyes and reviewed the footwork techniques, and then tried them out in reality. Moving my feet about, I attempted to replicate Teacher Jiao''s movements, but only succeeded in making a fool out of myself.


    "Ugh¡­how do I do it?"


    "Patience and lots of practice." Teacher Jiao waved a hand to assure me. "Don''t worry. This isn''t something you can pick up from just one time. You can spend the next month practicing them over and over again."


    "Yeah¡­but¡­isn''t the trick located in how you direct qi toward your ankle and move it?"


    "Hmm?" Teacher Jiao turned to stare at me. I raised my leg up and rotated my foot.


    "I''ve been trying to analyze it, and it seems that I''m supposed to use my foot from the ankle down. So¡­kind of like this¡­"


    I tried again, only to almost sprain my ankle.


    "Gah!"


    Falling over, I winced and clutched my foot, trying to endure the pain.


    "Huh? Weird¡­I could have sworn that''s how you moved¡­"


    "¡­"


    Teacher Jiao regarded me silently for a moment, and then he smiled in approval.


    "Not bad. Your analysis is spot on. But you''re missing one crucial link." He pointed at my foot. "You also need to match the circulation of qi in your ankle with your movements. You''re doing that, but too roughly. Your foot is too tense, and that causes the qi to get clogged up in your muscles. Relax."


    "Yes, Teacher Jiao."


    I tried again. Teacher Jiao watched me patiently before quietly nodding to himself. Or perhaps he was nodding in approval upon seeing me put in tremendous efforts into my practice.


    "Take your time to master it. It won''t be easy to master it to peak perfection, but once you do attain that level for your footwork, then I''m pretty sure nobody in your generation will be able to touch you."


    "Really?" I looked up at Teacher Jiao excitedly. "Even Bai Ning Xue?"


    "Hmm?"


    Teacher Jiao looked surprised by my question.


    "What, are you thinking of challenging Bai Ning Xue or something?" Then it hit him and he began to burst out laughing. "I see. So that''s how it is. I don''t blame you, all the guys in the middle school section are in love with her. Of course you would want to impress her by showing off her strength."


    "Huh? No, no, no!" I waved my hands frantically. "I never thought about that! I mean, she has a Five Star Constitution and is currently in line to be the next vice-leader of the White Tiger Sect. Actually, she and Zhu Jiao are the only ones in class who have a Five Star Constitution. I was hoping, since you said that nobody in my generation will be able to touch me if I learn these footwork techniques, I could at least try to measure up with her in terms of footwork."


    "¡­I guess that''s a good goal, but it''ll be incredibly difficult." Teacher Jiao sighed heavily. "That girl has been a true prodigy ever since she was born¡­a genius born every hundred years. As you already know, she is currently the only person in your generation, other than Zhu Jiao, who has a Five Star Constitution. She is the pinnacle of your generation, the elite among elite martial artists. To be honest, right now you''re a million light years away from reaching her level. Never mind Bai Ning Xue. I doubt you''ll be able to touch a hair of Zhu Jiao either. Well, maybe that''s a bad comparison since Zhu Jiao would most likely be on par or better than Bai Ning Xue, but¡­hmm, let''s see¡­I''d say it''s a miracle if you even reach Qi Fu Ren''s level."


    "Ugh."


    The truth hurts, but I had to face it in order to grow. I couldn''t stay behind Qi Fu Ren forever. I didn''t want to rely on Zhu Jiao to protect me, and I wanted to pay Qi Fu Ren back for all the abuse he heaped upon me.


    "All right. That''s it for today. Go get some rest. You still have a month to slowly pick apart these techniques and learn them, so don''t overdo it tonight, okay?"


    "Yes, Teacher Jiao."


    And with that, Teacher Jiao was gone, leaving me alone on the rooftop. I watched him disappear through the door, and then returned to practicing footwork.


    "How did Teacher Jiao do it again¡­?"


    By transferring qi into my ankle. Oh, right. Teacher Jiao said I was too tense. I needed to relax.


    Even if you say that, it''s not that easy.


    Taking a deep breath, I tried it out again, only to fall flat on my face.


    "Ugh¡­damn it!"


    Well¡­nobody said this was going to be easy.


    Steadying myself, I rose to my feet and took another breath. I couldn''t give up, not just yet. I needed to keep trying. I had only one month to practice these footwork techniques that I only saw once. I wasn''t going to waste it.


    I''m not going to let Teacher Jiao down.


    Closing my eyes, I pictured Qi Fu Ren''s mocking expression and his insults. I imagined Hu Shuo taunting me. I remembered the sneer on Ba Dao''s face.


    I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. That''s right. I wasn''t going to allow those three to continue laughing at me forever. I was going to pull myself forward and surpass them. I was going to make them regret ever looking down on me.


    Then I pictured Bai Ning Xue''s beautiful face. Despite my denial, Teacher Jiao was correct. I did want to impress her. Which guy wouldn''t want to show off and impress the girl he had a crush on? Even if I was down in the dumps and reincarnated into another timeline, I was still an ordinary guy with hormones rushing through my body. Then again, it was pretty creepy, because I was supposed to be thirty years old in my previous life. But my previous age and three decades of experience were fading away as I settled down in my thirteen-year-old body.


    The body also made the mind, which was probably what influenced my behavior. Or maybe I was a really immature and pathetic socially awkward thirty-year-old in my previous life. Still didn''t change the fact that it was creepy to have a crush on a girl who was less than half my mental age. I had to get it together. Perhaps it was the curse of all web novel protagonists who got sucked into wish-fulfilment, self-insert plots ¨C that despite being fully grown adults in the beginning, they mentally degrade into an immature, petty, horny teenager as the story went on, caused by the author''s complete lack of imagination and pandering to clich¨¦s and a young audience.


    That aside, there was still another issue that plagued me.


    But¡­I can''t betray Zhu Jiao.


    This time, Zhu Jiao came into view. He was my friend¡­but now I saw him as my rival. I really shouldn''t resent him, but I couldn''t help the jealousy that was growing in my heart. I wanted to surpass him as well, to step out of his shadow and come into my own without relying on him. I wanted to stand by his side, and not behind him.


    I wanted to be on equal footing with him.


    But in order for me to achieve all that, I had to take the first step. Opening my eyes, I sucked in another huge lungful of air and steeled my resolve. My eyes flickered to my feet and I put one foot out, focusing my qi into it.

 19 Chapter 18: Academy resources

    I paused to catch my breath after finishing thirty kilometers. There was only a single week left before the fateful training practicum in Sen Lin Forest, and I had made good progress with my training. Or so I hoped.


    Taking a swig of water from my bottle, I gasped for air and let out a sigh of relief. Wiping my perspiration and adjusting my glasses, I proceeded back to the dormitory. After all that workout, I couldn''t wait to take a shower.


    "Hmm?"


    While I was heading back, I stopped when I spotted a familiar figure. Du Lang was standing on the track and staring into the distance, his silver eyes intense.


    "Du Lang?"


    "Hmm? Fei Wu?" Du Lang turned around when I called out. He glanced at my sweaty, breathless figure and red complexion, and nodded. "Training?"


    "Yeah. You?"


    Du Lang didn''t look like he was strolling leisurely. Like me, he had a sheen of perspiration over his face, and a bottle in one hand. A towel was draped around his neck, absorbing some of his sweat, and his jersey was drenched.


    "Yeah."


    "I see. Taking a break?"


    "Sort of." Du Lang shrugged, and then glanced into the distance. I followed his gaze and noticed that he was watching Bai Ning Xue.


    The ice princess in our class was jogging with a group of girls ¨C our female classmates who were in the White Tiger Sect with her. She was leading the run and shouting encouragements without slowing her pace.


    "You''ve heard about it too, right?"


    "Huh?"


    I blinked in bewilderment when Du Lang suddenly spoke up again. He was still watching her intently, a slight smile ghosting across his lips. Du Lang didn''t reply at first, instead taking a sip from his bottle.


    "Bai Ning Xue is next in line to be the future vice-leader of the White Tiger Sect, right behind Lei Yong Chun in succession. The masters and elders in the sect have been grooming her."


    "Well, of course," I snorted dismissively. "As expected of an extremely talented person with a Five Star Constitution."


    I did hear of Lei Yong Chun, though. He was Bai Ning Xue''s senior and the first in line to be the future leader of the White Tiger Sect, and he was rumored to also possess a Five Star Constitution. Bai Ning Xue was being raised to be his deputy and vice-leader. The White Tiger Sect girls in class often gossiped that there might be a hint of romance between the two, much to Zhu Jiao''s chagrin. The poor guy. Lei Yong Chun was a formidable rival, indeed. The talented genius senior who was capable of doing anything. No wonder Zhu Jiao felt intimidated at the prospect of challenging him for Bai Ning Xue''s hand.


    "¡­"


    "You¡­you''ve a crush on Bai Ning Xue?"


    "Don''t you?" Du Lang responded. I considered that for a moment, and then shook my head.


    "Bai Ning Xue is most likely in love with Zhu Jiao."


    Du Lang glanced at me sharply. "You don''t know that for sure."


    I didn''t respond to that. It was not my job to persuade him to face reality, after all. Instead, I waved and began to move away.


    To be honest, Du Lang wasn''t that far off the mark. I did find Bai Ning Xue extremely attractive, but I wasn''t deluded enough to think it was love. Perhaps it was my thirteen-year-old self from this timeline, combined with teenage hormones, that were exerting some sort of influence over my emotions, but in the end I was still mentally thirty years old. I retained enough of an adult mindset to be able to differentiate between lust and love, and prevent myself from overreacting over a thirteen-year-old girl. I wasn''t a creepy bastard into pedophilia, after all.


    But man, I didn''t know that Du Lang was also interested in Bai Ning Xue. Now that I thought about it, probably 99%, if not all the guys had a crush on her in one way or another. Even a mentally thirty-year-old guy like me, and I probably had the most resistance to her charm. Not that I cared. As the months grew by and I regained my adult discipline, I found myself being more and more able to distance myself from her.


    "Wait."


    "?"


    I turned back to Du Lang, taken aback when he called out to me. He forced himself to turn away from Bai Ning Xue and approach me.


    "Do you mind if I ask you something?"


    "As long as it doesn''t involve romance¡­"


    "No, not that." Du Lang sighed and rolled his eyes. "The library. I was wondering if you could recommend me a few manuals."


    "Huh? Manuals?"


    "You''re an Experimentalist, aren''t you?" Du Lang looked serious. "And I heard you''ve been learning skills stored in the academy''s archives."


    "I have, but not a lot. Only one or two. You''re better off asking Teacher Jiao for advice."


    "That''s true." Du Lang nodded. "Thanks."


    "Nah, I didn''t do anything."


    Waving his gratitude away, something suddenly occurred to me. Scratching my head, I glanced at Du Lang inquisitively.


    "Wait, why are you trying to learn techniques from the academy''s archives? Aren''t you already from the Silver Wolf Sect? I thought you are already learning Silver Wolf techniques from your masters. Why do you need¡­?"


    "It''s not that simple." Du Lang sighed. "The Silver Wolf Sect is not a traditionalist sect. we''re a small sect, so we don''t have that many resources to compete against the bigger sects. But¡­" he grinned wolfishly. "We''re innovative, and willing to do whatever it takes to grow strong. Even if it means learning other martial arts and incorporating them into our own. That''s how the Silver Wolf Sect has been operating for generations."


    "Cool." Even as I nodded, I wondered, should you really be telling me, an outsider, all this?


    "In fact, the Silver Wolf Sect was first created as a coalition of lone wolf martial artists who for some reason left their sects, were kicked out of their sects, or sole survivors of destroyed sects. So we already have a history of amalgamating all the various kinds of martial arts."


    "Wow¡­" now that perked my interest. One of my research interests was history, and it never failed to amaze me how deep and fascinating history was, even if it was the history of a martial arts sect. "That''s really cool!"


    "We''re not the only sect." Du Lang glanced around. This time, he had cast his gaze upon Tu Zi Yi, who was lingering at the back of the pack, trailing the female White Tiger Sect disciples by a mile or two. Ostensibly, the male White Tiger Sect disciples ¨C Qi Fu Ren, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao ¨C were nowhere to be seen.


    I raised an eyebrow. "You mean¡­"


    "The Lunar Rabbit Sect too¡­but while the Silver Wolf Sect is still pretty strong and can hold its own, the Lunar Rabbit Sect is pretty much at the bottom of all the sects. They have barely any resources to survive, and can''t sustain their existence for much longer. The disciples from that sect have no choice but to rely on the school resources¡­to learn other techniques from the academy archives to compensate and shore up the weaknesses of the Lunar Rabbit techniques."


    "That''s not good." I gave Tu Zi Yi a sympathetic stare.


    "Yeah, but they''re far from the only diminishing sect on the verge of being eradicated. There are a lot of other smaller sects that are disappearing and being subsumed by the major sects. Worse, in order to gain access to academy archives and resources, sects such as the Lunar Rabbit Sect are forced to give up most, if not all of their techniques, and their techniques are then available for public access. Which means they can be learned by anybody, not just disciples¡­"


    I listened, mesmerized. I didn''t know about that, having been an Experimentalist ever since I was admitted to the academy. It seemed that many of the students in the smaller sects had a lot to deal with. Maybe I wasn''t the unlucky one, after all¡­


    "Well, go ask Teacher Jiao for advice. He always has great suggestions. He helped me out a lot."


    "Will do."


    I turned away and left Du Lang to brood on his own. Before I disappeared into the dormitory, I snuck one last peek at him.


    He had returned to watching Bai Ning Xue.


    *


    "Ugh¡­"


    "What''s the matter?"


    This time, I had just returned from sparring a battle puppet in the training facility when Zhu Jiao groaned. I had run into him right outside the dormitory.


    "No, nothing. Just a tough day." Motioning vaguely, Zhu Jiao didn''t elaborate. That was nothing new ¨C he was keeping his word to his master by refusing to reveal anything about the Golden Kirin Sacred Arts. I knew better than to press him for details.


    Speaking of which, I realized that Zhu Jiao hadn''t been to the library in ages. Unlike Du Lang or Tu Zi Yi who supposedly had to rely on school resources and academy archives to experiment and combine martial arts to keep up with the competition, Zhu Jiao had only been learning from his master ever since he had met him. The only non-Golden Kirin Sacred Arts he learned was the Red Jade Swordsmanship, which he had returned long ago.


    As if reading my thoughts, Zhu Jiao suddenly spoke up.


    "I''m moving to the Traditionalists."


    "Huh? What? What''s this, all of a sudden?"


    I turned to stare at him, perplexed.


    "No, I mean¡­I''m officially in a sect and have a proper master and all¡­" A master that had never revealed himself to anybody. Only I knew the true nature of Zhu Jiao''s master but I was keeping my silence. "I have no intention of learning any other martial arts. It''s taking me almost everything I have just to keep up with learning my sect''s martial arts."


    "Lucky you," I muttered.


    "Ha ha¡­I hope." The sarcasm was lost on Zhu Jiao, who merely chuckled and nodded. He reached up with his hand and stared at the heavens. "With this, I''ll be able to catch up to Ning Xue¡­or even surpass her!"


    "I thought you already surpassed her," I mumbled under my breath.


    "Nah, no way." Zhu Jiao shook his head dismissively. "Ning Xue is far too strong and talented for me to surpass¡­for now, anyway."


    At least he was confident of changing his fate eventually¡­


    "Besides, isn''t Teacher Jiao teaching you stuff?"


    "No, not really."


    After showing me the footwork techniques three weeks ago, Teacher Jiao hadn''t taught me any new techniques or offered any concrete guidance. I was left to my own devices and had to figure out how to execute and practice the footwork techniques by myself. A pretty daunting task, if I would be honest, but I wasn''t going to give up.


    "I''ve been practicing the stuff that''s available in the archives, but I don''t know if I''ll make it in time for next week."


    "Oh, right¡­next week is the trip to Sen Lin Forest, isn''t it?"


    Zhu Jiao nodded thoughtfully. A smile split his lips as excitement grew in his eyes and he clenched his fists.


    "I can''t wait!"


    "I''m sure you can''t," I responded dryly and stepped into the dormitory lobby. The moment I entered the vast, golden-tinted room, someone called out to us.


    "Zhu Jiao! Fei Wu!"


    Tong Xue hurried over. Apparently he had been doing some research and talking with several other first year students while we were training. Unlike me, Tong Xue wasn''t worried about his combat capabilities. I didn''t know if the Smart Shadow Sect was a Traditionalist sect or if it was forced to fuse martial arts to survive like the Experimentalist sects, but I was certain that it wasn''t a sect that focused on fighting.


    "Have you heard?"


    "Heard about what?" I asked, puzzled. Tong Xue grinned as he ran to a stop in front of us and held up a tablet.


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    "The training session in Sen Lin Forest next week¡­I''ve some great news for you guys!"


    "Oh?" Ban Zhang descended the stairs at that moment and just happened to overhear our conversation. He hurried over. "What sort of news?"


    "If we do well in the training session, we''ll be rich!"


    "Rich?" Zhu Jiao blurted out with a frown. "What do you mean, rich?"


    "You know that monster cores can be traded or sold, right?"


    Turning his tablet around, Tong Xue called up a holographic screen that displayed the various kind of monster cores. Without the monstrous bodies that housed them, the cores resembled shiny orbs or jewelries. In a sense, they were pretty much precious stones, containing a huge amount of qi that could be harnessed for pretty much everything.


    "The teachers have announced that they''ll allow us to collect monster cores from the magical beasts that we defeat, and we can do whatever we want with them! Sell them for money, make spirit pills with them, and forge weapons with them¡­anything!"


    "Oh? That''s awesome!"


    "I see. That is indeed great news."


    Tong Xue noticed my lack of response, for he turned to stare at me questioningly. I sighed and decided to elaborate.


    "Most students will probably sell off the monster cores for money, and then use that money to buy spirit pills or weapons."


    "Eh? Why?"


    Zhu Jiao gaped at me, uncomprehending. I scowled, wondering how he could miss out on such an obvious point.


    "Because most of us don''t possess the knowledge to concoct spirit pills or forge weapons?"


    "Ah¡­that''s right." Zhu Jiao looked sheepish when he realized that I was right. "I completely forgot about that."


    "What, did you learn how to concoct spirit pills from your master?" I asked him. I wouldn''t be surprised if he did. "Did he also happen to teach you an essence flame technique that would help you in brewing those pills?"


    "Huh?! What the hell are you talking about?! Of course not! I only learn¡­" Realizing that he was just about to give himself away, Zhu Jiao hurriedly cut himself off. "¡­combat techniques. I never learned how to brew potions or smith weapons."


    "Neither have I," Ban Zhang added wearily. "The Black Tortoise Sect specializes in defensive techniques."


    "Oh, you seem quite informed." Tong Xue looked at me, impressed. I shrugged.


    "I read up on a lot of stuff about the academy. Knowledge is power, after all."


    "Can''t deny that." Tong Xue chuckled. "But did you know that some of the higher level techniques in the academy archives can only be purchased through money?"


    Now that was something I didn''t know. Furthermore, I was relieved that Tong Xue didn''t call them contribution points, or I would be raging and cursing a certain wuxia novel that portrayed a Gary Stu protagonist with a smug face that I wanted to punch every time I read the manhua. A story that made no sense whatsoever, and where every character that existed within was either the protagonist faction or the anti-protagonist faction, the latter being filled with one-dimensional antagonists who exist solely to attack and attempt to kill the protagonist over the most absurd and stupid reasons. All just so the protagonist could wipe the floor with them one-sidedly and show off how ridiculously overpowered he was.


    Good thing we were using Star Constitutions to measure our talent instead of Bone Frames¡­


    "¡­what is this, a capitalist system?"


    "Huh?"


    Everyone stared at me. I shrugged.


    "What the hell are you even talking about?" Tong Xue demanded, astonished by my raving. I stopped and took a deep breath.


    "Sorry. Forgive my ranting. Anyway¡­you were saying about high-level techniques?"


    "Yeah¡­right now, all the level 1 to 3 techniques are free, but many of the level 4 and 5 techniques are locked behind paywalls. There are rumors that there are even level 6 techniques, which cost exorbitant amounts of money, but if you learn them, you''ll pretty much become invincible."


    Somehow I doubted that. If such techniques really existed, the masters or academy staff would have learned them for themselves.


    "But for now, this is the list of techniques that you can purchase."


    Tong Xue tapped something, and a new window popped up. My eyes widened when I saw the long list.


    "Mystic Scarlet Flame Technique¡­level 4, costs $4,000. Divine Earth Destruction Formula, level 5, $10,000. Holy¡­what''s with all these prices?!"


    "The more powerful they are, the more expensive they are." Tong Xue stated the obvious.


    "Well, it really isn''t relevant to us, though," Ban Zhang remarked dismissively. "We''re Traditionalists, and we have our own sects'' techniques to master." He peered at the list. "These do seem impressive, but from what my master told me, my sect''s secret and ultimate techniques are not inferior to these."


    Zhu Jiao was staring at them greedily, but he also shook his head reluctantly.


    "Yeah, I''ve already devoted myself to learning my sect''s martial arts."


    "Well, there are a few of us who are Experimentalists." Tong Xue nodded at me, then turned to glance at the others, particularly Du Lang. "Some of the smaller sects are forced to dispatch their disciples to learn various martial arts from other sects or the archives in order to save or rebuild their sects, so¡­"


    "I''ll do my best," I muttered. Certainly, a lot of those techniques looked very appealing. I would have to save up for them. Then I frowned. "Wait, I can just buy these if I have the money? I don''t need to reach a certain level or earn qualifications to buy them?"


    "As far as I understand, yes," Tong Xue affirmed with a nod. "But whether you succeed in mastering a high-level technique or not is entirely up to you. Even if you spend all your savings on a level 5 Heavenly Mystic Water Formula, if you aren''t able to learn it or if you''re not compatible with the technique, you would have wasted all your money."


    "I''m pretty sure you''ll still be able to sell it off on eBay or something," I muttered. Certainly, that would incur several losses, but it was better than wasting all my money.


    "I would rather spend my money on spirit pills and weapons than on techniques, especially since I can already get them from my sect," Ban Zhang declared disinterestedly.


    "Well, you do have a point," Zhu Jiao agreed. "My master told me that the best way to accelerate my growth is to get good quality spirit pills as soon as possible."


    "You guys¡­" I growled. "¡­don''t realize that over-relying on spirit pills and medicine is basically doping, isn''t it? Spirit pills are just fancy names to cover up the fact that they are in fact steroids and have side effects."


    "What world do you live in?" Tong Xue scoffed. "Since when do spirit pills and qi medicine have side effects?"


    "Yeah," Ban Zhang agreed. "That''s why they''re so expensive and valuable."


    I stared at them, amazed. Spoken like true drug addicts defending their addiction. There was no hope for them.


    "Oh, and one last thing," Tong Xue spoke up. This time he had lowered his voice into a conspiratorial whisper.


    "What?" Zhu Jiao snapped impatiently, irritated with Tong Xue''s dramatics.


    "This is only a rumor¡­only a rumor, so take it with a pinch of salt. A very large pinch of salt. I don''t know how true it is, but¡­"


    We waited, unimpressed. Tong Xue sighed, and then shook his head. Withdrawing his tablet, he complained, "You guys are no fun."


    "Well, if there''s nothing else¡­"


    Ban Zhang made to head back to his room, and Zhu Jiao and I were posed to follow. Tong Xue blanched and waved about frantically.


    "Wait, wait! Don''t you want to know?"


    "It doesn''t seem like you want to tell us, though?" I countered wearily.


    "No, but this is really big news if it''s true! It''ll revolutionize the world of martial arts if there''s even an ounce of truth in it!"


    Now that caught my attention and I turned around. I didn''t need to glance back to know that Ban Zhang and Zhu Jiao had paused to listen to Tong Xue as well.


    Puffing his chest out, Tong Xue then leaned in and whispered to us.

 20 Chapter 19: Sen Lin Fores

    "All right, gather up!"


    Without any hesitation, I followed the direction of Teacher Jiao''s voice. Currently, all the first year students in Wu Ling Academy''s middle school section had gathered in front of the Western gate of Martial City. There was a garrison of highly trained soldiers stationed at the gate, keeping an eye on the denizens of the forest. Though wild, the magical beasts dwelling within the forest were powerful and extremely dangerous. The soldiers of Martial City were tasked with protecting the city''s borders from bestial incursions, and their ranks comprised of the finest martial artists who graduated from various prestigious martial arts academies, especially Wu Ling Academy.


    Earlier, we had to leave the academy on boats. Many of the students had not learned proper qigong and had yet to fly over the walls like their high school seniors. It wasn''t because they lacked talent, but because they focused on other skills such as physical strengthening techniques or powerful attacks rather than agility.


    Besides, the practical combat training in Sen Lin Forest wasn''t to test our agility, mobility or qigong, but to give us "genuine" battle experience. Here, having powerful offensive techniques or deadly attacks might grant the students a bigger advantage than those who concentrated on honing their speed and agility.


    Ugh, the only attacks I learned were 2 kicks. The rest are just footwork and evasive techniques. Will I really be all right?


    Not feeling very confident, I wandered over to join my classmates. Most of them had already excitedly gathered in front of Teacher Jiao, chattering cheerfully to each other. None of them seemed to share my nerves or anxieties. Most likely they were highly confident in the martial arts techniques that they had learned from their respective sects.


    "Hey! That little brother over there! Would you like to take a look?"


    "?"


    Puzzled, I turned around when a voice called out to me. A middle-aged man was waving at me from behind his display of spirit medicine. A vendor, evidently. He had set up a stall right next to the garrison.


    Eh?


    I shook my head when he beckoned me over. Scratching my head, I wondered why the middle-aged man would set up a stall in a place like this.


    "Over here!"


    "Weapons for sale! You kids over there! You look like you''re going on a mission! Then you''ll need this sword!"


    "How about food? I''ve pretty delicious rations that are suitable for a mission in a forest!"


    "Armor for sale! Buy one, get one free!"


    I was stunned by the various shouts and calls that didn''t just emerge from the middle-aged man alone. It was from everywhere.


    Looking around, I saw that it wasn''t just him. There were several street stalls set up around the entrance of the city gate. It was like a marketplace, where shopkeepers and stall owners were competing against each other, trying to sell everything from food, water and perishable items to armor, weapons and equipment.


    Weird¡­


    Then again, this was quite the popular area, so it was only natural that merchants would set up stalls here to sell necessities and armaments to the soldiers, mercenaries or martial artists who were about to leave Martial City to venture into Sen Lin Forest or travel to other cities. Despite the presence of monsters, Sen Lin Forest remained a popular hunting ground, especially for amateurs.


    "You don''t have to worry about those stuff."


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    Xiao Zhang assured the hundreds of students, all of whom were looking around the stalls animatedly and enthusiastically. A few of them seemed tempted to buy stuff. Not that I blamed them. I would love to buy something too. I had some funds as part of an Experimentalist student''s stipend.


    "We''ve already prepared your equipment and necessities. Didn''t we distribute them to you earlier? Don''t waste your money."


    It was true. Before we set out from the academy, each of us were handed weapons and necessities. Even me.


    To be honest, I didn''t think I would receive anything because I was a One Star Constitution trash who lacked talent and therefore not worth the expenditure and resources. Fortunately for me, Wu Ling Academy was fair to all its students, regardless of their talent. It also helped that the vast majority of first year students already received weapons, armor and equipment from their respective sects, so Wu Ling Academy had plenty of resources leftover to spare for the Experimentalists, who made up a tiny minority. When I was leaving the academy, Teacher Jiao had approached me and given me a short sword. He also gave me a flask of water and rations.


    "Hmm¡­" I stared at the rations. They looked pretty bulky and heavy, meant to be stored in my backpack. I didn''t intend to bring a backpack along as it would impede my movements, and the weight of the rations would just get in my way. "Thanks, but I probably don''t need the rations. I''ll stick to the group and eat when I return. Since you taught me footwork techniques, I want to stay as light as possible, and not get burdened by too much luggage."


    Teacher Jiao looked at me, concerned. "Are you sure? If you get lost, you''ll need to have something on hand to eat. You know that monster and demonic beasts are not edible, right? They''re poisonous. You should take some with you."


    I laughed at that. "I know demonic beast meat is poisonous. I read about it. But it''s not like I plan to stray away from the group and hunt them. I''m more concerned about being too slow and clumsy to evade the magical beasts'' attacks than starving to death."


    Teacher Jiao hesitated for a moment, and then he finally nodded.


    "If you say so. Make sure you stay close. We shouldn''t be in the forest for too long, so if you get hungry, just look for me. Don''t wander off by yourself."


    "Yes, Teacher Jiao."


    Back to the present, I was following that instruction somewhat loosely, making sure Teacher Jiao was in sight no matter where I went. If anything happened, I would run to him for help. Additionally, I had Zhu Jiao watching over me, which while annoying, helped to allay Teacher Jiao''s worries. I wasn''t pleased with that, but I knew it was for my own good.


    "All right! Let''s go in!"


    After Xiao Zhang spoke to the commander of the garrison, the latter issued an order to his men to open the gates for us. With the gates open, Xiao Zhang then led us outside and toward the forest. As I stepped outside the gates, I was disorientated by the sheer difference between the city interior and the forest. The hustle and bustle of the stall owners, customers, mercenaries and martial artists were gone, replaced by gloom and silence. The trees blotted out a lot of the sunlight, the shadows cast by their tall, thick trunks emanating a menacing atmosphere.


    The foliage was dense, and the moment we stepped into the forest, we weren''t able to see more than ten or eleven students away. The rest of our cohort had disappeared into the clustered greenery, their voices swallowed up by the leaves or other ambient sounds. Having already anticipated this, Xiao Zhang had given orders for us to stay within our class. Following Teacher Jiao, class 1-4 bashed through the forest and proceeded in rows of three or four, staying on high alert for any sign of monsters. We were slightly spread out in a staggered formation, not too tightly packed to be an easy target for monsters, but not too far away to lose track of each other''s location.


    Of course I stayed at the back. Since I had mostly learned evasive techniques and very little in the way of offensive techniques, it made no sense for me to be in the vanguard. I was only there to leech off experience points from my classmates'' victories.


    That said, nothing seemed to happen. We continued to walk for about thirty minutes, but there were no signs of monsters or anything. The forest also seemed to stretch on forever, the verdant wilderness extending for miles beyond and blocking most of our sight.


    The forest was not our eventual destination, though. From what I remembered, our final goal was to reach the ruins located deep within the heart of Sen Lin Forest. Such ruins often served in the past as vast armories, ancient treasuries that preserved and protected countless amounts of treasures, martial arts techniques, spirit pills (though I''m pretty sure whatever spirit medicine they had would have expired or rotted away by now), spirit weapons, armor and all sorts of mystical equipment. There were even tools that allowed their new owners to summon magical beasts or dangerous demons to do their bidding.


    But even after walking for so long, there was no sign of ruins ¨C not even the smallest ones. Just nothing but an endless stretch of vegetation.


    "Be careful."


    Ban Zhang spoke up from the front. As always, our class representative took responsibility by assuming the role of vanguard. He had forged ahead to ensure that our class didn''t walk headlong into danger.


    I glanced up and saw that the trees ahead were thinning. The class was now stepping into what looked like a huge clearing. The illumination was getting better, without the canopies to block the sunlight out. The space was much wider, while trees up to ten meters tall stood in a circle like silent sentinels. The vast clearing probably expanded for a couple of hundred meters, covered entirely by a carpet of soft, green grass.


    About time. I was getting claustrophobia just from bashing through thick foliage.


    Just when I thought that, the claustrophobia was replaced by astonishment when something launched from the crevices of the walls and hurled themselves at us. I caught a glimpse of something black and filthy, a ball of matted fur with a raw, pink tail trailing the rolling body.


    "Watch out!" Xiao Zhang shouted. "Those are Demonic Rats! They are not that strong or dangerous, but they always come in packs and possess incredibly swift speed and reflexes. Don''t underestimate them!"


    The Demonic Rats screeched as they slashed at us. I dodged a ball of matted fur, my feet gradually getting used to the footwork techniques that Teacher Jiao taught me a month ago. The Demonic Rat hit the grass, and then sprang up, standing on two feet. Sharp claws curved from its paws, and crimson eyes shone ravenously from deep within its dirty-gray fur. Their muscles bristled visibly beneath their dark fur, rippling with raw power.


    "Hah! Small fries! These things are not match for me!"


    At the front, Qi Fu Ren was sneering as he slammed his fist on the ground and unleashed his Thunder Break. Electricity blasted off the earth and electrocuted a huge pack of shrieking Demonic Rats. The stink of burned flesh began to fill the clearing as the rat monsters shuddered and danced about in a frenzy of spasms.


    "Would you look at that?! My Thunder Break has been perfected!"


    Nobody was paying much attention to the crowing Qi Fu Ren, however. They were too busily fighting for their lives. Zhu Jiao stepped up and pulverized a lunging Demonic Rat with a single punch, then whirled around to kick another into oblivion. In the distance, Bai Ning Xue was waltzing across the clearing, deftly evading every lunge, charge or pounce from her rat-like opponents. With a flick of her hand, she launched a long-distance bolt of lightning that split off into a web and bounced from Demonic Rat to Demonic Rat, sending them into their death spasms.


    "That''s¡­isn''t that an advanced White Tiger Sect technique?"


    "Yeah¡­that''s the Living Lightning technique! I thought you''ll only be able to learn that when you reach the Qi Essence Stage!"


    "Bai Ning Xue is really amazing¡­"


    "Is she even human?"


    Most of our classmates stared at her. A few of them seemed to have recognized the techniques, being fellow disciples of the White Tiger Sect, and they were offering context to those other classmates who didn''t know how incredible of a feat Bai Ning Xue was pulling right now. Even Qi Fu Ren was dumbstruck at having his thunder stolen from right under his nose. He clenched his fists and watched Bai Ning Xue closely.


    I understood how he felt. Qi Fu Ren had set out to impress Bai Ning Xue, but not only did she remain oblivious, she even ended up impressing him instead.


    As for me¡­never mind impressing people. I was more worried over whether I was pissing people off with my incompetence or something.


    On one hand, the Demonic Rats couldn''t touch me because of my footwork. While I still couldn''t perfectly execute any of the footwork techniques that Teacher Jiao had shown me last month, I had managed to at least achieve a modicum of success. Additionally, I had already mastered Shadow Steps, which was more than enough to evade enemies of this level. Combining what I learned from Teacher Jiao with my mastery of Shadow Steps, I was able to dodge, evade and escape whatever Demonic Rat that lunged at me.


    But I can''t keep dodging forever¡­


    It was unfortunate, but I wasn''t here to play tag with the monsters. I was here to earn combat experience and "level up" if that term was appropriate. To do so, I needed to at least try and fight a Demonic Rat properly.


    How did Teacher Jiao do it again?


    I tried to recall that fourth footwork technique, Flow. If I could master that, I could turn it into a form of attack, disrupt my opponent''s rhythm and deliver a counterattack.


    The Demonic Rat screeched as it closed in on me, its jaws wide open. I could see a mouth full of slobbering fangs.


    For a moment, I froze. It was only natural. This was my first time fighting. I didn''t expect a monster to be so horrifying, so¡­grotesque. I could almost feel the creature''s fetid breath on my face. Stumbling back, I aborted my attempt to attack and reverted back to escaping by concentrating the flow of qi into my feet¡­


    "Fei Wu! Are you all right?"


    Just as I sidestepped and vanished from the Demonic Rat''s field of view, Zhu Jiao suddenly appeared and pulverized the creature. Blood splattered the trees and grass, and I inadvertently used my footwork to escape the red fluids from staining my uniform.


    "¡­eh? Hey! That''s an interesting move!"


    Zhu Jiao blinked as he stared at me. I merely waved his praise away.


    "Thanks. But you''re no slouch yourself."


    Actually, I was annoyed that he stole my kill. I had that creature well in hand¡­I was just a little hesitant to kill a live creature. I''m sure readers would call me weak and pathetic, but let''s be real here. Up to now, I had yet to kill a single living creature. Of course I would feel queasy about it. Just thinking about slaying the Demonic Rat had me all queasy.


    "Be careful. And stay close."


    "Come on¡­at least let me have some fun¡­"


    I gestured toward the short sword I was holding my right hand. Zhu Jiao glanced at it, and then laughed.


    "Right. Go get them!"


    Unlike me, Zhu Jiao was clad in armor. He was using gigantic gauntlets to crush his enemies, finely crafted gauntlets with Spirit Engravings. All my classmates had received high-quality, exquisite weapons forged by the best smiths in Martial City, acquired by their masters of their respective sects.


    Except me, of course. I had no master, being an Experimentalist. Using the academy resources, Teacher Jiao could only get me a cheap sword with no Spirit Engravings whatsoever. Not that I minded. The moment I found a suitable weapon in the ruins, I would ditch this sword for that. I could get a little sentimental, but I had to be practical. No use hanging onto a sword that wasn''t going to last.


    While Zhu Jiao was distracted by another swarm of Demonic Rats, I found one that had split off from the rest of the pack to prey on the vulnerable. Noticing that I was the weakest in class, the Demonic Rat had chosen me as its next target, and launched at me in blinding speed.


    I swallowed and steeled myself. Using Evade, I got behind the Demonic Rat. Without thinking, I slashed and stabbed it in the back, severing its spine and causing it to collapse with a shrill cry.


    "SQQQQUEEEEEEEE!"


    The Demonic Rat let out a shrill cry and writhed about. I grabbed my sword with both hands and twisted it, driving it deeper. I must have pierced something vital, for the Demonic Rat stopped shrieking and fell limply, minor death throes still wracking its body. I plunged the sword deeper, splattering some of the blood on my face, and then yanked it out.


    What a mess¡­and the stink¡­it was unbearable.


    "Ugh¡­bleah!"


    I turned away and forced myself to stop the nausea. I felt like throwing up. Thankfully, it seemed that I wasn''t the only one. As I wiped my mouth, I noticed that there were more than one classmate who were looking pretty green at the gills. Particularly the girls. Most of them had stopped fighting and were backing away, looking pretty sick.


    Like Principal Xiao said, actual combat is very different from training¡­it''s a lot messier and disgusting¡­


    Still trying to contain my revulsion, I turned back toward the battle. More of the Demonic Rats were coming, but their numbers were visibly reduced. They weren''t going to wait for me to recover. Already one of them was charging at me.


    I stepped to the side, and then stabbed it as it went past me. The Demonic Rat emitted another cry before it collapsed, foul fluids spilling from its wound. It thrashed about and turned to bite me defiantly, but I mercilessly beheaded it.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I still felt sick, but the nausea was under control now. No¡­I was getting used to killing. After the initial kill, my body was acclimatizing, my mind adapting. I was becoming numb to the slaughter that was taking place around me.


    And it seemed that most of my classmates were experiencing something similar. Ban Zhang, who was looking very pale earlier, was now methodically hacking and slashing away at the Demonic Rats with his sword. A few of the girls had mustered the courage and stepped back into combat once more.


    Suddenly, it occurred to me that the real purpose of this training exercise wasn''t just to level up with practical combat experience. It was also to get us used to killing¡­to taking the life of a living thing. The Demonic Rats weren''t particularly dangerous, so they were perfect for us to get used to the idea that it was kill or be killed, and to slowly eliminate our qualms of slaughtering another living being.


    Not bad¡­ I pushed my glasses up as I surveyed the area, and then sighed. But¡­I''m still not sure I can stomach this¡­


    Well, at least I no longer felt like I was going to throw up.


    Before I knew it, the Demonic Rats were eradicated. I had killed another two or three in the meantime, but when I glanced up to look for another opponent, I noticed that it was all silent. There was no other sound other than the panting or heaving of my classmates.


    "Good job! You all did well!"


    Xiao Zhang applauded our efforts, stepping out of the shadows and nodding in approval. He even gave me a surprised look, unable to hide how he was impressed by even me. He hadn''t said anything to me directly, but from what I could tell, he wasn''t pleased with my lack of progress with Heaven and Earth Formula and all but written me off. I guess putting in the effort was worth it, except that I didn''t do it to earn that old bastard''s recognition. But it still felt good nonetheless.


    "But make sure you don''t lower your guard. Keep this up! I''m sure you guys will grow at a remarkable rate if you continue performing like this."


    Despite the cautionary tone, Xiao Zhang sounded pleased. He then gestured toward the Demonic Rats'' carcasses. Right before our eyes, the corpses of our defeated enemies were disappearing and fading away, leaving magic cores behind.


    "Don''t forget to collect the monster cores! They will net you quite a lot of money!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    At the sound of that, the class immediately began picking up the monster cores. With the battle done, the tension had eased and the students were eagerly chattering once more, smiling as if they had just completed a game rather than prevail in a life-or-death battle.


    "That was fun!"


    "Yeah! It felt like a game, didn''t it?"


    "I wonder if I actually leveled up?"


    "Who knows? It would be great if we could make a breakthrough with this experience¡­"


    After picking up the monster cores, we proceeded from there. We encountered a few more monsters as we descended, the species growing stronger according to the level we were in. Despite our success in the following battles, we still had to watch out for traps.


    "Don''t be too reckless. Sen Lin Forest is full of traps that were set up by Ancients eons ago, to catch unwary intruders off guard and kill them."


    Xiao Zhang warned us not to be too complacent. More than once, we were forced to stop when spears suddenly jutted out of the ground, or a boulder came rolling out of nowhere from a hill. With our bodies clad in defensive qi, the spears couldn''t pierce us, and Zhu Jiao simply smashed the incoming boulder into smithereens with his gauntlets.


    "Even though the traps so far aren''t anything serious, there are certain traps that are lethal even against martial artists. The deeper we are within a forest, the more advanced and deadly the trap will be. That''s why you shouldn''t let your guard down."


    "Yes~"


    "On the other hand, the more dangerous the traps, the chances of a ruin being nearby would be proportionately higher. The Ancients who built and left behind the ruins had especially concentrated on building dense clusters of sophisticated traps near their ruins to protect their treasure, after all."


    "I can''t wait to see what kind of treasure we''ll find in the ruins!" Feng Tian Yong exclaimed excitedly, followed by excited chatter from the rest of our classmates.


    Xiao Zhang smiled indulgently, and left to check on the other classes. Even without him, class 1-4 advanced steadily under Teacher Jiao''s guidance.


    Before we knew it, we had reached the twentieth sector while fighting battle after battle. Xiao Zhang reappeared to compliment us.


    "Not bad! To actually reach this far in Sen Lin Forest on your first try!"


    When we stared at him blankly, he quickly explained.


    "We''ve reached the twenty-kilometer mark. Normally middle school first year students would stop at the fifteen kilometer mark before reaching their limits, but your batch is so talented that you''ve crossed an additional five kilometers before I realized it!"


    So exploring twenty kilometers deep into Sen Lin Forest was considered a big achievement. Yay. Should I be celebrating?


    By the way, Sen Lin Forest stretched for hundreds, if not thousands of kilometers across the Middle Continent. I didn''t know why Xiao Zhang was making such a big deal over us covering a mere twenty kilometers, an astronomically miniscule fraction of the total area.


    "Even though you don''t have much experience, and this is your first time exploring the forest, for you to actually reach twenty kilometers in one go¡­your talent is really remarkable! All of you! Once again, I am impressed!" Xiao Zhang chuckled as he stroked his long beard. "It was really worth accepting all of you into my academy!"


    For once, he no longer looked at me as if I was trash. I guessed I had finally proven myself in combat.


    "It is all because Principal Xiao has been guiding us."


    Ban Zhang bowed respectfully. As always, he spoke as if he was representing the class. Well, he wasn''t wrong.


    All this while, Xiao Zhang had been leading all the students from every class, guiding us past the particularly dangerous traps and warning us of ambushes from demonic monsters. If he hadn''t been around to chaperon us, we would never have been able to descend so far in such a short time.


    "Let''s finish clearing the twenty kilometer mark, and then we''ll call it a day. But be careful¡­from this point on, not only will there be new species of magical beasts appearing, all these various species will be cooperating to attack us. Do not let your guard down and get complacent just because it had been easy so far! Let''s do it!"


    Xiao Zhang spoke with a vitality and enthusiasm of a man half his age. I had no idea how he still had so much energy.


    We moved on, and encountered a few more monsters. This time, we encountered a pack of Silverback Wolves, working in conjunction with Bad Badgers.


    Oh, I know these monsters!


    It seemed that all that time spent reading in the library had paid off. I had been researching and reading up on the various species of magical beasts present in this timeline, glancing through an encyclopedia to increase my knowledge regarding this new world. Even though that took some time away from my martial arts training, all that reading was worth it.


    "What the¡­?!"


    I heard a classmate shout when his sword bounced off the armored fur of a Silverback Wolf. Nearby, Zhu Jiao cursed when his punch failed to pulverize one.


    "These guys are tough!" he shouted. I pushed my glasses up as I offered an explanation.


    "If I remember, the weakness of a Silverback Wolf is its stomach. Attacking its back would be ineffective because the fur there is armored, and thus impervious to most weapons unless you have massive amounts of qi and strength..."


    "How do you know that?" Zhu Jiao demanded. Despite his doubt, he twisted around and punched a Silverback Wolf from below. The magical beast howled as it burst apart from the sheer force. Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened. "Hey! You''re right!"


    "I told you, didn''t I? That knowledge is power. This is why I go to the library everyday to read!"


    "Ha ha!" Zhu Jiao chuckled as he shook his head wryly. "As expected of Fei Wu. This is why you''re among the smartest people in class."


    "I wish." I snorted, but wasn''t able to come up with a better retort. For now, I should focus on the battle. I couldn''t afford to get distracted.


    Using my footwork, I managed to lead the Silverback Wolf on a wild goose chase. As it impatiently growled and pounced on me, I suddenly spun around and slid under it while swinging my sword up.


    In a single movement, I eviscerated the Silverback Wolf''s soft belly. Blood and guts spilled on me as I slid past, causing me to retch, but I swallowed, wiped the disgusting fluids off my face, and rose to my feet. Turning around, I finished off the fatally wounded Silverback Wolf.


    "Phew¡­"


    That was dangerous. Silverback Wolves were actually pretty strong creatures, possessing both raw power and cunning intellect. That I managed to provoke a Silverback Wolf into lunging at me and exposing its vulnerable underbelly was sheer luck. Or me being smarter than the cunning Silverback Wolf in this regard.


    "Whoa!"


    I turned around when I heard the cry. It seemed that Qing Xin Xia had been cornered and was trying to fight off a pack of Silverback Wolves. She had stayed behind to help heal the wounded. Despite our efforts, it wasn''t as if the class was carrying out perfect kills and emerging from the battles totally unscathed. We always had casualties and wounded, and it fell to Qing Xin Xia and the other disciples of the Green Dragon Sect to heal the classmates who were injured.


    The Silverback Wolves seemed to have notice this, for they were seizing the opening and attacking the class where it was most vulnerable.


    "Tch¡­"


    I clicked my tongue and got ready to use Advance to charge toward the Silverback Wolves. Before, I could, however, a golden blast of qi slammed into the Silverback Wolf I was aiming at, almost tearing it in half from sheer force.


    "Get away from them!"


    Zhu Jiao was shouting. With a stomp, he conjured a row of stalagmites that pierced the soft underbellies of the Silverback Wolves.


    "T¡­thank you."


    Qing Xin Xia stared up at her savior gratefully, her eyes sparkling. Zhu Jiao seemed to notice her affection and he chuckled embarrassedly.


    "No, it''s nothing much¡­"


    I had always suspected, but this confirmed my thoughts. Qing Xin Xia obviously had a crush on Zhu Jiao for a long time. The way she looked at him was¡­yeah, the way a woman looked at a man. Full of affection and longing.


    "Ahem."


    "Whoa!"


    "Ah?!"


    Both Zhu Jiao and Qing Xin Xia jumped when Bai Ning Xue cleared her throat. I was also a little taken aback. When did she appear?


    "Are you all right, Xin Xia?"


    "Ah¡­yes. That''s right. Thanks to Classmate Jiao¡­"


    "Speaking of which, Jiao, let''s go. We''ve to make sure there are no other magical beasts left in the area."


    Bai Ning Xue turned away and said without looking at him. Zhu Jiao looked a little startled, but he grinned sheepishly and hastily followed her.


    "Uh¡­right."


    Meanwhile, from a distance, Qi Fu Ren was glaring in their direction, a murderous look in his eyes.


    What the hell?!


    I wanted to roll my eyes at the entire scene. What was this, some kind of romantic comedy? Were they seriously pulling this love rectangle crap in the middle of a monster-infested forest? There''s a time and place for everything, you know?!


    At that moment, Bai Ning Xue stopped and stared at an unusually large tree.


    "What''s that?"


    All of us turned and looked in the direction she was facing. As she had pointed out, there was something embedded in the massive tree, but it wasn''t a bug or one of the usual magical beasts carving a home into its huge trunk.


    No, it was a diamond-like gem that glowed brilliantly and beautifully.


    "Oh, that''s a Glacial Gemstone." Xiao Zhang nodded as he mused to himself. "Fascinating. I rarely see one of that size. It will sell for a lot of money¡­but it''s also very useful for cultivation and is extremely valuable as ingredients for Spirit weapons and armaments. It''s also very often used to craft jewelry for the royalty and nobles."


    All the girls were going googly eyes over it.


    "How pretty¡­"


    "It''s lovely¡­"


    "Beautiful¡­"


    While the girls chattered excitedly or whispered shyly amongst each other, Bai Ning Xue alone remained silent. She cast a surreptitious glance at Zhu Jiao, but I was probably the only one who noticed it. No, it seemed that Qing Xin Xia noticed it as well, but she merely turned away guiltily and focused her gaze on the Glacial Gemstone.


    Qi Fu Ren, who had been watching Bai Ning Xue, also noticed it.


    "In that case, I''ll get it!"


    He roughly declared and quickly moved toward the Glacial Gemstone. Xiao Zhang spun around, astounded by his abrupt behavior.


    "Hey! Don''t just grab the Glacial Gemstone like that! Check to make sure it''s safe first!"


    Qi Fu Ren pointedly ignored him and reached the Glacial Gemstone. Despite Xiao Zhang moving forward to stop him, he was too late. Qi Fu Ren had already stretched out his hand and touched the Glacial Gemstone.


    At that moment, Teacher Jiao jolted and raced forward.


    "Get away from that Glacial Gemstone! It''s a trap!"


    Unfortunately, he was too late. In the brief moment that Qi Fu Ren touched the Glacial Gemstone, there was already a massive formation circle of qi rapidly expanding from the crystal to envelope the entire clearing.


    Oh boy¡­why do I have a strange sort of d¨¦j¨¤ vu?


    That was because the formation circle looked very similar to the one that was used in many summoning stories. Such as one that involved a certain edgy synergist with a railgun and motorbike.


    "Fall back!" Xiao Zhang sounded panicky. "Leave this place immediately! Go!"


    The class was already fleeing toward the edge of the forest, but they didn''t make it in time. The light from the formation circle flashed blindingly across the clearing, drowning our vision in pure white. I blinked, but couldn''t see anything no matter how much I tried. Not that there was anything to see¡­in fact, I felt as if I was floating, like there was nothing beneath my feet.


    The next thing I knew, the white light disappeared and the class was rudely deposited upon yet another place.


    "Whoa!"


    "Ouch!"


    "What the hell?!"


    While I managed to land on my feet because of my footwork, the rest of my classmates weren''t as lucky. Most of them had lost their balance and fell on their rump, hard. They were groaning and rubbing their bruised parts as they got up.


    Pushing up my glasses, I looked around my new surroundings. It was no longer a forest but seemed to be a subterranean cavern. Clearly the formation circle was a transportation technique that brought us across space and brought us to a different place.


    That different place was currently a bridge. The transportation technique had deposited us directly in the middle of a large stone bridge that stretched across a hundred meters in length. Below the bridge was nothing but a yawning chasm of sheer darkness so deep that we couldn''t see the bottom. I shuddered when I stared down into it, feeling as if I was being watched by something, and suddenly remembered reading something similar.


    If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze back into you. Friedrich Nietzsche was the one who said that, right?


    Tearing my eyes away from the endless abyss below, I scanned through the bridge. Obviously there were no handrails for us to hold onto, which made it absolutely vital that we get off the damned bridge before we slip off and fall below. On either end of the bridge were cliffs that housed passageways into stairways that led above.


    Xiao Zhang must have noticed the same thing, for he quickly instructed us in a grim tone.


    "All of you, hurry up and get to the stairs immediately! Get out of here! Right now!"


    The whole class moved without any hesitation. Even the usually rebellious Qi Fu Ren offered no snarky reply.


    Unfortunately Sen Lin Forest wasn''t kind enough to lure us into a trap, only to let us escape so easily. New formation circles materialized on both sides of the bridge, and monsters began emerging from within these circles. On one side was a gargantuan magical beast that reminded me of Fenrir from Norse mythology, with its massive wolf-like frame, spiky fur and gigantic fangs. On the other side was a massive pack of skeletal monsters that brayed hollowly as they galloped toward us, their exposed bones rattling.


    Xiao Zhang could only stare at the massive magical beast, his eyes wide in fear. His mouth opened and closed for several moments, and only when I strained my ears could I hear what he was whispering.


    Not that I needed him to tell me. I already had my suspicions about the monster''s identity, having read about it in an encyclopedia in the library. Even so, Xiao Zhang''s words served to confirm my worst fears and send chills down my spine.

 21 Chapter 20: Behemoth

    I glanced from one side to the other, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Clearly this had turned out to be a trap, and we were currently trapped between monsters. On one side, where countless small formation circles appeared, dozens ¨C if not hundreds ¨C of moving, breathing terracotta soldiers materialized. Clad in earthen armor and wielding metallic weapons, they marched forward to form disciplined ranks.


    They kind of reminded me of the terracotta soldiers entombed within the Qin Emperor''s grave. No, I''m not talking about the terrible versions in the awful Brendan Fraser third Mummy movie ¨C a pity, because the first two Mummy movies he starred in were downright awesome.


    On the other side, the formation circle was massive. It extended and stretched over ten meters and a gargantuan monster emerged from it. As I said, it reminded me of the legendary Fenrir wolf from Norse mythology. As I said, it had spiky fur and gigantic fangs that leaked out of its deadly jaws. Crouching on all fours, the Behemoth bristled, its thick muscles rippling underneath that armored coat of black spiky fur.


    I gulped as I stared at it. Even though the terracotta soldiers numbered over hundreds, they failed to strike the same amount of fear that the Behemoth inspired. Its spiky fur was as black as night, and its inky black eyes seemed to devour me whole into an abyss.


    It looked exactly like the top-ranked monster I saw in the magical beast encyclopedia that I borrowed from Wu Ling library. Its mere presence was sending massive chills down my spine, and I almost suffocated from the sheer fear generated by merely looking at it.


    "That really is a Behemoth¡­" I muttered, concurring with Xiao Zhang.


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    As if he heard my words, the Behemoth threw its head back and unleashed a deafening roar that reverberated throughout the cavern.


    "GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "Whoa?!"


    "AAAAH!"


    "No!"


    All around me, my classmates screamed and dropped down, clutching their ears or trembling from horror.


    "Get up!"


    Xiao Zhang was one of the few who were unaffected. He stood strong and began issuing orders to everyone, rallying them.


    "Roger that!"


    Teacher Jiao spun around and gestured for us to follow him.


    "Ban Zhang! Zhu Jiao! Qi Fu Ren! You form the vanguard! The rest of you, stay back and provide support with long-range techniques!"


    "Please wait, Teacher Jiao!" Zhu Jiao protested when he saw that Xiao Zhang had stayed behind to fend the Behemoth off by himself. "We will help! That gigantic wolf seems like it''s the most dangerous enemy!"


    "Idiot! That''s a Behemoth! It''s a Rank 9 magical beast! With your present strength, there''s no way you''ll be able to defeat it! You''ll only get killed! Even a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner will have trouble fighting a magical beast of that level!"


    "Hurry up and go!" Xiao Zhang yelled. "You are all the future of the orthodox Martial Arts Alliance! I can''t afford to let you all die in a place like this!"


    Even Xiao Zhang appeared intimidated by the monstrosity before him. Stepping forward, he drew his Spirit Sword and Spirit Staff, their arcane Engravings glowing ferociously. The Behemoth lunged at him, but the Principal of Wu Ling Academy stood his ground determinedly.


    "You shall not pass!"


    With a bellow, Xiao Zhang slammed his Spirit Staff into the ground. A glowing barrier manifested around him and rapidly expand to fill the space between the Behemoth and the fleeing students. The Behemoth crashed heavily into the barrier, and the resulting impact sent a tremendous shockwave rippling throughout the bridge.


    "Whoa!"


    "Ah!"


    "No!"


    The entire bridge was trembling violently from the shockwave, even as the ground beneath the Behemoth''s paws was obliterated. The retreating students shrieked as they swayed, lost their balance and toppled over.


    In contrast, the terracotta soldiers stood firmly, maintaining their balance despite the ferocious quake. They continued marching onward in a grim manner, slow and methodical in their approach. The front ranks lowered their spears to impale the stumbling students, while the ones at the back raised their swords.


    "Eek!"


    "Get away! Get away!"


    "What the hell are these things?!"


    My class was panicking when they found themselves trapped between an army of unnerving terracotta soldiers in front and a ferocious gargantuan monster at the back. With no path of retreat, we could only advance forward. But the way was blocked by countless terracotta soldiers, who moved inhumanly like automata programmed solely for destruction.


    Hauling themselves to their feet, the class was completed blinded by panic and consequently they threw caution to the wind as they desperately raced toward the entrance. The terracotta soldiers seemed much weaker than the Behemoth at the back, their strangely human forms both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.


    "Calm down! Stop panicking! Get back into formations! Don''t recklessly rush forward!"


    Teacher Jiao was yelling at the class, but none of them except me was paying any attention. Ban Zhang and Zhu Jiao were still dithering at the back, trying to help the exasperated Xiao Zhang. But he couldn''t complain when Bai Ning Xue joined him, reinforcing his barrier with her qi. The barrier swelled up and strengthened, the cracks disappearing instantly.


    "Not bad, Ning Xue"


    Zhu Jiao also raise his hands and reinforced the barrier with his qi, turning the protective screen golden.


    With the three great pillars in class, and the other more competent martial artists such as Qi Fu Ren, Du Lang or Li Chun Long more interested in preserving themselves rather than help the rest of the class out, the majority of my classmates had descended into mindless panic, their retreat devolving into chaos as they rashly plunged toward the terracotta soldiers without any semblance of formation, strategy, skill or technique.


    "Stop! Fall back! Get back into formation!"


    Teacher Jiao hollered at them, but again everyone ignored him or didn''t hear him because of their imminent terror. In the messy withdrawal, Tang Qi Hong stumbled and fell after one of our classmates rammed into her knocking her over. She groaned as she crashed heavily onto the ground, and raised her head, only to catch sight of a terracotta soldier raising its sword to behead her. The blade gleamed ominously in the darkness of the cavern.


    "No¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong helplessly looked upward, unable to do anything but watch as the terracotta soldier swung its sword down.


    Just when Tang Qi Hong thought she was dead for sure, the terracotta soldier suddenly disappeared from sight. Her eyes widened and she glanced around, thinking that someone had saved her by transmuting the ground beneath the terracotta soldier''s feet and causing it to slip and fall off the bridge and into the abyss.


    Sorry, but I''m not a synergist and my name isn''t Nagumo Hajime.


    "Eh?"


    Tang Qi Hong blinked in confusion as she glanced around. She suddenly realized that it wasn''t the terracotta soldier who disappeared. She was the one who had been transported away. She also saw that she was currently in my arms.


    Earlier, I had used Jin to advance toward her position, snatch her up in my arms, and then used Tui to retreat from the terracotta monster.


    Looks like it was the right decision to learn Shadow Steps. Plus those footwork lessons are also paying off now¡­glad I spent the whole month practicing them.


    I breathed a sigh of relief as I set Tang Qi Hong down. She stared at me, her eyes wide and her jaw dropping open.


    "H¡­how did you do that? Weren''t you¡­?"


    She trailed off when she realized what she was about to ask. Shaking her head, she glanced downward in embarrassment.


    "T¡­thank you," she muttered in a small voice.


    I didn''t pay much attention to her. I was already moving forward, trying to gauge the strength of the terracotta soldiers.


    "Hey! You guys!"


    Weaving through a bunch of terracotta soldiers who attempted to impale me with their spears, I evaded and made my way toward the other four Four Star Constitution martial artists in class. Li Chun Long, Feng Tian Yong, Wu Hei Gui and Du Lang. I pointedly ignored Qi Fu Ren and his two cronies because I knew they wouldn''t bother listening to me, and I had no time to waste on their selfish and arrogant antics.


    "What are you doing? Help us!"


    "We''re having our hands full here trying to survive," Du Lang replied as he smashed a terracotta soldier with his lightning claws. Silver qi sparked and danced about the triple blades that extended from his gauntlets, glowing ominously. As he cut apart a terracotta soldier, the qi on the blades exploded with such power that it blew his opponent apart.


    Don''t fuck with me. You were basically breezing through the terracotta soldiers without much difficulty.


    "They can take care of themselves!" Feng Tian Yong added as he jumped back, raising his golden bow. Fire arrows materialized in his right hand and he unleashed them upon the terracotta soldiers, incinerating swathes of them.


    "Ugh¡­I''m trying my best."


    Unlike the others, only Wu Hei Gui was inclined to cooperate. He had rushed forward to defend a group of other classmates with his water barrier, blocking the attacks from the terracotta soldiers. The two girls and a guy rose to their feet, nodding their thanks.


    "What do you think we''re trying to do?"


    While Li Chun Long was technically trying to help the other classmates, his assistance was limited only to a single girl and his fellow sect disciples. He kept sneaking glances at Qing Xin Xia, who had stayed behind to help heal and support Zhu Jiao. It was so obvious that Li Chun Long had a crush on Qing Xin Xia, who was in love with Zhu Jiao, who in turn was smitten with Bai Ning Xue. And that wasn''t even mentioning Qi Fu Ren, who always liked Bai Ning Xue.


    God, I''m so glad I didn''t have to deal with all this romance bullshit.


    "You guys realize that Zhu Jiao, Ban Zhang and Bai Ning Xue are currently delaying the Behemoth so that the rest of us can escape, right?"


    I was directing my words to Du Lang, Li Chun Long and Feng Tian Yong. Smiling, I gestured toward the terracotta soldiers and made a fist.


    "If you cooperate, you can smash this army of terracotta soldiers by yourselves. You will save the class. You will become heroes. This is your chance to step out of the shadows of Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue. With them busy stalling the Behemoth, there won''t be anybody stealing your thunder or kills. You will earn the class''s gratitude."


    The three of them looked at each other.


    "He''s got a point."


    "This is our chance."


    "Yeah, let''s do it!"


    The big four (outside of Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao) began working together, performing in concert to destroy waves of terracotta soldiers. Within moments, they blew through the terracotta soldiers and carved a huge path into the crowd.


    "Follow us!"


    "Come with me if you want to live."


    "Go, go, go!"


    The three of them forged ahead enthusiastically while Wu Hei Gui remained at the rear to continue defending them and other classmates with his water barrier techniques. Slowly but surely, our class was beginning to recover from the panic that gripped them and reform their ranks.


    "I can''t lose to them¡­I''ve a Four Star Constitution too!"


    Humiliated by her panic earlier, Tang Qi Hong was determined to make up for her embarrassing display. Sucking in a deep breath, she stepped forward and drew a flaming sword before incinerating a bunch of terracotta soldiers into ash. She stepped forward and waved her hand to the girls following behind her.


    "Over here! Let''s go!"


    Within moments, the chaos had vanished, replaced by an orderly and disciplined retreat as the Four Star Constitution martial artists led the attack, smashing apart terracotta soldiers and building an escape route.


    "Good."


    I exhaled in relief. Someone placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump. Turning around, thinking that it was a terracotta soldier, I lifted my short sword, only to drop it when I saw that the person was Teacher Jiao.


    He was smiling proudly.


    "I saw that. You finally succeeded in using the footwork techniques I showed you last month, didn''t you? Excellent."


    He gave my shoulder a squeeze, then ran after the Four Star Constitution martial artists to protect them and direct the flow of battle


    "Heh"


    I couldn''t help but feel proud at the praise. I knew it. It was worth spending all that time and investing all those efforts into learning how to actually execute those footwork techniques. For now, I could only use Jin and Tui. The other three were still beyond my reach, unfortunately. But given time, I was sure I could successfully use them.


    Eventually.


    Unfortunately, this wasn''t the time to celebrate. There were more terracotta soldiers being summoned as fresh formation circles appeared, the new reinforcements marching to close the gaps in their ranks. Realizing that they would plug the holes in their formations and cut off the majority of the class from the rearguard, I immediately turned back.


    "Zhu Jiao!"


    At the center of the bridge, the small group of martial artists were stubbornly holding out against the Behemoth. Despite Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao reinforcing Xiao Zhang''s barrier, it was already cracking under the relentless onslaught of the beast.


    The Behemoth charged the barrier again, producing a shockwave every time it collided with the force-field. The bridge creaked under the pressure, more rocks scattering away from the point of impact and falling forever into the bottomless abyss below.


    "That doesn''t look good."


    I pushed my glasses as I quickly skimmed over the barrier. Numerous cobwebs of cracks had spread and woven over the golden surface of the barrier, and it looked like it was going to collapse any minute now. Qing Xin Xia had remained, healing the trio whenever they suffered internal damage from the tremendous impact as they blocked the Behemoth''s charge.


    "Damn it¡­I already told you!"


    With a roar, Xiao Zhang exerted more of his qi into the barrier, attempting to repair it. He slammed his Spirit Staff down on the bridge again.


    "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"


    The Behemoth responded with a deafening roar and swiped at the gradually crumbling barrier, almost shattering it from that single blow.


    "You guys should retreat too! The majority of the class has gotten to safety, but the number of terracotta soldiers continue to increase. At this rate, you''ll be cut off from the rest of the class! Please hurry!"


    "You heard Student Fei Wu," Xiao Zhang told Zhu Jiao, Bai Ning Xue, Ban Zhang and Qing Xin Xia. "The barrier won''t hold for much longer. The Behemoth will break through it soon. All of you, hurry up and retreat!"


    "No!" Zhu Jiao shouted adamantly. "I will not abandon you! We will all survive and escape together!"


    Xiao Zhang gritted his teeth, as if seeming to suffer a headache from Zhu Jiao''s pride and misguided principles.


    "I appreciate the thought, but this isn''t the time to be a hero. Leave! I can only hold the Behemoth for not much longer!"


    "No! We''ll fight that thing if necessary¡­and defeat it!"


    "Don''t be ridiculous," I snapped at him. "Do you think this is some manga? That you''ll somehow power up with nakama power and defeat the Behemoth with some special move you suddenly pulled out of your ass? Start getting used to reality!"


    "What are you talking about?!"


    "Do you honestly think you can defeat a monster of that power?" I pointed at the Behemoth, who was snarling behind the golden wall. "Stop deluding yourself."


    "Classmate Fei Wu is correct," Bai Ning Xue admitted. "With our current level, we have no way of defeating the Behemoth."


    "All of us will either perish here together, or you guys escape while I hold this Behemoth off!" Xiao Zhang growled. "Hurry up and go! Don''t let my sacrifice be in vain!"


    Was the dude so eager to be a martyr or something?


    "Actually, I can distract the Behemoth long enough for you guys to escape."


    "Huh? How can you do that?"


    "The only martial arts you''ve learned are level one techniques!"


    "You''re being too reckless!"


    Zhu Jiao, Ban Zhang and Qing Xin Xia stared at me in disbelief. Bai Ning Xue treated me as if I didn''t exist, while a shadow flickered over the principal''s eyes. He probably wondered if I had some trick up my sleeve ¨C and if I did, then it surely had to be the Heaven and Earth Formula.


    I would love to disappoint him, but now wasn''t the best time to be mischievous.


    "I''m great at playing tag."


    "Huh?! What does tag have to do with anything?" Zhu Jiao demanded. I smirked.


    "The Behemoth won''t be able to catch me. I''ll get it to chase me and run around in circles, then catch up with you guys. I''m much faster than any of you."


    "Oh, right. You''ve been running thirty kilometers everyday¡­"


    Zhu Jiao nodded. Ban Zhang and Qing Xin Xia appeared unconvinced, but when they saw Zhu Jiao''s trust in me, they didn''t object.


    Xiao Zhang nodded.


    "We''ll be relying on you then."


    There was a sliver of unease in his tone that suggested to me that he didn''t believe me. However, even in the unlikely chance that I somehow restored a fraction of the highly sought after Heaven and Earth Formula, he still thought of me as trash with only a One Star Constitution. Compared to the Four and Five Star Constitution treasures that he held as gold in his hands, I was expendable and disposable. If he could save the talented prodigies of Wu Ling Academy, he would be more than willing to sacrifice me for it. My life would be a small price to pay to ensure their survival.


    But none of my classmates picked up on the principal''s intention. Moreover, as I wasn''t a mind reader, this was all speculation. I could just be overly cynical and was completely wrong about what Xiao Zhang was thinking. He did covet the heaven and Earth Formula after all, and also treated me fairly and somewhat decently.


    "We''ll release the barrier in three seconds. Three¡­two¡­one¡­now!"


    The golden barrier vanished and the Behemoth tumbled through. At the same time, I used Jin to dash forward and stab the Behemoth in its eye. Unfortunately, the Behemoth''s eye was too thick and the tiny blade barely made a dent. Instead, it snapped.


    Bloody hell, the quality of this sword was really poor. I wished they equipped me with a much better weapon.


    "GUOOOO!"


    "How?!"


    "Whoa! That''s really fast!"


    "He''s really telling the truth!"


    My three classmates ogled at my display, almost unable to believe their eyes. Only Bai Ning Xue remained unmoved. She glanced at me coldly, then turned to leave without a word.


    "Hurry! Get to the chopper¡­I mean stairs!"


    Yelling, Xiao Zhang snapped my classmates out of their stupor and shoved them forward. He turned to spare me one last glance, his eyes wide in astonishment.


    "That''s¡­footwork techniques?! How and when did he learn them!?"


    "Last month!"


    I couldn''t resist telling him. Xiao Zhang stared at me in disbelief, then he shook his head sadly.


    "Perhaps I was wrong about you after all."


    "Huh?"


    While dodging the Behemoth''s crushing paw with my footwork, I slightly turned my head. Xiao Zhang continued to keep his eye on me, his lips pursed in regret and sadness. Why so dramatic, old dude?


    "If you''ve been given more time and was taught properly by an actual master, maybe I wouldn''t need to do this¡­"


    The guy really believed that I would die here. A vein twitched, but I didn''t bother to argue. Instead, I turned my attention back to the Behemoth and danced around the base of its feet, deftly evading and avoiding its multiple attacks. The sheer force and brute strength of the Behemoth left countless craters in its wake, but I managed to stay one step ahead with my footwork.


    "GRRR!"


    The Behemoth swung at me again in frustration. A trickle of blood flowed from its eye, my crude attempt having damaged the delicate membrane, but it was clear from the dilated pupil that I failed to blind it.


    Well, I could try blinding it with blinding speed¡­


    "Whoa!"


    The Behemoth was growing increasingly frustrated and the speed of its swings grew ever more. I found that I was actually able to put Duo into practice and successfully evade the Behemoth''s ruthless barrage of attacks. The ground was growing more and more uneven, with an increasing number of craters and the rock growing soft from the continuous abuse. Kicking off the ground, I jumped away before its paw obliterated a great chunk of rock into dust.


    We danced a deadly tango, with me matching my partner''s steps and elegantly evading whatever twists he threw at me. Waltzing to his back, I avoided another blow and then retreated, luring the Behemoth to follow me. The Behemoth whirled around on the relatively narrow bridge without any hesitation and lunged at me again.


    "Hah!"


    I snorted as I vanished from the Behemoth''s sight, only to appear further away. The Behemoth bounded after me, determined to crush me between its fangs or under its paws.


    And just like that I was gradually luring the Behemoth away from my classmates. I couldn''t defeat it, but I didn''t have to. All I needed to do was distract the Behemoth and buy time for the rest of them to escape. I continued to dodge, duck and tactically withdrew, beckoning the Behemoth to follow me. It mindlessly pursued, unaware that I was leading it further and further away from my classmates. We were actually nearing the other end of the bridge.


    Where are the others?


    I looked up and saw that Zhu Jiao and the others had finally reached the other side of the bridge. Zhu Jiao punched the ground and sent a row of earth spikes upward, impaling the unfortunate terracotta soldiers and destroying their bodies. Beside him, Bai Ning Xue punched the ground with her delicate-looking fist and executed Thunder Break. Millions of volts of electricity surged across the space, frying the army of terracotta soldiers as well as the freshly arrived reinforcements.


    Compared to Bai Ning Xue''s Thunder Break, Qi Fu Ren''s was nothing.


    Whatever the case, my classmates had forced an opening. Good. Now was the time.


    As the Behemoth lunged at me again, I disappeared from its sight using Duo and evaded. My foot scraped against the broken, ruptured ground of the beleaguered bridge, but I didn''t waste too much time trying to balance on the uneven earth. I was already transferring more qi into my feet and surging forward using Jin.


    Even with Jin, I could only cross a hundred meters at a time, so I couldn''t appear at the other side of the bridge in one second. Perhaps I would reach there in another two Jin.


    "GUOO!!!"


    Behind me, the Behemoth bellowed in rage and frustration. It whipped around once again, and began bounding forward, getting ready to pounce on me. Unfortunately, I was too far ahead, having crossed a hundred meters in a single second. And I was about to cross another hundred meters in the next second¡­


    "Everyone, attack! Bombard the Behemoth with every long-range technique that you possess! Cover Student Fei Wu''s retreat!"


    Xiao Zhang ordered fiercely. I noticed that he was finally considering the possibility that I might actually survive this ordeal. That was flattering, somewhat.


    Unfortunately, my other classmates didn''t seem to believe him.


    "Eh? What?"


    "Classmate Fei Wu?"


    "What''s he doing there?"


    "Don''t tell me¡­?"


    "Fei Wu was distracting the monster and buying us time to escape!" Zhu Jiao snapped at everybody. "He risked his life for us! Now we have to help him!"


    Despite his and the principal''s words, my other classmates remained unconvinced. There were a few of them who glanced in my direction, their expressions regretful. They had thought that I was useless, but now they saw that Xiao Zhang and Zhu Jiao were telling the truth.


    "Amazing¡­"


    "How is he moving like that?!"


    "So fast¡­!"


    "He''s quicker than even that monster!"


    I had already crossed that hundred meters in that second while they were all murmuring amongst themselves. Unfortunately, the Behemoth had also covered a considerable distance and was closing in on our position. This was causing no small amount of panic.


    "Ready? Fire!"


    Xiao Zhang didn''t hesitate and issued the order. My classmates snapped out of it and began readying their techniques. Fire arrows from the Red Phoenix Sect streaked out to meet the Behemoth in its charge. Lightning from Bai Ning Xue and her entourage of girls crackled across the distance toward the Behemoth. Earth spikes from Zhu Jiao slammed into its ugly mug. Green and golden light of flames burst from the Green Dragon Sect disciples to sear through the Behemoth''s fur. Barrages of icicles were delivered from those students from the ice sects.


    "GUOOOO!"


    The Behemoth momentarily stopped. As expected, despite its high rank and immense power, even the monstrosity would be fazed by a relentless onslaught of long-range techniques bombarding it from a cohort of genius martial artists. Of course, its armored fur protected it from damage, and it was highly resistant and resilient to simple qi attacks from mere Qi Gathering Stage practitioners (with Teacher Jiao and Xiao Zhang being the only exceptions). But the tremendous force behind the bombardment was able to stop it in its tracks momentarily.


    And that moment was all I needed.


    I was about to move that last Jin to cross the final hundred meters and reach the other side of the bridge. None of the lethal attacks were aimed at me ¨C they were all passing over my head. I could relax a little, and I had no choice but to do so. I had been using my footwork techniques repeatedly, and I needed to pause for a second to gather my qi and reuse that footwork. It was just a second, but it was more than enough to produce a gap.


    And someone exploited that gap.


    When I paused to catch my breath one final time before making that last advance, I suddenly noticed something.


    Amongst the endless stream of long-range techniques, there was a single technique that had slightly veered off course and headed straight toward me with deadly, unerring accuracy. No matter how I looked at it, this bolt of lightning was clearly aimed at me.


    There was only one person who would snipe me, and he was the same guy who used lightning martial arts techniques.


    Qi Fu Ren?! That bastard!


    I tried my best to use Duo to evade the incoming lightning bolt, but whether intentionally or not, the fucker had targeted me right at my most vulnerable moment, when I was forced to pause to take a breather in the midst of continuously using footwork techniques. Fortunately, I was able to half-execute it, but it turned out to be a sloppy Duo that was mistimed and clumsy. As a result, I ended up tripping over myself and falling over way short of where I wanted to move to.


    Boom!


    On the bright side, the lightning bolt completely missed me. Thanks to avoiding a direct hit, I didn''t receive any real damage. Unfortunately, I was still buffeted by the shockwaves, and the intense voltage slightly paralyzed me, rendering me unable to move for a few seconds.


    And those few seconds were more than enough to prove fatal to me.


    "!"


    I desperately lifted my head a little¡­just a little, because my body was otherwise paralyzed.


    Damn it¡­


    I could only watch the Behemoth helplessly. Unable to stand, unable to move¡­unable to even lift a single finger, I could only await my impending doom. The barrage had faltered, my classmates needing to pause after delivering such a vicious onslaught. The Behemoth, unhurt by that sheer volume of attacks, had been incensed.


    "GUOOO!"


    Bellowing, the Behemoth reared back on its haunches, then sprang forward. Its fangs and claws glowed as they descended upon myself.


    "Kuh!"


    I forced myself to move. The paralysis was gradually wearing off, and I was finally able to move, if only a little. Unfortunately, that paralysis still affected my movements greatly, and despite using Duo again, I was only able to just barely escape the beast and appear just outside its attack radius. The moment I landed, I felt the violent tremors ripping across the bridge, which shook from the Behemoth''s powerful attack.


    Then the bridge finally had enough.


    SNAP!


    Unable to endure the abuse, the beleaguered structure finally fell apart. Massive cracks spread out from the epicenter of the enormous crater that the Behemoth had carved into it. There was a loud groan, and then the bridge suddenly snapped.


    "GUOOOOOH!"


    "Waaaaaaah!"


    The Behemoth desperately clawed at the falling pieces of rubble, struggling to find a place to grab onto. There was some sweet irony in realizing that the Behemoth had effectively killed itself. By rampaging mindlessly and not showing restraint in its assault, it destroyed its own footing and caused itself to fall to its death.


    Unfortunately, the Behemoth was not alone. Even as it plummeted into the abyss, accompanied by falling rubble and debris, I descended with it.


    ¡­or not.


    I clutched onto the edge of the crumbling bridge, having kicked off a piece of debris to hurl myself upward. I hauled myself upward, determined not to fall with the Behemoth. Like hell I would die in a place like this!


    Crack!


    I watched numbly, cold horror spreading across my body as the edge of the bridge finally gave way. Even the ground which the bridge was built into had shattered, and the whole thing collapsed into the abyss. Despite finding a handhold, I ended up crashing back into the bottomless depths, still gripping the piece of rock that I thought was my salvation.


    "Fei Wu!!!!"


    I looked up at the voice. Zhu Jiao was yelling my name and lunging forward, only for Ban Zhang and Bai Ning Xue to grab him and pull him back. Most of my other classmates were horrified, unable to believe what they were seeing. Only Qi Fu Ren alone smirked in the back, a smug smile spreading across that bloody ugly mug of his.


    That bastard!


    Teacher Jiao''s expression was blank, as if he couldn''t decide if he was in a nightmare. Xiao Zhang''s expression was tainted by both regret and resignation. He slowly shook his head and then turned away.


    Bai Ning Xue''s face was a cold mask, as if she didn''t care if I died or not. After all, I was not her beloved Zhu Jiao. Nearby, Tang Qi Hong had fallen to her knees, tears trailing out of her eyes, as she watched me plummet in horror. I wondered why. I was never close to her to begin with. Not that it mattered. I was still being yanked away from my classmates by the sheer force of gravity. Unfortunately, it seemed that I had yet to understand the¡­uh, gravity of my situation.


    I really ought to learn how to throw my weight around. If I did, Qi Fu Ren would never have dared to pull a murderous stunt like this off.


    Unfortunately, that would remain a what-if, and the resulting regret weighed down upon my shoulders forever.

 22 Chapter 21: Abyss

    "Oh, shut up¡­"


    Mumbling, I struggled to sit up. Holding my head, I winced as I listened to the annoying sound of dripping water. Not far off, it seems like there was a stream flowing. I blinked and shuddered as a cool breeze blew past me, noticing the drop in temperature.


    Damn, but it was cold.


    "Where the hell am I?"


    Cocking my head from side to side to relieve the stiffness in my neck, I glanced around at my new surroundings. Climbing to my feet, I suddenly felt a sharp pain stabbing my body, and almost toppled over. Huffing, I steadied myself.


    "Whoa¡­"


    Shaking my head to clear the pain and grogginess, I took stock of my surroundings. As expected, the abyss was dark, slight illuminated by mysterious luminous qi stones that were embedded throughout the rocky walls surrounding me. Just ahead was a narrow river that was about ten meters wide, but otherwise snaked left and right for as far as I could see, disappearing into a distance. An underwater stream, perhaps? Had I fallen into an underground creek?


    And then I realized how wet I was. No wonder I was feeling so cold. My drenched clothes clung to me, sapping away my body heat at a frightening rate and causing chills o run throughout me. Gritting my teeth, I wrapped my arms around me as my teeth chattered, shivering violently.


    My vision was blurry, but after a while I realized that it was because the lenses of my glasses were dripping. Since my clothing was wet, I couldn''t wipe them dry. In any case, I was surprised that I didn''t lose my glasses during the fall¡­


    Wait, fall? That''s right! I was falling after the bridge collapsed, after that fucking Qi Fu Ren betrayed me and attacked me when I was distracting the Behemoth! How¡­?


    Then everything came back to me. I survived the fall from the bridge above thanks to sheer luck. Normally, there was no way I could survive such a fall from a great height, but somewhere while falling, I had encountered a waterfall that was running off some cliff. I had almost blacked out when I slammed into the water, but thankfully the tension in the water had already been broken by the falling debris of the destroyed bridge, or the impact would have killed me.


    Or so the theory went.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I clutched my head. Somehow, after hitting the water, I was carried away by its flow and swept along by countless waterfalls. The journey wasn''t a smooth, fluid one. There were obstacles in the way, like rocks in the middle of the underground river. Unable to control my movements, and overpowered by the vicious currents, I was carried along right into a rock. Upon colliding with it (and various other things), I had blacked out.


    And now, it seemed that I had finally been washed ashore. Given how I was a meter or two away from the river, I judged that I must have unconsciously pulled myself out to save myself from a watery death the moment the currents relaxed. I wasn''t good at swimming, so I might really have drowned if I continued to allow myself to be swept away.


    "Br¡­"


    I still couldn''t control my violent shivering. It was cold. Too cold. It was as if I had been immediately plunged into the middle of a Minnesotan winter, without the right gear. All I had on was the Wu Ling Academy uniform.


    Damn¡­at this rate, I might catch hypothermia¡­


    I had to find a way to warm my body up. Staggering forward, I made a small base camp by the river and found a place to sit down. Meditating, I began to direct the flow of qi within my body, attempting to warm myself up with my vitality.


    How did Teacher Jiao teach me to control and convert my qi again¡­?


    That was when I realized that the surrounding atmosphere was saturated with dense, thick natural qi. This was a great place for cultivation. I guess this was what one could call fortune within misfortune.


    But it would still be pretty terrible luck if I couldn''t make use of the resources provided to me. Clamping down on my teeth to stop them from chattering, I tried to take my mind off the chills that ravaged my body and focused on directing my qi. Absorbing the rich natural essence from the air, I began to convert it into qi to nourish my vitality.


    To warm myself up, I have to focus on producing yang qi¡­


    The fiery element of yang qi, the other side of cold yin qi. If I could produce enough of it, I should be able to create a small spark of fire¡­


    Whoosh¡­


    I didn''t know how long it took, or how much time I spent meditating, but before I knew it, the water drenching my clothes was turning into steam. Even the water running down the lenses of my wet glasses evaporated instantly, the black plastic frame growing warm as it absorbed the heat. My body warmed up as my ferocious yang qi surged throughout it, the amount gradually increasing when I converted and added more of the natural essence into yang qi.


    "Whoa! That''s hot! Ugh!"


    Realizing that I got too carried away, I began going in the other direction and focused on converting a tiny amount of essence into yin qi. There had to be a balance. Too much yang qi and I would burn myself out. Moreover, I did not have much affinity with the fire element. Hell, I probably didn''t have affinity with any element, which explained my One Star Constitution. Although I could produce basic flames or heat, I wasn''t able to properly employ them in an authentic martial arts attack. I could probably throw Fire Punches, but the amount of heat I generated was negligible and probably wouldn''t hurt an opponent who was a martial artist and had improved elemental resistance over normal people who had never learned martial arts.


    But at least my clothes were now dry and I had warmed up quite a bit. After counteracting some of my excessive yang qi with a bit of yin qi to balance out the equilibrium of qi within my body, I rose to my feet again. There was no point spending too much time sitting around and meditating. I had to find a way out of this place.


    "I fell from quite a huge height¡­is there any way for me to get back up there?"


    I glanced around, but there was no sign of stairs or anything that would lead me back up to Sen Lin Forest or wherever I fell from. The walls in the distance was a sheer drop, too steep for me to scale. The cavern itself was too vast, almost like a forest in itself. I wouldn''t be surprised if it was part of Sen Lin Forest, to be honest. I could walk around for days and still not find a damned stairs or clue that would lead me back to the surface.


    Was there no way for me to return?


    A sudden spike of despair stabbed me. I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, trying not to give into the tears that threatened to well up in my eyes. This wasn''t the time to cry. It wasn''t¡­really, but I couldn''t help myself.


    I was all alone, in the middle of nowhere, cut off from my classmates. Betrayed by the fucker who bullied me, and left for dead. I couldn''t help but despair when I thought about my miserable predicament. Did that fucker really want me dead? Was I doomed to suffer like this? Why was God so cruel to me? not only did I suffer the humiliation of being a One Star Constitution cultivator, I had to endure condescending looks and treatment from other students in Wu Ling Academy, I became unable to retaliate against bullying ¨C and that same fucking bully was the one who almost killed me with his betrayal ¨C and now I was thrown into an abyss despite doing my best to save everyone by distracting the Behemoth.


    I helped everyone and this was the thanks I received? How was this fair? Why did I, despite working so hard, remain in such a miserable state, while everyone enjoyed the benefits of their talent? Why was I the one who suffered so much and got sacrificed, even when they were the ones with all the talent and by right should be stalling the Behemoth instead of me?


    Why? Why? Why? Why?


    "UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!"


    I let out a roar of rage and despair. This wretched fate¡­the unfair Heavens or God, this horrible destiny¡­I will overturn it all. I will go against Fate and the Heavens if I had to. I will take my fortune back with my own two hands.


    And I will get revenge on that bastard Qi Fu Ren and absolutely destroy him. He thought he was finally rid of me? I will show him. I will survive this no matter what and return to the surface. Then I will crush him.


    Clenching my fists, I allowed my fury to motivate me, to push me out of despair. Now that I had a goal, I had to put that determination into action. Sucking in a deep breath to calm myself down, I opened my eyes, wiped the tears away and glared at the distant walls.


    "I''ll be fine. I''ll find a way. I''ll definitely find a way."


    Now that I had calmed down and regained my composure, I began to explore the cavern and look for a way up. I wasn''t sure far underground I was in, but I was certain that I was still somewhere within the geographical space of Sen Lin Forest. In fact, I wouldn''t be surprised if this turned out to be one of those ruins we were in search of. If that was the case, there had to be a way out.


    However, as I progressed, I noticed that the cavern I was inside was less of a manmade structure and resembled more of an underground forest. For one thing, it was vast, with trees clustered before my path. If I wanted to find a way out of this godforsaken place, I had no choice but to traverse the strange forest.


    How are the trees alive down here?


    Some kind of magical ecosystem? There was no sun down here, so it was unlikely that the trees relied on photosynthesis. Then again, I had no idea how the biology of the world in this timeline worked. It was entirely possible that these trees were nourished by the dense, rich essence or qi that saturated the air in the cave. Already I felt stronger just from meditating for a bit by the shore. What more could be said for the trees, which had been here for years? Possibly centuries, or even millennia?


    This world is really full of fascinating stuff¡­


    I nodded as I glanced around, impressed.


    While I was a little apprehensive about entering the forest, I found to my benefit that the trees provided a lot of cover. If anything dangerous popped out, I could immediately dive and hide behind a tree. Aware of how treacherous the forest was, and still unsure about how deep underground I was in and thus the strength of the monsters and magical beasts that dwelled within them, I maintained an uneasy caution and traveled stealthily from tree to tree.


    I didn''t know how long I walked for. After what felt like hours, I was beginning to feel slightly exhausted. Unfortunately, I didn''t have the opportunity to rest. Taking a deep breath, I advanced another step, only to stop.


    "Eh?"


    There was a wide clearing in front of me. Surrounded by trees, it was a little bare other than the carpet of green grass that covered the soil. There wasn''t anything of interest, but it did seem like a good spot to set up camp and rest¡­


    At least that was what I thought, until I noticed the other presence in the clearing.


    "!"


    I quickly dove toward the nearest tree and sought cover under it. Closing my eyes, I breathed a few times to calm down, then carefully peeked out from behind a huge root. Straight ahead, right at the edge of a clearing, was single creature that hopped into view. At first I thought I had seen wrongly, that it wasn''t a magical beast, for it resembled nothing more than a big ball of white fur. Then I caught sight of the long ears.


    Is that¡­a Lunar Rabbit?


    Relying on my knowledge of magical beasts, I identified the creature as a Lunar Rabbit. As I had read in the encyclopedia, the creature was the size of a medium-sized hound, with heavily muscled hind legs that it used for kicking. However, it differed greatly from the images in the encyclopedia. For one thing, I didn''t remember seeing the dark red lines that ran along its body, like veins bulging and sticking out of its fur. The red lines also pulsated ominously in the darkness, almost glowing, and I could sense a thick demonic aura emanating from the creature.


    The Lunar Rabbit¡­is it corrupted by demonic qi?


    That was the only explanation¡­no wonder I instinctively felt fear. Its sheer presence was overpowering and suffocating, almost like a demon was closing its claw around my heart. There was also something unnerving about the Lunar Rabbit, from the predatory manner in which it sniffed the air and glanced around menacingly with glowing, crimson eyes.


    Yeah, that was definitely a dangerous monster. I sure as hell didn''t want to approach a demonic beast like that. Briefly considering my options, I decided to stay hidden and wait for the corrupted Lunar Rabbit to leave. Closing my eyes, I slid back against the tree and waited patiently. Since I was at it, I might as well make use of this time to rest.


    Lunar Rabbit, huh?


    I remembered that there was a Lunar Rabbit Sect. Tu Zi Yi had joined that sect, and I remembered how it was a poor, pitiful sect that was barely able to survive with the few resources it had. Initially I wondered why the hell would a sect name themselves after such a nonthreatening beast, but now that I had actually seen the Lunar Rabbit in the flesh, I knew that it was far from harmless.


    That thing was dangerous! I didn''t know how much of it was due to the demonic qi corrupting it, but I sure as hell wasn''t going near it to find out.


    Wait¡­! What if the demonic qi that corrupted it¡­is from this very atmosphere!?


    I had been nourishing myself with the natural essence from the cavern''s air. If it turned out to be demonic essence ¨C that explained why it was so dense and rich ¨C wouldn''t I end up corrupting myself like the Lunar Rabbit and turning into a demonic monster?


    My heart began to pound. I didn''t want to turn into a monster¡­


    "!!"


    I was suddenly aware that the Lunar Rabbit''s movements had somewhat changed a little. It was sniffing the air, its heavy breathing thunderous against the silence that permeated the strange forest. Its ears stiffened as it stood up straight and rigidly, as if listening for something.


    Crap! Can it hear me? Am I breathing too loudly?!


    A stupid thought occurred to me. Perhaps the Lunar Rabbit could hear the ferocious pounding of my panicking heart¡­or it could somehow sense the disturbance in my emotions when I dreaded turning into a monster like it.


    Yeah, I mean¡­any normal human would panic, so stop blaming me for having such idiotic thoughts. Put yourself in a similar dangerous situation like mine, and see if you can stop your fear and panic and think rationally, you damned edgelords!


    I pressed myself against the tree, praying fervently. I forced myself to calm down, in the unlikely scenario that the Lunar Rabbit could hear my pounding heart (nah, it was more likely that it would hear my heavy breathing before it would ever hear my heartbeat) or sense the emotions, so that I could minimize my presence.


    Fortunately, the Lunar Rabbit''s attention was focused not on me but something else.


    "Gr¡­!"


    At the sound, I couldn''t help but curiously peeked out again. This time, I caught sight of a Silverback Wolf slinking out of the forest, growling fiercely. It was almost identical to the Silverback Wolves that I had seen and fought against in the outer regions of Sen Lin Forest. Except for one difference. Like the Lunar Rabbit, this particular Silverback Wolf had been corrupted by demonic qi. It possessed the same pulsating dark red lines all over its body, standing out visibly against its armored, silver fur. I was pretty sure the Silverback Wolves that my class and I encountered in the outer regions of Sen Lin Forest did not have those vein-like lines.


    I moved my hand to draw my short sword on reflex, only to find that it was missing.


    Ah¡­that''s right. My sword broke.


    Now I remembered. When attacking the Behemoth and stabbing its eye, the blade of my short sword had shattered. I was completely unarmed.


    Well, it''s not as if the magical beasts are attacking me¡­for now, I''ll just stay hidden.


    Just when I thought that, I heard a few more growls. To my surprise, four more Silverback Wolves ¨C each sporting the same demonic red lines that pulsed all over their bristling muscles ¨C loped out of the bushes and trees to join their comrade.


    Pushing my glasses up, I watched the situation while being safely hidden. No matter how I looked at it, it was clear that the Silverback Wolves had an advantage over the Lunar Rabbit. They would absolutely rip the poor thing apart with their claws, teeth and numbers. Not only that, having fought the Silverback Wolves, I was highly aware of their silverback fur armor, which was impervious to blade. The Lunar Rabbit possessed neither fang nor claw, and didn''t seem to possess any way of fighting those Silverback Wolves.


    It was going to be one-sided.


    Not that I sympathized with the "poor" Lunar Rabbit, of course¡­I couldn''t afford to feel pity for a demonic creature that might very well kill me.


    "Ku!"


    The Lunar Rabbit was not intimidated at all. With a cute cry, it leaped into the air and spun about. In a single, fluid motion, it delivered a roundhouse kick to the first Silverback Wolf before it could even react, smacking the lupine creature''s head with its massive legs.


    Crack¡­


    My jaw dropped as the thunderous sound echoed throughout the forest. The Lunar Rabbit''s kick had struck true. And the next moment, the Silverback Wolf collapsed, its neck bent at an unnatural angle. The Lunar Rabbit''s kick had snapped the wolf''s spine.


    Holy¡­!


    I blinked a few times, unable to believe my eyes.


    The Lunar Rabbit was far from done, however.


    It was still spinning in the air. Making use of its momentum from the roundhouse kick, the rabbit slowly whirled around in midair, and then as if kicking off something invisible, launched itself at its next foe. The second Silverback Wolf never saw the attack coming. Before it could even turn around, the Lunar Rabbit''s leg slammed into the side of its face.


    SNAP!


    Again, the Silverback Wolf''s neck was snapped cleanly by that vicious kick, and it fell onto the ground, twitching in its death throes.


    Amazing¡­


    Despite myself, I couldn''t help but admire the Lunar Rabbit. Despite its numerically superior foes, it was killing them with superior martial arts. I realized that this was actually a terrible matchup for the Silverback Wolves, which relied on their fur armor to protect themselves. That armor meant nothing when their opponent did not use sharp weapons, fangs or claws to fight. The Lunar Rabbit was pulverizing them with sheer strength, using raw muscle to break their necks. It didn''t need to penetrate their armor ¨C and the Silverback Wolves'' fur offered no protection against overwhelming blunt force.


    Even though I was supposedly an intellectually superior human, there was still a lot of things I could learn from the magical creature. The Lunar Rabbit was actually using martial arts¡­did the Lunar Rabbit Sect specialize in kicks, then?


    But it wasn''t over yet. As the Lunar Rabbit landed, two of the remaining Silverback Wolves pounced on it, thinking it was most vulnerable. As before, they still maintained their cunning and weren''t about to miss such a golden opportunity.


    However, the Lunar Rabbit wasn''t the least fazed. Having landed on its hands rather than its legs, it did a handstand and whirled about like a tornado. Its two heavily muscled hind legs lashed out and caught the two Silverback Wolves in their jaws. Before I realized what happened, the two Silverback Wolves were flung back and struck a couple of trees with such colossal impact that they actually broke the trunks in half, and were buried under the collapsed wood. Blood leaked out from their corpses, spreading out into a pool underneath the fallen trees.


    The last Silverback Wolf growled and raised its tail, accumulating a frightening amount of qi into it. I realized that it was about to use a long-range elemental qi technique. Immediately, the temperature plummeted as icicles materialized above it.


    The Silverback Wolf can actually use long-range elemental qi techniques?! But the ones in the outer region of Sen Lin Forest couldn''t¡­ah, that''s right¡­


    I suddenly recalled a passage from the encyclopedia. High-level magical beasts could use qi techniques, which were basically akin to magical spells in a more fantasy-like setting. Even within the same species, certain members had survived and fought long enough to¡­"level up", if you will, and obtained the ability to use qi techniques.


    This particular Silverback Wolf was an example of that. It was obviously of a much higher level or cultivation stage than its brethren.


    "Gr¡­!"


    The barrage of icicles rained down on the Lunar Rabbit. Even as they sought to pierce the demonic beast, the Lunar Rabbit fearlessly darted forward with incredible agility. Evading the deadly hail of icicles by zigzagging across the clearing, the rabbit launched itself at the wolf and launched a somersault kick into its chin. The Silverback Wolf''s head snapped upward with a sickening crunch and its whole body was lifted off the ground and sent hurtling across the clearing. Like its deceased brethren, its neck had been broken from that single blow.


    "Ku!"


    The Lunar Rabbit cried triumphantly and stomped on the ground, its long ears twitching excitedly.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    I mean, the encyclopedia did praise the Lunar Rabbits as strong, precocious creatures, and there was even a human martial arts sect that took its name, but this was way beyond my expectations. A single rabbit defeating five wolves on its own? Who would believe me if I survived my journey out of Sen Lin Forest and told everyone about it?


    Furthermore, just from those movements, that incredible speed and agility, and the raw power behind its kicks, I was pretty sure that this Lunar Rabbit was superior to the terracotta soldiers that my class had trouble with earlier. If my classmates were to run into a pack of these Lunar Rabbits, wouldn''t we be annihilated?


    Best to stay low and hide until the Lunar Rabbit left. Thinking that, I was about to dig in deeper when the Lunar Rabbit mercilessly kicked the corpse of one of the Silverback Wolves. The carcass was flung right into my direction, and I instinctively dodged it even as it slapped wetly against the tree I was hiding behind. The wolf''s carcass then slid down to my position.


    "¡­oh."


    Whether the Lunar Rabbit had done it on purpose because it had already sensed my presence, or if it was a terrible coincidence and bad fucking luck on my part, it didn''t matter. As I froze, my eyes half-riveted on the Silverback Wolf''s corpse, I could see the Lunar Rabbit staring at me with those demonic, crimson eyes.


    Yup, it had definitely seen me.


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    I was rooted to the ground, my instincts screaming at me to run but my body reusing to obey my mind. It was almost as if I was hypnotized by the Lunar Rabbit''s predatory gaze.


    Then the Lunar Rabbit infused strength into its hind legs and sprang forward.


    "Whoa!"


    I barely reacted in time as the Lunar Rabbit dashed toward me at a ridiculous speed that actually left afterimages behind it.


    Fortunately, the Lunar Rabbit wasn''t the only one with deft footwork.


    Perhaps my survival instinct had kicked in at the last moment, but I managed to use Duo to evade the Lunar Rabbit. The ground where I was standing on a millisecond ago exploded as if an artillery shell had just hit it, gouging out a deep crater in the soil. I rolled on the ground after reappearing, and then jumped back to my feet.


    Before I could regain my balance and infuse qi into my legs, the Lunar Rabbit had already launched itself at me.


    "¡­tch!"


    Clicking my tongue, I tried to use Tui to retreat, but the Lunar Rabbit was too fast. Before I could fully materialized the footwork technique, the Lunar Rabbit had already caught up with me. Even though I was flying backward at an incredible speed using my footwork and qi, the Lunar Rabbit was even faster!


    What the hell!?


    The Lunar Rabbit kicked me. I brought my arms up to block on reflex, and thus protected my face from being obliterated, but the tremendous force threw me across the forest and slammed me into the ground with bone-crunching impact.


    "ARGH!"


    I writhed helplessly on the ground, screaming in pain. Struggling to get up, I collapsed to the ground. Looking down, I realized that my left am ¨C which had taken the full brunt of the kick ¨C was lying uselessly by my side. That single kick had broken the bones in my left arm, causing it to hang at a weird angle. I could actually see white bone sticking out of my elbow. The bone had fractured completely, to the point that it was piercing my skin.


    And it hurt. A lot.


    "Ugh! OOOOOOOW!"


    Worse, my right arm was also slightly twisted at an awkward angle, with a giant, ugly bruise spreading over it. Having crossed both my arms to absorb the impact, my right arm ¨C which was behind my left arm ¨C had suffered less, but I wouldn''t be surprised if it was broken. There was a dull pain thudding toward it, and the deep, purplish color was getting me worried.


    The fucking Lunar Rabbit had gotten in a lucky shot, otherwise it wouldn''t have successfully landed a kick on me. Then again, the Lunar Rabbit possessed not one but two Rabbit''s Foot. Of course it would have great luck.


    "Huff¡­"


    Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to stem the pain and desperately looked for the Lunar Rabbit. The bloody fucker turned out to be about ten meters away, but it was strolling to me in a relaxed manner, as if it believed that it had already won. Funnily enough, its arrogant attitude struck me as very human, much like the haughty young masters that dominated wuxia novels, only to be beaten up by the protagonist and taught their place.


    Unfortunately, I possessed no such power. I could only curse in frustration as the Lunar Rabbit looked down on me condescendingly, as if I was nothing more than a mere bug squirming in the soil. In fact, it looked like it was enjoying itself.


    What a sadistic rabbit. The Lunar Rabbit was getting a kick out of kicking me.


    You''ve got to be kidding me¡­!


    I tried to stand, but my legs were still shaky from the impact. Additionally, excruciating agony was spreading from my broken left arm, and my qi circulation had been clogged by the unbelievable pain. It would be difficult for me to use my Shadow Steps and footwork techniques, even if I succeeded in standing up. As if it was fully aware of the fact, the Lunar Rabbit raised its foot playfully, as if taunting me.


    And the most frustrating fact was that I couldn''t even do a single thing.


    "I don''t suppose you''re all ears, despite having long ears?" I grumbled, and then sighed resignedly.


    Am I really going to die here? A pathetic death at the hands of a fucking rabbit?! Before I get my revenge?! Bloody hell, I never thought a bloody Lunar Rabbit would be so deadly! Aren''t they supposed to be cute, harmless creatures with an incredible sex drive?!


    Of all the ways to die¡­this had to rank among the most pathetic of deaths.


    I closed my eyes as my heart was enveloped in despair and frustration. I really wasn''t satisfied with this outcome. I really didn''t want to die like this. I¡­


    "¡­?"


    The kick never came.


    "Eh?"


    I opened my eyes, not daring to believe that I was saved. However, the first thing I spotted was the Lunar Rabbit''s foot.


    "Whoa!"


    However, I suddenly realize that the foot had stopped. For a second, I wondered if the Lunar Rabbit was toying with me, tormenting me one last time before it finished me off. Then I realized that the foot was trembling.


    No, the Lunar Rabbit was trembling.


    What''s going on?


    I wondered if the Lunar Rabbit was shivering in fear. That seemed like the most plausible explanation. But what was it afraid of? Me?


    Maybe I had some inner demon or demon lord sealed inside my soul, and at this life-threatening moment, that demon had emerged to save me? Was that why I only had a One Star Constitution? Because my "talent" had been sealed along with the demon?


    That would be absolutely amazing, but also idiotically clich¨¦. Still, I wouldn''t mind taking the clich¨¦ route if it meant I survived.


    Unfortunately, I was horribly mistaken.


    There was a new demonic beast present. It had just lumbered out of the trees and into the clearing, filling the space with its immense bulk.


    Yeah¡­I was stupid for flattering myself. Of course there''s no way the Lunar Rabbit would be afraid of me. And obviously there''s no clich¨¦d fictional plot device where I have a demon lord or legendary creature sealed inside my body.


    If I wasn''t in such a dangerous predicament, I would have rolled my eyes at my chuunibyou delusions, but for now my eyes were riveted to the new demonic beast.


    As I said before, the new beast was immense. It towered over three meters, and its heavily muscled body was covered in ghostly gray fur. Just like the Lunar Rabbit and the Silverback Wolves, the newcomer seemed visibly contaminated by the demonic qi saturating the cavern, with demonic red lines pulsating all over its body. Both arms were grotesque, extended limbs that stretched all the way to the ground, each of them sporting three massive claws that were about a foot long in length, resembling a butcher''s cleaver.


    That''s¡­a Ghost Bear!


    No, I wasn''t talking about that particular Ghost Bear from some planet that spawned a Mechwarrior clan in the far future. But I read about the Ghost Bear. It was a Rank 7 magical beast that possessed incredible power. What the hell was it doing in an underground cavern? No¡­that same question could be asked of the Lunar Rabbit and Silverback Wolves'' presence. It was here because it was here.


    Furthermore, it also meant that I was most likely in a very deep part of Sen Lin Forest, one where Rank 7 magical beasts inhabited.


    Oh boy¡­I seriously was fucked.


    The Ghost Bear swept its demonic gaze across the clearing, keeping its ghostly eyes on us. For a moment, nothing spoke or made a sound. Both the Lunar Rabbit and I were frozen, overwhelmed by the Ghost Bear''s sheer presence. It was an insurmountable fear, like one suffered by a mortal standing before a god, struck with the realization that he could absolutely nothing against such a far more advanced and powerful being.


    "Gr¡­"


    The Ghost Bear let out a growl, and then stepped forward.


    "Ku!"


    The Lunar Rabbit snapped out of its stupor. In a single fluid movement, it spun around and bounded away on those heavily muscled hind legs of its. All the speed it used to annihilate its enemies earlier was now being used to escape.


    Unfortunately, it still wasn''t fast enough.


    Moving with a swiftness that belied its immense size, the Ghost Bear lashed out with a single paw. The Lunar Rabbit twisted its body with its incredible agility, dodging the blow. At least I believed it had dodged the blow, until I saw the Lunar Rabbit land a few meters away.


    Drip¡­drip¡­drip.


    The same sound I woke up to. Only, instead of water, it was blood.


    Blood was gushing out of wounds on the Lunar Rabbit''s body. Red stained white fur and the Lunar Rabbit began falling apart. Literally. Large chunks of its body began slipping off, blood bursting like a geyser as it turned into a pile of chopped meat.


    I see¡­


    Even in the face of absolute despair, I calmly analyzed the situation. I had spotted and sensed the qi flowing around the Ghost Bear''s claws. That was a qi technique that allowed it to extend the sharpness of its claws into triple qi blades, further elongating its range to a meter. Even though the Lunar Rabbit had dodged the claws, it had not successfully evaded the qi technique. It reminded me of the level 5 technique Sharpened Sword Force.


    If I got out of here alive, I would certainly have my eyes open to the infinite possibilities of qi usage and martial arts¡­


    I might consider learning Feline Claws, and then advancing it to Sharpened Sword Force¡­


    The Ghost Bear lumbered forward and began feeding on the Lunar Rabbit''s carcass. While it was distracted, I quietly stood up and tried to back away.


    The Ghost Bear turned to look at me.


    Damn!


    Just when I thought I had a chance to escape¡­


    With a bellow, the Ghost Bear charged at me, its sheer bulk causing tremors to quake the ground below. I took a deep breath and used Tui to retreat, widening the distance between us. Still, the Ghost Bear was incredibly fast. Before I could use my footwork technique, it was already in front of me and swiping its claws.


    "!"


    Thankfully, I was aware of its strange qi technique and had taken countermeasures against it. Despite evading the extended range of the triple qi blades, I was unable to prevent three fresh wounds from appearing on my stomach.


    "Ugh!"


    Blood gushed out of my mouth and wounds, staining my white uniform red. Fortunately, they seemed relatively shallow. A centimeter more and I would have been gutted ¨C literally, eviscerated with my guts pouring out of my wound. For now, I ignored the burning pain in my abdomen and whirled around to run.


    Jin!


    I advanced further, kicking off the ground. Despite my swift footwork, the Ghost Bear was gaining on me. The bloody bastard sure could run despite its immense size!


    I can''t let it catch up to me!


    Sprinting across the forest and alternating between my footwork, I plunged deeper into the forest. I had no idea where I was running in, just that I was escaping from the ferocious beast. It was too bad I didn''t have transmutation magic, or I could dig a hole in the wall and escape¡­but whatever cavern walls were there were too far away for me to reach.


    Or were they?


    That''s¡­!


    While running, I saw a hollow within the roots of an enormous tree. Even though I could run for a lot longer ¨C thanks to running thirty kilometers every day, I had built up solid stamina and could outpace the Ghost Bear eventually ¨C I decided to make a break for it. The Ghost Bear was closing in despite my best attempts to use Shadow Steps and footwork techniques to shake it off, and it wouldn''t be long before it eventually caught up.


    I needed a new strategy.


    Taking a deep breath, I used Jin and dove into the hollow amongst the roots. The Ghost Bear swiped at me, but its claws slashed a huge chunk of wood out of the massive tree, which shuddered but held. Fortunately, the gigantic tree was sturdier than it looked.


    Seeking shelter within its roots, I scrambled deeper into the hollow while trying to stay out of reach of the Ghost Bear''s Ghost Blades. The wood qi that saturated the air within the hollow gave off a nostalgic feeling, and I was somehow reminded of Teacher Yi Liao''s healing techniques. Yeah, her healing techniques were wood element type, and she mentioned that she was a master of the Green Dragon Sect


    Even at a time like this, I''m still thinking about school. How ironic.


    Come to think of it, if I hadn''t run twenty or thirty kilometers everyday for my martial arts training, I would have run out of stamina and get caught by the Ghost Bear¡­and mercilessly slaughtered by it. In a way, my training and decision to learn Shadow Steps had saved my life. I doubted any of my classmates would have been able to outrun the Ghost Bear. If I had chosen a technique other than Shadow Steps, I would never have been able to escape the Ghost Bear. If I had joined a martial arts sect and focused on techniques rather than building a solid foundation of stamina, speed and strength, I would have died back there, caught by the pursuing Ghost Bear and ripped apart.


    Again, fortune within misfortune. A silver lining in a cloud. The "advantage" of being revealed in the test with only a One Star Constitution¡­


    "GUOOO!!!!"


    The Ghost Bear swung its paws again as it tried to cleave the tree apart. Knowing that there was no way I could go back out that way, I began squirming deeper into the hollow.


    "!!!"


    Before I knew it, I came aground an underground passage hidden underneath the tangle of roots. Much like a rabbit''s burrow¡­no, it might even be a Lunar Rabbit''s burrow!


    My broken left arm throbbed, reminding me how dangerous those Lunar Rabbits were. But given how that single Lunar Rabbit was so easily defeated by that Ghost Bear¡­


    I''ve no choice but to proceed, huh?


    I pushed through, disappearing through the passageway and leaving the furious bellows of the Ghost Bear behind. I ran and ran, not knowing where I was heading, as long as I was putting as much distance as I could between me and my pursuer. At some point of time, I finally collapsed from exhaustion.


    "Ugh!"


    Tripping over something, I stumbled and fell. Rolling on the ground, the burning flare of agony stabbing me from my broken arm, I slammed into something. Water splashed into my face, causing me to cough.

 23 Chapter 22: Survival

    I woke up in a coughing fit as more water flowed into my mouth, causing me to choke and splutter. Sitting up, I grimaced as my broken arm brushed against the damp ground, and then glanced around groggily.


    "Eh? Where am I?"


    Then everything came back to me. The Lunar Rabbit. The Ghost Bear. The gigantic tree and rabbit''s burrow¡­


    That''s right. I managed to escape from the Ghost Bear by running into a rabbit''s burrow under a giant tree¡­


    I was able to piece and put everything back together in my mind now, reassembling the blurry fragments of my memories.


    What should I do now?


    I realized that water was still dripping onto my face and trickling into my mouth. So that was how I ended up choking. Apparently, while I was unconscious, the water had been dripping onto my cheeks and flowing straight into my mouth.


    At least I wouldn''t die from dehydration¡­


    I grimaced when I touched my arm, but then blinked in surprise when I saw its current condition.


    "Eh?!"


    It was no longer bent at an unnatural angle. My arm had straightened out and the pain wasn''t as bad as before. Before, I could clearly see broken white bone sticking out of my flesh. However, there was no sign of any bone this time, as if it had returned to the interior of my arm and mended itself even without me setting it. In fact, I could even move it. Gingerly flexing my left arm to test it out, I expected the same debilitating sharp pain from before, but now all that remained was a dull ache.


    My right arm was similarly back to normal. The gigantic, ugly bruise had vanished, replaced by healthy-looking skin tone, and it no longer hurt like a bitch. Actually, it didn''t hurt at all.


    "Huh¡­"


    At some point of time, both my arms had healed. How long had I been down here? Weeks? Months? How did my left arm heal even though I didn''t set it properly?


    No¡­


    As I looked around, I caught sight of traces of my blood. While fleeing here, I had been bleeding from my abdomen, a result of the Ghost Bear almost eviscerating me. Leaning closely, I checked and saw that the stains were still fresh, having yet to dry.


    "Wait¡­so not much time has passed since then?!"


    I couldn''t believe it. Not to mention, the pain in my gut had faded away. Pulling up my torn shirt to make sure, I saw that the wounds in my gut were really gone.


    At that moment, a drop of water splashed onto my face and splattered onto my mouth. As I unconsciously swallowed it, I suddenly felt revitalized. Huge amounts of qi swirled around my body, filling me with energy.


    "I see¡­so this water must have healed me¡­"


    But I had never heard of healing water¡­no, maybe I had. Closing my eyes briefly, I tried to remember the contents of the numerous encyclopedias that I had devoured in the Wu Ling library over the six months.


    Let''s see¡­something about water holding mystical properties¡­what did the encyclopedia on mystical springs say again?


    That was right. There was a book on mystical springs. Now I could recall about the various springs ¨C surface or underground ¨C that populated the Middle Continent in this timeline. Just like the onsen or hot springs in Japan, most of these mystical springs contained excellent healing properties, and were used by martial artists to recover or heal grievous injuries.


    There was also many mystical springs that helped accelerate cultivation. In one city, for example, there were eight tempering springs, which were held by four different powerful clans. They would have one of their sons or daughters who were cultivating martial arts to bathe in these tempering springs so as to aid and speed up their cultivation, increasing their cultivation levels or stages. Typical fantasy wuxia stuff.


    Still, if I can pinpoint the origin of this mystical spring and bathe in it, I should be able to both heal and improve my cultivation.


    Clich¨¦s might be clich¨¦s, but they were useful in predicting how a fantasy isekai or reincarnation story worked. If I followed the logic of wuxia novels and applied it here, I could somewhat identify what worked and what didn''t. That was the advantage of being genre savvy. It was kind of funny that I was relying on wuxia novels back in my world to work my way around an alternate timeline.


    Well, whatever works will work.


    I had no complaints. Rubbing my still aching left arm, I began tracing the flow of the water. It seemed to be flowing from somewhere deeper inside the burrow. For a second, I wondered if I was like Alice, going down the rabbit''s burrow and emerging in some wonderland or a world completely different from the timeline I now occupied.


    Occasionally, I would drink some more of the mysterious water to speed up the healing and recover my strength. As I did so, the ache in my left arm slowly ebbed away, and it was fully healed before I knew it.


    At the same time, I finally located the source of the water. Stumbling through the burrow, I finally emerged in a vast subterranean cavern. A cavern within a cavern¡­I didn''t know whether I should laugh or cry at this discovery.


    Nonetheless, as I thought, there was a massive spring stretched out far beneath the surface, hidden by trees above and rocks below. It occurred to me that perhaps the trees were able to survive, grow and prosper within the subterranean cave because they were nourished by this water. Certainly, I could see several tree roots stretching down this far, drinking in the trickles of water that spread far and wide from this mystical spring.


    And then, I saw the source of the mystical spring''s power.


    From what I read, the water in the mystical springs don''t naturally have these healing powers or cultivation properties. They get embedded with these properties from arcane ores or crystals located in the middle of the spring¡­


    Just as I suspected, there was a relatively big ore glowing at the bottom of the spring. It was the size of a soccer ball, but buried at the bottom of the spring and emitting a soft, gentle verdant glow. I was suddenly reminded of the images of Green Dragon¡­no, the qi emanated from the ore felt almost identical to the qi that Qing Xin Xia produced whenever she performed one of her healing techniques. I was certain it was related to the Green Dragon Sect somehow.


    I''m not greedy enough to steal the ore and try to bring it to the surface.


    For one thing, the Green Dragon Crystal seemed firmly embedded and buried into the bottom of the spring. While the edges were shallow, the further inward you venture into the spring, the deeper it got. The core of the spring seemed to stretch out to five meters in depth. I couldn''t breathe underwater, and even if I could, I didn''t have the strength to yank the crystal out. I bet it would be too heavy and I couldn''t lug it around.


    Especially with that Ghost Bear still prowling the surface¡­


    Let''s see¡­what did the book say about ores and crystals that embed these springs with their mystical properties?


    I cracked my head as I tried to recall if the book said anything about a green crystal that was somehow related to the Green Dragon Sect. uh, right. Green Dragon Crystal. Seemed like my memory was right when it identified the crystal in reflex. It was a Heaven-tier crystal that was thought to exist only in legends. The formation of such a crystal was usually considered a miracle because it took millennia for natural essence to condense into a crystal of dense qi, but when it formed, it endowed the water with sacred properties that could heal any injuries or diseases. It was considered Water of the Gods, and could indefinitely extend one''s youth as long as they consistently drink it. If I recalled, there were legends in the book about people with lethal injuries, brought to the brink of death, being healed once they bathed in these holy waters.


    Like hell I''m going to let such a golden opportunity slip out of my hands!


    Not only was the Green Dragon Crystal benevolent in bestowing healing, it was also excellent for cultivation. Immersing the waters with dense, natural qi, any martial arts practitioner who bathed in the holy spring would be able to improve their cultivation by leaps and bounds.


    And someone like me with only a pathetic One Star Constitution, would definitely benefit from this miraculous encounter a lot.


    "Heh."


    I wondered if I would get another miraculous encounter. Perhaps there was a beautiful girl bathing in the mystic spring''s depths to improve her cultivation. Both the readers and I would then get an amazing fanservice and ecchi event where I stumble upon her, catch sight of her beautiful naked body, she screams, "kyaaaa!" and then tries to kill me. You know, the usual clich¨¦ ecchi scene.


    No such luck. The spring was completely empty. The waters were clear enough that I could see the glowing Green Dragon Crystal, and I didn''t see any sign of any other humans having come down in here with me.


    "Oh, well¡­"


    Knowing that the readers weren''t interested in seeing a male naked body (even the girls, since I was unattractive, ugly and unappealing), I decided to undress off screen and dive into the spring to make full use of its recuperative powers.


    *


    "Ugh¡­I''m starving."


    Even though the waters of the Green Dragon Spring possessed miraculous recuperative powers, they did not quench hunger.


    I didn''t know how long I remained immersed in the waters, but after shedding my clothes and bathing in the spring, I had managed to meditate and strengthen myself. My injuries had healed long ago, and I focused completely on enhancing my constitution. I didn''t know if it was possible to increase my Constitution from One Star to multiple Stars, but that was not my concern. I was going to work with what I had.


    And right now, I had the Green Dragon Spring to draw upon.


    Once I increased the innate amount of qi within my body, I climbed back onto dry land, dressed myself and practiced martial arts. As I mentioned pointed out before, martial arts weren''t just about cultivation and meditation. It was pointless sitting around (even inside a mystical spring) and meditating everyday if you didn''t actually practice actual martial arts.


    Unfortunately, the only martial arts I had learned in addition to the level 1 Shadow Steps were the footwork techniques that Teacher Jiao taught me. Perhaps I should work on mastering the other three footwork techniques¡­


    No, there''s another thing I can learn¡­


    The Lunar Rabbit. Even when I was under threat, I saw how it beautifully executed those deadly kicks and defeated the Silverback Wolves. Moreover, I also witnessed up close how the Silverback Wolf unleashed a storm of icicles. And then there was the Ghost Bear and its ghostly claws. If I could master that, then I wouldn''t need a weapon¡­


    My body was my weapon.


    How did the Lunar Rabbit do it again?


    Closing my eyes, I pictured the movements of the Lunar Rabbit. Then I infused my foot with qi and tried it out.


    Failure.


    Never mind. Try again. And again. And again. I didn''t stop, didn''t rest until I was satisfied with my kicks. A hundred kicks. Two hundred. Five hundred. A thousand.


    Before I knew it, I had exhausted myself.


    Damn¡­still no good, huh?


    I couldn''t put the kicks into actual use. It was only natural. I wasn''t some genius who could pick up those techniques at one glance. I wasn''t a prodigy like Bai Ning Xue, nor was I some protagonist with God blessed luck or cheat powers like Zhu Jiao.


    I was just a normal guy thrown into extraordinary circumstances.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­huff¡­"


    Panting, I wiped the perspiration from my face. I was feeling exhausted after practicing the kicks a thousand times. I still was far from satisfied, because I wasn''t able to capture the form of the Lunar Rabbit''s kicks. The power was one thing ¨C the Lunar Rabbit was clearly much stronger than me and it would be impossible for me to catch up to its strength in such a short time¡­but at the very least I sought to replicate its form.


    There has to be a way¡­


    But how do I find that way?


    Winded and exhausted, I stumbled over to the Green Dragon Spring. Scooping up a handful of water, I downed it to quench my thirst.


    "!"


    This¡­!


    Upon drinking the water, I immediately felt vitalized. My exhaustion was melting away and my qi was being replenished immediately.


    "Heh¡­"


    At this rate I could practice for as long as I wanted without needing to worry about getting tired or running out of qi. I could practice a lot more than I ever could in the surface¡­probably practice a lot more than my former classmates ever did.


    That''s fine. What I lack in talent, I''ll make up with hard work. Unending, unyielding amounts of effort and hard work!


    Drinking another mouthful of water, I began to practice kicking once again with renewed determination.


    "After all, I managed to learn the footwork techniques that Teacher Jiao showed me in just one month of unrelenting practice! There''s no way I won''t be able to learn a kicking technique that even a beast created!"


    Determination rising within me, I practiced over and over again.


    Days passed. Three days of unending practice went on and on. Even with my mastery of Shadow Steps, I realized that the kicking techniques were actually a bit more difficult than Shadow Kick and the footwork techniques, but after practicing for so long, I suddenly gained an epiphany.


    The footwork techniques and the kicking techniques¡­they were related. They were similar to each other, and operated in similar principles and movements. Furthermore, I had already established a solid foundation with Shadow Kick. Infusing my feet with qi, relying on perfect timing and a burst of speed¡­


    With that enlightenment, I was able to produce my own version of the Lunar Rabbit kicks. It was not identical to the original kicks, but was similar enough that no one but an expert could distinguish them apart. Part of the reason was because I based it off Shadow Kick and the other kick from the Shadow Steps. Furthermore, I began experimenting with ways of incorporating Shadow Steps and my footwork techniques into the Lunar Rabbit kicks.


    And like that, I managed to find out how to execute the fourth footwork technique, Liu or Flow.


    "So this was what Teacher Jiao meant when he said I could use it to disrupt the flow and rhythm of my enemies¡­"


    Or at least that was what I suspected. I could finally come up with a working theory and put it into practice, but without any real opponents I was unable to test it out and see how it would operate in actuality. Thankfully there were real enemies awaiting me above the surface, but I still wasn''t confident to go out there and confront them.


    I still wasn''t able to learn and use Shadow or Ying, unfortunately, but that was far too advanced for me. It was a pity, but as I said, I was no genius. I was relying on hard work and countless hours of unrelenting and unending practice to get me this far.


    That was funny. Even though I had mastered Shadow Steps, the Shadow footwork technique was the last one left, the only one I still had yet to learn. I wondered if the Heavens were playing some sort of practical joke on me.


    "Now that I somewhat understand how to kick like the Lunar Rabbits¡­"


    I began practicing the icicle barrage I saw the Silverback Wolf used. This was a lot harder than anything else I had practiced, as it involved me manifesting my qi in the form of a long-range elemental technique. Hell, I couldn''t even manifest short-range elemental techniques, so how was I supposed to fire off icicles from range?


    "That''s strange, I could have sworn this was how the Silverback Wolf circulated its qi. What am I doing wrong?"


    Obviously I was skipping and missing many important steps. Perhaps I was approaching it from the wrong way.


    "Before I even begin to shoot icicles, I have to find a way to clad my body in ice."


    Immersing myself in the Green Dragon Spring again, I attempted to convert the natural essence that I was soaking up in the spring into elemental qi. I tried fiery qi, since the yang qi within the Green Dragon Spring was so rich and dense, but as always, I didn''t have much affinity with the element. Then there was wood qi. Since the Green Dragon''s element was wood, perhaps I should try that. However, I failed.


    Maybe I should try something simpler. Since this spring is made out of water, I should try turning my qi into water.


    I had a bit more success in converting my qi into water techniques. I also found, after countless experiments, that I could even lower the temperature of the water and freeze it into ice. While it was nowhere near the level of the Silverback Wolf where I could fire off a barrage of icicles from range, at least I could cause the temperature of the immediate vicinity surrounding my body to plummet, and coat my body in frost.


    But that''s still not practical in combat. The ice isn''t thick enough to serve as armor, and there isn''t much I can do by wreathing my fist in ice except give my opponents a chill.


    I was comparing my Frost Fist to Qi Fu Ren''s Lightning Fist, and the difference was just too great.


    "Ugh! Is there anything I can do?!"


    I sighed at my failure. Even though I spent another three days trying to manifest elemental techniques, I was far from successful. It seemed that the only techniques I could rely on were my improvised Lunar Rabbit kicks.


    "Well¡­"


    Rubbing my forehead, I took a deep breath and calmed myself down.


    "It''s still better than nothing. Given how I began with absolutely nothing, no martial arts techniques, no offensive skills, a terrible weapon that broke on the first day¡­I guess I''m a lot better off right now."


    Yeah¡­now that I thought about it, it had been a week since I was trapped down here in this burrow.


    No one came to rescue me.


    My shoulders slumped downward. Perhaps they did, and I was sure that Zhu Jiao, Ban Zhang and maybe even Tong Xue would be leading the search. But they had no idea where to search. Hell, even I had no idea where I was. And given how I was so deep inside Sen Lin Forest, I doubted they would be able to reach this far.


    Even if they did, the class would just get massacred by the demonic beasts dwelling in a region this deep. I didn''t want them to die for my sake.


    Besides, why the fuck would I want them to come save me? The only person I can rely on is myself. I don''t want to be dependent on other people.


    Rage filled me as I kicked another boulder inside the spring, blowing it into smithereens. Heaving, I wiped the perspiration from my brow and glanced at the row of boulders that marked my progress. A week ago, I hadn''t been able to make even a small dent in the boulder. But as I practiced over and over and over and over again, I had finally gradually but surely cracked the stone. A line of broken boulders lay as testament to my efforts, each of them sporting different levels of damage in chronological order. I was pleased at my progress.


    That''s right. I couldn''t die here. I had to get my revenge. Right now, my rage and thirst for vengeance were the only things keeping me alive. I had to return to the surface and crush that smug Qi Fu Ren for betraying me. I had to overturn the unfair treatment of Heaven and revolt against Fate. I was going to fight the Gods if I had to¡­for putting me in this ridiculous predicament. For abusing me, and then laughing and jeering up there in their celestial thrones, torturing me for their own amusement. I will smash this stupid thing called fate or talent and steal the heavens from the gods themselves.


    That would teach them for toying with me, thinking that I was someone so easy to bully.


    Gr¡­


    My stomach rumbled loudly and I glanced at it. I had been so carried away in my practice that I had neglected to eat and now I was starving.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Even though the Green Dragon Spring provided miraculous restorative powers and helped my cultivation, it couldn''t feed me. At this rate, I would die from hunger. Not only that, I had been expending a lot of strength and power through unceasing practices. I needed food and nourishment to replenish my depleted stores of strength.


    "Damn it! I should have taken rations from Teacher Jiao."


    I regretted not pressing the issue and accepting the rations from Teacher Jiao. Back then, I had thought the rations were unnecessary. That as long as I stayed with the group, I would be able to return home safely. As it turned out, I was dead wrong, and now I was ruing my decision. In what seemed like a good idea at the time to save on my load and allow me more speed and movement, that choice backfired on me and now I was on the brink of starving to death. How stupid of me.


    For the last week or so, I had been relying on qi to stave off my hunger and provide me minimal nourishment, but my expenditure rate had far exceeded whatever miniscule amounts of nutrients that drinking the Green Dragon Spring or the dense natural essence could provide. I needed real food and I needed it fast.


    Pushing my glasses up, I smiled as I considered my options.


    "I guess it''s time to test my newly practiced martial arts against real, live opponents¡­"


    *


    The journey back to the surface was uneventful. While there were several passages that led into the underground cavern that housed the Green Dragon Spring, I took the passage that led me back out into the hollow of the tree that I sought refuge in when being pursued by the Ghost Bear. As I expected, after a week, the Ghost Bear had left.


    Of course it had better things to do than to waste its time waiting one week for me to emerge from the hollow of the tree.


    Relying on my knowledge of the various species of the magical beasts that dwelled within this level, I stealthily moved about. From what I knew, it seemed that the Silverback Wolves were the weakest demonic beasts in this level. Aware of their vulnerabilities, they moved in packs to cover each other. As a result, they usually moved around in groups of four to six.


    The pack I was tracking was no exception, with about four Silverback Wolves prowling the vicinity as they hunted for food. They were scrounging the forest for prey, an isolated figure such as the Lunar Rabbit I encountered on my first day here.


    But even a single Lunar Rabbit was enough to wipe out an entire pack of Silverback Wolves. This group was wise enough to search for a somewhat weaker prey, most likely a Gemstone Antelope, a magical beast with gemstone-like features embedded in its back. Usually hunted by human nobles, the fur of a Gemstone Antelope was in high demand to weave into expensive, luxurious leather coats for high-class ladies.


    They were pretty common in this underground cavern, but like the Lunar Rabbit, far from helpless. A single kick from one of these Gemstone Antelopes could blow a hole through a rock wall, and they could generate elemental techniques from range. Apparently the organic gemstones in their backs produced a lot of qi, and were also regularly used to craft Spirit Engraved gear, empowered elemental weapons and defensive armaments.


    But the pack of Silverback Wolves never got to track down a Gemstone Antelope. Instead, with their keen senses ¨C especially their sense of smell ¨C they sniffed the air and located me. Snarling, they twisted toward me, their jaws slavering and slobbering ravenously.


    They had found a prey that was weaker than even the Gemstone Antelope. Or so they thought.


    Cracking my neck from side to side, I stretched my arms and proceeded toward them. Smiling faintly, I beckoned them with one hand.


    "What are you waiting for? Come at me."


    The first Silverback Wolf lunged at me without hesitation, its paws outstretched and its claws poised to eviscerate me. I had an image of the Lunar Rabbit and its attack on the Silverback Wolf about a week ago, and my body automatically moved to replicate its movements.


    Spinning around, I pivoted on my left foot while striking out with my right leg in a roundhouse kick. My right foot connected with the Silverback Wolf''s head, even as its claws maimed my right shoulder, drawing blood. Ignoring the pain, I increased the amount of force into my kick and sent the Silverback Wolf flying into the trees.


    Thud.


    A sickening crack echoed throughout the woods as the Silverback Wolf slammed into the tree, and then crumpled down, its neck twisted at an unnatural angle.


    Success!


    While I wasn''t as good as the Lunar Rabbit, having sustained an injury in return, I had prevailed against my first foe. Elated by my success, I used my footwork techniques to advance forward. The second Silverback Wolf jumped back when I suddenly appeared in front of it, but I was already making use of my momentum to swing my leg forward and crack its skull. This time, I had used Shadow Kick. With a whine, the second Silverback Wolf went down, its throat bent and crushed.


    The remaining two Silverback Wolves howled and lunged at me in vengeance. I used Tui to immediately retreat and avoided their attack. However, they quickly recovered and spun around swiftly and skillfully to face me once again. Their muscles bristled and bunched up as they prepared to pounce on me again.


    "All right then¡­let''s do this."


    Taking a deep breath, I remembered how the Lunar Rabbit dealt with the two Silverback Wolves that had foolishly attacked it when it landed. While the two Silverback Wolves pounced on me again, I did a backflip and landed on my hands. Whirling around, I tossed both legs out and spun about. The momentum of the Silverback Wolves carried themselves forward and right into the vortex of my kicks, and they were sent hurtling in opposite directions.


    I did it. I actually successfully replicated the kicking techniques of the Lunar Rabbit! I was the real successor of the Lunar Rabbit Sect!


    Dismissing the poor joke from my head and feeling a little sorry for Tu Zi Yi and her master, I jumped back onto my feet and proceeded toward one of the Silverback Wolves that had been struck by my kicks. One of them had survived, having managed to dodge its head in time, but I had caught it at the side of its shoulder and the power of my kick had shattered the bone.


    Growling, it tried to stand, but could only limp on three limbs. I looked down on it coldly as I advanced. The Silverback Wolf glared at me defiantly and growled, but I wasn''t intimidated. Instead, I shook my head.


    "Sorry. It might hurt, but I have no choice. I''m doing this to survive¡­the same as you."


    The Silverback Wolves attacked me because they wanted to eat me. I hunted them because I needed to sate my hunger. That was why I didn''t blame them. And they weren''t hypocritical enough to blame me either, right?


    It didn''t matter. Unlike the Lunar Rabbit, I had no intention of toying with my victim. I delivered a devastating Shadow Kick onto the wounded Silverback Wolf, finishing it off cleanly with a single stroke. It let out a howl before its skull was caved in by my foot.


    Exhaling in relief, I then glanced around to make sure that our struggle hadn''t drawn the attention of more dangerous foes. I didn''t want to get ambushed by another Lunar Rabbit or the Ghost Bear from before. Once I made sure that there was nothing nearby, I nodded in satisfaction.


    "All right. Time to collect the food."


    Trying to stem my hunger, I bent down and picked up the Silverback Wolf''s carcass. Collecting all four of them, I began to hastily return to safety.

 24 Chapter 23: Feas

    "Damn¡­this is poisonous, isn''t it?"


    I was aware, after reading in the encyclopedias, that demonic beasts were inedible. Their meat was poisonous. But I had no choice. If I didn''t eat anything, I would starve to death. I might as well risk it and gamble on the astronomical chance that my body was resistant to poison.


    There was the option of eating grass and the leaves from the trees. There were no fruits to pluck, no vegetable-like stuff, but I had tried consuming the grass and¡­quite frankly, it was completely useless in sating my hunger. It felt as if the grass disappeared from my stomach as soon as I swallowed it. I wasn''t sure how it worked, but the gnawing hunger in my stomach told me that the grass, despite not being poisonous, wasn''t adequate as food. The only option left was to hunt magical beasts and try eating them.


    "Besides, this is my fault to begin with. If only I accepted the rations from Teacher Jiao. If only I wasn''t stupid enough to think I didn''t need them¡­I should have taken the rations¡­ugh! Then I wouldn''t have to starve to death. Thanks to my shortsightedness and complacency, I put myself in this situation. I''ve no choice but to suffer for it."


    Taking a deep breath, I began to mentally steel myself for the torture that was to come. However, my hunger was driving me mad and I had no time to hesitate. Heaving deeply, I bent over and began digging into the Silverback Wolf''s flesh. Tearing out the fur, I began yanking out strips of bloody flesh and shoving them into my mouth.


    Desperate to sate the hunger in my stomach, I ravenously chewed, swallowed and devoured the entirety of the Silverback Wolf, frantically ripping at its meat with my bloodstained fingers. It was not a pretty sight, and I was pretty sure if anybody from Wu Ling Academy or even the cities on the surface of the Middle Continent was to stumble across me, they would be terrified by my inhuman appearance and behavior. Even my family would be taken aback by the inhuman state I was reduced to.


    But I didn''t care.


    "Ugh¡­ack! Yuck! This tastes terrible!"


    In the midst of chewing, I gagged and almost threw up. The Silverback Wolf''s meat was tough, stringy and tasted awful. Cursing, I turned away to cough, but forced myself to hold it in. taking a deep breath, I resumed my consumption of the beast. Blood dribbled from my jaw, but I was too absorbed in eating to wipe it off.


    This had been my first meal in a week. If I had accepted the rations from Teacher Jiao, perhaps I could survive off them a little longer, but without proper food I had been driven to the point of desperation where eating poisonous meat was my only course of survival.


    Without these nutrients, I would die.


    I had no idea how long had passed, but I didn''t care. I ate and ate and ate, until there was nothing left of the Silverback Wolf but its skeleton and fur. My hunger finally sated, I leaned back and relaxed while struggling to control the nausea and sick feeling that now permeated my digestive system. As I suspected, it was foolish of me to consume so much after not eating for so long. I felt like puking, but I swallowed consistently, forcing the food back down.


    Like hell I was going to throw up and waste everything.


    In a while, the nausea vanished. The food had finally settled down in my stomach and at long last I could rest.


    Or so I thought, but¡­


    "Ugh?! Argh!"


    Intense pain shot through my body, stabbing my gut and expanding exponentially throughout. I collapsed onto the ground and curled into a feral position, clutching my stomach, writhing in excruciating agony.


    The poison! The poison has finally taken effect!


    Recalling what I had read in the encyclopedia, about how the demonic beast meat was deadly and poisonous to those humans foolish enough to consume them, I began crawling toward the Green Dragon Spring.


    This was my solution. Since the Green Dragon Spring could heal any diseases or injuries, it would help me recover from the poison. I knew it would be painful, but given how quick the effects of the miraculous spring was, I would only need to suffer for a short period of time.


    "Ugh¡­cough!"


    I desperately plunged my face into the surface of the Green Dragon Spring and swallowed a mouthful of water, drinking until I was on the edge of drowning. The agony subsided for a moment, and my head cleared up enough for me to pull it back up to breathe clean air.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­good thing I chose to eat here, or I would seriously have died."


    Panting, I grimaced at the mere memory of the pain¡­


    "Ugh?! ARGH!"


    The agony resumed abruptly, completely catching me off guard. The transient moment of tranquility was blown away by red-hot agony that seared through my gut once again, sinking its fiery claws into every part of my body. Once again, I collapsed onto the ground, thrashing about violently and uncontrollably.


    "What''s¡­what''s happening?! Why isn''t the Green Dragon Spring¡­kuh! ¡­working?! Ugh! Argh! AAAAAAAAAH!"


    I lashed out and caught another mouthful of water, trying to suck it in, hoping that drinking more of the spring would save me. The next thing I knew, the pain subsided just a little and I flopped helplessly on the ground, panting.


    But just after a few seconds of restoration, the pain returned in full force. Then I was healed again, only for the agony to assault me once again.


    W¡­what the hell? What the hell¡­is going on?! Ugh!


    I floundered about helplessly, even rolling and splashing into the Green Dragon Spring. Was it just me, or was the Green Dragon Spring actually backfiring? If it was just one continuous suffering of agony, then perhaps I would get used to it eventually¡­my body becoming numb to the constant pain. But the on and off onset of attacks that assailed me made each fresh wave of agony even more unbearable than the previous one.


    I shrieked and yelled, tears flowing from my eyes as I sobbed and begged for the pain to stop. I wanted to die. I wanted to kill myself. I wanted to descend into oblivion. Anything¡­anything, as long as the pain stopped. As long as I received an eternal bliss of nothingness, as long as I no longer suffered, I didn''t care what happened.


    Splash!


    Waves were sent bursting through the pool as I thrashed about in the Green Dragon Spring, spraying the ground and wetting it. Droplets of water misted about me and I struggled in the depths, but I wasn''t concerned about drowning. Right now I was in too much pain to even consider the danger of drowning. I didn''t even realize that I was gulping down vast amounts of mystical water, which sought to repair my body, only for it to break down from the poison once again.


    At that time, I wasn''t aware of it, but at that moment my body was undergoing drastic changes. A biological process named overcompensation, where my physiological deficiencies inspired exaggerated physical corrections. An accelerated growth process where my muscles and skeleton thickened, strengthened and developed.


    "Ugh¡­eh?!"


    As I thrashed about, I was vaguely aware of red lines emerging all over my body. The same demonic red lines that infected all the demonic beasts in this level. While still engulfed in a red haze of pain, I struggled to raise my hand through the water to stare at the countless red lines that bulged out of my pale flesh like veins.


    Not only that¡­my arm¡­looked a little bigger than before. I didn''t remember my arm being of that size¡­nor did I remember such well-developed muscles, which were slowly growing and becoming firmer as pain continued to rack my body.


    Later analysis would have me concluding that I was undergoing a process similar to muscle training, where I destroyed my muscles from strenuous use so that my body would develop stronger and more muscles in order to adapt to the strain I was subjecting them to. My skeleton was undergoing an identical process.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­argh!"


    But the process had been accelerated to a few hundred times, thanks to me ingesting the healing waters of the Green Dragon Spring. It turned out that my solution to use it to heal me of the poison that was demon''s meat had backfired completely, and now I was currently suffering a fate several dozen times worse than death.


    As I had read in the encyclopedia, demonic and magical beasts were imbued with demonic or qi cores that provided them energy to reinforce their already outstanding physical attributes with qi techniques or allowed them to cast elemental techniques and qi blasts. Currently, I had consumed the Silverback Wolf''s core along with the meat, and the demonic qi from the core was now deeply permeating my muscles and bones.


    Physiologically and phenomenally, this sort of qi circulation and usage was different from how humans used qi. Consequently, my body was being transformed right now, as was my qi and qi circulatory system. Normally, this sort of transformation was undoubtedly lethal to a human. As the encyclopedias had so explicitly explained, the poison from demon meat would break down the human body on a cellular level, utterly destroying the body from the inside out. There were historical accounts of reckless martial artists or arrogant alchemists who attempted to consume demon meat, but every single one of them died without fail, their bodies disintegrating at the cellular level.


    The same went for me. If I had just eaten the demonic meat, I would have collapsed and died. However, I had accounted for that and relied on the Green Dragon Spring to keep me alive. After all, it was supposed to be a miraculous treasure that healed all wounds and diseases. Surely poison was nothing compared to its restorative powers?


    In theory, anyway. But as I learned from putting it into practical use, it had totally backfired and now I was being put through an experience that was worse than death. I screamed again as red-hot agony lanced through me for the infinite time.


    On the other hand, with each restoration, my body was strengthened considerably. As it underwent the long, painful process of repeated destruction and recuperation, new, stronger muscles and skeletons replaced my old, broken ones, and my body was growing more powerful than before at an incredible rate.


    It reminded me of the Overhaul Metamorphosis thing (Hwan Gol Tae Tae) that Yi Shioon underwent in a murim manhwa. My body was constantly transformed by the demonic qi that now infused it, which melded and merged with my innate qi system and forcibly changed the constitution of my body. In this way, terms and concepts like Star Constitutions no longer applied to me.


    After all, once this was done, I had become an existence that was barely human. There was no way of measuring me using human terms and concepts.


    And eventually, the agony ended. After what seemed like an eternity, I no longer felt any pain. I floated on the surface of the spring, unmoving and immobile, staring blankly at the ceiling. The spasms had stopped wrecking my body. The crimson lines continued to bulge visibly against my pale skin, but they no longer pulsed painfully or eerily.


    "Ugh¡­"


    My right hand twitched. Taking in a deep breath, I slowly opened my eyes. My glasses had sank to the bottom of the spring during all that thrashing, but I no longer needed them¡­for my sight was no longer blurry but clear, sharp and clean. Shaking my head to clear away the last vestiges of phantom pain that continued to linger and haunt me, I slowly swam my way back to the shore.


    "Thank You, God¡­thank You¡­the pain is finally gone."


    Muttering under my breath, my sanity somewhat snapped from the intense experience, I hauled myself to my feet and staggered ashore.


    "Phew¡­"


    Regaining my balance, I stretched myself. The horrible ordeal had left me utterly drained and exhausted. On the other hand, my hunger and pain were all completely gone. In fact, my body felt light and robust.


    "I knew it¡­"


    I glanced down at my arms. Like I suspected, the growth I saw during the ordeal wasn''t a hallucination. My muscles and body had really developed a lot during that period of unbearable pain. It also seemed that I had grown somewhat taller.


    Not only did my body change physically, I also felt strange sensations swirling inside my qi circulatory system. Fiery yang qi clashed with frosty yin qi in weird whirlpools of power, their collisions producing sparks of incredible power that I could tapped in them. Hell, my qi felt conflicted, and I was a lot more sensitive to the natural essence in the air around me than before. Furthermore, it was a lot easier for me to convert and filter the essence into innate qi.


    But there was something ominous and fearsome about the qi flowing through my body.


    Is this¡­demonic qi?


    It had to be. There was no other explanation. The demonic qi seemed to be flowing through the crimson lines that were now etched across my skin. I was reminded of the corrupted Silverback Wolves, Lunar Rabbit and Ghost Bear.


    I couldn''t help but chortle at the thought. I had enrolled in Wu Ling Academy to train as a martial artist in order to fight against the demonic sects, but I ended up becoming a demon myself. There was some sort of sweet irony about this situation. I wondered what the look on Xiao Zhang''s face would be when he found out about that. Or the entire Martial Arts Alliance in general.


    "So what¡­I''m a demon now?"


    Well, I was a failure as a human being, so I honestly wasn''t bothered becoming a demon. Perhaps I could become more popular that way, and finally get my harem of girls like a certain Nagumo Hajime.


    So what does this mean for me in terms of cultivation and martial arts?


    I had completely no idea. While I could take reference from a certain Japanese light novel that started out as a web novel, I didn''t know if there was any precedent for a similar phenomenon in wuxia novels. Probably because I read a lot more Japanese light novels than Chinese wuxia ones, despite supposedly being a Chinese. But that was neither here nor there.


    "Well, only one way to find out!"


    I began testing my footwork techniques. To my surprise, I could execute them a lot better and more fluidly than before. As I mentioned earlier, my body felt a lot lighter and I could therefore cross much vaster distances at a much faster speed than before. I could even practically walk on water, jumping and striking the surface of the spring to propel myself forward at an incredible velocity. That was something I could never do before I consumed the Silverback Wolf.


    "What about kicks?"


    I returned to my practice area and swung my foot around for the usual roundhouse kick. A light touch scraped past a boulder, but the mere graze completely obliterated the boulder. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.


    "Whoa?! How?!"


    I missed because I still hadn''t gotten used to the sensation and feeling of my new body and had misjudged the distance, but even so, to completely obliterate an entire boulder with just a single graze, wasn''t that too exaggerated? I glanced down the row of boulders that marked my week of practice and progress, and clearly enough, right now my kicks were incomparable.


    "I might get a kick out of this¡­"


    After practicing a few more kicks and getting amazed at how much destructive power I now possessed, I then sat down and began to meditate. As I suspected, the process of cultivating qi was now slightly different from before. The natural essence came to me more easily, and the conversion to qi was a lot more rapid and reflexive than before.


    But what did it mean in terms of elemental manipulation?


    "Whoa! I did it! I finally did it!"


    Just a day ago, I had failed to use elemental techniques. The best I could do was cause the temperature around me to drop slightly, and maybe wreath my body with a thin and ultimately useless layer of ice.


    But now¡­


    "There''s such a huge difference between this and before!"


    The amount of ice I could conjure was on a completely different level. Not only could I conjure a much thicker layer of frost armor, I could even freeze the water vapor in the air into whatever shape I wanted. An ice sword, an ice katana, an ice spear, and even an ice axe. As long as I shaped it with my imagination, I was able to produce it in reality.


    "Awesome!"


    Twirling the ice sword around my fingers, I then grabbed it with both hands and began practicing sword swings.


    "Well, it''s unfortunate that I still can''t use long-range ice techniques, though."


    Freezing stuff around me into discernible shapes and creating ice armaments and weapons was the first step, but I had yet to reach the level where I could effortlessly fire off a barrage of icicles like the Silverback Wolf. Still, I was confident that I would reach that stage eventually.


    "I can''t believe it. I actually managed to succeed in combining what I saw the Ghost Bear used with the Silverback Wolf''s ice techniques."


    To be honest, I had been trying to produce the extended ghost claws that the Ghost Bear wielded to kill the Lunar Rabbit and attacked me, but was met with failure this entire time. But now, while I still couldn''t create Ghost Claws, I had used the concept to forge ice weapons.


    And it worked!


    "This is good. If I can keep this up¡­eh?"


    That was when I realized that I didn''t know any sword techniques. I had learned kicking from Shadow Steps and by imitating the Lunar Rabbit, and furthermore, by running thirty kilometers everyday, I had built up a strong, solid foundation for practicing kicking and having a stable footwork. All those combined, had led to me becoming the person I was today. Even with the demonic metamorphosis, I believed that I wouldn''t be as successful with mastering my footwork techniques and kicking techniques if I hadn''t developed such a solid foundation through running.


    Not to mention, that stamina and speed I built up through running and physical training had saved my life while I was escaping from the pursuing Ghost Bear.


    "¡­speaking of which, the Ghost Bear''s movements¡­if I can copy them, I can develop some sort of swordsmanship?"


    I remembered how the Ghost Bear swung its paws. It hadn''t moved as much as the Lunar Rabbit so I couldn''t exactly learn anything other than the wild swinging. But if I could spar with it, perhaps I would be able to learn a lot more, enough data that I could use to create some sort of Ghost Bear Swordsmanship, much like the Lunar Rabbit kicking techniques I was now using?


    Well, I''ll leave that for another day. For now¡­


    I was hungry again. This wasn''t good. I didn''t want to eat that terrible-tasting Silverback Wolf meat and go through that hellish, agonizing experience again. But it was difficult to find food in this cave. Quite possibly I wouldn''t find anything at all to help me tide over my time here.


    But it''s possible that I have developed a resistance to demonic meat after that horrible experience¡­


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    I had somewhat transformed into a demon myself, what with these physiological changes, and the red lines on my skin. The excruciating pain was gone too, which could only mean one of two things. Either the poison had finally lost its effect, or my body had eventually developed a resistance to the poison located in the demonic beast''s meat.


    To test my theory, I decided to eat another small chunk of Silverback Wolf meat. After all, I had the Green Dragon Spring. While I wasn''t masochistic enough to want to go through another round of pain, I wasn''t eager on dying from starvation either. The Green Dragon Spring would help me survive if my theory turned out to be wrong, and I would just find another way to survive. Maybe leave the underground cavern earlier than planned or something. Otherwise¡­


    "Yuck¡­"


    Using a knife sculpted from ice to carve a piece of meat out of the Silverback Wolf''s carcass, I yanked it out and looked at it. For a moment, I just stared at it blankly, reluctant to eat it. The raw meat looked so unappetizing.


    Maybe it''ll look better if I cook it?


    I reversed the flow of qi, suppressing my yin qi and allowing my yang qi to burst forth. While I couldn''t wield it as much as my yin qi, I was able to produce a small spark of flame. Probably because the Silverback Wolf that I had just consumed had a closer affinity to the ice element than fire element, which explained my greater control over ice.


    Using the small flame, I cooked the Silverback Wolf''s meat until it turned from a bloody red to a dull brown. Once it was cooked, and before it could blacken from the excessive heat, I pulled it out of the fire and stared at it for a few moments.


    After a few seconds of hesitation, I took the plunge and put the chunk of meat in my mouth. I slowly chewed it, paused for another second, and then swallowed it.


    Then I waited.


    Even after ten minutes, when nothing happened, I finally sighed in relief. It seemed that my theory was correct after all.


    That was a huge risk I had taken, to be honest¡­well, not that huge, considering that I had the Green Dragon Spring right next to me to keep me alive if anything happened. But even then, to risk that colossal pain had to take a certain kind of guts. And it seemed that my gut had gotten used to digesting demonic meat.


    Yay¡­I think?


    "Speaking of which, the Silverback Wolf meat actually tastes better cooked," I mused to myself. That was right. After I roasted it, it was a lot more tender and delicious. It wasn''t as difficult to swallow as before, nor was it as foul-tasting. To be honest, I had no idea how much of it was due to me cooking it, and how much of it was due to me developing a tolerance for demonic meat, but I didn''t care. As long as it worked, I was more than happy to work with that.


    Sculpting a butcher knife out of ice, I began to work on the other Silverback Wolves'' carcasses. After cutting them apart and arranging them into chunks of meat, I began preserving them within ice. It wasn''t the best freezer, but by using my qi, I was able to create huge blocks of ice, within which I began storing the Silverback Wolves'' meat. It was at this time that I was thankful that I was able to wield the element of ice more than any other element. None of the other elements, save wood, would have helped me preserve the Silverback Wolves'' meat for long. Fire and lightning, particularly, would just increase the speed at which they would spoil.


    *


    I spent the next few days cultivating and training my new skills while living off the Silverback Wolves'' meat that I stored in my makeshift freezer. With the preserved meat stored in ice, there wasn''t a need for me to venture out of my hideout and into the dangerous surface unless absolutely necessary. So I made use of the time to train instead.


    "Let''s see¡­if I can successfully combine my ice elemental techniques with my footwork and kicking techniques, and integrate them together¡­"


    I was practicing in the cave, synergizing my kicking techniques with my footwork techniques and blowing apart rocks and boulders. But right now I was also trying to integrate the ice swordsmanship by speedily creating an ice blade out of thin air and slashing my enemy after using Duo or Liu to ambush them or disrupt their movements.


    "I guess it''ll only work if I practice these moves on a real, living opponent¡­"


    And just like Li Fu Chen before me, I recognized the value of gaining real combat experience. After a while, I left the burrow to ambush Silverback Wolves and test out my new moves on them. Slowly, but surely, I was able to improve on my skills, pick out flaws and problems with my current versions, then upgrade them.


    I did this for another two weeks, until I could perfectly execute a footwork technique, a kick, and then a merciless slash seamlessly.


    With this, I might be able to challenge even the Ghost Bear!


    I still wanted to spar with the Ghost Bear, but not because I wanted revenge. Right now I still wasn''t satisfied with my self-developed swordsmanship. It was too raw, amateurish and underdeveloped. To improve it further, I needed to look at how other swordsmen use their swords. I needed to see how the Ghost Bear used its paws and Ghost Claws.


    And from there, I could add more patterns and attacks to my roster. I could develop my own style of Ghost Bear Swordsmanship.


    Just wait a bit longer, you bastard¡­


    A smile curled my lips as I vowed to myself.

 25 Chapter 24: Nemesis

    The Lunar Rabbit stared back, as if curious about the reason why I was wearing glasses despite no longer needing them to correct my now cured myopia. I didn''t know why either, but I probably retrieved them because they reminded me of my past life, a symbol of myself before I turned into this. And they were the thing that my classmates would recognize me by when I returned ¨C especially that bastard Qi Fu Ren.


    "Well, what are you waiting for?" I asked the Lunar Rabbit. I had decided to go out on a limb and confront one of these fuckers. Even though I had spent countless hours practicing Lunar Rabbit kicks over and over again, I knew my replicated techniques were far from perfect. Regarding the mission to spar with the Lunar Rabbits, I had two objectives right now.


    The first one was to locate any flaws I had in my current version and learn the original moves of the Lunar Rabbit. The second objective was to see if my improvised version could somehow surpass the original.


    They might seem contradictory, but they were not. Just because my improvised, imitated version had already surpassed the Lunar Rabbit''s original did not mean there were no flaws or that there was nothing I could learn from the Lunar Rabbit. There was always room for improvement.


    However, this Lunar Rabbit was cautious. Probably I had changed tremendously ever since I had devoured the Silverback Wolf, and clearly my kicks possessed more destructive power than before. Furthermore, I was much faster and my body felt lighter despite the increased muscle mass and enhanced bone structure.


    "Ku!"


    The Lunar Rabbit finally discarded its hesitation and launched itself at me. Bringing an arm up, I blocked its kick while observing its movements.


    Thud.


    If it was a few days ago, I wouldn''t have been able to withstand the powerful kick. Two weeks ago, a single kick from a Lunar Rabbit had broken both my arms when I crossed them to block them, but now I was effortlessly parrying its powerful hind leg with a single arm without taking much damage. It stung a bit, but nothing worse than a light bruise appeared.


    I wasn''t that bothered. If I did suffer any heavy injury by chance, I could just recover from drinking water from the Green Dragon Spring that I had capped in the bottle that Teacher Jiao gave me all those weeks ago.


    "I see¡­so this is how it is¡­I should have moved like this. If I did that, I would be able to put more power behind my kick. It''s almost the same as Shadow Kick. Ah¡­that footwork, that''s similar to the ones Teacher Jiao taught me. I can integrate that into my current techniques. Hmm? That''s a new kick¡­"


    Mumbling to myself, I mentally took notes and absorbed as much kicks as I could from the Lunar Rabbit.


    Amazing¡­I can actually keep up with the Lunar Rabbit now!


    I was also impressed at how I was able to react to the Lunar Rabbit''s attacks in time. A month ago, the Lunar Rabbit was clearly much faster than me, able to catch up and surpass me even when I used a footwork technique. But right now, I was matching it blow for blow, blocking and parrying every kick with refined reflexes.


    I was finally fast enough to fight the Lunar Rabbit on equal grounds. Sure, it was tiring to keep up with the Lunar Rabbit''s blurry and speedy movements, but it was still something I could manage.


    Realizing that, the Lunar Rabbit grew impatient. Growling cutely, it flipped itself up and dove under me, and then threw a leg out to kick my jaw. Its paw would have connected with my chin if I hadn''t reacted in instinct and backed off. As it was, the kick almost took off my nose, whistling past the front of my face by just a hair''s breadth.


    "That''s dangerous!"


    Heaving in panic, I countered in reflex by jumping back, spinning around and delivering a roundhouse kick that I learned from the Lunar Rabbit. The Lunar Rabbit managed to dive away in time by springing itself back with its arms, and then landed on its two feet once more. That agility¡­those reflexes, they were excellent.


    I couldn''t believe I was saying this, but there was so much I could learn from the Lunar Rabbit.


    The creature, however, clearly did not share the sentiment. Emanating a hostile air, it launched itself at me again, its legs disappearing into a blur.


    Now!


    I waited for it to close in on me, and then I delivered a second roundhouse kick that connected this time. The Lunar Rabbit was flung in the opposite direction and slammed into a nearby tree, causing the trunk to crack and the poor thing to shake. Countless leaves rained down as the branches trembled from the violent impact.


    The Lunar Rabbit slid down motionlessly, leaving a slick trail of blood over the broken bark and bent trunk. It was clearly dead.


    "Whoops¡­"


    Pushing up my glasses, I sighed. I had no intention of killing the poor Lunar Rabbit so soon. I originally thought I could spar with it a bit more, teasing out more techniques from the ferocious creature and expand my repertoire of kicks. It seemed like I had been too optimistic.


    "Well, it can''t be helped¡­"


    Shaking my head, I ventured over and picked the dead Lunar Rabbit up by its long ears. Without looking back, I proceeded back to my burrow, where I cooked the rabbit and began to eat it. As I chewed, I grimaced.


    "Ugh¡­even the Lunar Rabbit meat tastes awful."


    I had half-expected the Lunar Rabbit to taste a bit better than the Silverback Wolf, but it still tasted just as bad as any type of demonic meat. Even though roasting it had caused the flesh to tenderize and soften, the texture and taste didn''t improve much.


    It was still a lot more edible than when I ate the Silverback Wolf meat raw, though.


    Without realizing it, I had ended up devouring the entire Lunar Rabbit in one go. I was pretty hungry. Practicing, cultivating, sparring ¨C all these physical and spiritual activities consumed a lot of energy and qi, and I had to constantly replenish those vital forces through eating other organisms. I suddenly understood why the grass and plants didn''t provide the nourishment I needed. They didn''t contain the necessary natural essence and nutrients that a human or magical beast required. Especially cultivating ¨C the plants and trees provided almost no qi at all, in contrast to the demonic creatures. They did contain vital natural essence, but such essence didn''t get converted into innate qi during the digestive process.


    It was quite the delicious ironic, but now the hunter had become the prey. When I first arrived here, I was toyed with by these kicking bastards. But now I was kicking their asses ¨C quite literally ¨C with their own kicking techniques and hunting them for my own meals. If I survived this ordeal and escaped Sen Lin Forest, I would surely look back at this and laugh.


    "Ugh¡­"


    That said, probably because this was the first time I had eaten a Lunar Rabbit, I didn''t feel so good. There was a dull pain in my stomach, which faded away after I rested for a while. And once again, I felt robust and full of vitality.


    "Time to practice!"


    I had learned a few new kicks from the Lunar Rabbit today, which was the objective of sparring with it. Taking a deep breath, I imaged those kicks in my mind before putting them into actual practice. Spinning around, I smashed my foot against a boulder.


    Pow!


    Since there were no sturdier or larger boulders, it was difficult to trace my progress ever since I consumed the Silverback Wolf. Nonetheless, I had the feeling that I did improve a lot after eating the Lunar Rabbit, but I couldn''t be sure.


    Too bad there wasn''t a convenient function where I could consult my status screen and check how much my stats had gone up. Even if there was, I wouldn''t have trusted it anyway. Strength and power weren''t something you could accurately quantify.


    "Speaking of which, in terms of cultivation levels and stages, I wonder where am I right now?"


    In all those weird wuxia stories, the protagonists would always go, "hey! I''ve reached so-and-so Stage" or "I''ve attained so-and-so Level!" after making a breakthrough in their cultivation thing. But how the fuck did they know what level was what? Or what stage was what? Did they have some sort of innate detector or measuring machine that could accurately estimate the amount of qi in their opponent and thus correlate the Stage to that amount? And what if the opponent was hiding his strength and only emanating part of his qi? All of these Stage and Level measurement things made no sense to me, especially since I was an advocate of how a human''s strength couldn''t be quantified.


    Yeah, it didn''t matter. All these Stages and Levels were totally meaningless to me. All I cared about was whether I was stronger than the opponent or not. If I was weaker, I would have to find some way to compensate for my physical inferiority using tactics, or escape. If I was stronger, than I would defeat my opponent.


    It was really that simple. All those Stages and Levels thing was just an overly complicated way of saying someone was stronger or weaker than you, and it really was unnecessary. Probably served as some sort of plot device for the author to tell the readers, "hey! The protagonist has made remarkable progress and grown a lot stronger!"


    Show, not tell. What was the use of telling us that this magical beast was this rank, or this practitioner was this Stage/Realm/Level, espouse great detail about how they were supposedly powerful or strong, but then have the protagonist beat them up anyway with Deus Ex Machina or godlike Mary Sue powers? The Realms and Ranks had no meaning then. If the protagonist had actually lost closely to an opponent before instead of breezing through supposedly superior enemies as if they were nothing, then it would be much clearer to follow their progress when they finally won. It was not a shameful thing for one''s protagonist to lose, but it seemed that certain authors didn''t understand that, especially when their protagonists were blatant self-inserts.


    Worse, there were stories where people like Li Fu Chen were supposedly of lower levels or realms than his opponent, but he made use of his Mary Sue godlike powers to defeat allegedly superior opponents so that the author can impress upon the readers how ungodly overpowered and obnoxiously Mary Sue the wuxia protagonist was. Why even bother with setting the rules of levels and realms in your story if you were going to break them anyway?


    Oh, right. To show how the protagonist is such a special snowflake who can beat up people stronger than him. And repeat that process ad nauseam until the readers get tired of it or mindlessly lap it up because they love Mary Sues and overpowered protagonists and don''t get sick of reading the same thing over and over again.


    Unlike them, I wasn''t ashamed of losing. Failure was the mother of success. If I lost, if I was defeated, then I would retreat and train to become stronger. I didn''t care if readers called me weak or complained that I wasn''t strong or an overpowered protagonist. I was a realistic one who had to deal with the limits of my reality instead of relying on asspulls and Deus Ex Machina or plot conveniences to allow me to win all the time. I was going to lose a lot before I got a lot stronger.


    Bam!


    As I reduced another boulder into dust, I realized that I had been rambling on and on again. That wasn''t good. Cultivating meant that I had to focus. Good thing I was just mindlessly practicing my kicks, or I would have wasted my time fruitlessly trying to cultivate. Unlike meditation, my physical training had drilled all those kicks into me that they had become like second nature to me, almost like breathing. I could kick and replicate the Lunar Rabbit''s form on reflex without even having to think it.


    I really have come so far¡­


    Heaving deeply, I took another swig from the Green Dragon Spring, and then sat down to meditate. It was time to focus, so fortunately for the existences beyond the fourth wall, they wouldn''t have to listen to another round of my ranting and rambling.


    *


    And finally the day had come.


    "Where is it?"


    Traversing through the forest, I searched for the Ghost Bear. I knew it was here somewhere. I had seen it prowling about, and had avoided him the previous few days, biding my time until I perfected the kicks I learned from the Lunar Rabbits I had continuously sparred with. But weeks had turned into a month and I didn''t want to stay holed up in the burrow forever.


    The isolation was driving me crazy, and I still had to return to the surface not just for human amenities and contact, but also to take my revenge on Qi Fu Ren, as well as all those arrogant martial artists who looked down on me.


    For me to do so, the first step was to break my nemesis and prove to myself that I was no longer the same person as before. That I was no longer a weak, untalented One Star Constitution cultivator who was useless.


    I couldn''t be too complacent, though. I had to remain cautious, despite the improvement to my constitution. I didn''t want to get caught off guard and get ambushed by a monster, and die to an absolutely ridiculous attack because I was too arrogant to think they couldn''t hurt me. This wasn''t a game, nor was it some absurd wuxia story where lower rank magical beasts or cultivators couldn''t hurt you because you were in some higher Stage or level. Lower your guard down for a moment, and even the weakest creature could exploit the opening and kill you with an attack at the right spot. The so-called Achilles''s heel.


    "!"


    As I expected, a pack of Silverback Wolves loped out of the forest, snarling when they caught sight of me. Despite my best attempts at stealth, I couldn''t escape their keen sense of smell or hearing. Resigned, I turned to face them.


    The lead Silverback Wolf lunged at me. I sidestepped its pounce and then launched a kick that cleanly snapped its spine into two despite the Silverback fur armor. As I said, even if the Silverback fur was impervious to blade and spear, it afforded little protection against brute force and raw power. As such, a single Shadow Kick was enough to finish it off.


    While I crushed the first wolf, its brethren had already spread out to surround me. They were cunning indeed, trying to make use of their numerical superiority to overwhelm me. Against a normal opponent, they would surely succeed in intimidating and hunting the poor prey.


    Unfortunately, I was no longer "normal". True, I could be killed, but as long as I killed them first, I would survive.


    The law of the jungle. Survival of the fittest.


    My feet moved and I disappeared from sight, causing the Silverback Wolves to glance about, confused.


    They were looking in the wrong direction.


    Appearing behind and above one of the Wolves, I descended and struck its spine with my foot, pulverizing it instantly with the force of gravity. The Silverback Wolf went down, but before I landed, I was already spinning in midair and altering my trajectory ¨C much like how I saw the Lunar Rabbit did before ¨C and ramming my other foot against another Silverback Wolf that was nearby. Its neck snapped and it toppled over.


    That left two more.


    Another Silverback Wolf launched itself at me when I landed, thinking that I was vulnerable. But I did a backflip and brought my legs up, much like how the Lunar Rabbit did against me a few days ago, and my foot connected with its chin. There was a sharp crack and the Silverback Wolf''s head snapped back unnaturally.


    The last one turned and fled. I didn''t pursue. I wasn''t a psychotic, merciless murderer who went around slaughtering everyone who crossed my path. If it didn''t attack me, I had no reason to track it down and kill it.


    Besides, I had no time to waste. I had another target in mind, one that I held a grudge against ever since it assaulted me all those weeks ago. Or was it already a month? I had been stuck down here in the depths of the subterranean cavern that I had lost all track of time.


    My feet crunching against the leaves of the forest, I proceeded. Occasionally, a Lunar Rabbit or another pack of Silverback Wolves would slink out of the darkness to ambush me but thanks to me being cautious, I was able to avoid their lethal strikes and wasted no time retaliating and slaying whatever dared to attack me.


    And just like that, I finally found my target.


    The Ghost Bear was currently indulging in its meal. Apparently it was chewing on the half-eaten carcass of a pitiful Lunar Rabbit, which were truly bountiful in this level. Studying it, I nodded and confirmed that it was truly my nemesis, the one who tried to eviscerate me on my first day in this underground cavern.


    Yeah, that''s him all right. This qi¡­the energy signature¡­there''s no mistaking it.


    Even among the same species, individual magical beasts emitted unique qi signatures that belonged to them and them alone. The Ghost Bear was no exception. There might be slight differences if I met another member of its species, but I clearly remembered the fearsome, overpowering, suffocating tinge that permeated its qi.


    As expected of the lord of this level.


    In terms of game mechanics, the Ghost Bear was essentially a floor boss. It was the strongest monster in this region of Sen Lin Forest, and it was the only member of its species here ¨C a stark contrast to the countless Silverback Wolves and many Lunar Rabbits that populated this space. Here, the Ghost Bear ruled uncontested, invincible and unrivaled. Every other demonic beast took extra precaution to avoid it, choosing to escape rather than fight back if they ever encountered it. Not that they survived. Any monster unfortunate enough to run into the Ghost Bear would most likely die. There was no exception, at least none that I knew of.


    Well¡­except me. Not only did I escape from the Ghost Bear all those weeks ago, I was even striding toward it fearlessly and issuing a challenge. If the Ghost Bear was human, it would surely display a perplexed expression.


    "Hey, Ghost Bear. It''s been a while. Enjoying your meal?"


    The Ghost Bear narrowed its eyes as it scrutinized me with those fearsome, ferocious crimson eyes. Its gray fur bristled as it reared to its full height, towering me in a show of intimidation. Such tricks did not work on me, however. I had lived through hell and crawled out of the abyss of despair. A mere Ghost Bear was nothing compared to all that I had suffered through.


    I took a stance and beckoned for the Ghost Bear to come at me.


    "Let''s do this." taking a deep breath, I slid one leg back and put the other forward, getting ready to spring forward or backward, depending on how the Ghost Bear reacted. "We''re going to settle this once and for all."


    Blanking my mind out, I recalled the one-sided fight that we had a month or so ago. It couldn''t even be called a fight, to be honest. I was completely crushed and forced to run away with my tail between my legs. Hell, I almost couldn''t escape. It was only luck that allowed me to dive into a burrow and squirm out of the Ghost Bear''s reach.


    But now I confronted that monstrous adversary with not a shred of fear in my heart. There was only one goal in my mind. To destroy my opponent and graduate from this place without any regret.


    A smile curled across my face and I pushed my glasses up, my eyes momentarily hidden behind my lenses.


    "When this day is done, one of us will be dead."


    Then I executed Jin and rushed toward the Ghost Bear. Kicking off the ground, I whirled around in the air and delivered an explosive roundhouse kick that was so fast that it actually produced a sonic boom as my leg broke the sound barrier.


    "Grr¡­!"


    The Ghost Bear reacted in instinct, diving to the ground to dodge my kick. It had already ducked even before I launched my kick ¨C its combat reflexes were phenomenal. Its immense size belied its swift speed, but even so it was unable to completely avoid an injury. My foot grazed its shoulder, and just like the boulder that day when I practiced my kicking after devouring the Silverback Wolf, the Ghost Bear''s shoulder exploded in a geyser of blood, a thick chunk of fur and muscle blown off and totally obliterated. The Ghost Bear bellowed in pain as it staggered backward.


    I didn''t pause and pivoted on my foot to throw another roundhouse kick that caught the Ghost Bear in the gut. Another sonic boom screeched across the air, and the immense bulk of the Ghost Bear was actually lifted off and sent hurtling across the clearing.


    "Grr¡­!"


    Roaring in agony, the Ghost Bear shakily rose to its hind legs and glared at me in fury. Surprise was replaced with vengeance, but there was a wariness that haunted its demonic eyes. It had finally acknowledged me as a threat¡­as an enemy on equal footing.


    It had been too long since it had been hurt this badly by what it had believed to be mere prey.


    "RUOOOR!"


    Bellowing, the Ghost Bear dropped to all fours and began charging at me with a frightening speed.


    I flipped myself up and above the Ghost Bear, and just like the Lunar Rabbit before me, spun like a whirlwind before swinging my leg down in an axe kick.


    Boom!


    The Ghost Bear reacted in time ¨C while it didn''t fully dodge the kick, it avoided a blow to its vitals. Consequently, my kick landed not on its spine but its side, pulverizing its innards and driving it into the ground. A crater opened up beneath the shrieking Ghost Bear.


    But it was still alive. As expected, the Ghost Bear was on an entirely different level from all the Silverback Wolves and Lunar Rabbits that I had fought so far.


    Fortunately, I had wounded it grievously and impeded its movements. Spinning high up in the air, I hurtled back toward the Ghost Bear like a meteor and swung my leg around to deliver the finishing blow.


    "!"


    The Ghost Bear was waiting for that exact moment. I caught sight of a flash, and an invisible ripple in the air. The Ghost Claws!


    "Kuh!"


    I twisted my body in midair and altered my trajectory. Just in time too. The extended reach of the Ghost Claws lashed out and cut deeply into my side, casing a burst of blood to spray out onto the ground. I hit the ground and rolled, fiery pain burning into my sides. Heaving, I got to my knees and spat out a glob of blood.


    "Argh¡­"


    The pain was terrible¡­but compared to the agony I suffered when I ate the Silverback Wolf for the first time, it was nothing. Furthermore, I knew that I was lucky to escape only with such a deep cut. If I hadn''t dodged that attack in time, I would have been sliced apart into several pieces. When that happened, not even the Green Dragon Spring could save me.


    The Green Dragon Spring could heal even the worst of injuries, but it obviously couldn''t bring the dead back to life.


    The Ghost Bear growled triumphantly and crawled to its feet. Now that the both of us were deeply injured, it had equalized our situations and neutralized my advantage. Cunning bastard¡­I realized that the Ghost Bear was a lot smarter than I gave it credit for.


    I can''t afford to underestimate this bear bastard.


    It was unbearable to lose to a bear. Gritting my teeth, I mustered up my determination and rose to my feet. At the same time, the Ghost Bear swung its paw, slashing at me with its deadly triple Ghost Claws.


    Duo!


    I evaded the Ghost Claws and kicked the Ghost Bear from behind, but as always the Ghost Bear managed to avoid another direct hit to its vitals. It retaliated with another slash from its other paw, but I ducked under the Ghost Claws and slid downward, hooking my leg underneath its hind leg and tripping it. The Ghost Bear was sent toppling over in an undignified heap.


    "!"


    I was almost cut apart by another strike when the Ghost Bear twisted around to slash me with its right paw. Blood splattered across the ground, my uniform hanging loosely as the already ruined fabric was cut open again. Not that I cared. I had neither the time nor the tools to mend my uniform, and another rip or tear didn''t mean much.


    But the fresh wound across my chest was pretty bad. I panted heavily as I used Tui to retreat. At this rate, I would bleed to death before I defeated the Ghost Bear.


    I can''t afford to let this turn into a battle of attrition.


    Judging that the Ghost Bear possessed a superior and sturdier physique to me, I knew I would run out of time and blood long before it did. I had to end this quickly.


    Again!


    I dashed forward, luring the Ghost Bear to use its Ghost Claws again. It roared and slashed at me, but I disappeared from its sight, using Duo to circle it from behind¡­


    "!!!!"


    And almost got my head cut off as the Ghost Bear swung its other paw behind, having anticipated my tactic. I hit the ground and rolled, a slight trickle of blood streaming down my neck. A millisecond slower, and I would have lost my head.


    Damn¡­the bastard is learning very quickly¡­


    I smiled ruefully as I clamped my palm on my neck wound to stem the bleeding. Even though I had only used that move once, the Ghost Bear had already figured out my pattern of attacks and reacted accordingly.


    Isn''t this too unfair?! This is way more difficult than a boss battle in a game¡­


    At least in a game, the boss''s movements and attacks were predictable, restricted by rigid programs and set patterns coded into the game by designers. But this Ghost Bear was a living, breathing entity that could think, learn and adapt.


    The difficulty setting was way too high!


    Calm down. The question now is¡­how do I defeat it, even if it''s smart?


    That still didn''t change my goal. The Ghost Bear''s incredible intellect was just another obstacle to overcome. An annoyingly difficult hurdle to overcome, admittedly, but not one that was impossible to prevail over.


    The Ghost Bear didn''t give me time to think of a strategy. It was already charging toward me again, swiping its claws at me. Remembering the grisly end the Lunar Rabbit met when attempting to dodge it and getting sliced apart by the Ghost Claws, I immediately retreated with my Tui technique. The Ghost Claws barely missed me, slicing the sleeve of my uniform.


    "Kuh¡­"


    However, the Ghost Bear had anticipated my evasive maneuver, and the moment I landed, it slashed at me with its other paw. To my surprise, the Ghost Claws extended twice as long as usual and almost cut me apart.


    Swoosh!


    "Ugh!"


    I staggered back, blood dribbling from my mouth and fresh wounds. Again, if I hadn''t twisted at the last moment, I would have been completely eviscerated. To my amazement, the Ghost Bear was moving faster than even the Lunar Rabbit. It was taking me everything I had just to keep up with its speed, to maintain an even pace with it.


    But the Ghost Bear wasn''t done yet. It was spinning around, slashing with its other paw again. In my mind, I could visualize these maneuvers as sword techniques. The Ghost Bear wasn''t merely mindless attacking in bestial fury. It was performing elegant maneuvers, its spinning almost a dance, and its Ghost Claws not an animalistic set of claws but rather swords. I was reminded of Sharpened Sword Force, the level 5 technique I saw once in Wu Ling Library, but couldn''t access.


    In other words, the Ghost Bear was just as much a swordsman as any human swordsman. I could see a human martial artist interposing and overlapping with the image of the Ghost Bear. A dual sword wielder, huh?


    That fitted the Ghost Bear right now.


    No choice¡­!


    Even though I still wasn''t confident with this technique, I had no choice but to use it. Unable to evade in time, I accumulated all the frosty qi my body and manifested it. Thick frost armor wreathed my body, protecting me from the Ghost Bear''s deadly blow.


    Clang!


    The frost armor shattered into pieces as the Ghost Bear''s Ghost Claws tore through it, but thankfully my hastily crafted armor protected me from the worst of the blow. Shallow cuts dripped with blood as I was hurled back from the impact. Twisting around in midair, I managed to land unsteadily on my feet.


    But I had no time to recover. The Ghost Bear was charging at me again.


    Fine then. Let''s see if I can meet your blow head-on!


    I waited for the Ghost Bear to reach within range, and then dashed toward it. As it slashed at me with its right paw, the Ghost Claws shrieking as they rend the air apart, I activated Duo and disappeared, only to reappear behind it. Anticipating my evasion, the Ghost Bear swung around with its other paw to tear the space apart with its vicious Ghost Claws.


    Unfortunately, that very intellect had rendered the Ghost Bear''s movements somewhat predictable. Having guessed that it would repeat the same movement that earned it success earlier, I had chosen not to appear behind directly behind the Ghost Bear, but at its 10 o''clock. Dodging under the wide swing of the Ghost Bear''s paw, I materialized a frost sword by freezing the vapor in the air into ice and hacked its extended paw off.


    "Grr¡­!!!!!"


    The Ghost Bear bellowed in pain and stumbled backward, blood gushing out of its stump like a geyser. Its paw flew through the air and fell, landing against the ground in a dull thump.


    "You can''t bear the pain, eh, Ghost Bear?"


    I mocked the Ghost Bear, but was unable to get near because of it was thrashing about in rage.


    The damn thing was pretty tough.


    "Still not dead, huh?"


    The Ghost Bear glowered at me before charging forward. This time, I met it head-on, using my ice sword to clash with it.


    The frost blade shattered instantly as the Ghost Claws collided against it. But it didn''t matter. As the Ghost Claws swept the broken pieces of ice away, I smashed through the hail of icy fragments and froze a new weapon in my hands. The Ghost Bear tried to defend, but it realized that its left paw was missing, while it couldn''t retract its right paw back in time to parry my strike.


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    This time, instead of a frost sword, I manifested an ice axe. Swinging the massive weapon with every ounce of strength that I had, I buried the axe deeply into the Ghost Bear''s collarbone as I tried to decapitate it.


    Alas, the Ghost Bear was too strong. Despite the blade embedding itself deeply into the Ghost Bear''s neck, it refused to die. Lowering its shoulder, it slammed into me and sent me flying. Blood spurted out of my mouth as I crashed through several trees, blasted away by the sheer raw qi that the Ghost Bear violently emanated.


    "Gah¡­kuh¡­!"


    I coughed out blood as I struggled to my feet, only to fall to my knees. The Ghost Bear''s counterattack had pulverized my insides and reduced my inner organs into jelly. If my constitution hadn''t been strengthened from devouring so many demonic beasts, I would have died from the sheer impact alone.


    The Ghost Bear dragged the ice axe out of its neck and crushed it with a paw. Growling, it lumbered toward me. Then it dropped onto all fours and charged forward, intent on finishing me off once and for all.


    With my organs crushed and my body badly battered, I was in no shape to move or evade the attack. Heaving, I glanced around desperately, hoping against fucking Fate that there was something I could use to turn this around.


    Then I caught sight of the Ghost Bear''s disembodied paw, which lay in front of me. Blood had been gushing out of it, forming a massive puddle between me and the lunging Ghost Bear. A trail of blood had been expanding into a pool, connecting and merging with the river of blood that was snaking away from my battered body.


    Gritting my teeth, I slammed my palm down on the pool of blood, not caring that I was creating a huge splash. The moment the Ghost Bear bounded over the puddle of blood that was leaking out of its amputated paw, I infused the blood with frosty qi. A violent surge of qi seared across the blood and it hardened, freezing into a gigantic crimson spear that lanced the Ghost Bear from below, impaling it and halting it in its charge.


    "Gr¡­?!"


    The Ghost Bear let out a shriek as its momentum was suddenly brought to an abrupt stop. It gazed down helplessly at the frozen blood spear that had pierced through its chest, gouging out a huge chunk of its heart. It struggled weakly and futilely, its strength slowly fading away.


    "Phew¡­"


    I used the chance that my last-ditch counterattack had bought me. Uncapping my bottle, I took a swig of the Green Dragon Spring water that I had stored within it. In a few moments, my body was repaired and restored.


    "Huff¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, I rose shakily to my feet. Conjuring another ice sword, I leaped forward to deliver the finishing blow.


    The Ghost Bear was far from done, however. Despite being immobilized and pinned to the ground by the frozen spear, it was still able to swing its remaining paw and lash out with its triple Ghost Claws to cut me in half.


    But I had already expected that. My feet moved, and I disappeared into a blur. The Ghost Claws seemed to rip the last vestiges of my afterimage into pieces, but I had already dodged and reappeared by the Ghost Bear''s left side. With a determined yell, I shoved the blade of my ice sword into the wound in its neck ¨C where my ice axe had bitten deeply earlier.


    Thunk!


    "Ugh¡­!"


    But I didn''t behead the Ghost Bear. Knowing that the muscles that protected its neck were too thick for my meager strength to cut through, I instead shifted the point of my sword and pierced through its skull, the blade reducing the Ghost Bear''s brain into mush before running through the other side.


    "GUOOO!"


    The Ghost Bear let out its final death throes, knocking me flat to the ground but fortunately not maiming me. This time, I was able to evade, having been fully healed by the holy waters of the Green Dragon Spring.


    And I thought healing potions didn''t exist in reality, or even if they did, it wouldn''t be practical to drink them in the middle of a battle. Yet that was what I just did. Huh¡­I guess games weren''t as impractical as they seemed, huh?


    I waited for a long while until the Ghost Bear stopped thrashing and its death throes died down. Cautiously approaching the seemingly dead Ghost Bear, in case it was a trap, I then created another ice axe and beheaded it with a few strokes. It took a lot of effort and energy, and the muscles stubbornly resisted my blows, but after a few minutes, I finally decapitated it to ensure that it was dead for good.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­I guess even the Ghost Bear couldn''t bear my attack."


    I dropped down to the ground beside the carcass of my kill, my frozen blood spear still holding it aloft like some kind of macabre trophy. Taking a deep breath, I carved a chunk of Ghost Bear meat out and ate it. After my experience in Sen Lin Forest, I had learned that consuming demonic beasts helped strengthen me. Of course, repeatedly eating the same type of demonic beast had less of an impact on enhancing my constitution, but devouring a new type of magical beast greatly improved my strength, vitality, speed and qi.


    Since this was the first time I was eating Ghost Bear meat, I was sure that my power would increase tremendously.


    After swallowing a lot of the meat, I suddenly felt the familiar sensation of agony. The intense pain stabbed my gut again and I doubled over.


    "Ugh¡­eh?!"


    Fortunately, it wasn''t as excruciating as the first time. It was still horribly unpleasant, and not something I liked to go through. Uncapping the bottle, I downed another gulp of Green Dragon Spring water. It helped a little, but the pain was still debilitating. I could hardly stand on one knee, never mind move around freely.


    I see¡­the Ghost Bear is much more powerful than the Lunar Rabbits or the Silverback Wolves. That''s why there was quite a bit of pain when I consumed it¡­I should have known that eating Ghost Bear meat would be unbearable¡­


    Breathing heavily, I waited for the intense agony to subside, then slowly stood up. Crafting another ice butcher knife, I began to¡­well, butcher the Ghost Bear. I was going to bring the meat back to my burrow, and I was going to consume the whole thing. Now that I had gotten used to eating it, I would complete the meal and raise my cultivation and power further.


    As I went about my grisly work, it suddenly occurred to me that I had won. I had defeated the nemesis that haunted me ever since I was dumped into this underground cave. Yet¡­I didn''t feel any sort of triumph or joy. I didn''t feel hollow either. All I felt was¡­an emotion of necessity, an instinct of survival. I killed the Ghost Bear because it was the only way I could survive in this cavern. That was all to it.


    And after securing my survival, I would find my way out of this godforsaken forest and return to Martial City. Once I achieved that¡­

 26 Chapter 25: Hellfire Badger

    I rubbed the bridge of my nose after lifting up my glasses a little. Somehow I was confident that I had been through this way before, but I just couldn''t place my finger on where exactly I was. It felt like I had been walking in circles for a while right now.


    "How long has it been already?"


    Probably about three or four days after killing the Ghost Bear. With the apex predator in this cavern dead, I was free to roam about the entire place without anything to fear. Of course, I maintained a great deal of caution. I wasn''t about to underestimate the Lunar Rabbits and Silverback Wolves roaming the area just because I had killed their brethren before.


    Underestimating one''s foe was a quick route to death.


    Fortunately, the Lunar Rabbits and Silverback Wolves had recognized me as the new ruler of the underground cave and had largely left me alone. Apart from a few foolish ones who pounced on me when they mistakenly thought I was vulnerable, I was free to explore the cavern undisturbed. Without having to fear for my life as much, I had done an extensive search of the cavern and still had yet to find anything. There seemed to be no route upward.


    Yet.


    On the other hand, there was a passageway that contained a set of staircase that led downward instead.


    If I still can''t find any other route, I''ve no choice but to proceed downward, huh¡­


    It was entirely possible that the only route to this level was through falling down the abyss. The trap that the bastard Qi Fu Ren had triggered all those weeks ago. That was the only reason why I couldn''t find any other route leading down to here. I wondered how the creatures inhabiting the cave ended up here in the first place. Perhaps their ancestors fell in here and couldn''t get out, and they adapted to the underground space. That sucked, because it meant I was trapped with them. Furthermore, instead of finding a way out of the cave, I discovered that I could still proceed deeper downward.


    Damn it. I wanted to go up and get the hell out of here, not go down!


    I was aware that the deeper caves would be even more dangerous than this level. But the other option was to stay here for the rest of my life, never moving forward. I would rather risk it and get killed than stay static forever.


    Besides, the stronger opponents I meet, the more I can learn from them. I might be able to become more powerful after surviving encounters with them¡­and learn how to defeat them eventually.


    That was my goal. It wasn''t just to survive. Surviving was just the first step. My ultimate goal was to return to the surface and take my revenge on all those who mocked me. Qi Fu Ren. His cronies. The other students who bullied me back in Wu Ling Academy.


    "I guess I don''t have a choice¡­"


    Returning to my burrow, I began to pack up. Using the bottle that Teacher Jiao gave me right before the first year students ventured into Sen Lin Forest, I scooped up as much Green Dragon Spring water as possible, filling it to the brim. No more magical healing liquid if I used this up, so I had to be careful with rationing it. I had to make sure it lasted me the journey back to the surface.


    Yet I''ll probably have to go deeper before I can go up again.


    I wasn''t very pleased with how things turned out, but at least I was progressing forward. There was no turning back. There was no staying still. If I wanted to change my fate, I had to keep moving forward and find a way out of here.


    "Let''s go."


    After packing as much frozen meat as possible into a leather satchel that I had sewn and shaped into a backpack using the Silverback Wolves'' pelt and fur, I looked around the burrow that had been my home for the past month or so, and then bowed toward the Green Dragon Spring.


    "Thanks for everything."


    With that, I left the burrow for the last time.


    *


    "This is the place, huh?"


    I found myself standing right outside the passageway that housed the staircases leading toward a deeper region of the cave. The stairs looked as if they were in bad shape, and it would be more accurate to describe the "stairs" as an uneven slope that tapered downward. The mouth of the passageway itself was creepy, with stalactites and stalagmites facing each other like the fangs of some monstrous jaw. The slope disappeared into inky darkness, with the absence of the qi stones that normally adorned the walls of the subterranean cavern providing no illumination whatsoever.


    Walking down the stairs felt like I was strolling down the gullet of some monstrous creature. I couldn''t help but shiver.


    Well, whatever happens will happen. No use worrying about it. I''ll just have to fight whatever stands in my way and find a way to survive¡­


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t as edgy as Nagumo Hajime, so I wasn''t going to declare confidently that I could kill and devour whatever got in my way. It would be hilarious if I stumble upon a blond loli vampire girl sealed at the bottom of this cavern, however, but I doubted that would ever happen.


    After walking down the slope cautiously for a while, my vision turned blur when dim light suddenly bust across the space at the bottom. It seemed that I had reached the next level or something, and once again I found myself in vegetation.


    This time, the next level wasn''t a forest but more of a plains where the trees were sparse. It wasn''t exactly a desert. It looked more like a grassland that belonged to an African plain. The ones with lions and giraffes and all that.


    "¡­"


    Already my sense of danger was heightened. If the previous level was of any indication, then this level was sure to be dangerous as well. I could imagine monstrous lions and humongous leopards roaming the plains.


    Casting my gaze over the plains cautiously, I stepped into the new region. For now, I didn''t see anything, but that didn''t mean there wasn''t anything lurking within the tall grass. Trying to make minimal movement, I wove through the plains and did my best to lessen the noise.


    "!"


    At that moment, I spotted a movement to my left. Twisting around, I caught sight of a black shape darting about. Then it vanished as quickly as I glimpsed it. Tensing up, I stared at the direction where it disappeared into, holding my breath and waiting.


    No sudden movements now¡­I didn''t want to unintentionally provoke whatever that thing was and get attacked. After all, I wasn''t an edgelord or typical wuxia protagonist who went around killing whoever and whatever was unfortunate enough to cross my path. If it didn''t bother me, then I wouldn''t bother it. There was no need to stir up unnecessary trouble.


    "¡­"


    Exhaling in relief after nothing happened for what seemed like an eternity, I cast another cautious glance around before taking another step forward.


    Hiss!


    "Whoa!"


    I quickly jumped back as something flew toward me. Stumbling back, I caught sight of a long, serpentine figure uncoiling in the grass. Behind me, whatever that missed began eating into the grass, sizzling as fumes erupted from the corroded part.


    That''s acid!


    It wasn''t just acid. It was venom. Glancing from the acid-eaten grass and soil toward the source, I saw the unwinding serpentine figure crawling into view. It was, as I expected, a cobra. Its long body was covered in ominous black scales, and it seemed about ten meters long, about as long as a python and twice the length of most cobras.


    This is most likely this timeline''s analogue of the Africa Spitting Cobra. If I remember correctly, it''s the Black Spitting Cobra.


    With the ability to spit venom, there was no mistaking it. I stumbled back, getting ready to use my footwork techniques to evade if necessary. Hissing, the Black Spitting Cobra reared back to fire off another one of its ranged acidic attacks.


    It never got to.


    The dark shape I saw from earlier blasted out and slammed into the Black Spitting Cobra, all teeth and claws. I caught a glimpse of black fur and a ferocious face of fang and claws before the two tangled monsters rolled into the grass.


    Hiss!!!


    Gr¡­!


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    Mesmerized, I watched as the newcomer rear back to its feet before pouncing on the Black Spitting Cobra, which spat out another glob of acid. The acid splashed against the new creature, but it ignored it, merely grumbling in pain before slashing at the armored scales of the Black Spitting Cobra and knocking it to the ground.


    Screeching, the Black Spitting Cobra wrapped its coils around the fearsome creature and sank its fangs into the latter''s neck, but to no avail. I realized that the fangs weren''t able to penetrate the thick coat of armored fur that protected the beast''s neck.


    That''s¡­a Hellfire Badger!


    Based off the Honey Badger from Earth, the Hellfire Badger was a ferocious and fearless creature that did not hesitate to attack anything, even those monsters larger than it. For good reason too ¨C it was equipped with lethal claws and deadly fangs, and its thick coat of armored fur rendered it impervious to any sort of attacks, whether it was tooth, claw or qi blasts. Furthermore, even if the Black Spitting Cobra succeeded in sinking its fangs and injecting venom into the Hellfire Badger, it wouldn''t have worked. The Hellfire Badger was immune to any venom and poison found in this world.


    Amazing¡­


    On the other hand, the Hellfire Badger was one of the most dangerous magical beasts in the world. Even a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner wouldn''t dare tangle with a Hellfire Badger if he could avoid it.


    Those things were incredibly tough to kill. Not only were they impervious to all blades, arrows or spears, they fought like a demon, refusing to give up and resisting to the bitter end. Fighting a Hellfire Badger was a surefire way of ensuring nobody wins. Those claws could tear through steel, and those fangs could crush boulders into dust.


    Right now, the terrifying Black Spitting Cobra was on the wrong end of those horrifying claws and teeth, its blood splattering across the grass as the Hellfire Badger tore through it. Fiery qi blazed around the Hellfire Badger as it attacked, leaving a scorched trail across the plains. The Black Spitting Cobra tried to bite the Hellfire Badger again, and this time managed to sink its fangs into the burning paw of the latter and pumped venom into its system.


    Bad move.


    As I said earlier, it didn''t work. The Hellfire Badger roasted the Black Spitting Cobra from the inside out, causing the poor serpent to release its grip and topple over, smoke billowing out of its scorched mouth. The Hellfire Badger shook its paw irritably, as if it suffered nothing worse than a small bruise, and then clamored over to bite the Black Spitting Cobra''s neck, finishing it off for good. Blood sprayed the grass, and the demonic serpent lay still, unmoving. Unlike the Black Spitting Cobra, the Hellfire Badger was still moving around vigorously without even slowing down. It didn''t seem the least affected by the Spiting Cobra''s venom.


    The duel was over hardly before it even began.


    Wow.


    Realizing that there was no use sticking around, I quickly backed off before the Hellfire Badger could notice me.


    Unfortunately, it was already aware that I was there. Snarling, the Hellfire Badger raised its head to glare at me. Before I could even take a step back, it shot forward like a bloody cannonball, its fur blazing furiously with fiery qi.


    "!"


    I quickly used Duo to evade, turning around and appearing behind the Hellfire Badger''s back. The Hellfire Badger hit the ground where I had been standing on a few seconds ago, and then flipped itself around to face me. It growled and launched forward again, tearing at the air where I was occupying a millisecond ago before I used Tui to jump far back.


    "I''m leaving, all right? Geez. You can have your territory to yourself."


    I knew Hellfire Badgers were territorial creatures who didn''t hesitate to attack any creature, living or undead, that intruded upon its territory ¨C even if it was several dozen times larger. I wasn''t that much bigger than the wolf-sized Hellfire Badger, but I doubted it would have made a difference even if I was as large as a Ghost Bear.


    Unfortunately, it appeared that the Hellfire Badger was persistent. It refused to allow me to leave, pouncing on me once more.


    "Whoa!"


    I tried to dodge it once more using Duo, but the Hellfire Badger suddenly spun around in midair and caught me while I was speeding away.


    "Ugh!"


    Blood burst out of my arm and I crashed heavily onto the ground, my footwork broken in the midst of me executing it. Rolling across the grassy plain, I came to a stop and glanced at my wound. It appeared that the Hellfire Badger had torn out a huge chunk of flesh, and boy did it hurt.


    But not as much as that time I almost died from consuming monster flesh.


    After going through that excruciating experience, nothing could faze me any longer. Pushing my glasses up, I ignored the blood dripping from my burning wound and rose to my feet. Not patient enough to wait for me to get ready, the Hellfire Bader was already lunging toward me, the sheer heat of its fiery qi incinerating the grass around it.


    "You asked for it¡­"


    All bets were off. I was going to leave without bothering the Hellfire Badger despite encountering it, but if it was hell-bent on mauling me to death, then I would retaliate. Not that I was enthusiastic about fighting it. I was aware that the Hellfire Badger was a tough opponent, and would make things extremely difficult for me.


    Twisting around to avoid the Hellfire Badger''s claws by a hair''s breadth, I whirled my body around to deliver a roundhouse kick to its midriff, knocking it out of the air and into the ground. The Hellfire Badger grunted as it hit the earth, but rolled back to its feet immediately. Hissing fiercely, it then lunged at me once again.


    Bending my back, I allowed the Hellfire Badger to sail above me, then straightened and delivered a strong Shadow kick to its hind flank, causing it to spin helplessly. The Hellfire Badger struck the ground, but then rolled back to its feet. This time, it didn''t pounce on me ¨C instead, it unleashed a volley of fireballs that incinerated grass and scorched the earth.


    "Whoa!"


    Using Tui, I retreated to a safe distance, but the Hellfire Badger had already anticipated that. Jumping from point to point, it lashed out with fiery claws that both cut and burned my flesh when I was a millisecond too late in evading. I staggered back, clutching my severe wounds, but retaliated with a knee into its belly, knocking it away from me.


    "Kreee!"


    Shrieking, the Hellfire Badger flipped itself in midair and landed on all four feet, its armored fur bristling in rage.


    "I know you''re a Hellfire Badger, but you really have to stop badgering me," I snapped at the annoying little creature. The Hellfire Badger spat in response, and then lunged at me again. I sidestepped, and then kicked it away.


    This is going nowhere.


    My attacks clearly weren''t doing any damage to the highly resilient magical beast. As the Hellfire Badger launched fireballs at me, I conjured a wall of ice that froze the flames. Stamping my foot on the ground, I turned the plains into a chilling tundra.


    "?!"


    The Hellfire Badger glanced around at the ice, taken aback by my new move. Snarling, it sprang at me, uncaring of the new phenomenon that had taken its homeland. However, the moment its paw slid against the slippery surface of ice, it skidded across uncontrollably. I took the moment to kick it in its head, snapping its skull back and causing it to spin across my recently sculpted tundra.


    "Phew¡­it actually worked."


    Having read about the Hellfire Badger in the monster encyclopedia, I was aware that it was used to inhabiting a warm, temperate grassland akin to that of Sahara Africa or the great Saharan plains in Africa. If that was the case, it wouldn''t be able to adapt to the sudden cold and slippery surface of the ice. I was counting on that to rob the Hellfire Badger of its balance and thus nullify one of its greatest strengths ¨C its mobility.


    Unfortunately, the Hellfire Badger was an intelligent creature. Realizing that the terrain was now to its disadvantage, it sought other paths of attacks. Its fiery qi intensified and transformed into a gigantic, blazing inferno that instantly melted and vaporized the ice. In a mere instant, the entire plains turned into a burned out husk as flames raged through it. As much as I tried to extinguish the inferno with cold yin qi and ice, I failed to do so.


    In terms of qi, this monster has me beat!


    Honestly, I didn''t buy into the whole ranks or class or stages thing that most wuxia novels love to espouse. A magical beast was a magical beast. It didn''t matter if it was a Class 3 or Class 4 magical beast which corresponded to Qi Fusion Stage or whatever. Magical beasts were still magical beasts, and while they often held the advantage over humans in terms of raw physical strength and speed or amounts of qi, humans have always circumvented those advantages by developing weapons and tools, or strategies and tactics.


    Our greatest strength wasn''t cultivating enormous amounts of qi to reach divinity or whatever stupid stages that wuxia novels loved to conjure up. It was our intelligence and our great use of tools.


    And right now, my greatest tool was knowledge. I had read about Hellfire Badgers. I should know what its weaknesses are.


    "Kuh!"


    Ducking under another swipe from the Hellfire Badger''s deadly claws, I tried to endure the blazing inferno by shrinking my cold qi into a thin layer of azure aura that covered only my entire body. Simultaneously, I kicked the Hellfire Badger again, much in the same way that I saw the Lunar Rabbit did. The Hellfire Badger grunted as the blunt force reverberated throughout its body and it crashed into the ground, only for it to roll up again.


    Now!


    I froze its limbs with thick ice. The Hellfire Badger wailed and struggled to break free, conjuring its flames to melt the ice. But even if it possessed superior amounts of qi and its fire was more powerful than my ice, it still required some time before it could free itself. Even though it was less than five seconds, those precious few seconds made all the difference.


    Jumping high up into the air, I spun my body like a top, and then lashed out, using the tremendous centrifugal force to generate as much power in my kick as possible, and slammed my foot onto the Hellfire Badger''s head, obliterating its skull and destroying its brain with that single kick.


    "Huff!"


    I landed on the ground as the Hellfire Badger fell lifelessly onto the ground, slipping out of the half-melted ice and shuddering in its death throes.


    "Phew¡­that was a difficult battle."


    I winced as I clutched at my injuries, which consisted of both terrible cuts and burns. Turning around, I made sure that the Hellfire Badger was dead. Its skull had been caved in, its head deformed and flattened from my strongest Shadow Kick. Sighing in relief, I thought back to what I had read. In the encyclopedia, the text had warned readers about how difficult it was to kill a Hellfire Badger, with its armored fur rendering it impervious to blade, spear or arrow. There was no cutting through that armored fur. Its neck, which was usually a point of vulnerability for most other demonic creatures, was the most protected space of its body.


    Consequently, the most effective way to kill an armored Hellfire Badger was to apply overwhelming blunt force to its head. Instead of using a sword or spear, a blunt weapon such as a club, mace or hammer was more efficient in applying enough trauma to its cerebral cortex in order to kill. It was the same tactic with the Silverback Wolf. If I couldn''t penetrate its armored fur with a blade or arrow, then I just had to kick it to death using sheer force.


    "Well¡­at least I''m able to collect two whole meals¡­"


    Picking up the Hellfire Badger''s carcass, I proceeded toward the corpse of the Black Spitting Cobra. After going through all that trouble, it would be a waste not to consume them. Not only that, after beating the Hellfire Badger, I got an extra monster for free. What did they say about a cunning hunter again? How we were supposed to wait after two fighting tigers tired each other out before swooping in and claiming both of them in one go?


    But man¡­I really hope I won''t run into another Hellfire Badger¡­


    They were so tough to kill that I honestly didn''t want to fight a second Hellfire Badger. My wounds still throbbed and even my foot hurt from applying that much blunt force to the Hellfire Badger''s tough skull. Limping through the plains, I glanced upward at the gently glowing qi stones embedded in the cavern''s ceiling and sighed.

 27 Chapter 26: Exi

    "Phew¡­"


    Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, I heard a rustle not far to my right. I narrowed my eyes and saw a dark shape darting through the tall, yellowish grass.


    Another Hellfire Badger? Or¡­?


    If there was one creature more dangerous than the Hellfire Badger in this area, it was the Shadow Leopard. Even the fearless Hellfire Badger was helpless before a Shadow Leopard, the latter being the former''s nemesis. Admittedly, the Hellfire Badger would give one hell of a fight, but it would always inevitably end in the Shadow Leopard''s victory. Such was the immense power and raw strength of the dark-skinned predator.


    Even I wanted to avoid encountering the Shadow Leopard. I wasn''t insane enough to want and try to defeat a dangerous demonic beast, especially when I recognized that my chances of surviving such a duel would be near zero.


    Best to run.


    Using a combination of Shadow Steps and Jin, I quickly advanced to the narrow path, which resembled more a rocky corridor than the natural plains that extended across this section of the subterranean cavern. The dark shape hiding in the tall grass didn''t follow, keeping its distance, but I wasn''t going to count on it for maintaining its detachment for long. I surged forward again, finally putting myself beyond its line of sight.


    "Ha¡­"


    Sighing, I trudged up the path. Again, it didn''t resemble stairs but a jagged slope worn down by millennia of erosion and formed naturally by geological processes. The steep slope and uneven footing didn''t bother me, though. I was just relieved that it led upward.


    I just want to get out of this cave and see sunlight again.


    Scrambling upward and staying cautious so that I wouldn''t get ambushed by the denizens of this cave, I slowly but surely hauled myself toward the exit. I could just barely catch a glimpse of light at the top, brighter than the faint illumination that the qi stones embedded into the rocky walls afforded. The glaring brightness increased my hope and enthusiasm, and before I knew it, my movements were accelerating.


    Be careful!


    I reminded myself harshly and forced myself to calm down. Even though the corridor seemed bereft of demonic beasts and traps, it was likely that there was something waiting to ambush me right outside the exit of this "stairs". Taking a deep breath, I slowed down as I neared and reached out with my senses.


    There was an enormous source of qi somewhere near the exit, a living creature that was extremely powerful. Just detecting it from this distance was enough to send me chills and stop me dead in my tracks.


    "What the hell is this¡­?"


    It was another chamber. Not a very big one, especially when compared to the regions I had just been through, but still pretty vast. The forest and plains were certainly much bigger than this chamber, but even so it was large enough to house a castle, or a quarter of Wu Ling Academy. I estimated the breadth and length to be about a kilometer long, and the height to be about a hundred meters.


    Right in the middle of this new chamber was a lake. A huge lake that seemed to flow off into another path on the opposite end, much like an underground river spreading across the subterranean spaces. The bright light I saw earlier was coming from that path, so I guessed that the branching flow actually led to another river on the surface.


    Meaning that if I followed the river, I might finally be able to reach the surface and return to Sen Lin Forest.


    Finally! After spending so long in here, I''m finally going to get out of this godforsaken place!


    Feeling excited, I hurried toward the path, following along the edge of the lake. I wasn''t very fond of getting myself wet, especially since my swimming skills left a lot to be desired. I wasn''t a very good swimmer, but I knew enough to keep myself from drowning.


    Besides, I didn''t know what dwelled within the lake. I had to beware of aquatic magical beasts and demonic creatures that were concealed beneath its deceptively calm surface. A predatory Diamondback Crocodile, or a terrifying River Horse (which resembled nothing like a horse, I assure you), or a swarm of Needlefang Piranhas¡­I did not fancy becoming the prey of any of these vicious demonic creatures.


    Especially since I would be at a disadvantage underwater¡­


    Moreover, there''s still this immense qi that I''m detecting¡­


    The source of the qi was obviously originating from beneath the waters. Whatever was emanating that horrifying amount of qi, it was lurking beneath the waters, most likely waiting for an unsuspecting prey to draw near so that it would abruptly emerge and ensnare it, dragging it back into the depths of a watery grave.


    I would rather avoid such a horrible death if I could help it. Even with the bottle of Green Dragon Spring water attached to my belt, the all-healing liquid wouldn''t save me from drowning. In fact, how the hell was I supposed to drink the Green Dragon Spring water when I was drowning in the first place? And even if I somehow drank it underwater, it wouldn''t grant me gills or the ability to breathe water. I would just drown again.


    That was why I had to be very careful¡­


    But it seems like I have no choice.


    The moment I reached the path, all dry land abruptly ended. The only way out of this hole was to swim in that river branching out of the huge lake.


    What should I do?


    The answer was obvious. I should just go for it. But I wasn''t suicidal enough to just plunge in, so I warily approached and tested the waters.


    And then the guardian of the lake burst out.


    "!!!"


    Using Tui, I retreated as far back as possible. A gargantuan serpent had burst out of the lake, hissing intimidatingly, as it struck the spot where I was standing on. Fangs the size of a pillar slammed into the earth, gouging a huge chunk out of the rock. Smoke began rising as the acidic venom burned the soil. Straightening up, the serpent glared down at me, its height towering over even a building.


    A Lake Serpent? Or Dragon?


    Emerald green scales sparkled in the light, each of them resembling a gemstone. Draconic spikes extended from its head, giving it a majestic presence, and huge black eyes captured me within those obsidian pupils that seemed as bottomless as the abyss from which I just climbed out of.


    I felt a bead of perspiration drip down my face and smiled cynically.


    "So you''re the final boss, huh?"


    It didn''t matter. This Lake Serpent was standing between me and my route to freedom. I knew I wouldn''t be able to defeat something as massive and powerful as this creature, but I didn''t have to. My goal was to escape, not to kill everything in my path. Besides, it wasn''t as if I possessed some sort of railgun or something.


    What I did have was Shadow Steps, my footwork techniques and Lunar Rabbit kicks. They would have to be enough. Oh, and my ice-forging techniques too.


    The Lake Serpent lunged at me again, and I gracefully jumped, avoiding the creature''s attack. An explosion of gravel and rocks pelted me from behind, but I ignored them, jumping onto the Lake Serpent''s back and running along it. Even though the wet emerald scales were somewhat slippery, my Shadow Steps and footwork had allowed me to maintain my balance without falling off stupidly. All I needed to do was keep my momentum going before I slipped.


    Yeah! Just like this¡­then I''ll jump and swim out before the Lake Serpent can turn around and catch me!


    Kicking off the Lake Serpent''s back, I launched myself toward the exit, arcing downward in a dive that would have made an Olympic swimmer proud. Well, not really, but allow me to flatter myself once in a while.


    "!!!!"


    I never hit the water. Instead, a second Lake Serpent burst out of the lake, charging straight at me with its open mouth. I twisted my body in midair, fumbling wildly. Then I reoriented myself, used the numerous droplets of water still suspended in the air as a temporary foothold, and then launched myself away using Jin.


    The second Lake Serpent''s jaws closed around empty air.


    Screech!


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I skidded across the shore, the friction leaving two trails in the damp soil, and then jumped back to my feet. Narrowing my eyes, I watched the two Lake Serpents twist and spin to face me, holding me in their obsidian, predatory gaze.


    "So you have a comrade, after all?"


    Splash! Splash!


    Then a third. And a fourth. All the way until nine of them emerged from the lake, writhing, flailing and hissing viciously.


    "No way¡­"


    At that moment, I realized how sadly I was mistaken. This was no mere swarm of Lake Serpents. All nine of them were connected into one body.


    This demonic beast was a¡­Hydra. A legendary nine-headed serpent that dwelled within the most abysmal of lakes and river. In terms of encyclopedia classification, it was a Rank 9 magical beast, on par with the Behemoth that dragged me into these hellish depths. The individual ranks held no meaning to me, but I did comprehend one thing.


    The Hydra was not an opponent I could defeat. Well, I knew that already, so let me rephrase that. The Hydra was going to be a lot more difficult to deal with than a swarm of Lake Serpents. Several hundred times more difficult, if I would be honest.


    I''m screwed¡­


    Even as the thought passed through my mind, I clamped down on my despair with unflinching determination. I had been through hell and back, I had survived the Ghost Bear and a multitude of other predators in the subterranean cavern, I had endured excruciating pain and lethal biological transformations in an effort to stave off death from starvation. There was no way I would falter just because a great enemy stood before me and my route to freedom.


    "Hmph. Isn''t this just great, bring it on!"


    With a yell, I charged at the Hydra.


    The Hydra moved with a swiftness that belied its immense size, reacting near-instantaneously. Its nine heads flew toward me, attacking one at a time while forcing me to enact evasive maneuvers. I leaped high up, soaring above the first head and just barely avoiding its deadly, venomous fangs. Hell, even without the lethal venom, the fangs were large enough to crush me to a bloody pulp if they stabbed into my body.


    As expected of an apex predator.


    The Hydra had evolved to fight against legendary demonic beasts such as the Behemoth, so it would need every lethal weapon it could mutate. Those might be overkill against a mere human being like me, but as they say, even a lion would give its all to catch a rabbit.


    Rather, I''m the one who can''t afford to underestimate my opponent!


    Tucking my body into a ball, I ducked the second head, rolling past its gargantuan jaws, then flipped out and landed on the third head before it could swallow me whole. Trying to maintain my balance upon its sleek neck and slippery scales, I forced myself to an unsteady run along the length of its neck, jumping off only when the fourth head charged toward my position.


    This time, I used a basic movement from Shadow Steps to dodge the fourth head''s assault, disappearing before it could tackle me. I reappeared, almost as if from the shadows and landed on top of its head. Gritting my teeth, I used Seismic Step, the second kick from Shadow Steps, to cave its skull in. The fourth head went down, screeching deafeningly.


    However, it was not dead. Far from it.


    "!"


    The fourth head ferociously lashed out, almost knocking me off my feet. This time, I fell back to the footwork techniques that Teacher Jiao taught me, using Tui to retreat.


    I guess it''s only natural¡­at my current level, my attacks are still too weak to deal a decisive blow. The Hydra is too huge and I''m too weak and tiny to deliver any significant amount of damage.


    On the bright side, I did hurt it, so at least there was something I could be proud of.


    Skidding across the shore, I struggled to halt my massive momentum. The ground split apart under the friction between my feet and the soil, the impact carrying me backward despite my best efforts to skid to a stop.


    "!"


    While I was still distracted by the first four heads that were converging on my position, I almost didn''t see the fifth head plunging toward me in time.


    Bam!


    "Kuh!"


    I had just barely managed to dodge the enormous, venomous fangs, but the edge of the fifth head''s jaw struck me, lifting me off my feet and hurling me across the cavern. I caught a glimpse of deadly white fangs filling my vision for a moment before being replaced by the dull brown rock of the cavern''s walls.


    The potent venom dripped into the ground, the acidic fluids dissolving it instantly and giving off noxious fumes. If I had allowed that to touch me, my body would be corroded into nothing. In contrast, my body had toughened to the extent where I could withstand the tremendous impact that resulted from the collision.


    "Ouch¡­"


    Rising to my feet, I slightly massaged my sore body. That might have cracked a few ribs and sent some shock throughout my system, but I was still alive. That was all that mattered. Wiping the blood from my mouth, I steadied my trembling body and glared at the advancing Hydra.


    The enormous demonic monster had emerged from the lake, hissing as the nine heads seared toward my current position. I didn''t have time to hesitate. On reflex, I charged forward and activated Jin, speeding past the entangled knot of serpentine head and narrowly avoiding their dripping fangs and raw muscle.


    "!"


    One of the heads had realized my intent and had lingered back, staying behind the rest of its brethren to anticipate my attempt at escape. I was forced to hop back into a halt as the ninth head crashed heavily onto the ground where I would have been if I didn''t suddenly change the trajectory of my advance.


    "You¡­" I murmured, perspiration dripping down my face, but I wasn''t given any time to say anything else before the sixth head struck me from behind. Again, I moved on instinct, just barely avoiding getting punctured by the fangs and pumped full of corrosive venom. But the gargantuan snout slammed into me, cannoning me across the cavern and into the wall.


    Bam!


    "Ugh¡­"


    I dropped to my knees, blood streaming down my head and body, wounds having been ruptured open all over my skin. Adjusting my glasses, which were slipping off because of the excessive amount of blood, I slowly studied my foe.


    Looks like I don''t have a choice. I''m not going to get pass the Hydra with just Shadow Steps and footwork techniques alone.


    Stretching out both hands, I focused my yin qi into my fingers and forged a pair of ice swords. Drawing a deep breath, which fogged in front of my face because of the sudden drop in temperature, I braced myself for the battle.


    Kicking off the ground, I launched myself toward the advancing Hydra. The first head slammed down on where I was running, but using Shadow Steps, I leaped up and effortlessly evaded it. Bouncing from the scalp of the first head, I sped toward the second head like a bullet. Before the second head could gobble me up, I suddenly did a cartwheel in the air and planted my foot on its lip and maintaining a not-so-safe distance from those venomous fangs. Kicking off, I then spiraled toward the advancing third head. Tucking my legs in, I spun around and then kicked the third head and used it as a board to propel myself toward the fourth head.


    The fourth head hissed, remembering the Seismic Step I had executed earlier, and lunged with a vengeance. Half-anticipating that, I dropped to the ground, allowing the massive serpentine head to blast past overhead without hitting me. Without even waiting for the infuriated head to turn back and correct its aim, I was already running ahead.


    The fifth head awaited, snarling. Previously, I wasn''t able to get past it, but this time I had armed myself with swords. Closing my eyes briefly, I recalled the movements of the Ghost Bear and how it swung its Ghost Claws. Gritting my teeth, I opened my eyes and replicated the movements, slashing at the incoming fifth head.


    Slash!


    Dual azure qi blasts hurtled out of the frozen blades and slammed into the fifth head, encrusting thin segments of its jaw with a coat of ice. Even though the entire head wasn''t encased in ice, the shock from the sudden cold stunned the fifth head, and I cartwheeled in the air to step on its snout. Before the fifth head could figure what was happening, I had already propelled myself away.


    The sixth head and seventh head came at the same time, snarling as they attacked from both directions. Almost helpless in midair, I was forced to parry their strikes. Both frost blades shattered instantaneously from the collision.


    Even so, they had done their job. Having absorbed most of the impact, I let go of my broken swords and dropped like a rock between both heads. The sixth head and seventh head collided with each other, caught off guard by my sudden movement. Like a stone, I plummeted toward the lake, but I didn''t splash through its surface.


    Instead, using minimal qi, I froze the area that I landed, erecting a small patch of ice to stand on. Bouncing atop, I sprang away while recreating my swords. The fifth head and fourth head and twisted back to attack me, and they smashed my newly forged swords to bits, throwing me across the lake and forcing me to freeze another segment to recover my footing.


    That was fine. I had a whole lake under me, and the air was full of moisture. I could re-forge and recreate my ice weapons as many times as I needed to, so long as I didn''t run out of qi.


    Unfortunately, my puny weapons had little effect on the Hydra.


    The eighth head and ninth head were circling back to trap me. Conjuring another pair of ice swords, I readied myself as they lunged at me.


    How did the Ghost Bear do it again?


    No, it wasn''t just the Ghost Bear. Even though I had made sure to learn the Ghost Bear''s movements and attacks with its Ghost Claws, I wasn''t merely replicating its techniques. I was combining the Ghost Bear''s Ghost Claws with Shadow Steps.


    Ghost Shadow Sword.


    As an Experimentalist, I had little option other than to experiment and create my own techniques. Unlike my Traditionalist classmates, I did not have a master available to teach me techniques that had a long history and tradition. Even though I learned stuff from Teacher Jiao, he was limited in what he could teach me because he was officially not my master.


    Pulling back both swords, I mimicked the Ghost Bear''s Ghost Claws strike while adding some principles of the stealthy Shadow Steps. The ice swords seemed to disappear, shimmering into seeming nothingness, as they sliced forward.


    The Hydra didn''t seem to care, the eighth and ninth head plunging forward heedlessly. The invisible blades slashed into their thick, armored emerald scales and caused them to jolt back in shock. A few seconds later, thin layers of black ice began spreading across their scales.


    Too superficial, huh?


    Given more time to perfect my newly created Ghost Shadow Sword, I might be able to increase the freezing effects of my shadowy sword techniques, but right now I hadn''t reached that level yet. Still, it was always good to try out my theoretical techniques in actual practice and see if they actually worked in reality.


    Sparing the staggering Hydra no more than a cursory glance to log the effects of my experimental Ghost Shadow Sword, I kicked off the little iceberg I had created and sprang forward.


    The first, second and third heads struck from multiple directions. Remembering how the Ghost Bear extended his Ghost Claws and take me by surprise, I infused my swords with more qi and increased their length and size. With a yell, I knocked the first and second heads away with my makeshift weapons. So hard were their scales and with the sheer mass of their bulk, the two swords shattered upon impact, leaving my hands bereft of weapons as the third head closed in.


    "Kuh!"


    Flipping back, I allowed the third head to surge past where my head had been a millisecond earlier, and just like the Lunar Rabbit before me, swapped to standing on my hands so that I could deliver a devastating kick that sent the third head reeling upward.


    Spinning on the block of ice that I froze atop the lake, I pushed myself to a safe distance away from the Hydra while slyly closing in on the path that led outward. The Hydra rushed toward me, its other six heads writhing and aggressively lashing out.


    All or nothing.


    There was no way I could avoid all six heads, not when my path to escape was so narrow.


    "Argh!"


    With a yell, I plunged both hands into the water. Mustering as much qi as I could, I poured my frosty qi into the lake, shaping the water in accordance to my imagination. As I said earlier, I had access to an entire lake and all the moisture in the air, so I could theoretically create an infinite amount of icy weapons as long as I didn''t run out of qi.


    Conversely, it also meant that I could use all my qi to turn the lake into a single gigantic weapon. Icicles burst out and pierced the Hydra in multiple places, trapping it momentarily. Even though the vast majority of the icicles were unable to penetrate the thick hide or armored emerald scales, a few succeeded in impaling vulnerable spots and holding the Hydra fast.


    The Hydra''s immense bulk and powerful structure twitched and the icicles began crumbling. Despite my best efforts, I only had mere seconds before the Hydra broke free of its frozen restraints and lunge at me. Despite the crimson blood flowing down the icicles in rivulets, the damage I dealt was extremely minor, akin to little scratches.


    There was no way the Hydra would die from that.


    It didn''t matter. I was basically home free. I dove into the water and swam through the path, allowing the current to sweep me out of the cavern and back to the outside, surface world.


    "!"


    One of the Hydra''s heads had burst free from the icicles impaling it and was surging toward me with a vengeance, determined to slay me before I escaped. Throwing a hand out, I conjured an ice shield while using my footwork to kick in the water and retreat.


    Bam!


    The shield shattered instantly as the Hydra''s head slammed into it. Its jaws yawned wide open to clamp down on me, but I executed Tui and propelled myself away from it, aided by the forceful currents.


    The Hydra''s maw slammed shut, but I was already gone. Flowing through the narrow path, which was too small for the Hydra to fit through, I departed the subterranean cavern and was swept across by the little river that flowed upward ¨C against gravity and defying the laws of physics, for some reason ¨C and into the surface.


    "Kuh¡­"


    Dizzy from my escape, I dog-paddled toward freedom in an effort to keep myself afloat and away from the Hydra.


    Then I realized that the giddiness ¨C which was accompanied by a rush of nausea ¨C wasn''t from the excitement.


    "Gah¡­!"


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    My body was burning up with a terrible fever, to the extent that the waters hefting me aloft were turning into steam. Wheezing, I weakly glanced at my arm and saw a thin, red line there. The surrounding flesh was smoking, corroded by a thick sludge of acidic venom.


    The Hydra¡­!


    It bit me. It got me. Despite my reflexes and footwork, the Hydra succeeded in grazing me with its venomous fangs.


    Damn it¡­


    From what I had read, the encyclopedias spoke of the incredibly potent toxicity of Hydra venom. One drop, according to legends, was enough to destroy an entire lake and wipe out all aquatic life for miles around.


    And this was more than just a single drop.


    The Green Dragon Spring water¡­!


    I tried, numbly, to reach for my bottle, but my hands were swept away by the current. Too weak to resist, too powerless to do anything, I could only be helplessly washed away by the current. Despite my best efforts to survive, my consciousness faded away before I could save myself.

 28 Chapter 27: Reunion

    I jolted upright, blinking. For a moment I didn''t know where I was. Looking around in confusion, I tried to recall what was the last thing that happened.


    "That''s right¡­I fainted from the venom, and was washed away by the current of the river¡­"


    Standing up groggily, I checked my surroundings. It was incredibly dark, covered by shadows. My first impression was that I got washed into a cave, but the more I looked around, the more I realized that I wasn''t in a cavern.


    There were¡­no walls. No ceilings, nothing. I was in a vast open space that stretched infinitely, a place where no light could ever reach.


    A chill ran down my spine. I remembered seeing this place before. It was¡­


    Flicker.


    I reached into my pocket and retrieved the Golden Dragon Medallion that I had been carrying on my person all this time. It had come to life, glowing brightly and radiating golden light that was almost blinding. Raising it in the air, I used it to light my way.


    As I suspected, despite the illumination the Golden Dragon Medallion afforded, there was nothing to see for kilometers around. That was because I wasn''t in a physical space.


    Well, looks like I''m back in the underworld.


    For the second time in seven months, I had died and was sent to the underworld. I never would have guessed that I would be so unfortunate.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Sighing, I began walking. The initial darkness, while discomforting and disorientating, wouldn''t last. As long as I kept moving, I would be able to find my way back to the populated recesses of the underworld where lines of ghosts waiting to be reincarnated stretched for miles. With a heavy heart, I knew that this time was no mistake. I had really screwed up and died.


    "¡­hmm?"


    While I was strolling across the unfathomable darkness, the golden dragon medallion glowed ferociously and a single beam of golden light burst out and stretched across the infinite space, pointing toward a single direction.


    "¡­ah¡­"


    I instinctively understood. The Golden Dragon Medallion was acting like a compass, showing me the way. Following its guidance, I headed in the direction of the blinding ray of light. Even though I would have reached the Naihe Qiao or Bridge of Helplessness eventually without the Golden Dragon Medallion''s guidance, I suspected the little gadget pointing me the way would hasten the process. After all, I wanted to get out of this darkness a quickly as possible.


    No, instead it led me to¡­


    "Grandma Meng?"


    I gaped when I saw the old lady sitting on a chair and taking a sip of tea. She lowered her teacup and greeted me with a smile.


    "Oh, lad, so you''re finally here."


    "Here" was actually a room. I had no idea when the darkness disappeared, but at some point while I was walking, my surroundings had been replaced by a peaceful forest. Within the tranquil greenery stood a little villa. Grandma Meng was on the patio of the villa, resting against a huge, rocking chair and having tea. A large mahogany table stretched next to her, surrounded by empty chairs, and carried a tray atop its surface. The tray itself contained a relatively small teapot, circled by upside down traditional Chinese cups.


    If I hadn''t known better, I would have thought that I had just come across an elderly lady leisurely enjoying her vacation in her private villa located far away from any city.


    "Eh? Grandma? Why are you here? Shouldn''t you be serving soup¡­?"


    "I''m old, you know?" Grandma Meng made it a point to show how she was stretching her thin, wiry body. "I need a break once in a while, to rest my ancient bones. I''ve delegated my duty to those younglings." She paused, her wrinkled face creased on concern. "I really hope they know what they''re doing."


    I watched her, not knowing how to respond to that. She then frowned at me.


    "And again, I''m not your grandma, so stop calling me that."


    But I had no other way of addressing her. Whatever, I was in no mood to argue over such trivial matters right now.


    "Um¡­so should I head over to the Naihe Qiao now?"


    "Relax." Grandma Meng put her teacup down on the table with a soft clink and smiled at me, amused. "Are you in that much of a hurry to get reincarnated?"


    "No, not really. But¡­what other choice do I have? I''m dead, right?"


    I might have sounded bitter, but Grandma Meng merely chuckled.


    "No, actually, you''re not dead." She shook her head and waved at me reassuringly. "You''re on the periphery of death, but you''re not actually dead yet. Cutting really close to it, though." she studied me for a moment and then nodded in satisfaction. "Seems like you''ve eaten and assimilated the Hellfire Badger''s immunity to venom. That''s probably what saved your life. It''ll take some time before your body develops the antibodies to fight the toxins, but you''ll get there eventually."


    "¡­really?"


    "Yes, I have no reason to lie to you." Grandma Meng sipped some tea and smiled warmly. "Since you''re already here anyway, why not keep me company for the time being?"


    "¡­s¡­sure."


    With nothing else to do, I decided to sit when Grandma Meng gestured toward the chair opposite her, and listen to her.


    "Oh, don''t worry. I won''t be the one talking. After all, there''s someone I would like you to meet."


    Grandma Meng turned and waved at the entrance to her villa. A servant appeared, dressed in traditional Chinese robes, and bowed respectfully.


    "Call our guest here," she told the maid. The young-looking servant nodded and disappeared back within the house. Within moments, footsteps echoed throughout the interior and the last person I expected emerged from the door.


    "Ah, lad, you''re finally here."


    My jaw dropped when I saw the newcomer. So shocked was I that I dropped the Golden Dragon Medallion on the floor, the secret treasure bouncing off and then rolling across the wooden floorboards. The newcomer scowled as he bent down to catch and pick up the Golden Dragon Medallion, then he strode over to return it to my empty hand.


    "Hey, take good care of the Golden Dragon Medallion I gave you! Don''t just drop it all over the floor! It''s an extremely important treasure!"


    "Y¡­you¡­" I spluttered in disbelief. The old man I saved from the truck, and the same one who visited me in the hospital, the original owner of the Golden Dragon Medallion, stared back at me with a wry smile.


    "We meet again."


    "¡­You¡­you''re dead!" I blurted out. The old man snorted as his eyes narrowed into a scowl.


    "Why, thank you for stating the obvious."


    "It''s not that obvious," Grandma Meng spoke up flippantly as she took another sip from her teacup. "Anyway, have a seat. I''m sure there''s a lot of things you want to say to this poor lad."


    It was actually the other way around, but before I could break into a tirade, the old man chuckled and nodded.


    "Indeed." He turned to me and shook his head. "To be honest, I never expected to see you again. After I died at the hands of the Martial Arts Alliance, I came here and lined up at the bridge to get reincarnated. But this hag over here stopped me and told me to wait." He leaned back on his chair and nodded. "I see why she held me back now."


    "Don''t call me a hag, geezer."


    "Don''t call me a geezer, hag!"


    What the hell were they, twelve?


    "Anyway¡­" the old man cleared his throat and then extended a hand. "Despite the two times we met when I was still alive, I realized that I have never quite introduced myself. I am Tian Mo."


    "The former leader of the now destroyed Heaven and Earth Sect," I muttered, but took his hand and shook it anyway.


    "Ah, I see that you''ve find out quite a few things about me. How embarrassing." Tian Mo laughed sheepishly as he ran his hand over his white, thinning air. He then got serious. "Must be hard for you, isn''t it?"


    I glared at him. "You don''t know half of it."


    "I''m sorry."


    I doubted that he was, and spitefully pushed the Golden Dragon Medallion toward him.


    "You can have that back," I spat venomously. "You claimed that you were grateful and this was a reward, but this damned thing has been nothing but punishment. It has brought me nothing but trouble. Everyone''s chasing after me, accusing me of having learned some ultimate martial arts from you even though you''ve never taught me anything. They''ve also treated me like some sort of villain, thinking that you made me your heir or the next leader of the demonic Heaven and Earth Sect. I don''t want to inherit the leadership of any sect!"


    "But on the other hand, you''ve also been offered a chance by your academy to restore and recover the lost Heaven and Earth Formula, haven''t you?" Grandma Meng calmly pointed out as she sipped her tea. I gaped at her.


    "How¡­how do you know about that?"


    "I know everything," she replied sagely as she flicked her small teacup at me. "I am in charge of reincarnating the dead, after all."


    "Heh! See, lad, it isn''t so bad, after all!"


    Tian Mo chuckled and slapped my shoulder, pleased. However, Grandma Meng merely tilted her head at him.


    "But that still doesn''t change the fact that your actions brought this lad a lot of trouble."


    "Ugh¡­" Tian Mo shrank back, but then he beamed. "Hey, this is tough love! It''s only by overcoming all these hurdles, obstacles and trouble that you''ll become strong enough to claim the title of invincibility!"


    "What makes you think I want to be invincible?" I countered crossly. Sure, it sounded like an appealing idea, but such an ambition was often more trouble than it was worth. I just needed enough strength to put me ahead of my rivals, to live a simple enough life. I didn''t want to be at the very top ¨C that would drag me into all sorts of unwanted politics and responsibilities. As they said, great power came with great responsibility, and both enemies and wannabe allies would flock to me, pestering me if I stood out too much.


    "Boy, you should have a lot more ambition than that!"


    "Oh, I have my own goals and dreams," I acknowledged. "And it''s true that I do want to get stronger. But I would prefer to do it my way."


    "Come on, don''t talk like that." Tian Mo was pleading with me now. I stared at him, not sure what he was trying to do.


    "What exactly do you want? No¡­" I then turned to Grandma Meng, who was clearly the one who orchestrated the whole meeting. "What are you planning?"


    "Nothing," Grandma Meng replied indifferently. "I''m just guiding you along destiny."


    "Screw destiny," I growled, feeling fury ignite inside me. "It''s because of this shitty destiny that I''ve to suffer over the most stupid of reasons. I want to smash destiny and overthrow fate."


    "Indeed¡­but in order to do so, don''t you need strength?"


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    "That''s¡­"


    Grandma Meng''s response stopped me cold. I was unable to rebut that, and could only fall into a sullen silence.


    "Ahem¡­" Tian Mo cleared his throat. "And that''s where I come in."


    I gave him a droll glare. "Why did you give me the Golden Dragon Medallion, anyway?"


    Tian Mo''s shoulders sagged and he sighed. Scratching his aged head, he glanced up at the wooden ceiling.


    "My enemies were closing in on me, and I had no one I could trust. My sect had been destroyed, my closest subordinates all killed to the last man, and I was alone." He stared at me, his eyes shining with sincerity. "And in the darkest reaches of despair, while I was wandering alone, half-dead and wallowing in self-pity, you saved a pathetic old man. Even though I didn''t need saving, you risked your life to save me, almost getting yourself killed in the process. A little boy, completely unrelated to the jianghu, yet just as, if not more courageous than any martial artist. I was¡­impressed."


    "But you never thought about what sort of trouble would follow and descend upon me after you gave me the Golden Dragon Medallion?" I probably sounded bitter, but after my recent traumatic experiences, I was entitled to that.


    "It probably occurred to me," Tian Mo admitted. "But I was putting my faith in you. I thought that if there was anyone valiant and trustworthy enough to entrust the future and the rebuilding of the Heaven and Sect to, it would be you."


    "And you expected me to do that without telling me anything? Without at least informing what you''re getting me into?"


    I did recall Tian Mo''s words, him apologizing for dragging me into his world, but he said nothing more than that.


    "To be fair, that was the arrangement." Grandma Meng broke in. I glanced at her, and she shrugged. "This geezer wanted to save your life, so I agreed on one condition. In exchange, he was to make you the successor to his sect." her ancient lips curled up into a sly smile. "It was a condition he only too readily agreed to."


    "Huh?! Why would you do that?!" I gaped at her. Grandma Meng merely cocked her head to the side.


    "I told you earlier, didn''t I? I''m merely guiding you along your destiny."


    "No one should have the right to determine others'' destinies. Not even the gods."


    "If you really think that, then you''re incredibly na?ve," Grandma dismissed me indifferently. "And as I said earlier, if you want to challenge destiny, you need power. Otherwise never mind the gods and immortals, your destiny will be determined by other mortals because you''re too weak to resist them."


    "Ugh¡­"


    I couldn''t deny that. Tian Mo spread his hands helplessly.


    "To be fair, I didn''t expect this either. I thought that time in the hospital would be the last time I would see you. And my giving you the Golden Dragon Medallion and the proof of the Heaven and Earth Sect was as much a whim as it was the hag''s instructions." He sighed as he sank back in his chair. "I''m being toyed around by fate just as much as you."


    "But Fate is precisely what brought you back together in such a roundabout manner." Grandma Meng sounded amused as she knitted her fingers together and stared at us. "This is Heaven''s will. Interpret it however you want."


    "Hmph." Tian Mo grinned. "Then let''s not waste this chance." He turned to me. "Since I''ve been given such a valuable opportunity, I would like to teach you Heaven and Earth Formula."


    I hesitated for a moment. While this was indeed an incredible opportunity, and would be the culmination of everything I had worked for when in the academy, I couldn''t help but harbor skepticism and suspicion toward Tian Mo.


    "In exchange for that, what would you have me do?"


    Tian Mo shrugged. "I don''t care. Do what you will with it. Ideally, I would like you to rebuild the Heaven and Earth Sect, but you can change the name, align yourself with the Martial Arts Alliance, and do whatever you want. I won''t even ask you to take revenge for me." he sighed. "I accepted that my atrocities can never be forgiven. But¡­" he leaned forward, his eyes flashing. "I want my legacy to endure, even to the end of time. That''s my only wish."


    "That''s all?"


    "What else is there?" Tian Mo snorted. "I''m already dead. There''s nothing I can do to influence the living world. Whatever happens in the mortal world no longer has anything to do with me. In fact, I''m going to reincarnate after this."


    "Yes, you will be," Grandma Meng confirmed coolly.


    "So my only wish it to leave a mark behind¡­that I existed. That''s all I want."


    I studied him, wondering if he was lying, but then decided to take his word for it. Leaning back in my chair, I took a deep breath and nodded.


    "Fine. But how are you going to teach me Heaven and Earth Formula?" I glanced at Grandma Meng. "How long do we have before I return to the mortal realm?"


    "Time here flows very differently from the living world." Grandma Meng smiled. "Maybe a week?"


    "That''s more than enough." Tian Mo grinned. "I''m only teaching you the breathing techniques. You can practice them when you return to the mortal realm."


    "If you''re ready to begin the lessons, use the training room at the back," Grandma Meng instructed us. "I don''t think the patio is an optimal place for training."


    "Uh¡­sure." I nodded and rose to my feet. Tian Mo was way ahead of me, already striding into the house. It appeared he knew his way around.


    "Over here."


    I followed him along endless, winding corridors, until he suddenly stopped in front of a sliding door. He pushed it open, revealing a dojo-like space within.


    "Step in."


    "Yes, sir."


    I proceeded into the dojo-like room, and Tian Mo gestured for me to sit cross-legged in the middle of the room.


    "All right then," he announced, rubbing his hands in glee. "Let us begin."


    *


    "Well, that''s it."


    Master stood up and nodded in satisfaction as he watched me meditate. I blinked, snapping out of my meditative state and springing to my feet.


    "What do you mean, that''s it?"


    "Haven''t you realized? It''s already a week¡­according to underworld time, anyway."


    "Huh?!" I stared at Master blankly for a few moments before realizing, horrified, that he was right. "Time is already up?"


    "Yeah." Master smiled. "I would say that it has been a fruitful session. After this, whether you succeed in restoring Heaven and Earth Formula or not is entirely up to you."


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­" I felt numb as I listened to him hollowly, feeling like I might slide into denial. "This can''t be it¡­we were only just getting started! There''s no way this is enough! You have to teach me more!"


    "It has to be enough. Besides¡­" Tian Mo swiveled his head to look at me, a tinge of sadness touching his expression. "I taught you pretty much all of it. To be honest, there is nothing more I can teach you."


    "How is this all of it?" I protested in disbelief. "You only taught me a couple of breathing and qi circulatory qi methods. What about attacks? You''ve only taught me cultivation techniques, but no proper martial arts techniques. How do I fight?"


    "Even though I''ve already taught you for a week¡­no, precisely because I''ve taught you for only a week¡­" Master looked a little deflated. "Yeah, it''ll be impossible for you to understand the significance and true essence of Heaven and Earth Formula."


    "Yeah, that''s why I need you to teach me more!"


    "That''s not what I mean." Master sent me a sharp glance. "Listen carefully, dear disciple. Heaven and Earth Formula is originally composed of only manipulating and using the yang and yin qi, and combining them to produce incredible power. Things like forms and rituals disappeared long ago."


    "Forms and rituals?" I repeated dumbly. Master nodded.


    "That''s right. It''s not that I left out any techniques. Rather, Heaven and Earth Formula is a martial art where you have to create your own forms and rituals, catering to your own style. The principle behind Heaven and Earth Formula isn''t the powerful attacks¡­no, the true essence of Heaven and Earth Formula is to cultivate the necessary qi to make such powerful attacks possible in the first place. It allows you to tap into the power of the heavens and manipulate the divine qi for your own means. There is no special or unique attack that comes with Heaven and Earth Formula. We''ve always been changing and creating new combat techniques based on the individual practitioner''s personal style."


    He placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair.


    "Your progress from this point onward is entirely up to you. Practice until you reach the peak of your ability."


    I glanced down at my feet, knowing that this was farewell.


    "¡­I¡­will never see you again, will I?"


    Master shrugged.


    "Who knows? Fate is a fickle thing, and if you''re really sincere about wanting to challenge Fate, then perhaps you might be able to overturn the whole cycle of life and death itself." He grinned. "If you ever reach that stage, I would love to witness it."


    "You might still have a chance to witness it. Such is the warped nature of Fate and Destiny."


    Both of us turned and caught sight of Grandma Meng stepping into the dojo-like room. She nodded patiently.


    "Said your farewells yet?"


    "We just finished them, actually." Master snorted and waved at her. She didn''t take offense and gestured for us to follow her.


    "In any case, time is up. It''s time for you to drink the soup. And lad, you''ll have to return to the mortal realm. Lingering in the underworld for too long will have adverse effects on your physical body."


    "I understand."


    "Well, take care, my disciple." Master turned away. "Can''t say it wasn''t fun. I only wish that I had a lot more time to get to know you, and to teach you more. But this is the final goodbye."


    I cupped my hands and bowed deeply.


    "This disciple thanks his master for everything."


    Master merely waved one last time before he disappeared.


    Then I realized something.


    "Uh, wait! How do I get back to my physical body?"


    The last time I was here, I got reincarnated into the second timeline by walking through an alternative gate. But this time, I was in Grandma Meng''s villa, with no sign of any such gate.


    "There''s where I come in." Grandma Meng smiled as she approached me. "Sending you back is my job."


    "Uh¡­thanks?"


    I wondered if she was going to guide me to another gate, but she merely stopped in front of me. Raising a hand, she smacked me right in the head.


    "Ouch! What are you doing?!"


    Grandma Meng didn''t answer. Blinking through the sudden pain, I saw why. She had disappeared, and was instead replaced by darkness as black as the space I was dropped into earlier. A darkness so black I couldn''t see anything.


    "W¡­whoa! Wait!"

 29 Chapter 28: Awakening

    I stirred, wincing and groaning as I tried to sit up.


    "?"


    For a moment, my mind blanked out as I tried to remember what happened. Right, I almost died after that graze from the Hydra''s fang, the venom nearly overwhelming my body. I wasn''t able to drink the Green Dragon Spring water in time to heal myself, and was carried away by the irresistible current. At some point of time, I fell into a coma.


    And during that coma, I apparently dropped into the underworld, met up with Grandma Meng and Master Tian Mo, and spent a week learning Heaven and Earth Formula from him. Then time was up and Grandma Meng unceremoniously sent me back to the mortal realm with a single smack on my head.


    Then it must mean that I had just woke up in the world of the living.


    "¡­! Ugh!"


    I clutched my body, which still felt sore from my encounter with the Hydra. After spending a week in the underworld training under Master, I had completely forgotten about the injuries I sustained in my flight from the legendary monster.


    On the other hand, it means that not much time passed since I escaped the Hydra¡­


    Unsteadily crawling out of bed, I stood shakily on both feet and glanced at my new surroundings.


    Wait¡­bed?


    Blinking, I glanced back at the bed I had just emerged from. Now that I looked carefully, I saw that I was in a room. A pretty simple, bare bedroom that did not have much in the way of furniture or personal possessions. A guest room¡­no, it was too bare to be a guest room. Other than the bed and a single wooden shelf by the wall, the room was almost completely empty.


    Sunlight trickled from the transparent window that spread across one wall, bereft of curtains. The sun was already high up in the sky, which indicated that it was already afternoon. Early afternoon, around 3pm, perhaps?


    "¡­"


    I found my glasses and personal effects, including my Silverback Wolf pelt makeshift bag, my Golden Dragon Medallion and the flask of precious Green Dragon Spring water on the floor next to the bed. Putting the glasses on, even though I no longer needed them for visual aid, I packed my stuff up. As I placed the Golden Dragon Medallion into my pocket, I noticed that I was no longer wearing my uniform.


    That made sense. The Wu Ling Academy uniform that I had worn since before the training mission had been reduced to nothing more than rags by the time I escaped the cavern. No doubt whoever rescued me was also kind enough to give me new, wearable clothes. It was a simple attire, a white and brown tunic with pants, but it was much better to my torn and tattered rags that were the remnants of my formerly magnificent uniform.


    "Ah, you''re awake!"


    While I was occupied with checking out my current condition, someone stepped into the room. I blinked and raised my head, catching sight of a young lady in her late twenties. Her hand flew to her mouth when she saw that I was up and about, and she hurried over when I staggered, catching me before I fell over.


    "You shouldn''t be up yet!"


    "Oh, sorry."


    With her assistance, I sat back on the bed. Taking a deep breath, I allowed my mind to clear and my body to recover a little more.


    "Um¡­thank you."


    "No problem. I''m just glad you''re all right. You''ve finally woken up."


    Rubbing my head, I glanced at her. "How long was I out for?"


    "Hmm¡­three days, I believe?" the lady frowned as she considered. Then she smiled. "We didn''t think you would wake up so soon. You were in pretty bad shape when we found you."


    "Were you the one who rescued me?" I asked, then bowed my head. "Thank you."


    "Ah, no, no, no!" the lady waved her hands frantically, embarrassed at receiving my gratitude. "I''m not the one who saved you! It was Lu Shun who found you by the Rivershore, and he brought you back to the village."


    "I see." I closed my eyes briefly, still trying to fight off the soreness that threatened to pound throughout my body. "Then I''ll need to thank him."


    "You''ll get the chance to do so later." The lady rewarded me with a smile. "But for now you should stay in bed." She turned to leave the room. "You must be starving. I''ll bring you some food."


    "Um, thanks, uh..."


    "I''m Hu Shi." The lady smiled as she pressed a hand to her chest. I nodded and bowed.


    "Thank you, Hu Shi." Raising my head, I noticed that she was waiting by the door. Taking a deep breath, I introduced myself. "Fei Wu."


    "I see. I''ll be back, Fei Wu."


    Hu Shi disappeared through the door, and returned a few minutes later with a bowl of steaming soup. I accepted the tray and put it on my lap.


    "Sorry, but this is all we have." Hu Shi smiled apologetically. "We don''t have much in this village."


    "Nonsense, this is more than enough." I bowed my head. "Thank you very much. I really appreciate it!"


    The soup was certainly simple, being nothing more than rice gruel and rib bones soaked in water. There wasn''t much flesh on the meat, and the rice tasted bland, but after so many days of feeding off demonic monsters'' meat, the plain dish was an immense welcome. Tears almost welled up in my eyes as I felt a surge of emotions. I couldn''t help it. After all, I had never thought I would be able to eat rice and soup again.


    "Be careful, it''s hot," Hu Shi warned me. I nodded.


    "No problem!"


    I had been through hell and back, after all. Both literally and metaphorically. A little scalding soup was nothing compared to the excruciating agony I had experienced throughout the past month or so. Had it really been a month, though? It felt like an eternity.


    "Mommy?"


    While I indulged myself in the soup, I heard a squeaky voice. Raising my head, I saw an emaciated little boy poking his head from behind the door.


    "Hai''er, what are you doing here? Go out and play."


    Hu Shi quickly headed over to shoo him away. But the little boy shook his head and remained, clinging tightly to the door.


    "Mommy, is that big brother finally awake?"


    Uh, what did it look like? Did he think I was sleepwalking or something? Would someone still in a coma be able to sit up on a bed and eat?


    Then again, the kid was no older than five. I guessed kids at his age should be allowed a stupid question or two.


    "Yes. He''s eating now. Let''s not disturb him."


    "That''s fine." I waved at the boy. "Um, hello. I''m Fei Wu."


    The boy looked at me curiously, and then nodded. Taking a step forward, he smiled proudly.


    "I''m Hai. Hu Hai."


    "He''s my son," Hu Shi added, somewhat unnecessarily. Yeah, I mean, I figured that out long ago. But I didn''t mention that and continued to plaster the smile on my face.


    "Sorry for taking a room." I looked around. "Um¡­do you have any siblings?"


    Hu Hai shook his head, even as he clung to his mother. The five-year-old shyly shrank back, using his mother as cover.


    "I see. So you''re an only child." I turned to Hu Shi. "Um, I''m sorry to disturb you and your family. Once I recover, I''ll leave. I would pay you, but I don''t have any money."


    "That''s fine." Hu Shi shook her head. "We''re the ones who should be sorry for not being able to be more hospitable."


    "No, not at all! You saved my life! I''m really grateful!"


    Hu Shi merely smiled. "I''m glad you think so. But in any case, you''ll need a while to recover, so please don''t worry about imposing on us. Don''t rush and don''t worry. You may stay as long as you like. In fact, we''ll be more than happy to accommodate you."


    "Now that''s a bit¡­"


    While I appreciated the offer, I couldn''t stay in the village forever. I still needed to return to Martial City. My family must be worried. My classmates were probably concerned too, except that damned Qi Fu Ren. Speaking of which, I also needed to take my revenge on that bastard.


    "Ah, of course. I mean, we''ll try to help you return home, but it''s best if you rest for now." Hu Shi raised both her hands. "You were on the verge of death just three days ago, so it''s best if you don''t rush and force yourself."


    "I understand."


    Hu Shi smiled, satisfied, and then ventured forward to take the tray and empty bowl from my hands.


    "It''s good that you understand. For now just rest. I''ll get Old Man Yi to check on you later."


    "Um¡­that''s¡­"


    However, Hu Shi was paying no attention to my protests. Leading Hu Hai out of the room, she shut the door, leaving me alone once again.


    *


    As it turned out, Old Man Yi was the village''s unofficial doctor. A man in his late eighties, he had retired as a medical physician long ago. While he was nowhere as proficient in healing techniques as the masters from the Green Dragon Sect, he was adept enough at treating my wounds.


    "Hmm¡­" he mused as he took my wrist and checked my qi flow. "No irregularities. In fact, you''re healing a little too quickly." He peered at me with his large, myopic eyes. "If I hadn''t known better, I would say that your recovery is miraculous."


    "Ha ha, well¡­" I couldn''t exactly tell him that my physical constitution had somewhat been altered by my consumption of meat from demonic monsters. That sped up my healing significantly, which was why I woke up so soon.


    "Even so, don''t overdo it. Make sure you rest, or you''ll open up your injuries again." Yi tapped my arm and I winced from the pain. Despite my enhanced recuperative abilities, my arm was taking slower to heal.


    The Hydra''s toxins must have been really potent.


    "But you''re a martial artist, huh?" Yi was squeezing the muscles in my arm and he nodded, impressed. "From Martial City?"


    "Um, that''s right."


    The old man chuckled. "No wonder you''re well-built." He then rose to his feet and leaned on his walking stick. "I''ll check on you again tomorrow. Try not to move too much, you hear?"


    "Yes, sir."


    But after he left, I was feeling pretty bored. There was no computer, no television, no Internet. I didn''t even have a phone, having left it back in Martial Academy. We weren''t allowed to bring our cellphones along during practical training sessions, after all. There was nothing for me to do and the boredom was driving me nuts¡­


    Wait, there is something I can try¡­


    Old Man Yi only told me that I shouldn''t move too much, but he never said I couldn''t meditate and circulate my qi.


    Taking a deep breath, I sat cross-legged on top of the bed and began putting into practice the Heaven and Earth Formula breathing and qi circulating techniques that I had learned from Master during my time in the underworld.


    *


    Before I knew it, I had fully recovered. Even my left arm had healed completely and I could get rid of the bandages. There was no sign of injury, no sign that it had ever been poisoned. There wasn''t even a scar.


    "Whoa¡­"


    "You¡­just what are you?"


    Yi was staring at me in amazement. I merely shrugged in feigned nonchalance, not knowing how to answer.


    "A martial artist."


    "Ah¡­are you at the Qi Fusion Stage or something?"


    "Uh¡­I don''t know, to be honest."


    Old Man Yi stared at me in disbelief, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What do you mean you don''t know?"


    "I never paid much attention to all the different stages and levels. I just concentrated on honing my techniques and growing stronger. So I don''t know how much qi corresponds to what stage or what level." I snorted. "I''m not some qi-measuring machine."


    "Ah. I know what you mean." Yi tapped his head. "To tell you the truth, I don''t know either. Apparently masters can estimate how much qi is what stage, but honestly, the whole thing sounds bogus to me. You''re either more powerful than your opponent or you are not."


    I nodded in full agreement. "I know, right?!"


    Old Man Yi grinned as he slapped me in the arm. "In any case, you shouldn''t have any problems moving around. I don''t know how you did it, you bastard, but you''ve completely recovered." He paused and studied me. "Well, with the amount of qi flowing in your body, I guess I shouldn''t be surprised." He then narrowed his eyes when he noticed something, grabbing my wrist to confirm. "Is it my imagination, or did your amount of qi increase since yesterday?"


    "Just your imagination," I answered, my heart skipping a beat. Come on, I just practiced Heaven and Earth Formula for one night. Surely there shouldn''t be that much of a difference, right?


    "Uh huh. Okay." Old Man Yi nodded distractedly, but decided to give me the benefit of the doubt. "Well, don''t be too reckless, all right?"


    "Yes, sir."


    After he left, I also departed the room. There was no way I was going to stay confined inside the room for too long. I needed to do something. I needed news. I needed information. I needed to read something. Not that Hu Shi''s house contained any books.


    The outside surprised me. Even though I already had some sort of idea from looking out of the large window in my room, I didn''t think the village would be this bad.


    The village was in pretty bad shape. Crumbling, dilapidated houses and shacks dotted the landscape, clustered together over roughly hewn pavement. Many of the houses seemed like they were falling apart. On the uneven roads, strewn with grass and soil, children gathered and played, laughing as they frolicked in the dirt. On closer examination, I realized how skinny and gaunt they were, in just as bad shape or worse than Hu Hai.


    I did think it weird that Hu Hai was emaciated. Remembering what I had been subsisting on for the last two days ¨C watery gruel and bare bones ¨C I understood why the children in this village were so thin.


    There just wasn''t enough food for everyone.


    "Ah¡­big brother¡­"


    One of the kids looked up and waved at me. I nodded and waved back.


    "Hu Hai."


    "Are you all right already? What about your injuries?"


    I smiled and then flexed my arm to show him. "I''m back to full health. Thanks for your concern. And I''m grateful to your mother too."


    Hu Hai stared at me in wonder for a moment, but kids being kids, he went back to playing his game with the other children.


    "Who''s that, Hai?"


    "Oh, I know! Isn''t that the stranger Uncle Lu Shun saved the other day?"


    "Right¡­heard that your mom took him in?"


    "Yup! Seems like the big brother is fully healed, though."


    The kids discussed my condition while hopping over markings chalked into the ground. This timeline''s version of hopscotch, huh?


    "What are you guys playing? Hopscotch?"


    "Mhmm." A grunt was all the answer I received.


    "Don''t worry. Kids will be kids."


    I straightened up at the unfamiliar voice and turned around to face the man who had walked up to me. In his late twenties, and a little on the thin side but otherwise well-built, the man wore a sleeveless vest that revealed most of his torso ¨C especially the muscles in his chest and abdomen.


    "It''s good to see that you''ve recovered," the man said with a dazzling grin. "But should you really be up walking around so soon?"


    "Thanks, but I need to stretch a little after lying on bed for so many days." I smiled back and waved my hands to show how I had recovered. The man studied me, and then nodded before offering a hand. I took it and his grip was firm.


    "I''m Lu Shun."


    "Ah, you''re the one who saved me!" I quickly bowed deeply to express my gratitude. "Thank you very much!"


    "Ah ha ha, I didn''t do much!" Lu Shun quickly raised both his hands to bat away my gratitude. "You pretty much saved yourself. All I did was pull you out of the river, but I wasn''t able to do much other than that. You might have been unconscious, but you managed to cling onto something, so you weren''t in any danger of drowning."


    "Even so, I might have been easy prey for the monsters living in the forest. If you didn''t save me and bring me to a place where I could safely recover, I might have become food for some demonic creature somewhere."


    "Ha ha, maybe. Well¡­I''m just glad you''re all right, though. You look like you were in terrible shape when I pulled you ashore."


    I nodded and thanked him again, then glanced at the forest looming at the edge of the village. Frowning, I pointed toward it.


    "Um, is that Sen Lin Forest?"


    "Yeah."


    "You guys live so close to Sen Lin Forest?"


    "What can we do?" Lu Shun shrugged. "We can''t help it. There''s no other place to stay."


    "Eh? There isn''t¡­?"


    Lu Shun glanced at me, his cheerfulness from earlier now replaced by a tinge of bitterness. "We can''t afford to live in the city. The rent and property there are too expensive. Never mind homes, we can barely afford any food here." he sighed as he glanced in the opposite direction, where the fields were. "Harvest has been pretty bad, and we''re short on food. It wouldn''t be so bad if we could make some profits off our crops, but we couldn''t even buy food to make up for the shortfall."


    No wonder the kids were so skinny.


    "I''ve been trying to hunt some food, but as you know, demonic monsters aren''t edible. I can''t just hunt any magical beast or I''ll end up poisoning everybody." Lu Shun glared in the direction of the forest. "Only certain species, like the Wild Boar, are edible, but they''re hard to find. And even if I do find them, they''re too powerful." He dragged a finger across his throat. "I almost got killed by one. Their hide is impervious to sword, arrow and spear."


    I was about to suggest that they used guns, but realized that they didn''t have guns in this timeline. There was no need for people of this timeline to develop guns or powerful, long-range weapons, after all. Not when they could shoot qi blasts out of their hands, or blow entire lands up with martial arts techniques.


    "It''s a pity, but I''m not a martial artist. Otherwise I would be able to take down a Wild Boar." Lu Shun clenched his fists tightly. "Just one¡­or two, enough for us to tide over the next month before the spring harvest."


    A Wild Boar was massive, about the size of a small house. No wonder Lu Shun believed that a single Wild Boar or two would be enough to tide the village over for the winter. With careful rationing, that might just be true.


    "Do you know where these Wild Boars are?" I asked. I also recalled that they were one of the rare monsters that were edible. In fact, they weren''t classified as demonic monsters or magical beasts because of their complete lack of qi. They might be immense in size and possessed brute strength, but there was nothing magical, demonic or qi-like about them. That was why they weren''t poisonous to humans.


    "I do. Ha ha, well¡­that was how I found you, anyway." Lu Shun turned back to me with a chuckle. "I was actually looking for a pack of Wild Boars when I saw you being swept along by the river current. Ah, don''t worry¡­" he quickly added when he saw me looking apologetic. "It wasn''t as if I was going to hunt them. I don''t have the weapons or techniques necessary. I was just monitoring their movements, so that I can design a trap."


    "¡­a trap?"


    "Yeah." Lu Shun nodded enthusiastically. "I was thinking of digging a pit and then luring one of them to fall into it. Maybe put spikes in it to impale the beast. That sort of thing. I was checking the movements of the herd so that I could find the best place to set up the trap."


    I considered that for a moment, and then nodded.


    "Perhaps I might be able to help with the Wild Boars."


    "Eh? But you''ve only just recovered!"


    "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything reckless." Adjusting my glasses, I assured him. "Consider it as thanks for saving me. I''ve been freeloading off Lady Hu Shi¡­and I feel bad about it. Those who don''t work shouldn''t eat, right? At least let me help with something."


    "¡­okay, if you say so." Lu Shun considered me skeptically, but finally relented. "But don''t do anything rash, all right?"


    "You have my word."


    *


    The herd of Wild Boars wasn''t very far from the river where Lu Shun found me. According to Lu Shun, anyway. I was unconscious the entire time, so I wouldn''t know.


    Not that I needed to.


    "Just look at how big they are!" Lu Shun whispered as we crawled behind a thicket of foliage. As the encyclopedia said, each Wild Boar was the size of a small house. They were so huge and strong that even the demonic beasts and magical beasts in Sen Lin Forest tended to avoid them unless they were really desperate. Facing down an entire herd of Wild Boars of such immense sizes as no joke, even for monstrous predators.


    I observed them for a while, and then nodded.


    "But they don''t have much qi."


    "Well, they are technically not magical beasts, after all. They don''t have monster cores in their bodies."


    Lu Shun offered an explanation unnecessarily. I already knew about that, but I wasn''t rude enough to snap at him. Instead I nodded.


    "Yeah. This should make it easy."


    "Huh? What? Hey, wait!"


    Lu Shun panicked, but he was too late. I had already emerged from the grass and was proceeding toward the herd of Wild Boars.


    The leader growled as it glared at me. I cracked my neck by bending it side to side, loosening my muscles.


    "So you''re in charge, huh?"


    The lead Wild Boar bellowed. From two sides, two other Wild Boars that were almost as equally as large as their leader charged.


    I didn''t bother to wait for them to reach me. Raising both hands, I condensed all the moisture in the air into two huge swords, and in a manner similar to the Ghost Bear''s Ghost Claws, sliced in both directions with my Ghost Shadow Swords.


    The two Wild Boars continued running for a while, and then their bodies split apart. Cut cleanly in half, their bodies flopped helplessly in opposite directions, seas of blood pooling underneath their chopped corpses.


    "?!"


    The lead Wild Boar growled as it stepped back, taken aback by the gruesome sight. Snarling, it launched at me in vengeful fury, bellowing as it swore revenge for its dead comrades.


    "That''s more like it."


    Dispelling the twin ice swords, I stepped forward, and then used Jin to advance. Making use of my momentum, I spun around just before I collided with the Wild Boar, and then slammed a Shadow Kick into its forehead, obliterating its skull and reducing its brain to mushy gray matter.


    With a grunt, the leader of the Wild Boars toppled over, its huge bulk skidding forward as it was driven purely by the momentum of its charge. Slowly but surely, it crashed into a stop right in front of the stunned Lu Shun.


    The rest of the Wild Boars stared at me, then turned around and promptly fled the scene.


    "Well, three should be enough, right?"


    Watching them go, I turned back to a spluttering Lu Shun. Ignoring his bewilderment, I estimated the amount of meat we could get from the Wild Boars. With three of them, which were the largest in the herd, there should be more than enough meat to feed the village for the next two months before spring came.


    "You¡­you said you weren''t going to do anything reckless!"


    Lu Shun finally found his voice and he pointed at me accusingly. I shrugged, as if I didn''t know what he was talking about.


    "Yeah, and I didn''t do anything reckless, did I?"


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    "Huh?!"


    "I mean, the opponents were just Wild Boars. It''s not as if I was charging at a Behemoth or a Hydra, right?"

 30 Chapter 29: Return Journey

    I bowed deeply toward the villagers who were sending me off. They had all gathered, from Hu Shi and her son Hu Hai, to Old Man Yi, Lu Shun, the children and their parents. A crowd of significantly healthier-looking villagers were standing at the edge of the village to see me off.


    "No, no. we should be the ones thanking you!"


    Lu Shun was grasping my hands and thanking my profusely, making me feel all embarrassed.


    "If you ever have the chance, come visit Chun Xiang Village again." Old Man Yi stepped forward and offered me a hand.


    "Thank you. I''ll be happy to come again."


    Yi smiled broadly. "I''m honored to hear that."


    I turned to Hu Shi and bowed again. "Thanks for taking care of me all this while."


    "It was nothing." Hu Shi shook her head. "In fact, all of us are very grateful to you for helping us. Thanks to you, we won''t be starving through the winter."


    The meat that we had collected from the three Wild Boars that I slew in Sen Lin Forest had been properly refrigerated and stored in a massive shed at the back of the village. Even though the qi generator was old, it still worked, providing enough power to turn the shed into a temporary freezer. It had been a week since then but barely one-tenth of the meat supplies had been taken. Already the children were looking a little rounder and ruddier.


    I was glad.


    "Are you really leaving, Big Brother?" Hu Hai asked solemnly. The kids had warmed up to me during my brief stay here, but I suspected it was more because I had brought delicious meat back to the village.


    I nodded. "Yeah, I''ve to go home. My family is probably worried about me."


    "Martial City is in that direction." Lu Shun pointed vaguely, but I didn''t have to worry because he had already given me a map and a qi compass to guide my way home. "A week''s journey on foot. You sure you don''t want to wait until spring? There will be a few delivery trucks passing by the village in spring. I''ll ask one of the drivers to give you a ride."


    "Yeah," Yi agreed. "You aren''t imposing on us at all. You should stay a bit longer, at least until winter ends."


    I shook my head. "I don''t want to worry my family any more than I already have. And besides, I have things I must do when I return to Martial City." Not just revenge on Qi Fu Ren, but I needed access to more resources now that I had learned Heaven and Earth Formula. I wanted to progress and advance my martial arts as soon as possible.


    I needed the resources that Wu Ling Academy provided, especially since I was right on the brink of restoring Heaven and Earth Formula.


    No forms and rituals, huh¡­I have to come up with my own¡­meaning, I''ll need to do more research and find more techniques to incorporate into it.


    "I will try." I smiled warmly. "And when I do, I''ll bring back some meat."


    The children cheered. I waved at them indulgently, then turned away while hefting my satchel that was made from Silverback Wolf pelt over my shoulder and left Chun Xiang Village. Stepping into Sen Lin Forest, I produced the qi compass and headed in the direction that the arrow was pointing in.


    *


    It was only my third day in Sen Lin Forest when I finally ran into some familiar figures.


    To be honest, it was a complete coincidence. I had no idea that Wu Ling Academy continued to send students on practical training missions even after my supposed demise. Well, obviously¡­I wasn''t around to hear about that, after all.


    So I completely did not anticipate running into my classmates so soon after leaving Chun Xiang Village.


    I had been warily trekking through the forest and keeping an eye out for magical beasts, but so far the residents of this region of the forest had grown wise enough to avoid me. It was only natural, I was still in the shallow or superficial regions of the forest. The space I was in right now was mostly populated by relatively weak magical beasts such as a Horned Rabbit or something equivalent. They were not very powerful and dangerous, so they wouldn''t threaten anyone who was at the peak of the Qi Gathering Stage and above. A Rockbill Ostrich, a Venomous Vermin, a Silkfur Squirrel or a Silvergrass Serpent were all fair game and easy to defeat when encountered.


    Even so, I was careful not to underestimate my opponents. Even the weakest magical beasts could kill a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner if it caught him off guard and went for his jugular. I had learned too much to not be complacent.


    Unfortunately, I was so focused on keeping an eye out for magical beasts that I nearly missed out on the human element.


    "Fei Wu?!"


    "Is that you?!"


    "It really is Fei Wu!"


    At first I thought I was hallucinating, having spent the last three days alone in the forest. Steeling myself, I watched my surroundings carefully, making sure it was not a trap. There were certain magical beasts such as the Illusion Flower who could spread spores and cause their victims to hallucinate. While trapped within half-dreams and illusions, the victims wouldn''t be aware of the thorny tendrils that the Illusion Flowers wrapped around them, and by the time they snapped out of their illusions and found themselves in the acid-filled stomachs of the carnivorous flower, it would be too late. In fact, many probably didn''t even wake up from their hallucinations even as they were being digested.


    However, I wasn''t hallucinating.


    Tong Xue barreled out of a tree and landed in front of me, gaping in disbelief. He grabbed my face, squeezed my cheeks and peered exaggeratedly.


    "Y¡­you are Fei Wu, aren''t you?"


    "Yeah." I tilted my head. "You''re Tong Xue, aren''t you?"


    "That sarcasm¡­it really is you!" Tong Xue let go of me and waved to the trees. "Hey, guys! Look at who I found!"


    "Whoa! You''re alive!"


    Ban Zhang also emerged from the forest, breathless. He had evidently run from wherever he had been to catch up to me. One of the voices I heard earlier belonged to him, so I wasn''t surprised at his presence.


    "You''re not a ghost, are you?!"


    This time, it was Feng Tian Yong. Like a shadow, he had soundlessly flipped through the branches and silently landed next to me without causing any disturbance. He squinted at me, or so it seemed, but I could tell that he was checking out my qi signature. Only one''s qi signature was foolproof in confirming one''s identity, as illusion and shapeshifting martial arts were pretty common. After a few moments, Feng Tian Yong nodded, satisfied.


    "It''s really him, guys! There''s no mistaking this qi signature!"


    "Even if you say that, there''s something slightly different about him." Ban Zhang looked a little hesitant. He must have noticed the demonic qi mixed into my qi, and the huge changes to both my physical and spiritual constitution.


    "Oh¡­you''ve gotten a lot stronger¡­" Tong Xue sounded surprised. Feng Tian Yong snorted at that.


    "Why wouldn''t he? That''s the only reason how he survived that fall, and how he survived in Sen Lin Forest for this long. Of course he would have changed a lot." He then peered at me. "But man, I can''t believe it. We all thought you were dead!"


    "How did you survive?" Tong Xue demanded, his eyes wide. "The last time we saw you, you were falling into the abyss with the Behemoth!"


    Obviously I couldn''t tell them the whole truth, so I abbreviated it.


    "I fell into a river, and got washed away. I don''t know what happened to the Behemoth, but it probably fell somewhere else. After that, I climbed ashore, tried my best to hide from the magical beasts, and slowly made my way toward Martial City. But I got a little¡­lost."


    "Whoa¡­"


    Tong Xue was staring at me, wide-eyed. Ban Zhang still looked skeptical and mired in disbelief, while Feng Tian Yong was nodding, impressed.


    "But honestly, this is a miracle!" the red-haired Red Phoenix Sect disciple exclaimed.


    "Ha ha, yeah¡­you can say that again."


    I chuckled as I scratched my head. Then I glanced around, noting that they were the only three classmates in the vicinity.


    "Where''s the rest? What are you guys doing here?"


    I wasn''t arrogant enough to think they were here to search for me. I was gone for almost two months. Even if they believe that I had somehow survived the fall, there was no way they would have conducted a search for a period any longer than a month.


    "Training. For more combat experience."


    It was Ban Zhang who gave the answer. Feng Tian Yong chuckled.


    "Even so, I bet there''s no one in our cohort who has more combat experience than you!" he squeezed my shoulder. "Wow, you''ve changed so much!"


    "Nah, not that much." I was feeling embarrassed at being stared at so much by the trio. Still, it was good to see them again. It meant that my return to Wu Ling Academy would be a lot easier, especially if I traveled with them. Looking around, I realized someone was missing. "Where''s Zhu Jiao?"


    "We split up." Ban Zhang glanced around the trees. "For this exercise, the first year students were divided into individual missions. Each one of us is to collect a Rank 3 magical beast monster core and bring it back to the teachers in order to pass this exercise."


    "A Rank 3 magical beast, huh?"


    Even though I vaguely remembered the ranks the encyclopedias classified the magical beasts, I wasn''t sure if I took them seriously. But yeah, I guessed the Horned Rabbit and other magical beasts I had encountered so far in this area were Rank 3 and below. It shouldn''t be that much of a challenge. For me, anyway.


    "Zhu Jiao probably went ahead."


    "Yeah, for some of us, it''s easier for us to hunt the magical beasts by ourselves."


    "I see." I nodded. That made sense.


    "But wow, this is great news." Tong Xue was gaping at me. "We didn''t think you''ll be alive¡­didn''t think we would run into you here!"


    "Well, stranger things have happened," I muttered. Tong Xue laughed at that.


    "True."


    "In any case, I''ll bring you back to the teachers. We''ve to inform Teacher Jiao."


    Ban Zhang reached out and gestured for me to follow him. I nodded.


    "Yeah. Where''s Teacher Jiao?"


    "Over there. Follow me." Ban Zhang turned and began running through the forest. I hesitated a little.


    "Go ahead." Tong Xue gave me a little shove. "Don''t worry about us."


    "Yeah," Feng Tian Yong assured me. "We''ll be continuing on with our test." He glanced at his cellphone. What?! I thought we weren''t allowed to bring cellphones along during training lessons. Feng Tian Yong must have smuggled it in. "We don''t have much time left. An hour at most."


    "Eh!? Ban Zhang, will you be all right?"


    "Don''t worry about it!" Ban Zhang had stopped to wait for me to catch up. He grinned. "It''s more important to escort you back to the teachers! How can I leave you alone and run off to complete my test? Besides, it''s not as if I would fail it. I''ll just continue after I escort you back to Teacher Jiao. And I''ll just take it again." he jabbed a finger at me. "And you''ll probably be taking it with me, given how many lessons you''ve missed!"


    "Ugh¡­don''t remind me."


    Still, I felt a huge sense of relief, and I followed him closely. However, we didn''t get very far before the forest air trembled violently.


    "GUUUOOOOOOOR!"


    Wham!


    I skidded to a stop when I heard the two deafening noises that echoed throughout the forest. Accompanying those noises were two massive bursts of qi. My eyes flew wide open and I hastily sped up, running toward the source.


    "Whoa!"


    I skidded to a stop at an amazing sight.


    In front of me, the familiar silver-haired figure of Du Lang was battling a Rank 4 Ironback Wolf one-on-one.


    He''s fighting on par with a Rank 4 magical beast?!


    Rank 3 magical beasts were probably weaker than Level 9 Qi Gathering Stage practitioner, but a Rank 4 magical beast required someone to at least be Level 5 of Qi Essence Stage and above to slay it. Apparently. I had no idea how they differentiated or measure these weird levels and stages, or why they had so many different levels within the same stage.


    In any case, the Ironback Wolf was stronger than a Silverback Wolf, the same ones we fought when we first came to Sen Lin Forest.


    Yet, even though Du Lang wasn''t using any elemental techniques, he was fighting the ferocious monster with his bare fists and brute strength alone.


    Pow!


    "Grr¡­!"


    As the Ironback Wolf lunged at him, Du Lang smashed it to the side with his fist, his punch connecting with the creature''s face and sending it spinning. In retaliation, the Ironback Wolf lashed out with its claws, but Du Lang deftly jumped back, flipping his body in midair, and then kicked its head again. The Ironback Wolf yelped in pain as it was sent crashing into an undignified heap on the ground.


    "Grr¡­!"


    More enraged from its humiliation than frightened, the Ironback Wolf rose to its haunches and bared its teeth. With a howl, it pounced on Du Lang with outstretched claws.


    "Hmph."


    Du Lang waited until the last moment before he kicked Du Lang in the jaws, shutting it up and halting it dead in its tracks. As the massive wolf''s body jolted, the creature startled by an attack from an opponent five times smaller than it, Du Lang spun around and kicked it, snapping its neck. The Ironback Wolf toppled over lifelessly, its head bent in an unnatural angle.


    Cool.


    Normally, I would be impressed by the sight of a classmate defeating a Rank 4 magical beast all by himself, but I had been through hell. I had survived packs of Silverback Wolves, kicks from Lunar Rabbits, tangled with a Hellfire Badger and escaped from a Hydra. The sight of Du Lang slaying an Ironback Wolf didn''t faze me.


    But Du Lang was far from finished. He slowly stalked to the front of the sprawled Ironback Wolf, reared his right hand back, and then thrust it deep into its chest. Spasms ran through the Ironback Wolf''s carcass for one last time, nervous impulses sprang into action by Du Lang''s sudden strike. I watched, horrified, as Du Lang ripped something from inside the Ironback Wolf''s body.


    At first I thought it was the Ironback Wolf''s heart, but I was mistaken. Instead, cupped inside Du Lang''s hand, was a glowing red orb that pulsed with immense amounts of qi. Demonic energy swirled around it, and I could almost see the ghostly form of the Ironback Wolf hovering above the throbbing red sphere.


    Well, duh. Ban Zhang mentioned that they were supposed to extract the monster cores from Rank 3 magical beasts, but I had completely forgotten about that because the Ironback Wolf was a Rank 4 magical beast.


    Clearly Du Lang was seeking to impress the teachers with his achievements, by going above and beyond what was required.


    "Oi, why have you stopped?"


    Ban Zhang, realizing that I had braked to a halt to watch the spectacular spectacle, turned back and glared at me, annoyed.


    "Oh, no. sorry. Just watching Du Lang."


    Ban Zhang turned and caught sight of Du Lang storing the Ironback Wolf''s monster core in his bag. He sighed and shook his head.


    "Wow¡­that guy has grown stronger again. Du Lang never ceases to amaze me. He''s already at level 6 of the Qi Essence Stage?"


    I shrugged, giving Ban Zhang a blank stare. Honestly, all these levels and stages were completely meaningless to me.


    "You¡­!"


    Meanwhile, Du Lang had noticed us. His eyes wide, he advanced toward us quickly, his hands still dripping with blood. I had to dodge him before he got his filthy fingers on my collar and stained my white tunic with magical beast blood.


    "Calm down, dude."


    "F¡­Fei Wu?! How?!"


    I grinned and waved at him. "Hello, Du Lang, it''s been a while."


    "Don''t ''it''s been a while'' me! How did you survive?! Where have you been all this while?!"


    Du Lang was glaring at me. I scratched my cheek.


    "Surviving through Sen Lin Forest, getting lost and being forced to hide pathetically from the magical beasts.''


    Du Lang studied me, and must have sensed the change in my qi, for he smirked.


    "Hiding pathetically, huh? I''m sure you did more than that."


    I shrugged. "I did whatever I need to survive."


    "Well, in any case," Ban Zhang broke in before the conversation could develop further. "I''ll be bringing Fei Wu to Teacher Jiao. We need to report this, and I''m sure Fei Wu needs a rest after being stuck in Sen Lin Forest for so long."


    "Were you really stuck in Sen Lin Forest all this time?" Du Lang asked suspiciously, his eyes scanning my new-looking tunic. "Then where did you get those clothes?"


    "I managed to stumble into a village called Chun Xiang Village," I explained. Then I pointed vaguely to where I came from. "It''s somewhere in that direction. I was half-dead when they found me, and they were kind enough to provide me first aid, food and accommodation. Then once I recovered, I decided to make my way back to Martial City."


    "Through Sen Lin Forest?" Du Lang asked skeptically. "Why didn''t you contact us when you''re in the village?"


    "I wanted to, but they didn''t have telephones or any signal. They told me to wait until spring, but I wanted to return to Martial City as soon as possible. Besides, I survived in Sen Lin Forest for over a month before arriving in the village. I was confident of making it through the superficial regions of the forest, as long as I avoid the deeper regions."


    "Hmm¡­"


    "Anyway¡­" Ban Zhang cut in. "The teachers will decide whether he''s the real Fei Wu or not. Let''s not waste any time."


    Du Lang nodded, and then gestured for us to go ahead of him. He returned to the carcass of the Ironback Wolf.


    "You guys go ahead. I''m gonna skin this fella and cut him apart."


    Ban Zhang nodded in understanding, while I unconsciously heaved my Silverback Wolf pelt bag. From firsthand experience, I knew how useful the various parts of magical beasts could be, and they could be sold for a good price in Martial City, or even in the academy stores.


    "Let''s go, Fei Wu."


    "Yeah."


    I didn''t argue. Following Ban Zhang, we continued running for several minutes, bashing through the forest and surprising magical beasts. We didn''t stop, at least until I heard screaming.


    "Kyaaaah!"


    "Save us!"


    "NOOOO!!!!"


    It was coming from that direction. Jerking my head up, I quickly made my way there, sprinting. Ban Zhang skidded to a stop and began yelling at me.


    "Hey! Fei Wu! Where are you going?!"


    "Didn''t you hear that?!" I shot back. "Someone''s calling for help! It''s clear that somebody is being attacked by magical beasts!"


    Ban Zhang ground his teeth in frustration, but he recognized my reasoning. While he wanted to bring me back to the teachers, helping other students in need took priority. He quickly shifted direction and caught up with me.


    "Hold your ground! Stay strong! Keep the formation!"


    A sharp voice called out, and I recognized the owner as the first disciple of the Green Dragon Sect, Li Chun Long. He and three other guys, plus Qing Xin Xia, were standing firm against an immense magical beast. All around them, at least twenty other schoolmates were scattering about, shrieking and running in panic.


    "That''s¡­!"


    A Diamondback Crocodile. Already there had been casualties. I saw about ten or so students lying motionlessly on the ground. Most of them were in pieces, and all of them were lying in a growing pool of blood. It was clear that they were all dead, especially when none of them were emanating any sort of qi.


    Towering over the Green Dragon Sect members and stretching over ten meters, the Diamondback Crocodile lashed out with its tail. One of the guys parried its tail with his sword, but he was flung across the clearing and into a tree from the sheer force.


    "Bei Da Bai!" Qing Xin Xia cried out. He wasn''t one of our classmates, so I assumed that he was a fellow disciple of the Green Dragon Sect.


    "Xin Xia!" Li Chun Long snapped. "Don''t break formation! Otherwise all of us will die!"


    "Ah¡­yes!"


    The Green Dragon Sect members were generating a blazing field of yang qi to form a forcefield-like barrier against the enormous Diamondback Crocodile. Gritting his teeth, Li Chun Long stepped forward and thrust with his sword, but his fiery blade clanged uselessly against the crocodile''s armored scales.


    "Kuh!"


    Li Chun Long gnashed his teeth in frustration and slashed ineffectually again, with similar results. The Diamondback Crocodile lunged forward to catch him in its deadly jaws, but Xin Xia and the other two schoolmates rushed forward to yank him out of the way in time. There was a flash as their swords blocked the Diamondback Crocodile''s teeth, but the lot of them were thrown back from the sheer force.


    "Kuh!"


    "Kya!"


    They slowly rose to their feet, shaky from the blow. However, the Diamondback Crocodile wasn''t kind enough to allow them to recover. Darting forward at a blistering pace that belied its immense size, the mighty alpha predator closed in on them, its jaws wide open.


    "Get up! Seven Star Draconic Defense Formation!"


    Even as Li Chun Long shouted that, it was clear that it was going to be too late. Even the Four Star Constitution cultivator himself wasn''t able to get to his feet on time before the Diamondback Crocodile''s jaws closed around them.


    The fangs never bit into human flesh.


    Wham!


    "?!"


    The Green Dragon Sect members stared up in surprise when the Diamondback Crocodile''s jaws suddenly snapped shut, a few inches just shy of them. Above, I was standing atop the Diamondback Crocodile''s snout¡­having kicked it down to slam its jaws shut.


    The force of my Shadow Kick rammed the Diamondback Crocodile''s head against the ground, causing a mild explosion and clods of soil to fly up. The Diamondback Crocodile thrashed about wildly, trying to throw me off, but I pinned its head to the ground, shutting its jaws for at least half a minute more. Knowing that I couldn''t restrain it for much longer ¨C the Diamondback Crocodile''s superior physical strength threatening to throw me off its head and its tail whipping dangerously closer ¨C I yelled at the stunned Green Dragon Sect members.


    "What are you waiting for?! Get up! Run!"


    They didn''t need me to tell them twice. The four of them got to their feet and joined Bei Da Bai, who had recovered after breaking his way through the tree that had fallen on him. They fled further into the forest just as the Diamondback Crocodile finally dislodged me from its head.


    "Whoa!"


    I barely managed to jump away, flipping my body in midair to barely dodge its deadly tail that lashed out. Landing on the ground, I allowed my momentum to send me skidding backward to widen the distance between us. The Diamondback Crocodile growled before lunging at me. I straightened and waited for it to approach before diving right at it. Twisting my body below the ground, I kicked the Diamondback Crocodile''s chin and rammed its jaws shut again before spinning around to deliver a kick into its abdomen.


    The enormous creature flew back into the swamp.


    "Oi! Fei Wu! Are you all right?!"


    Ban Zhang finally caught up with me, having been left behind when I ran ahead. Apparently, thanks to my running thirty kilometers everyday prior to the first training mission, as well as my experience in Sen Lin Forest during the past two months, I had become a lot faster than him.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I dropped to my knee, panting heavily. The Diamondback Crocodile was at least a Rank 4 magical beast and was in some ways even more dangerous than the Ironback Wolf that Du Lang had defeated. While it was somewhat slower and less agile, those armored scales were pretty tough. I had ended up injuring myself by kicking it with everything I had, and most likely I had only dealt minimal damage to the creature.


    Ban Zhang ran to my side and helped me up, concerned. I forced a smile to assure him.


    "Yeah, I''m all right."


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    "You don''t seem all right!"


    "Kuh¡­"


    Ban Zhang was right. I winced from the pain as I struggled to stand up. The Diamondback Crocodile would be emerging from the swamp, more enraged than before.


    "U¡­um¡­!"


    I glanced back. It was Qing Xin Xia, and she had returned to help me. Li Chun Long and the other schoolmates didn''t seem very pleased.


    They also seemed to have completely forgotten who I was. other than my good friends, did the rest of my classmates and schoolmates forgot that I was supposed to have gone missing in Sen Lin Forest about two months ago?


    Qing Xin Xia didn''t realize it was me, and she leaned past an annoyed Ban Zhang to check on me.


    "Are you all right?"


    "Yeah. But you should go."


    "Eh¡­? But you can''t fight the Diamondback Crocodile on your own! It''s a Rank 4 magical beast! You need to be at least the fifth level of Qi Essence Stage to fight it!"


    "I''m not intending to. We''ll run away once all of you are gone."


    "So hurry up and run," Ban Zhang added impatiently, his eyes on the swamp as he waited for the Diamondback Crocodile to burst out.


    "They''re right." Li Chun Long grabbed the protesting Xin Xia and pulled her away. "We''ll only get in the way. Let''s go."


    "W¡­wait!"


    "Hurry!"


    Not listening to her objections, Li Chun Long hauled Xin Xia away, with the other schoolmates in tow. Ban Zhang and I didn''t bother to watch them leave, instead turning to face the Diamondback Crocodile. As I expected, the furious beast had emerged from the swamp, bellowing vengefully.


    I felt cold perspiration drip down my face as the full force of its ferocious qi washed over me. Gulping, I forced myself into a defensive stance and waited for the creature to charge at me.


    "You ready for this?" I asked Ban Zhang. The class representative shook his head as he gave me a resigned smile.


    "No¡­are you?"


    "To be honest? Not really. But we''ve no choice but to do it, right?"


    "If I get killed, I''m going to haunt you for the rest of your life. Or haunt you in hell if you die with me."


    Despite our situation, I chuckled. "Well then, I''ll do my best to make sure neither of us get killed."

 31 Chapter 30: Dangerous Creatures

    "Kuh!"


    I winced and knelt down, holding my leg. As expected, it was going to be difficult to fight a Diamondback Crocodile. Its armored scales were doing more damage to me than I was dealing to the damned beast.


    "Oi! Are you all right?"


    Ban Zhang called out to me from the side, having been forced to dodge when the Diamondback Crocodile charged at us. I threw a hand out to stop him from coming nearer.


    "Yeah! Stay where you are! Don''t give the Diamondback Crocodile an easy target!"


    "Right!"


    Ban Zhang backed away, and both of us turned our attention back to the swimming Diamondback Crocodile, which didn''t look hurt at all. I gritted my teeth as I glared at the monster.


    It''s best to retreat instead of trying to defeat this monster!


    As the Diamondback Crocodile reared up in the swamp, I withdrew rapidly and tried to widen the distance between us. Ban Zhang followed my lead. As clumsy as it was, the Diamondback Crocodile was still pretty fast for something of its immense size. It burst out of the swamp, ready to dart at me like a speeding missile.


    The damned thing had chosen me as its target instead of Ban Zhang. Well, that was fine. If it had launched and killed Ban Zhang, I would never be able to live with the guilt of dragging my friend into this mess with me.


    "Fei Wu!"


    "Ugh!"


    When I tried to jump back, the pain in my foot suddenly flared up and hindered my movements. Dropping clumsily onto the ground, I stumbled back and watched as the Diamondback Crocodile swiftly approached. Looked like I had to give it another kick¡­but I would only aggravate the current injury on my foot¡­


    Splash!


    My jaw dropped when the entire space froze in a moment. The Diamondback Crocodile, which was rapidly clearing the ground between us, was now blasted off its feet by a large current of water. Stunned, I turned around and watched as Ban Zhang directed a highly pressurized spray of water at the beast, forcing it back into the swamp.


    "What are you waiting for? Get up and run!"


    Ban Zhang scowled at me, even as he continued to pressure the Diamondback Crocodile. He gestured impatiently to urge me to move.


    "I don''t know how long my Black Tortoise Hydrant Blast can hold it! It''s a Rank 4 magical beast! None of us is a match for it! It''s better to escape!"


    As if to prove his point, the Diamondback Crocodile slapped the pillar of water with its tail, reducing much of the pressure. The Rank 4 magical beast was beginning to fight against the tremendous pressure exerted by the unending stream of water.


    Time to beat it.


    *


    I finally collapsed on the ground, unable to bear the pain. Closing my eyes, I rested against a nearby tree to catch my breath and circulate my qi to speed up the healing of my foot. I honestly doubted it was going to help much, but it would be better to rest for a bit and recover slightly than to hobble around recklessly with a half-broken foot.


    "Ban Zhang?"


    In the confusion, we got separated. We didn''t have a choice. With the Diamondback Crocodile pursuing us, we split up to confuse it. I was in no position to see where Ban Zhang went.


    On the other hand, there was no sign of the Diamondback Crocodile, so I was safe. The magical beast had clearly chosen not to chase me.


    "Damn¡­"


    Despite the absence of danger, I couldn''t help but feel an unease in my heart. I could only hope that the Diamondback Crocodile didn''t choose to pursue Ban Zhang instead. I was the one who wanted to play hero and save Qing Xin Xia and the rest. But it wasn''t worth the life of my good friend to pull that sort of stunt.


    But if I didn''t do that, Qing Xin Xia and the rest would still be in danger¡­


    Moreover, even if I didn''t do that, I was certain Ban Zhang would have intervened anyway. He was that type of person after all


    Stay safe, my friend.


    Scratching my head, I took a deep breath and leaned against the tree. Closing my eyes, I extended my qi sense, but as I expected, I couldn''t detect Ban Zhang''s presence at all. We must have gotten pretty far away from each other. Furthermore, with my stamina and daily running, I often ran a lot faster than I believed myself capable of.


    Gripping the roots of the tree tightly, I fervently prayed that Ban Zhang would be all right. Gulping, I waited a little longer, hoping against hope that he would show up and yelled at me for being reckless as he always did.


    Ban Zhang never appeared.


    Well, sitting around isn''t going to help either.


    Once my foot felt a bit better, I stood up and began exploring the forest in hopes of locating Ban Zhang. Even with my eyes closed, I found myself surrounded by a maelstrom of living creatures'' qi. Fortunately, I was still in a relatively deserted area, so I could sift out the human qi from the magical beasts'' qi. Yet I could tell that several of them were clustered together. It seemed that a group of candidates had ganged up on a Rank 4 magical beast or something. Ban Zhang was not among them, and I was about to move my attention away when I realized an irregularity regarding that situation.


    Huh¡­something''s wrong.


    I blinked in confusion. For some reason, the humans were all running in my direction while the Rank 4 magical beast was chasing them.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    "RUN!"


    "AAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "HELP!"


    Screams and shouts rang across the forest as a group of students sprinted out from amidst the trees and into the clearing I now occupied. A gigantic white tiger about three meters in height bounded out, pouncing on a screaming boy and tearing him into shreds. Without missing a beat, it switched targets, lunging at a shrieking girl and swiping at her. She went down in a spray of blood, her body ripped apart.


    "NOOOO!!!"


    "Save me!!!"


    Biting my lip, I raced forward and leaped at the Spirit Tiger, which was feasting on a poor girl. It glanced up hatefully, its snow-white jaws stained red and dripping with blood, and let out a fearsome roar.


    That wasn''t going to scare me, you jerk.


    Just as the Spirit Tiger reared up to pounce on a hapless boy who had tripped and fallen over, I kicked it right in the neck. The Spirit Tiger''s head snapped to the side and it staggered, but I flipped over and kicked its knee, sending it sprawling onto the ground. Snarling, the Spirit Tiger swiped at me, but I jumped back, staying out of range of its claws.


    Good¡­if I stay out of its range, I might just be able to beat it¡­!


    Even though the Spirit Tiger was a Rank 4 just like the Diamondback Crocodile, my attacks were going through. No doubt it was because the Spirit Tiger was not as armored as the Diamondback Crocodile.


    At least that was what I thought, but¡­


    "GUOOO!"


    With a furious bellow, the Spirit Tiger lashed out, its claws disappearing into a blur. Its speed right now was incomparable to before, and it caught me entirely by surprise.


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    "Guh?!"


    Blood spurted out of my arms as I tried to block its strike and was flung backward. Hitting the ground, I slid backward, coughing as blood dribbled out of my mouth.


    What immense power!


    Even though the Spirit Tiger wasn''t as armored as the Diamondback Crocodile, it was far faster, more agile and more powerful.


    "RUOOOR!"


    The Spirit Tiger sprang at me, lashing out with its claws vengefully. I helplessly lay on the ground, still stunned from the tremendous impact of its blow and unable to get up.


    Now I understood why I managed to land a few hits in. Earlier, I had caught the Spirit Tiger completely by surprise. It wasn''t even fazed by my attacks, my kicks not even leaving a single mark. And even if I wasn''t stunned and helpless, I wouldn''t be able to avoid the pounce right now, given how fast the Spirit Tiger was.


    "Yaaaah!"


    The boy I just saved slammed into the Spirit Tiger''s side, knocking it over. I blinked when I saw him engulfed within a dense golden aura of yang qi, forming a pseudo-armor. The Spirit Tiger slashed at him, but he blocked its claws with his encased arm. Still, the magical beast was far too strong for the boy and he was sent tumbling backward.


    "Gr¡­"


    The Spirit Tiger growled as it turned to face him. The boy rose up shakily, but was otherwise unscathed. Watching the thick yang field around him and the amount of qi he emanated, as well as that familiar handsome face and spiky hairstyle, I suddenly recognized him.


    "Zhu Jiao?!


    "Eh?! What?!" Zhu Jiao paused and turned to stare at me. Then his eyes bulged, almost to the point that they might fall out of his sockets. "FEI WU?!"


    "Hey, don''t shout my name like that! It sounds like you''re calling me trash!"


    "Er¡­how?! You''re still alive?! Eh?"


    "Focus on the battle first!" I ordered. Zhu Jiao blinked and then realized that I was right. Unlike him, the Spirit Tiger was not fazed by my appearance.


    Shaking his head, he kept his eyes on the Spirit Tiger, which was pawing the ground and getting ready to pounce on him. Zhu Jiao then raised his hand and gestured at me.


    "At my signal, run!"


    "Eh? But¡­"


    "This is a Rank 5 magical beast! Even if we join forces, we still won''t be able to defeat a monster like this!"


    "Huh? Rank 5? Isn''t it Rank 4?"


    "No! A Spirit Tiger is at least Rank 5!"


    As if it was annoyed upon hearing the name that the humans labeled onto it, the Spirit Tiger agitatedly bellowed before pouncing on Zhu Jiao. Zhu Jiao didn''t respond with a punch. Instead, he slammed his foot onto the ground just seconds before the Spirit Tiger reached him. A cloud of sand billowed upward and pelted the Spirit Tiger''s face, blinding it and causing it to shriek and tumble over, clutching its eyes.


    "Now!"


    I didn''t need telling twice. I hastily followed Zhu Jiao as he sprinted into the forest. Behind us, the Spirit Tiger thrashed about wildly, bellowing and shouting in rage as it slashed at the air around it. As we ran further into the forest, its howls gradually grew softer and softer.


    "Phew¡­we somehow survived that. Thanks to you, I managed to calm down and think of a plan to escape that Spirit Tiger."


    Zhu Jiao shook his head and turned to me as he slowed down. He smiled and grabbed both my shoulders, shaking me roughly.


    "Where the fuck have you been the past two months?! We thought you were dead!"


    "Well, you know¡­" I shrugged. "I was busily trying to survive in Sen Lin Forest."


    "You son of a gun!" Zhu Jiao shouted, laughing as he continued to shake me. His actions were making me dizzy. "I don''t believe it! You have no idea how glad I am to see that you''re all right!"


    "Yeah, I''m so glad to see you too," I agreed. Under any other circumstances, I would be sobbing from raw emotion, but unfortunately, we were still stuck in the forest and couldn''t let our guard down. "Oh, I need to find Ban Zhang. Last time I saw him, he was being chased by a Diamondback Crocodile."


    "Huh?! What?! Why would Ban Zhang be¡­?!"


    I quickly explained to him what had transpired since my reunion with the students of Wu Ling Academy.


    Zhu Jiao shook his head.


    "You''re crazy, you know that?"


    "I know."


    "Anyway, wait here. I think I might know how to contact Ban Zhang." He fished his cellphone out of his pocket and I gaped at him.


    "Wait, aren''t we not allowed to bring cellphones during missions?"


    Zhu Jiao grinned at me conspiratorially. "What the teachers don''t know won''t hurt them, right? And Ban Zhang brought his cellphone too, so this is the easiest way to get in contact with him."


    "¡­right."


    I had no answer to that. Sighing, I shook my head but left Zhu Jiao to it. This was better than worrying endlessly over the fate of Ban Zhang.


    "Oh! Ban Zhang! Yeah, it''s me, Zhu Jiao. Are you all right?" Zhu Jiao paused and listened. "Yeah. Yeah. I know. That''s good. I heard that you were chased by a Diamondback Crocodile¡­" there was a burst of noise, and then Zhu Jiao chuckled. "Yeah, that''s right. I ran into Fei Wu. Don''t worry, I''ll take care of him. You take care of yourself. I''ll take charge of bringing him back to Teacher Jiao." Another blurt from the other end. "You focus on your test. Leave Fei Wu to me, okay?"


    Then he hung up and showed me a thumb''s up.


    "Ban Zhang''s all right," he assured me. "He lost the Diamondback Crocodile. Apparently they don''t like traveling too far inland. They need to stay close to the water. So he''s safe. Furthermore¡­" Zhu Jiao glanced at the time display worriedly. "We don''t have much time before the time ends. We need to get a Rank 3 monster core."


    No, you needed to get a Rank 3 monster core. I didn''t. But I wasn''t the type to leave my friend in the lurch, so I nodded.


    "I''ll help you."


    "Help me? What about you?" Zhu Jiao stared at me blankly.


    "Dude, you do realize that I was lost in Sen Lin Forest for almost two months, right?" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "My first course of action is to report to the teachers. The test is the least of my worries right now. I don''t think the teachers would even recognize my participation in it."


    "Oh, right!" Zhu Jiao nodded. "Ban Zhang told me. I''m supposed to escort you to Teacher Jiao immediately."


    But¡­he looked reluctant, because he knew that meant he would fail this test. I almost felt sorry for him.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll help you with your test first. Then we can go report to the teachers. It''s on the way, anyway, so we''ll grab a Rank 3 monster core and then look for Teacher Jiao."


    "Really?" Zhu Jiao brightened up. "You have any idea how to find a Rank 3 magical beast?"


    "Uh, well¡­I guess we''ll have to walk around until we find one?" Zhu Jiao stared at me, stupefied by what he thought sounded like a stupid suggestion. I glared back. "What other methods are there?"


    "¡­you''re right." Zhu Jiao sighed, resigned. "Well, if we run into a Rank 4 magical beast, we''ll have to run. Don''t be too reckless."


    "Yes, sir."


    I didn''t mention that he was the one who needed to pass this test, not me.


    The two of us began scrounging through the forest in the hopes of finding a magical beast that we could easily deal with. As we went deeper into the forest, the sunrays were slowly being blocked out by the dense canopy.


    "Whoa¡­are we going the right way?" I asked nervously. Zhu Jiao glanced around and smiled fearlessly.


    "Of course! I might look dumb, but I have a pretty sensitive intuition for these things, you know! Follow me and I''ll lead you to a treasure trove of magical beasts!"


    "As long as they aren''t Rank 4 and above," I muttered, but I obediently followed him without further complaint.


    Unbeknownst to us, there was a slender and huge quadruped beast that had been lurking close by, its dusky, black silhouette camouflaged within the dark canopies of the tall trees that towered over the forest.


    We hadn''t noticed its presence at all. So stealthy was the magical beast that it soundlessly jumped from treetop to treetop, gracefully perching itself atop thick branches as it stalked the two of us. Its golden eyes shone brightly as it tracked our movements.


    Despite me cautiously reaching out with my qi sense and attempting to read the presences of every nearby magical beast, I had completely missed its movements.


    The streamlined figure was about the size of an Ironback Wolf, but its fur was silky and highly priced. The color of its black fur, especially, matched that of night, giving a ghostly impression and allowing the creature to melt stealthily into the shadows without being seen.


    I was only aware of this later, but this was a nightmarish hunter¡­a Rank 5 magical beast, the Shadow Leopard.


    So deadly was the beast that the moment it revealed its claws and fangs, its prey would most likely be dead. It was the top predator in the peripheries of Sen Lin Forest¡­and even deep within the forest itself, not many high-class magical beasts dared to challenge it unless absolutely necessary.


    And it was this monster that sprang at us out of nowhere, its killing intent flaring up as brightly as if it was day.


    "!"


    I could barely react in time, crossing my arms as I parried the Shadow Leopard''s metallic claws. Despite blocking the attack, the momentum and tremendous force behind the Shadow Leopard''s pounce was enough to throw me off my feet.


    "Gah!"


    "Fei Wu!"


    "Stay back!" I shouted as Zhu Jiao made to move forward.


    I could barely defend myself in time as the Shadow Leopard struck again. Breathing heavily, with several trails of blood dripping down ragged tears on my face and arms, I yelled at the panicking Zhu Jiao.


    "Run away! I''ll buy as much time as I can!"


    "You''ve got to be kidding me! I''m not leaving you behind!"


    Zhu Jiao had activated his golden field of defensive yang qi and rammed against the Shadow Leopard. The mighty predator gave a grunt as it was rocked off its feet, but it slashed Zhu Jiao, swatting him away.


    "Kuh!"


    The claws were so sharp and deadly they penetrated the dense field of yang qi and sent spurts of blood out of Zhu Jiao''s arms. The blond-haired boy was sent flying into the trees.


    "Kyaaah!"


    "Whoa!"


    A group of students who were running away from another magical beast was startled when Zhu Jiao landed within their midst. They skidded to a stop, panicking when they saw the Shadow Leopard. They turned a complete 180 to run, only to see the gigantic Skull Jackal bound upon them, slavering ravenously.


    A Skull Jackal¡­a Rank 4 magical beast, which was slightly smaller than the Shadow Leopard, but almost as agile.


    However, when even the Skull Jackal spotted the Shadow Leopard, it skidded to a stop. The two mighty predators stared at each other, then the smaller Skull Jackal suddenly turned around and fled with a whimper.


    Even though they''re of similar rank, the Skull Jackal is afraid of the Shadow Leopard?! Then again, the Skull Jackal is only Rank 4 and the Shadow Leopard is Rank 5¡­


    The group of students froze as the Shadow Leopard''s murderous gaze flickered toward them.


    "Hey!" I shouted to them. "Grab Zhu Jiao and get out of here!"


    "¡­eh?"


    "Ah¡­"


    "Just do it! I''ll distract the Shadow Leopard!"


    "Huh? How?"


    I didn''t bother to reply. I was already running toward the Shadow Leopard. The night-colored predator slashed at me, but I dodged under its paws and kicked its jaw, annoying it. The Shadow Leopard snarled and raked its claws through my body, leaving another three huge red lines across my torso.


    "Gaaaah!"


    I stumbled and crashed into the ground, my mind blanked out by the pain.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Even though I was the one being hurt, the other students were screaming way louder and more fearfully than me.


    "Shut up and run!" I hollered at them. "NOW!"


    Mustering every ounce of fury I had in my voice, I struggled back to my feet and gestured toward Zhu Jiao''s unmoving body. The spiky-haired protagonist-if-this-was-another-story rose weakly and protested.


    "No, wait¡­"


    "Just do it!"


    The other students were evidently more afraid of me than him, and they hauled him up to his feet and fled the way they came from. I hoped the Skull Jackal had ran further away from here or they might end up meeting it again. Even if that was the case, it would still be safer than staying here with a Rank 5 Shadow Leopard.


    The Shadow Leopard lazily turned toward their direction, but I staggered to put myself between the vicious predator and the escaping group of first year students.

 32 Chapter 31: Shadow Leopard

    However, the Shadow Leopard was a Rank 5 magical beast. It could defeat most Qi Essence Stage practitioners¡­even Peak level Qi Essence Stage practitioners would have trouble following its speed. Except that I didn''t care about all these weird stages. I didn''t even know which stage I was at right now, so these comparisons were utterly meaningless to me.


    Refusing to back down, I dodged the Shadow Leopard and retaliated with a Shadow Kick but it nimbly avoided them while deftly pouncing on me. As my foot swung toward its neck, the Shadow Leopard casually slapped my leg away, flipped above me, and slashed my back. I felt a tremendous force shoving me toward the ground.


    "Guh!"


    I fell to my knees and plunged my sword into the ground, leaning on it to prevent myself from falling flat on my face. Red-hot agony burned in my back, almost drowning my consciousness in a blinding haze, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stay awake. Spinning around, I was just in time to block a slash from the Shadow Leopard. Gathering qi into my hands, I froze a couple of ice swords and unleashed Ghost Shadow Sword to discourage it from approaching.


    SCREE!


    A horrifying screech shrieked through the air and sparks flew between us and the Shadow Leopard''s claws skidded against the frozen blades that were created from frosty qi. I counterattacked with swift strokes of my self-created Ghost Shadow Swordsmanship, blasting the Shadow Leopard before it could dodge and knocking it off balance. The momentum of the Shadow Leopard''s strike still managed to drive me back, but I managed to leave a few bloody holes in its fur with my counterattack. On the other hand, it shattered the ice sword in my left hand, reducing it to countless frozen shards that rained onto the ground.


    The Shadow Leopard gracefully landed on the ground, but its agile body absorbed the majority of the effect and it disappeared once more, springing into the densely clustered trees.


    I slowly rose to my feet, my back still burning. My eyes followed the shadowy silhouette of the leopard, and I clenched my fist tightly. The wounds on my back were deep¡­I could feel hot trails of blood dripping down my back and into my torn clothes.


    This isn''t good.


    The Shadow Leopard''s dark eyes narrowed and focused on me coldly. The Rank 5 magical beast was famous for its speed, and was supposedly capable of killing advanced level Qi Essence Stage practitioners with just one attack. Yet, not only did I counterattack after its sneak attack, I was able to deal some wounds to it ¨C injuries it couldn''t evade.


    The Shadow Leopard seemed to understand that it had underestimated me and was now registering me as a threat.


    "Hu¡­"


    I exhaled as I fought to calm myself down. Risking a glance, I saw that Zhu Jiao and the group we happened upon were long gone, having fled the scene some time ago.


    Good. It meant I didn''t have to worry about Zhu Jiao and could completely focus on the enemy before my eyes.


    It''s nice knowing you, pal.


    I felt bitter. We had only just met again after my two long months of forced solitude, and now I probably wouldn''t be able to see one of my best friends again. Then again, in another story, Zhu Jiao would have been the protagonist. He would be the hero who fought and defeated the Shadow Leopard, but I somehow stole that role from him. Then again, this was reality, and it didn''t always go the way xianxia stories went.


    Not to mention, if I was honest, I doubted Zhu Jiao would be able to defeat this monster.


    "Gr¡­"


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    The Shadow Leopard growled as it circled me. Its steps were extremely light, the pads of its feet muffling the sounds of its footsteps. As expected of an alpha predator in Sen Lin Forest. No wonder I wasn''t able to detect its presence.


    I kept my eyes on the Shadow Leopard, following its movements warily. It glared back, those inscrutable eyes shining ferociously in the dark.


    The Shadow Leopard suddenly burst into action, jumping back, and then suddenly reversing its movement and lunging at me the moment its paws touched the ground. It was trying to take me by surprise.


    "Whoa!"


    I stumbled back, just barely managing to avoid its charge. Its claws cut sharply through the air in front of body, but I managed to prevent myself from sustaining another injury. Good. That was painful as hell ¨C I would rather not get wounded if I could help it.


    The leopard staggered back, but continued to keep its eyes on me. Snarling, it dashed at me again, its four paws practically floating above the ground as it closed in on me. I met it head-on and slashed with my ice sword in hopes of decapitating it, only for the Shadow Leopard to abruptly change its direction and evade my strike.


    Rolling on the ground, it jumped and sprang at me from multiple directions, often switching the direction it came from to confuse me while evading my sword strikes at the same time. Again and again, it would lunge toward me, only to suddenly change its trajectory. It was all I could do to keep up, focusing entirely on defending against its vicious attacks. Despite my desperate counterattacks, the Shadow Leopard was not at all discouraged, and its assault only intensified.


    "As expected of a Rank 5 magical beast, huh?" I murmured, beads of perspiration dripping down my face, mixed with blood. Sometime during the battle, the Shadow Leopard must have left a scratch on me. Fortunately, my body was coursing with so much adrenaline and endorphins that I didn''t feel the slash.


    "Gr¡­"


    The Shadow Leopard snarled as it circled me, its speed gradually increasing to the extent it turned into a phantom blur.


    "!"


    I was forced to conjure a second ice sword to deflect its charge. Staggering back as the Shadow Leopard''s claw broke through fragile blade, I parried its strike with my first ice sword, only to be thrown back by the momentum of its attack as my makeshift weapon shattered.


    "Gah!"


    I hit the ground and rolled, only to see the Shadow Leopard capitalizing on its advantage and pouncing on me. Gritting my teeth, I swung my right hand out, freezing an ice sword into existence and swinging it before it could change the trajectory of its lunge.


    "KREE!"


    The Shadow Leopard shrieked as I slashed its body with my desperately forged ice sword, but managed to spring away and land safely. I cursed when I saw that I only had done superficial damage with that attack.


    "The stupid thing just won''t die," I muttered under my breath.


    The Shadow Leopard pounced on me again, disappearing into a blur. Even though I blocked its attack with my ice sword, a swipe from its claw shattered my frost blade, knocked me off my feet and sent me sprawling onto the ground. I rolled instinctively, just as its paw pulverized the dirt where my head was lying just seconds ago. I continued to roll, even as soil and sand showered me, the result of the Shadow Leopard trying to slash me but ending up ravaging the ground instead.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I jumped to my feet and staggered back to widen the distance between us, only for the Shadow Leopard to send me hurtling backward with another swipe of its claws. Flipping my body in midair, I managed to land clumsily on my feet.


    "Too fast¡­the Shadow Leopard is just too fast!"


    I almost couldn''t respond to the Shadow Leopard in time. At this rate, it was going to tear me into shreds!


    "I''m too slow."


    Chink!


    The dreadful realization struck me as I blocked another attack, just barely, my dual ice swords shattering in my grip. The gap between me and the Rank 5 Shadow Leopard was too vast. Why the hell was I trying to resist such a fearsome beast?


    Obviously, because you''ll die if you don''t.


    That was right. I didn''t want to die. I had gotten this far in Sen Lin Forest, having prevailed over everything the abyss had thrown me. I was so close to returning to Martial City. I just wanted to survive this ordeal and return home safely. I had already been through so many near-death experiences that it wasn''t funny. For once I wanted to defy Fate and return home against all odds, to go through a peaceful period where nothing was trying to kill me.


    I had practically clawed my way out of the abyss just to return to the surface of Sen Lin Forest, and had set myself firmly on the path back to my home. I was going to do my best to survive, no matter the odds, and see my family again.


    However, the Shadow Leopard was just too strong. It was practically toying with me, slowly circling around me as my movements slowed. Sen Lin Forest was its territory, the forest its domain. There was no way an intruder like me could beat it in its own home ground. Every now and then, the Shadow Leopard would playfully attack, probing my defenses and searching for an opportunity to leave another injury.


    Damn it!


    That speed from earlier¡­these moves¡­they weren''t even the Shadow Leopard fighting to its utmost capability. These were just basic movements for the Shadow Leopard, its natural instincts. I hadn''t even forced it to get serious!


    I glared into the Shadow Leopard''s tranquil eyes, which seemed to imply that everything was within its control. It could kill me anytime it wanted, but it just wanted to play around with a weakling like me even more.


    "RUOOOR!"


    With a roar, the Shadow Leopard sped up and abruptly sprang at me again, its claws outstretched to eviscerate me.


    Whirling around, I kicked it with my Shadow Kick, my foot cracking against its head and sending it spinning to the side. Slamming my foot on the ground, I dashed forward and slashed with my ice sword, using Ghost Shadow Sword to deliver a deep cut in its head.


    "RUOOOORR!"


    With a defiant roar, the Shadow Leopard desperately swiped at me with its front claws, smashing my ice sword to bits and hitting me.


    "Kuh!"


    I staggered back as blood burst from my chest. Thankfully I had instinctively used Tui (Retreat) at the last moment and the wound was superficial.


    "Huff¡­!"


    Wow, Teacher Jiao was right. Solid footwork could really save my life!


    "!"


    Just when that thought crossed my mind, the Shadow Leopard roared and lunged at me again. I waited until the last moment before I used Duo (evade) and disappeared just as its claws slashed through the space where I formerly occupied.


    Appearing right behind the Shadow Leopard, I swung my foot down in a devastating Shadow Kick, almost snapping its spine in half.


    "RUOOOOOOOOOOOR!"


    The Shadow Leopard howled in agony, and I twisted around to deliver a roundhouse kick that I learned from the Lunar Rabbit. my foot slammed into its neck with a sickening thud, and I could hear the agonizing crack as bone gave way under my blow.


    Almost there!


    However, the Shadow Leopard was far from finished. Just as I landed on the ground, it suddenly spun around and bit into my neck with those vicious fangs of its.


    "!"


    I was unable to evade the fatal attack from close range. Having let my guard down, I wasn''t able to use a footwork technique to evade. A stupid mistake, one I would curse myself for if I survived this encounter with a Shadow Leopard.


    Fuck¡­!


    "Gaaaaaaah!"


    A spray of blood erupted from my neck as the Shadow Leopard''s jaws clamped down viciously on my flesh. I staggered and desperately stabbed the Shadow Leopard''s head with a hastily forged ice sword, freeing my neck from the grip of its fangs.


    "Ah¡­aaaaaah!"


    Screaming in pain, I staggered back. Pressing my hand to my neck, I struggled to stop the bleeding, but I was quickly losing consciousness. Dropping to my knees, I gritted my teeth, but could taste blood. It was trickling out of my mouth and flowing down my chin in waves.


    Am I¡­going to die here?


    I glared defiantly the Shadow Leopard as it closed in on me, feeling frustration well up inside me.


    I had severely wounded the Shadow Leopard, dealing life-threatening injuries at the very least, but the damned beast refused to die. At the last moment, I let down my guard and the alpha predator capitalized, literally going for the jugular.


    Fuck¡­I was so close! So close!


    Just a little more¡­


    No¡­I was na?ve. I had thought I could finish the Shadow Leopard off with my current skills, especially after I had survived everything that the abyss threw at me, including a legendary Hydra. I had gotten a little overconfident and complacent. Thanks to my lack of foresight, I paid for the mistake with my life.


    Like hell I''m going to die here!


    I shoved the negative thoughts out of my head and forced myself to focus on the present. It was true that the Shadow Leopard had dealt me lethal damage, but I was still alive, and I still could fight. For the moment, that was all that mattered.


    "I''m going to kill you!"


    The Shadow Leopard shared the same sentiment, for it roared and lunged at me. I gritted my teeth and directed qi toward my legs, disappearing right when the Shadow Leopard slashed at the spot where I was standing.


    "?!"


    The Shadow Leopard snarled and spun around, but it was too late. I smashed another powerful Shadow Kick into its face, hearing a satisfying crack, but at the same time the Shadow Leopard swatted me away.


    "Kuh!?"


    The immense impact from its swipe sent me hurtling through the forest. I crashed through several trees, snapping their trunks and vanishing under a shower of wood and splinters. I blacked out immediately, my consciousness swallowed by warm darkness as I was buried under huge chunks of wood, branches and leaves.


    In the distance, the Shadow Leopard roared in fury as it tried to pursue me.


    *


    "?!"


    I suddenly sat up, and then winced when red-hot agony lanced into my whole body.


    "Gah!"


    Letting out a yelp, I almost blacked out. Gritting my teeth, I thrust my hands out and began clawing away at the pile of wood that buried me. Gentle sunrays streamed through the branches, affording me some sort of view of the outside.


    There was nothing outside, not even the Shadow Leopard. After royally pissing that monster off, I half-expected it to be prowling nearby, but there was no sign of it. I guessed it tried to look for me, but couldn''t find me under all these trees.


    "Ugh¡­"


    This was not good. I was too severely injured to move. I had lost too much blood and my limbs just refused to obey. Crawling out from under the broken tree, I flopped down onto the ground, heaving and panting.


    Am I going to die here?


    Even if the Shadow Leopard failed to kill me, I was going to die from a massive loss of blood. At the very least, the Shadow Leopard had left fatal wounds on me, each and every one of them enough to cause death. I could feel the blood filling up my lungs as I struggled to breathe. My vision was darkening slightly, the edges clouded.


    And that was even when I was wearing my glasses.


    On the other hand, my improved constitution was kicking in. If I hadn''t gone through what I did in the abyss, I would probably be dead by now. In fact, my toughened constitution was what allowed me to endure the otherwise lethal attacks of the Shadow Leopard. All I needed to do was correct my breathing and follow the Heaven and Earth Formula breathing method that Master taught me in order to circulate qi around my body and speed up my healing.


    It might take a few hours, but I would survive this.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I stared at the sky, which was obscured by dense tree canopies, the leaves refusing to grant me leave or respite.


    Fuck you, heavens. You''re always trying to get in my way. Do you enjoy my suffering this much?


    Fortunately, what didn''t kill me made me stronger. I would definitely survive this, strengthen myself, and prepare myself for the eventual battle against the Heavens themselves. Perhaps they knew I was coming for them, so they were throwing everything they could in hopes of killing me before I ever reached that stage.


    That idea made me smile. Yeah, I couldn''t die here. Not until I tore the heavens apart. For now, I should focus on healing myself.


    Closing my eyes, I began the slow process of circulating qi around my body to mend my injuries.


    "Are you all right?!"


    My eyes flew open when I heard that soft, feminine voice. Instantly, the beautiful image of a girl in pink floated into view. She was staring at me in concern.


    Girl, do I look all right to you? Or were you wasting time asking a rhetorical question?


    "Oh no! You''re badly hurt!"


    No kidding. It took you that long to figure that out?


    "Uh¡­yeah. Don''t worry about it. I''ll¡­find a way¡­to survive."


    Gritting my teeth, I winced as I struggled to sit up. No sense scaring the girl and dying right in front of her. That would traumatize her. Then again, I should be worrying about myself more than others at the moment.


    Glancing at the girl, I realized that she looked very familiar. Not only was she beautiful, she gave off a sweet scent, almost making me feel heady. She reminded me of my classmate, Qing Xin Xia, what with her gentle and kind personality, and there was a tinge of shyness in her behavior that made her adorable.


    I had obviously gone delirious from my injuries. She was my classmate, Qing Xin Xia.


    "Qing Xin Xia?"


    "Ah, yes¡­" Xin Xia blinked in surprise when she realized I knew her name. She studied me for a moment, as if trying to remember where she had met me before, and then she brightened up. "Ah, you''re Fei Wu!"


    "Took you long enough to remember." I coughed out some blood and glared at her. Qing Xin Xia looked a little embarrassed.


    "Sorry. At that time, we were panicking, so I didn''t get a good look at your face. Otherwise I would definitely have recognized you."


    I was sure you would. Hundred percent sure. Don''t mind my cynicism. Then again, I was never close to Qing Xin Xia or Li Chun Long, so I honestly couldn''t blame them for forgetting me when I went missing for almost two months.


    No, I wasn''t being bitter about it. And this throbbing sensation in my heart wasn''t rage and bitterness. I wasn''t arrogant enough to think that my classmates would at least remember who I was, especially when there was only a mere two months¡­I mean, especially after such a long period of two months.


    "Ah, that''s right!" Qing Xin Xia clapped her hands. "I still haven''t thanked you for that time!"


    "That time?" I stared at her blearily, trying to force those bitter thoughts from my mind. Even then I had no idea what she was talking about.


    "Y¡­you know! The time when you rescued me and my fellow sect disciples from the Diamondback Crocodile!"


    She hastily bowed her head, her long, silky hair flowing downward like waves.


    "Thank you very much!"


    "It was nothing. I was only doing what anyone else would have done."


    I waved her thanks away, and then flinched from the effort. Damn it¡­the massive blood loss was taking its toll.


    "Oh no! You''re hurt really bad!"


    Yeah, you said that already¡­


    Qing Xin Xia thought for a bit, and then nodded determinedly. She raised her hands and gathered qi into them. I watched, mesmerized, as a ball of pink qi materialized above her palms. I recognized the wood element brimming within the ball.


    That''s¡­


    "This might sting a little, but it''ll help, so please bear with it."


    "Eh?"


    Xin Xia didn''t wait for my response. She was already reaching out and infusing my battered body with the pink qi. A great warmth enveloped my body in an instant. Like Xin Xia mentioned, the warmth stung at first, with my grievous wounds burning up and blazing hotly across my body. Fortunately, the agony died down, and was replaced with a comforting sensation.


    "Whoa¡­"


    I was amazed by how effective Qing Xin Xia''s treatment was. Right before my eyes, my wounds were closing up, the cuts mending and the blood disappearing. My vision was recovering, the darkness clearing away from the edges, and the pain was lessening. It was much easier to breathe than before, with the blood in my chest being cleared out.


    "You''re awesome!"


    "Ah¡­no, not at all."


    Qing Xin Xia shrank back, embarrassed.


    "It''s just a specialty of the Green Dragon Sect. we have a lot of emphasis on healing techniques along with combat ones."


    Yeah, to be honest, this wasn''t the first time I had seen it. Teacher Yi Liao had used a similar, if not identical technique on me before. I had also seen Qing Xin Xia perform the same technique on Zhu Jiao in what seemed like a lifetime ago, before my fall into the abyss.


    Nonetheless, I plastered a smile on my face.


    "Wow¡­you guys are amazing."


    "No¡­well¡­that¡­I think you''re more amazing."


    With the treatment done, Xin Xia was fiddling with her fingers nervously, unable to meet my gaze. Her face was flushed, probably from embarrassment.


    "Earlier¡­when you saved us from the Diamondback Crocodile¡­I thought you were incredible. This is nothing compared to your courage¡­"


    "Hey, don''t forget," I interrupted, realizing that she had forgotten something. "I wasn''t the only one there. Ban Zhang was there too."


    "Ah, you''re right." Qing Xin Xia''s eyes went round and she nodded. "I''ll make sure to thank Ban Zhang when I see him!"


    I nodded. "Be sure that you do. He risked just as much as I did in order to help you, if not more."


    Qing Xin Xia ran a hand through her long, silky hair as she glanced about. She then frowned in puzzlement.


    "Wasn''t Ban Zhang with you? Where is he?"


    "We got separated when escaping the Diamondback Crocodile." I sighed. "Fortunately, he escaped. I ran into Zhu Jiao, but¡­"


    "Ah¡­Zhu Jiao¡­"


    Qing Xin Xia''s face turned red and she shyly glanced away.


    "Is¡­is Zhu Jiao all right?"


    "Yeah, he is." It was clear that Qing Xin Xia still had a crush on Zhu Jiao, that lucky bastard. Of course. By virtue of being the typical protagonist of a wuxia story, Zhu Jiao would have every girl falling for him.


    Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I hauled myself up, still unsteady on my feet. Then I bowed.


    "Anyway, I really appreciate you healing my wounds. Thank you very much!"


    "No, don''t think anything of it. I just did what anyone else would have done. And I''m returning the favor¡­"


    "Xin Xia!"


    Li Chun Long''s voice sharply cut through the woods as he emerged from the bushes and glared at us.


    "What are you doing? Hurry up and help our other fellow sect disciples find magical beasts!"


    "Ah, yes!"


    Xin Xia hurriedly rose to her feet. She turned to me and bowed slightly.


    "I''ll excuse myself then!"


    After she ran toward Li Chun Long and rejoined him, he reprimanded her.


    "Don''t bother with other people."


    "¡­"


    Xin Xia merely nodded and hurried ahead of him. Li Chun Long lingered for a moment longer to glare at me spitefully, evidently forgetting that I saved his life from the Diamondback Crocodile earlier. Jealousy could be a very scary thing.


    Then he blinked in disbelief.


    "Aren''t you¡­?"


    "Yo." I waved at him. "It''s been a while, Li Chun Long."


    "FEI WU?!"


    I sighed and shook my head, annoyed. "Why is everyone screaming my name whenever they see me?"


    "You¡­you''re supposed to be dead!"


    Feeling a little mischievous, I staggered toward him.


    "That''s right," I moaned in a low voice and nodded. "I''m dead. I''ve come back as a ghost to haunt the class for not coming to save me even though I sacrificed my life to delay the Behemoth just so you all can escape."


    "Im¡­im¡­impossible!"


    Wailing, Li Chun Long spun and sprinted away into the shadowy depths of the forest. I could still hear him screaming from a distance a few minutes later.

 33 Chapter 32: Turning Defeat into Victory

    From the corner of my eye, I could see a familiar dark shadow lurking in the cluster of trees not far away, snarling and growling. It was silent and stealthy as ever, but its injuries and rage were affecting its movements.


    Controlling my breathing, I waited for it to disappear. Closing my eyes, I finally allowed myself an exhalation of relief. But my legs had been trembling so violently that I had no choice but to slide down into a sitting position.


    "!"


    My fingers brushed against something wet and sticky. Gulping, I brought my fingers up and saw that it was slick with blood.


    The Shadow Leopard''s blood, most likely.


    That damned Shadow Leopard is still wandering around in this area?! Why can''t it go away?! Leave me alone!


    Even as those thoughts crossed my mind, I realized just how unreasonable I sounded. Of course the Shadow Leopard couldn''t get far. It was injured because of its ferocious battle with me earlier.


    However, a wounded beast was far more dangerous than an unscathed one. I would like to avoid it if possible, but given how cunning and stealthy the Shadow Leopard was, I had no doubt it would be waiting somewhere to ambush an unsuspecting victim to vent its fury on them. If not me, then one of my schoolmates from Wu Ling Academy.


    No, I had to take responsibility for hurting the creature to such a frenzied extent. And besides, I wanted revenge against it for injuring me. I should take the fight to the Shadow Leopard and settle our score once and for all.


    But how do I do that?


    A smile crept across my face as a crazy plan formed inside my head.


    This might just work¡­


    *


    As I suspected, the Shadow Leopard was too wounded to stray far from the place where we fought. It was still prowling nearby, hobbling as it licked its wounds. Vengeance shone bitterly in its eyes as it lurked within the trees, searching for any prey unfortunate enough to come across its path so that it could mete its fury out on them.


    Perfect.


    "Hey, you!"


    The Shadow Leopard turned to glare at me, recognition gleaming in its predatory eyes. It snarled and lunged at me, but I immediately used Tui (Retreat) to back away. The Shadow Leopard landed on the ground, shaking up loosened soil and grass, and growled in frustration. It glanced up at me, hatred shining in its eyes.


    The feeling''s mutual, pal.


    "That''s right! Over here!"


    We sprinted across the forest, the Shadow Leopard bounding after me and causing other weaker, lower ranked magical beasts to fly or scuttle out of the way. I ignored most of them ¨C they were either Rank 1 or Rank 2, far too weak to bother the enraged Shadow Leopard. Even a Rank 3 magical beast was within their midst, it would be no match for it. Not that I cared. I had a vendetta with the Shadow Leopard for mauling me, and I was going to settle the score with it once and for all.


    The Shadow Leopard obviously felt the same, judging from the way it was mercilessly pursuing me. Spittle and drool flew out of its jaws, its eyes crazed with rage and hatred as it pounced after me, only for me to teasingly disappear from its clutches with Shadow Steps.


    As I ran, the solid ground beneath my feet gradually gave way into damp soil, grass replaced by mud and ferns. Dashing into a clearing, I dove straight at a knot of mangrove trees whose roots and branches were tangled with each other.


    Undeterred, the Shadow Leopard hurled itself fearlessly at me, thinking that it had me cornered.


    I twisted around just before I landed on the roots of the mangrove trees and smiled. Just before the Shadow Leopard''s claws reached me, my feet flickered and I disappeared.


    "RUOOOR!"


    The Shadow Leopard howled in rage as it slammed into the roots of the mangrove trees. But its immense size meant that it was too big to balance atop the slender roots and it ended up slipping into the swamp.


    Snarling, the Shadow Leopard kicked off the surface of the bog to throw itself back onto dry land, where I had escaped to. Not that I would allow it too. Using a combination of Shadow Steps and footwork techniques, I spun around and smashed a kick onto the Shadow Leopard''s skull with an attack that would make any Lunar Rabbit proud.


    The impact sent the Shadow Leopard hurtling back toward the swamp, but it was far from helplessly. Cartwheeling in the air, it bounced off the surface of the bog again, ensuring that it would never sink. Snarling at me, it propelled itself toward me with its claws outstretched.


    It never reached me.


    Before the Shadow Leopard could reach the shore, something burst out of the swamp and ensnared the black alpha predator in its jaws.


    It was the Diamondback Crocodile.


    The Diamondback Crocodile clamped its gargantuan jaws down on the Shadow Leopard, seizing it in the middle and biting deeply. The Shadow Leopard flailed about, thrashing wildly in the Diamondback Crocodile''s grip, but the latter bit down even more strongly, refusing to surrender its prey.


    The two struggling titans vanished underneath the swamp, sending huge splashes across the shore.


    "¡­"


    For a moment, silence reigned through the forest. There was no sign of either creature, save the bubbles that rapidly rose to the surface. Then, the Diamondback Crocodile and Shadow Leopard burst out of the swamp, still locked in terrible combat.


    Clawing at the Diamondback Crocodile''s jaws, the Shadow Leopard was unable to leave a mark in its enemy''s armored scales. The Diamondback Crocodile, on the other hand, was succeeding in weakening its prey despite being of a lower rank, its razor-sharp teeth sinking deeper into the Shadow Leopard''s midriff.


    The Shadow Leopard was far from defeated, however. Even as it weakened, it lashed out and clawed the inside of the Diamondback Crocodile. The latter let out a screech as it fell back, its grip slackening. The Shadow Leopard seized the chance to break free and jump back onto the shore, heaving heavily from the exertion.


    The Diamondback Crocodile was far from done, however. Growling, it darted out of the swamp and sped toward staggering Shadow Leopard. The two goliaths met in a bone-crunching clash, the Diamondback Crocodile attempting to close its jaws around the Shadow Leopard''s paws. The Shadow Leopard slashed at the Diamondback Crocodile''s vulnerable insides, eliciting another shriek of agony from the latter.


    Whirling around, the Diamondback Crocodile struck the Shadow Leopard with its heavily muscled tail, sending the feline predator flying across the air. The Shadow Leopard''s back struck the mangrove tree with a loud crack and it slumped back down on the swamp, slowly sinking.


    Heady with triumph over its unexpected victory, the Diamondback Crocodile slipped back into the swamp and slowly glided toward the floating Shadow Leopard. Its jaws yawned wide as it sought to bite down on the Shadow Leopard and drag it into the depths of the swamp.


    However, the Shadow Leopard was far from defeated.


    Its eyes suddenly flew open and it lunged at the approaching Diamondback Crocodile with a snarl. The Diamondback Crocodile wasn''t fazed, having absolute trust in its diamond-hard armored scales. However, the Shadow Leopard had wised up to its opponent''s strengths and instead of slashing its armored scales, it lashed out at its vulnerable underbelly. Murky water splashed upward as the Shadow Leopard''s claws sailed underneath the surface to pierce the Diamondback Crocodile''s softer underbelly and beck.


    "GUOOOOR!"


    The Diamondback Crocodile instinctively retreated, blood spurting from a horrendous wound in its neck. It whipped about, striking the Shadow Leopard with its tail. The mighty predator was stunned for a second, and the Diamondback Crocodile capitalized on its momentary weakness to bite it. Then the Shadow Leopard suddenly darted forward and slammed both claws into the Diamondback Crocodile''s underbelly, sinking its claws in.


    With a snarl, it tossed the Diamondback Crocodile out of the swamp and onto the shore before leaping after it. The Diamondback Crocodile landed on its back, helpless and confused by the sudden movements.


    "GUOO?!"


    While splayed on its back, flailing uselessly, the Diamondback Crocodile could do nothing but watch as the Shadow Leopard landed on its, digging its claws in. Snarling, the Shadow Leopard lowered its head and tore the Diamondback Crocodile''s throat out before sinking its claws into the Diamondback Crocodile''s heart. Blood spurted into the air as the Diamondback Crocodile went into its death throes, its tail and limbs thrashing wildly.


    "As expected of a Rank 5 magical beast¡­even a Rank 4 Diamondback Crocodile is no match for it¡­"


    I watched the battle, thoroughly impressed. The Shadow Leopard turned to me, snarling ferociously.


    "But¡­when two tigers fight, one is certain to be maimed, and the other to die. The patient hunter will be the one who reaps the rewards."


    Just as the Shadow Leopard pounced on me, I used Jin (Advance) and got in front of it, surprising the usually speedy hunter. As I thought, the Shadow Leopard''s movements, speed and judgement were impaired by its injuries.


    "Hah!"


    With a determined shout, I kicked the Shadow Leopard in the jaw, then whirled around to deliver another Shadow Kick. The Shadow Leopard toppled over, weak from its brutal melee from the Diamondback Crocodile.


    But it was far from defeated. Growling, the Shadow Leopard defiantly lashed out one last time, forcing me to jump over its claws.


    The Lunar Rabbit''s kick.


    My foot swung from overhead in the same manner I watched the Lunar Rabbit execute it and rammed against the Shadow Leopard''s skull, cracking it. The Shadow Leopard''s chin slammed into the ground and its eyes rolled in its sockets.


    Still not perfect¡­


    Well, that was only to be expected. I was a human trying to imitate a Lunar Rabbit. It would be difficult for me to fully capture the true essence of the bestial attack. Well, not that I needed to. Martial arts weren''t about authenticity or whatever. We took inspiration from whatever creatures we watched, but we weren''t supposed to fully imitate them. There were physiological differences between man and magical beast that could never be overcome, after all.


    Fortunately, my imitation of the Lunar Rabbit''s kick was more than enough to knock the Shadow Leopard out.


    No¡­I can''t afford to be reckless.


    Deftly jumping to the side, I reached out and forged an ice sword, stabbing the frozen blade into the Shadow Leopard''s now exposed chest and slicing its heart apart. The Shadow Leopard let out one last howl before it was wrecked by spasms. I was forced to retreat to a safe distance to prevent myself from being eviscerated by the Shadow Leopard''s flailing claws.


    "¡­"


    A few seconds passed¡­then a minute. Finally, the Shadow Leopard died down and I could sense its life-signs fading away.


    "Phew¡­"


    I finally allowed myself to exhale in immense relief. I realized that I had been holding my breath for quite a long while and greedily gulped down a lungful of air.


    "It actually worked! I didn''t think it would work!"


    I shook my head in disbelief. Yeah, my head was kind of clouded by anger and pettiness earlier, and to be honest, I was pretty stupid and reckless in concocting this scheme to fulfil my vendetta against the Shadow Leopard. But it paid off big time. Not only did I pay the damned Shadow Leopard back for mauling me, I even snagged myself a Rank 5 magical beast. Then again, I wasn''t participating in the test, so I didn''t know why I bothered.


    But it would be a waste to leave the Shadow Leopard''s carcass like this. Since I went through the trouble of killing it, I might as well retrieve its core. Even if Teacher Jiao didn''t accept it for the test, I could sell it later for cash.


    "Now then¡­let''s bring you back¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, I reached into the Shadow Leopard''s body and grabbed its demonic core. It was pretty easy to locate. The corpse was turning cold and life was leaving the carcass ¨C the core was the only thing inside the Shadow Leopard''s body that was still emanating a massive amount of qi.


    As I expected, the Shadow Leopard''s demonic core was a black orb identical to the sphere that Du Lang took from the Ironback Wolf, except for the color. Turning toward the Diamondback Crocodile, I repeated the same maneuver and extracted its brown core.


    "Don''t these look familiar?"


    Pushing my glasses up as I tried to get a better look of the monster cores, I suddenly realized that I had seen them before.


    "¡­oh."


    They were the same orbs that I located whenever I hunted the Silverback Wolves, Lunar Rabbits and even the Ghost Bear.


    What did I do with them again?


    ¡­that was right. I ate them.


    No wonder I suffered so much. I was such an idiot!


    Groaning, I slapped my forehead. The cores were the most concentrated, most qi-dense part of the magical beasts. And conversely, it was this qi that caused the poisoning of people who tried to consume them. With the half-assed knowledge I gleaned from reading encyclopedias, I had no idea that the cores were the main cause of excessive qi toxification, which was in turn the main cause of death. Back then I was starving to the point that I desperately ate every part of the magical beasts I hunted, core or flesh.


    My half-assed understanding and lack of knowledge were what caused the excruciating experience I went through. I could have avoided that if I cut away the monster cores and disposed of them, or at least separate them from my meals. Even though I would still have been poisoned by the demonic qi and killed if I didn''t have the Green Dragon Spring water, at least the ordeal wouldn''t have been as agonizing.


    On the bright side, it was probably because I consumed all those cores that I managed to strengthen myself. to the point where I could actually fight on par with a Rank 4 or even Rank 5 magical beast. I guess every cloud had a silver lining.


    Anyway, there was no point wasting too much time lingering around here. I placed both monster cores into the Silverback Wolf pelt bag that I made, then grabbed the carcasses of the Shadow Leopard and the Diamondback Crocodile and began dragging them back toward the direction where I last saw Li Chun Long disappeared in, hoping that the trail would eventually bring me to the teachers.


    *


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    "You''ve got to be kidding me!"


    "Who the hell is that guy?!"


    "Is that¡­a Shadow Leopard?!"


    "Not just a Shadow Leopard¡­he has a Diamondback Crocodile too?!"


    The students from Wu Ling Academy were all gaping at me when I emerged into the clearing where the teachers set up their base camp. I waved at them, and a few of them actually recognized me.


    "Hey, isn''t that¡­Fei Wu?"


    "Who?"


    "Fei Wu! The guy who died two months ago?"


    "Huh? Died? But he''s alive, isn''t he?"


    "Didn''t you hear? He sacrificed his life to buy time for his class to escape a Behemoth. They sent a search party afterward, but couldn''t find his body. So he survived."


    "EH!?"


    It wasn''t just my schoolmates. My classmates were gathering as well, utterly shocked to see that I had survived.


    "You sure took your time!" Ban Zhang bellowed. Then he did a double take when he saw what I was dragging. He shook his head and then struck mine. "What are you doing?! You''re supposed to see Teacher Jiao, not go participate in the test with the rest of us!"


    "Well, a lot of things happened¡­"


    "You son of a gun!"


    This time it was Zhu Jiao. He barreled into me, almost knocking me off my feet. Then he glanced at the Shadow Leopard.


    "You did it! You actually did it! You maniac! You suicidal maniac! I can''t believe you pulled that bloody stunt off!"


    "Wait, wait, wait¡­"


    This time it was Teacher Jiao. He was pushing his way past my classmates to stare and gape at me. For a moment I thought his jaw might actually hit the ground. Teacher Jiao shook his head in wonder and tried to form a question.


    "Is that really you, Fei Wu?"

 34 Chapter 33: Burden of Proof

    "Not by myself," I corrected after Xiao Zhang''s incredulous question. "As I reported, about a week and a half ago, I managed to find shelter at Chun Xiang Village.


    After the practical test, I was immediately escorted back to Wu Ling Academy and confined to a room. House arrest, essentially. Fortunately, I was allowed to contact my family and assure them that I was still alive, but other than that I found myself being interrogated by Xiao Zhang and twelve other teachers. At present I was standing at what seemed like a podium for defendants, while the thirteen adults surrounded me like judges and juries ready to make their judgement.


    I had filled in them on what mostly happened throughout the two weeks, but of course I wasn''t stupid enough to tell them every detail. I withheld my encounter with Master in the afterlife. Only a fool would reveal his hands and tell Xiao Zhang and his posse everything. Even though Master said nothing, I held some suspicions of the Martial Arts Alliance, and found it strange that Xiao Zhang highly coveted the Heaven and Earth Formula.


    Instinctively, I knew that it would not be a good idea to reveal that I was on the path of restoring the Heaven and Earth Formula. Having eavesdropped on his conversation with Teacher Jiao, I couldn''t help but carry doubts about the old guy.


    The other thing I left out was the Green Dragon Spring water. It wasn''t that I wanted to monopolize the Green Dragon Spring or keep it all to myself. Rather, I was aware that I would most likely never come across that sacred spring ever again. However, I suspected that if the Martial Arts Alliance learned of the presence of a Green Dragon Spring underground, they would invest every resources they had and rush to capture it. Greed, corruption and ambition would drive the multitude of orthodox sects in the Martial Arts Alliance to viciously compete against each other, resorting to betrayals, backstabbing and all manners of atrocities as each sect sought to claim the Green Dragon Spring for itself. Having experienced the dark side of the world, I had very little trust in human nature in general. I wasn''t paranoid to the extent that I mistrusted everybody. I still believed in my friends, and people who earned my trust kept it. But the larger society and politicians in general¡­they had done nothing to earn my trust. In fact, they had done the direct opposite.


    No, best to keep that a secret from the adults as well.


    "Even if that''s the case, you survived in Sen Lin Forest by yourself for a month and a half." Xiao Zhang looked at me skeptically. "Back then, you were only at the first or second level of Qi Gathering Stage at best. Yet you defied all odds to survive the abysmal depths of Sen Lin Forest where Rank 4, Rank 5 and even Rank 7 magical beasts were known to inhabit."


    He failed to mention the Rank 9 Hydra that I described in my report, but I didn''t have the energy to split straws.


    "With due respect, Principal Xiao, if you don''t believe me, there''s nothing more I can say."


    I shrugged helplessly and wearily. The adults had been grilling me for hours now, asking me the same questions in a few hundred different ways, and I always gave identical answers. I was careful not to give myself away, and kept my dialogue consistent. There were several times where I stumbled or wasn''t able to give a satisfactory reply, but I managed to pass it off as my human memory being imperfect. After all, no normal human being could perfectly recall vividly each and every moment of the previous two months.


    A few of the teachers glanced at each other, and an elderly lady shook her head. It was clear that they didn''t get the answers they wanted. Which made me wonder¡­they weren''t here to extract the truth from me. They were here to try and pressure me into corroborating with the events that they wanted to hear.


    Pushing my glasses up my nose, I glared at them defiantly from behind my transparent lenses. No matter how much they pressured me, I refused to bow down. This was my version of the truth, and they could either take it or leave it.


    Xiao Zhang massaged his temples, looking as if he had a headache. He glanced at the others.


    "So¡­what should we do?"


    "Shouldn''t we be happy that one of our students returned safe and sound?" a middle-aged teacher asked. His attitude reminded me a little of Teacher Jiao, except that he was clearly engaged in this political game.


    "No one''s contesting that point," a middle-aged lady spoke up. "But you''ve to admit, this is one incredible story. It''s extremely difficult to believe such a thing transpired."


    "Yet Fei Wu is clearly standing before us, right in front of our eyes. We can''t deny that reality."


    "But what if he''s not the real Fei Wu? What if he''s an imposter? A trap laid out by the demonic sects to infiltrate Wu Ling Academy?"


    "We''ve done the diagnosis and triple-checked his qi signature. There''s no mistaking that he''s the genuine Fei Wu."


    "But those same reports note tremendous changes in his qi and constitution. That he has undergone a radical transformation¡­"


    "We can''t simply trust him¡­"


    "He''s one of our students!"


    "Don''t you think it''s worth keeping a student who was able to jump from Qi Gathering Stage to Qi Fusion Stage in just two short months?"


    "But it''s too dangerous! It could be a trap!"


    "Yeah, how did he achieve that if he didn''t resort to demonic techniques and evil methods? He must have sacrificed victims in order to gain that much strength in such a short time!"


    "Hey, hey! You know you need to provide proof before making such outrageous accusations!"


    "Then how do you explain his unnatural growth?!"


    For the umpteenth time, I stood there silently as the adults raged, debated hotly, argued, quarreled and fought among themselves. I had already detected a pattern. Some would be impressed with me and call for the academy to support me, believing that I had a bright future ahead of me, some were suspicious with the methods that I resorted to in order to grow stronger and survive ¨C and admittedly, they had every reason to ¨C and others were skeptical. Furthermore, there was also a few who wanted to keep an eye on me, monitoring my movements and making sure I didn''t do anything untoward, though I could hear their unspoken desire. Their monitoring would include studying the martial arts techniques I learned or the methods I used to attain my current level of strength.


    I couldn''t say I blame them. I even cemented that impression by dragging the carcasses of the Shadow Leopard and Diamondback Crocodile to a test I wasn''t participating in. That served as evidence of my capability apparently.


    "Order!" Xiao Zhang bellowed, and the adults stopped their bickering, falling into silence as they turned their eyes to him.


    "So what do you think, Principal Xiao?"


    That question must have been asked a few dozen times by now, often by a variety of teachers. And as before, Xiao Zhang did not offer any concrete answer.


    "I think," he said carefully. "That we should not make any hasty decision."


    So what would your slow, deliberate decision be? I wondered cynically, honestly sick of standing in trial. The teachers present also shared my sentiment, for they were all rolling their eyes or sighing in frustration.


    The trial was going nowhere.


    Xiao Zhang took a deep breath and finally moved on.


    "Even though the number of people among you hold suspicions regarding Fei Wu''s identity and motives, we do not have enough evidence to prosecute him. Yes, there might be something unnatural about his constitution and qi right now, but¡­" he swept his wizened gaze across the courtroom. "It would be a lot more unnatural if he didn''t undergo any transformations after being forced into such a hellish environment and improvising to survive in a place as deadly and dangerous as Sen Lin Forest. I''m sure you can all agree with that."


    No one protested. A few even nodded in agreement.


    "But it is also too reckless to just take Student Fei Wu''s word for it. Contrary to what he said, I''m sure he''s hiding a few major details from us."


    I knew it. Xiao Zhang was a lot more intelligent and sharper than he let on. I tried not to give anything away, maintaining a neutral expression even as Xiao Zhang scrutinized me closely. Clenching my fists ever so slightly, I forced my pounding heart to calm down.


    "Do not worry," Xiao Zhang assured me in a somewhat flippant manner. "I can tell that those reasons have nothing to do with the ones that some among the teachers fear. They''re most likely benign and personal reasons."


    I hesitated, and then nodded. Xiao Zhang wasn''t wrong, after all. I had my personal reasons for hiding the facts that I did, and it wasn''t borne out of malicious intent. In fact, it was to save the highly valuable info from falling into the wrong hands.


    "DO not worry. I will not pry. And¡­" Xiao Zhang glanced at his teachers. "I ask that none of you pry into his personal matters as well."


    "But what if he turns out to be a traitor? A disciple of a demonic sect? A spy sent to learn our ways?"


    One of the teachers voiced her concern.


    "Without strong evidence of that, I''m afraid there''s nothing we can do." Xiao Zhang shook his head. "Nonetheless, I share a little of your concerns, and I will assign someone to watch over him."


    "Teacher Jiao Shi again?"


    Xiao Zhang paused momentarily, his creased eyes narrowing, and then he nodded.


    "Yeah. Jiao Shi is the teacher most familiar with Fei Wu, so he would be prefect for the job. Moreover, he''s someone that everyone trusts."


    No one objected to that. To my surprise, it seemed that the usually relaxed Teacher Jiao was highly regarded even by the senior staff and higher-ups.


    "There''s also the students," another teacher added. Everyone turned to him and he shrugged. "If you remember, two months ago, Student Fei Wu was made out to be some martyr who sacrificed himself to save his class. He was elevated to the status of a hero after he risked his life to help his classmates. Can you imagine what the students will think if we punish their hero? A hero who risked his life to save them, almost dying in the process, but somehow miraculously returning from the brink of death? And our first action is to punish or imprison the boy? What sort of message do you think the students will receive?"


    "There will be an outcry," another teacher agreed. "They will protest and revolt against the teachers in this school."


    "And we''ll basically be telling them that they''ll get punished for being brave, selfless and valiant, that we frown upon them heroically risking their lives to save others."


    There was a short silence that fell upon the room, and for a moment I dared to hope that this farcical trial would end.


    "Indeed, this is a delicate matter," Xiao Zhang muttered as he leaned his chin against his fingers, contemplating hard.


    Oh, I''m sure it is. Can you just end this stupid thing already? It was clear that we were getting nowhere.


    Just as my impatience and infuriation were about to surge out of my body, Xiao Zhang clapped his hands decisively.


    "All right, let''s end this for now." He looked from teacher to teacher, and after meeting the gaze of twelve of them, nodded firmly. "We''ll take Fei Wu''s word for now, but I''ll have Teacher Jiao keep an eye on him. Since Jiao Shi is the teacher closest to him, and the one who knows the best, he''ll be able to detect any irregularities far ahead of time."


    There was a murmur among the teachers.


    "Agreed."


    "No argument there."


    "It''s decided then."


    "Good." Xiao Zhang looked pleased with the outcome. He then glanced at me before considering for a few seconds. "Oh, and lest we forget his bravery, we should reward him for it. Perhaps give him an award."


    "Sounds like a good idea."


    "Yeah, he did risk his life to save his classmates, though."


    "We''ll need to do that at least, for the students."


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    In other words, this was more a show to the students for assurance and to promote valiant behavior than a reward for me. I could tell that the teachers weren''t interested in me as an individual, but as a symbol. I bet that when they learned that I was the one sacrificed to save my classmates, they were relieved that I wasn''t one of the talented ones.


    "We''ll award you with a medal," Xiao Zhang told me, and then stroked his beard for a bit. "And also, how about we give you a martial arts technique in the archive? One that you don''t have access to with your current level."


    At my current level, apparently, I should be able to unlock more than just level one techniques. I would have to take the test first in order to gauge my current level, but I knew Xiao Zhang wasn''t just referring to the higher-level ones. He was also referring to the techniques that could only be purchased by currency.


    What is this, Eternal Reverence or something?


    Unlike Li Fu Chen, at least, I had Teacher Jiao to approach and ask for help if I was unable to understand a technique that I borrowed.


    "Thank you very much."


    Cupping my hands, I bowed deeply and expressed my gratitude as politely as I could.


    "It''s nothing." Xiao Zhang chuckled. "Keep being courageous and selfless. I think you are an example to follow, risking your life to save your classmates. Few people would have the bravery to challenge and hold back a Behemoth to buy time for their comrades to escape. I am proud to have a student like you."


    "About that¡­" I hesitated for a moment, and then decided to bite the bullet. "When trying to fight the Behemoth, I was betrayed."


    The entire room fell silent as Xiao Zhang and the twelve teachers stared at me. I felt an odd sensation, an intimidating air that seemed to swallow me whole. For some reason, their figures loomed over me, suddenly much more massive than before. There was a tense atmosphere of overwhelming qi, warning me not to speak any more than that.


    However, I had been through hell and back. I had faced magical beasts and beaten them. I had escaped a Hydra. I had confronted death and laughed in its face.


    A group of adults couldn''t compare to what I had been through.


    So I continued, despite the overwhelming qi pressure that the adults exerted upon me.


    "One of my classmates attacked me while I was retreating, causing me to fall into the Abyss with the Behemoth."


    More silence. Xiao Zhang and the twelve teachers continued staring at me coldly, none of them uttering a single word.


    I frowned, but mustered the courage to continue. "That classmate is¡­"


    "Enough."


    Xiao Zhang''s voice might seem quiet, but it was audible enough to cut through the entire room. Despite my bravery and defiance, I couldn''t help but obey, dropping to a knee under all that tremendous qi pressure. My throat stirred, unable to make another sound. It was clear that the thirteen adults were doing something to me.


    As strong as I had gotten during my time in the abyss and Sen Lin Forest, I was still far from reaching the level of the adults, who had years of cultivation, training and experience, and were far beyond me. For now.


    "That is quite the accusation you''re making there," Xiao Zhang growled gravely. "You do understand the implications of what you''re saying?"


    The weight seemed to lift a little and I began coughing and wheezing. Sucking in a lungful of air, I nodded frantically as my throat was no longer as constricted.


    "Yes."


    Xiao Zhang fixed me with only sympathetic eyes, but that sympathy was replaced by rage and cold indifference.


    "Do you have proof?"


    I looked up at him, still heaving. The qi pressure that he exerted was slowly curling around my body, particularly my throat, and gradually strangling me.


    "P¡­proof?"


    "If you want to make accusations like that, you need evidence," Xiao Zhang replied, as if it was obvious.


    "N¡­no, but¡­"


    "Then silence!" he roared.


    I said no more, but continued to simmer inside. Evidence? What was this, a court case? I was busy trying to survive, busily trying to escape from the Behemoth during that time. I never expected a classmate to betray and attempt to murder me in cold blood, so how was I supposed to collect evidence during that fateful moment? Was I supposed to carry a recording device on my person all the time or something? What about witnesses?


    Ah¡­that was why. I needed witnesses to corroborate. I should have asked my classmates if they had seen it. At least one of them must have seen the lightning that hit me before I fell off the edge and into the abyss.


    "You''re dismissed."


    Xiao Zhang''s voice was gentler now. A little sympathetic, even. I felt as if the weight had been completely lifted and quickly stood up, breathing heavily. Perspiration still dripped down my face, but I wiped it off.


    "Yes, sir."


    As I left, I suddenly realized that there was something amiss about the whole thing.


    Principal Xiao only asked me for evidence. The rest of the teachers, none of them said a single thing. No one denied it, no one refuted it, and no one had any outburst of disbelief or outrage. The only thing the Principal asked for was¡­proof.


    There was no "there''s no way a student of Wu Ling Academy would do that!" Hell, I wasn''t even allowed to speak the name of the person I was accusing, which I found highly weird. It seemed at first that Xiao Zhang wasn''t interested in the identity of the accused, but now when I thought about it, why wouldn''t he be?


    No, it appeared that he already knew who I was about to accuse.


    Why? What''s going on?


    Later, I found out that several of my classmates had testified and brought forth similar accusations, acting as witnesses in the report from two months ago, but Xiao Zhang and the staff didn''t act on it. Instead, they covered it up, merely dismissing the case from a lack of proof.


    "It''s only natural," Tong Xue told me, shaking his head after I informed him about that. I had just returned from the trial and ended up in the classroom. "The accused is someone from the White Tiger Sect, one of the four major sects in the Martial Arts Alliance, and as you know, Qi Fu Ren is a favored disciple there."


    "¡­so they covered it up because they don''t want to risk incurring the wrath and displeasure of the White Tiger Sect," I mused. Tong Xue nodded.


    "Sorry, but yeah¡­that''s most likely how it is."


    "It''s not that they don''t believe me, but that their hands are tied¡­"


    Tong Xue raised both hands and shook his head in mock helplessness.


    "Adults have their own worries, huh? I guess even adults can''t do everything."


    Beside Tong Xue and me, Ban Zhang sat in quiet fury, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. Next to him, Zhu Jiao simmered and bristled with unrestrained rage. Curling his lips, he turned to glare at Qi Fu Ren, who was seated at the back.


    Qi Fu Ren, having seen me just return to the classroom from the trial, smirked at me triumphantly. The bastard knew what had transpired, and he was enjoying it.


    "You¡­"


    Zhu Jiao snapped, but before he could walk over to punch the arrogant and murderous Qi Fu Ren, Ban Zhang held him back with a shake of his head.


    "It''s not worth it, Zhu Jiao. You''ll only get into trouble. We don''t have proof after all."


    The way Ban Zhang worded "proof" dripped with pure sarcasm. I was taken aback by the venom in his voice. I had never thought the class representative capable of such hatred. Qi Fu Ren must have done a few more things in my absence.


    "I would love to beat that bastard up too," Tong Xue added with a sigh. "But right now the only ones who are strong enough to defeat him in our generation are Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao. The rest of us don''t stand a chance."


    "Coward," Zhu Jiao spat. "I''ve challenged him to a match, but he slyly rejected my challenge. All because he knows he''ll lose to me. He only accepts challenges that he''s confident of winning. Despicable coward."


    I knew about that. Often, Wu Ling Academy allowed students to resolve conflicts with each other in the form of a duel. While that sounded awesome and all, the problem was that the arena was a very harsh and cruel place. Despite that, many people didn''t hesitate in invoking its name as a challenge.


    The reason as fairly simple. There were practically no rules in the arena.


    Before the duel officially began, each combatant was to sign an agreement, a form of disclosure that they would not hold the other party responsible in event of death or injury. In other words, killing your opponent was fair game in an official duel within the arena. While it was rightly frowned upon and highly discouraged ¨C especially since the academy had spent a lot of resources to nurture each student, and didn''t want those to go to waste ¨C such outcomes were inevitable. While I would be exaggerating if I claimed that the death toll was high ¨C and indeed, most students avoided killing their opponent ¨C there were a few cases where the combatants were excused for causing their opponents'' death. It was only natural ¨C in a fight to the death where neither party could afford to hold back, it was difficult for either of them to control their strength and avoid striking a killing blow.


    Of course, that didn''t mean you could just simply kill anyone you challenged. The moment the opponent surrendered or was clearly no longer able to battle, you were not allowed to attack any further, never mind finish him off. Most people were smart enough to surrender before anything bad happened. Avoiding defeat wasn''t worth losing one''s life over.


    That said, many often used the dueling system as a way to vent their grudge, crippling their opponents'' cultivation by destroying their meridians and qi vessels, or cutting off their limbs. As powerful as the Green Dragon Sect''s healing magic was, it couldn''t restore lost limbs. Well, if you were fast, the highly advanced, modern medical facilities at Wu Ling Academy could reattach your severed limbs. But if you were too late¡­


    "As long as he refuses to accept my challenge, I will never be able to punch his face in like I want to," Zhu Jiao moaned.


    "He only accepts challenges that he''s confident of winning, huh?"


    I smiled as an idea slowly came to mind. Pushing my glasses up slyly, I turned to my friends and grinned.

 35 Chapter 34: Challenge

    Unsurprisingly, the battle puppet looked as disturbing and horrifying as ever. Even in the two months that I was gone, the design hadn''t changed. They still retained their vaguely humanoid shape, but other than that, they resembled nothing like a human. Their cylindrical limbs resembled cudgels or clubs with spindly fingers instead of actual appendages, and their heads were a vertical, longish cylinder with a single glowing red lenses as their eyes. They reminded me of biomechanical aliens, but at least their color was a dull gray.


    "Level 4 Test Program activated." Above, built into the ceiling of the arena, Teacher Jiao''s voice blared out. "Are you ready, Student Fei Wu?"


    Above, I spotted a crowd of students spectating from behind the reinforced glass screen. I didn''t expect this many students to come to the arena to watch me. then again, I guess a significant number of my cohort must be curious as to how strong a One Star Constitution cultivator like me had become after spending a couple of months in the wilderness, trying to survive against powerful magical beasts and an unforgiving environment.


    Just as I suspected, Qi Fu Ren was also there, flanked by his two ever-present cronies, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao. He wore that perpetual sneer on his face, looking upon me with disdain and obviously thinking I would fail this test.


    Not far away from him were my friends. Zhu Jiao, Tong Xue and Ban Zhang were the closest to the window, cheering and shouting words of encouragement. I couldn''t hear them through the soundproof wall, but I could at least see them, so I waved.


    Surprisingly enough, it wasn''t just Zhu Jiao, Tong Xue and Ban Zhang. Du Lang had also arrived, but as usual he kept his distance like the lone wolf he was, staying as far as he could while remaining within sight of the battle. On contrast, Feng Tian Yong and his group of friends joined Zhu Jiao and the rest, the red-haired guy waving at me.


    There weren''t as many girls, but I caught a glimpse of Tu Zi Yi at the back, as well as Qing Xin Xia. But while Qing Xin Xia was surreptitiously sneaking glances at the boisterous Zhu Jiao, she was in the company of Li Chun Long and the other Green Dragon Sect members. At least this time there were other girls accompanying her.


    Wow, I didn''t expect so many people to come watch. This is just a level test, isn''t it? It''s not that interesting.


    Apparently, middle-school students were allowed to take level tests. While similar to the level test in the high school section, it was set at a lesser difficulty to take into account our youthful age and still undeveloped physiologies. But it would determine the amount of resources that we would have available to us.


    The numbered levels had nothing to do with the cultivation stages or realms, because most middle school students wouldn''t get past the Qi Essence Stage. At most they would reach the peak of the Qi Essence Stage, and almost nobody got to the Flowing Qi Stage until they graduated and got into the high school section. Of course, the higher your level in whatever cultivation stage you were in the higher the level you could achieve for this temporary test.


    Despite being so convoluted, the system was pretty simple. If you were strong enough to beat a training dummy that corresponded to a certain level, you would achieve that level. And with that level came corresponding privileges, resources and benefits.


    For middle school students, the highest was level 5. It wasn''t that it was the best we could reach during our time in middle school, but it was the highest amount of resources the academy could provide to a middle school student. So it would be deceptive if you judged the students according to these simplistic levels. Besides, the test itself was too rigid. It only tested one dimension of the student''s abilities ¨C combat strength and the ability to overpower his foe. It didn''t account for the other strengths the student might possess, such as tactical nous or innovation or craftsmanship.


    Well, there probably were other tests for that¡­


    "Fei Wu?" Teacher Jiao prodded when I didn''t reply for two seconds. Sorry, I just needed to perform an info dump so that the readers knew what was going on. Crude and boring, I know, but undeniably effective.


    I nodded. "Yeah."


    "All right, let''s begin."


    There was a click over the speaker, and the test dummy''s lens flared bright red. Within a millisecond, it had kicked off the ground and bounded toward me, crossing the distance in one leap. I almost didn''t react in time as the test dummy delivered a kick that would have crushed my skull if I didn''t dodge it.


    Fast!


    I wasn''t sure what to expect. I had been dueling level 3 battle puppets before the fateful day of the practical training mission in Sen Lin Forest, and I had yet to win any of them. I had peaked at level 2, and only received resources at level 2, but I could never claw past level 3. As I said, the test was too one-dimensional. While I was unable to overpower my foe, I wasn''t inferior in terms of speed and agility, and I could easily evade every attack the level 3 battle puppet threw at me.


    This resulted in a stalemate that would drag on for hours. I couldn''t defeat the battle puppet, but it was never able to land a hit on me either.


    Unfortunately, a stalemate wasn''t enough to pass the test and claim level 3.


    Despite my failure in the past, today I had decided to jump straight to a level 4 test right upon my return to Wu Ling Academy after my two months in Sen Lin Forest.


    The battle puppet didn''t hesitate, twisting around to deliver another roundhouse kick. I could have dodged that, but I didn''t. Instead, I raised my arms and parried the blow.


    "Guh!"


    What power!


    Despite absorbing most of the blow with my forearms, I staggered to the side, almost unable to withstand the raw strength behind the kick. The battle puppet landed on the ground, its spindly fingers tapping the concrete, and it bounced back up with another kick. I crossed both my arms, but the tremendous blow sent me hurtling across the arena.


    "Gah!"


    Tumbling across the arena, I slammed my feet down on the ground, trying to regain my footing. Twin trails of broken concrete were left in my wake as I skidded across the battlefield, but I managed to force myself to a halt before I collided with the wall behind me.


    The battle puppet was already moving, its artificial intelligence having already anticipated that.


    "!"


    This time I didn''t bother to block. Stepping to the side in reflex, I just narrowly dodged the battle puppet''s axe kick. Its slender, cylindrical leg flashed past the air a few millimeters in front of me, turning into a blur before obliterating the ground and destroying my footing.


    "Whoa!"


    Unable to balance myself, I used Tui and retreated. The battle puppet pursued me relentlessly, kicking off the ground and launching itself at me.


    Damn, this thing might be even harder to handle than the magical beasts I''ve faced so far!


    Honestly, it was nowhere near the level of a Shadow Leopard or a Diamondback Crocodile, but I didn''t have the option of tricking two battle automatons into fighting each other and then taking advantage of them when they were damaged.


    However, it was such a one-sided battle at the moment that it wasn''t even funny. Gritting my teeth, I used Duo and evaded the battle puppet''s next kick. Appearing behind it, I kicked it in the back with a devastating Shadow Kick that would have snapped the spine of a magical beast.


    The battle automaton staggered forward, but it didn''t break. Having already anticipated that because I knew how sturdy these things were built, I stomped forward and delivered a roundhouse kick that I learned from the Lunar Rabbit, cracking its head and sending it toppling over.


    "That''s¡­!"


    Above, Tu Zi Yi''s eyes widened when she recognized my kick. Of course I couldn''t hear her, but I could piece everything together because of my protagonist''s privilege. In any case, she seemed to have seen the resemblance between my kick and the Lunar Rabbit Sect''s techniques.


    It was only natural. Like me, the founder of the Lunar Rabbit Sect had created and based his kicking techniques off the movements and attacks of the legendary Lunar Rabbit.


    Huh¡­well, the Lunar Rabbit isn''t legendary, to be honest, but this wasn''t the time to split hairs. I had to focus.


    The test dummy was far from done. Grinding its hands into the concrete and actually crushing solid concrete with its fingers, it spun about in an inhuman maneuver than no human martial artist would be physically capable of, and tried to sweep my legs out from under me with a vicious, hooking kick, forcing me to jump.


    "!"


    The test dummy''s lens flickered, almost as if it was giving the impression that it was blinking, while scanning the space in front of it with its optical device.


    But I was no longer there.


    Clink!


    I landed on the test dummy''s head, one foot placed neatly on what would be its bald scalp if it was a human.


    Seismic Step!


    The entire ground beneath the test dummy shattered and the battle puppet itself vanished in a shower of rubble, buried by the overwhelming destruction as I pulverized its head with the ultimate kick in Shadow Steps.


    "Phew¡­"


    I retreated a few steps and watched the destruction I had wrought, half-hoping that the decisive step had finished it off.


    "¡­"


    But Teacher Jiao said nothing, so I knew it was far from over.


    Crunch!


    I was right. While I watched cautiously, the mechanical, spindly fingers of the automaton burst out of the crater and dug firmly into the broken concrete. Gears and levers whirring furiously, the battle puppet clawed its way out of the crater where it was buried under earlier, and emerged to the surface. Dust billowed about its battered form, and I could see that it didn''t escape my attack unscathed. Cracks were running through its head.


    "If that was a living thing, it would have died from that attack," Teacher Jiao commented, unheard by me. "A pity¡­the test dummy is not a living thing."


    Cocking its head from side to side, its gears grinding with the crude movement, the battle puppet seemed to be testing the extent of its damage before deciding that it was still good to go. It crouched down, and then lunged at me again.


    Like a bullet, it sped forward, hurtling toward me and forcing me to dive out of the way to avoid a nasty collision. The battle puppet shot past me, but managed to alter its trajectory in midair, flipping about and slamming its legs onto the ground, halting its momentum long before it could ever collide with the wall opposite it. With a set of ominous clicks, its body whirled and spun like a crane, that creepy lens turning to fix me within its sight.


    Then it jumped again.


    "Kuh!"


    I ducked under a wild, frantic kick, but to my surprise the battle dummy suddenly switched techniques and punched me. I crossed my arms in reflex, but the tremendous blow was enough to send me hurtling across the ground.


    "Gah!"


    The battle puppet suddenly appeared above me, swinging its leg downward in a decisive axe kick. I just barely managed to twist away and avoid the kick, which pulverized the ground where I was standing on a millisecond ago. As I tried to withdraw, the test dummy suddenly whirled around and punched me before I could react.


    "Ugh!"


    My chest felt as if it had been hit by a sledgehammer. No doubt the test dummy had hit something vital and I was sent cannonballing across the arena. Hitting the wall helplessly, I crashed downward and coughed out a wad of blood.


    "¡­Ku¡­"


    Wiping the blood from my mouth, I looked up, only for the battle puppet to punch a hole in my head. Fortunately, I spun in reflex, the awkwardly shaped mechanical fist blasting through the air millimeters away from my face.


    I almost thought I was staring at death.


    Well, I already knew that the test dummy wasn''t limited to kicks alone¡­


    Cursing myself for letting my guard down and allowing myself to be drawn into the test dummy''s pace, I realized that the battle puppet''s programming had done that in purpose. To lull me into a false sense of security by using the same pattern of attacks over and over again, then suddenly switching it up with a new pattern when I least expected it.


    "Huff¡­"


    There was no way I was going to lose to a random artificial intelligence. I was human. I had to prove that we humans wouldn''t be taken over by robots, or there would be no meaning to cultivate martial arts if we could be replaced by automatons.


    The test dummy, unaware of my mounting frustration, coldly and mechanically continued its assault. Despite the cracks and severe damage it had suffered from my Seismic Step, its movements and programming were unaffected. As long as its computing core remained intact, it would continue fighting even after all its limbs were destroyed.


    What a troublesome enemy¡­


    At this rate, I might actually lose. It had been a one-sided affair so far, with the battle automaton initiating most of the attacks and cornering me. I couldn''t allow such a pathetic state of affairs to continue. I had to strike back.


    But how?


    The battle automaton callously and mercilessly delivered a spinning kick, forcing me to drop to all fours. I then rolled away as it obliterated the ground with another kick, and then sprang up before it could stomp on my prone body. However, it was waiting for that exact moment, and threw a precise, calculated punch that would have drilled a hole in my torso if I didn''t flip myself up into the air and spin above its appendage.


    "Kuh¡­"


    I grabbed the arm and used it to pivot myself in midair, swinging my legs over. Gathering qi into my foot, I slammed another powerful Lunar Rabbit kick into the test dummy''s head, almost dislocating it from its metallic neck.


    "..."


    The battle automaton creaked ominously as it staggered, its head now slanted disturbingly to the side. But the wires and cables that connected its computing processor unit to the rest of its body remained uncut, and it continued to launch another flurry of attacks, this time a one-two punch with its dull, mechanic hands.


    My feet flickered and I disappeared from its front. The test dummy, its adaptive artificial intelligence having recorded and logged my movements from earlier, twisted around to counter, expecting me to appear behind it.


    I knew it would do that!


    That was the one weakness of an artificial intelligence. It was too predictable. Instead of coming from the back, I had reoriented my position to its side, dropping to a low crouch so that I could kick from below.


    The test dummy was not expecting that.


    With a crumpling crunch, my foot slammed against the head again, causing the test dummy to stagger. Not giving it any time to recover, I spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick worthy of any Lunar Rabbit, catching it in the side of its cylindrical body and sending it flying.


    The test dummy flailed about helplessly, but its arms and legs rotated in an inhuman manner, allowing it to land on all fours and get up again. Hissing and whistling like the mechanical monster that it was, it raised its slightly loosened head to capture me within its sight, the red orb that served as its eye glowing demonically.


    But I was nowhere to be found.


    "!"


    The test dummy looked up and, just as it expected, I was crashing right on top of it. It crossed both its arms to protect itself from my Seismic Step, having suffered a blow earlier in the match.


    It was useless. Seismic Step was not something you could defend against.


    The ground around the test dummy blew up again, the rubble swallowing the hapless battle automaton in a sea of rubble.


    "Whoa!"


    "What the hell is that?!"


    "Is that guy really a One Star Constitution cultivator?!"


    "What happened to him when he was in Sen Lin Forest?"


    Above, the spectators whispered, yelled, murmured or gasped, completely taken aback by the destructive spectacle. I paid them no attention, mostly because the glass was soundproof and I couldn''t hear their comments. I was just speculating what sort of response they had, which was later confirmed by Tong Xue.


    But incredibly, even after all that, the test dummy was still functioning. Its arms had been wrecked, one of the appendages crushed into nothing while the other was hanging loosely from its side, connected to the mechanical shoulder by several trailing pieces of cable. Hissing and clicking, the battle puppet took one slow step after another, its crumbling head trying to pivot and turn as it attempted to fix me within its sight.


    I didn''t bother showing it mercy. Landing behind the battle puppet, I spun around and kicked its already loose head off its shoulders. As the wires snapped, the test dummy dropped like a puppet whose strings were cut. I then strode over and stomped on the detached head, crushing it, the computing processor, the memory chip and programming into oblivion.


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    Above, Tu Zi Yi watched me, her eyes wide. No doubt she recognized all of my kicks, or at least noted the incredible resemblance of my kicks to those that her Lunar Rabbit Sect practiced. She would have questions for me later, I was sure. But for now, my attention was focused elsewhere.


    "The test is over. Student Fei Wu has passed the level 4 test!"


    Teacher Jiao announced, his voice booming not just across the arena but also throughout the spectator box. Looking up, I could see the spectators descending into an excited furor, trying to make sense of what they had just witnessed. Spotting my friends, I waved at them. Zhu Jiao gave me a thumb''s up, Ban Zhang nodded in approval, Feng Tian Yong flashed me a grin, and Tong Xue waved back.


    Then I shifted my attention to Qi Fu Ren, who ¨C in contrast to his rambling flunkies who were muttering in denial ¨C had remained silent throughout the entire match. Even though he had passed the level 5 test, which was higher than the one I took, he understood the provocation my stare carried. Smirking, he showed me his middle finger.


    I cocked my head and sliced across the front of my throat with a finger. Then displayed a thumbs down.


    Qi Fu Ren scowled, and then turned away and stomped off. Hu Shuo and Ba Dao followed after him frantically, not sure of what to make of their leader''s mood or the match they had witnessed. As for me, I smiled, knowing that my goal had been achieved.

 36 Chapter 35: Official Match

    I looked around, a little dazed. Even though this was the same arena where I ¨C and many of the students from the middle school section ¨C took my level test, the atmosphere today was somewhat different. There was a buzz in the air, an excitement that surpassed the furor that my level test generated the other day.


    "I know, right?" Tong Xue agreed beside me. "What do you think?"


    My friends had brought me to this particular duel so that I could have a better understanding of it. My first six months here had been spent mostly in isolation, so I had avoided the coliseum. I mostly trained against training dummies and programmed battle puppets, so I didn''t watch or duel against human opponents.


    But that turned out to be a mistake. The whole purpose of all the disciples from the various martial arts sects in the Alliance gathering in Wu Ling Academy was to spy on each other, learn each other''s techniques, or duel against each other. And what better way of collecting intelligence on the techniques of rival sects than to watch them fight in an official match?


    "I¡­don''t know."


    "Well, don''t say that." Tong Xue grinned. "We''re here to watch Qi Fu Ren fight, so that you''ll have an idea of his fighting style, and how his mind works."


    "Bastard¡­" Zhu Jiao hissed venomously, his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flaring. He clenched his fists as he fought to restrain his anger. "Fucking coward is picking on the weaker students again. He refused my challenge, and then went to challenge Luo Bin."


    "Who''s Luo Bin?" I asked, puzzled. Tong Xue had an answer, which he showed me in the form of his tablet.


    "Class 1-1, from the Winding River Sect."


    "Oh." I immediately understood. "Water techniques?"


    "Yeah."


    While we were discussing, I noticed someone approaching us. I waved at her while she was looking around nervously.


    "Tang Qi Hong, are you here to watch the fight as well?"


    "Ah¡­right." Tang Qi Hong strode over. Usually, she was with her best friend, Lian Rou, but I didn''t see the blue-haired beauty today. That wasn''t surprising. Lian Rou wasn''t that interested in fights to begin with. "Are you doing all right?"


    "Yeah, as you can see, I''m fine."


    I raised a hand to assure her. When I first returned to Wu Ling Academy, Tang Qi Hong had been the first to approach me. Apparently, she didn''t forget that I had saved her life before I dropped into the Abyss, and was pretty relieved that I had survived.


    It was also clear that she felt a measure of guilt that she wasn''t able to help me when I plunged into the abyss, and according to Tong Xue she had been one of those who volunteered in the search party that combed Sen Lin Forest for a month before it was called off.


    "Sure." I gestured for Tang Qi Hong to join us. She stepped up next to me and peered through the transparent glass.


    "Oh, it seems like the duel will be starting soon."


    "This will be bad," Ban Zhang muttered under his breath, concern touching his voice. I followed the direction of his gaze and saw that the two combatants were entering the stage.


    Qi Fu Ren strolled in arrogantly, that smirk never leaving his face. From the opposite side, a frail-looking kid stepped outside, his furious expression belying his tinier stature. Qi Fu Ren must have done something to piss him off.


    "It''ll be over in a minute."


    "Aren''t you guys giving Luo Bin too little credit?" I protested, glaring at Tong Xue for being dismissive. My classmate merely shrugged.


    "If you don''t believe me, you can just watch."


    "¡­"


    I obeyed quietly and focused my attention on the arena. There was a teacher refereeing the match, and at his signal, the match began.


    "Qi Fu Ren, of the White Tiger Sect," Qi Fu Ren mockingly cupped his hands as a sign of respect, except that his actions lacked any genuine sincerity. "I''m at the fifth level of the Qi Essence Stage, and my affinity is with the metal element¡­to be more precise, lightning."


    "Luo Bin, Winding River Sect." the student from 1-1 was unable to hide his contempt. "Third level of Qi Essence Stage, affinity with water."


    The two of them regarded each other for a moment, and then disappeared.


    "?!"


    My eyes widened slightly and I glanced around, only for the two to clash in the center of the coliseum. Thick clouds of qi erupted from their collision, and both golden and blue qi swirled and buffeted the reinforced walls with shockwaves.


    "Whoa!"


    "What an explosive start!"


    The students watching reeled back from instinct despite the arena being built and designed to withstand such power. I didn''t blame them. Even I was somewhat taken aback by the sheer ferocity between the two.


    Boom, boom, boom!


    Wham! Crackle!


    The intensity of their qi shot up exponentially as the two combatants clashed and exchanged blows. Despite being two levels lower than Qi Fu Ren, Luo Bin was giving his opponent a run for his money, striking and punching furiously. For a moment, Qi Fu Ren seemed like he was forced into the defensive, blocking and parrying the strikes. However, he answered with several counters of his own, but Luo Bin executed a couple of fluid movements to deflect those counters. Lighting spilled out and slammed into the ground, scorching the concrete, but Luo Bin remained unharmed.


    Thousands of water droplets floated in the air, suspended and unmoving. Since my ice affinity was somewhat related to water, I could clearly sense the potent qi held in each droplet, just waiting to be unleashed.


    And then they were fired.


    Responding to Luo Bin''s will, the water droplets turned into bullets, stretching and then hurtling forward to slam into Qi Fu Ren with enough force to punch through concrete. Realizing the danger, Qi Fu Ren disengaged and stepped back, throwing his hands up to conjure a wall of electricity. Water sizzled and vaporized into steam as they struck his lighting barrier, but a few broke through and tore holes through his body.


    "Gnnnh!"


    Qi Fu Ren staggered, blood dripping from the tiny holes punched through his body. He chuckled as he glanced at them, more amused than hurt.


    "Oh¡­not bad. You''ve certainly gotten a lot stronger."


    However, Luo Bin showed no mercy. Already he was lunging forward without any hesitation, his fist cocked back.


    "I''ll kill you!" he roared.


    "Wow," I remarked as I watched Luo Bin sock Qi Fu Ren. The latter was knocked off his feet and sent sprawling onto the ground. "He definitely has quite the grudge against Qi Fu Ren."


    "Can''t blame him." Tong Xue sounded gloomy. "Qi Fu Ren has been bullying him since two months ago, and the abuse only escalated."


    "If you think you can beat me up forever, you''re dead wrong!" Luo Bin hollered as he kicked Qi Fu Ren. Two colossal streams of water also slammed into Qi Fu Ren simultaneously, lifting the guy off his feet and hands and hurling him into the wall. The tremendous impact actually cracked the reinforced concrete and Qi Fu Ren slumped down. "I''m not going to stay below you forever!"


    "Wow¡­that Luo Bin has gotten a lot stronger," Tong Xue admitted. I glanced at him and smirked.


    "By the way, it has been over a minute."


    "Yeah, I know¡­I didn''t expect that. Sorry."


    I rolled my eyes. "Why are you apologizing to me? You should be apologizing to Luo Bin instead. Do that later."


    "At this rate, Luo Bin might actually win," Ban Zhang commented, pleasantly surprised. "I can''t believe how much he has improved!"


    "No." at Zhu Jiao''s ominous declaration, the rest of us turned to stare at him in shock. He shook his head. "Even with his improvement, it still won''t be enough."


    Lightning sparked and danced around the arena, and Qi Fu Ren rose to his feet, his body clad in electricity. His face had turned into a demonic, murderous mask of rage and hatred. Gone was his humor and arrogance, both of which had been replaced by fury and vengeance.


    "This can''t be good," Tong Xue muttered. Tang Qi Hong''s face blackened.


    "Qi Fu Ren has gotten a lot stronger again."


    "Really?" I hadn''t been around for two months so I could only take her word for it.


    Qi Fu Ren blasted Luo Bin''s water attacks apart with his lightning, but the latter didn''t seem perturbed. Instead, he conjured a barrier of water to shield himself from a lightning bolt that Qi Fu Ren threw at him.


    "So you''ve finally gotten serious, huh?" he sneered.


    "I''ll kill you, filth," Qi Fu Ren snarled. "Trash who doesn''t know his place. You should just lie on the ground and remain like the rubbish you''ve always been."


    "So that you''ll have someone to beat up when you feel like it?" Luo Bin growled. "Fuck you. I''m going to pay you back for everything you did to me."


    He then launched himself forward, heedless of the devastating lightning that crackled and filled the vast space of the coliseum. Jagged bolts of lightning lanced and blasted at him, but he deftly deflected them with raging whirlpools of water.


    "Amazing."


    I couldn''t help but be impressed, enraptured by the elemental fury between the two duelists.


    So this is the difference between a test and an official match¡­the difference between a human opponent and a test dummy¡­


    The atmosphere was saturated with so much emotion, with so many raw sensations. Unlike humans, the test dummy or battle puppet was devoid of emotions and feelings. Despite being able to efficiently and almost flawlessly replicate the martial arts techniques of masters, they lacked that essential human nature ¨C the power of emotions and feelings. They fought coldly and mechanically, driven by nothing but their programming. As a result, they sometimes became predictable, one-dimensional fighters who fought only because they were told to do so.


    In contrast, the human fighters were driven by an assortment of emotions, goals, dreams, ambitions, grudges and instinct. They sometimes made decisions based on emotions, or trusted their gut feeling as opposed to reason. This made them unpredictable. And they had goals, things they wanted to achieve. That gave them additional strength, power that could not be quantified or measured accurately. This was why I found the whole level and stage thing bullshit.


    Humans had a strength that cannot be measured. Time and time again, we had proven that throughout history, we had defied all odds to prevail and rule over all other living things in the world despite being relatively frail and weak.


    Qi Fu Ren and Luo Bin traded another few punches before they sprang away after a particularly violent clash. Lightning wreathed Qi Fu Ren''s fists while currents of water snaked and flowed around Luo Bin''s arms, forming some sort of fluid gauntlets.


    "You¡­" Qi Fu Ren muttered under his breath, his voice laced with fury. "If I let you go now, you''ll be a huge threat to me in future."


    "Never mind the future, I''ll defeat you now!"


    Luo Bin wasn''t a man of many words. With that simple shout, he then lunged forward again, generating a huge whirlpool of water to propel himself forward while simultaneously blasting water bullets to attack his opponent.


    "Guoooh!"


    Qi Fu Ren bellowed in defiance before he gathered as much qi as he could. His right hand glowing golden after accumulating so much qi, he swung his fist at the incoming water and unleashed his most powerful lightning attack.


    "Lightning Flash!"


    "What''s with martial artists always shouting out the names of their attacks and techniques?" I asked, bewildered.


    "Sh, don''t ask," Tong Xue reprimanded me. "Just go along with it."


    There wasn''t much I could go along with. Qi Fu Ren''s attack erupted into a colossal pillar of golden lightning, vaporizing all the water in the vicinity. Luo Bin vanished into the gargantuan beam, no doubt electrocuted and fried by the immense power of Qi Fu Ren''s attack.


    But Qi Fu Ren wasn''t done yet.


    He launched himself into his gradually fading pillar of lightning, his fists still wreathed in electricity. Cocking his right arm back, he threw a vicious hook that struck Luo Bin''s convulsing body and knocked him out of midair.


    Luo Bin slammed into the ground, carving a huge crater into the concrete even as he continued to skid across the broken surface. Qi Fu Ren mercilessly bore down on him, slamming his foot into Luo Bin''s abdomen.


    Crack!


    An ominous sound snapped across the arena. Even so, Qi Fu Ren was not done. He kicked the unconscious Luo Bin up and began to pummel him.


    "That''s enough."


    I had no idea when, but the teacher who was refereeing the match had suddenly appeared in the coliseum. Before Qi Fu Ren''s devastating fist could reach the scorched Luo Bin, the teacher seized his wrist. Lightning crackled and bit at his fingers, but the teacher seemed completely unaffected by their electrocuting effects.


    "Luo Bin has been incapacitated," Teacher Cai Pan informed him coolly. "This match is over. Cease your attacks at once."


    "Hmph."


    Qi Fu Ren didn''t seem satisfied, but even a bully like him wasn''t stupid enough to go against a teacher. He lowered his fists, then turned away to stalk off.


    Before he left, however, he turned around to smirk.


    "Well, it''s fine. I''ve damaged his dantian. It''ll be a while before he can cultivate¡­if he can cultivate ever again, that is. Whatever the case, you''ll continue to be my punching bag for another long while."


    Laughing, Qi Fu Ren left the stage.


    *


    "That was vicious."


    I felt sick just from witnessing that whole thing. After Teacher Cai Pan applied the necessary first aid, the medics had rushed in to ferry Luo Bin to the infirmary to get him treated. However, even with Teacher Yi Liao''s top-notch healing techniques, if Luo Bin''s dantian was damaged, there was very little she could do to help him with that.


    It would take a year or at least six months for him to recover before he could resume cultivation again. Fortunately, Teacher Cai stepped in and intervened before Qi Fu Ren could carry things too far, otherwise Luo Bin would have been crippled for good.


    "The worst thing is that Qi Fu Ren would not be punished for this. Technically, he did not break the rules surrounding official matches."


    Zhu Jiao sounded bitter as he leaned forward and crossed his fingers.


    "Luo Bin''s not the only victim," Tong Xue informed me when Zhu Jiao sank into a sullen silence. "He has been picking on other students as well, especially during the two months you weren''t here. In fact, I think he had gotten worse after your disappearance."


    That coincided with the stunt he pulled in Sen Lin Forest when he attempted to murder me in cold blood.


    Tong Xue must have read my mind or at least picked up those thoughts, for he leaned a little closer and dropped his voice to a whisper.


    "He''s been getting a lot bolder when he believed that he could get away with murder. After the cover-up, he seems to believe that he''s untouchable."


    "Of course," Zhu Jiao grumbled bitterly. "He literally got away with murder."


    "I can''t believe the academy didn''t punish him!" Tang Qi Hong hissed furiously, balling her fists.


    "¡­so you all knew that he was the one who attacked me."


    "Some of us saw it," Ban Zhang said quietly. "Even Teacher Jiao. But Principal Xiao hushed it up, and we were ordered not to talk about it."


    "I heard that the academy was under pressure from the White Tiger Sect," Tong Xue offered.


    "Master told me to continue pestering and petitioning to Principal Xiao," Tang Qi Hong grumbled. "But he threatened to expel me, so she had no choice but to stop. She told me that the White Tiger Sect has great influence on the academy."


    "Nonetheless, it doesn''t change the fact that Qi Fu Ren''s behavior is getting worse." Ban Zhang sighed as he slumped his shoulders. "Right now, we''re at a loss at what to do."


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    "¡­Uh huh."


    "Speaking of which, when do you intend on taking the level 5 test?" Zhu Jiao asked me. I shrugged.


    "Not anytime soon."


    "Eh? Why? You should take it as soon as possible."


    I raised my eyebrow at Tong Xue''s exclamation. "Dude, I almost got my ass kicked by a level 4 test dummy. What do you think will happen if I attempt to challenge a level 5 test dummy?"


    Zhu Jiao snorted at that. "Are you trying to be funny? Don''t bother deceiving us. I know you were holding back. You clearly weren''t using your true strength."


    "Eh?" Tong Xue turned to stare at him blankly. "How do you know?"


    "Do you honestly think Fei Wu would have survived two months in Sen Lin Forest with only that amount of strength?"


    "Zhu Jiao has a point there," Ban Zhang admitted with a nod. Tang Qi Hong merely shook her head, having guessed that as well. Tong Xue swiveled his head around and groaned.


    "I¡­never realized that."


    I patted him sympathetically, though I was secretly relieved that I was able to hide my true strength so well (Zhu Jiao was an exception, that guy was insane). "Don''t worry. It''s not important. Anyway, there''s no point sticking around here. Let''s go."


    The five of us slunk away from the spectator window and began returning to the dormitory. With the official match over, there wasn''t any reason for us to remain. As we walked forward, I was suddenly aware of one of our classmates coming over.


    "Tu Zi Yi?"


    The disciple from the Lunar Rabbit Sect nodded and stopped before us. She glanced around nervously, fidgeting, before settling her gaze on me.


    "Fei Wu, do you have a moment?"


    Tang Qi Hong immediately tensed up and instinctively stepped between us.


    "Oi, oi, what is this?" A mischievous grin was spreading over Tong Xue''s face. He looked from Tu Zi Yi to Tang Qi Hong to me, and back again, giggling idiotically.


    "It''s not what you think," Tu Zi Yi told him coldly. She glanced at Tang Qi Hong and her eyes softened. "Don''t worry, I just want to ask him a couple of questions."


    Tang Qi Hong didn''t relax, but I gently gestured for her to withdraw and sighed, having guessed what this was about.


    "You want to ask about my techniques¡­and why they''re so similar to your sect''s."


    Tu Zi Yi''s eyes widened, having been caught off guard by my bluntness. She glanced uncertainly at the other three guys and Tang Qi Hong, but Ban Zhang took the hint. Nodding, he gestured for Zhu Jiao and Tong Xue to leave with him. Tang Qi Hong also read the mood and obediently distanced herself.


    "Eh¡­"


    Tong Xue wanted to stick around for a bit longer, but he realized that he wasn''t welcome here. So he reluctantly followed.


    "Make sure you tell me about this later!" he called out to me, earning a glare from Tang Qi Hong.


    "I already told you that it''s not what you''re thinking!" Tu Zi Yi shouted at him before he disappeared. I shook my head.


    "Ignore Tong Xue. He''s just joking. More importantly¡­" I stared at her seriously. "What is it you want to ask?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? If you already know that it''s regarding your techniques, I want to know where you''ve learned them. And how? How did you get access to our Lunar Rabbit Sect''s techniques? Who taught you?"


    "First, it seems like you''re misunderstanding something." I held up a hand. "The kicks I''m using are not the same as the kicks from your Lunar Rabbit Sect. they might be similar, but I do not believe they are identical."


    "What are you talking about?!" Tu Zi Yi demanded. "No matter how I look at them¡­"


    "Secondly," I cut her off rudely. "I learned these kicks from Lunar Rabbits."


    That silenced Tu Zi Yi. She stared at me intensely, as if unable to decide whether I was messing around with her or not.


    "I''m not joking," I assured her. "I really did learn those kicks from Lunar Rabbits." Sighing, I leaned back. "You do know I was trapped in Sen Lin Forest for two months, right? How did you think I survived? By learning and adapting to the demonic creatures and magical beasts living in Sen Lin Forest, of course."


    "That''s¡­"


    Tu Zi Yi trailed off. I shrugged.


    "Well, I don''t blame you. But I believe your Lunar Rabbit Sect was founded by someone who learned or at least tried to imitate the devastating kicks of a Lunar Rabbit. So it''s only natural that the kicks I learned directly from sparring Lunar Rabbits are very similar to the ones your sect has passed down for generations."


    "¡­I see."


    Tu Zi Yi sighed, and then turned away.


    "I can''t say I completely believe you, but I''ll take your word for it. For now, anyway."


    "I''m not lying. It''s up to you if you want to believe me or not, but I''ll tell you now that I didn''t encounter any master in Sen Lin Forest who taught me Lunar Rabbit kicks. They were all really learned from those magical beasts themselves."


    Unable to argue, Tu Zi Yi waved me away before she talked off. I watched her leave, and then turned back to catch up with my friends.


    *


    "So what really happened between you and Tu Zi Yi?"


    Tong Xue was hovering behind me, relentlessly asking that same question over and over again. I sighed and shook my head.


    "I already told you. Nothing. She thought I learned martial arts techniques from her sect, and I assured her that I didn''t."


    "Is that all? Really?"


    I really hated it when Tong Xue teased me like that, so I just shut up and refused to play along with him.


    "Stop bothering Fei Wu!" Tang Qi Hong snapped, but I had the feeling she showed up nearby just to eavesdrop on the conversation. She seemed incredibly relieved that nothing had happened, or perhaps I was being overly self-conscious. "If he says it''s about martial arts, then that''s all it is!"


    "But hey, I was surprised when you used those kicks against the level 4 test dummy." Tong Xue finally turned serious, partially because he was wilting under Qi Hong''s glare. "They really resembled the kicks that Tu Zi Yi used. It''s only natural that people think you''ve learned her sect''s techniques."


    "They''re similar, but they''re not identical."


    "Of course someone with an intimate knowledge would know that, but have you forgotten that the students of Wu Ling Academy all come from different sects?"


    "No." It wasn''t that I forgot that, but I wasn''t exactly expecting anyone to know anything in detail. But I was too tired to split hairs, so I left it at that.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t given much of a respite. Barely had we finished our conversation when there was a loud crash in the corridor.


    "What happened?!"


    "Whoa!"


    "Let''s go take a look!" Tong Xue shot up from his seat and hurried outside. Despite my exhaustion, my curiosity got the better of me and I followed him, just as eager as everyone else to see what had transpired.


    "!"


    The moment I stepped outside, I recognized the unmistakable figures of Qi Fu Ren and his two cronies, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao.


    That wasn''t all. Against the wall, lying in a heap, was the miserable figure of Luo Bin. Qi Fu Ren stepped on him, preventing him from getting up. Evidently, he was the one who attacked and threw Luo Bin against the wall.


    "Fuck you¡­" Luo Bin spat defiantly, even as Qi Fu Ren ground his head against the floor.


    "Huh?" Qi Fu Ren snarled as he shifted more of his body weight to crush Luo Bin. "Did I hear that right? From someone who lost to me? Someone who can''t use his qi?"


    "I''ll kill you," Luo Bin growled. "After I recover, I''ll kill you. I don''t care if it takes six months or a year, I''ll definitely¡­!"


    "Hmph." Qi Fu Ren kicked Luo Bin up, slamming the poor guy against the wall. "Big talk from someone who can''t use his qi, especially after losing so pathetically to me yesterday. Perhaps you haven''t learn your lesson yet, human punching bag!"


    Raising his lightning fist, he punched Luo Bin, discharging the powerful electricity to electrocute the latter, who was now unable to muster any qi defenses now that his dantian was damaged.


    The fist never reached Luo Bin.


    Bam!


    "Hmm?"


    Qi Fu Ren scowled when he saw that I had intercepted his fist, preventing him from landing a blow on Luo Bin. He turned to glare at me.


    "Another one who doesn''t know his place."


    "Hey!" Tang Qi Hong was rushing forward. "Stop it, you guys!"


    I nodded at her and gestured for her to stand back, but she did so only reluctantly. Nonetheless, she was getting ready to intervene if necessary. Fortunately, I didn''t intend to go to blows with Qi Fu Ren. Not yet, anyway.


    "Don''t you find it boring to pick on the weak?"


    "Pretty rich, coming from a weakling like you."


    Yet here I was, able to intercept his Lightning Fist without so much as a scratch or negative reaction. If Qi Fu Ren was intrigued by my resistance, he showed no sign of it. After all, Zhu Jiao had demonstrated previously that it was not impossible to defend against Qi Fu Ren''s signature Lightning Fist attack.


    "If you really think I''m weak, then you wouldn''t be afraid to accept my challenge then," I replied with a smile.


    "!"


    Qi Fu Ren blinked in surprise, not expecting the curveball I threw at him. Behind, his cronies waddled up.


    "Of course boss wouldn''t be afraid!"


    "He''ll just wipe you across the floor!"


    "You''ll regret ever challenging him!"


    "Boss will just utterly destroy you, right boss?"


    A single glare from Qi Fu Ren silenced his rambling flunkies. Then he slowly turned to regard me, a sinister smile spreading across his face.


    "Afraid? I''m more worried that you would never come around to challenging me."


    "Well, here I am, challenging you right now." I shrugged nonchalantly as I casually inserted myself between Qi Fu Ren and Luo Bin. "An official match, in front of everybody. A few days from now, on Saturday morning. How about it?"


    "Hmph. Consider your challenge accepted. In fact, make sure you don''t run away."


    With a snort, Qi Fu Ren turned away and waved flippantly. Hu Shuo and Ba Dao hastily followed in his wave, but not before sending venomous looks in my direction.


    "Isn''t that too reckless?!" Tang Qi Hong demanded. I shook my head, but before I could answer, someone else popped up.


    "Are you seriously challenging Qi Fu Ren?" Tong Xue asked, concerned. As always, he was almost invisible when Qi Fu Ren was fully engaged in the conflict, and conveniently reappeared when the violence was gone. "He''s at level 5 and the fifth level of Qi Essence Stage, you know?!"

 37 Chapter 36: Official Match 2

    As it was a weekend morning, there were many middle school students from Wu Ling Academy who gathered in the spectator box, overseeing the coliseum from behind that massive reinforced glass window above.


    I wasn''t going to flatter myself. I knew the majority of them weren''t here to witness my official match against Qi Fu Ren. Plenty of them were here to spectate the other matches, and a few of them were in fact involved in the matches lined up for that morning, using the academy dueling system to settle disputes and grudges.


    As always, the coliseum was huge. Like before, it was an enclosed space ten meters high, and a hundred meters long and wide, surrounded on all four¡­no, six sides by reinforced concrete. The only thing to break the tedium was the huge double gates from which both combatants emerged from, as well as the gigantic window above, near the ceiling.


    Even though this was only the middle school section, the coliseum had been designed to withstand even adult masters'' attacks. If there were too many matches in a day, the high school students would sometimes come over to use ours.


    "Am I a bit too early?"


    Being one of the combatants lined up for the matches arranged today, I had gotten up early to prepare, and now it seemed that I had reached the arena way ahead of time. Stepping into the spectator box, I saw a massive crowd hustling together to watch the current match.


    "You Sheng Zhe, you snatched away my childhood sweetheart. I refuse to live under the same sky as you. Today, at least one of us will be crippled!"


    "Hmph, Shi Bai Zhe. What makes you think you''re good enough for Mei Nu? Since you don''t fear death, then I will make sure you regret ever messing with me."


    Even as the two duelists were locked in an intense match, they traded barbed words. By the time I reached the window, I saw that Shi Bai Zhe was already injured, with blood running down his gashed cheek.


    However, his injury didn''t diminish his bloodlust and he lunged forward with his sword.


    "Die!"


    Incredibly sharp qi aura surged from his blade as Shi Bai Zhe thrust his sword at You Sheng Zhe. I wasn''t sure I recognized that technique.


    "Oh, isn''t that the Soaring Sky Sword Style?"


    Tong Xue, as mysterious as ever, showed up right when I was wondering about that. He smiled as he gave me an encouraging pat on my shoulder.


    "You''re here early."


    "So are you."


    "Got to gather information, after all!" Tong Xue replied with a laugh. I nodded and turned my attention back toward Shi Bai Zhe and You Sheng Zhe.


    Oh, not bad¡­


    "Heh. Shi Bai Zhe, for you to have cultivated the Soaring Sky Sword Style to such an extent, I''ll admit that it''s impressive. No wonder you dared to challenge me. Unfortunately, I have also mastered my Soaring Cloud Beheading Sword Style to the extent where I can wield its full power!"


    I glanced at Tong Xue, exasperated. "Is it just me, or are these combatants being too talkative? Who the hell brags about their skills, techniques and to what extent they have mastered them in the middle of a duel!?"


    "Dunno." Tong Xue shrugged indifferently.


    "¡­I guess they feel the need to explain to their audience what skills they have mastered and how proficient they are, so that we can get a better understanding of what''s going in the fight? But in reality, nobody cares about that, they just want to see the action."


    "Then stop rambling and just watch the fight," Tong Xue advised. I blinked, realizing that he was right, and shut up.


    You Sheng Zhe countered Shi Bai Zhe''s strike almost perfectly, a ripple of dark blue light bursting from his sword and shattering the multiple mirages of blades. In a single blow, he repelled Shi Bai Zhe''s assault and even launched his own attack.


    Thud!


    "Gaaaaaah!"


    A disembodied arm flopped helplessly onto the ground as a fountain of blood spurted across the arena. Red stained the dark blue lance of qi before dripping onto the ground in a rain of blood. Across the coliseum, Shi Bai Zhe collapsed.


    "Ugh¡­ugh¡­"


    He clutched his right shoulder with his left arm, attempting to stem the bleeding from his stump. He writhed about miserably on the ground, wailing and screaming from the pain and shock. His expression contorted in pain and despair, he stared helplessly at You Sheng Zhe.


    Shaking his head, Tong Xue offered an explanation. "Shi Bai Zhe is one level lower than You Sheng Zhe. Although he had no confidence of winning against You Sheng Zhe, he clearly believed that he could at least hurt the latter."


    Unfortunately, Shi Bai Zhe couldn''t even put a single scratch on the bastard. I had a feeling it wasn''t merely because of the levels, though. The levels had no meaning to me. For me, the greater reason was Shi Bai Zhe''s mentality. He had already decided, even before the match began, that he would lose. The moment he didn''t believe in himself, what chance did he have of winning? The difference wasn''t just the levels of the two, but also their attitudes and confidence.


    Shi Bai Zhe trembled, almost in tears. You Sheng Zhe stared down on his pathetic form and barked out in cruel laughter.


    "Ha ha! Don''t think I''ll let you off even after I cut off one of your arms. I''ll slowly cut all the qi vessels on your limbs and destroy your dantian. I''ll cripple your cultivation¡­see if you''ll be able to cultivate again after this!"


    "You¡­!"


    Despite losing an arm, Shi Bai Zhe hadn''t officially surrendered yet. That was why Teacher Cai Pan did nothing. He could do nothing until Shi Bai Zhe was completely incapacitated (unconscious, for example) or voluntarily admit his defeat.


    Knowing that, You Sheng Zhe had decided to taunt him, to provoke him so that he wouldn''t give up.


    "Idiot!" I yelled, banging both fists against the glass window. "It''s a trap! Don''t fall for his provocation!"


    Unfortunately, the glass was reinforced and soundproof, so Shi Bai Zhe couldn''t hear me. The glass that served to prevent interferences of any kind blocked out my voice, thus impeding Shi Bai Zhe from making any rational decision.


    "Guoooh!"


    With a roar, Shi Bai Zhe picked up his sword with his remaining left hand and lunged at You Sheng Zhe. The latter merely chuckled, clearly enjoying his torment of his weaker, both physically and mentally, opponent, and slashed.


    Swoosh!


    You Sheng Zhe''s sword disappeared into a blur, almost too fast for the human eye to follow. The next thing he knew, Shi Bai Zhe fell over and howled in agony, blood spurting from his leg. I narrowed my eyes when I realized that it wasn''t a simple injury.


    You Sheng Zhe hadn''t just cut Shi Bai Zhe''s leg. He had severed a qi vessel. The flow of qi was cut off from the leg and Shi Bai Zhe was no longer able to stand up. Grinning, You Sheng Zhe raised his sword and plunged it toward Shi Bai Zhe''s abdomen.


    He intended to destroy his opponent''s dantian.


    Shi Bai Zhe turned pale with fear at the sudden realization, and was forced to roll away. However, he didn''t manage to get away unscathed, and the blade cut through his side, rupturing his stomach and causing a torrent of blood to spill out from the grievous wound.


    "Aaaaah! AAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "Don''t run away! Aren''t you going to get revenge me for stealing your childhood sweetheart?"


    You Sheng Zhe was laughing as he swung his sword down to stab Shi Bai Zhe again.


    "W¡­wait! I surrender! I give up!"


    Blubbering, his face covered in tears and snot, Shi Bai Zhe pathetically shouted. Before the blade could reach his dantian, Teacher Cai dashed out and grabbed the blade with his bare hand, stopping it a millimeter away.


    "!"


    You Sheng Zhe didn''t expect that. He had thought he would be able to deliver the finishing blow before Teacher Cai intervened. But he was even more surprised that Teacher Cai actually caught his powerful Soaring Cloud Beheading Sword Style with nothing but his bare fingers, and his blade didn''t even leave a single scratch or mark on the teacher''s flesh.


    Just how powerful were the teachers when compared to us?


    "The match is over," Teacher Cai informed You Sheng Zhe plainly. "You have won."


    "¡­"


    "Ah~ and here I was, thinking I could cripple that loser and end his harassment once and for all." You Sheng Zhe shook his head in mock disappointment.


    "Come on, Sheng Zhe," the beautiful girl comforted him. "Forget it. Poor Bai Zhe is already halfway to becoming a cripple, and I doubt he''ll ever be able to challenge you again."


    "Ha ha! Since Mei Nu says so, then I''ll let him off!" Guffawing loudly, You Sheng Zhe arrogantly turned back to the arena and waved scornfully. "Shi Bai Zhe, you can come and try to take revenge on me in your next life!"


    Shi Bai Zhe was no longer in any condition to muster up a response. He was still staring hollowly at the ground, his eyes lifeless and empty, as a medic escorted him to the infirmary. Teacher Yi Liao might be able to reattach his arm with the current advanced medical facilities, but the severed qi vessel in his leg would take a lot longer to heal.


    "I feel sorry for him. His childhood sweetheart got snatched away, then he loses an arm, and then gets a qi vessel in his leg cut. He''s basically a goner."


    "Official matches are pretty scary, huh? The moment it begins, it''s not going to end until at least one of the combatants are crippled or dead."


    "But his childhood sweetheart sure is something, huh? She actually hooked up with You Sheng Zhe. How sly¡­"


    "To be honest, You Sheng Zhe is superior to Shi Bai Zhe in every aspect. If I were her, I would leave him for a better person too."


    There was some sympathy for Shi Bai Zhe, but it was drowned out by callousness. Here, in Martial City, only those with strength were recognized. The weak was culled or bullied. It was the most stupid system I had ever heard, but apparently it was supposed to be a given for all wuxia worlds. I call bullshit on that, but¡­


    "Oh? Isn''t the match already over? Why is everyone still hanging around here?"


    One of the spectators was confused when he saw that the majority of the spectators had remained to watch the presently empty arena.


    "There''s another match later."


    "Oh, interesting! I guess I''ll stick around and watch that too!"


    "Hmm? Do you know who''s fighting in the next match?"


    To be fair, most of the spectators didn''t know who the combatants were, or who were dueling. They were just here to watch the matches and learn a few techniques or strategies here and there. Unless they had interest in a specific person, matchup or martial art, they rarely memorized the list of scheduled matches.


    A few of them did know, however, and when proudly showed off their knowledge when they heard the questions circulating around.


    "Didn''t you hear? The next match is between the second-strongest disciple of the revered White Tiger Sect and some guy who spent two months surviving in Sen Lin Forest."


    "Oh? Qi Fu Ren? He''s fighting against somebody?"


    "Who?"


    "Two months in the Sen Lin Forest? Oh, that random guy who brought back the Shadow Leopard and the Diamondback Crocodile?"


    "Ah¡­I remember him. An interesting fellow. Does anyone know anything about him? Like the martial arts he uses?"


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    "I saw him taking the level 4 test the other day. It seems that he specializes in kicking techniques and footwork."


    "Huh¡­how is that supposed to help him against Qi Fu Ren? That bastard is already at the fifth level of the Qi Essence Stage, you know? If he doesn''t have any proper elemental techniques, he''s only going to get electrocuted before he gets near!"


    "But he did survive two months in the Sen Lin Forest, and up to now there''s very little information regarding him. This Fei Wu is a pretty mysterious person."


    Uh, no? I wasn''t? Why was everyone treating me like I was some kind of alien? I attended classes every day. Granted, I didn''t stand out that much, and furthermore getting level 4 at this stage of the year wasn''t that unusual, so there was no reason to collect any information on me, but I wouldn''t call myself "mysterious."


    "Furthermore, Qi Fu Ren just decisively defeated Luo Bin the other day. Does this Fei Wu really stand a chance?"


    There was a laugh. "Actually, that''s the interesting thing. Fei Wu saved Luo Bin from Qi Fu Ren the day after those two''s match, and challenged him then."


    "Oh? Fascinating."


    I listened to all the discussion with a sense of detachment, but didn''t go over to speak up. I had to admit, it was kind of funny listening to other people talk about me when they didn''t realize I was just behind them, eavesdropping. Not that eavesdropping was a good habit, but whatever. It also gave me a chance to see who talked about me behind my back.


    That way, I could plan my vengeance, like I did while lurking in a certain Discord server and reading the comments people had about me.


    "But does anyone know what level this Fei Wu is? Is he also the fifth level of Qi Essence Stage?"


    "Nah, he just took the level 4 test the other day. So he''s level 4 at the most."


    Someone should tell that idiot that the test''s levels did not correspond to the levels of cultivation stages. Otherwise there would exist levels 6, 7, 8 and 9. Level 5 was the highest level regarding tests and resource distributions for now.


    "Mei Nu, did you hear about this?" You Sheng Zhe asked arrogantly as he swaggered up to the spectator box, transforming from participant to spectator. "There seems to be quite a few reckless people lately. First, we had Luo Bin, then we had Shi Bai Zhe, and now this Fei Wu? All of them overestimating themselves and challenging people who are stronger?"


    He then settled into one of the couches provided by the academy, laughing boisterously. Mei Nu shrugged.


    "Didn''t you hear? This Fei Wu is the one who just returned to the academy about a week or two ago, after surviving two months in the Sen Lin Forest? And furthermore, he made a big impact during the practical training last week, bringing the monster cores of a Rank 5 Shadow Leopard and a Rank 4 Diamondback Crocodile back."


    "Ah¡­I''ve heard of him."


    Amused, You Sheng Zhe caressed Mei Nu in an area where all good young men were not supposed to touch. Mei Nu twitched, but aside from rolling her eyes, did not push her current beau away in disgust.


    All the debate and discussion were silenced immediately when everyone spotted Qi Fu Ren and his two flunkies, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao, strolling toward the preparation room adjacent to the bottom level lf the arena.


    "Oh! They''re finally here!"


    "Eh? Isn''t that¡­?!"


    But the three middle school students weren''t alone. Accompanying the trio was an elderly man dressed in traditional robes. He looked about fifty, but possessed a robust constitution that emanated an air of strength and authority.


    "That''s Elder Hu! An elder from the White Tiger Sect!"


    "An Elder from the White Tiger Sect actually came to spectate!?"


    To be honest, it was not unusual. The students'' official matches were open for all to view. Consequently, a lot of the adults, masters and elders from the various martial arts sects attended and watched. Usually they would be here to observe their disciples'' progress, to stamp their authority, or to learn and gather intelligence on the techniques of rival sects'' disciples. But it wasn''t very frequent either, which was why everyone was so excited.


    "Kick that trash''s ass, boss!" Hu Shuo urged Qi Fu Ren.


    "Yeah! Teach him his place!" Ba Dao agreed. Qi Fu Ren grinned and cracked his knuckles menacingly.


    "I''ll make sure to cripple him."


    "Don''t go too far," Elder Hu reminded him. "Or you''ll end up causing trouble for the White Tiger Sect."


    "Yes, I understand, Master." Qi Fu Ren nodded and cupped his hands respectfully. Despite being the delinquent who loved bullying others, he was intelligent to recognize those above him in strength, and had no qualms sucking up to them. Or obeying them.


    The four of them then disappeared into the preparation room at the bottom level, fading out of sight and hearing. Fortunately, with my protagonist''s privilege, I could somewhat tell what happened within the enclosed room and provide a sort of critical foreshadowing for the readers.


    "One more thing." The elder quietly pressed something into Qi Fu Ren''s palm. "For insurance."


    Qi Fu Ren glanced at the thing in his hand, and then he looked up with a scowl.


    "Master, I don''t need to rely on something like this to win."


    "It would be good if you don''t," Elder Hu agreed calmly. "But better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."


    "¡­"


    Qi Fu Ren was unable to refute his master''s


    While the quartet were inside the preparation room, closed off from the eyes and ears and others, the crowd was stirred by the uncommon sight and murmuring excitedly.


    "Where is Fei Wu? Why is he not here?"


    "Maybe he got scared and ran away."


    "Hah! That might be true! I''ll make sure to make fun of him when I see him."


    "Go ahead and make fun of me."


    The guy who said that froze and slowly turned around. I cocked my head at him and beckoned for him to speak up.


    "Go on. Didn''t you say you''ll make fun of me when you see me? You''ve seen me. What are you waiting for?"


    "Ah ha ha ha¡­it was a joke, just a joke. Please don''t take my words seriously."


    The schoolmate lowered his head and tried to hide behind his peers. I regarded him with scorn, and then stalked toward the preparation room.


    "Heh, that was hilarious," Tong Xue whispered as he caught up with me. I shrugged.


    "Fei Wu!"


    Turning around, I caught sight of Tang Qi Hong. She was running up to me, followed by Zhu Jiao and Ban Zhang. It seemed that my friends had all gathered to watch me fight, probably to provide moral support and cheer for me.


    "Good luck!"


    "Thanks."


    "Yeah, kick that bastard''s ass," Zhu Jiao added when he caught up. Ban Zhang frowned at his choice of words, but didn''t disagree.


    "Do your best."


    "Don''t be reckless! Be careful, okay?" Tang Qi Hong was grabbing my hands. Tong Xue was whistling and mischievously giggling, but I ignored him and nodded.


    "Thanks." I gripped her hands back. "I really appreciate your support."

 38 Chapter 37: Vicious duel

    "You both understand the rules and terms of this duel, correct? You will not hold the other party responsible for any death or injury incurred during this match."


    "Of course not," Qi Fu Ren replied, then grinned. "Not like I''m going to be injured, anyway."


    I ignored him and nodded. "I understand the terms."


    "Good." Teacher Cai then stepped back. He gave Qi Fu Ren a look of warning. "Don''t go too far, even if you win."


    "What are you talking about?" Qi Fu Ren drawled.


    But he knew. Qi Fu Ren had built up a notorious reputation during his nine months here. He was famous for crippling his opponents'' cultivation, destroying them utterly and going too far even when it was clear that he was the victor.


    His battle against Luo Bin was a clear indication of that, nor was it the only time he went overboard during an official match.


    However, as he technically did not break any rules, the academy couldn''t punish him. And Qi Fu Ren had no intention of changing his modus operandi.


    "¡­"


    No matter. I just had to ensure I didn''t lose to this bastard then.


    By then I was inside the arena, so I didn''t have to listen to the usual nonsense that non-playable characters and mobs uttered in the buildup to the fight, like how I was supposedly the trash of the earth who overestimated myself and refused to know my place, how I was going to lose in ten moves, etc. you know, the usual bullshit that wuxia authors loved to have their mob characters spout so that their self-insert Mary Sue protagonists could prove everyone wrong, and then get praised to high heaven for defying everyone''s expectations.


    However, there was a certain conversation that was of particular interest to me, especially since it would involve my future.


    "Jiao Shi, what do you think?"


    Far away from the students in the spectator box, located in a separate building ¨C the headmaster building, to be exact ¨C Principal Xiao Zhang watched the match with interest. It was being broadcasted to a gigantic holographic screen that took up an entire wall. Beside him, Jiao Shi leaned back in the couch and frowned.


    "What do you mean? Are you asking me who I think would win the match?"


    "And what is that same thing?" Teacher Jiao asked carefully, glancing at Xiao Zhang. He maintained a neutral expression, but there was some tension in his voice.


    "Relax. I know you''re fairly close to Fei Wu, but as a teacher, you shouldn''t show favoritism." Xiao Zhang didn''t sound very admonishing, though. "I was wondering if you''ve picked up the changes in Fei Wu''s constitution. He seems a lot stronger than before. Do you think he managed to figure out the Heaven and Earth Formula while he was in the Sen Lin Forest?"


    "That seems like quite a leap to make," Teacher Jiao replied. "And to be honest, I wouldn''t know. I do not have firsthand experience of witnessing the Heavenly Destroyer Tian Mo in action, so I am unable to identify Heaven and Earth Formula even if I see it in front of me. Even so, what does Fei Wu''s experience in the forest have to do with Heaven and Earth Formula? It could simply be that he adapted to the environment by gaining experience through fighting the magical beasts populating that deep region of Sen Lin Forest."


    "Oh, you definitely have a point. But as you rightly mention about you not having witnessed the Absolute One''s Heaven and Earth Formula firsthand, I, on the other hand¡­" Xiao Zhang''s eyes narrowed. "Still, I don''t have proof. It''s just a feeling, though."


    "¡­just a feeling?"


    "I mean, I won''t know until he actually uses it. In fact, he might even be using Heaven and Earth Formula right now, and I wouldn''t notice it." Xiao Zhang sighed. "There are so many mysteries regarding Heaven and Earth Formula¡­"


    "Hmm, but you''re right about one thing, Principal Xiao." Beside Teacher Jiao, Teacher Yi Liao lay on the couch in an almost seductive manner. Her long hair fell past her pretty face as she looked up at the two men. "Student Fei Wu''s constitution is completely different from before." She lowered her voice. "I would prefer not to leak this out, but his qi¡­contains huge amounts of demonic qi in it."


    "That''s¡­"


    "Relax, Jiao Shi," Xiao Zhang raised a hand before Teacher Jiao could protest. "I''ve sensed that as well, somewhat. But I''m not going to penalize student Fei Wu for that." he traded a glance with Teacher Yi Liao. "Be sure to keep those transformations to yourself. Ensure that those old Traditionalist bastards never catch a whiff of this news."


    "I''m way ahead of you on that," Teacher Yi giggled as she sprawled across the couch. She then indicated the holographic screen. "Well, it seems like the match is about to begin. Let''s pay attention, shall we?"


    "One more thing," Teacher Shu Xue spoke up. Everyone turned to him in surprise, as if they had forgotten that he was in the same room as them. Not caring about his lack of presence, Teacher Shu continued indifferently. "You tried to cover up Qi Fu Ren''s attempt to murder Fei Wu, but you''re allowing this duel?"


    "Students have the right to challenge each other to duels," Xiao Zhang replied. "There is nothing the staff can do to revoke that right."


    "Aren''t you afraid of a backlash from the White Tiger Sect?"


    "Oh?" Teacher Yi laughed. "Shu Xue, you sound like you''re expecting Student Fei Wu to win."


    "There is a slight probability that he might," Teacher Shu replied calmly. "Unlike most people, I don''t dismiss possibilities just because they are highly unlikely. I consider each and every outcome very carefully."


    "As expected of a mathematics teacher." Teacher Yi didn''t sound like she was mocking him, just a little amused and impressed at the same time.


    "Don''t worry about the White Tiger Sect," Xiao Zhang replied with a smile. "In that case, because of a complete lack of evidence, my hands are tied. But this time, whatever happens is happening in front of everyone''s eyes." he shrugged. "There''s no way they can silence the outcome of this match, not when it''s being broadcasted to the public. Besides¡­" he narrowed his eyes. "Whatever happens here is under my jurisdiction. Even the Martial Arts Alliance cannot interfere and bend the rules of Wu Ling Academy. Not while I remain in charge."


    If you were wondering how I knew all this while being in a separate building and far away from the actual conversation, well¡­I didn''t. Not at that time, anyway. I was merely making use of my special protagonist''s privilege to give the readers a bigger picture that included not just my first-person perspective but those of the others around me.


    "What the fuck do you think you''re doing?"


    I snapped out of my out-of-body narration experience and returned to my actual physical body in the present.


    Currently Qi Fu Ren and I were standing about twenty meters away from each other. The former was glaring at me, probably annoyed that I was spacing out. He cleared his throat and began the formal ritual to initiate the duel.


    "I am Qi Fu Ren of the White Tiger Sect. my specialties include Lightning Fist and other electric-affinity techniques. I have studied in Wu Ling Academy for nine months, and am currently at the fifth level of the Qi Essence Stage."


    He then jeered at me, and scornfully beckoned for me to take my turn. I merely cocked my head to the side, and shrugged.


    "I am Fei Wu from class 1-4. I¡­uh, specialize in Shadow Steps and kicking techniques. I''ve also been in Wu Ling Academy for nine months, though I was absent for two of those months."


    "¡­"


    There were a few laughs when they heard Shadow Steps. Evidently, everyone in the academy knew about the open-source martial arts, and that Shadow Steps was a mere level 1, entry-level martial arts.


    However, some remembered how I used Seismic Step to destroy the level 4 test dummy.


    "What''s his level? His stage?"


    "Is he also Qi Essence Stage?"


    Even though I couldn''t hear those questions, from the way the spectators were moving about agitatedly behind the transparent window, I could guess what they were asking. It was unusual for someone to not reveal their level or stage.


    Honestly, that made no sense to me. Why the hell would I reveal my true strength to an opponent I was about to duel?


    "Your level? Stage?"


    Qi Fu Ren couldn''t bear it any longer and demanded. I shrugged.


    "I don''t know."


    "Huh? You screwing with me? How can you not know your own level or stage?"


    "That''s what I want to ask everyone. How do you measure a person''s stage or level? Are you at a particular level because you have an exact amount of qi corresponding to it? How do you quantify their amount of qi? Do you just estimate based on your gut feeling, or do you have some sort of qi-measuring equipment to accurately quantify it?"


    "What¡­what¡­what¡­?!" Qi Fu Ren spluttered. Then he drew his hand back as both his fists exploded to life with electricity. "Forget it! If you don''t know your level and stage, then that''s fine! You''re most likely several levels lower than me anyway!"


    Smirking, he unleashed his potent qi in an attempt to intimidate me. Static electricity spread across the arena, making my hair stand on end. This display of terrifying power was meant to intimidate me, to show the massive gulf between the both of us.


    Not waiting for me to react, Qi Fu Ren kicked off the ground and launched himself at me. Throwing his fist forward, he yelled, "Lightning Fist!"


    "What is it with people always yelling the names of their techniques just before their attacks?" I grumbled as I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Still, I couldn''t afford to underestimate Qi Fu Ren. His Lightning Fist was a merciless attack that sent electricity throughout the target''s body, electrocuting him from within and potentially destroying all his meridians and frying his nerves. Qi Fu Ren''s version was one that particularly caused intense suffering.


    As expected of a bully.


    "Die!"


    Qi Fu Ren''s fist hurtled forward, intent on hitting the center of my lower body. Most likely he intended to destroy my dantian with a single strike and cripple me.


    Unlike a certain Lu Fu Chen, I wasn''t an overpowered Mary Sue who could defeat every opponent who challenged me with a single attack. I was forced to dodge, but Qi Fu Ren spun around and struck me with his other arm. Using Tui, I quickly retreated and expanded the distance between him and me.


    "You¡­!"


    Frustrated, Qi Fu Ren hurled a bolt of lightning at me, but I dashed to the side, making full use of my footwork to disappear. To Qi Fu Ren, I must resemble a blur, zigzagging across the arena and almost disappearing into the shadows.


    "No way¡­to think that the Shadow Steps can be used like this!"


    "Isn''t Shadow Steps only a level 1 martial arts? How the hell is he using it to evade all of Qi Fu Ren''s attacks in such a manner?"


    Of course, these were all anecdotes that I heard later when Tong Xue provided me with a commentary of the audience''s reactions, which he found hilarious. I couldn''t say I shared his humor, though.


    Qi Fu Ren, realizing that he wouldn''t be able to hit me with long-range attacks, dashed forward. I recognized his maneuver as Jin.


    So Teacher Jiao was telling the truth when he said that these footwork techniques were open to the public, for all the students to learn¡­


    Furthermore, Qi Fu Ren had passed the level 5 test, so he would undoubtedly have access to this level 5 footwork technique. However, unlike me, he only mastered Jin. That was something I would learn later, but at the moment I assumed that he had learned all five.


    Not that it would have made a difference.


    I responded by retreating again, but Qi Fu Ren bounced off the floor and hurtled toward me, his electrifying fists closing in.


    "Stop running!" he bellowed. "Fight me, you coward!"


    "What do you think I''m doing?"


    Qi Fu Ren answered with a devastating punch that blew out the wall from behind me. I dodged under his Lightning Fist, but he brought his knee up to cave my face in. fortunately, I was able to parry his knee with both my hands.


    "!"


    The lightning that clad his body sent shocks throughout me, almost numbing my hands and affecting my movements. Breaking contact, I quickly jumped back and used Tui to widen the distance between us again.


    "Not this again!"


    Furious, Qi Fu Ren matched my retreat with his advance, using Jin to close in on the distance. I was forced to duck under his Lightning Fist again. Spinning around, I countered with a Shadow Kick that he blocked with his forearm and hands.


    "Kuh!"


    I managed to send him staggering to the side, but I received a stun for my efforts. A bit of electricity gnawed at my foot, but I stomped on the ground and discharged the vicious electric currents into the earth, forcing them out of my system.


    "Huff¡­"


    It''s really troublesome, fighting someone who uses lightning techniques. Backing away, I wiped the perspiration from my brow and glared at Qi Fu Ren. He seemed equally frustrated at his inability to deliver a decisive blow, raising his eyes to meet mine.


    Then he lunged at me again. I scraped my foot against the floor, and then retreated, but Qi Fu Ren anticipated that and changed his trajectory. I was almost caught off guard when he appeared in front of me, sending a vicious hook at my head.


    "Whoa!"


    I ducked backward, watching with wide eyes as Qi Fu Ren''s fist sailed overhead, breezing past a few millimeters away from my nose. However, Qi Fu Ren suddenly bent his arm and rammed his elbow into my chest, sending me crashing down onto the ground while coughing out some blood. Instinctively, I tried to roll away, but Qi Fu Ren kicked me in the ribs, sending me flying across the air. I hit the wall and slumped down, stunned, as electricity coursed through my body.


    "Hah!"


    Qi Fu Ren mercilessly descended upon me, throwing a Lightning Fist as he landed. I tried to roll away, but without my feet firmly on the ground, I didn''t make it in time. In reflex, I threw up a hand to parry his punch, and was forced to conjure my qi to defend against his electricity.


    "Heh!"


    As if he had anticipated that, Qi Fu Ren smirked. Then he suddenly switched his technique to counter my defense.


    "Thunder Break!"


    "Ugh!"


    Using the esoteric principles of reversing positive qi to counter my negative qi, or some electric principle like that ¨C I wouldn''t know, since I never learned lightning techniques from the White Tiger Sect ¨C Qi Fu Ren bypassed my defenses and electrocuted me from inside, messing up my qi flow and disrupting my qi circulation.


    Smoldering, I dropped to the ground. Sniffing, Qi Fu Ren kicked me in the stomach and sent me flying into the air.


    "How disappointing."


    Qi Fu Ren strolled over as he shook his head, staring at my miserable figure in disgust. His lip curled.


    "You''re even weaker than Luo Bin. And you wanted to help him? You can''t even help yourself, you trash."


    He then leaped up and crashed down upon me with a stomp that would have obliterated me if I hadn''t moved.


    I waited until the last moment before I sprang up, and just like the Lunar Rabbit before me, cannoned both feet into Qi Fu Ren''s jaw.


    "Bwaaah!"


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    Qi Fu Ren let out a strangled cry before he flew across the arena and slammed into the wall.


    "You!"


    Qi Fu Ren slowly crawled back to his feet and glared at me. He clenched his fists, lightning igniting to life and glowing brightly.


    "How did you¡­?"


    I had no intention of wasting words on him. If Qi Fu Ren wasn''t attacking, then I would.


    Using Jin, it was my turn to take the fight to him. Qi Fu Ren countered with a swing of his hand, but I gracefully stepped to the side to avoid it. Crunching my left foot against the floor, I swung my right leg upward and kicked Qi Fu Ren in the gut, causing him to double over. Before he could recover, I grabbed his head with both hands. Ignoring the defensive electric current that coursed through his body, I brought my knee up and smashed his nose.


    "Gah!"


    Qi Fu Ren staggered backward. I tried to press my attack, but his body suddenly glowed brilliantly and an electric storm surged to life, frying me and blasting me backward. Despite being hurled across the air, I flipped my body and landed on my feet.


    "Huff¡­"


    Still, the impact was too great for me, and I had to drop to my knees to stabilize my landing. Rising unsteadily, I watched as Qi Fu Ren lunged at me with a vengeance, his arms glowing golden from the sheer amount of lightning that he generated.


    "DIE!"


    Don''t Chinese characters ever get sick of screaming that goddamned word?


    I allowed Qi Fu Ren to get close, and could actually feel my body going numb from the sheer intensity of his electricity. Gritting my teeth, I endured the deadly effects and waited for the perfect opening. As Qi Fu Ren missed his attack again, my left foot snaked forward and tripped him up. Unable to halt his momentum, Qi Fu Ren toppled over.


    It was at that moment that I exploited the opening to deliver a Shadow Kick that rocked him back to his feet, and then followed it up with a roundhouse kick that smashed his ribs in and sent him hurtling across the arena.


    Bam!


    Qi Fu Ren collided with the wall on the opposite side, the impact being so tremendous that he actually left a cobweb of cracks in the reinforced concrete. Groaning, he slid down the broken surface of the wall and slumped down onto the ground.


    As for me, I winced and dropped to my knees. Lightning crackled and danced about me, imprisoning me within a coffin of immobilization. Breathing heavily and trying to endure the pain as the superheated currents scorched my flesh and burned my nerves, I rammed both hands against the ground and forcibly discharged the electricity.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I really hated fighting against lightning users. They were so troublesome to deal with. Even if I had successfully discharged the electricity into earth, I had expended quite a lot of qi to do so. This wasn''t a battle I could emerge unscathed from.


    "You bastard!"


    On the other hand, Qi Fu Ren had taken more damage than me. For now, anyway. He was slowly rising to his feet and clutching his chest. With his other hand, he wiped the blood from his mouth and glared murderously at me.


    "You were hiding your strength all this while, weren''t you!?"


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about."


    "Deliberately refusing to reveal your level and stage, you were withholding your information so that you can surprise me, weren''t you?"


    Shaking my head, I shrugged. "You''re the one who assumed that I was weak. I never hid my strength ¨C I displayed it for you to see. If anything, you should be the one telling me what level or stage I''m at. Go on, you''re great at quantifying your opponent''s qi and estimating his strength, aren''t you? So tell me, what level am I?"


    "¡­"


    Qi Fu Re was speechless when he realized that he couldn''t answer my question. Gritting his teeth, he the lunged forward to throw another Lighting Fist.


    "I''ll kill you, you bastard! You coward!"


    "You can try."


    I pivoted slightly on my foot, allowing Qi Fu Ren to hurtle past me, and then I brought my leg up and kicked him so hard he actually flew all the way to the ceiling. Crashing into the reinforced concrete, he broke the surface and was almost embedded in the structure.


    Then with a yawning crack, he fell back to earth as gravity reestablished its hold on him. However, he managed to spring up in midair and land on his feet.


    "You¡­you liar! That''s not Shadow Steps, is it?"


    "What?"


    "That kick¡­many of those kicks you used¡­only one or two of them are the kicks from Shadow Steps! The rest¡­they''re clearly not Shadow Steps! And Shadow Steps shouldn''t be this powerful and sophisticated!"


    "How do you know?" I countered. "Have you use Shadow Steps before?"


    "Don''t fuck with me!" Qi Fu Ren bellowed as he threw a Lightning Punch at me. "Everyone knows that Shadow Steps is just a level 1 trash martial art!"


    I effortlessly dodged him, noting that his movements had slowed considerably, especially when compared to before. He obviously had taken a lot of damage from my attacks, and his injuries were affecting his speed and movements.


    Good.


    "Level 1 this, level 1 that. You see, that''s the problem with you guys. You rely way too much on these stupid levels."


    "What?!" Qi Fu Ren roared, but I easily dodged his attack again.


    "You Traditionalists have this weird misconception¡­about originality, about history, about authenticity. You''re always so obsessed with preserving the so-called ''pure'' form of your martial arts, claiming that its history dates back for thousands of years. You assume that your martial arts have never changed."


    "What are you blabbering about?!" Qi Fu Ren snapped as he threw another hook, which I spun away from.


    "That you guys are either clearly deluded or horribly mistaken."


    "Fuck you!"


    "Every martial arts have undergone some form of change or another," I replied as I ducked under his swinging Lightning Fists. "It doesn''t matter which it is, but there is no ''pure'' or authentic form of martial arts. They change, adapt, and evolve along with the times. They will transform according to the needs of the contemporary battlefield, with the introduction of new weapons and technology, or the necessity of countering new styles."


    "Shut up! You don''t know what you''re talking about!"


    Qi Fu Ren was getting agitated, and I could increasingly see more of the gaps in his defenses as he desperately tried to land a hit.


    "On the contrary, I know a lot more than you Traditionalists do. You see, you guys are so rigid, stuck in your stubborn mindset that your martial arts are pure and should never change. But we Experimentalists are different. We recognize the need to change, adapt and evolve our techniques according to whatever time period we''re in. We don''t leave martial arts as they are. If we see a way to improve it, then we''ll work on that."


    "I told you to shut up!" Qi Fu Ren yelled as he punched at me, but again, I evaded. "Stop blabbering nonsense!"


    "As an Experimentalist, it''s my job to experiment, try out new things and find ways to improve martial arts¡­even one supposedly as low-level as Shadow Steps."


    Qi Fu Ren attempted to silence me with a devastating punch, bolts of lightning flying off his fist and frying the air about me. However, I seemed to disappear before his eyes, vanishing from sight.


    "?!"


    Qi Fu Ren whirled around in rage, flailing furiously as he clawed and struck at thin air. With a bellow, he stomped on the ground, scorching the concrete with his superheated electricity and generating ozone.


    "Where the fuck are you?!"


    "Up here."


    "?!"


    Qi Fu Ren looked up, only for me to land and plant a single foot on his face. Beneath the sole of my shoes, his eyes widened.


    "You were belittling Shadow Steps earlier, calling it trash and level 1." I smiled darkly as I gathered qi into my foot. "Shall I show you the true potential of Shadow Steps then?"


    Without wasting any time, I executed Seismic Step. The surrounding area exploded, the concrete ground crumbling to rumble from the sheer destructive force.

 39 Chapter 38: Qi Burst Pill

    Thankfully the academy had restoration techniques, or it would be incredibly expensive to constantly repair and rebuild the destroyed arena whenever we had a duel.


    "¡­"


    Narrowing my eyes, I peered through the cloud of dust. Despite using the full force of my Seismic Step, I knew that Qi Fu Ren was still alive. The bastard was incredibly sturdy, especially since his element was metal (same as lightning). I could barely make out his silhouette as he crawled to his feet, his head bleeding large rivers of blood.


    "Bastard¡­I''ll kill you¡­I''ll fucking kill you!"


    Hidden amidst all the dust, Qi Fu Ren thought he was well-concealed from prying eyes. So he retrieved the thing that his master, Elder Hu from the White Tiger Sect, passed to him in the preparation room from before the duel.


    My eyes widened when I recognized the object.


    "Qi Burst Pill?!"


    To my horror, Qi Fu Ren popped the red, fiery pill into his mouth and crushed it. The powder floated around his tongue for a few seconds, bearing a spicy taste, but he swallowed it whole. Within moments, his qi ignited and surged exponentially, increasing several folds.


    "That''s¡­!"


    "Wow! I see¡­no wonder Qi Fu Ren was losing earlier. He was holding back so much power!"


    "Is this Qi Fu Ren''s true strength?"


    Many of the student spectators were unaware that Qi Fu Ren was doping and relying on cheats to artificially enhance his strength. Truthfully, I was pretty sure that such a move was illegal, and he could have invalidated the duel with this dick move of his, but Teacher Cai Pan didn''t say anything, so I thought it would seem petty if I spoke up.


    However, this was bad. This was really bad. Even though it was illegal, even though it was only temporary and such a move would have terrible side effects, the fact of the matter was that Qi Fu Ren right now was several times stronger than earlier.


    I was in trouble.


    A few students recognized that this was cheating, and they murmured amongst themselves, wondering what was going on.


    "Why isn''t Teacher Cai stopping the duel?"


    "He used a drug! That''s illegal, isn''t it?"


    "That descipable bastard! Resorting to cheating during an official match!"


    Despite the outrage, Teacher Cai remained unmoved, for reasons known only to him.


    *


    He chuckled, a grin spreading across his wrinkled face.


    "Trust me. Wait for the outcome, and you''ll see."


    He then hung up his cellphone and turned to the other teachers.


    "Is that wise?" Teacher Shu Xue asked, frowning.


    "Wise? No. but I have faith in Fei Cai. And I suspect you do as well, right? Jiao Shi."


    Teacher Jiao Shi said nothing, but his lack of protest was sufficient as a reply. Beside him, still lounging around, Teacher Yi Liao chuckled throatily.


    "This will be very interesting," she agreed. Then she smiled at Teacher Shu. "Don''t worry¡­as long as neither party is dead, I''ll be able to fix them up. I did reattach Shi Bai Zhe''s arm in a surgery earlier, didn''t I?"


    "I don''t doubt that," Xiao Zhang said drily, but he rose to his feet. Teacher Yi blinked as she gazed in his direction.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I''m thinking a change of venue is in order," Xiao Zhang replied with a disarming smile. "I think, for the next part of this duel, I want to watch it firsthand."


    *


    Laughing manically, Qi Fu Ren launched himself at me. Still half-confused by Teacher Cai''s lack of intervention, and half-intimidated by Qi Fu Ren''s sudden, exponential increase in qi, I almost didn''t react in time.


    Tui!


    I retreated with the footwork technique, but thanks to the Qi Burst Pill, Qi Fu Ren''s speed had multiplied several times. He actually overtook me with his Jin and punched me. Unable to duck, I crossed both arms to block his punch.


    "UGH!"


    Gigantic currents of electricity fried and electrocuted me. There was a huge thunderclap and I was sent hurtling across the arena, my body scorched and smoking.


    "Hah! Know your place, trash!"


    Qi Fu Ren descended upon my position, punching and kicking me. Helpless, unable to evade, I could only curl into a ball and weather the first few blows. Red-hot agony stabbed into me, superheated lightning lanced into me and my body was slowly torn apart by the devastating electricity. In one final move, Qi Fu Ren kicked me like a soccer ball, sending me soaring across the arena and slamming into the wall.


    Bam!


    The impact was so great that I actually made a dent in the reinforced concrete. Grunting in pain, I slid down the wall, the breath knocked out of me.


    "It''s not over yet!"


    Qi Fu Ren surged forward to deliver another barrage of attacks. However, he had made a mistake by kicking me to a good distance away, and this time I was able to prepare myself and evade his attacks.


    Duo!


    Disappearing from his view, I appeared behind him. Spinning around, I threw a roundhouse kick that snapped Qi Fu Ren''s head to the side and almost caused him to topple over.


    Almost.


    Qi Fu Ren''s feet crunched firmly into the ground, leaving tiny craters as he lodged himself to maintain his balance. Not only was most of the force behind my kick dissipated by the lightning barrier that wreathed his body, I actually took damage from the fierce electric currents running around his head. Qi Fu Ren himself turned around with a smirk, and despite blood trickling from the new wound I dealt to his temple, he seemed otherwise unaffected.


    My eyes widened.


    Can he not feel pain?


    Of course. The Qi Burst Pill dampened or shut off one''s sense of pain. I could deal as many devastating injuries to Qi Fu Ren as I like, but he wouldn''t feel anything¡­at least not until the effects of the Qi Burst Pill wore off.


    On the other hand, he would suffer a lot once the Qi Burst Pill expired. Fortunately, Teacher Yi''s healing techniques would counteract most of that damage, but the side effects of the pill extended beyond physical damage.


    Fortunately, Qi Fu Ren''s condition was none of my business. To be honest, I couldn''t afford to be concerned with his wellbeing. Not when I had to worry about myself trying to survive his berserk onslaught of crazed attacks first.


    Qi Fu Ren punched at me again, but I evaded. Just barely. Thanks to the Qi Burst Pill, he was ignoring the damage and injuries that he sustained from earlier, which had slowed his mobility from the pain. But with his sense of pain being numbed, and his limiters off, his movements had increased to several times faster than his original speed. I was just barely able to keep one step ahead of him, and even that was overtaxing myself.


    How do I beat him?


    "Whoa!"


    Never mind defeat him, I had to survive Qi Fu Ren''s barrage of punches and kicks first. Then only would I worry about trying to secure any form of victory. In fact, it was unlikely that I might be able to win this, unless I turned this into a battle of attrition and waited for the effects of the Qi Burst Pill to wear off.


    That''s not practical. The effects of the Qi Burst Pill can last for hours.


    So that was not an option. Then what was?


    "Guh?!"


    Another lightning strike from Qi Fu Ren sent me sprawling onto the ground, and I was forced to roll way before he stomped me to oblivion. As it was, his foot literally broke the concrete floor, carving a deep crater into it.


    Pressing my palms into the ground, I sprang back to my feet with a single surge of energy while avoiding yet another punch from Qi Fu Ren. Panting, I widened the distance between us, but Qi Fu Ren used his accelerated Jin to lunge at me again.


    This time, I met him head-on. Before Qi Fu Ren''s fist could reach and crush my face, I lashed out with a kick. My foot slammed into the crook of his arm, deflecting his fist away. Qi Fu Ren continued to advanced, undeterred, and threw a hook with his other fist. But I dodged it by a hair''s breadth before jumping off the ground and ramming my knee into his ribs.


    Crack!


    I had most definitely broken Qi Fu Ren''s ribs with that powerful Lunar Rabbit knee. However, Qi Fu Ren was unfazed by my attack. As I mentioned earlier, he was completely immune to pain right now, with the Qi Burst Pill shutting off his senses.


    Instead, Qi Fu Ren grabbed hold of me with a roar. But I ducked under his grasp, only to parry his retaliation. Lightning clad his knee as he rammed it into me, and I grunted as electricity surged through my body while I was sent hurtling backward.


    Screech!


    I skidded back across the ground, unable to halt my momentum even as I left twin trails of broken concrete in my wake. Qi Fu Ren relentlessly charged at me, not even bothering to wait for me to regain my balance.


    That was fine. I didn''t need to balance myself just yet. Infusing my feet with qi, I kicked off before I fell and disappeared the moment Qi Fu Ren reached my position, his Lightning Fist tearing through thin air and scorching the atmosphere.


    Having used Duo to evade Qi Fu Ren, I appeared behind him again. But Qi Fu Ren was smart enough to anticipate my movements, having seen me use it against him once. Damn, I didn''t think he would adapt as quickly as the artificial intelligence in the test dummy!


    Wham!


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    I managed to parry his backhand, and was sent skidding back. Cursing under my breath, I lowered my trembling arms, which were tingling with electricity. However, Qi Fu Ren continued his merciless barrage, spinning around to throw another Lightning Punch.


    Or at least I thought it would be a Lightning Punch.


    Foolishly, I blocked it ¨C then again, I wouldn''t be able to dodge it in time, so I had no other option ¨C and Qi Fu Ren maliciously relished my mistake by executing his most powerful attack.


    "Lightning Flash!"


    "GUAAAAAH!"


    The entire place blew up instantly, my body engulfed in a devastating golden pillar of lightning. Fried and electrocuted by the massive attack and millions of voltage, I was almost incinerated into nothing. My body fuming, I staggered out of the highly destructive blast, only for Qi Fu Ren to punch me in the gut and send me flying.


    Thud!


    I crashed heavily onto the ground, wheezing and heaving. Electricity continued to crackle around my body, paralyzing me. Gritting my teeth, I ground my limbs against the earth and discharged the remaining electricity, trying to lessen the paralysis.


    Unfortunately, Qi Fu Ren wasn''t going to give me the time to recover. He rammed his knee into my chest before I could get up, throwing me into the air. While I spun about helplessly in midair, he cocked back his fist and punched me. Lightning detonated as his fist collided against me, golden electricity incinerating and scorching my body.


    "Gaaaaah!"


    I tumbled head over heels before crashing into an undignified heap on the ground.


    "I told you I''ll kill you!"


    Cackling madly, Qi Fu Ren launched himself forward, raising his leg to swing it down viciously. A lightning-clad axe kick, which would obliterate my skull the moment it connected.


    "¡­as expected of the elite disciple of the White Tiger Sect, Qi Fu Ren," I murmured as I raised my head weakly. Blood dripped from my mouth and my vision blurred, but I refused to waver. Instead, I smiled as I pushed my glasses up my nose. "I''m impressed."


    To be honest, I had already recognized Qi Fu Ren''s strength. I wasn''t like Lu Fu Chen, who constantly looked down on others with that condescending and arrogant attitude of his, nor was I overconfident and abusive like Qi Fu Ren. I acknowledged someone''s power if he possessed it. It would be suicidal to underestimate my opponent otherwise.


    Even so, Qi Fu Ren''s current level of power had far surpassed my expectations. Of course, most of this power was gained from cheating, from consuming that Qi Burst Pill, but even when taking that into consideration, I couldn''t deny that Qi Fu Ren was a highly formidable opponent. I couldn''t afford to hold back any longer.


    Damn, to think he forced me to use this technique¡­I really don''t want to use it in front of everyone and reveal it so soon, but if I don''t, I might actually die.


    There was no point concealing my strength to preserve an advantage for the future if I ended up dead. That would defeat the whole purpose of practicing these techniques to begin with.


    As Qi Fu Ren descended upon my position, my eyes flashed and azure and black qi began to coalesce around me.


    Boom!


    The explosion rocked the arena, the entire area reduced to rubble as Qi Fu Ren''s kick pulverized the concrete and carved a deep crater into the ground. However, his foot never landed. Instead, I was raising a bleeding hand, wisps of black and azure qi smoking from my wounded right arm. Opposite me, Qi Fu Ren had landed on one knee. He gritted his teeth in frustration, even as fumes billowed from the leg he used to kick.


    He stood up instantly and looked down on me with scorn and disdain.


    "You barely deflected that kick, Fei Wu!" he sneered as he closed in, towering over me and getting ready to deal the finishing blow.


    Cocking his right arm back, Qi Fu Ren accumulated all of his electric qi and got ready to throw another devastating Lightning Fist.


    "Let''s see you try and deflect this attack again!"


    I merely glanced up and glared at him.


    "!!"


    Qi Fu Ren immediately felt a chill when he caught sight of my gaze. He jumped back on reflex, widening the distance between me and him.


    I slowly rose to my feet, ignoring the pain that throbbed throughout my body. Straightening my back, I stood in a more dignified posture as I faced Qi Fu Ren.


    He leered at me, his lips curling into a mocking grin. "What''s up with your glare? Do you think a bluff will work against me?"


    "Why aren''t you charging at me already?" I asked, smiling provocatively. "You continue to amaze me, Qi Fu Ren."


    "What?" Qi Fu Ren growled, but he didn''t deny that he felt a chill earlier when he saw my glare. He instinctively knew that I did something, but couldn''t place his finger on what I did. "You think I''m afraid of you?"


    "Now, I never said that, did I?" I cocked my head and then beckoned him with a hand. "Since I''ve already played my trump card, I might as well go all out and ask you to use yours. What''s your most powerful attack? Lightning Flash, was it?"


    Qi Fu Ren narrowed his eyes, but didn''t deny it. I smiled and curled a finger.


    "Go ahead and use it. Your Lightning Flash. I''ll show you how easily I can crush your most powerful attack with mine."


    "Ha ha! Funny!" Qi Fu Ren chortled, his features twisted in cruel amusement. "I''ve no idea what you''re trying to achieve, blabbering nonsense like this¡­do you intend to buy yourself some time or something?"


    Golden lightning exploded all around Qi Fu Ren, the most concentrated, and the largest amount of qi that he had ever accumulated thus far in this fight. The ground around him was blackened and scorched from the sheer volume of lightning dancing around his body, incinerating and disintegrating rubble and debris.


    His lightning technique was so potent that I was forced to shield myself with a hand, and even then I could feel the intense electricity numbing my limbs and sending deadly tingles throughout my body. Clenching my teeth, I focused on bringing up my qi to defend myself.


    And this was but a mere display of Qi Fu Ren''s power. He hadn''t even launched his attack yet.


    "But time is not the only thing you need! Is it, Fei Wu?!"


    Jumping forward, he thrust his fist forward, lightning crackling and leaping off his arm in tempestuous torrents.


    "Lightning Flash!"


    "Are you seriously shouting out the name of your attack?" I grumbled as I rolled my eyes, but Qi Fu Ren ignored me as he was illuminated by golden lightning.


    Up in the spectator box, the spectators all reeled back and shielded their eyes from the blinding display. So bright was the illumination from Qi Fu Ren''s intense display of lightning that it seared into their retinas, causing them to shut their eyes in reflex. Even I was no exception, but fortunately the lenses on my glasses automatically darkened, filtering out the bright light and protecting my eyes.


    Shortly after my return to Wu Ling Academy, I had approached the spirit armament division and requested that they teach me to modify my glasses. Since I no longer suffered from myopia, I didn''t actually need my glasses, but I thought it would be useful to do some modifications that would help me in combat.


    I was so glad I made that choice.


    However, even with these modifications, it wasn''t as if my glasses could stop Qi Fu Ren''s full-powered assault.


    "DIE!"


    Roaring gleefully, Qi Fu Ren descended upon my position, his fist hurtling forward while clad in tremendous amounts of electric qi and explosive energy.


    It never reached me.


    "!"


    All I did was move my right hand slightly, swinging it almost casually. Qi Fu Ren didn''t realize the danger, even after it had occurred, barreling past me as I neatly dodged his attack. The next moment, a single arm flew into the air, followed by a spray of blood.


    "What¡­what¡­.what?!"


    Qi Fu Ren staggered around, but the lack of pain meant that he didn''t realize what had happened until he had seen it for himself.


    His right arm was gone. Rather, it was lying a few meters on the ground, detached from a few inches above his elbow.


    "Ah¡­AAAAAAAAAH! My arm!"


    More from shock than pain, Qi Fu Ren screamed as he dropped to his knees. Clutching his bleeding stump in disbelief, he shook his head and bellowed.


    I merely turned back to face him, my expression a cold, indifferent mask.


    "What did you do!? What was that technique?!"


    "Oh, you didn''t see it?" I shrugged. "Then too bad."


    "You cheater!"


    I shook my head, wondering if Qi Fu Ren comprehended the irony of his accusations. This was from a guy who cheated by doping, by illegally consuming a Qi Burst Pill in the middle of a match. And he had the cheek to accuse me of cheating?!


    "That wasn''t Shadow Steps! There is no technique in Shadow Steps that can cut off an arm! Even if you''ve changed it or improved it, that''s definitely not a Shadow Steps technique!"


    "So what?" I stared disdainfully at him. "I only said that I specialized in Shadow Steps. I never said it was the only martial arts I learned and created."


    "¡­created?"


    "Did he say created?"


    "Ah, right¡­he''s an Experimentalist."


    "Yeah, it''s not that weird."


    "Even so, did you see what technique he used?"


    "Yeah, I''m curious to know what Fei Wu just did."


    Above, the spectators were whispering and murmuring amongst themselves. Of course, since the reinforced glass was soundproof, I actually couldn''t hear them. This was something I pieced together after hearing Tong Xue''s account later.


    "Fucking bastard! I''ll kill you! I''ll fucking kill you!"


    Qi Fu Ren hadn''t surrendered yet, surprisingly enough. Therefore the match was still not over. I couldn''t let my guard down. Even with an arm cut off, Qi Fu Ren was still a wounded tiger. He could potentially be more dangerous.


    As it was, he was executing another Lightning Flash with his other arm, relying on the effects of the Qi Burst Pill to preserve his power and dampen his pain. Even if he couldn''t avoid defeat now, he would ensure that this match would result in mutual destruction.


    The only way left for me was to uh¡­disarm him again.


    This time, everyone could see a visible, almost transparent blade slice through the air and severed Qi Fu Ren''s other arm. Qi Fu Ren wailed and crashed downward at the sudden amputation, blood gushing out of both stumps.


    "You¡­you¡­!" he cried, tears leaking from his eyes. "That''s definitely not Shadow Steps! Shadow Steps has no sword or qi blade techniques like that!"


    "Oh, so you saw it this time." I glanced at my right arm, where the azure and black qi was fading away. I guess it was inevitable. I had use ice qi to freeze the air into a frost sword, so both Qi Fu Ren and the spectators would eventually be able to see it. I couldn''t keep hiding it forever. With a sigh, I shrugged. "As I said, this is a martial art technique I created myself. Ghost Shadow Sword."


    "You¡­!"


    Qi Fu Ren turned pale as he scrambled back, an impressive feat for someone who lost both his arms.


    "So what do you intend to do now?" raising my right hand, I conjured another ice sword, the translucent frost blade barely visible in the dust-filled and half-wrecked arena. "Do you want to keep on fighting?"


    Qi Fu Ren''s shoulders slumped down when he realized that he was utterly cornered. Hanging his head, he miserably whimpered in a voice so soft that the audience, Teacher Cai and I could hardly hear him.

 40 Chapter 39: Principal of Wu Ling Academy, Xiao Zhang

    Moreover, some of them had known that Qi Fu Ren cheated by consuming a Qi Burst Pill. They didn''t think I would still somehow overcome that unfair advantage and disarmed him in such a violent fashion.


    "Oh my goodness¡­he actually cut off not one, but two of Qi Fu Ren''s arms."


    "Well, that bastard was asking for it. Always looking down on others and bullying people weaker than him. Hah!"


    "Yeah, he has gotten his just desserts!"


    After a moment of stunned silence, a few of the students began speaking. Despite Hu Shuo and Ba Dao glaring at them, they began to boldly cheer and taunt Qi Fu Ren.


    "Ha ha ha! Serve you right!"


    "Let''s see if you can still bully anyone after this!"


    "This should teach you for being such an arrogant jerk!"


    "Let''s see how you feel now that your positions are reversed!"


    While some delighted in seeing Qi Fu Ren humbled and crippled, a few of them didn''t forget me. Especially my friends.


    "Great job!" Zhu Jiao hollered. "You did it!"


    "Hah! I always believed in Fei Wu," Tong Xue declared proudly. He was lying, of course. Otherwise he wouldn''t disappear every time I had a confrontation with Qi Fu Ren.


    "I''m so glad you won!" Tang Qi Hong was waving excitedly. Even though I couldn''t hear her, I could see her gesturing animatedly, so I waved back at her.


    "You guys¡­you do realize that Fei Wu can''t hear you, right?" Ban Zhang sounded exasperated. Zhu Jiao merely grinned.


    "Maybe not, but he can still hear us!"


    Since there was no reason for me to remain behind and waste my time in the arena, I turned around to leave. However¡­


    Crash! BANG!


    The supposedly shatterproof reinforced glass was smashed by a single attack as a powerful expert destroyed it and jumped into the arena.


    "You trash! How dare you cut off both of my disciples'' arms! Do you not want to live anymore? I''ll cut off all your limbs!"


    It was Elder Hu Lao from the White Tiger Sect. he landed next to the crippled Qi Fu Ren and helped him up, then turned to glare at me. In that single motion, his qi flared up exponentially, like a dormant volcano erupting into life. The entire air was filled with static as he unleashed his rage on me, saturated the arena with his electric qi.


    "Master¡­" Qi Fu Ren had turned white from the massive loss of blood and was on the verge of losing consciousness.


    "Don''t worry, Qi Fu Ren, if we bring you to the infirmary, we''ll get your arms reattached. With Wu Ling Academy''s medical facilities, an injury of this extent is nothing. You won''t be crippled permanently, I assure you."


    After assuring Qi Fu Ren, Hu Lao turned to glare at me. But I could detect some sort of unease on his face. He never thought that Qi Fu Ren, even after consuming a Qi Burst Pill, would still lose to me. It was completely incomprehensible.


    "You bastard, it was just a match, and you were still so brutal and merciless? How dare you! You''ve revealed your true nature!"


    Hu Lao flung out a hand and unleashed a Lightning Blade. My eyes widened when I had a glimpse of how powerful that attack was. It was like facing an onrushing shinkansen, its momentum unstoppable, and its speed and power immense. I had no way of dodging it, not even with my footwork techniques. Hu Lao''s Lightning Blade literally covered the entire space of the arena between me and him, hurtling forward at a speed too fast for me to react to.


    Frost Barrier!


    I used every ounce of my qi to conjure an ice shield that completely towered over me, freezing all of the water vapor in the atmosphere to create a barrier that was several meters thick. This was my ultimate defense, one that theoretically could withstand a missile.


    Against Hu Lao, it was nothing. The Lightning Blade shattered my Frost Barrier instantly and struck me, throwing me across the arena and flinging me against the wall. Even as I slammed into the reinforced concrete, cracking it and leaving a small crater, and slid down, the devastating electricity continued to electrocute me.


    "Gah¡­ugh! Ah¡­!"


    Despite the instant demolition, my Frost Barrier had absorbed most of the impact behind the Lightning Blade, or I would have died from that single hit.


    "This brat¡­he''s still alive?!"


    Hu Lao''s expression darkened when he saw me twitching and coughing out blood. Despite the excruciating agony, I crawled to my feet and rose up shakily but defiantly.


    "Fucking bastard. Even though you''re still so young, you''re already so ruthless and evil. You bring shame to Wu Ling Academy. I''ll take responsibility on behalf of the sect and destroy your dantian and break your limbs."


    "Why are you telling me all this instead of¡­you know, actually attacking me?" I asked dryly. I knew it wasn''t a good idea to provoke the son of a bitch, but if I was going to die like this, then I would die fighting.


    Hu Lao''s vein twitched and he glowered at me. So speechless with rage that he ended up listening to me and unleashing not one, but five Lightning Blades this time. One was aimed at my dantian, and the other four were targeted at my four limbs.


    The fucker was really carrying out what he threatened to do.


    "Hey! You can''t do this!" Zhu Jiao shouted. "You can''t just intervene in the fight like this!"


    "You''re breaking the academy rules! Even though you''re an outsider!" Ban Zhang hollered.


    "Stop!" Tang Qi Hong screamed.


    Even as my friends yelled in impotent outrage, the rest of the spectators were aghast at the blatant atrocity that Hu Lao was pulling in front of them. Furthermore, they were outraged by Hu Lao''s shamelessness and sheer hypocrisy. Qi Fu Ren was clearly trying to kill me, and even when I gave him a chance to surrender, he refused to. Moreover, he cheated by consuming a Qi Burst Pill, and was on the verge of crippling me until I turned the tables on him. Yet Elder Hu Lao did not step in or say a single word when I was getting beaten up.


    Why was it all right if Qi Fu Ren beat up, cripple or even kill me, but I was not allowed to disarm him out of self-defense? How was this fair?


    Despite their outrage, none of them could do anything about it. None of them was a match for the enraged elder, so even if they jumped in, they would get killed along with me. Hu Lao didn''t care about the lack of logic or his shamelessness. He was too carried away by his fury that he was determined to destroy me, and anyone who dared to stand in his way.


    "Hu¡­"


    I took a deep breath and constructed another Frost Barrier. I knew deep down it was useless. Hu Lao destroyed my strongest defense with a single Lightning Blade, and this time he was firing five Lightning Blades at me. They would shatter my wall of ice instantly and pierce through my dantian and limbs without being as diminished as the single Lightning Blade earlier.


    Even so, I wasn''t going down without a fight. I was going to defy this bastard to the very last second if I had to¡­!


    The Lightning Blades never made contact with my Frost Barrier.


    Instead, a newcomer jumped in and deflected the Lightning Blades with his staff, but just barely. The electricity exploded ineffectively, but the newcomer staggered backward.


    "Huff¡­"


    "Teacher Cai?"


    I gaped at the teacher who was supposed to be refereeing the match. Realizing that I was in trouble, he had finally stepped in.


    "Elder Hu Lao," Teacher Cai Pan said as he bowed formally. "I must ask you to leave the arena. This is the Wu Ling Academy, not your White Tiger Sect, and the rules stipulate that no one is allowed to interfere. Fei Wu has won fair and square."


    "Fair and square? What a joke! He obviously cheated!"


    Hu Lao lashed out with another five Lightning Blades. Teacher Cai gritted his teeth and blocked them by coating his arms with ice-cold qi, but the lightning disintegrated his frost armor. But he managed to just barely block the attack.


    However, he wasn''t able to defend against Hu Lao''s next attack. As he staggered backward, the White Tiger Sect elder struck him with a devastating Lightning Fist, causing him to double over. Teacher Cai attempted to retaliate, but Hu Lao dodged his hook and slammed his fist into the former''s abdomen, unleashing Thunder Break.


    "Ugh!"


    Teacher Cai was sent flying and crashed into the wall, vanishing in a shower of rubble.


    "Hmph. I don''t care who you are. If you get in my way, I''ll destroy you as well."


    Dusting off his hands, Hu Lao sneered before he turned back to me. Mad glee cackled in his eyes as he prepared to finish me off, now that there was no one capable of standing in his way.


    "Die!"


    With a swing of his hand, Hu Lao sent a fresh wave of Lightning Blades arcing mercilessly toward my dantian and limbs again. I steeled myself, thankful for not dismissing my Frost Barrier even when Teacher Cai intervened.


    It wasn''t as if I didn''t have any faith in Teacher Cai, but it paid to always assume the worst. The present crisis was a good example of that. clenching my fists, I threw out both hands to reinforce my Frost Barrier with whatever qi I had left remaining, which was alarmingly little. I had expended most of it during my fight with Qi Fu Ren, after all.


    Boom!


    My eyes widened when I saw a wall of qi shimmer to life in front of my Frost Barrier. The five Lightning Blades crashed impotently into the new barrier and dissipated harmlessly, the golden rays of electricity disappearing without a trace.


    "Stop it, Hu Lao."


    Xiao Zhang descended between me and Hu Lao, his expression grave and furious.


    "What do you think you''re doing? This is my academy, Cai Pan is one of my staff and Fei Wu is one of my students. How dare you attack them?!"


    Xiao Zhang glared at Hu Lao, but the latter stubbornly defied him. Gritting his teeth, he gathered his qi and launched another hail of Lightning Blades, but this time Xiao Zhang didn''t even bother with a wall of qi. With just his bare hand, he swatted the five Lightning Blades away like flies, completely obliterating them.


    "Amazing¡­"


    My jaw dropped as I watched Xiao Zhang, awestruck by his absolute strength and imposing presence. Xiao Zhang''s eyes narrowed as his fury increased. If Hu Lao was a volcano, then Xiao Zhang was a supernova, a red star on the verge of blowing up and hurling intense amounts of radiation across the galaxy.


    "Cai Pan, are you all right?"


    Without turning around, Xiao Zhang issued the question. There was a slight movement in the debris, and then Teacher Cai emerged, throwing the rubble off himself. Dusting himself off and wiping the blood off his mouth, the battered teacher-referee bowed his head.


    "I am very sorry. I failed to stop Elder Hu Lao."


    "You have nothing to be ashamed of," Xiao Zhang told him plainly. "The opponent is a venerable elder of the White Tiger Sect. there is a noticeable gap between your strengths."


    He then turned to the struggling Hu Lao, who still emanated hostility and aggression.


    "I warned you, Hu Lao. I won''t be giving you any other chances."


    The next second, the entire arena seemed to implode. The air literally shimmered as Xiao Zhang''s qi expanded and crashed down upon everything like a tsunami, saturating the atmosphere with his incredible qi.


    "Gah¡­ugh!"


    This time, it was Hu Lao''s turn to fall. The Elder of the White Tiger Sect crashed onto the ground as the weight of Xiao Zhang''s qi slammed upon him like a gigantic hand, pinning him facedown onto the ground. Never mind kneeling like me, his prostrate figure was planted onto the ground, his face buried in the rubble and his lips kissing the dirt.


    "As I said, this is my academy, not your home. How dare you interfere in a fight in the arena? Who do you think you are? You think you can just barge into my academy and break my academy rules?" Xiao Zhang snarled as he utterly and completely suppressed Hu Lao.


    Hu Lao writhed about on the ground, helpless before Xiao Zhang''s overwhelming presence and power, but he managed to appeal desperately.


    "Principal Xiao Zhang, this student of yours is so ruthless and merciless. Even though he is so young, he already resorts to such barbaric and vicious methods to cut off both of my disciple''s arms. If we let him off, in future, he''ll become a demon!"


    Xiao Zhang stared at the pathetic, prostrate form of Hu Lao in disbelief, not sure if he heard the bastard right. "You do realize that your own disciple was basically trying to do the same thing, and he was the one who forced his opponent''s hands?"


    "So what?!" Hu Lao snarled. "That One Star Constitution student is just trash. He shouldn''t be standing up to my White Tiger Sect! Principal Xiao Zhang, you have to give our White Tiger Sect some respect! Or you''ll be suffering the consequences!"


    "Give your White Tiger Sect some respect?!" Xiao Zhang thundered. "I already gave in regarding this disciple''s misbehavior throughout the past year. Even when he was under suspicion of murder, I conceded to your sect because of insufficient evidence ¨C evidence that your sect refused to allow us to collect ¨C and let you sweep it under the table. And he has only gotten more arrogant. Now he blatantly cheats in an official match, and you still defend him? And don''t think I don''t know¡­we have security cameras capturing footage of you handing over that Qi Burst Pill to him. An elder of one of the four major sects, actually encouraging his disciple to cheat! Not only that, you interfered in the duel and assaulted my staff and one of my students?!"


    Hu Lao fell silent when he realized he had gone too far, but Xiao Zhang had long since given over to his fury.


    "You''ve gone too far! Did you think I wouldn''t dare to kill you for breaking the rules in my academy?"


    "Y¡­you wouldn''t dare!" Hu Lao stammered. "Do you know which sect I''m from? If you kill me¡­"


    "Fuck your White Tiger Sect. I don''t care what sect you''re from, even if you''re one of the so-called four major sects. The moment you''re in my academy, you''re to respect and follow the rules I establish. I don''t care if you''re the Emperor himself, the same goes for him. I don''t barge into your White Tiger Sect, flout the rules there and attack your sect''s disciples, do I? Give your sect respect? Haven''t you not been giving me any respect at all?!"


    He took another step forward, and the weight seemed to increase upon a groaning Hu Lao. The ground, unable to withstand the tremendous pressure of Xiao Zhang''s qi, broke and shattered under the invisible forces.


    "Get out of my academy right now, or I''ll kill you."


    "Let''s leave it at there."


    A new voice spoke up, and everyone''s attention was drawn to the owner.


    "That''s¡­"


    "Lei Lie¡­"


    "The Patriarch and Sect Leader of the White Tiger Sect?!"


    "What is he doing here?!"


    Whispers and murmurs echoed across the spectator box as the students and the recently arrived teachers whispered to each other. A burly man with short white hair, bulging muscles and silver eyes had descended into the arena, a maelstrom of qi swirling around him. He was dressed in a sleeveless vest and rough jeans, all the better to show off his abs, six-pack and pectorals. Electricity danced around him, combating against Xiao Zhang''s potent qi.


    Thanks to that, Hu Lao was able to get up, the tremendous pressure weighing him down slightly abated by the arrival of the White Tiger Sect patriarch.


    Xiao Zhang narrowed his eyes as he glared at Lei Lie.


    "Are you here to break the rules of my territory as well?"


    "Not at all. I wouldn''t dare." Lei Lie inclined his head slightly and cupped his hands respectfully. "As you say, this is your academy and we are just guests. Even I wouldn''t dare to disrespect the revered Principal Xiao Zhang in his own grounds."


    "But Sect Leader, that brat¡­"


    "SILENCE!"


    With a single roar, Lei Lie sent Hu Lao crashing down onto his face again. This time, it was the White Tiger Sect patriarch''s qi that crushed Hu Lao into the ground, humiliating the beleaguered elder and pinning him to the floor.


    "What you''ve done is inexcusable. You have shamed the sect with your misbehavior! Your manners are ill-fitting of that of an Elder of our sect!"


    "F¡­forgive me¡­"


    Hu Lao whimpered hoarsely and miserably, unable to retort against his sect leader''s rage. The pressure slightly lifted and he was able to raise his head a little.


    Swallowing, I studied Lei Lie, and noticed that he wasn''t alone. Bai Ning Xue had accompanied him, and hopped into the arena as well.


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    On the opposite side, Zhu Jiao and Tang Qi Hong rushed to my side. They had jumped through the broken hole that Hu Lao left in the reinforced window, and landed next to me. Tang Qi Hong helped me up, slinging my arm over her shoulder.


    "We should bring you to the infirmary," she said, concerned.


    "Yeah, after all this is done."


    Zhu Jiao was watching Bai Ning Xue keenly, and she returned his gaze coolly. I wasn''t sure but I believed that some sort of exchange passed between them. Without my protagonist privilege, I didn''t dare to probe into their personal matters.


    More importantly, I was more curious in the current predicament. Was Xiao Zhang about to clash with Lei Lie? But it didn''t seem that Lei Lie had come to fight. If anything, he had come to hold Hu Lao back before he did anything stupid.


    "Please accept my humble apologies. The White Tiger Sect will compensate for all the damages incurred in the match today."


    Lei Lie lowered his head. He then turned to glare at Hu Lao.


    "Hu Lao, you''ll be stripped of your title of Elder, and you will return to the White Thunder Pillar to receive your punishment."


    The disgraced ex-elder could only hang his head in shame. Lei Lie then turned back to Xiao Zhang, still maintaining his humility.


    "If that is all right with you, of course, Principal Xiao Zhang. Unless you would prefer to punish Hu Lao yourself."


    "That is fine with me," Xiao Zhang replied tightly. "My only condition is that Hu Lao does not trespass and break any rules in Wu Ling Academy again. If he does, then there will be no second chance. I will kill him on the spot."


    The last sentence was spoken with such murderous intent that everyone who heard it couldn''t help but shudder.


    Lei Lie was the only one who didn''t tremble, being on par with Xiao Zhang. He merely nodded modestly as he remained with his head bowed slightly and his hands cupped respectfully.


    "The White Tiger Sect will accept this condition and thank you for your magnanimous decision and mercy. In fact, if Hu Lao dares to come to Wu Ling Academy to make trouble again, we''ll personally extinguish his life."


    Hu Lao whimpered again, but it was hard to feel sorry for him, especially after all the things he had done.


    "One more thing¡­"


    Lei Lie turned to the trembling Qi Fu Ren, who looked like he was just about to pass out. In the chaos, everyone had forgotten about him. Except his sect leader.


    "Qi Fu Ren, you''re expelled from the White Tiger Sect. from today onward, you''re no longer one of our disciples. Bullying weaker students, cheating in an official match¡­while I have been lenient with you after listening to Hu Lao''s appeals, not only have you not reflected on your behavior, you even got worse."


    His face a cold mask of contempt, Lei Lie spun away to leave.


    "The next time you attempt to murder someone again, the White Tiger Sect will no longer be here to protect you."


    With that, he disappeared, with Hu Lao in tow.


    Bai Ning Xue lingered for a bit, and Qi Fu Ren desperately reached out to her.


    "Wait¡­Ning Xue! I can explain! I¡­!"


    Bai Ning Xue merely looked upon him with eyes frostier than even those of the White Tiger Sect patriarch.


    "Disgusting."


    That was the only word she said before she departed with the two masters of the White Tiger Sect. Qi Fu Ren turned extremely pale and sank to his haunches, and I knew his pallor this time wasn''t caused by the massive loss of blood.


    The bleeding of his stumps had stopped long ago, after all.


    Xiao Zhang looked at him sympathetically. Even if he was a bully, Qi Fu Ren was still a student of Wu Ling Academy after all. Not only did he lose both arms and was humiliated in an official match, he was also disgraced and expelled from his sect. even I felt a little sorry for him.


    "Teacher Cai, bring Student Qi Fu Ren to the infirmary and have Teacher Yi Liao treat his wounds and reattach his arms. While at it, have your own wounds treated as well."


    "Yes." Teacher Cai nodded and obeyed. Picking up both of Qi Fu Ren''s arms, he led the poor bully away. Xiao Zhang then turned to me.


    "You too, Student Fei Wu. Get to the infirmary and get your injuries treated, then rest up."


    "Yes, sir," I replied while leaning on Tang Qi Hong. She was already helping me toward the direction of the infirmary.


    "Be careful," she told me as she supported me. Zhu Jiao also followed closely, hovering behind like an escort.


    "One last thing."


    I turned to Xiao Zhang with a raised eyebrow, and the old man smiled. His eyes glittered under the illumination of the arena lighting as he delivered one last instruction.

 41 Chapter 40: The Evil Within

    Swearing, Qi Fu Ren stumbled through the academy courtyard. Both of his arms were still bandaged tightly, and he wasn''t able to use either, not this soon after Teacher Yi Liao reattached them. He would need to wait for them to heal further, for the severed nerves to reconnect and heal completely, for the freshly mended muscles and tendons to strengthen, and the recently repaired bones to harden and recover.


    Until then, he couldn''t even use his arms for the most basic of things, never mind practice martial arts.


    "Not only that, he dared to cripple the qi vessels in my arms! That bastard!"


    Qi Fu Ren cursed me. Of course, I wasn''t aware of his insults at that time because I was away, but I had to incorporate this scene into the narrative chronologically in order for the whole story to make sense. Just assume it''s the protagonist''s privilege. As usual.


    "And now I''m expelled from the White Tiger Sect! Fucking bastard¡­!"


    "Don''t worry, boss¡­"


    "No matter where you go, we''ll follow you."


    Hu Shuo and Ba Dao trailed him closely, as loyal as ever. With their boss expelled from the sect, they left as well, faithfully following him to the end.


    Qi Fu Ren hesitated for a moment, and then said a word that was extremely rare for someone like him.


    "Thank you."


    "No problem, boss."


    "We''re always at your back!"


    Shutting his eyes, Qi Fu Ren turned away. While he appreciated his lackeys'' company, he wished they would be a bit more useful. Nonetheless, as long as they didn''t abandon him, he couldn''t give up on all hope yet. Rage swelled in him and he gnashed his teeth in fury.


    "I swear, I''ll have my revenge."


    "Well, we can try to beat that Fei Wu up for you."


    "If we work together¡­"


    "Are you idiots?!" Qi Fu Ren sighed and shook his head at their sheer stupidity. "Neither of you are a match for that trash, even if you go against him together. And with my arms hurt and my qi vessels severed like this, it''ll take me a year or so to recover. Damn it! I can''t wait that long! I''ll never be able to catch up!"


    He fell silent as he considered his options, and found that more despair awaited him.


    "Damn it¡­and now that I''m kicked out of the White Tiger Sect, I won''t be able to learn new techniques, obtain new spirit pills or martial arts resources¡­what the fuck do I do?"


    "Don''t give up, boss!"


    "I''m sure we''ll find something!"


    "Shut up, you two!" Qi Fu Ren roared, his anger overtaking his rationality for the moment. "You''re both useless! Everyone is useless! Ugh!"


    "B¡­boss¡­calm down¡­"


    "Sorry for being useless¡­"


    "I told you to shut up, didn''t I?" Qi Fu Ren snarled. The duo fell silent and timidly retreated. Qi Fu Ren gulped down huge breaths of air, his eyes and nostrils flaring as he glared around him, lightning continuing to spark and dance off his body.


    After he calmed down, he slowly turned to face his two flunkies.


    "Sorry. I lost my head for a bit."


    "It''s okay, boss!"


    "We understand!"


    No, Qi Fu Ren thought bitterly. Neither of you understand the pain I''m going through at the moment. You both have always been useless trash, how would you understand the humiliation and frustration to losing to trash? How would you understand the pain of once being at the top, only to fall into the abyss of despair and disgrace like this? No, neither of you would ever understand what I''m going through. Nobody!


    Howling in his heart, Qi Fu Ren turned away and stomped back toward his dormitory. In any case, he was in no shape to do anything right now. He could only wait to recover for a bit before he tried finding ways to take revenge.


    *


    And just like that, a week passed. Qi Fu Ren managed to get rid of the bandages. He no longer needed them, and could move his arms somewhat normally now, employ them in things as simple as picking things up or writing.


    However¡­


    "Ugh¡­ah!"


    Lightning failed to flow to either of his arms, even as he attempted to cultivate. His severed qi vessels, though reconnected, hadn''t healed enough for him to direct the flow of his electric qi through them. As a result, he couldn''t execute Lightning Fist or Thunder Break, never mind his ultimate move, Lightning Flash.


    And I still have yet to learn Lightning Blade! Fuck!


    Hollering in his heart, Qi Fu Ren punched the training dummy with all his might, only to regret it when his freshly healed arms shrieked in pain. He recoiled and then spun away, bitterly spitting at the training dummy.


    "That''s enough for today. Terminate training session."


    "Understood."


    Speaking in a mechanical voice, the training dummy folded its metallic limbs upon itself and retreated into the hatch in the training room wall where it emerged earlier. Without sparing the battered machine a glance, Qi Fu Ren stomped out.


    "How was your training session, boss?"


    "Here, a drink."


    Qi Fu Ren snatched the bottle out of Ba Dao''s hands and then glared at the duo.


    "While I appreciate you two hanging around, can''t you both do something more useful, like train or something? Don''t just watch me train! Improve yourselves, for Heaven''s sake! No wonder the both of you are so useless!"


    "Sorry, boss¡­we''ll try."


    "But we have no talent."


    "No talent?" Qi Fu Ren scoffed. "Look at that trash, Fei Wu. He is only a One Star Constitution cultivator, yet he got so strong, strong enough to rival a Four Star Constitution cultivator. If he can do it, why can''t Two Star Constitution cultivators like you do it?"


    Even as Qi Fu Ren said that he realized how he was bitterly acknowledging my strength, and that pissed him off. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, and shook his head.


    "Hmph. That won''t be for long. Next time, it''ll be my turn to cripple you. No, I won''t just cripple you. I''ll end your sorry existence¡­I''ll definitely kill you, you fucking bastard¡­"


    Mumbling senseless threats under his breath, Qi Fu Ren continued to stalk off. His two flunkies glanced at each other, then hurried after him.


    As he stomped toward the dorm, passing through the deserted courtyard, Qi Fu Ren continued to growl platitudes of senseless threats and promises of vengeance. Muttering an invective, he glared in the direction of the dormitory.


    Then he suddenly turned and marched out of the academy. Proceeding straight for the walls of the academy, Qi Fu Ren sprang to life, leaping above it and landing on the outside in a single bound. Hu Shuo and Ba Dao scrambled to follow him, jumping up and down, but it took them several tries before they finally cleared the wall.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­you''re as impressive as always, boss."


    "Wait for us!"


    The two underlings were sprawled on the ground, covered in perspiration and dirt, as they wheezed and panted heavily. They gasped for air, trying to recover from their earlier exertions, but Qi Fu Ren merely glared at them in disgust.


    Useless trash¡­the both of them¡­can''t even clear the wall¡­


    Without waiting, he spun around and stomped off. Even though his arms had been crippled, his legs were still in pretty good shape. I hadn''t injured his legs, after all. That was why Qi Fu Ren could still channel qi into his legs and jump high and far without any problems. He didn''t need to rely on his arms for walking, jumping or running.


    "W¡­wait, boss!"


    "Don''t leave us!"


    Despite panting heavily, the two cronies forcibly picked themselves up and chased after their leader. Qi Fu Ren reluctantly slowed down so that they could catch up.


    "Where are you going, boss?"


    "Why did we leave the academy?"


    "I need some fresh air," Qi Fu Ren replied, and then raised a hand as if reaching out for the heavens. "I need a change of pace. It''s pointless to train and practice with my arms in this state, but I can''t sit around and do nothing either."


    "Why don''t you go to the library?" Hu Shuo suggested. Ba Dao nodded enthusiastically.


    "Yeah, you might be able to find something useful. And since you''re level 5, you''ll be able to borrow and learn a few of those level 5 techniques!"


    "And be like that trash, Fei Wu?" Qi Fu Ren snarled. "Learn kicking and copy him? Are you intending to humiliate me further?"


    Both lackeys fell silent, unsure of how to proceed. That certainly was not their intention. Qi Fu Ren knew that, but he couldn''t help taking his frustration out on them. He gritted his teeth and turned away.


    "It''s pointless in any case. With my arms like this, it''s impossible for me to practice martial arts. Damn it, Fei Wu should be the one suffering like this, not me! He''s the trash and I''m the genius! How is it that our roles are reversed?"


    He glared at the heavens and showed them his middle finger.


    "Is this your idea of a joke, you fucking gods?!"


    Hu Shuo and Ba Dao exchanged glances uncertainly, not sure what to make of their leader''s outburst. Then they hurried after him as he ventured through the streets.


    "Fuck this."


    Qi Fu Ren suddenly blurted out, and then he took a turn into a game center, where many of the citizen''s residents sought entertainment. His lackeys followed him closely, trailing him until he stopped in front of an arcade.


    It was an old fighting game. Qi Fu Ren gazed upon it, and then reached out with his hands to grab the joystick and controls.


    "Er¡­boss, is that a good idea?"


    "Don''t forget, your arms haven''t fully recovered yet."


    Qi Fu Ren gave both of them a droll stare. "It''s only playing a game, not practicing martial arts. My arms have healed enough for something as simple as this. Coins."


    At his order, Hu Shuo produced a coin. Qi Fu Ren snatched it out of his grip and slotted it into the arcade. In an instant, the screen flashed to inform the player that he might begin anytime.


    "I love fighting games when I was young, you know," Qi Fu Ren suddenly said as he began, his avatar on the screen launching a barrage of vicious uppercuts against the artificial intelligence controlled character.


    "¡­boss?"


    Ba Dao wasn''t sure how to react at the revelation.


    "It probably is one of the reasons why I wanted to be a martial artist."


    His fingers deftly flicking switches and ghosting across the panel, Qi Fu Ren had his on-screen avatar fire off a powerful energy blast that knocked out his opponent. The victory display flashed across the screen before melting away into round 2.


    "Another coin."


    Hu Shuo slotted it into the machine, and round 2 commenced. As with the first time, Qi Fu Ren effortlessly crushed the character on the screen with a few moves and the skillful deployment of the joystick.


    "It just seemed so easy¡­and the power was so tempting. I enjoy the rush of fighting, the power of being able to wield qi and elemental forces, and the sensation of crushing my enemy with overwhelming strength."


    So he became a bully? No wonder. Getting drunk on his power and being so self-assured of his superiority, Qi Fu Ren assuaged his ego and sought to stave off his own insecurity by smashing people weaker than him to confirm his delusion that he was strong.


    "More."


    When round 2 ended, Qi Fu Ren demanded for another coin to proceed to the next round. Hu Shuo and Ba Dao continued to quietly supply him, watching patiently as Qi Fu Ren obliterated AI opponent after AI opponent, until both of them run out of coins.


    "Coins," Qi Fu Ren snapped. Hu Shuo and Ba Dao exchanged timid glances, and then mustered their courage.


    "Uh¡­boss, we''ve run out of coins."


    "Sorry. We don''t have any more money."


    "Useless bastards," Qi Fu Ren hissed under his breath, and then he struck the arcade. Thankfully his arms were still only just reattached and he was unable to channel any qi into them, or he would have wrecked the machine.


    "..."


    The two cronies said nothing, and Qi Fu Ren rose from his seat. Seething, he stomped out of the arcade with a single sentence.


    "Let''s go."


    The two underlings followed him gratefully, almost relieved that he didn''t vent their anger on them. Despite his harsh words and verbal abuse, Qi Fu Ren had never struck either of them physically, so they weren''t that surprised.


    "Boss, let''s go have dinner."


    "Our treat. What would you like to eat?"


    "Anything." Qi Fu Ren was in no mood to eat, but he wasn''t going to refuse the kind gesture from his cronies. They ended up heading to a noodle stand.


    After a hearty meal, the trio left the noodle stand and proceeded toward Wu Ling Academy. By now, the day had darkened and twilight reigned over the heavens. The moon shone pitifully amidst a carpet of inky blackness, the normally bright stars veiled by a curtain of darkness.


    Hu Shuo shuddered. "Let''s hurry back to the academy."


    "Yeah," Ba Dao agreed. "I have a bad feeling for some reason."


    Qi Fu Ren couldn''t help raising his eyebrow at them in exasperation. "And you call yourself guys? What are you afraid of?"


    "Just a bad feeling, that''s all."


    "Yeah¡­something''s not right."


    Cowards, Qi Fu Ren scoffed and ignored them. He proceeded down the dark alleyway, taking a shortcut toward the academy. It wasn''t that he was being reckless, but he knew there was little in Martial City who could threaten a martial artist student from Wu Ling Academy.


    He was being overly na?ve, especially considering that Martial City was populated by martial artists, including those who had graduated from Wu Ling Academy and the other prestigious martial arts academies in the city, as well as martial artists from all over the world. But Qi Fu Ren was only a thirteen-year-old kid who still didn''t possess that much knowledge of the world. Yet.


    "!"


    He suddenly stopped, surprising both Hu Shuo and Ba Dao, who were brought to an abrupt halt. They glanced at each other before staring at their leader.


    "What''s the matter, boss?"


    "Why did you stop?"


    "You two¡­didn''t you sense that?"


    Even with his arms crippled, Qi Fu Ren was still a Four Star Constitution cultivator with keen qi senses. He could feel his spine prickle, could detect someone''s gaze upon him. Unlike him, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao weren''t as sensitive to the qi presence of other people, and they could only shook their heads and offer him a blank look.


    Useless idiots¡­why am I carrying these two trash around?


    Probably because they were the only one stupid enough to obey him and follow him unquestioningly, Qi Fu Ren later reflected. But for now, he was more concerned with the voyeur spying on him, and he turned to glare at the dude.


    "You¡­who are you? Show yourself!"


    "Ha ha ha! To think that you''ve managed to sense my presence. As expected of the former prodigy of the White Tiger Sect."


    "Show yourself, you coward!" Qi Fu Ren yelled, lightning crackling around him in a show of intimidation.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you. Your arms still haven''t healed fully, have they? And you''re not able to use your signature Lightning Punch or Lightning Flash."


    "Who are you?" Qi Fu Ren demanded, a chill crawling down his spine. "Are you from Wu Ling Academy?"


    "No, I''m not. I''m¡­an outsider."


    Qi Fu Ren tensed, but the voice laughed.


    "Don''t worry. Relax, I''ll show myself soon."


    A hooded figure emerged from the darkness, his long, flowing cloak seeming to blend into the shadows upon which he stood on. Qi Fu Ren imagined that he was smiling, but the lower half of the man''s face was concealed by a dark mask. His eyes were obsidian, gleaming ominously as they settled upon Qi Fu Ren.


    "What do you want?" Qi Fu Ren growled, suppressing the urge to gulp from fear. He could feel the deadly qi emanating from the hooded man and instantly knew that he was no match for this man, even if his arms weren''t injured and he was at full strength.


    This man¡­he''s a high-level expert! Qi Fusion Stage¡­no, he might even be at the Pure Spirit Stage!


    "What do I want? Shouldn''t it be what you want?" the man responded airily.


    Qi Fu Ren hesitated for a second, and then he narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?" he asked carefully.


    "Exactly what I mean." The man extended a hand out. "What is it you desire, Qi Fu Ren? Revenge?"


    This time Qi Fu Ren did swallow, the chill in his spine growing larger. He glared at the hooded man, his teeth clenched to stop them from chattering.


    "Why do you know about that?"


    "I know a lot of things," the hooded man replied with a dramatic spread of his hands. "I''m an enemy of the academy, after all. An enemy of the Martial Arts Alliance. And an enemy, especially, of the White Tiger Sect. I can give you a chance to seek revenge on the sect that expelled you, and on the girl who spurned you. Bai Ning Xue, was that her name? I''ll help you make her regret ever spurning you. You''ll become a man who can conquer her, who can dominate her and¡­persuade her to be your woman. How about that?"


    Qi Fu Ren was at a loss for words, staring at the hooded man in wonder. He could feel temptation welling up within him, but he wasn''t sure if this was a trap. There was something just suspicious about this man, and even a thirteen-year-old like him wasn''t na?ve enough to jump in and accept the offer without any hesitation.


    "And you''ll even obtain the power to smash the guy who defeated you. Not just him, but him and his friends. I heard that you have a grudge against that guy Zhu Jiao¡­and this trash, Fei Wu, right? But you got crushed by the both of them¡­what if I grant you the power to utterly obliterate and destroy the both of them?"


    The hooded man''s voice was soothing and seductive. That did the trick. Qi Fu Ren finally fell for it, his temptation overwhelming his rationality and caution.


    "How?" he snarled. "With my arms crippled like this, how do I¡­?"


    "Easy." The hooded man smiled. "I''ll teach you the most powerful martial arts technique ever. One that would overshadow anything the White Tiger Sect taught you. It would also speed up your healing process tremendously, as well as allow you to obtain a massive amount of strength at an unprecedented rate. You''ll be able to strengthen yourself considerably in the shortest amount of time."


    Qi Fu Ren listened intently, enraptured. However, neither of his flunkies shared his sentiments.


    "B¡­boss, I''m not sure if we should be listening to this guy," Hu Shuo stammered fearfully, his face pale with fright.


    "L¡­let''s get out of here," Ba Dao agreed, glancing nervously at the hooded man.


    Fools, Qi Fu Ren thought snidely. Even if we wanted to leave, this man won''t allow us to. He''s merely toying with us. He can easily catch us if he wanted to¡­


    Besides¡­


    Qi Fu Ren clenched his fists tightly when he recalled his loss to me. To Zhu Jiao. His humiliation at Bai Ning Xue''s rejection. His disgrace at being expelled from the White Tiger Sect.


    He made up his mind.


    "Teach me," he told the hooded man. "Give me the power to take my revenge on all those who wronged me."


    The hooded man''s face remained hidden under his mask, but Qi Fu Ren could clearly hear the smile in his voice.


    "You won''t regret this decision."


    *


    Boom!


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I dropped down onto the ground, perspiration streaming off my face in rivulets. Opposite me, the test dummy swiveled around, creaking ominously, and then finally shut down. The demonic red light flaring in its optical lens blinked out and vanished, replaced by a shadowed reflection of the arena.


    "Level 5 Test, passed!"


    Teacher Cai announced the result. I rose from my knees unsteadily, doing my best not to fall over again. My legs were still trembling from the effort.


    That was pretty close, I thought. The match was decided by a razor-thin hair''s breadth. One mistake and I would be the one lying on the ground, incapacitated. Even then, the decisive kick that I had delivered had caused my foot to take some damage, and I was limping toward the double gates. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the gates open.


    "?!"


    Blinking, I suddenly shuddered when I felt a chilling premonition sweep toward me.


    What was that?


    I couldn''t explain it, but suddenly I had a very bad feeling. The prickling, frosty sensation swamped my chest, my instincts warning me that something was amiss, but I couldn''t put my finger on what was wrong, exactly.


    The test dummy was now shakily returning to the other chamber, escorted by academy technicians. It wasn''t the source of the threat. I raised my eyes to the spectator window, but other than my friends who were waving and cheering encouragingly at me, I saw no one else.


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    So what was it that I just felt?


    Unable to pinpoint the source of my premonition, I could only turn back and exit the arena.


    Well, whatever it is, I''ll face it when it comes¡­

 42 Chapter 41: Spring

    "That''s fast," I muttered, stretching myself as I walked along the courtyard and toward the dormitory. Over the holidays, I had left Wu Ling Academy to visit my family, but as the new semester approached, I returned to school. In fact, I had only just returned to the dormitory yesterday, after bringing a bunch of stuff from home.


    It really has been over a year since I''ve been reincarnated into this timeline, huh?


    It didn''t feel real to me somehow, almost as if this reality was a waking dream. Moreover, I had a thirty-year-old mind trapped within a fourteen-year-old body, never mind that I behaved childishly and like any other kid. But was I thirty-one now, or just fourteen? Well, it didn''t matter, given how I was an immature person who behaved like the latter.


    "Fei Wu! Hey!"


    "Tong Xue."


    We exchanged greetings the moment we saw each other along the courtyard. Tong Xue raised a hand and gave me a high five. That stung¡­Tong Xue had grown considerably throughout the year, having trained under the Smart Shadow Sect.


    "It''s going to be a tougher year ahead," Tong Xue informed me. I smiled in resignation.


    "Well, yeah. Since when wouldn''t it be more difficult as we grow older?"


    "Heh. You''ve got a point."


    "Guys!"


    We both turned around and caught sight of Zhu Jiao hurrying after us.


    "Hey!"


    "Zhu Jiao!"


    "It''s been a while, hasn''t it?"


    "Yeah. How was your holidays?"


    "Good. Yours?"


    As we walked along the courtyard, exchanging pleasantries and swapping stories of what we did during the holidays (which wasn''t much, given how we mostly just returned home to spend time with our families), we proceeded toward the large hall building in the middle school division. Most of the other middle school students were also heading that way.


    "We have an opening ceremony today, huh?" Zhu Jiao remarked. Tong Xue nodded.


    "After this, we''ll have martial arts training with our respective sects, and also to welcome the new sect disciples. There shouldn''t be any theoretical classes today."


    "That sucks," I muttered. The theoretical classes were the ones I looked forward to the most, given how I was a studious person. And since I didn''t have a sect, I wouldn''t have anyone to direct my training. I would have to carry out on my own.


    Then again, I had been doing just that the entire year.


    "Man, how am I supposed to recruit anyone into the Golden Kirin Sect?" Zhu Jiao grumbled. "While my sect is officially recognized, I don''t have a master to pick new disciples."


    "Well, we can leave that to the teachers. All you need to do is show up and brag about your sect. it''s the disciples who make their own decision."


    I listened, half-interested. This had nothing to do with me, after all. Since I was an Experimentalist who didn''t belong to any sect, I was free to leave after the opening ceremony and do self-training. At least I was provided the resources from the academy. Having passed level 5 in the previous academic year, I was already receiving the maximum amount of resources allocated to a middle school student. I just had to prepare for level 6 the moment I went into high school, but that wouldn''t be until two years later. A fairly long time, to be honest.


    "Hey! You guys!"


    This time it was Tang Qi Hong. She was strolling along the courtyard alongside Lian Rou, who also waved at us as she smiled. Though not as beautiful and outstanding as Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou had a pretty face and a somewhat lovely figure. It was a pity that she was outshone by the other girls in class.


    "Hello."


    "How have your holidays been?"


    The five of us gathered and headed toward the hall where the opening ceremony took place. Even though it was a new year, we had been placed in the same class, so there was no reason to go our separate ways.


    Apparently we would only be assigned to different classes when we were promoted to the high school division, as there would be a few tests and exams to decide whether we were qualified to enroll there, and it would be a whole new experience and curriculum.


    I noticed that Tong Xue in particular was smitten with Lian Rou as he fell back to converse with her more. Lian Rou giggled at something he said, but my attention was directed toward Tang Qi Hong, who was sulking.


    "Hey! Are you listening?"


    "Yeah. Your Nine Tail Fox Sect is going to be recruiting new disciples today?"


    "That''s right!" Tang Qi Hong sighed dramatically. "Even though it''s the first day of school, we''ve to work. They really ought to give us a break!"


    I decided not to point out that we had just returned from a fairly long vacation. From my experience, it was not a good idea to go against the flow. People only wanted to hear what they wanted to hear.


    As for Zhu Jiao, he was glancing around conspicuously. Without reading his mind with my protagonist''s privilege, I could already tell that he was looking for Bai Ning Xue. Not that it mattered. Even if he spotted her, he would continue to maintain his distance and watch her from afar instead of actually approaching her.


    I wasn''t sure what the deal between the two childhood friends were, but apparently Bai Ning Xue had a reputation to protect, so she stayed aloof and alone from everyone else. I honestly thought that was a bad thing, but it was none of my business.


    "Oh, you guys are finally here!"


    When we stepped into the hall, Ban Zhang waved at us. The class representative, he had come earlier than everyone else to locate our assigned positions and lead us there when the rest of the class entered.


    "It''s been tough on you," I told him when we joined him. Ban Zhang shook his head with a broad smile.


    "Nah. I''m just doing my job."


    "So you''ll be class representative again this year?"


    "Yeah, unless someone else wants the job."


    Unfortunately, no one wanted that job. It was a troublesome role, filled with responsibilities and other sorts of burden. I was grateful that Ban Zhang had risen to the role, meeting its demands perfectly without complaints. And from what I could see, he seemed to enjoy his duties as class representative tremendously.


    We were really lucky to have him.


    While we all stood around, waiting for the opening ceremony to begin, students continued to enter in dribs and drabs. Since there were only second years and third years, with the first year students arriving in boats to take the Star Constitution measurement exam in the main plaza, and the previous batch of third years having graduated, there weren''t as many students as I thought there would be. Class 1-4 looked the same as ever, except¡­


    "Where''s Qi Fu Ren?"


    Tong Xue shrugged. "I dunno."


    Ever since our official match last year, and his expulsion from the White Tiger Sect, Qi Fu Ren had gone missing. I mean, he would still show up in class from time to time, meeting the bare minimum of attendances to ensure he didn''t drop out and so that he could move onto the next year, but otherwise he behaved like the delinquent he always was. I heard that he had barely passed his final exams, but the teachers allowed him to scrape through since theoretical scores weren''t as emphasized as the practical combat scores.


    Surprisingly, despite me cutting off his arms and severing his qi vessels there, Qi Fu Ren had recovered quicker than anticipated and passed the practical combat exam with flying colors. Probably the only reason why he was able to pass.


    "He probably won''t come for the opening ceremony since he''s no longer in a sect."


    Tang Qi Hong offered that suggestion, but I wasn''t convinced. The guy had gotten creepier since his defeat, his eyes turning more and more murderous. Whenever I glanced at him, I felt an indescribable chill.


    There was something up with that guy, but I just couldn''t place my finger on what. Furthermore, my gut was telling me strongly that it had something to do with my premonition from about three or four months ago.


    But without evidence, I can''t do anything about it. I could very well be mistaken¡­


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    "Welcome back, middle school students."


    Xiao Zhang had appeared to make his announcement, his voice booming and shaking me out of my disturbed thoughts. Even though he had just delivered his speech to the high school section, and flew over to the middle school section in a single bound, he didn''t seem to be out of breath. Rather, he was as excited and brimming with irresistible enthusiasm as ever.


    "It''s a new year for all of us. Time flies really quickly, huh? And I''m proud of all of you. Throughout this year, I''ve seen all of you have made remarkable progress in your cultivation and martial arts training. Keep it up!"


    The students straightened, pleased at the praise they were receiving. Xiao Zhang continued to indulge us with his smile.


    "You are all the hope upon which the future of this Wu Ling Academy rests upon. So I hope you can all continue working hard and endeavor toward a much higher stage than ever before! Remember, the academy''s resources are at your disposal. The teachers and staff are all here to help. So don''t hesitate to approach any of us! And I''m sure your sect masters and elders will continue to offer you maximum support! As for the Experimentalists, you have made me proud, even though you''ve to largely rely on self-training instead of learning under a master. You''ve displayed remarkable results and proven that you can compete on par with the Traditionalists!"


    It was no secret that the Principal of Wu Ling Academy favored the Experimentalists, but since the Traditionalists already held an overwhelming advantage in the form of their sect''s support and resources, no one complained about that. Even with the supposed favoritism, the Traditionalists continued to hold an edge over the Experimentalists, and they also outnumbered the latter faction by far. Xiao Zhang''s attitude didn''t make any difference.


    Speaking of which, wouldn''t Qi Fu Ren be counted as an Experimentalist?


    It disturbed me that I would be grouped together with the likes of Qi Fu Ren, but I wasn''t immature enough to obsess over that. Even as fellow Experimentalists, our modus operandi and values differed by too much. Much like the Traditionalists, the Experimentalists weren''t a monolithic faction. There were splits and divisions between its "members".


    "Well, since I''m going to have to take charge of the Star Constitution measurement examination for the new batch of first year students, I''ll keep this speech short. In other words, continue the good work that you''ve been doing so far, and make the academy and your respective sects proud. I look forward to your growth."


    The students buzzed, thinking that the ceremony was at an end and we would be released. However, the majority of us knew that we would have to return to our sects to help with the recruitment process, to help draw the new first year students into their respective sects. In a way, it reminded me of clubs vying for the attention of new students.


    "Oh, wait. One last announcement."


    Xiao Zhang held up his hand, silencing the excitement and murmurs. All the students turned to stare at him. As ever, Xiao Zhang had a flair for the dramatic, so he merely grinned and held his silence to up the suspense.


    Then he finally spoke up.


    "We''ve finally perfected the manufacturing process of artificial qi."


    "¡­huh?"


    "What?"


    "Artificial qi?"


    A hushed murmur swept across the students again, with many looking confused and even more looking excited. There were rumors going on at the end of the previous academy year about the production of artificial qi, but there was no confirmation or information. The academy had kept the secrets of artificial qi close to its metaphorical chest, and most people dismissed them as gossip or myths. No one took it seriously.


    But now, Xiao Zhang had just made the unbelievable announcement that artificial qi was real, and not only that, they had succeeded in manufacturing it.


    They must have developed and perfected the process over the winter vacation, I guessed. Not that the timeframe would make much of a difference.


    "Every one of you would be provided the chance to absorb artificial qi," Xiao Zhang continued after everyone fell into silence. He smiled knowingly. "I know you must be surprised. The high school division was just as shocked as you."


    "Incredible," Tong Xue whispered. "I heard of the rumors, but I never thought they would be true."


    "Artificial qi? Is it real?" Zhu Jiao muttered in disbelief.


    "If this is true, it''ll change everything we know about martial arts," Tang Qi Hong remarked, her eyes wide.


    "Change? It would revolutionize martial arts." Ban Zhang shook his head. "All the traditional training methods would be rendered¡­obsolete."


    "Note that this will not change your current regime," Xiao Zhang declared, almost as if he had heard Ban Zhang''s statement. "Artificial qi only gives you an advantage and boosts your strength considerably, but it does not replace martial arts techniques. It is not cheap, and is highly costly to produce. Nonetheless, we''ve succeeded in synthesizing artificial qi and found a process to customize them for your various martial arts. Needless to say, the artificial qi will only be useful if you use it in tandem with your martial arts. Just having a large amount of qi is useless unless you know how to utilize it properly."


    "Well, looks like we don''t have to worry about that," Tong Xue said mischievously. Ban Zhang merely shrugged.


    "I stand corrected."


    "Furthermore, the absorption of artificial qi varies from person to person. Don''t overly rely on your amount of qi. Yes, it might give you an overwhelming advantage in a fight, but the basics of your martial arts are as important as ever. In an environment where everyone has massive amounts of qi, the winner will undoubtedly be the one with the most solid foundation and who has honed his martial arts techniques to perfection."


    I listened, but couldn''t help feeling unsettled. There was something about this whole affair that didn''t sound right to me. I couldn''t put my finger on it, but I wasn''t sure I wanted artificial qi. It sounded too good to be true.


    Will it really be safe?


    This was what they called shortcuts. And from my experience, it was never a good idea to take shortcuts in life.


    "Of course, I''m sure some of you and your sect masters would be uncomfortable with the idea of artificial qi. There will be some who view change as dangerous, and since this is an unprecedented change, their fears are not unfounded. Therefore, if you do not wish to receive artificial qi, you are free to reject it."


    From the murmurs around me, it didn''t sound like anyone was opposed to the idea of receiving artificial qi. It was a massive boost, and sounded like the most awesome thing to ever happen to the academy. In fact, it would be idiotic to refuse this chance.


    "That said, inner qi difference does exist." Xiao Zhang grew serious and swept his gaze solemnly over the listening students. "It might be the deciding factor in a fight. Just like how someone with a weaker physical constitution might not be able to hurt someone with a much stronger physical constitution, having a tremendous gulf in the amount of qi would prove decisive in determining the outcome of a fight."


    He paused, and his steely eyes hardened.


    "If there''s only a few years of difference between the amounts of qi, you might still be able to overcome that gap through perception, strategy or other factors. However, if the gulf is too large, then no amount of perception or strategy will be able to help you bridge the gap."


    I sighed. Not this bullshit again. I hated it when people resorted to the whole "I have more qi therefore I win" logic.


    "From now onward, the amount of qi would probably be measured in terms of sexagenary."


    "Eh? What''s that?"


    "Sexagenary?"


    The majority of students hadn''t heard of that unfamiliar term before. But as I was previously a thirty-year-old PhD major in East Asian history, literature and folklore, I had heard of it.


    "The sexagenary cycle is also known as the Stems and Branches or Gan Zhi. It''s used to refer to a sixty-year cycle, and was used to measure time in ancient China¡­I mean the ancient Zhou Empire. It was used to record days, sort of a prototypical calendar."


    "Oh, looks like someone did his homework." Xiao Zhang smirked. So the guy could hear whatever we were speaking. "That is correct. But in this case, we''re using it as a measuring unit for the production of artificial qi."


    "Don''t tell me¡­"


    My eyes widened when I understood. Xiao Zhang nodded.


    "One sexagenary of qi is the estimated amount of qi achieved by cultivating inner energy for sixty years. Of course, the amount of qi cultivated over sixty years varies from practitioner to practitioner, but we''re using the mean¡­the average of most practitioners."


    A deathly silence filled the hall as all the students stared at Xiao Zhang, their minds churning chaotically at the revelation.


    "Now, imagine receiving that amount of energy at your age. To have sixty years'' worth of cultivating qi when you''re only 14 or 15. What sort of difference would that make?"


    "Incredible," one student muttered.


    "Amazing¡­"


    "Is this for real?"


    "I don''t know, but¡­"


    "By the time you''ve reached high school, you would be provided two to three sexagenaries of qi, which means you''ll be surpassing all but the oldest and longest living of cultivators. You would, in essence, become living legends."


    The students continued to chatter animatedly as Xiao Zhang described the new process, unable to contain their excitement, disbelief and anxieties.


    "Thanks to this revolutionary invention, all of you, as well as martial arts students from the future, will be able to train your martial arts to the limits of the human ability¡­no, you''ll be able to surpass those limits!"


    "Whoa¡­"


    "I don''t believe it¡­"


    "I''m not dreaming, right?"


    "Perfection of your martial arts is like a dream come true, right?" Xiao Zhang beamed at us. "Almost all traditional martial arts are based on obtaining near unachievable amounts of inner qi. With our newest creation, all of you will be able to achieve the pinnacle of your traditional martial arts, halving your cultivation period¡­no, even speeding it up by six times!"


    He then turned away.


    "Your homeroom teachers will be providing you more details as the semester goes by, and you can apply for artificial qi through the school. But I believe that''s enough excitement for today. On that note, I shall end the opening ceremony for the middle school division. I''ll see you later, during the Star Constitution measurement examination."


    With that, he disappeared off the stage, already soaring away somewhere in a single bound. The old man was as amazing as ever.


    "All right, all of you."


    Teacher Jiao Shi came to the front and clapped his hands to draw our attention. Similarly, the homeroom teachers of the other classes were also strolling forward and taking charge of dismissing or making announcements to their respective classes.


    Clearly, Teacher Jiao was our homeroom teacher again this year, and would continue to be for the rest of our middle school years.


    "The opening ceremony is over, so let''s move. I know most of you have to return to your sects and get ready for the first year recruitment drive, so don''t waste any time. The first year students will be arriving soon, so get a move on. The rest of you are dismissed."


    "Lucky you," Tong Xue told me. I shrugged and grinned.


    "The privilege of being an Experimentalist."


    "I bet you''ll also be one of the first to receive artificial qi."


    I shrugged, still unsure about the entire process. Still, since it was available, there was no reason to reject it. I wasn''t stupid enough to refuse a silver spoon if it was offered to me. I might as well make full use of the resources available to me.


    I could only hope it was safe, and that there wouldn''t be any negative side effects. I remembered how doping would leave devastating effects on the body, and wondered if artificial qi was something similar. I had best found out more and ensure its safety before committing myself to such experimental products.


    "What do you make of the whole thing?" Zhu Jiao asked, looking as uncertain as I. I didn''t blame him. This was new, and completely unprecedented. The only manhwa I read that ever talked about artificial qi was a Korean story named Veritas, which had ended its run over eight years ago, and never got a sequel despite the open ending. Apparently the author and the artist had a falling out, but since I didn''t understand Korean, I never knew what really happened.


    "I don''t know," I replied honestly with a shrug. "But no harm trying, right? That said, I need to find more information regarding it, or¡­"


    "You''re kidding! This has got to be the best news ever!" Tong Xue exclaimed. "I''m so glad we''re living in the modern period!"


    "This will change our understanding of martial arts forever," Lian Rou agreed, but she seemed a little afraid. "I¡­don''t know if it''s a good thing."


    "Well, we''ll find out," Tang Qi Hong assured her. "We''re the pioneer batch, after all."


    "Yeah, that''s our job," Ban Zhang muttered bitterly. "To be guinea pigs for the academy''s crazy experiments." Then he smiled. "That said, artificial qi, huh¡­this sounds amazing. I can''t wait!"

 43 Chapter 42: Artificial Qi

    It wasn''t because I was an Experimentalist. Tong Xue was right when he predicted that the Experimentalists would be among the first to receive artificial qi. But the process wasn''t simple. We had to undergo a few tests in the academy''s medical laboratory before the scientists within began customizing artificial qi suitable for our respective martial arts. For example, the practitioners of the White Tiger Sect were given qi customized specially for lightning qi techniques users. That would differ for the fiery qi cultivated for disciples of the Red Phoenix Sect, they would require a different kind of qi. And even among those with similar elemental affinities ¨C such as the disciples of the Nine Tail Fox Sect, they would require a different type of fiery qi.


    The laboratory would have to specially customize qi for Nine Tail Fox Sect disciples as compared to those from the Red Phoenix Sect.


    As such, the process of customization took time. Even though we each had our own turns, I saw and waited as the Traditionalists also went to get their qi tested and customized, and by the time everyone was done, I was the only one remaining.


    "What? You still haven''t received artificial qi yet?" Tong Xue blurted out after returning from the lab. He frowned. "But I''ve already received mine, and I went in after you did!"


    "Well, they haven''t finished customizing artificial qi appropriate for me yet." I shrugged while maintaining a calm fa?ade. However, inwardly, I was quailing.


    "Hmm¡­even though I''ve already gotten mine¡­" Zhu Jiao was looking a little concerned as well. He was also frowning. "Did you talk to the staff yet?"


    "Yeah. Same answer as always. The customization is not complete yet. Apparently the nature of my qi is a little strange, so they''re having problems synthesizing the appropriate artificial qi that would be compatible with mine."


    "That''s not good," Ban Zhang muttered. "We''re all absorbing our artificial qi and the longer you''re made to wait, the further you''ll fall behind the rest of us."


    That was partly true. The absorption rate of artificial qi differed from person to person, but most people took several weeks, or even months to absorb the artificial qi provided and integrate it into their innate qi. More qi meant a better progress of cultivation, which would help them speed up in developing and mastering their techniques, allowing them to perfect their martial arts faster and earlier. The longer my absorption was delayed, the slower I would be compared to others.


    But any higher than that ¨C receiving three sexagenaries of artificial qi, for example ¨C would virtually transform us into gods.


    Well, that "us" didn''t include me for now.


    "The middle school students only receive one sexagenary of qi, but the high school students will receive two sexagenaries, and depending on their progress, might get another sexagenary if they prove themselves."


    Ban Zhang was explaining to us something we already knew. Probably to show off his knowledge and habit of paying attention.


    "But even so, there''s a problem, right?" Zhu Jiao looked a little concerned. "I heard rumors that the older you are, the more difficult it is for you to absorb vast amounts of qi. That''s why they''re not giving it to the adults except a selected few. I heard that a lot of the high school students have trouble integrating and absorbing that much artificial qi. Apparently it''s much easier for us middle school students to absorb it at an earlier age."


    "What about elementary school students?" I asked. "If the younger we are, then the more receptive we are to artificial qi, right?"


    "Nope." Tong Xue shook his head. "Elementary school students are too young and frail. Their bodies can''t endure that amount of artificial qi. We middle school students can barely handle it, it would be much worse for them. You know what happens if you try to force too much volatile energy into a single vessel, right? If the vessel is fragile, it would break if you force too much energy into it."


    "Yeah, I heard that just putting half a sexagenary of artificial qi into the elementary school students was already causing their bodies to rupture and break them down. They had to stop the provisions because it was deemed to be too dangerous."


    Ban Zhang nodded in confirmation. Tong Xue sighed.


    "Well, it''s only natural. This is like the amount of qi you would get after decades of cultivation. Trying to put that much qi into a young, undeveloped, immature body would be catastrophic. Their foundation, constitution and physique aren''t developed enough for that kind of process. They need to strengthen their physiques and build a solid foundation first before getting that artificial qi. Otherwise they wouldn''t be robust enough."


    So there was no shortcuts in life. Artificial qi wasn''t a magic tool that just anyone could take and suddenly grow strong. There were optimal ages as to when one could receive and absorb it at maximum capacity, and if the recipient was too weak, he wouldn''t be able to handle that sheer amount of artificial qi. Worst case scenario, he might even die from it, his body ripped apart by from within the massive volume of volatile qi.


    I gulped.


    "Yeah, so you had best hurry up and pester them before your window is up," Tong Xue told me with a grim expression. Ban Zhang snorted.


    "Don''t exaggerate. Even with the delay, it''s not as if the academy lab would end up taking years to customize the suitable qi for Fei Wu."


    "You''ll never know."


    "Oi, don''t say such things and bring bad luck to him." Zhu Jiao chopped the top of Tong Xue''s head, causing the latter to flinch.


    "But how long has it been? Three weeks? Many of the more talented students have succeeded in absorbing and incorporating their artificial qi by now, especially the Experimentalists." Zhu Jiao looked concerned.


    "Yeah¡­almost a month now." I shifted uncomfortably. "I honestly don''t know. I''ll drop by the lab after school today."


    "Make sure you do," Ban Zhang told me sternly. "Otherwise you''ll get left behind."


    "Yes, sir."


    Well, that didn''t sound good. I had managed to haul myself back up to near the top after my hellish experience in the Abyss and surviving everything Sen Lin Forest threw at me, somehow surpassing even the talented Qi Fu Ren and defeating him in an official match. I had managed to obtain level 5, even. It would suck if everything got reset because of the introduction of artificial qi. Initially I thought it would be a great boost, but now it seemed that it would be the cause of my demise. After all that hard work and struggles, to fall back into obscurity because the scientists at Wu Ling Academy succeeded in synthesizing artificial qi¡­


    How is this fair!?


    Just when I thought things were finally looking up, a few months later, a new development came in and completely threw off my progress, setting me back to square one. Honestly, it felt as if even the Heavens themselves were trying to resort to all manner of despicable tricks and cheats just to put me in an overwhelming disadvantage.


    "Ugh!"


    I held my head and groaned in frustration. Feeling sorry for me, Zhu Jiao patted my shoulder encouragingly.


    "Don''t worry. Once you receive artificial qi, I''m sure you''ll shoot up again. I know how intelligent you are, after all."


    "Thanks," I muttered with a sigh. "I''m so grateful for your undying faith in me."


    "Hey, no need to be sarcastic."


    "I''m not being sarcastic, I am genuinely grateful. But I can''t help feeling frustrated." I raised both my hands apologetically and bowed slightly toward a slightly miffed Zhu Jiao. His expression softened and he nodded.


    "Yeah," Ban Zhang stepped in. "I understand how you feel. Fei Wu must be feeling the most frustration out of all of us. So let''s be a bit more understanding."


    "Thank you." I hung my head, but tried to suppress the anxiety broiling within my heart. I didn''t want my friends to worry, after all.


    "No problem."


    "Hey, hey!"


    Tang Qi Hong broke in, having arrived with Lian Rou. She placed her hands on her hips, pursing her lips in annoyance.


    "If they still don''t give you artificial qi soon, then I''ll personally stomp into the lab and kick all of their asses!"


    "Wouldn''t that delay them further?" I muttered under my breath, but I appreciated her concern so I forced a smile. "I''ll be counting on you then."


    "Yeah! You can rely on me!"


    Tang Qi Hong raised a hand confidently and smiled smugly. Lian Rou merely shook her head in amusement.


    "It''s best if you don''t resort to such drastic measures, though¡­"


    While my friends were discussing about this, I heard a familiar voice chuckle behind me. Spinning around, I narrowed my eyes when I caught sight of Qi Fu Ren. The bully was lounging in his desk at the back of the classroom, flanked by his two flunkies as usual.


    "Oh, how pitiful," he mocked me. "Poor little Fei Wu is unable to absorb any artificial qi? Looks like he''ll be kicked out of the academy at this rate."


    "Ha ha ha ha!"


    "What a loser!"


    Beside him, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao burst out laughing like the idiots they were, even though they probably had no understanding of what Qi Fu Ren was talking about.


    Not that it mattered. Even Two Star Constitution cultivators like Hu Shuo, Ba Dao and even Tu Zi Yi had an advantage over me now, having been able to absorb and incorporate a sexagenary of qi. I was falling behind them at an alarming rate.


    As for Qi Fu Ren, even though he had been expelled out of the White Tiger Sect, he had benefited the most from the artificial qi system. Apparently, the higher your Star Constitution, the more compatible you were with the customized artificial qi. Or perhaps, the academy invested more resources into customizing artificial qi for their more talented students. Even when disgraced, there was no denying that Qi Fu Ren was a gifted individual, with his Four Star Constitution. He could pick up other martial arts techniques faster and better than most students.


    I frowned, suddenly reminded of something. Despite leaving the White Tiger Sect and no longer having access to the martial arts they provided, it didn''t seem like Qi Fu Ren had borrowed any new techniques from the library to learn. Instead, he seemed to be self-learning or developing new techniques from the White Tiger Sect techniques he had already learned. I didn''t know he was doing it, but if that was true, he was a lot smarter than I gave him credit for.


    "Well, now''s your best chance to get revenge," I replied. Even though I would most likely lose to the powered up Qi Fu Ren, I didn''t mind. I had contingencies in place to make sure I would surrender before he could deal lasting damage or kill me. But I was extremely curious as to what new techniques he had developed or learned. "Go ahead and challenge me to a duel."


    "Nah." Qi Fu Ren grinned enigmatically. "I don''t want to seem like I''m bullying the weak."


    Everyone exchanged skeptical glances. Qi Fu Ren was definitely bullshitting here. He was known for bullying the weak, and he had continued to do so even after his defeat. Usually I had to step in and intervene before he hit his victims, but it would be a lie if I said that his bullying didn''t escalate. In fact, I suspected that he increased his abuse in order to vent out his anger and frustrations, continuing to target those inferior to him.


    Was he afraid of me, or was there some other more insidious reason why he had refrained from challenging me thus far?


    Perhaps he is working on a new technique and hasn''t perfected it yet. Thus he''s waiting until he has fully developed and mastered it, so that he can show it off in front of everyone and impress the teachers and principal.


    That might even make them reconsider blacklisting him. After all, Wu Ling Academy was still a martial arts academy in the end. There was no way they wouldn''t prioritize the students'' strength and martial capabilities over all other considerations.


    "Ha ha ha! You''re not worthy enough to challenge our boss!"


    "Yeah! You''ll easily get crushed by his new¡­"


    Ba Dao never got to finish his sentence. Qi Fu Ren rammed his elbow into his lackey''s stomach, sending him crashing into the wall and shutting him up.


    What the¡­? I almost didn''t catch that movement¡­


    Qi Fu Ren''s attack had been so fast that his arm had vanished into a blur and seemed invisible for a second. He most definitely improved a lot over the last few months, especially after absorbing so much artificial qi.


    Watching him send a murderous glare at the sprawled Ba Dao, I couldn''t help but feel a chill run down my spine.


    "Shut your mouth. Stop blabbering nonsense, you fool."


    Even though Qi Fu Ren didn''t raise his voice, his tone was frosty enough to lower the temperature of the classroom. Even the classmates who weren''t paying much attention to what was going on in the back had stopped to stare, chilled by the sudden display of violence.


    "S¡­sorry, boss!" Ba Dao gasped, blood spilling from his mouth. Hu Shuo helped him stagger to his feet. "I won''t do it again!"


    Qi Fu Ren merely fixed him with a glare and turned away with a dismissive snort. "See that you don''t."


    What the hell just happened?


    I couldn''t help but shudder involuntarily at the sight. This was the first time I saw Qi Fu Ren exercise violence against his subordinates. Even though he had verbally abused them in the past, he hadn''t actually raised a hand against them. Ever.


    That''s right¡­along with bullying other schoolmates more often, he seems to be meting out more violence toward his victims¡­


    At first, I had thought his increasing abuse had been related to his frustration from being expelled from the White Tiger Sect and his disgrace, humiliation and rejection by Bai Ning Xue, that he was merely venting his rage on his victims.


    But this¡­this was going too far.


    "What are you looking at?!" Qi Fu Ren snapped as the class stared silently at him. Unable to handle his animosity, the class returned to whispering among themselves, but more than a few of them couldn''t help but glance surreptitiously at him.


    "That was unexpected," Tong Xue muttered.


    "Qi Fu Ren is getting worse," Zhu Jiao growled indignantly.


    "He has always been this way, hasn''t he?" Ban Zhang replied, but he sounded unsure of himself. No one could confirm.


    "I don''t like this," Tang Qi Hong admitted softly as she cast a glance in the bully''s direction. "Qi Fu Ren is giving me the creeps."


    Lian Rou nodded and clung tightly to Tang Qi Hong''s arm, and the two girls supported each other. "Qi Fu Ren is starting to scare me."


    "I don''t blame you," Zhu Jiao muttered. "But I find it interesting that he refuses to accept any official matches, and backs off whenever we intervene in his bullying. It''s as if he''s trying to hide something."


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    "But what?" Ban Zhang questioned.


    "New techniques, no doubt. Developing a trump card." Tong Xue was studying Qi Fu Ren out of the corner of his eye, doing it so subtly that the latter didn''t notice him watching him cautiously. Must be something he picked up from the Smart Shadow Sect.


    "In any case, we should just keep an eye on him," I suggested. "And hope he doesn''t get into trouble or pick on others."


    My friends nodded.


    While we were holding our discussion, another student stepped into the classroom, drawing our attention.


    "Oh, Ning Xue!"


    Zhu Jiao waved and greeted her as always. Bai Ning Xue nodded in acknowledgement, then coolly proceeded to her desk. I watched her momentarily, but turned away when I felt Tang Qi Hong''s glare on me.


    What''s your problem? It wasn''t as if I was ogling Bai Ning Xue or something.


    My curiosity was piqued because I heard that Bai Ning Xue had actually refused artificial qi. I wasn''t sure if it was true ¨C rumors were rumors, after all, but many of our classmates had raised that topic. Zhu Jiao confessed that he knew nothing about it, and I wasn''t bold or blunt enough to ask Bai Ning Xue directly. I wasn''t even that close to her, after all.


    But the rumors persisted, and she was the only other student other than me who still hadn''t received artificial qi. I wasn''t sure how true that was, but if it was true, then I found it weird. The scientists had already assured us and proved that artificial qi had no negative side effects or problems, and that it was essentially no different from normal, natural qi.


    So what reason would Bai Ning Xue have to refuse artificial qi?


    One possibility was pride. As a Five Star Constitution cultivator, it was entirely possible that Bai Ning Xue felt that she didn''t need to rely on something as convenient as artificial qi, and wanted to prove her superiority by surpassing everyone without it. She was fine with giving herself a handicap, and believed in her own ability to progress without receiving such miraculous stuff.


    A second reason was that she didn''t trust the scientists and believed that there would be negative side effects. I didn''t blame her ¨C deep within my heart, I still held the same kind of skepticism, that the process was still too early, that side effects might only show up later¡­years later, in fact. Long term side effects and the like. But even then, I had submitted to peer pressure and decided to go with the flow and follow everyone in accepting it. For Bai Ning Xue to stand against the flow and go against the majority, it could mean that she knew something we didn''t know.


    That in itself disturbed me. Where did she get that kind of information? What did she know that we didn''t? Or was I overthinking it?


    Curling my fingers into a fist, I stared at the electronic tablet on my desk and tried to suppress my raging uncertainties.


    *


    After class, a lab assistant came to knock on the classroom door and call me.


    "Is Fei Wu here?"


    "Yeah." I raised my hand. He nodded and poked his head through the door.


    "Do you mind following me to the lab?"


    I felt my heart skip a beat. This must be it. The lab had finally succeeded in customizing the artificial qi suitable for me. Taking a deep breath, I tried to rein in my excitement and calmly rose to my feet.


    "Yeah."


    "Finally!"


    "Go on!"


    "It''s finally your turn!"


    My friends grinned and winked at them. I smiled back, and then picked up my bag before following the lab assistant out of the classroom.


    "Um¡­so you''ve finally finished customizing artificial qi for me?" I asked the lab assistant as I shadowed him.


    "About that¡­it''s best if you ask the chief for more details."


    The lab assistant sounded almost dismissive, cold or indifferent, which send alarm bells ringing in my head.


    "You mean¡­there''s a problem?"


    "I''m in no position to answer any your questions. As I said, it''s best if you ask the chief to explain everything to you."


    With that ominous reply, the lab assistant led me to the lab. I found myself escorted to the main laboratory room where they conducted tests and analyzed students'' qi. And apparently this was also the place where we received artificial qi.


    Having received none before, I wasn''t very sure. I was only going off what my classmates told me.


    "Ah, Student Fei Wu?"


    The elderly scientist looked up from his equipment and smiled at me. But I could tell that his expression was a little strained.


    "Sir." I saluted somewhat stiffly. The scientist nodded and gestured for me to take a seat.


    "I''m Ke Xue Jia," the scientist introduced himself. I bowed respectfully.


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ke Xue Jia."


    "I''m sure you probably have an idea as to why you''re here." Ke Xue Jia shifted uncomfortably as he glanced away from me. I nodded.


    "¡­you''re still unable to customize artificial qi for me."


    "Well¡­yes." Ke Xue Jia didn''t know whether to look relieved or not. "I''m sorry to disappoint you, but I assure you that the lab has been doing its best to synthesize the type of artificial qi that would be compatible with you. However¡­all attempts over the past month has failed."


    My shoulders slumped down and I sank back to my chair in despair. Even though I had already anticipated it, even though I had known this would be the case, deep down inside I had hoped that I was wrong, clung to the hope that there was at least one piece of good news, that I was mistaken somehow. And that last, remaining hope had just been snuffed out by Ke Xue Jia''s cruel announcement. He looked at me sympathetically.


    "I''m sorry."


    "Is it because I''m a One Star Constitution cultivator?" I blurted out bitterly. Was that it? My lack of talent, because the Heavens had me born this way, that I could not compete with the others, with my more talented cohort?


    "Well¡­no. It doesn''t matter how many Stars your Constitution has. Our artificial qi is designed to be compatible with anyone, regardless of how many Stars their Constitution has. Certainly, the less talent you have, the harder it would be for you to absorb the qi, and you would require more time, but it would still be possible to produce the suitable artificial qi compatible with your constitution, techniques and physique."


    I frowned. "Then why¡­?"


    Ke Xue Jia looked at me curiously. "To be honest¡­it''s because of the nature of your qi."


    "Huh? The nature of my qi?" I blinked in bewilderment, not sure if I understood what he was trying to say. "What''s wrong with my qi?"


    "Well¡­to put it simply, your innate qi is pretty unnatural. It doesn''t match any of the existing samples of qi we have before. There are a lot of traces of anomalous elements embedded within your qi, elements we can''t quite identify. It''s as if your qi is¡­polluted or tainted, for a lack of a better word. If we didn''t know better, we would have thought that your qi was a sample extracted from a demonic beast or magical beast."


    I gulped, my hands flopping down by my sides as I felt a chill.


    So that''s why¡­


    The desperate measures I resorted to in order to survive in the Abyss, to survive in Sen Lin Forest ¨C while they had kept me alive and allowed me to escape certain death, they had backfired on me in the long term. I had consumed magical beasts and demonic creatures in order to sustain myself, and even absorbed and assimilated their qi to strengthen my constitution. Consequently, even a One Star Constitution cultivator like me could surpass my limits and lack of talent to rise momentarily to the top.


    The ironic thing was that, in any other period, such an advantage would allow me to remain near the top and maintain my position in the rankings. Without the successful creation of artificial qi, I would not have been left behind and would continue to maintain my position while cultivating alongside everyone. This assimilation and absorption of demonic qi would have granted me a slight advantage and allowed me to keep up with everyone.


    Unfortunately, I had been born in an era where artificial qi was invented. It was as if the Heavens were deliberately playing a prank on me, giving me a measure of hope to overcome my limits and lack of talent, only to cruelly snatch that all away and throwing me back to the bottom by granting everyone artificial qi. It was as if the whole universe had been conceived and contrived just to put me at an overwhelming disadvantage no matter what I did or experienced. The gods were determined to torture, abuse and laugh at me no matter how much I struggled.


    I suddenly felt a tremendous hatred and resentment toward the heavens. I absolutely hated them, and wanted to destroy all the gods for being so unfairly cruel to me, for laughing and mocking me every step of the way.


    Fuck¡­!


    "Our methods right now only allow us to synthesize artificial qi compatible with humans'' innate qi. I''m not sure why, but our equipment register you as nonhuman." Ke Xue Jia scratched his head, baffled. "None of the scientists on the team understand what''s going on either. This is the first time we''ve seen a case like yours."


    "¡­I see."


    I couldn''t help but flop down on my seat, deflated and defeated. No¡­I couldn''t allow myself to be defeated here. I couldn''t allow the cruel gods to win. I couldn''t allow myself to give in to such a cruel Fate.


    "We''ve concluded that you present an anomalous case, a one in a billion¡­no, a one in a trillion, even. Your qi being tainted like this¡­honestly, it''s unprecedented. We''ll continue to study and analyze why your qi is so strange, but quite frankly, given our current technology, it might take years or even decades before we come up with a solution."


    "In other words, I shouldn''t get my hopes up," I concluded wearily. The chief scientist hesitated and then nodded.

 44 Chapter 43: Overwhelming difference

    I exhaled and opened my eyes. Around me, I could see the currents of qi drift by and flow along the air, coded by their colors.


    Green qi was wood qi. Red qi was fire qi. Blue qi was water qi. Silver qi was metal qi. Golden qi was earth qi. These made up the basic five elements.


    Ice from water. Lightning from metal. Life from wood. Wind from fire. Sand and rock from earth. Each of the basic five element could be further diversified into different types of elemental characteristics, depending on how much you proportion the yin and yang qi. Infuse yin qi into water and it turns into ice. Infuse yang qi into water and it evaporates into wind. Fill wood with yang qi and it becomes healing. Inject metal qi with yang qi and electricity would be produced. Of course, providing the opposite type of qi would produce another kind of elemental characteristic.


    And each of these sub-branches would have a slightly different color from their main branch. The color wouldn''t be totally different, but it would descend into a darker shade or rise to a lighter hue, depending on the nature of the element.


    Wood was the main branch, increasing the proportion of yang qi would turn it into healing qi. Increasing the proportion of yin qi would turn it into poisonous qi. Wood was a medium, verdant green, whereas venom was a dark, ominous green. Healing qi, on the other hand, was a soothing, light green that was a tad lighter than grass.


    Water was a light blue, and ice was slightly darker, but other than their states being liquid and solid respectively, there wasn''t much difference between them. Infusing yang qi into water would turn it into colorless air, but there was a slight azure tinge that indicated the qi currents that infused the atmosphere with preternatural properties.


    Fire qi was a bit different. Fire qi was mainly yang qi to begin with, so drastically increasing the proportion of yang qi for fire wouldn''t do much except create a stronger fire. However, apparently, if you could purify the brilliantly crimson fiery qi to almost 99.9% yang qi, you could theoretically produce a sacred flame or holy qi. However, such an existence was so legendary it was deemed a myth. At present, no one had heard of anyone who had successfully produced it.


    On the other hand, increasing the proportion of yin qi in fire transformed it into a sinister element. Known as Ghost or Darkness element, it was a ghastly, shadowy elemental qi that was the complete opposite of fire. Many of the demonic sects were known for practicing dark/ghost techniques as well as poison techniques. In fact, the higher ends of yin qi infused into ghost or darkness element would outright transform it into demonic qi.


    Earth qi, on the other hand, was more suited toward living creatures rather than actual elements. Infusing more yin qi would allow the user to shapeshift into various anthropomorphic magical beasts such as werewolves or the like. Infusing more yang qi, on the other hand, would allow the user to shapeshift into anthropomorphic dragon or Kirin type magical beasts. The legendary Sacred Creature Morph, or so I had heard.


    All this I learned during theoretical class, when Teacher Jiao was delivering a lesson on the various types of elemental qi. Apparently I was the only one who paid attention during theoretical classes, as everyone else''s minds were far away. I didn''t blame them. With artificial qi, all anyone could think about these days were cultivating. The exception was Ban Zhang, who, being the class representative, continued to pay attention in class in order to set an example. The guy was a true role model, except that nobody was following his example.


    "..."


    As for me, I only had theoretical left, considering the lab wasn''t able to customize the proper artificial qi for me. So the only way I could compete with my classmates was through studying and academics. Perhaps I would find some theory that would allow me to compensate for my complete lack of qi.


    Speaking of which, Bai Ning Xue refused artificial qi, right? I wonder how she is coping with the whole thing.


    I sneakily glanced at Bai Ning Xue, who seated somewhere to the side. Unfortunately, it was hard not to look subtly, considering I was in the second row from the front.


    "Hello?"


    I almost jolted upright when Teacher Jiao called out. He was looking frustrated as he tried to draw the class''s attention back toward him.


    "Anyone can tell me what the Eight Trigrams are?"


    "Qian, Kun, Li, Kan, Gen, Dui, Zhen and Xun," I spoke up.


    "The eight symbols used in cosmology to symbolize the fundamental principles of the universe," Ban Zhang added.


    "Very good." Teacher Jiao nodded at our answers, and then scowled. "Fei Wu and Ban Zhang again. Can anyone other than Fei Wu or Ban Zhang give the answer?"


    Nobody replied. They were either too glued to their martial arts manuals, or were outright cultivating in class. And by that I meant they were sitting cross-legged in their chairs and meditating, drawing qi into their bodies.


    "OI!" Teacher Jiao bellowed. His eyes narrowed as he studied the inattentive students. Most of them continued doing whatever they wanted, and his frustration grew. He took a deep breath and suddenly unleashed his qi.


    In a single second, everyone toppled over to the ground. Except me and Ban Zhang. I had no idea how Teacher Jiao was so precise with flexing his qi, but he controlled it so seamlessly that only the two of us were unaffected. Everyone was pinned onto the ground, heaving from shock and perspiring from the tremendous pressure.


    "¡­"


    I gulped, freezing in my seat as I was at a loss at what to do. As much as I wanted to help my classmates, there was very little I could do. Ban Zhang was facing a similar predicament, his expression frozen in fear. The two of us exchanged anxious glances, but we managed to somehow telepathically agree to stay still.


    "Did you think I''m a pushover just because I only teach theory?" Teacher Jiao seethed, his voice low and soft, but somehow still clearly audible throughout the classroom. Everyone trembled from the potent fury evident in his tone. "That you can just walk over my head because I don''t seem to know any martial arts?"


    Personally, I always knew that Teacher Jiao was capable of martial arts. He had taught me how to use footwork techniques, after all. In fact, all the non-combat teachers and staff, despite teaching us theory, were all capable of martial arts. Teacher Yi Liao, for example, was a master from the Green Dragon Sect who perfected her healing.


    It was the height of folly to assume otherwise.


    "Now listen, the whole lot of you," Teacher Jiao growled through gritted teeth. "I don''t care what sect you''re from. I don''t care if you''re the most prized disciple in the sect, or the top martial arts student in the academy, or if you''re level 5 and are on the fast track to level 6. The moment you''re in my classroom, you follow my rules. When I''m giving a lesson, you are to pay attention. If I catch you doing something else during class, whether it''s cultivating techniques or learning your martial arts, I will punish you. And trust me, you will not like it."


    He allowed his words to hang over the sprawled students before he finally relaxed. As if an ocean had just been lifted off their shoulders, the students in class began gasping for air and sitting up, coughing and hacking.


    "Is that understood?" Teacher Jiao after allowing the class a few moments to catch their breaths. The students, including Qi Fu Ren, nodded frantically. Teacher Jiao then made a gesture, and they scrambled back to their seats.


    Even Qi Fu Ren had gone pale, despite his usual defiant manner. I heard that he had adapted well to absorbing artificial qi and emerged one of the strongest yet again, thanks to his Four Star Constitution, so it was amazing to see him brought low. But Bai Ning Xue had also been laid low, the first time I had ever seen her elegant and proud figure sprawled on the ground.


    I never would have believed it if I hadn''t seen her lying prostrate with my very own eyes.


    Wait, what''s even more amazing is how Teacher Jiao managed to subdue the entire class with his qi aura alone¡­


    Thinking about it, I realized how much more impressive the feat he pulled off was. Each student possessed at least a sexagenary of artificial qi, which equaled sixty years of cultivation progress. Despite that enormous amount, almost forty students weren''t able to withstand the intimidating qi pressure from a single teacher.


    Ah, right¡­the teachers and staff were among the first to receive artificial qi. They received a lot more than the students¡­


    The teachers had volunteered to be guinea pigs for the artificial qi first, to ensure that there were no long-lasting side effects or problems. Only after nothing happened over a few months (the vacation period) and they confirmed that they were all right, then the laboratory was allowed to dispense artificial qi to the students.


    I wouldn''t be surprised if the teachers, like Teacher Jiao for example, received anywhere between three to four sexagenaries of artificial qi.


    On the other hand, I also heard that artificial qi was incredibly expensive to synthesize, so the academy did not plan on producing more and distributing to all the martial artists in the Alliance. But to compromise and prevent the Martial Arts Alliance from declaring war and attacking Wu Ling Academy to plunder their technology and stocks of artificial qi, they agreed to provide the future generation, the young disciples ¨C in other words, us ¨C artificial qi. For the future and all that.


    Fat hope that will help me, I thought bitterly. Despite being in the same generation, I couldn''t receive any artificial qi because the lab failed to customize a compatible sample for me. I had no choice but to live with what I had.


    *


    Wham!


    I slid back a few meters after parrying Tu Zi Yi''s kick.


    "Not yet!"


    I glanced up and saw her leg descending toward me. Using Shadow Steps, I disappeared into a blur, and her foot smashed a crater into the ground.


    Oh, wow¡­that''s one sexagenary of artificial qi for you.


    Tu Zi Yi had clearly grown much stronger ever since she absorbed the artificial qi. Without hesitation, she spun upward and snapped up with another kick, switching her stances without delay and moving fluidly. I moved my head slightly to avoid her kick, but I could feel the sonic boom blasting past my cheek and drawing a line of blood.


    "Hu¡­"


    I jumped back the moment Tu Zi Yi kicked, riding along the sudden burst of air to mitigate the worst of the impact. Even so, I was still sent skidding back.


    "Hah!"


    Tu Zi Yi was revolving around before smashing a kick into the place where I was standing seconds ago. Having kicked off with my footwork, I had rolled on the floor to avoid it, and managed to just barely scramble to my feet.


    "Why can''t I hit you?"


    Tu Zi Yi was getting frustrated. I almost scoffed at her stupid question. Why would I stand still and allow her to hit me? I wasn''t a masochist.


    However, Tu Zi Yi was growing confident because of her increased power. Clearly, she was a lot stronger than before¡­tens of times stronger, in fact. She had never been able to unleash such destructive power before, but now she was easily pulverizing the reinforced concrete and material that constituted the training room.


    Sighing, I rolled back to my feet and hopped back to keep my distance. My mind wandered to a few minutes ago, when Tu Zi Yi approached me to request for a sparring session. I saw no reason not to, even though I would be severely disadvantaged.


    As it turned out¡­


    "I want you to use all those Lunar Rabbit kicks that you created from watching the actual Lunar Rabbits!"


    That was what she said, but she had been one-sidedly attacking me all this time and not giving me a chance to use them. I was getting confused.


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    Just when that memory slipped away, Tu Zi Yi looked up and studied me, her pretty face creased in a frown.


    "¡­do you think my Lunar Rabbit techniques are now superior to your self-learned Lunar Rabbit kicks?"


    "Huh?" I gaped at her. "How would I know?"


    If we were basing it solely on superficial results, then quite clearly she was at an overwhelming advantage. The power and speed of her kicks were far above mine. While it did rankle somewhat that a girl was physically stronger than me, I had to accept that in this day and age, gender equality was paramount and there was no reason why a girl wouldn''t be physically stronger than me if she trained harder and more diligently.


    Except that she really didn''t. It was the excess of artificial qi that was giving Tu Zi Yi the advantage. To be honest, it had nothing to do with gender. Guy or girl, the difference was going to lie in those artificially synthesized qi that was worth sixty years'' cultivation. It was not a difference that I could overcome through biological differences or sheer hard work alone.


    In fact, the only reason why I wasn''t lying on the floor right now was because of my experience, and also because Tu Zi Yi still hadn''t completely assimilated the artificial qi or perfected her techniques. I could still see the flaws in her movements and exploit them to calculate the optimal timing to pull back, dodge or retreat.


    Is this the true essence of Heaven and Earth Formula? I wondered as I ducked under another swinging kick. Somehow, my qi senses were heightened more than ever, especially in an environment so rich in qi. Artificial qi, yes, but still¡­qi.


    I could literally see the flows and currents of qi in the air. Not just in the air, but also in my opponent''s body somewhat. I could see where the clusters of qi were densest and the areas where they were the thinnest.


    If I could just pinpoint a weak point¡­


    "!"


    I just barely managed to duck under a kick from Tu Zi Yi in time, only for her to flip her body in midair and strike me in my midriff. Fortunately, I managed to parry her kick, but the sheer power behind her blow sent me hurtling across the training room.


    "Oof!"


    I had to spin my body about to disperse the momentum and then slammed both my feet against the wall, cracking the reinforced material. With a deep breath, I sprang forward and answered with a kick of my own.


    "!!"


    Tu Zi Yi threw both her hands up in reflex and effortlessly blocked my kick. Despite putting all of my strength behind my attack, my pathetically tiny amount of qi dissipated harmlessly against her massive qi defense. It was like a drop of water trying to attack a tidal wave. It just wasn''t going to happen no matter how much I tried.


    Realizing that, Tu Zi Yi counterattacked with a kick. I tried my best to dodge in midair, but despite twisting to the utmost of my ability, Tu Zi Yi''s foot lightly connected. Even though it was just a graze, it was sufficient to send me flying upward into the ceiling of the training room. I crashed into the structure with a grunt and then fell back to the ground.


    "Ah! Are you all right?"


    Tu Zi Yi hurried over, but I waved her away.


    "So are you satisfied now?" I asked bitterly. Despite Tu Zi Yi''s request, I had only executed a single kick in the entire duel. And then had my ass practically kicked. If she was seeking to prove her superiority, then she had certainly achieved it.


    "Ah, yes."


    Tu Zi Yi didn''t bother to hide her delight as she nodded, pleased with her progress. Except that it wasn''t her progress. It was a cheat, a shortcut she received to artificially boost her strength to the peak of human ability.


    A process that wasn''t available to me, at least not yet.


    "Thank you very much!" Tu Zi Yi bowed. I merely nodded and turned to leave the room, not trusting myself to speak.


    Yeah, it was clear that Tu Zi Yi never intended to learn from my improvised and self-learned Lunar Rabbit kicks. Her goal was to prove that her sect''s original Lunar Rabbit techniques were superior to my self-invented ones, and she decided to make use of this time when she was aware that the lab failed to customize any artificial qi compatible with mine, to defeat me. In other words, she was kicking me when I was down.


    Funny. I would have thought that Qi Fu Ren would be the first to challenge me and beat me up, but he surprisingly hadn''t made any move toward me so far. I wondered why.


    Well, no use worrying about that. I had more important things to worry about, such as surviving in Wu Ling Academy despite such an overwhelming disadvantage.


    On the other hand, I managed to keep up with Tu Zi Yi''s movements and dodge all of her attacks. There might some hope of fighting back, after all.


    Heaven and Earth Formula relied on me to come up with my own fighting style, ritual and form. So if I tailored what I had learned as the base to adapt myself to fighting spiritually superior foes, I might just be able to figure something out.


    But how? How do I overcome such overwhelming differences?


    Even if I could dodge, even if I could sense and "see" the color coded currents of various qi, it was pointless if I didn''t know how to put those into practice and make use of them in actual combat. Moreover, I just didn''t possess the strength to attack. Right now, it was akin to a normal person punching a brick wall.


    I was more liable to hurt myself in attacking my opponents than leave a scratch on them.


    But there has to be a way¡­


    Gritting my teeth, I marched back toward my dorm while racking my brain for possible countermeasures against my newly powered up classmates.


    *


    As it turned out, a few weeks passed and I still found myself at the bottom of the barrel. Unable to develop a perfect countermeasure, I somewhat ended up as the voluntary punching bag in my class.


    It wasn''t that I was a masochist who was greedy for physical punishment. To me, victories weren''t important. I was more interested in learning how to fight, and I wouldn''t stop sparring and fighting until I found a way to improve myself. Despite being constantly trounced in a one-sided battle, I was always jumping back up and eager to learn. Given time, I was gradually acclimatizing to the new climate and adapting to my classmates'' superior spiritual strength.


    Many of them were happy to fight me, as it felt good to beat up someone weaker than you. In a less sinister way, it helped them build up their confidence and self-esteem, knowing that there was at least one person below them. But the stressful and super-competitive environment often brought out the worst in them and they needed a way of letting off steam.


    Of course, there was a substantial number of classmates who felt sorry for me, and felt that it was dishonorable one-sidedly thrashing a student many times weaker than them, an unfortunate classmate who was unable to receive artificial qi.


    Tong Xue and Zhu Jiao belonged to the latter group, refusing to spar with me. Tang Qi Hong was also pretty upset when I asked her, and she even forbade her friend, Lian Rou, from dueling with me. So those four were out.


    Ban Zhang fell somewhere in the middle. While he wasn''t happy to fight me because he wasn''t the type to bully the weak, he didn''t feel sorry for me to the extent where he would refuse a challenge from me. As long as it wasn''t an official match, anyway.


    "Are you sure about this?" he asked me as we both took our positions in the training room. I took a deep breath and nodded.


    "Yup. How about you? Are you ready?"


    I did some warmups, stretching and flexing my arms and legs in preparation for the friendly sparring. Ban Zhang hesitated and looked away uncertainly for a moment.


    "Hmm¡­" he paused, and then smiled nervously. "I honestly think it is unfair for us to fight now, you know?"


    "Life is pretty unfair. No one is going to hold back because they pity me for not having any artificial qi."


    "That is true." Ban Zhang nodded reluctantly at my valid point. "Including me, every student in this academy has received artificial qi. We all have about one sexagenary''s worth of spiritual energy. Just like one of those legendary martial artists."


    "I know that," I replied. "That won''t change my mind."


    Ban Zhang gave me a look. "You''re no match for me, especially since the lab still hasn''t successfully customized artificial qi suitable for you."


    "I know. That''s why I''m trying to learn how to fight against such an overwhelming disadvantage."


    Seeing that Ban Zhang refused to move, I sprang forward with Jin and rushed at him with a Shadow Kick.


    "Spiritual qi difference does exist," Ban Zhang coolly informed me as he effortlessly dodged my attack. "It might be the deciding factor¡­but that''s only when there''s a few years'' difference. You and I have a sexagenary of qi difference. That''s almost an absolute power difference."


    "Like an ant against a dragon?"


    "I wouldn''t put it that way," Ban Zhang chuckled as I swung another kick at him, dodging again. "Did you know that one sexagenary of qi is achieved by cultivating spiritual energy for only 60 years?"


    "I know."


    "If it were not for this academy, achieving even one sexagenary of qi would be considered a legend." Ban Zhang stepped back to avoid another of my kicks. "You¡­only had a year to cultivate qi like the rest of us. I don''t know what happened to you during your experience in Sen Lin Forest, but even if we take that miraculous encounter into account, you probably only have ten years'' worth of qi cultivation at most."


    "Still better than nothing," I replied defiantly with a smile.


    "At this point, you still haven''t received any artificial qi from the academy, so you''re no match for any of the students here." Ban Zhang regarded me coolly. "That''s why I said it''s unfair for us to fight."


    "I won''t know until I try!"


    Gathering whatever qi I could into my leg, I launched a kick at Ban Zhang''s face. This time, Ban Zhang didn''t bother to dodge. He merely stood there firmly and allowed my foot to strike the side of his head.


    Thunk!


    "¡­eh?"


    I froze when I realized that my foot hadn''t budged an inch despite colliding with Ban Zhang''s face. He merely grabbed my foot, and to my horror, I found that I couldn''t break free of his grip.


    "Allow me to teach you the difference between us. The absolute power gap between someone with one sexagenary of qi and someone who only has a year or so experience."


    He reached out and grabbed my face, ensnaring my head before I could withdraw in panic. It also helped that he had my foot in an unbreakable grip and was yanking me forward.


    I felt a tremendous shock rock through my head. My world split apart and tumbled over, and I fell to my rump, dizzy and disorientated. Coughing and heaving, I tried to stand, only to fall back to my knees.


    "You shouldn''t be able to stand up," Ban Zhang informed me sympathetically. "I just shook your head and disrupted your equilibrium with Black Tortoise Heavy Shock Palm."


    He turned away.


    "Here, internal damage is a lot more crucial than physical damage. If you lack spiritual qi, you will not be able to adequately defend against spiritual qi attacks."


    "¡­I see."


    Despite my battered condition, I struggled to my feet, only to topple over again.


    "I apologize for being heavy-handed, but I need to ensure that I got my point across." Ban Zhang knelt beside me while my vision was darkening. "Rest for a bit. Don''t worry, when you get up, I''ll treat you to Mapo tofu. I''m sure Zhu Jiao and Tong Xue would love to come along as well."


    "I can''t eat spicy stuff¡­"

 45 Chapter 44: Heaven and Earth

    I sat up and glanced around the darkness, half-expecting to see Ban Zhang hovering around me and checking if I was all right.


    Nope, there was no sign of him at all. Instead, I was surrounded by darkness. Frowning, I tried to stand and reach out to turn the lights on.


    There was nothing. What I initially took for to be a darkened room was actually empty space. Even the floor ¨C despite walking along something, there was no floor. It felt as if I was walking across empty space.


    Doesn''t this look familiar?


    Yeah¡­it did. I recognized this place. It was definitely¡­


    "Yo, my disciple."


    "Master."


    I looked up and found him waving at me from a distance. He was seated on what seemed like an invisible bed, which gave off a weird impression. Like he was floating cross-legged in midair. We certainly weren''t standing at the same level (or sitting, in Master''s case).


    But for me to see him here, it must mean¡­


    "Am I¡­dead?"


    No way. Ban Zhang was my friend. He would never be ruthless enough to kill me. There must be some kind of mistake.


    But then, he has one sexagenary of artificial qi, which is a lot more than mine. Maybe he''s still not used to his new strength and was unable to precisely gauge and estimate the amount he needed, and failed to hold back?


    In other words, Ban Zhang accidentally used more strength than was necessary and inadvertently killed me.


    You''ve got to be kidding me!


    To die in such a stupid manner, killed by my own friend¡­


    "You''re not dead."


    "Eh?"


    I glanced up at Master, who was scowling at me in disapproval. He shook his head and gestured for me to draw closer.


    "I''m just using this opportunity to teach you something new. I''ve heard about your circumstances from that old hag."


    He must be referring to Grandma Meng. Wow, but that old lady really knew everything, didn''t she?


    "You''ve a hard time, given how you''re up against opponents several times more powerful than you. What was it¡­they''ve an amount of qi equivalent to sixty years'' worth of cultivation? Something like that, I believe."


    I nodded. "That''s right."


    "Hmph!" Master snorted. "What a load of bull. As if having more qi would automatically make you invincible."


    "Well, I''ve been experiencing firsthand that it really is the case¡­"


    Lowering my head, I muttered sullenly. Master chortled at that.


    "Well, I won''t deny that having more qi would certainly give you an overwhelming advantage. But that''s not all there is to martial arts¡­especially for practitioners of the Heaven and Earth Sect." he studied me and grinned. "Looks like you not being able to receive or absorb any artificial qi is a great blessing in disguise."


    Once he caught me looking up at him from an inferior position, Master''s smile broadened. "Tell me, what''s the purpose of martial arts?"


    "To learn how to fight? For self-defense?"


    "Try harder," Master told me snappily. "If it''s as simple as learning how to fight, then why don''t we just strengthen our bodies and be faster and stronger? Why bother learning martial arts at all?"


    "Uh¡­" I racked my brains and thought about it. Master got a little impatient when I wasn''t able to offer an answer in a few seconds.


    "Why was martial arts created in the first place?" he gave a hint. Then glared at me before I opened my mouth. "Not just to fight, right?"


    "Discipline?"


    "No, I mean, yes, but why martial arts specifically? Why was martial arts created for fighting instead of relying on brute strength to win fights? How is martial arts used for self-defense? To overpower the enemy through sheer force?"


    I suddenly understood. "Martial arts are a way for the weak to fight against the strong. To defend themselves from a superior opponent."


    "Bingo!" Master clapped his hands in delight. "I knew you would figure that out. Now¡­if the essence of martial arts is to defend yourself from a stronger opponent, then don''t you think there''s something wrong with the approach of trying to grow stronger than your opponent by accumulating more qi than him?"


    "Uh¡­yeah, maybe¡­"


    I wasn''t certain if this line of reasoning was logical, but I decided to go along with it for now. However¡­


    "But how do I overcome such an overwhelming difference in strength when I have so little qi comparatively?"


    "That''s why you learn Heaven and Earth Formula. There are no strict forms and rituals, no concrete fighting style¡­because it''s a martial art that allows you to adapt to whatever martial techniques your enemies use."


    I pushed my glasses up my nose as I studied Master. "So a style that''s based primarily on counters?"


    "If that''s the style that suits you the most, yes." Master nodded. "But alternatively, Heaven and Earth Formula allows you to use your opponent''s strength against themselves. Counter hard with soft. Be flexible and supple."


    "Something like tai qi?"


    "Tai qi?" Master repeated incredulously. Oh, I forgot that there was no tai qi in this timeline. This world followed a parallel, alternate history with regards to martial arts. "Do you mean the ultimate principle?"


    I guess that was one way of interpreting tai qi, so I merely laughed and shrugged.


    "Oh, maybe. I guess?"


    Master didn''t look satisfied with that vague answer, but he didn''t press further. Instead, he shook his head.


    "Well, we don''t have time to waste. I''ll just tell you about that." he studied me and nodded, pleased. "Good, it seems like you''ve spent all this time developing a solid foundation with the Heaven and Earth Formula that I taught you. You''ll definitely be fine if you proceed at this rate." He smiled proudly. "In fact, it''s pretty impressive, given how little time you had to practice it. I can tell that you''ve worked really, really hard."


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    I couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly at his compliment. Oh, the irony. When I first got into the academy, there was quite a lot of people chasing me because they suspected that I had learned Heaven and Earth Formula even though I actually hadn''t. After proving that I didn''t, I somehow managed to learn Heaven and Earth Formula through a supernatural, miraculous ¨C not to mention near-death ¨C encounter, but no one had realized that this time, I really had learned Heaven and Earth Formula.


    The people from the Iron Mountain Sect and the Dark Shadow Sect would most likely be screaming in rage if they learned of this. Not that I was going to tell them. They would make use of the currently superior amount of qi to force me to give away my knowledge of Heaven and Earth Formula. I couldn''t afford to let that happen.


    "Thanks." I glanced down at my feet. "But what do I do now?"


    "All you need to do for now is to listen, then practice when you regain consciousness."


    I nodded and listened attentively. That was one of the only things I was good at. Hell, during that session in class where Teacher Jiao blew up, I was among one of the only two ¨C Ban Zhang being the other ¨C who had paid attention in class.


    "When you wake up, get yourself a water filtering machine."


    "A¡­water filter machine?" I blurted out without thinking. Now that was something I didn''t expect.


    Master nodded. "That''s right. I want you to use it for image training."


    "What kind of image training? What am I supposed to visualize?"


    "Oho¡­" Master''s eyes widened. "You''re pretty sharp. You already know what image training is, huh?"


    "Sort of¡­but¡­" I hesitated. "Imagining something in my head and then doing something with it in my mind. Sort of like shadow-boxing, but with an imagined enemy that I visualize inside my mind. Something like that?"


    "Yes. But I don''t want you to visualize fighting or image an enemy. Using the coffee maker, I want you to use it to visualize your qi."


    As he said that, I glanced at all the qi around me. Even within the dark, infinite, empty space, I could still see wisps and currents of qi drifting around.


    Master noticed my unusual reaction, and his smile spread out broader than ever.


    "Ah¡­I see that you''ve already reached that stage, huh? Your progress is much faster than I originally anticipated. I can scarcely believe that you can already perceive and ''see'' the qi in your surroundings."


    "Isn''t that because of the Heaven and Earth Formula that you taught me?" I asked. Master grinned and nodded.


    "Partly, but I thought you would need a few more months before you reach this stage. Nonetheless, this is good news."


    "Thank you." I paused for a moment, and then tried to shift the topic back. "So what kind of image training am I supposed to do? Filter my qi?"


    "Excellent!" Master reached out and slapped my shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Exactly! So you already figured it out!"


    "It was just a guess¡­"


    "A good one," Master assured me. "Now, with the water filtrating machine, you are to visualize your qi as water. Which is easy to do, considering your elemental affinity with ice. But I want you to imagine your qi like unrefined, tainted water. Heaven and Earth Formula''s breathing method and qi control techniques would be the filter. So filter your qi and turn it into purified drinking water. Can you manage that?"


    "I''ll try, but no promises," I replied somewhat unconfidently. Master snorted, but he didn''t smack me for my lack of confidence.


    "Now, answer this question. Why am I having you purify your qi?"


    "The purer the qi, the more volatile the reaction from qi control and manipulation," I replied automatically, having learned that from Wu Ling Academy''s theoretical classes. That was why I paid attention to Teacher Jiao. Martial arts weren''t solely about practical. Having a good grasp of theory was rewarding. "And if I were to apply that principle¡­"


    "Exactly!" Master nodded, delighted with my answer. "Heaven and Earth Formula does not operate under the barbaric principle of ''more qi equals more power''." He smiled at me. "Just like how only uranium with high purity is suitable for nuclear reactions, you can achieve stronger power with a small amount of pure spiritual energy."


    "Correction." I held up my hand. "The type of uranium used in nuclear reactions is not purified uranium but enriched uranium. Uranium exists naturally with over 99% of it composing of the 238 isotope uranium, but scientists enrich uranium by increasing the proportion of the 235 isotope uranium because it is the only naturally occurring nuclide that can undergo nuclear fission with thermal neurons."


    Master glared at me. "What are you, a nuclear physicist or something?"


    "No," I corrected. "I''m a big fan of science fiction¡­uh, it''s a genre from the timeline I was from."


    "I know that timeline, I''ve been there. That''s the reason why I even know about uranium in the first place. But that''s beside the point."


    "You were saying that more qi doesn''t equal more power. But that''s not what I''m experiencing against my opponents so far."


    "That''s right. The more you have, the harder it is to purify it." Master looked at me sternly. "Keep your eye on the currents of qi and manipulate them, bind them to your will and direct their flow. Purify your qi over and over again, then only will you be able to achieve great strength even with the tiny amount of qi you have."


    "What about having more pure qi?" I asked.


    "Ideally, that would be good, but¡­" Master smirked. "Can your body handle it?"


    "I''ll have to train it, right?"


    "Think about it." Master smacked my head. "How long can even the most sturdily built nuclear power plants last? And you remember what happened in Fukushima, right? How the metal rods were unable to withstand the heat when it was damaged. Now, imagine what would happen if your body gets injured during the fight, and you have all that latent purified qi energy stored inside you." he spread his hands to mime an explosion.


    I gulped.


    "Rather, Heaven and Earth Formula isn''t about accumulating or storing as much qi in your body as possible. It adjusts to your opponent. You can see all the qi currents around you. Tap into them, bend them to your will, and use them against your opponent''s will."


    "Easier said than done," I muttered.


    "Oh, it''s easy. Anyway, the first step and primary technique of Heaven and Earth Formula, Heaven and Earth Strike, relies on you succeeding in purifying your qi. No, not just your qi. Once you''ve reached the level where you''re able to draw upon all the qi in your surroundings and purify them in one go, you''ll be able to unleash all that volatile energy in a single strike, much like discharging the destructive power of a thermonuclear bomb." Master punched the air, but nothing happened. "Heaven and Earth Strike is easily one of the most powerful and destructive techniques in the whole martial arts world, the Jianghu. That is why all the sects covet the Heaven and Earth Formula. And the beauty of it is that you don''t even need a substantial amount of qi to utilize it. What you need is a mastery of all the elements and qi around you, to be able to manipulate and draw all the surrounding qi in the environment to the extent where it seems natural."


    "Thus Heaven and Earth," I muttered. "To control and wield all the qi in the entirety of Heaven and Earth."


    "Correct. But you''re still a few years too early to think about that, though."


    I sighed. "So my qi still isn''t pure enough, huh?"


    "Well, I''ve only just taught you the purification principle. That''s a given."


    Then Master sighed.


    "That said, I won''t lie to you. It will still be an uphill battle. It would be too na?ve to pretend that having more qi is not an advantage. The decisive factor would lie in whose qi is more pure. And of course even if you have very little qi, if you manage to purify it, you might be able to bridge the distance a little. I used uranium as an example, but obviously uranium is one of the densest and most massive element in the universe. So I won''t'' deny that having more qi would give you or your opponent an advantage. There is a way to offset that advantage, though¡­if you master Heaven and Earth Formula, but I''m a little hesitant in teaching you that."


    "Eh?" I protested. "Why not? Come on, Master, I''m going to need every advantage that I can get."


    "I don''t want you to become overly reliant on that technique¡­in fact, that technique was what caused the Heaven and Earth Sect to get labeled demonic, and led to our persecution and downfall. Especially since the other masters and disciples showed no restraint¡­" Master closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, that technique will end in my generation."


    "Then what am I supposed to learn?" I grumbled.


    "Don''t worry about that," Master assured me as he lay an encouraging hand on my shoulder. "That''s why I''m teaching you the theory behind Heaven and Earth Strike."


    I scratched my head as I watched Master. "So what exactly is Heaven and Earth Strike? I understand the principle, but is it a punch?"


    "Silly boy." Master laughed. "I told you before, Heaven and Earth Formula doesn''t have any fixed forms or rituals or fighting style. You can apply Heaven and Earth Strike to anything. It can be a punch, it can be a kick, it can be a sword strike, and it can even be a thrust of a wooden staff. As long as you know the principle, you can apply it to anything."


    "¡­yes, Master."


    I nodded, overawed by the information I was receiving.


    "One more thing." Master held up a finger. "Since I''m teaching you the basic, primary technique of Heaven and Earth Formula, I might as well tell you about the ultimate technique of Heaven and Earth Formula."


    "Huh?"


    "The moment you master Heaven and Earth Strike, you should be at the level where you can manipulate and direct the flow and current of the qi in your surroundings. But if you continue developing along that line, you''ll eventually reach the stage where you can draw and manipulate your opponent''s own qi and use it against him."


    "What¡­?"


    Visualize the clashing of qi as a storm, and at the point of collision, deliver a Heaven and Earth Strike right into the center. If you succeed, you''ll be able to redirect and use your opponent''s qi against him, causing a fatal backlash." Master''s smiled widened. "This is the principle of Heaven and Earth Reversal, the ultimate technique of Heaven and Earth Formula."


    I stared at him, baffled. "I''m sorry, I''m afraid I don''t quite understand."


    "You don''t have to." Master patted my head. "Worry about learning Heaven and Earth Strike first. There''s no point worrying about Heaven and Earth Reversal if you can''t even master Heaven and Earth Strike, which is the prerequisite to using Heaven and Earth Reversal."


    "Yes, Master." I nodded.


    "Well, that''s all I have for you." then he suddenly hesitated, as if realizing that he had forgotten something.


    "What is it, Master?" I asked, noticing his troubled expression.


    "No, it''s just¡­" Master shook his head and closed his eyes.


    "Just what?"


    "¡­well, there is one last aspect of Heaven and Earth Formula..." he broke off and shook his head, his eyes suddenly dark. "No, never mind. It''s nothing."


    "No way! You can''t just leave me hanging!"


    "I don''t know if you would want to learn it. It''s considered demonic¡­and cruel. It''s the reason why the Heaven and Earth Sect was persecuted by the so-called orthodox sects of the Martial Arts Alliance. They viewed this technique as monstrous." His gaze was dead serious. "Perhaps it is better if you don''t learn of this technique at all."


    "Demonic?" I gulped. That did not sound good. "Okay¡­I''ll stay as far away from it as I can. Well, I doubt I''ll ever end up accidentally learning it, though.


    "I hope that would be the case."


    Master forced a smile, and then waved his hand to dismiss me.


    "Okay, time for you to wake up. Remember to get that water filtration machine. It''ll help you greatly with your training."


    I was about to rise to my feet when something occurred to me.


    "Master, you said that Heaven and Earth Formula relies on drawing and manipulating the qi in the surrounding environment, directing its flow and using it. Isn''t it possible to use this method to absorb qi into your body?"


    "No." Master shook his head. "The qi in the natural environment differs too much from the innate qi that a human body produces and stocks up. They are not compatible with each other. You can control the currents of the surrounding qi, but you can''t absorb it. The human body is not meant to store environmental qi ¨C the innate qi it uses is completely different from the one freely available in the environment."


    "So if I find a source of compatible qi, I will be able to absorb it?"


    "Theoretically, yes." Master nodded. Then he looked a little stricken at my statement. "No, you can''t be thinking¡­"


    "Compatible qi suitable for the human body¡­in other words, qi from another human¡­"


    While musing to myself, I realized that Master had fallen into a resigned horror. At first, I was puzzled by his reticence, but then something clicked.


    "Don''t tell me¡­"


    "Seems like you''ve figured out, huh?" Master smiled sadly. "That is correct. That is the forbidden demonic technique of the Heaven and Earth Sect. absorbing and stealing the qi from other people. Because the technique made it easy for us to plunder qi from other people, the Heaven and Earth Sect members grew drunk on their lust for power, rampaging and killing huge masses of people while feeding off their qi."


    "That''s¡­"


    I couldn''t help but be horrified. Master, noticing my reaction, seemed to grow a bit sadder, his fingers clenching into fists.


    "I know what that is. Atrocities. Massacres. All committed in the name of martial arts and the domineering path of those in the Heaven and Earth Sect. but we went too far, and the orthodox sects all allied together to resist our tyranny." Master sighed wearily. "Looking back now, we really did a lot of unforgivable things. I don''t blame them for wanting to exterminate my sect."


    "¡­"


    I said nothing. There was absolutely nothing I could say to that. I was well aware that Heaven and Earth Sect was a demonic sect, and I knew that they weren''t innocent, but I didn''t realize the depth of their past atrocities.


    How? Master seemed like such a good person, at least on the surface. It was extremely difficult for me to imagine him as a tyrannical demon, massacring whole villages and robbing people of their spiritual power.


    "That''s why I refuse to teach you this demonic technique," Master hissed. "It will end with my generation. I will not allow you to fall into the same demise that my generation did."


    "Don''t worry," I assured him. "Even if you did teach me, I wouldn''t use it unless absolutely necessary."


    I wasn''t na?ve or delusional enough to deny the temptation that such a technique provided. I was only human, after all. If I had learned this technique, it would be difficult to resist the temptation to use it. After all, it gave me a chance to close in on the difference between me and my classmates by absorbing their vast amounts of qi and incorporating them into myself¡­


    "Wait, that''s not right. What if their qi isn''t compatible with mine?"


    "The nature of environmental qi is completely different from that of innate human qi," Master informed me. "Which is why it''s useless to try and absorb the surrounding qi. But innate human qi, even if incompatible, can still be absorbed and stored. That''s why the former masters and disciples of the Heaven and Earth Sect went around killing people and plundering their qi indiscriminately. They were more obsessed with quantity over quality."


    "Can''t say I blame them," I muttered. Master gave me a dark look.


    "But there lies the greatest weakness of this technique. The conflicts between opposing, incompatible qis would cause the practitioner to be incapacitated momentarily. He might take hours, sometimes days to assimilate all that qi and incorporate it into his own. It''s difficult, but definitely doable, but it consumes a lot of time. And time isn''t something we often have, especially when we''re persecuted and hunted down by orthodox martial artists."


    "¡­I see."


    I took a deep breath and nodded. So it wasn''t practical for people on the run or who were engaged in fighting daily.


    "If you''re lucky enough to steal and assimilate innate human qi that is compatible and even of the same elemental affinity with you, however, the process will be faster. Sometimes to the point where it is immediate. But what are the chances of that?"


    "Unlikely, especially if your enemies are people claiming to practice orthodox martial arts." I rubbed my chin as I replied.


    "Exactly!" Master snapped his fingers. "Furthermore, having that much more qi means that it would be much harder to purify it. I told you earlier, didn''t I? Concentrate on purifying your qi instead of trying to get more of it."


    "Yeah, yeah¡­" I sighed. "Then why did the earlier generation all relied on robbing other people''s qi?"


    "That¡­" Master was at a loss for words, and then it was his turn to sigh. "I''ll admit that having more qi does give you an advantage. But even so, this is a shortcut and has its own risks. Unless you''re very sure you''ll be safe and that no one will hunt you right after you kill someone and absorb all of his qi, you''ll be in danger in the few days before you succeed in assimilating that qi, especially if it''s incompatible and of a different affinity."


    "Ah¡­I see." I nodded in understanding.


    "Anyway, don''t rely on it." he frowned. "Not that I''ll ever teach you to begin with, so I shouldn''t have to worry about this, but¡­"


    It was obvious that he was disturbed by my questions.


    Wanting to break the awkward atmosphere, I quickly rose to my feet and bowed gratefully to Master.


    "Thank you for your lessons. I really learned a lot today!"


    "No, it''s nothing. It''s lonely natural. You''re my disciple, after all." He then regarded me sternly. "I hope this is the last time I see you."


    "You say that, but when I end up in a disadvantage and getting knocked into a near-death situation again, you''ll show up to teach me more new stuff." I snorted. "So much for saying that you taught me everything you knew."


    Master gave me a strange look. "But I did teach you all this the last time you ended up here. In the old hag''s villa. I''m just here to remind you of what I taught you, since you indulged in a time skip and didn''t cover what you learned during the whole week."


    "So this is more for the readers'' benefit than for mine?" I asked. Master knocked my head.


    "Idiot. I wouldn''t have bothered if you didn''t forget all about that! You were getting so obsessed with trying to find a way to get more qi, or to bridge the mountainous gap between you and your classmates that you''ve forgotten the lessons I taught you during that time!" After snapping, he calmed down. "And I forgot to tell you to buy a water filtration machine the last time around."


    "Huh¡­"


    "Now go. Don''t waste any time and begin reviewing everything I''ve taught you again. And don''t forget the water filtration machine!"


    Master pushed me from behind, sending me sprawling forward into the infinite darkness. I flailed about in panic, trying to grab hold onto nothingness, before falling into the chasm for what seemed like forever.

 46 Chapter 45: Bullying and Revenge

    Ironically, the Iron Mountain Sect, Dark Shadow Sect and others who desired the Heaven and Earth Formula had long ago given up on the idea that I had learned it, and had given up on interrogating me.


    Thanks to that, I was able to cultivate and perfect my Heaven and Earth techniques peacefully, without anyone disturbing me. Of course, I kept up my physical regimen. It made no sense to focus solely on meditating and developing qi without strengthening my physical body. I had to do both. Therefore I continued to run thirty kilometers everyday and did three hundred pushups and situps. I was building my stamina and making sure my muscles didn''t atrophy.


    "Good, good."


    Ban Zhang had mistaken my intentions, for he believed that I had taken his advice and chosen not to challenge my classmates after teaching me about harsh reality and the overwhelming difference between us.


    He was wrong.


    The only reason why I didn''t challenge them was because I had found a new training method. Before I succeeded in purifying my qi to the point where I could discharge power enough to rival their one sexagenary of qi with volatile and pure enough qi, it was pointless trying to fight. I would only get beaten up for nothing.


    It was far better to focus on purifying my qi first.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Holding my hand out, I tried to gather more qi to it. Not my own qi, but also the environmental qi. If I could manipulate the surrounding qi and direct its flow, I could trigger a clash with my own qi and cause a huge volatile reaction with highly destructive power. Making use of the rich amount of natural qi in the atmosphere would allow me to make up for the lack of sheer quantities of qi when compared to my classmates.


    But I still can''t do it¡­


    Heaving, I leaned over to cough and catch my breath. I could somewhat maintain a handle on the atmosphere, but not for long. While I could manipulate minute amounts of natural qi, it wasn''t enough to fight my classmates. At least not yet.


    Well, it is an improvement, at least¡­


    Compared to when I couldn''t influence the surrounding qi before, I had finally taken the first step to bridging the gap with my classmates. It would be a slow, painful, time-consuming process, but it could be done.


    I had to get it done.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Located right at the center of my room was a single water filtration machine. I didn''t actually purchase it, though. After I woke up from my encounter with Master, I went to the cafeteria the next day to ask if they had a spare one that I could use. As luck would have it, they were about to throw out an old one, and I requisitioned it for my own use.


    Consequently, the machine ended up in a corner of my room, but I would always drag it to the center whenever I began my image training.


    "Huu¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, I sat down cross-legged in front of the water filtration machine and closed my eyes. Listening to the water drip through the filter, I began visualizing my qi as water and attempted to purify it through the filter that took the form of my Heaven and Earth breathing methods and qi control techniques.


    Am I doing this the right way?


    Master did say this would take me some time to master. I couldn''t get impatient.


    But¡­without any visible sign of progress, it is frustrating. I don''t even know if I''m doing this correctly or not¡­


    Gritting my teeth, I tried to suppress my impatience and frustration. Focus on filtering my qi. Focus on purifying my qi. That was all I needed to think about right now. Not my progress, not catching up to my classmates.


    Just¡­purifying my qi.


    "!"


    Was it just me or was my room getting colder?


    My eyes sprang open and my jaw dropped when I saw the thin layer of frost coating my room. Apparently, at some point during my cultivation, my qi had grown pure enough that my attempts triggered a reaction.


    And now the temperature of the room had plummeted, to the point where the water vapor in the air condensed into ice upon the surface.


    Well, that''s one visible sign of improvement, at least.


    In the past, I would never have been able to pull this off. I should feel a little relieved and elated at this.


    "Keep going," I told myself as I calmed my excitement. This was just the beginning. Despite reaching a milestone, this still wasn''t enough to challenge my spiritually superior classmates. Not yet. I had some way to go.


    Closing my eyes, I resumed the purification of my qi.


    *


    "Hey, Fei Wu! Are you doing all right?"


    As usual, Zhu Jiao came up to check on me. I nodded.


    "Yeah. What''s up?"


    "No, I''m leaving the academy today to train." He hesitated a little, and I knew he wanted to ask me to come along, but his master most likely forbade it.


    It was funny. Over a year ago, Zhu Jiao met his master, who was a ghost (hey, we did have something in common). Qi Lin had instructed Zhu Jiao to keep his existence a secret, and the disciple had obeyed fervently. The amusing thing was that I knew about Qi Lin taking Zhu Jiao as his disciple, and about their attempts to resurrect the Golden Kirin Sect, but they didn''t know that I did. As such, they continued to live under the illusion that no one had found out about their little secret when, truthfully, I had known about it for about a year now.


    Talk about having the protagonist''s privilege.


    If I told Zhu Jiao that I knew his secret, I might be able to follow him, but I didn''t want to get him into trouble with his master, so I merely feigned ignorance and nodded.


    "Sure. Good luck!''


    "Thanks! But¡­"


    Zhu Jiao regarded me worriedly. I knew what he was worried about.


    Ever since the lab was unable to customize artificial qi appropriate for me, Zhu Jiao had stayed by my side, almost as if clinging to me like glue. Superficially, it seemed like we were best friends hanging out with each other, but I knew deep down that Zhu Jiao was watching out for me. Currently, I was at my most vulnerable, and thus an easy target for bullies. Zhu Jiao went out of his way to escort me around the academy until after the school hours were over and we were forced to go our separate ways for our respective afternoon training schedules. Afternoons were considered safe for me because the bullies would have to return to their respective sects to formally train under their masters, and thus couldn''t hang around too long in the academy.


    At least the students in the academy had masters to learn from, unlike most weird wuxia stories where the protagonists and his cohort joined a sect for no good reason other than the prestige of that sect. the masters and elders there never taught the disciples anything, and had this weird inner sect disciple and outer sect disciple system that made no sense. Maybe the protagonist and his batch joined the sects for prestige alone, and the vast resources that the sects provided for cultivation, but even these resources had to be earned. And when they did earn these resources ¨C whether it was I the form of spirit pills and medicine, martial arts techniques, weapons and armaments, or private rooms and training facilities ¨C they were left to their own devices and essentially told to learn on their own. No guidance, no teaching, no advice or whatsoever from the masters and elders residing in the sect. it made me wonder what the masters'' jobs even were, other than "managing" the sect, officiating tournaments and overseeing matches.


    It sounded extremely capitalistic, and not only do students have to pay for their own education and resources, the teachers were clearly slacking off from their jobs while receiving tuition fees from the already poor, deprived students. The systems in those novels made no sense whatsoever, but I guess writers had to conceive of ways to make their protagonists special snowflakes by having them isolated from the other characters, train on their own, make breakthroughs on their own, and thus surprise their cohort who had no idea of the protagonist''s progress even though they were all supposedly training under the same masters or same sect.


    At least Wu Ling Academy''s system made more sense.


    "Hello? Fei Wu? You listening?"


    I snapped out of my mental rant when Zhu Jiao''s voice broke into my thoughts. I blinked, and then shook my head.


    "Sorry, I''m drifting off a little. What were you saying?"


    "I was telling you to make sure you''re not alone on school grounds." Zhu Jiao glanced around cautiously. "There are a few people looking for a chance to target you now that you haven''t received any artificial qi. Be careful."


    "I know." I subtly followed Zhu Jiao''s gaze and glanced at Qi Fu Ren and his flunkies through the corner of my eyes. "Qi Fu Ren, especially."


    "So you know about that." Zhu Jiao narrowed his eyes. "The guy seems to have recovered his severed spirit vessels in his arms and healed up fully¡­they say he got even stronger. There are rumors that he has been going around beating people up and¡­absorbing their qi."


    "What?"


    My eyes widened. Absorbing qi? Wasn''t that the specialty of the Heaven and Earth Sect? Did other sect have similar martial arts techniques?


    "Well, it''s just rumors," Zhu Jiao assured me as he forced a smile. "I''m sure it has been exaggerated. You know how Qi Fu Ren is."


    "I do, indeed." I nodded in agreement, but didn''t add, "which is why I''m so worried¡­"


    "Student Fei Wu!"


    I glanced up at Teacher Jiao, who was beckoning for me to go over. I glanced at Zhu Jiao, who nodded.


    "Yeah, I''ve to go anyway. See you then."


    "See you."


    I then proceeded to Teacher Jiao, who then led me to the staff room. Taking his seat, he then spun his office chair around to face me.


    "How''s your progress?" he asked. "I know that the lab was unable to customize and synthesize the appropriate artificial qi for you, but¡­"


    He let the words trail off. I nodded.


    "It''s all right."


    "I see." Teacher Jiao steepled his fingers on the desk. "But I also heard that you''ve not been to the library to borrow new techniques for a while now. And you''ve also stopped sparring with your classmates for about a month."


    "Yeah."


    Teacher Jiao studied me when I didn''t elaborate. He then sighed. "I assume you found a technique?"


    I smiled. "Is it really that obvious?"


    The immense relief on Teacher Jiao''s face was palpable. He gaped at me for a moment, forgetting to breathe, then shut his mouth and inhaled deeply. He gazed at me with wide, disbelieving eyes, and finally mustered the audacity to ask.


    "You found a master?"


    "Uh, well¡­" I scratched my head, not sure how to explain this. "Sort of, but he''s dead, so I''m learning by myself most of the time. Right now I''m learning a very complex technique, which is why I haven''t been to the library to find new techniques for so long."


    "Good. Very good." Teacher Jiao was nodding in approval and relief. "The principal was at a loss at what to do when he found out about your situation. But I assured you that you''ll find a way to overcome it. You''ve proven yourself before, on more than one occasion, and you''re an intelligent and resourceful guy. If there''s anyone who can conquer this handicap, it would be you."


    Normally I would deny it because it was completely false, but in this instance he was right. As Fate would have it, I did stumble across a golden chance that would allow me to rise from despair and tackle the obstacles that life threw in my way.


    Ah, the privilege of being a special snowflake protagonist. At least I was aware of it, unlike Li Fu Chen or a bunch of other wuxia protagonists who unquestioningly receive blessings and freebies from the author with every breath they took.


    "Well¡­I''m going to practice now, if you don''t mind¡­"


    "Sure. Just give me a report on your progress. Anything, to keep the principal satisfied." Teacher Jiao''s eyes narrowed into slits as he shook his head in disapproval. Obviously he wasn''t a big fan of the academy''s highly utilitarian policies. They might hide it under the veneer of meritocracy, but the harsh reality was that only the students who showed results were allowed to stay and benefit from the academy''s significant resources.


    "Oh¡­" I couldn''t help but smirk. "Tell the Principal that if he is willing to wait, he''ll get what he wants soon enough."


    "That¡­" Teacher Jiao held his breath, not daring to believe the words that came out of my mouth. "Are you working on restoring the Heaven and Earth Formula? Did you manage to find something, after all?"


    I merely smiled. "I didn''t say that."


    Teacher Jiao shook his head in disbelief. "You never cease to amaze me. All right, I won''t keep you then. Do your best!"


    I saluted sharply, then strode out of the staff room. Taking a deep breath, I proceeded toward the dormitory in preparation for my afternoon training. Usually Zhu Jiao would wait for me so that we could go to the dorm together, but today he had other plans.


    So I ended up returning to the dormitory by myself today. As I proceeded toward the courtyard, I suddenly stopped when I realized that there was someone trailing me.


    Coming to a stop, I waited patiently, noting that the trio who shadowed me had also halted. Scratching at my cheek, I turned around and cocked my head.


    "You don''t have to hide. I know you''re following me."


    "Oh¡­busted."


    Qi Fu Ren slyly slid out from behind a marble statue. On either side of him, Hu Shuo and Ba Dao slunk out of the trees that they were using as ineffective hiding places. I swear, I could see their arms and hair poking out from behind the tree.


    "So you knew that we were tailing you all along."


    "You didn''t even bother to conceal your qi presence," I pointed out. "Even a blind guy would be able to spot you."


    "Ho¡­I''m impressed. I never thought you would be capable of sensing the qi of other people." Qi Fu Ren laughed mockingly.


    I scowled, but didn''t rise to the bait. Not wanting to waste any time, I went straight to the point.


    "What do you want?"


    "Do you really not know?" Qi Fu Ren chortled. "I''m sure you''re smart enough to figure it out, being the class brain and all."


    To be honest, I already suspected that his intentions lay in fighting the moment he was secretly stalking me with his flunkies.


    Sighing, I waved toward the coliseum building. "If you want to fight, you''re free to challenge me to an official match."


    "Now, now¡­where''s the fun in doing that?"


    Qi Fu Ren''s grin was growing broader. My scowl deepened. I knew it. This guy was up to no good. If he didn''t want to challenge me to an official match, then this confrontation could only mean one thing.


    Perhaps the rumors about him stealing other people''s qi was true after all.


    No, but I would be the last person he would want to steal qi from¡­


    Firstly, I had too little qi to be sufficient for any significant boost of his strength. Secondly, from Qi Fu Ren''s stalker-ish behavior and personality, I knew he only had one thing in mind. Revenge. All else was secondary.


    "It''s more fun this way!"


    "Fun? Really?" I couldn''t help but sound skeptical and glanced around. "But there''s no one except your lackeys to witness this fight."


    "So?" Qi Fu Ren scowled as he glared at me, not comprehending. I groaned and threw my hands up in exaggerated exasperation


    "Don''t you get it? It''s the trope of every wuxia or xianxia story! Whenever the antagonist beats up the protagonist, he must have a crowd to witness it!"


    "What crowd?" Hu Shuo demanded, confused.


    "You know! The crowd!" I yelled in mock exasperation. "In every xianxia story, there''s always this stupid crowd who has no role other than to crowd around the protagonist and watch him fight. They''re always there to make stupid and ignorant comments, like ''ha ha ha, what a weak idiot who overestimates his strength! He will never beat the antagonist! The antagonist will crush him and teach him a lesson! The poor idiot, he''s going to die. He deserves it for being stupid and overestimating his strength.'' Then, after the protagonist utterly destroys the antagonist in the most effortless way possible, the fickle crowd will change their opinion as quickly as a prostitute discarding her panties and start praising the protagonist. Like, ''whoa, the protagonist won! Look how awesome he is! He is so talented and powerful that he can instantly kill the antagonist!'' Then a new antagonist will arrive, and once again the fickle crowd will drop their pants and kiss the new antagonist''s ass, their opinion resetting again to ''the protagonist is trash and is stupid for provoking the new antagonist and his powerful clan, he''s going to get wiped. He''s going to be killed this time for sure!'' Only for the protagonist to repeat the whole process again and get praised to the high heavens by the brainless crowd once more."


    "¡­uh, what?" Ba Dao replied blankly once I finished ranting.


    "What the fuck are you talking about!?" Qi Fu Ren bellowed. "Stop rambling on and on about nonsense that has absolutely nothing to do with me!"


    "Oh, but it has everything to do with you," I replied with a smirk. "After all, you''re the antagonist of a xianxia story.


    "SHUT UP!"


    Qi Fu Ren snapped and he launched himself at me, his fury ignited by the truth. Such was his massive speed that he left a wake of destruction in the concrete trail, throwing up rubble and dust in the air as he sped across the courtyard. I almost didn''t dodge in time.


    Boom!


    "Huff!"


    Even though I avoided that huge first attack, Qi Fu Ren immediately followed up with a second attack, delivering an uppercut that would have taken my head off my shoulders if it connected. Though I managed to take a step back, the resulting shockwave from his punch, combined with static electricity, blasted me off my feet.


    He has gotten so much more powerful!


    Stunned, I rolled on the ground and threw myself up before Qi Fu Ren could crush me with his feet. His landing pulverized the ground, leaving a smoking crater that crackled with electricity, and he turned his leering face at me as I spun in midair and landed on the ground. Heaving, I rose to my feet and glared at him.


    This guy¡­he was really trying to kill me! No wonder he didn''t bother with an official match. He didn''t want Teacher Cai Pan to get in his way.


    What the hell is wrong with this fella? I wondered. Is he seriously trying to murder a classmate in cold blood¡­? Oh.


    Yes. This wasn''t without precedent. How stupid of me. It had been almost a year and I almost forgot about it.


    This bastard was the one who tried to kill me back in Sen Lin Forest almost a year ago. Hurling a lightning bolt at me when I was fleeing from the Behemoth and causing me to fall into the endless abyss along with the gargantuan monster¡­


    Clenching my fists, I straightened myself and glared at him.


    "What''s the matter?!" Qi Fu Ren hollered with laughter as he leaped at me again, smashing the ground as he swung a vicious lightning hook at me. His Lightning Fist didn''t connect, but I could feel my face growing numb from just being in the proximity, the sheer amount of static electricity saturating the air. I could see the golden currents of qi fly about.


    "!"


    Ducking another Lightning Punch, I was then forced to parry a kick. Qi Fu Ren''s foot slammed into my crossed arms with devastating force, lifting me off my feet and sending me flying several dozen meters backward. Even though I managed to land on the ground before crashing into a tree or statue, I was unable to halt my momentum. Skidding backward, my shoes grew red-hot as I left twin trails of destruction in the ground.


    "Huff¡­"


    "Come on! Attack me! Don''t let this be so one-sided!"


    Qi Fu Ren''s voice was full of scorn and derision. He obviously believed that I would never be able to land a hit on him, and he was taunting me, hoping I would grow enraged, lose my calm and recklessly attack him.


    I wasn''t that stupid, though.


    "Come on, come on!''


    Realizing that I wasn''t taking the bait, Qi Fu Ren launched himself toward me again. I dove and rolled away as he obliterated the spot where I was standing. Rolling to my feet, I ducked under another Lightning Punch.


    This time, I saw an opening and I lashed out with a kick.


    "What''s this?"


    Qi Fu Ren didn''t even bother to block. Despite my Shadow Kick scoring a clean hit against the side of his face, he merely grinned, unfazed and completely unscathed.


    "Are you trying to tickle me?"


    He swung a meaty fist toward me, launching electricity in my direction, but I managed to pull away in time. Qi Fu Ren then swept his leg under me to trip me up, but I bounced up and cracked his head with a Lunar Rabbit kick this time. However, as before, Qi Fu Ren was completely unaffected by my roundhouse kick and retaliated fiercely.


    "Whoa!"


    Fortunately, I managed to dodge and withdrew to a safe distance.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Studying Qi Fu Ren, I noticed the amount of qi swirling around him. As expected of someone who had received a sexagenary of artificial qi. The volume of qi they could call upon was enormous, especially when compared to someone like me, who didn''t receive anything at all.


    "?"


    However, Qi Fu Ren''s qi wasn''t the only one I noticed. I realized I could see a lot of other qi in the atmosphere, flowing around gently.


    Time to put the Heaven and Earth Formula into practice.


    This was the perfect chance to try my Heaven and Earth techniques out, against a detestable opponent, no less. Taking a deep breath, I began drawing the surrounding qi toward me and carefully and gradually manipulating their flow. Starting out with slight alterations, I gently nudged them to flow in one direction, and exerted my influence on their currents.


    "What are you doing?"


    Qi Fu Ren glared at me, then lunged forward. Fortunately, I had not forgotten my footwork techniques ¨C which was the only reason why I could keep up with Qi Fu Ren in the first place ¨C and used Tui again, retreating to a safe distance.


    "You¡­!"


    Noticing that something was amiss, Qi Fu Ren spun around furiously and launched himself at me once again. But, as before, I moved my feet and seemingly disappeared, only to reappear a large distance away.


    "This¡­!"


    ¡­was Tui, one of the five basic footwork techniques, but I had no intention of telling him that. I continued drawing more qi toward me and manipulating their currents, knowing that the quantity I had under my control right now was insufficient.


    "Bastard¡­don''t think I can catch you!"


    Qi Fu Ren''s next move surprised me. Spreading his arms, he conjured a massive hail of black lightning bolts and then launched the barrage of deadly projectiles in my direction.


    No choice but to use Duo.


    I evaded the ferocious lightning bolts, which detonated powerfully as they struck the ground with tremendous force. Each packed enough strength to obliterate me if they were on target, but I was too busily running zigzags to avoid them that I didn''t pay much attention to the imposing thoughts of certain death.


    Then I appeared behind Qi Fu Ren, ready to counterattack.


    "You think I''ll fall for that?!"


    Evidently Qi Fu Ren still remembered the last time we fought, spinning around in anticipation of me appearing behind his back. I had to hand it to him, as vicious, tyrannical and abusive as Qi Fu Ren was, he was no idiot.


    Roaring triumphantly, Qi Fu Ren swung a Lightning Flash in my direction, pulverizing everything in front of him.


    "Hah! Serve you right!"


    Laughing boisterously, Qi Fu Ren admired his handiwork. But his glee lasted all of ten seconds.


    "?!"


    He realized that something was amiss¡­that there was no sign of my body. A chill ran down his body and he glanced up, only to see me plant a foot on his face,


    Seismic Step.


    The ground under Qi Fu Ren shattered under the sheer force of my attack, but even with his face concealed by the sole of my shoe, I could see Qi Fu Ren grin.


    "Gotcha."


    He grabbed my ankle and electrocuted me, causing me to shriek and flail about. Pulling me off his face, he then swung me around like a punt before throwing me far away. I crashed through the courtyard and smashed into the ground, almost buried alive in a crater.


    "Gah¡­ugh¡­!"


    Coughing, I tried to rise to my feet, only to fall again. Blood dribbled out of my mouth and I lay sprawled on the ground, completely winded by the devastating attack.


    "Heh¡­how weak. Can''t even withstand a single attack."


    Qi Fu Ren was shaking his head as he studied me mockingly, closing the distance between us before planting a foot on my back.


    "It''s time to destroy your dantian and cripple you¡­forever."


    He then increased the pressure, only for his foot to go through an illusion. The "me" lying on the ground disappeared, dispersing into nothingness as he stomped on me.


    "What?!"


    "Oh, how scary, how scary."


    I had managed to use Yin to trick Qi Fu Ren and escape. Panting and holding my side as I wheezed in pain from the earlier attack, I watched him warily.


    That single attack caused a significant amount of damage. Not only that, it seems that the amount of qi I gathered from the environment isn''t enough¡­


    Either that or my qi wasn''t pure enough.


    What should I do?


    Gritting my teeth, I began enacting evasive maneuvers as Qi Fu Ren continued to pursue me. Even as I dodged, dove and jumped, I continued to draw more and more qi toward me, so much so that I could see a sea of qi whirling around me.


    It was almost as if I had been sucked into a whirlpool of qi.


    But is this enough?


    I risked closing my eyes briefly and visualized my qi. Purify it. Purify my qi some more. As much as I could while being under assault, anyway.


    Like Master said, purify my qi to the extent where I can unleash a powerful enough reaction by clashing the volatile qi together!


    Whoosh!


    I ducked under Qi Fu Ren''s Lightning Fist, and then hopped back to avoid his Thunder Break. Spinning around, I disappeared the moment he unleashed Lightning Flash and demolished the fountain in the courtyard.


    Not yet¡­


    Another hail of lightning bolts slammed down on my position, and I ran through them, darting and weaving under the rain of deadly projectiles and doing my best not to get hit by even one of them. Even as I did so, I continued to tap into the qi surrounding me, siphoning even the electric qi emanated from Qi Fu Ren''s technique.


    Not yet¡­


    "DIE!"


    With a roar, Qi Fu Ren slammed both fists into the ground, discharging an enormous volume of electricity into the earth and turning the entire courtyard into an electrified cage. Both Hu Shuo and Ba Dao jumped back, escaping to the edges of the courtyard to prevent themselves from being caught by their leader''s area-of-effect attack.


    Now!


    Disappearing from the ground, I reappeared behind Qi Fu Ren to kick me. Again, he countered, only for his fist to swipe through air and my figure to blur and fizzle out in front of his eyes.


    "Where are you?!" he bellowed.


    "Right here."


    Barely did the words leave my mouth than I planted my foot on his face for the second time and used Seismic Step.


    However, this time I channeled my purified qi and ignited it with the enormous whirlpool of environmental qi that I had drawn from the surroundings, clashing the two volatile seas of qi together to trigger a devastating attack that detonated with the force of a supernova.


    A proto Heaven and Earth Strike, if you will.


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    This time, Qi Fu Ren''s face turned into horror and disbelief before he disappeared in a blinding flash. The explosion caused by me colliding the two pure, volatile qi together engulfed the whole courtyard and erased its existence from the academy.

 47 Chapter 46: Darkness Falls

    Behind me, Qi Fu Ren had ceased his screaming. He laid sprawled in the epicenter of the crater, his body a broken, bloody mess. Smoke fumed from his battered body, cloaking the devastated courtyard in a dull gloom.


    "Boss!"


    "Are you all right?!"


    Hu Shuo and Ba Dao rushed to the fallen Qi Fu Ren, checking on him.


    "Don''t worry," I assured them. "Qi Fu Ren won''t die from that. He has got a thick skull."


    While I wanted nothing more to kill him, I lacked the ability to do so. I did my best to crush his skull, but with my minute amount of qi, despite its high purity and triggering a volatile reaction with massive amounts of surrounding qi, I wasn''t able to kill him.


    That was fine. Murdering a classmate in campus grounds outside of an official match would get me into trouble. While, in the present context, I could get away by claiming self-defense, the staff and White Tiger Sect might charge me for excessive violence if I actually killed Qi Fu Ren. Of course, I could argue my case, but that would consume a lot of time. Time that would be better spent on training and cultivating instead.


    "Fucker¡­" Qi Fu Ren growled under his breath, even as Hu Shuo and Ba Dao supported him. "I''ll kill you! I''ll fucking kill you!"


    "Yeah, yeah." I waved dismissively and ignored him. The bastard had wasted too much of my time. On the bright side, it was precisely because he provided me real combat experience that I finally managed to reach the first step into eventually learning Heaven and Earth Strike. I had finally succeeded in purifying my qi and clashing it with surrounding qi to trigger a volatile and powerful reaction capable of defeating someone who had a sexagenary of qi.


    Totally worth it.


    Smiling to myself, I headed in the direction of the dormitory.


    "Ugh?!"


    "Boss?!"


    "?!"


    Upon hearing Hu Shuo and Ba Dao cry out, I immediately spun around. To my immense surprise, Qi Fu Ren had gotten to his feet and seized the both of them by their throats. Despite his severely injured state, he still somehow managed to retain the strength to hold them up with his hands, their feet dangling uselessly in the air. The two loyal lackeys struggled desperately, but despite their unscathed conditions, they weren''t able to break Qi Fu Ren''s grip.


    "Kuh! I can''t breathe!"


    "Stop it, boss! Why are you doing this?!"


    No wonder¡­he''s paralyzing them with electricity¡­


    But why? Why was he attacking his own comrades?


    "The both of you are loyal to me, right?" Qi Fu Ren was grinning manically. It was not an expression I had seen on his face before. The guy had clearly gone mad. In fact, I could detect vast amounts of dark, demonic qi that I had never sensed in him before.


    It wasn''t the same demonic qi as the one found in magical beasts and demonic beasts. This felt more like¡­the other side of an orthodox sect''s cultivated qi. In other words, the qi of a practitioner from a demonic sect.


    But isn''t Qi Fu Ren formerly from the White Tiger Sect, one of the most reputable and powerful orthodox sects in the Martial Arts Alliance? How did he end up learning a demonic technique?!


    Worse, that demonic technique was awfully familiar. Though the concept and execution was very different, the basic purpose was the same.


    "AAAAAAH!"


    "NOOOOO!"


    As the painful cries of Hu Shuo and Ba Dao echoed throughout the courtyard, my spiritual sense could detect their qi flowing from their bodies and into Qi Fu Ren. The latter was draining his cronies of their qi.


    Just like that forbidden technique of Heaven and Earth Formula.


    "Then give me your strength! Become one with me! And we''ll be able to crush that fucking insect, Fei Wu!"


    Hu Shuo and Ba Dao gurgled incoherently, no longer capable of speech. I watched in horror as their bodies shrunk and thinned, their flesh withering as their skin was pulled tightly over their bones. Their eyes rolled in their sockets, their face and lips becoming desiccated as their life-force was literally drained out of them. In seconds, they transformed from muscular, heavily built thugs into bony, emaciated corpses.


    "Ha ha ha ha¡­not enough¡­not enough!"


    Qi Fu Ren was chortling as he drained them dry of their qi, and then callously discarded their corpses on the ground. He licked his lips and wiped the blood from his body. I stepped back nervously when I saw that his wounds had all healed after he plundered such a massive infusion of qi from Hu Shuo and Ba Dao.


    "Y¡­you¡­"


    Stammering, I shook my head, not believing what I had just seen. As terrible of a bully that Qi Fu Ren was, he had always treated his subordinates decently. He rarely smacked them or physically struck them, until recently. He had always rewarded them for his loyalty, looking out for them and allowing them to follow him wherever he went.


    The Qi Fu Ren in front of me was no longer the Qi Fu Ren I recognized. He had changed enormously, to the point where I almost wondered if he was possessed. Or perhaps I never had understood him, and this was his true nature.


    More likely, something had happened to him in the past six months or so, after his defeat to me in an official match, that caused his personality and values to change so drastically. If I was self-conscious, I would have speculated that the reason he snapped and went down this dark path was because of me, because I defeated him.


    But I doubted that. The world didn''t revolve around me, after all.


    "Heh¡­"


    Qi Fu Ren raised his arm, where visible wisps of highly dense lightning qi escaped his palm and rose from his fingers.


    "I''m really lucky. It''s a good thing that both those idiots were in the same sect as me, and learned the same type of martial arts as I did. Thanks to that, they have the same elemental affinity to lightning element as I do. That''s why I''m able to immediately absorb and assimilate their qi without needing to spend too much time integrating the absorbed qi into my own innate spiritual pool. This must be Heaven''s will! Ha ha ha ha!"


    I was at a loss of words, and the first thing I blurted out was an exasperated question.


    "Why the hell are you indulging in an explanatory monologue? For the sake of explaining to the existences beyond the fourth wall what just occurred, and why you received a power-up immediately without needing to spend some time to assimilate the qi you just absorbed?!"


    Recalling what Master told me, absorbing someone''s qi wasn''t a straightforward process. Normally, you wouldn''t get access to that qi immediately, especially if the other party''s qi wasn''t compatible with yours, or had a different elemental affinity from yours. When that happened, it would take days, sometimes weeks to absorb, assimilate and integrate the foreign qi with your own innate spiritual qi. And if you failed to do so, the conflicting, incompatible qi would rage and clash against each other within your body, eventually rupturing your meridians, overloading your qi vessels and destroying your internal organs, leading to death.


    And if one was to be attacked while in the middle of assimilating the qi he had just absorbed, he would be vulnerable, for he wouldn''t be able to use any of the qi that was currently conflicting and resisting each other within his body. That was the one weakness of the Heaven and Earth Sect, and how the Martial Arts Alliance succeeded in exterminating them so soon after they massacred innocents, despite them killing countless martial artists to greedily devour their strength. The technique was really a double-edged sword.


    "You really are an unfortunate soul," Qi Fu Ren mocked me as he took a step forward, his body brimming powerfully with his recently stolen qi.


    This was bad. The one exception to the rule of Heaven and Earth Absorption was that if the other party just happened to have the same type of qi as you did, the same elemental affinity and almost the same techniques, then there was no reason that you couldn''t assimilate the qi immediately. It was almost like blood type, despite many differences. Blood O+ could immediately recover after receiving a transfusion of another person who was also type O+. While normally it meant that recipients with type O wouldn''t be able to receive type A or B or AB blood, in the case of qi, it just meant that the recipient would need more time to assimilate and covert the Type A/B/AB blood into type O blood in order to have twice the amount of blood in his body.


    Okay, that was a terrible analogy, but you get what I mean, right? And no, in reality, blood transfusion did not work like that.


    I desperately withdrew, drawing as much as from the surroundings as I could. I could barely beat Qi Fu Ren earlier, taking a few good hits and was only able to bring him down with that last-ditch attack of mine.


    And now Qi Fu Ren had become three times stronger, absorbing about another two sexagenaries worth of qi. Of course, the absorption wasn''t efficient, and most of the qi was probably lost to the surroundings, so he didn''t actually have exactly three sexagenaries right now, but even then the amount should still be quite close to it.


    In other words, he was three times stronger. Right now, I had no way of fighting him. I had to escape and hope that a teacher or staff had heard all the noise and commotion and was running over to investigate.


    Speaking of which, we were making so much in the middle of the academy, and even destroyed an entire courtyard, and no teacher has arrived on the scene yet? Where are the teachers? What''s going on?


    As disturbed as I was by the lack of teachers, I didn''t have time to focus on thinking about that question right now. Qi Fu Ren was moving.


    "!!!"


    No matter what I did, it was pointless. While I was using Tui to withdraw and propel myself backward, in just one bound, Qi Fu Ren caught up and even surpassed me in speed. My eyes widened and I crossed my arms in reflex as he punched me.


    Boom!


    "Gah! Cough!"


    I was flung across the courtyard, slamming into the ground and bouncing about helplessly. My body left a trail of broken dirt and soil as it carved a crater into the earth, sparkling with devastating lightning. Even as I managed to finally roll to a stop I couldn''t get up. Blood dribbled from my lips as I lay, stunned from the tremendous impact.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to my knees, but even that little action alone was too much for me. I bent over and threw up blood.


    "Ha ha ha ha! How weak! How pathetic!"


    Having reversed the situation through underhanded means and sacrificing his underlings, while completely forgetting that I had beaten him just minutes before his cheat move, Qi Fu Ren was guffawing in triumph.


    "I knew it! This new technique is incredible! I''m so glad I learned it!"


    Now he was blabbering something to himself, his eyes crazed as he savored in his delight. I wanted to ask him what new technique he had learned, but I was in such pain that the words didn''t come out. It didn''t matter. I doubted Qi Fu Ren would answer me anyway. He was too obsessed with celebrating and crowing over his victory.


    "Ah!"


    Qi Fu Ren stomped on my back, forcing me to the ground and pinning me against the ruined earth. I felt as if several tones of metal had fallen on top of me, crushing me to a pulp. Qi Fu Ren grinned as he looked down condescending on me, and shifted more of his weight to my spine, intending to snap it with his foot.


    "How does it feel to be the one stepped on right now?"


    Painful, I thought, but I was in no condition to answer. I was in too much agony to say a word, never mind respond defiantly with a snarky comment.


    "I''ll finally destroy your dantian and sink you into despair!"


    The guy talked too much. If you were going to destroy my dantian, just do it already instead of stepping on me and preaching and ranting about how you were going to do it, you moron. Otherwise you were going to miss your chance.


    "I want to see the look on your face as I snuff out all hopes of you ever being able to cultivate! I will savor your misery and turn you into my slave! I need a replacement now that Hu Shuo and Ba Dao are gone."


    You were the one who killed them, you fucking asshole¡­


    "I will¡­"


    Qi Fu Ren never got to finish his sentence. Nine fireballs slammed into him, detonating with such force that he was flung off me and thrown into the trees that decorated the academy garden. With the tremendous weight pinning me down suddenly lifted, I exhaled in relief and quickly rolled to my feet, heaving and panting.


    I told you so, I thought as I rolled my eyes, shaking my head as I stared in the direction where Qi Fu Ren was blown off toward. You talk too much¡­and now you''ve missed your chance to cripple the protagonist. Again.


    What was with villains and their overblown, obsessive compulsion to deliver overly grandiose speeches right before they finished off the protagonist? It was a wonder any of them survived, being too stupid to actually accomplish the most logical thing in the most efficient manner possible.


    "Fei Wu! Are you all right?!"


    My savior hopped down, landing elegantly next to me. I nodded and bowed gratefully.


    "Thank you very much, Tang Qi Hong."


    "What''s going on? Qi Fu Ren is attacking you?"


    Tang Qi Hong looked furious as she glared in the direction where she had blown the bastard toward. I resisted the urge to grumble about her asking the obvious and merely nodded wearily, wiping the blood from my mouth.


    "Yeah."


    "How did this happen?"


    This time, a difference voice pierced the air. Turning around, I saw Lian Rou running up. She knelt beside the corpses of Hu Shuo and Ba Dao.


    "Qi Fu Ren," I replied, as if that explained everything. The two girls stared at me, baffled.


    "No way! Qi Fu Ren attacked his own followers?!" Tang Qi Hong exclaimed in horror and disbelief. Evidently I wasn''t the only one who used to think of Qi Fu Ren as someone who actually treated his lackeys decently.


    "What exactly did Qi Fu Ren do to them?" Lian Rou asked, furrowing her brow at the duo''s unusual conditions.


    "He sucked the qi out of their bodies. That''s why he''s so powerful now."


    "!"


    At my explanation, Tang Qi Hong tensed. Then she shoved me out of the way before springing back.


    Boom!


    Qi Fu Ren struck the spot where I was standing a second ago, lightning erupting from his fist and obliterating the entire ground. Smoke fumed from the crater as he stood up, his expression full of scorn as he sneered at me.


    "Now you''ve resorted to being protected by your girlfriend, haven''t you? And you still call yourself a man?"


    "W¡­who¡­who is his girlfriend?!" Tang Qi Hong spluttered, her face turning as red as a tomato as she waved her hands frantically.


    "Now''s not the time to get embarrassed," I groaned as I buried my face in my palm.


    Qi Fu Ren paid no attention to my comment, and he lunged at me again, his fists glowing. I barely managed to step to the side and avoid his punch. As he brushed past me, he suddenly snapped his elbow forward, intent on ramming my face in and breaking my nose.


    However, Tang Qi Hong intervened. While Qi Fu Ren''s attention was occupied entirely with destroying me, she seized the chance to attack from behind. Slamming both her palms into Qi Fu Ren''s back, she unleashed an inferno with one of the secret techniques from her Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. a pillar of flame burst to life, engulfing Qi Fu Ren.


    "Gaaah!"


    Qi Fu Ren stumbled about, scorched and fuming. Tang Qi Hong launched a second attack, this time punching him in the chest. Flames exploded upon contact, blasting Qi Fu Ren, burning away the fabric of his uniform and blackening his skin.


    "Hmph, you''re not such a big deal after all¡­"


    "Be careful! He''s much stronger than before!"


    "?!"


    I shouted a warning when Tang Qi Hong momentarily let her guard down. Exploiting the slight opening, Qi Fu Ren countered with a hook, but I jumped in with Jin and used Shadow Kick to deflect his punch way from Tang Qi Hong.


    SZZZT!


    A lightning bolt seared past the two of us, slicing into a tree and incinerating it. Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened and she instinctively leaped away to widen the distance between her and Qi Fu Ren. I followed her example, jumping in the opposite direction so that Qi Fu Ren couldn''t focus his attacks on us at the same time.


    "What the hell was that attack?!"


    "Lightning Bolt, I guess?"


    "That''s not what I mean!" Tang Qi Hong snapped at my reply. "Qi Fu Ren''s Lightning Bolt isn''t supposed to be that powerful!"


    "Why?" Qi Fu Ren thundered as he whirled around to face her. "Are you underestimating me, you bitch?"


    Then he disappeared.


    "!"


    Tang Qi Hong jumped back in reflex when Qi Fu Ren appeared in front of her. Fortunately, she had a sexagenary of qi, which allowed her to not be completely overwhelmed like I was earlier. But in terms of power, she was outmatched.


    "Get lost, bitch!"


    "Kuh!"


    However, before Qi Fu Ren''s fist could reach her, I kicked it away again. Then I jumped on top of his head and used another Seismic Step.


    "Guh!"


    With his tripled amount of qi, Qi Fu Ren was a lot more resilient than before, and I still hadn''t had time to draw sufficient quantities of qi from the surroundings. Not that I needed to.


    "Hah!"


    While Qi Fu Ren was distracted, Tang Qi Hong slammed both her palms into his torso and unleashed her Nine Hells Inferno technique. Another pillar of inferno burst to life around Qi Fu Ren, incinerating him. Nine other smaller pillars of fire flickered to life, surrounding him. While Qi Fu Ren stumbled around, both Tang Qi Hong and I retreated to safety.


    "You¡­!"


    Roaring, Qi Fu Ren stepped out of the central pillar of inferno. The moment his foot touched the ground outside the flames, the nine other streams of inferno suddenly detonated, expanding and merging into a hellish inferno that bathed the wrecked courtyard in superheated plasma. Qi Fu Ren screamed as he vanished in the blinding, crimson light.


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    And then¡­


    BOOM!


    A golden mountain of light burst the inferno apart and streaked toward the heavens. Qi Fu Ren panted as he lowered his hand and glared at us, his skin blackened and smoldering. He had used Lightning Flash to obliterate Tang Qi Hong''s inferno and free himself, but not before he suffered extreme damage.


    "You two¡­I''m going to fucking kill the two of you!"


    "Watch out!" I shouted to Tang Qi Hong as Qi Fu Ren lunged forward.


    "I know!" she shot back, and the both of us split up before Qi Fu Ren could pulverize the place where we were standing.


    Crack!


    Growling bestially, Qi Fu Ren bounced up from the ground and launched himself at me, intent on finishing me off first. He almost struck me despite my best to escapes by using my footwork techniques. Even Duo wasn''t going to be fast enough¡­


    Wham!


    Before Qi Fu Ren''s devastating Lightning Fist could hit me, Tang Qi Hong struck the back of his neck with her flaming fingers. Snarling in fury, Qi Fu Ren swung around to retaliate with a backhanded swing, but I grabbed Tang Qi Hong''s hand and pulled her out of the way. Qi Fu Ren''s arm swung through thin air.


    Allowing me to pull her back, Tang Qi Hong used me as support to flip herself upward and deliver a flaming kick into Qi Fu Ren''s face. The bully grunted, and then tried to grab her legs, but I had pulled her out of reach.


    "You¡­!"


    Qi Fu Ren stomped forward, but the two of us managed to spin away, almost like we were dancing. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to keep up.


    "These two are sync¡­what''s going on? It''s almost as if they''ve been fighting alongside each other for years, able to read each other''s movements and intentions and react accordingly."


    He then clenched his fist.


    "But¡­I have brute force!"


    Both Tang Qi Hong and I leaped back as Qi Fu Ren blasted us with a web of lightning, seeking to overwhelm us with sheer strength. He tried to pursue me, but before he could reach me, fireballs from Tang Qi Hong''s Nine-tailed Fire Fox technique bombarded his position, causing him to vanish in an explosion.


    "?"


    I looked up and saw that Tang Qi Hong had summoned a golden and crimson bow out of nowhere, the gleaming weapon glowing brilliantly as the wielder infused it with qi. Fiery arrows materialized in her right hand and she notched them to her bow, firing nine flaming projectiles at a time and completely overwhelming Qi Fu Ren.


    Then I spotted the spark of an enormous influx of qi. Using Jin, I threw myself and knocked Tang Qi Hong off her feet. Moments later, a blazing stream of lightning arced past us, slamming into a nearby tree and completely disintegrating it.


    "How is that guy still conscious?!" Tang Qi Hong demanded in disbelief as she got up after I scrambled to my feet. A pity, but this wasn''t the time for fanservice moments where I accidentally groped her chest after saving her.


    "He now has three sexagenaries worth of qi after sucking Hu Shuo and Ba Dao dry," I reminded her. "Didn''t I tell you earlier?"


    Tang Qi Hong reddened. "O¡­of course I remember! I''m just asking a rhetorical question, okay? Just to express my frustration!"


    "I know what you mean." I sighed, just as frustrated as her by Qi Fu Ren''s tremendously increased tenacity.


    "Hang in there, the two of you!" Lian Rou called out. She had been trying to tend to Hu Shuo and Ba Dao in hopes of trying to revive them, but it was useless. Even in this fantasy world, there were no methods to resurrect the dead. Not unless you were a protagonist with plot armor like me, who had personal connections with Grandma Meng.


    "We''re trying!" Tang Qi Hong hollered back, but I pulled her away when Qi Fu Ren threw a Lightning Punch at her. In response, he turned his attention to me, his fists crackling with Thunder Break, but Tang Qi Hong waltzed me out of danger before kicking him in the shin. I then yanked her back away from Qi Fu Ren''s retaliation before kicking him in the groin.


    Even with three sexagenaries of artificial qi, the weak point of the human body didn''t change. Qi Fu Rend dropped to his knees clutching his crotch and shrieking in pain, his voice too high-pitched to be masculine.


    Fortunately, I wasn''t Li Fu Chen, or poor Qi Fu Ren''s lower meridians would have been shattered and he would have lost his basic functions as a man, and live without his libido or any interest in woman for the rest of his life.


    If I had known what he would attempt in future, I would have attempted my best efforts to destroy his lower meridians, but hindsight was fifty-fifty, and besides, I lacked the necessary strength to carry out Li Fu Chen''s signature "Impotent Kick." plus I wasn''t as ruthless as him anyway.


    "¡­kill you¡­I''ll fucking kill you!"


    I sighed. "You''ve told us that like three hundred times already, and you still have yet to succeed. Just¡­stop talking, all right?"


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Lightning burst out of Qi Fu Ren''s kneeling body, forming a circular mountain of golden electricity that pierced the heavens. Both Tang Qi Hong and I were forced to jump backward to avoid being incinerated from the sheer voltage.


    Forcing himself to his feet, Qi Fu Ren slowly lumbered toward us, his body wreathed in destructive lightning.


    "Careful!"


    The moment Qi Fu Ren discharged all that lightning into a single Lightning Flash, Tang Qi Hong panicked and leaped toward me, knocking me off my feet. She didn''t just shove me to the ground, she literally tackled me and sent the both of us flying. Behind her, the entire courtyard vanished in a blinding, golden light.


    "What the¡­?!"


    My eyes widened when I saw the devastation. The courtyard, wrecked and ruined from my Seismic Step and the ensuing battle earlier, had now been reduced to a scorched, smoldering wasteland. The concrete had been blackened, and sand had been fused to dark glass. In the center, Qi Fu Ren stood, lightning still coursing through his body.


    "Come back here!" he bawled before taking a step toward us. Then he froze, and clicked his tongue, turning his head to glare in the distance. Clenching his fists, he spat. "So they''ve finally arrived, huh?"


    "''They''?" Lian Rou repeated, confused. She had been forced to abandon Hu Shuo and Ba Dao, and their corpses had been ravaged beyond recognition by the intense lightning. Tang Qi Hong looked just as confused.


    But before Qi Fu Ren could answer their question, he turned and leaped up, clearing the academy wall in a single bound. Without another word, he fled.


    "¡­eh? What just happened?" Tang Qi Hong blurted out, her eyes wide. She staggered in relief and would have fallen if I didn''t catch her.


    "The teachers have finally arrived to check things out," I informed her as I glanced in the direction of the campus buildings. Thanks to my Heaven and Earth spiritual sense, I had detected their approaching qi since a while ago.


    "You guys! What''s going on?!"


    Seeing Teacher Jiao run over, I almost collapsed, glad at the reprieve. This time, Tang Qi Hong was there to help me, and we leaned against each other in order to remain standing. As Teacher Jiao and the other teachers arrived to gape in horror at the scale of destruction and the two casualties, I shook my head and sighed.

 48 Chapter 47: Academy Mission

    Well, as long as I stay in the academy grounds, I will be safe.


    Even Qi Fu Ren wouldn''t dare step into the academy grounds now that he had been officially recognized as a criminal. The academy was under the protection of Principal Xiao Zhang and dozens of teachers-masters. Even with three sexagenaries of artificial qi, it would be utterly suicidal for him to barge into the academy.


    That was why he was forced to escape in the first place when Teacher Jiao arrived.


    Unfortunately, I was too na?ve. While I continued my usual regime of training, purifying my innate qi and increasing my capacity for Heaven and Earth Absorption (which comprised of both drawing natural qi from the surroundings and stealing a bit of qi from my opponents), I dwelled under the illusion of safety without realizing it was going to be broken.


    "As you are all second year students, this will be very important for you."


    That illusion of safety was shattered one morning when Teacher Jiao stood at the front of the classroom, his hands splayed over his desk as he studied us. It was homeroom, and Teacher Jiao was going through the administrative matters.


    "It''s about three months into your second year now, and you''re about to enter the next semester soon. Your first year, which is basically your honeymoon period, is over. During that time, you had two large-scale practical classes where the academy brought you all out to Sen Lin Forest to gain much-needed combat experience."


    Several of my classmates nodded, but I sank into my chair and gulped. I had a bad feeling about this¡­


    "From the second year onward, you will no longer be participating in such large-scale practical classes. Those resources and manpower will be reserved for the current batch of first year students instead. Since you have all obtained quite a bit of combat experience over the past year, you''re deemed ready for the real thing."


    "Real thing?" Ban Zhang blurted out, bewildered. Teacher Jiao nodded.


    "Middle school second year students onward are required to complete at least one academy mission every year. Don''t worry, I am announcing this early on purpose. You can prepare, train and cultivate until the ninth or tenth month if you need that long. As long as you complete the academy mission before the academic year is up, you will be considered as having passed this major segment of your curriculum."


    "You lose your privileges as a Wu Ling Academy student and will get relegated to being a student in the normal stream¡­the dropouts, in other words. You will no longer have access to the academy''s martial arts resources."


    A worried murmur swept through the class and they all looked at each other nervously, wondering how we would be able to solve the dilemma.


    "Eh¡­"


    "Aren''t academy missions dangerous?"


    "I don''t want to¡­"


    "But I don''t want to drop into the normal stream either¡­"


    Teacher Jiao allowed the chatter to go on for a while before clearing his throat and drawing our attention back to him.


    "No matter what kind of academy mission it is, there will always be a risk of danger. Of course, the risk varies depending on the mission ¨C the low-ranked missions will be less dangerous than the high-ranked missions, but obviously the rewards will also be lesser." He smiled as he placed his hands on his hips. "High risk, high reward. Low risk, low reward. No pain, no gain. You guys should be familiar with this concept by now."


    "Yes~"


    That much was obvious. The students nodded without argument.


    However, that didn''t abate my concerns. I knew that academy missions involved sending us after criminals¡­such as Qi Fu Ren. Even though I had survived Sen Lin Forest and came away with a few benefits, I was aware that the world was a vast place. There were countless experts and strong people out there. Any stronger martial artist could easily wipe the floor with me, despite me learning Heaven and Earth Formula.


    I had best improve my abilities and martial arts before I take on any mission¡­


    To not do so otherwise would be a massive mistake.


    Teacher Jiao waited for the excitement to die down a little before he continued.


    "To check what missions are available, check your tablet." He gestured toward the tablet on our desks. We also had a similar one in our dormitory rooms, so we could use that to access the Internet. "The missions will be uploaded into the academy website. I''ll send you the link and you can check that page out and choose an appropriate mission."


    "Whoa!" Zhu Jiao blurted out suddenly when he clicked on the link that Teacher Jiao had sent us. "Reward is a thousand gold coins?!"


    That was insane. One gold coin was equal to a hundred US dollars. A thousand gold coins would therefore mean a hundred thousand US dollars. While there was a lot of things we could do with such an enormous sum of money in my former timeline, we were required to spend such absurd amounts of money on upgrading ourselves. In other words, purchasing martial arts techniques or cultivation skills, spirit pills, armament or weapons.


    Unfortunately, each of those things cost thousands of US dollars¡­or dozens of gold, sometimes hundreds. Apparently the higher your level, the more inflated the prices of these martial arts goods were. I wasn''t going to bother with most of them, especially since I had better things to spend my money on. Like a good weapon.


    I wasn''t interested in doping and relying on drugs, nor did I need any more martial arts techniques or cultivation skills. My present priority was only to master Heaven and Earth Formula. Once I did that, I should be able to wring it.


    The class went on without issue, and after school, I stayed back a little to check out the various missions on the website.


    Wu Ling Academy has really gone hi-tech, huh? I mused to myself as I browsed the webpage. To think they were putting up mission requests on electronic bulletin boards now. Then again, this was a modern world, and even martial artists had to catch up to contemporary technology. Why would they not use something so useful?


    This was more realistic rather than having medieval stasis where worlds remained in the medieval or ancient periods for eternities. As proud as China was throughout its 4,000 years of history, it still had to face technological advancement and innovation. New things were being invented each year. It was impossible for it to remain in stasis and perpetuate the whole "civilizations that last for thousands of years without developing" trope that was so common in xianxia webnovels. Furthermore, it wasn''t just the Chinese xianxia webnovels but western fantasy stories too. Come on, don''t you think people would eventually develop guns, vehicles and electricity after thousands of years instead of their technological state remaining stagnant?


    Moving on from rambling, I focused on the missions at hand. As I suspected, most of them were requests to hunt down criminals. There was one who requested that we track down and apprehend or kill a martial artist from the Xie Du Sect, who cultivated poison and was responsible for the massacre of several villages. There was one asking for students to track down and arrest or slay the three Xiong Brothers, notorious robbers who had pillaged several villages to the north, stole a highly valuable martial arts technique, and raped several women. And there was another who requested students to hunt down yet another martial artist from the Zei Sha Sect, who was a murderer who brutally killed three martial artists and several civilians.


    Scary¡­


    I gulped as I read the descriptions of these missions. Was it just me, or was the crime rate in this timeline unusually high? There were literally hundreds of requests begging Wu Ling Academy students to hunt down and slay expert criminals who seemed pretty powerful. I also noted that this website was shared by the high school students, who no doubted had the same requirement. In fact, I wouldn''t be surprised if it was mandatory for them to take two or more academy missions per year. Even then, the sheer number of missions posted on this site was more than enough for the combined populations of the middle school and high school divisions.


    "Oh, they also have the ranks here."


    I raised an eyebrow when I saw how the academy missions were categorized. Similar to what Teacher Jiao told us earlier, the missions were divided into ranks. Instead of the usual E to S rank that was so often used in Japanese isekai or fantasy-adventure anime, the missions'' difficulties were ranked according to stars.


    Middle school students were only allowed to take one and two star missions, which made sense, given our young age and relative lack of experience. High school students and above (probably university students) had access to three stars and above, and the highest ranked mission was five stars. Which was the ones that provided the thousand gold reward that Zhu Jiao was ogling earlier. In contrast, one star missions provided a meager ten or so gold. Two star missions were a little better, raising the reward to fifty or so gold.


    But the difference in difficulties was worlds apart. One star missions weren''t blatant enough to request that Wu Ling Academy students hunt down rogue martial artists and fight them. They usually consisted of hunting magical beasts or demonic creatures, usually a Dark Panther, or a pack of Silverback Wolves, or Demonic Boars that were plaguing a village. Enemies too insignificant for the Imperial Army and professional martial artists to take care of. Or perhaps a request to venture deep into the more dangerous parts of Sen Lin Forest to pick medicinal herbs and valuable plants. Or maybe hunting a magical beast like an Infant Tiger for its organs, which would be harvested by the alchemists to concoct potent spirit pills.


    The two star missions did begin to request for the apprehension or slaying of criminals, but they were usually the "weaker" martial artists, those at Qi Essence Stage or whatever. I paid no attention to those. All these stages or realms or power levels were meaningless to me. The enemy was either stronger or weaker than me, and the gap in strength couldn''t possibly be quantified neatly into stages or levels.


    However, I didn''t outright ignore or dismiss them either. Even if I didn''t believe in the quantification of strength, I could roughly use this as an estimate to judge whether the opponent was much stronger than me or slightly stronger than me. If it was the latter, then I would be able to make up for the slight gap in strength with tactics or something else. Otherwise, it would be too risky to challenge someone who was several times stronger than me.


    "Hmm¡­well, it seems that I can just take the collecting herb missions and get this done and over with."


    While the monetary rewards were extremely tempting, they weren''t exactly worth my life. And to be honest, I came from a timeline where I never had to kill anyone. Come to think of it, I don''t believe I had killed anyone here either. Not even Qi Fu Ren, despite me really, really wanting to. But now that I thought about it, the reason why I didn''t hold back against him was because I subconsciously knew he wouldn''t die from my attacks.


    Well, let''s start slow.


    There was no limit to the number of missions we could take. Theoretically, we could take a few hundred missions per year if we wanted, as long as it didn''t interfere with our classes or with our training. Of course depending on the type of mission, we were allowed to take a few days off class to hunt down a criminal.


    On the other hand, such missions were dangerous, exhausting, time-consuming and risky, so nobody in their right mind would attempt to take a few hundred three or four star missions trying to hunt down every single rogue martial artist on the site. It was just physically and spiritually impossible. And we needed time to recuperate after each mission too.


    Fortunately, missions such as collecting medicinal herbs and spiritual grass weren''t as time-consuming and deadly. While danger still existed in the form of magical beasts and demonic creatures roaming around the areas where such herbs were found (why do you think they request martial artists to gather the herbs instead of picking them themselves?), if one was smart and stealthy enough, they could avoid the worst conflicts.


    Having survived two months in the deepest depths of Sen Lin Forest, I had experienced enough to build up adequate knowledge on how to navigate around and avoid these lethal predators, and defeat them if necessary.


    "Hey¡­"


    "Hmm?"


    I realized that Zhu Jiao was calling out to me. Turning around, I bowed apologetically.


    "Sorry, I was too engrossed in reading this. What''s up?"


    "The missions?" Zhu Jiao peered over my shoulder and frowned. "Shouldn''t you wait until you''re a little stronger before you take them?"


    I gave him a weird stare. "Why do I need to obtain more strength just to pick a few medicinal herbs in Sen Lin Forest?"


    "Huh? Herbs? You''re seriously taking those one-star missions?" Zhu Jiao looked back in stupefied disbelief. "But they don''t pay very well."


    I wasn''t sure if it was greed or efficiency or capitalism, but except me, the entire class had unanimously decided to go for the "grow stronger then take the two-star missions to hunt down Qi Essence Stage criminals" route.


    Certainly, completing those missions would earn them gold on the magnitude incomparable to the pitiful amount I would get from collecting herbs. Gathering medicinal herbs was only worth one gold. Hunting a Qi Essence Stage criminal would be fifty gold. To earn as much as my classmates, I would have to gather medicinal herbs fifty times. That honestly was not very efficient and took up a lot more time than spending a week or so required to hunt down the criminal.


    By the way, we weren''t allowed to take two or more missions simultaneously. We could only take on a new mission if we finished our current one. So I couldn''t just go and gather fifty types of medicinal herbs and finish the fifty requests at one go.


    In any case, people found it baffling that I chose the inefficient, cheapskate, time-consuming and less rewarding route. At least Zhu Jiao did, anyway.


    "You sure about this?"


    "It''s not as if we''re limited to just one mission per year. I just want to complete this for my obligatory mission for the year and not have to worry about it. Maybe later in the year, if I become strong enough, I''ll just take another mission and fight rogue martial artists. That''s not against the rules, and is probably encouraged."


    Zhu Jiao made a face. "But you''re wasting quite a bit of time¡­time you can spend cultivating, you know? And when you''re outside, you''ll be exposing yourself to danger. Remember, Qi Fu Ren is still out there somewhere."


    The teachers had failed to catch him after he escaped, after all. I nodded.


    "I''ll take my chances, and then quickly return. Then I don''t have to worry about leaving the academy and running into him for the rest of the year."


    "Oh, there is that¡­but you''ll only earn a gold for that, you know?"


    "That''s fine." I scratched at the side of my head and chuckled. "I''m not that interested in money, anyway."


    "It''s not the matter of being interested or not!" Zhu Jiao reprimanded me. "We all need the gold to purchase more resources! Otherwise we''ll be left behind!"


    "Don''t worry," I assured him. "I''ll figure it out."


    Zhu Jiao looked unconvinced, but he relented. Shaking his head, he sighed.


    "Okay then. Good luck."


    I waved at him, and then submitted an acceptance application online for one of the herbs-gathering mission. I received a mail informing me that my acceptance had been registered and I could begin right away.


    Rising from my desk, I left the classroom and headed toward the gate.


    *


    It was night by the time I returned. Relying on my past experience living in Sen Lin Forest for two months, I was able to avoid the deadly predators that slunk through the woods and reach the Blue Star Herbs without incident. Having also learned the best places where such herbs would grow, I stumbled upon a gold mine.


    Harvesting a little bit more than the required amount, I planned to keep some for myself so that I could use them for alchemy experiments or something. I didn''t want to rely on doping, but Blue Star Herbs were also good for healing. They were also good for counteracting poison, but apparently my body had adapted to venom through the consumption of the Hellfire Badger almost a year ago, and me learning Heaven and Earth Formula.


    "Where do I submit this?"


    Hefting the heavy haversack that was chocked full of Blue Star Herbs, I glanced around the academy grounds. By now, evening had fallen and the campus was wreathed in a dull shadow. There were very little students around and even less activity.


    If I recall correctly, I should be submitting loot, evidence or requested items to the main office in the central building¡­


    Remembering that little detail from the webpage, I began heading in the direction of the aptly named central building that was located right smack in the middle of the academy. It was pretty easy to find, being the most visible building because of its sheer size.


    However, before I could make it halfway there, a flurry of activity caught my attention. Several shapes flew over the academy walls and landed halfway in the courtyard. Turning around, I saw several seniors sprinting. There were about four of them, and one of them was carrying a young man whose face had turned black.


    That''s¡­


    I frowned when I noticed the strange pallor. Having read a lot of stuff in Wu Ling Library and also through my experience in Sen Lin Forest, I recognized the symptoms of poisoning. Worse, the darkness was spreading rapidly across whatever skin was visible.


    "Isn''t that Senior Zhong Du? What happened to him?!"


    "Whoa¡­he''s severely hurt!"


    The few students who had lingered in the academy recognized the unconscious young man. They drew closer in concern or curiosity.


    "Out of the way!" one of Zhong Du''s comrades bellowed. "He has been poisoned from someone from the Xie Du Sect! He suffered a hit from that bastard''s poison martial arts! If we don''t get him to the infirmary quickly, he''ll die!"


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, the other students hastily stepped back and allowed the train to charge through.


    "I hope Teacher Yi Liao will be able to heal him¡­"


    "Come on, Teacher Yi is the best healer in Wu Ling Academy. There''s no way she won''t be able to heal Senior Zhong Du. As long as you''re not dead, she''ll restore you to one piece, no matter how seriously injured you are."


    "Still¡­Senior Zhong Du is fairly lucky. Every year, many Wu Ling Academy students are slain by these demonic martial artists. To be able to return alive¡­he really is blessed."


    "Ugh¡­don''t remind me. In another month, I also have to complete a mission. I hope it will go smoothly."


    The students were shaking their heads and muttering bitterly to each other as they watched the ensemble rush toward the infirmary with Zhong Du in tow.


    I felt a vein twitch in my temple. What was wrong with these idiots? If you were that scared of death, then just take the damned One Star missions and collect herbs? Why bother with chasing criminals and demonic martial artists?!


    Apparently, my mindset differed because I came from a different timeline, but I understood later that those students who picked the herb-picking missions were considered cowards. They were viewed as lazy dudes who took the easy way out, who were too scared to fight against real, live opponents, and always chose to play it safe. They were mocked as errand students, and were looked down upon, particularly by the seniors.


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    Since I already had a One Star Constitution to begin with, and was unable to receive artificial qi, my reputation was already rock-bottom. In the days to come, I would hear whispers like, "as expected of the One Star Constitution trash, of course he would pick the easiest missions."


    "Can you blame him? With no talent, and being unable to absorb artificial qi¡­this is his only way of completing the mission."


    "How lame¡­why hasn''t he dropped out yet?"


    "So thick-skinned. If I were him, I would have applied to drop into the normal stream, or leave the academy altogether."


    I ignored them and went back to the classroom.


    "You all right?" Zhu Jiao asked, raising his head when I stepped inside. I smiled and waved at him, as optimistic as ever.


    "Yeah."


    "Fei Wu!"


    I turned to see Tang Qi Hong rushing forward, her pretty face scrunched in anger and shock. I involuntarily took a step back.


    "Is it true that you took a One Star mission to collect herbs?"


    "Yeah?"


    Tang Qi Hong groaned and clutched her face.


    "Why? I mean¡­if you''re so desperate enough to fulfil the requirements, you could have approached me! We''re allowed to form teams to take academy missions together, and we will share all the credit and rewards!"


    Oh, right. Teacher Jiao did mention that yesterday, but I didn''t pay much attention because it never occurred to me that I should try that out.


    "Sorry. There was a bunch of herbs I wanted to collect anyway, so¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong sighed. "I see. But next time, let me know. I''ll put you in my team." She raised her head and glanced at Lian Rou. "You''ve no problem, right, Lian Rou?"


    "Of course not." she waved back from her seat. "Bring along Zhu Jiao, Tong Xue and Ban Zhang while you''re at it."


    "Sure!"


    "¡­I appreciate it," Zhu Jiao said with a smile. "But I''ve already arranged to go on another mission in a few months'' time."


    "I''ll be going with my fellow disciples from the Black Tortoise Sect. Sorry." Ban Zhang looked a little guilty.


    "Heh, then it''s just the four of us!" Tong Xue grinned. He winked at Lian Rou, who giggled and shyly looked down with a slightly flushed face.


    "Uh, okay. Let me know."


    Tang Qi Hong sighed. "Don''t be an idiot. We still have nine months before the deadline. Use that time to prepare yourself and grow stronger. Don''t rush it, okay?"


    "Yeah. Thank you."


    I bowed my head gratefully and watched as Tang Qi Hong returned to her seat beside Lian Rou. She was such a great girl. Maybe one day I would ask her out.

 49 Chapter 48: Mission reques

    I was practicing my breathing methods and Heaven and Earth Absorption, as usual. After my usual run and physical training regimen, I had proceeded to spiritual cultivation, where I either purified my qi or tried to improve my rate of absorbing qi.


    From what I had found out so far, absorbing qi was easy. However, it was impossible to integrate the surrounding qi into my own innate qi. Even though Master had told me as much, I still experimented to see if I could succeed, and I failed.


    There was a reason why people took the advice of elders. They didn''t live long lives and had a wealth of experience for nothing, you know.


    "Ugh¡­"


    On the other hand, I learned that it was possible to absorb qi from animals or living things and integrate that into my innate qi. Of course, it was a highly inefficient method. Not only did I have to maintain physical contact with the living target in question for a long time, I also needed to spend a lot of time integrating the demonic creature''s qi into my own. Of course, it would be easier to incapacitate the demonic creature or magical beast, and then slowly spend my time draining the poor thing of qi. However, the slow rate meant that it would take me hours just to drain its entire reservoir of qi, and I had to spend another few days assimilating the absorbed qi into my own.


    Moreover, even if I had incapacitated the target, I didn''t have the patience or stamina to sit there and continually drain the poor creature of qi for hours on end. I had better things to do with my time, and it was more efficient to cultivate and train. Or rely on spirit pills and drugs. But that was doping and I didn''t trust drugs.


    "Obviously it won''t be that easy, or everyone will be using it, huh?"


    Qi Fu Ren''s use of a qi absorption technique concerned me. Even though it was not as powerful or efficient as Heaven and Earth Absorption, it was enough for him to instantly drain his lackeys'' qi. Of course, I was aware that the only reason he succeeded in doing so was because Hu Shuo and Ba Dao had the same type of qi and elemental affinity as him, and even better, they practiced the exact same breathing techniques and qi manipulation methods as him. Otherwise, Qi Fu Ren would need hours, maybe days, to absorb qi from another human.


    That lucky bastard¡­he must have known about that, which was why he sacrificed his cronies without any hesitation. I thought he wouldn''t stoop so low as to murder his own followers for his benefit, but it turned out I was mistaken.


    Speaking of which¡­where did he learn that technique from? Did someone teach it to him? If so, then¡­who?


    A chilling thought struck my mind. Just like the Heaven and Earth Sect from before, whoever taught Qi Fu Ren was most likely a martial artist from a demonic sect. it was highly improbable that Qi Fu Ren just happened to stumble upon this technique by himself, and I knew of no such martial arts stored within Wu Ling Library and its archives.


    On the other hand, Qi Fu Ren could have stumbled upon it on a bookstore outside, or found the manual lying around somewhere. He was notorious for always hanging around in Martial City after school with his subordinates and terrorizing the civilians.


    But Qi Fu Ren happening to stumble upon such a manual was too coincidental to be likely, and furthermore, that bully wasn''t bright or hardworking enough to learn stuff on his own. And if it was someone who taught him from the shadows, that someone would be a huge cause for concern. It would mean the demonic sects were active again and scheming something secretly. And there was at least one master capable of such a vicious martial art.


    Gulp¡­


    Swallowing, I shook my head and focused on my own cultivation. There was no point worrying over such things when there was absolutely nothing I could do about it right now. For one thing, this was all mere speculation and conjecture on my part. At that time I had completely no knowledge or evidence that Qi Fu Ren was learning something from some demonic master, and even if I did, what could I do? I wasn''t strong enough to do anything about it.


    If I were to hunt down and confront Qi Fu Ren right now, I would get my ass kicked. If Tang Qi Hong hadn''t shown up and helped me, I would have died. Even now, I wasn''t sure if the two of us combined would still be able to take down Qi Fu Ren.


    The teachers should already be aware of it, and even if they weren''t, my telling them wouldn''t change anything. I had no evidence. What exactly could the teachers act on? My gut feeling? I wasn''t arrogant enough to think my opinion mattered, or that the teachers valued my speculation and conjecture. I was just a na?ve, inexperienced student, after all.


    Yeah, concentrate on cultivating right now! Back to Heaven and Earth Absorption!


    Taking a deep breath, I then began drawing the qi from my surroundings again.


    *


    The next day, before I left the classroom, there was an alert in my tablet that drew my attention. Seeing that it was an email from the mission website ¨C I had signed up for subscriptions previously ¨C I decided to humor it and check it out.


    "This is¡­?"


    Upon checking out the news, my jaw dropped.


    One of the requests was from Chun Xiang Village. Having helped me out right after I escaped the Hydra in the abyss of Sen Lin Forest, I still possessed fond memories of them. I had yet to express my gratitude in an adequate manner, having left hurriedly to return to Martial City and Wu Ling Academy as soon as possible.


    "What? Someone got kidnapped? They got attacked?!"


    Without realizing it, I had slammed my hands against the table and rose to my feet. good thing that my classmates had all left prior, in order to go to their respective sects for their daily training, or I would have drawn a lot of attention. Nonetheless¡­


    This isn''t good¡­


    I swallowed as I studied the request. Apparently Chun Xiang Village was attacked a few days ago, and the raids were still being carried out. A few villagers had been abducted, and the village chief was at a loss at what to do. He had reported it to the government, and they were dispatching troops and investigators to help. But the villagers also wanted to speed up the process, so they were willing to pay a little extra for outside help.


    "But¡­the rewards¡­"


    It was only ten gold coins for a three star mission, which might possibly be raised to a four star mission, depending on the unknown-as-yet enemies. If the investigators discover their identities, and it turned out to be more powerful, then¡­


    That was right. Chun Xiang Village was an extremely poor, rural village rooted in poverty. Forced to occupy a space just outside Sen Lin Forest, neglected and abandoned by the authorities, and having access to a small plot of barely arable land, they wouldn''t be able to afford the fifty or so gold for a two star mission, never mind the hundred gold required for a three star mission or the five hundred for a four star mission.


    At this rate, no one would want to take the request. It was too gold for the level of danger that the mission possessed. It just wasn''t worth the risk for such a meager amount of gold. Like many of the requests that remained on the electronic bulletin board long after the posters put them up, it would remain there for a long period.


    At least the authorities are doing something about it.


    While many people would be cynical to the point that they didn''t trust the authorities, from what I know, the imperial guard and orthodox martial artists who served as enforcers did a good job of protecting our borders and policing the great Zhou Empire. Even so, there were a lot of demonic sects rampaging recently and their resources were stretched thinly. It would take them months to launch a proper investigation, if at all.


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    That was the reason why Chun Xiang Village scrounged up ten gold coins as a reward for any martial artist to help them. The problem was that no proper martial artist would take up such a pathetic offer, and those desperate enough to accept probably were weaklings who couldn''t succeed at any other missions, and would probably get killed during the mission.


    Even if I wanted to help, I can''t. I''m only a middle school student, I''m not allowed to take the three star missions.


    My maximum limit was two star missions, so I wouldn''t be allowed to undertake this mission even if I wasn''t interested in the money.


    "Damn it¡­"


    Scratching my head, I stared at the request worriedly. Having been acquainted with Chun Xiang Village and benefiting from their hospitality, I really wanted to do everything that I could to help, but I possessed neither the ability nor qualifications to do so. In fact, I would most likely get killed if I tried to help them and confront the abductors. Worse, I had no idea how to go about launching an investigation. The most likely scenario was that I would just bumble around in the village, being dead weight and freeloading off them while accomplishing nothing.


    At least let me offer some moral support¡­


    Despite not being allowed to take the mission, I still wanted to visit them and check on how they were doing. Right now, they probably required all the assistance they could get, especially with some of their residents being kidnapped.


    I doubt my presence there would make a difference, though¡­


    I wasn''t delusional enough to think the raids would stop if I showed up. Being a weak martial artist who couldn''t be compared to my classmates, all of whom (except Bai Ning Xue) received artificial qi, I doubted anyone would be dissuaded by my presence. That said, I did at least have a wealth of experience surviving in Sen Lin Forest, and I could use that to my advantage. I had survived the dangers the forest had thrown at me, so what was a human when compared to magical beasts and demonic creatures?


    At that time, I still hadn''t realized that the most dangerous creature in the world wasn''t a magical beast or demonic creature, but¡­fellow humans.


    How do I justify my reason for visiting them?


    Being unable to accept the three star mission, I couldn''t legitimize my trip there. No, I had to find another approach.


    But how?


    Then I saw another mission.


    "This is¡­?"


    Collecting herbs from the section of forest next to Sen Lin Forest¡­if it was this, then perhaps I would be able to¡­!


    "That''s it!"


    If I took a one star mission that required me to do something else in the vicinity, I would still be able to travel there under the pretense of fulfilling my mission. I could drop by Chun Xiang Village and check how they were doing on my way there and back. After all, students were granted full freedom and autonomy to do whatever they wanted during their missions, as long as they did not commit any crimes or atrocities.


    It''s not like I''ll be able to do much with my current abilities, anyway.


    I didn''t plan on doing anything as reckless as hunting down the kidnappers and saving the abductees. That would be too foolish. Maybe against one person, I might stand a chance, but against an organized band of criminals? I would be committing suicide. I wasn''t some Mary Sue wuxia protagonist who could just waltz into the criminals'' lair and slay everyone inside like Li Fu Chen or Xiao Yan. I knew my limits.


    I just need to¡­check on them and offer some moral support. See if they need any help with anything.


    Perhaps Lu Shun was among the kidnapped, so I could help them procure more Wild Boars or something similar to that. In any case, there had to be something I could do, even if I couldn''t just dance right in like a Mary Sue overpowered xianxia protagonist and exterminate entire sects of criminals on my own.


    "Let''s go."


    Accepting the quest on my tablet, I then rose to my feet and headed back toward the dormitory to get some preparations done.


    *


    "Oh, hey. Fei Wu, a word, if you will."


    The next day, after class, I was just about to leave for my mission when Teacher Jiao called out.


    "What is it, Teacher Jiao?"


    "I''ve seen you take a mission in the Chun Ling region?"


    "Yeah. A one star mission, asking me to collect Verdant Spring Herbs." I nodded in confirmation. There was no reason for me to hide that.


    "About that¡­" Teacher Jiao seemed a little concerned. "The Chun Ling region is pretty dangerous right now. There are reports of a demonic sect increasing their criminal activities and raiding villages in that region. Many villagers have been murdered or kidnapped. If you plan to go there, you must be very careful."


    "Oh?"


    So it seemed that Chun Xiang Village wasn''t the only victim. Multiple villages had suffered at the hands of whoever was responsible for raiding the place there.


    "I understand. I''ll be careful. I don''t intend to fight anyone there, so if I run into any of those demonic sect martial artists, I''ll avoid combat as much as possible."


    "Good. Make sure that you do." Teacher Jiao regarded me for a moment. "Hang on, do you have a weapon?"


    "¡­a weapon?"


    I stared at Teacher Jiao, baffled for a moment. He nodded and gestured toward my empty hands, emphasizing his point.


    "Look, I know you''re just going there to gather herbs, but you''ll run into monsters and magical beasts in the forest. Plus there''s that thing about the demonic sect¡­rumors are, Tian Sha Sect has seen a revival and are running around doing whatever they want. Though we have yet to confirm if the culprits are truly from the Tian Sha Sect¡­"


    I gulped. Tian Sha Sect was a notorious sect known for its vicious methods, ruthless behavior and demonic techniques. They were among the most powerful demonic sects, having overseen a meteoric rise ever since the demise of the Heaven and Earth Sect. it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to rank them among the top three demonic sects.


    "That''s not good," I managed.


    "That''s something of an understatement."


    I didn''t argue. Instead, I sighed as I clutched my head.


    "But I don''t have money for Spirit Engraved gear¡­"


    "No one told you to purchase Spirit Engraved weapons," Teacher Jiao snapped sharply. "Just get a normal weapon to defend yourself. With your current skills, you don''t need a Spirit Engraved weapon to deal with normal demonic creatures and magical beasts." He frowned. "Usually I would say you wouldn''t have to worry about enemy martial artists either, but your situation is special. You haven''t received artificial qi, after all."


    Don''t remind me¡­


    "The good news is that the demonic sects don''t have access to artificial qi either. So you shouldn''t have a problem. That said, neither do you, so you''ll still find yourself outclassed by practitioners from the Qi Fusion and Pure Spirit Stage, never mind the Flowing Qi Stage."


    "Uh huh." I nodded absent-mindedly. All these stages were meaningless to me, so I translated them to "much stronger than you." It didn''t matter if the enemy was a hundred times stronger or a thousand times stronger, the outcome would be the same either way.


    Me getting my ass kicked or dying in just one move.


    "To close the gap as much as possible, get weapons. You''ll need every advantage you can get."


    "Roger that." I understood the logic behind that statement and nodded. With a salute, I then marched toward the academy''s bureau of Spirit Engraved Armaments.


    To be honest, I wasn''t sure how much weapons would help me. I did learn Ghost Shadow Sword, but it did not actually involve a real sword. I decided to go to the library later and borrow a sword techniques manual. If I remembered, there was a level 5 sword technique in the library, but that wasn''t as useful. I would have to trade some gold for the one I really wanted, which was Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword. But that costed about a hundred gold coins¡­


    I''ll just take a hundred or so herb-gathering missions and I should be able to save up eventually.


    There was also the option of taking several of the ten or so gold missions that were also one star missions. That would speed up the process tremendously. Maybe another nine or so of those missions and I would be able to get the technique. While I wasn''t confident in fighting fellow martial artists, I did have a lot of confidence when it came to hunting magical beasts and monsters.


    I had survived the abyss of Sen Lin Forest, after all.


    I''ll also need to further develop, innovate and improve my Ghost Shadow Sword, and turn it into a proper sword technique¡­


    I had been using ice swords, which were pretty fragile. They were no match for proper swords, which were tangible and weren''t made entirely out of qi. And let''s be honest. There''s no way ice would be more durable or harder than steel or metal, right?


    Furthermore, Heaven and Earth Formula doesn''t have any sword styles. If I want to use a sword, I''ll have to learn a sword style and then incorporate Heaven and Earth Formula into it¡­


    That was not good. Right now, I was at an overwhelming disadvantage when compared to a martial artist who was a proper swordsman. I needed to learn an actual sword art, not only to incorporate Heaven and Earth Formula into it, but to also improve my Ghost Shadow Sword. Otherwise I would continue to fall behind.


    So this is what I''m reduced to? Cannibalizing the martial arts from other sects?


    They would probably throw a fit when they learn what I intended to do. On the other hand, the martial arts techniques I planned to learn were locked within the archives of the Wu Ling Library and were open to the public as long as you had the right level of clearance. Since I was level 5, I should be able to pick the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword once I had sufficient amount of gold. It was an ancient, lost art, and I looked forward to deciphering the scrolls.


    "So what are you here for?"


    A gruff voice broke me out of my thoughts. Blinking, I stared at the student who was perched behind the reception desk of the Bureau of Spirit Engraved Armaments. He was looking both bored and grumpy, probably not happy at being assigned to handling a desk job.


    "Oh, I''m here to buy a couple of swords."


    Even though I said buy, I was actually using the resources the academy allocated to me for training, so I wasn''t spending any of the gold I earned from missions. Each student was entitled a basic weapon or two. The downside, obviously, was that these were mere basic weapons, not Spirit Engraved weapons.


    That was only natural. Spirit Engraved gear and armaments were exorbitantly expensive. If the academy attempted to supply each and every student a Spirit Engraved gear, they would go bankrupt pretty soon. Furthermore, there was no point giving every student a Spirit Engraved weapon when they hadn''t mastered weapon techniques or might not be compatible with the weapon. Each weapon housed its own spirit, which possessed their own temperaments and personalities. Something like a soul or a partner that you see in anime, I suppose.


    "Student card," the male senior replied shortly, extending a hand toward me. I obediently took my student card out and gave it to him to ID it. He scanned it with the barcode reader and glanced at the computer screen.


    "Thanks," I told him when he handed my card back to me.


    "So what weapons do you want?" he asked, turning his eyes back to me. "A sword? Staff? Axe? Spear? Do you want some armor as well?"


    "Uh, no need for armor. I intend to travel light."


    The senior nodded. "Okay. So what weapons do you want? Spirit Engraved Armament?" he grinned. "That''s going to cost you."


    "Just the basic gear is fine."


    The senior looked a little disappointed, but he quickly concealed it, almost rolling his eyes at his own naivety. I could almost read his mind. Of course a second year middle school student isn''t going to be able to afford a spirit engraved weapon yet¡­


    "Okay. So what type of weapons?" the senior asked, his tone growing impatient. I was a little taken aback.


    "Um, swords. Two swords, if possible."


    That was the most appropriate weapons for my fighting choice. Ghost Shadow Sword was based off the Ghost Bear''s Ghost Claws attacks, and it usually required me swinging around two swords ¨C one in each hand. After all, the Ghost Bear obviously did not carry an actual sword, and thus wouldn''t be wielding a single weapon with both paws.


    In fact, a Ghost Bear probably couldn''t even hold a sword in the first place.


    In any case, dual swords were the most appropriate choice for me, who often froze two ice swords in each hand. There was no reason for me to adopt a different style.


    "Okay. Here''s the catalogue. Take your pick."


    The senior revolved the screen around and showed me an array of dual swords. Most of them were short swords, a few of them were long swords ¨C which weren''t very practical, to be honest. In the end, I settled for a pair medium-length swords.


    "This, please."


    "All right." The senior revolved the screen back to face him and he typed something into the computer. Rising from his seat, he then waved at me. "Wait here for a moment."


    I nodded and watched as he disappeared into the back of the office. A few minutes later, he emerged, carrying the pair of swords I had ordered.


    "Anything else?" he asked, bored. Probably hoping that I had nothing else so that he could return to idling away.


    "Nope." I shook my head and accepted the pair of swords. I then bowed my head gratefully. "Thank you."


    "Yeah, sure."


    With nothing else to do, I strapped the pair of swords to my back and exited the Bureau of Spirit Engraved Armaments. Now that my preparations were done, I proceeded toward the gate.

 50 Chapter 49: Return to Chun Xiang Village

    For one thing, the village was even more ruined and dilapidated than last year. Some of the houses had caved in and collapsed completely, but they were left in their wrecked state. Probably because the villagers simply couldn''t afford repairs.


    The kids, who used to play openly on the roads, were gone. The number of people farming was also diminished, and there clearly was a gloom and an air of despair that hung over the few villagers visible in the open.


    "This is awful¡­"


    I felt a chill run down my spine as I inspected the condition of the village. This was worse than I imagined.


    Taking a deep breath, I shook myself out of my stupor and proceeded toward one of the villagers. I needed to get to the bottom of this, and perhaps find out who was responsible. Even if I couldn''t fight the culprits, I could provide information¡­


    Don''t be na?ve. What makes you think the Imperial Guard hasn''t already dug all the information out of these villagers?


    Speaking of which, there was no sign of the Imperial Guard or enforcers. On my way here, I spotted sporadic patrols, of soldiers and veteran martial artists driving around the borders to keep an eye out for bandits and rogue martial artists. However, as I went further away into the rural areas, the patrols dwindled until they were gone completely.


    Chun Xiang Village was so remote that it was almost forgotten by the great Zhou Empire. I guess even a continent-spanning empire didn''t have enough resources to patrol and protect every single village and citizen within its territory.


    Well, of course. The amount of manpower you need for this would be insane¡­


    I couldn''t help but feel depressed. But now that I was here, I should do something. Speak to them, offer moral support¡­anything. As long as I didn''t just stand here like an idiot doing nothing and looking totally lost.


    "You are¡­"


    I perked up at the familiar voice and turned around. It was Old Man Yi, limping forward on his walking stick. He glanced up at me, his expression twisted into a confused frown. It was clear that he didn''t remember me.


    "I''m Fei Wu. I was here around last year¡­you helped me out a lot when Lu Shun found me collapsed near the riverbank."


    "Ah¡­the outsider from last year! The young boy!" Yi brightened up and then hobbled toward me excitedly. "It''s been a long time!"


    "Yeah. How is everything?"


    Even as the question left my mouth, I immediately felt stupid. Of course everything wasn''t fine. I could see the devastated state of Chun Xiang Village for myself.


    "Well¡­could be better."


    "Well, let''s head to my home for some tea and catch up on stuff."


    "Yes, sir."


    This was my only chance to get some information, so I had no reason to refuse. That didn''t lessen the discomfort and feeling of helplessness, though. That feeling increased as I followed Yi through the half-destroyed paths and collapsed houses of the broken village.


    "Hey! Aren''t you that boy from a year ago?!"


    On my way there, yet another familiar figure popped up. Turning around, I caught sight of Lu Shun stumbling through the broken pathways and waving at me. I smiled and waved back, only for the warm greeting to die in my throat when I caught a good glimpse of him.


    "You¡­!"


    "Ah¡­ha ha ha, yeah. I look pretty terrible, don''t I?"


    Lu shun had been battered and beaten into a terrible condition. Blue and black swelling throbbed under his heavily bandaged face, he seemed to be missing a few teeth, and one of his eyes were covered in gauze. The other was black. Below, one arm was wrapped in a cast and bound to a sling, and a sleeveless vest hung over a heavily bandaged body. Lu Shun was limping on a crutch, for one of his legs were set inside a brace.


    "Are you all right?" I finally asked lamely, not sure what to say. Lu Shun smiled humorlessly and waved at his injured arm.


    "Do I look all right?"


    "No, I''m sorry. I mean¡­" I swallowed and shook my head. "What happened?" then I suddenly realized. "Don''t tell me¡­those demonic martial artists¡­"


    "It''s a long story," Yi told me as he continued strolling back toward his house. "We''ll talk more inside my house. Take a seat."


    "Yes, sir." I wasn''t sure what to say, so I nodded and followed him. Yi also turned toward Lu Shun with a grave expression.


    "You should go home. I told you that you shouldn''t be moving around in that condition."


    "Eh¡­but it''s rare that we get any visitors!"


    Yi sighed and shook his head in exasperation, giving up. "Then at least come to my house and have a seat. Stop walking and making your injuries worse!"


    "Yeah, yeah¡­"


    Lu Shun obeyed despite his complaints. Not knowing what to do, I ended up subconsciously keeping a distance before setting foot into Old Man Yi''s house.


    "As you correctly surmised, the demonic martial artists were the ones who beat Lu Shun into a pulp like that," Yi informed me as he sank into his wooden chair. He gestured for us to sit, but since there was no other furniture in the house, I took a seat on the carpeted floor. The fabric was torn and dusty and I was pretty much sitting on the floor, but I was used to it. On the opposite side, Lu Shun settled in the corner of the room with a grunt.


    "Those bastards¡­" he struck the wall with his uninjured palm. "They came and raided us and took a bunch of women and children away. I tried to fight them¡­"


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    "¡­and ended up like that." Old Man Yi sighed. "You''re too reckless, Lu Shun."


    "But I can''t help it! What am I supposed to do? Watch as those bastards take our women and children!?"


    Bellowing furiously, Lu Shun struck the wall with his fist again and gritted his teeth. I could literally here the popping of his veins as he seethed.


    "I didn''t say that, but you would have accomplished nothing if you died."


    "I''m glad you survived, though." I breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Shun barked out a bitter laugh at that.


    "I only survived because I escaped. If it weren''t for Old Man Yi''s medical skills, I would have died from my injuries!"


    "You escaped?" I asked. Lu Shun nodded and then shrugged as best as he could with his bandaged shoulder and slung arm.


    "To be fair, they weren''t interested in chasing me down. They had far more important things to worry about. Like trafficking women and children or something. I have no idea what they plan to do with them, but I can''t forgive them!"


    "The Tian Sha Sect is known for draining the qi essence from women and children and processing that into demonic pills," Yi informed us coolly. He scowled as he glared into a space faraway. "I''ve firsthand witnessed the terrible drugs that they concoct. They grant the people who consume them berserk strength."


    "But why have they only been active recently?" Lu Shun demanded sourly. "They''ve never attacked us and the other villages on such an unprecedented scale before. They''ve usually left us alone, hiding deep within the Southern and Western Mountains. Why did they suddenly become so much more active and aggressive?"


    "I¡­wouldn''t know," Yi admitted. "I''m guessing they wanted revenge on the Martial Arts Alliance for destroying so many demonic sects in the previous war."


    "But that war was over a decade ago! Why wait until now?!"


    Old Man Yi gave Lu Shun an exasperated glare. "How would I know? Why don''t you ask them the next time they come?"


    "They''ll be coming again?" I asked, surprised at that. "What for? Didn''t they already raid your village?"


    Yi snorted. "Only to take our women and children. But they quickly left when a nearby patrol of Imperial Guard happened to chance upon us. Now that the patrol has moved on to another village that has been assaulted, they will return sooner or later.


    "But for what reason?" Lu Shun demanded, his voice trembling with unbridled hatred and fury. "Haven''t they already taken everything?"


    Yi glanced at him, his gaze sad. "Not everything. Not yet."


    "What do you mean by that?" Lu Shun demanded, turning pale.


    "They don''t just drain essence and qi from women and children to make demonic pills. They will attempt to directly suck the qi from us men to cultivate their demonic techniques. The reason why they prioritized the women first was because they need more yin qi than yang qi for their demonic techniques, and women have a lot more yin qi than men."


    "¡­but it won''t be enough, and they want every drop of qi they can get," I muttered, horrified. From what I learned from Wu Ling Academy, the vast majority of demonic techniques did rely on infusing their methods with yin qi.


    "That''s right."


    "We can''t let them do that!" my voice rose. "We''ve to stop them!"


    "''We''?" Lu Shun scoffed. "What can we do?"


    Then he blinked and stared at me, as if suddenly realizing something. His jaw dropped and his eyes narrowed.


    "Don''t tell me, you accepted our request?"


    "That''s too reckless!" Yi turned to look at me sharply. "I appreciate your thoughts, but right now you''re no match for those demonic martial artists. You should leave this matter to the veterans and the Imperial Guard."


    "They won''t be coming." I sighed and shook my head. "The Imperial Guard and enforcers are stretched too thinly across the border. The demonic sects aren''t just targeting this village but the entire Chun Ling region. They just don''t have the manpower to patrol and protect every village."


    "I''m aware of that, but what can you do? It''s pointless if you get killed along with us. You''re not even a part of the village!"


    "Yeah!" Lu Shun agreed wholeheartedly. "I appreciate your sentiments, but you''re too reckless! You''re still young! There''s no need to throw away your future!"


    I wasn''t sure if he should be telling me that, given that he was the one all hurt and bandaged up like a mummy.


    "Just leave the mission to veterans and more senior martial artists," Yi told me as he leaned out of his seat to place a reassuring arm on my shoulder. "This is not a mission meant for children such as you."


    "¡­they won''t take this mission."


    "Huh?"


    Lu Shun stared at me. I glanced up and met both his and Yi''s gazes evenly. Clenching my fists, I gritted my teeth.


    "I know you can''t afford to provide a higher amount of reward, but 10 gold isn''t enough for a mission of this level. No veteran martial artist will accept it, not when there''s such a high level of risk and danger involved!"


    "¡­we know."


    There was an air of weary resignation in Yi''s voice as he leaned back in his chair and sighed. His shoulders slouched and he closed his eyes.


    "You know?" I repeated incredulously.


    "Yes." Yi nodded. "Even so, we sought to try. We thought that if there was even the slightest chance that a martial artist would come to help¡­"


    "It might have been a bad idea," Lu Shun remarked with a shake of his head before turning to give me a sad look. "We ended up dragging you into this village instead."


    "You didn''t drag me into anything," I protested. But neither men was listening to me. Yi was nodding in agreement.


    "Yes, this is our fault." He turned to fix his stern gaze on me. "Young man, you should leave this village as soon as possible. Don''t get caught up in our mess. I''ll escort you out first thing tomorrow. You shouldn''t stay here any longer."


    "But¡­"


    "Don''t worry." Lu Shun smiled and waved dismissively. "We survived their raid once. We''ll survive it again. Who knows, we''ll probably get lucky and an entire battalion of Imperial Guard will come across our village in time to crush them."


    I was sure he didn''t believe what he was saying.


    "It''s late now, so you can stay the night." Old Man Yi gestured toward one of the rooms. "Help yourself to one of those rooms for tonight. Make yourself comfortable. But make sure you leave first thing tomorrow."


    "¡­"


    I crawled to my feet and exhaled deflated. Glancing out at the twilight filtering through the windows, I clenched my fists.


    "Do you mind if I visit a few people?"


    "Oh? Who?" Lu Shun asked curiously.


    "Hu Shi. I have yet to repay her for taking care of me the last time."


    "Oh, you have done more than enough. Helping us hunt down Wild Boars and allowing us to stock up enough food for the winter¡­I daresay you''ve done more than what is required of you." with a smile, Yi patted my shoulder again.


    "Besides, it''s impossible."


    There was a bitter tone in Lu Shun''s voice that made me glance up. I stared at him, my mouth dry.


    "What do you mean?"


    Old Man Yi nodded gravely, his eyes darkening.


    "In the last raid, Hu Shi and her son, Hu Hai, were among those who were abducted by the martial artists from the demonic sect."


    *


    The next morning, I woke up and stretched myself. Putting my glasses on, I crawled out of bed and shivered in the cold, autumn air. Summer had ended, and fall had begun. The temperature had begun to drop, and mercifully so. It had been an intense summer, after all. I blame global warming even though we didn''t have fossil fuels in this timeline.


    I was pretty sure we had greenhouse gas emissions, though¡­


    "I hope you don''t mind this meager fare." Old Man Yi spoke up when I left my room, lading a cup with steaming water. Next to it was a pathetically small piece of bread. Apparently they had run out of meat. I offered to hunt some, but they didn''t want me to. Yi told me that the villagers planned to leave Chun Xiang Village in the near future.


    "We won''t be able to stay here for much longer, not with the demonic sects running rampant and raiding villages¡­"


    As such, they wouldn''t be able to store the meat that I would have procured for them. With the ongoing raids, the abduction of their women and children, and being forced to scrounge up 10 gold coins, the villagers were subsisting on the bare minimum of food.


    I couldn''t help but feel sorry for them.


    "Thank you."


    Yi nodded as he passed me a cup of tea. He passed a stern gaze over me.


    "After breakfast, you are to leave immediately."


    "That''s¡­"


    The old man shook his head, cutting me off before I could protest. I fell silent, not knowing what to say under that gaze.


    "I appreciate your sentiment, but you''re just a boy. No matter how desperate we are, there''s no way we''ll drag an innocent outsider who''s underage to fight for us. If anything happens to you, we''ll be unable to face your parents."


    "You don''t even know my parents," I pointed out. "And my parents don''t know you either. You don''t have to worry about that."


    "Even so¡­I couldn''t face the academy and tell them that I got one of their students killed."


    "The academy sends students out on missions like this all the time." I waved Yi''s concerns away. "We sign an indemnity form, so both you and the academy will be absolved of all responsibility in case anything happens. Besides, we''ve already made our resolve."


    Yi stared at me pitifully, but shook his head.


    "You''re still too young," he muttered mournfully. I didn''t argue. To be honest, I didn''t take this mission. I was officially here to collect herbs. Only high school students could accept three star missions and above, so technically Yi was correct. I was too young to handle this mission, and I wasn''t even supposed to be here.


    "I understand." I shoved the last of the bread into my mouth and downed it with tea. Placing the now empty cup on the table, I rose to my feet and bowed my head gratefully. "Thank you for the meal. Let me know if there''s anything else I can help with."


    "Sure. Now go home."


    With one final look at the elder, I departed the house.


    I had hardly taken more than a few steps when something exploded behind me.


    "?!"


    Whirling around, my jaw dropped as I watched something smash the house a few blocks down. As a cloud of dust blossomed into the air, villagers ran down the battered pathway, screaming. Even as they barreled past me, I stayed rooted to the spot, studying the destruction in awe.


    I could sense an enormous amount of qi proceeding toward my direction. Someone extremely powerful had arrived. And this chill¡­the overwhelming amount of yin qi¡­this was definitely the practitioner from a demonic sect.


    "Ha ha ha ha!"


    A massive guy lumbered into view. With a single swipe of his huge hand, he smacked a house off its foundation and sent it collapsing. While he indulged in his appetite for destruction, several more figures came into view.


    They kept their distance, but I recognized one of them. That silhouette, that hairstyle, and that face¡­I would recognize him anywhere.


    "Qi Fu Ren!?"


    The bully was the last person I expected to see in this remote village. But now that I thought about it, it shouldn''t be surprising that Qi Fu Ren joined a demonic sect. he had learned a demonic technique, and his horrible personality fitted them perfectly.


    "What are you doing?!"


    Lu Shun yelled at me as he limped forward. A few of the villagers had grabbed hold of him and hauled him forward. Despite that, they were too slow. The giant was going to catch up with them soon enough. Well, he wasn''t that much of a giant, to be honest. He was about six feet tall at most, but as wide as a bodybuilder.


    Calling him a giant was an exaggeration.


    "Hey!"


    I turned to Lu Shun, who was bellowing at me. The two villagers supporting him turned to look at me in disbelief and fear.


    Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward while performing several calculations in my mind. At the speed the huge guy was traveling, the villagers wouldn''t be able to outrun or escape him in time. He would overtake them in a few minutes. Already, a few of the villagers had been caught by him and he hurled them over his shoulder for the figures behind to take them.


    ¡­right. They had no intention of killing the villagers. They needed them alive so that they could suck the qi and essence from the villagers, in order to strengthen their demonic cultivation and hone their demonic techniques.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    "AAAAH!"


    "NOOO!!!!"


    Swallowing, I turned back to Lu Shun and shook my head.


    "Go," I told him and the two villagers supporting him. "Don''t worry about me. Run from here, as fast as you can."


    "What about you!?"


    I pushed my glasses up as I turned toward the huge demonic martial artist and took a step forward.


    "I''ll buy you guys the time you need to escape. I''ll delay that guy for as long as I can."


    "You''re crazy!" one of the guys blurted out. Lu Shun nodded in agreement.


    "Don''t be an idiot! Hurry up and escape!"


    "If I don''t face that guy and delay him, then none of us will be able to escape."


    The horror on the three men''s faces were evident. I put on a brave smile.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll figure something out."


    "But he''s too strong!" Lu Shun argued weakly. He knew I was right, that the rogue martial artist would catch up if no one stalled him, but he didn''t want me to sacrifice myself. "You can''t beat him!"


    "I don''t need to beat him," I reminded him, my smile still frozen on my face. "I only need to delay him. Once all of you have escaped, then I''ll find a way to flee."


    The three guys looked pretty bleak when they realized that they were actually holding me back. Without further delay, they took off. Lu Shun gave me a last nod.


    "Make sure you survive at all costs."


    "I''ll try."

 51 Chapter 50: Confrontation

    A female villager had tripped over and fell over the broken path while she attempted to escape the rampaging huge guy. As she lay sprawled over the ground, she could only look up and stare in terror at the laughing and approaching huge guy.


    "Ha ha ha ha! You''re mine!"


    The demonic martial artist reached out with his hand, getting ready to ensnare her. The lady screamed as his fingers closed around her.


    He never grabbed her.


    Wham!


    I kicked the guy in the face, causing him to stagger back. Flipping myself in midair, I then got under his guard and delivered another Shadow Kick into his gut.


    "..."


    The guy looked up at me, more astonished at my audacity than hurt. He brushed the mark I left on the front of his shirt and glared at me.


    "Who are you?"


    "A friend of these guys." even as I spoke, I was helping the lady up and gesturing for her to run. She cast a frightened glance at me, and then ran off.


    "Who says you can leave?!"


    In a flash, the guy dove after the lady, throwing his hand out to grab hold of her. Just before his fingers could close around her, however¡­


    Bam!


    I kicked his hand away, deflecting his fingers and causing the guy to come to a jolting halt. Landing nearby, I pushed my glasses up to glare at him.


    "Who says you can chase her?"


    The guy turned to bear down on me, wearing an ugly grin. He looked at me curiously, as if unable to believe that someone would dare to defy him.


    "You''re quite the interesting brat, aren''t you?"


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    "No, I''m a pretty boring person, I assure you."


    One of his eyebrows twitched and the guy swiped at me. I used a footwork technique to dodge. The guy bellowed as he spun around, trying to track me, but I used Tui again to dance out of his reach before he could take my head off.


    "Fucking bastard! Stop dancing around!"


    Like hell I would. Who the fuck would stand still and let his opponent hit him? I was so going to keep dodging.


    On the other hand, despite being so much stronger than me, the rogue martial artist was a little slower. It seemed like he didn''t focus much on his footwork. I might just be able to use my footwork and superior speed to my advantage¡­


    "?!"


    I never saw the blow coming. There was a blur in the air, and the next thing I knew, something hard and powerful struck me. Even though I crossed my arms to defend myself, I was sent flying across the village and tumbled right into a house. The tremendous impact demolished the structure and sent the whole thing collapsing upon me.


    "Gah¡­! Ugh!"


    I coughed from both the blood welling inside my mouth and the dust that fell on top of me, struggling to free myself from the rubble.


    "How weak¡­they sent a Qi Essence Stage practitioner after us? And a single brat at that? Aren''t they underestimating me too much?"


    Scoffing, the guy strolled over to where I was and lifted me out of the heap of debris. I flailed about desperately and he hammered me in the gut.


    "ARGH!"


    A fountain of blood spurted from my mouth and I nearly blacked out. Coughing and wheezing, I twisted my body in midair and locked my legs around his arm. With a jerk, I snapped his elbow. The guy howled in pain and flung me away.


    "Damn brat!"


    To my horror, I realized that I failed to break his arm. The guy was waving his arm in pain, but he seemed more like he had just suffered an annoying insect bite than having lost the function of his arm. Bending it and waving it to make sure nothing was broken, he then slowly turned to glare at me while straightening his right arm.


    "Fucking brat. I''m gonna teach you a lesson!"


    He lunged at me, forcing me to dive to the side. I hit the ground and rolled, only to see his arm flashing toward me.


    There''s no way I''ll be able to dodge that in time!


    Fortunately, I had another option. My arms immediately went to the swords strapped to my back and I drew them. In a single motion, I cut the guy''s arm.


    "AAAAH!"


    The guy stumbled back, clutching his bleeding arm. Despite taking him by surprise, I failed to cut off his arm¡­or even a single finger of his. But it was still somewhat satisfying to see him bleed. I had finally delivered a significant amount of damage on him!


    "Fucking brat! You cut me! You actually cut me!"


    I watched him warily, taking a few steps back while holding my swords in front of me in a defensive stance.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    I swallowed and continued to keep my eye on his towering figure. Despite my constant vigilance, the guy sprang forward and struck me before I could react. I brought my swords up and crossed them on instinct, but even then the massive impact from his blow sent me flying backward with a grunt. I stumbled and skidded to a stop, but the guy bore down on me again.


    "!"


    I tried to dodge the next attack, but his fist slammed into my crossed blades, lifting me off my feet and hurling me across the air again. This time, I managed to flip myself up in midair and slam both my feet against the wall of a nearby house. Sucking in a deep breath, I then launched myself at the burly martial artist and slashed at him.


    My counterattack failed to do any damage. The guy reached out and caught both my swords with his bare hand. My eyes widened when I saw the huge amount of qi swirling around his hands and fingers, cloaking them in a protective layer of qi.


    "Annoying brat."


    Spitting, the guy then slammed his fist into my stomach. I threw up a glob of blood before hurtling away. Such was the power behind the blow that I actually let go of both of my swords before disappearing into the distance.


    Bam!


    I ended up leveling another house, reducing it to rubble. Coughing from both dust and blood, I struggled to get back to my feet, but red-hot agony lanced through my body. My vision almost blacked out and I fell face first onto the ground.


    "Oi, oi, you done already?"


    The guy seized my hair and yanked my bloodied head up. Kneeling beside me, he leered at my battered condition.


    "How weak¡­what a joke, wanting to fight a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner even though you''re only at the Qi Essence Stage."


    He then smashed me back against the ground. I yelped in agony and surprise as my body slammed into the rocks, pulverizing them into sand. I almost lost consciousness from the explosive pain that detonated across my body.


    "Ugh¡­ah¡­"


    Unable to endure the agony, I grunted and groaned against the rubble. The guy barked out in laughter.


    "Oh? You''re still conscious after that? Just die already."


    Raising me up, he crushed me onto the ground again. I actually blacked out momentarily, only for my senses to return a few seconds later.


    This time, I held back my groans and expressions of pain, not wanting the demonic martial artist to repeat his abuse.


    "Hey, hey! Ba Yun, don''t kill that guy!"


    "Huh? Who are you to tell me what to do?"


    The demonic martial artist called Ba Yun momentarily let go of me to glare at the figure who was stalking toward us.


    "¡­"


    Even with my face pressed against the broken earth and debris, I recognized the voice. My suspicions were confirmed when the new person came into view. Qi Fu Ren strode toward Ba Yun, a charismatic smile on his face.


    "No, no, I''m not telling you what to do. It''s merely a request, senior. I don''t want Fei Wu to die just yet."


    "Oh? You know this brat, Qi Fu Ren?"


    Ba Yun sounded intrigued. Qi Fu Ren grinned broadly and nodded.


    "Know him? Of course I know him. He''s an old friend. Both of us have scores to settle." He then stomped on my fingers, causing me to cry out in pain. "I can''t let him die so easily and quickly. No, he must suffer for everything he has done to me."


    "Everything that I have done to you?" I growled, my voice hoarse from the pain. "I never did anything to you. You''re the one who''s always picking on me, bullying me, provoking me and abusing me. If anything, I''m the one who wants revenge against you!"


    Qi Fu Ren kicked me so hard I was thrown across the air like a hapless soccer ball before crashing onto the ground several dozen meters away.


    "Who says you can speak?"


    He then strode over before stomping on me and kicking me. I curled into a ball, trying to protect my face and body from the worst of the blows.


    "But I''ll be kind and magnanimous to tell you anyway. You''re trash who doesn''t know your place. You should just accept your existence as a punching bag. But no, you had to resist. You had to fight back. You just had to defy me, the rightful ruler and boss of school! All because you refuse to lie low and submit, I suffered so much!"


    "So you''re justifying your making others suffer by claiming that you''ll suffer if you don''t? What kind of logic is that? No, in the first place, who the fuck will just accept their so-called place to be your punching bag? People don''t exist for you to bully!"


    "I told you to shut up!"


    Qi Fu Ren delivered another vicious kick that sent me hurtling across the air again. I crashed onto the ground, and was too winded to retort.


    "Bastard¡­"


    "Wow, you really hold a grudge against him," Ba Yun observed. "You must really hate him, refusing to hold back and all."


    "I hate it when people resist me¡­I hate it when people refuse to submit to me. If I want them to be my punching bag, then they should just obey. The strong rules over the weak. The weak has no business fighting back! They should know their place and just submit!"


    "Whatever you say." Ba Yun sounded amused, but he was in no mood to argue with the ridiculous and unreasonable Qi Fu Ren.


    "You¡­" Qi Fu Ren began, then adjusted to a more respectful tone. "Senior, I''ll entrust this loser to you. You enjoy torturing people, don''t you?" I could hear the smile in his voice. "Please don''t hold back. Enjoy as much torture as you want on this trash. All I ask is that you prolong his suffering for as long as possible. Don''t give him a quick, merciful death."


    "You''re kidding me, right?" I blurted out, unable to hear what I was hearing. "What''s with that bullshit reason? You''ll regret not killing me, you know? Why is it that all villains love to resort to that stupid clich¨¦ of wanting to make the protagonists suffer and not killing them immediately? You''re just giving me a chance to escape later to take revenge. I can''t believe I''m actually teaching you to kill me immediately so that you won''t lose later!"


    "I told you to shut the fuck up!"


    Roaring, Qi Fu Ren kicked me in the gut so hard I blacked out. While I wasn''t aware, I would most likely be grateful for losing consciousness, but I was yanked out of my subconscious into full wakefulness when someone ground me into the¡­well, ground.


    "Oi, who gave you permission to sleep?"


    Apparently, Ba Yun had stomped on me to forcibly wake me up from blacking out. He then seized my hair and pulled my head up.


    "The day is still young, you know? I haven''t had my fill of excitement."


    "I''ll leave Fei Wu to you, Ba Yun." Qi Fu Ren was already leaving, his voice filled with delight. "I''m counting on you to teach him the meaning of pain. And to make him wish he accepted his role as trash and human punching bag from the very beginning."


    Ba Yun laughed. "You really are a cruel one, aren''t you, Qi Fu Ren?"


    "Not as cruel as you, Senior. That''s why¡­" Qi Fu Ren turned to give his new senior a smile of flattery. "¡­I''m relying on you."


    "You really know how to flatter people, don''t you? Ha ha! You can count on me!"


    Yanking my head up, Ba Yun then smashed me back into the ground.


    "UGH!"


    While I was hacking and coughing, Qi Fu Ren chuckled.


    "Let''s bring him back."


    "Bring me back¡­?" I wheezed, still on the ground. Gritting my teeth, I swung about and kicked Ba Yun''s legs, tripping him up. Using a footwork technique, I propelled myself away and stretched the distance between us. Rising to my feet shakily, I glared at the two. My swords were too far away, so I gave up on relinquishing them. "Do you think I''ll let you do that?"


    "Hah!" Ba Yun punched me before I could react. His movements were so fast I didn''t even see them coming. While I staggered, he grabbed me by the throat and lifted me into the air. "Doing whatever one likes is the right of the strong."


    "Guh¡­kuh¡­"


    I choked, but refused to submit. This guy¡­he didn''t learn his lesson. Twisting my body, I hooked my leg over his arm and then kicked him in the face.


    "!"


    But the kick didn''t faze him. While I tried to snap his elbow again, he lifted me higher and dislodged my legs from his arm.


    "!!"


    This time, it was my turn to ne surprised. Despite me planting my foot in Ba Yun''s face and trying to kick myself free, the brute remained unaffected. He spun around and buried me into a wall, smashing a hole in the concrete.


    CRASH!


    "Ka ha!"


    Blood burst out of my mouth as I fumbled weakly in the wall, my senses almost knocked out of my mind again.


    "Don''t go to sleep again. Wake up."


    Licking his lips, Ba Yun punched me so hard that my glasses were sent flying off my face, while my body clattered untidily onto the ground in the opposite direction. Winded, I tried to get up, but Ba Yun kicked me.


    "Gah!"


    Blood dribbling from my mouth, I raised my head to glare defiantly at Ba Yun.


    "So you still have a little fight in you."


    Chuckling, Ba Yun cracked his knuckles and proceeded forward. Cracking his neck from side to side, he grinned.


    "I''m going to enjoy beating the defiance out of you."


    I responded with a kick, but my foot swung over empty space. Correcting myself, I glanced around in shock. The guy had vanished from view.


    Is this a footwork technique as well?


    Gritting my teeth, I was about to whirl around, but it was too late. Two blades pierced me from behind, lifting me off my feet and leaving me dangling in the air. Blood trailed along the blades and dripped onto the ground while I writhed in agony.


    From behind, Ba Yun cracked me in the head, causing me to stagger.


    I can''t fall here!


    Desperate, I spun around with a kick that took even the fast and powerful Ba Yun by surprise. The elemental qi that I had been gathering from the surroundings exploded when reacting with my volatile, purified qi, and Ba Yun was actually sent flying several dozen meters backward, his body smoldering.


    "Ah¡­I forgot to warn you about that move," Qi Fu Ren moaned mockingly. "Whoops."


    "You bastard¡­" Ba Yun crawled out of the debris that he had been flung into, cursing. He glared at Qi Fu Ren and gave him a middle finger. "You didn''t tell me on fucking purpose, did you? You planned this from the start."


    "It''s only fair that you suffer the same thing as I did." Qi Fu Ren chuckled ominously.


    Huffing, I retreated a few steps and glanced at the inscrutable Qi Fu Ren. It puzzled me that he wasn''t as eager to take his revenge as I thought he would. Normally he would want to personally beat me up, or take his revenge with his very own hands, but he didn''t. He was just sitting there and watching from a distance, laughing as someone else beat me up for him.


    This is strange¡­


    Had Qi Fu Ren changed vastly ever since his defeat to me in the official match a year ago, or had I always misunderstood just what kind of person he was?


    "Enough playing around. We''ve wasted too much time here." Qi Fu Ren glanced in the distance, looking a little miffed. "The villagers have all run away."


    "Isn''t that the fault of both of you? Staying here to play with this fella?"


    One of the hooded figures from the same demonic sect stepped up to sneer. Qi Fu Ren snorted.


    "What about you? Why did you all stand around to watch the show instead of going ahead of us to chase the villagers?"


    "And miss all the fun? No way."


    These guys were insane. They had to be. They operated not on logic, but on emotions and a sadistic desire for blood and violence. No wonder they were the demonic sect. not that the orthodox sects were paragons of logic and rationality either ¨C many of them also made decisions based on emotions ¨C but this was just¡­extreme.


    "Qi Fu Ren has a point, though."


    Ba Yun vanished from sight. I tensed, getting ready for an attack, only for something powerful to smack my head from behind.


    As I blacked out, I caught the last few words from Qi Fu Ren as he guffawed at my miserable fate.

 52 Chapter 51: Abduction

    Jiao Shi''s brow furrowed when he heard that question. He turned to look at Tang Qi Hong''s worried expression.


    Tang Qi Hong wasn''t alone. Lian Rou was beside her, and the two girls were surrounded by Ban Zhang, Zhu Jiao and Tong Xue.


    "It''s been more than a week since Fei Wu has left the academy," Tong Xue informed Jiao Shi. "And he still isn''t back yet."


    "I know."


    Jiao Shi wasn''t sure how else to answer. He was aware of Fei Wu''s disappearance, probably more so than they were.


    "Permission to go out and look for him!" Zhu Jiao demanded, raising his hand. Jiao Shi glanced at him, then shook his head.


    "I''ll put in a word with the Imperial Guard and request for them to keep an eye out."


    "Will they really accept your request?" Ban Zhang asked suspiciously. Jiao Shi had to admit that the class representative had a point. The Imperial Guard had more important matters to tend to than searching for a single kid.


    "Even so, it''s best to leave it to them. I won''t allow you to go to Chun Ling region. I warned Fei Wu about the dangers, about the presence of demonic sects, and he went ahead. I will not lose any more students."


    "But Fei Wu went alone," Zhu Jiao protested. "If a whole group of us go together, it''ll be a lot safer!"


    "Yeah!" Tang Qi Hong agreed. "Please, Teacher Jiao! Grant us permission to go look for Fei Wu! Otherwise it''ll be too late!"


    I fear that it''s already too late, Jiao Shi thought, but he wisely didn''t say anything that would trigger his students into breaking the rules and searching for Fei Wu alone. It was better to keep them under his supervision and safe from danger. He had heard that the demonic sects had risen in activity recently, and would loathe to lose any of his students to them.


    Sighing, he shook his head.


    "Leave it to the adults. Even if you go, what good can you do against demonic sects? The Imperial Guard can handle it. They have the training and the experience."


    "We have one sexagenary of artificial qi!" Zhu Jiao argued stubbornly. "Most martial artists won''t be a match for us!"


    Jiao Shi glared at him. "I think you overestimate what the quantity of your qi can do for you. It''s not about having more qi or not. Many of the demonic sect leaders and elders have been cultivating for decades and have just as much qi, if not more than you. Furthermore, they possess vast amounts of experience ¨C something you lack severely. You''ll just get yourselves killed and the Imperial Guard will have to work hard to save you."


    The students glanced at each other momentarily, not knowing how to respond. They knew that Jiao Shi was right, and couldn''t muster a retort or counter.


    Besides, I had plot armor, but unfortunately I wasn''t there to break the fourth wall in person.


    Anyway, Jiao Shi truly believed what he said. He knew there was something unusual about Fei Wu, and that the supposedly one-star constitution student had been creating one miracle after another. He knew intuitively that his fate wouldn''t end here.


    "Now go back to your sects and train. One day we''ll be counting on you future martial artists to take on these missions to rescue young students and disciples from the monstrous clutches of these despicable demonic sects."


    "Yes!"


    That did the trick. The students all straightened up instinctively and complied. They turned around obediently and left, heading in the direction of wherever their respective sects were. As he watched them go, Jiao Shi breathed a sigh of relief.


    I hope they won''t do anything too reckless or impulsive.


    Even as he thought that, Jiao Shi admitted to himself that he couldn''t blame them. When he was their age, he was equally rash, rushing headlong into danger without listening to the advice of his seniors and teachers.


    More than once he had gotten into trouble and barely survived. After those couple of times where he found himself right on the verge of danger, and saw how his parents were so worried, he vowed to never put them through such a traumatic experience again. He restrained himself and learned to maintain his calm and composure.


    They really remind me of myself when I was their age¡­


    Shaking his head with a bitter smile and wondering where all those youthful days went, Jiao Shi turned and headed back toward his office.


    As he did so, one of the administrative staff suddenly ran up to him.


    "Jiao Shi! There you are!"


    "What''s the matter? Were you looking for me?"


    The clerk, Shu Ji, nodded. "I''ve been looking all over for you!"


    "Sorry, I was in class. My lesson just ended, though. What do you need me for?"


    "Well¡­not me exactly." Shi Ji nodded understandingly, aware of how busy the teachers were. "There''s a group of people looking for you. They claim that they know a student named Fei Wu. I looked at the records and saw that you''re his homeroom teacher, so¡­"


    "I understand. I''ll go see them immediately." Jiao Shi didn''t wait for Shu Ji to finish her sentence. "Where are they?"


    "Uh¡­they''re in the reception room." Shu Ji was taken aback by Jiao Shi''s sudden aggressiveness.


    "Understood. I''ll be seeing them immediately." Without wasting any time, Jiao Shi headed to the reception room. He turned away from the staff room, proceeded down the corridor and swung around a corner. Fortunately, the reception room wasn''t too far away from the staff room ¨C the teachers had to deal with visitors on a daily basis ¨C and he reached there in a few minutes. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside the room.


    A group of battered villagers were seated on the couch, exhausted. They were wearing nothing but rags. One of them looked like he was in terrible condition, bandaged heavily with blood leaking through the white gauze.


    Jiao Shi stopped for a while, then turned around.


    "Shu Ji!" he called out. "Get Yi Liao here!"


    "Understood."


    The clerk, who was following him, nodded and quickly spun away in the direction of the infirmary. As she briskly strode off, Jiao Shi turned back to the men and entered the room. He took a seat on the couch opposite them.


    "I understand you were looking for Fei Wu?"


    "No, that''s not right," one of the villagers corrected. He was an old man, ancient by most standards, and had an air of wisdom about him. "We''re here to ask you to rescue Fei Wu."


    A chill ran down Jiao Shi''s spine, but he clamped it down. On the other hand, he felt some relief. That meant Fei Wu was still alive. Otherwise he would be beyond saving.


    "What happened? Tell me in more detail."


    The old man took a deep breath, and then began his story.


    "We''re from Xiang Chun Village. About a week ago, we came under attack from a demonic sect. Fei Wu, who was staying with us for the night, remained to hold them back for as long as we could. He never returned."


    "He''s not dead. One of the villagers saw the demonic martial artists take him away." The heavily injured guy turned to look at one of the women, who nodded.


    "Please! You''ve to save him!"


    Jiao Shi clenched his fists and exhaled, then he nodded. "I''ll talk to the principal about this, and put in a request for the Imperial Guard."


    "Thank you!"


    "Don''t thank me just yet." Jiao Shi wondered what Fei Wu''s relationship with these villagers were. He guessed that it was simple gratitude. Then he recalled the report that Fei Wu submitted after his stint in the abyss of Sen Lin Forest.


    Ah¡­so this is the village he ended up in, the one that saved him last year¡­


    "After the attack, we spent a wee journeying here. Moving through the forest and trying to avoid getting caught by the demonic sect."


    "It''s my fault," the heavily injured guy said miserably. "I was holding everyone back."


    "Nonsense," the old man rebuked him. "We either escape together, or none of us get out at all. We''re not leaving you behind. Besides, an old man like me wouldn''t have been much faster anyway. Stop blaming yourself."


    "¡­"


    Jiao Shi glanced from one villager to another, and then stood up.


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    "I''ll contact the principal, and then I''ll have to trouble you guys with providing more details later. I hope you don''t mind waiting for a bit."


    One of the villagers barked out in harsh laughter.


    "Dude, we just spent a week running away in a forest filled with dangerous magical beasts, hunted by demonic martial artists. What makes you think we mind waiting for a bit in safety? As long as you don''t kick us back out into the hell out there, we don''t care what you do."


    Jiao Shi was silent for a moment, and then he nodded. The villagers must have been through a lot. Pushing the door open, he bowed his head one last time before departing for the principal''s office.


    A student being abducted. I''m sure Principal Xiao won''t stand for this¡­especially since the other party is the demonic sect.


    Having heard of rumors regarding Xiao Zhang''s participation in the last war, Jiao Shi shuddered to think how he would react to one of his students being taken by the demonic sects he loathed so much and dedicated his life to exterminate.


    He actually felt sorry for the demonic sect who had inadvertently incurred the wrath of the legendary Wise Saint, Xiao Zhang.


    *


    Bam!


    I woke up in a jolt when someone threw me into the ground. Grunting in pain, I tried to get up, only to find myself wrapped inside darkness. Panicking for a second, I fought for a moment, trying to tear myself free, but I wasn''t able to.


    Then I realized I was being cocooned in some sort of fabric. A¡­body bag or something?


    That''s right. Qi Fu Ren told Ba Yun to put me in a body bag. That bastard¡­


    Taking a deep breath, I focused some qi into my hands. Using a basic form of Ghost Shadow Sword, I cut my way out of the body bag and emerged back into the open.


    Wham!


    "Gah!"


    I doubled over as someone hit me the moment I tasted freedom, clutching my midriff and dropping to my knees.


    "Who gave you permission to get out?" Qi Fu Ren sneered as he looked down on me. He kicked me again, sending me sprawling on the ground.


    "Now, now," another of the demonic martial artists drawled. "It is fine, isn''t it? We''re already back in base, after all."


    Back in base?


    Trying to crawl back to my feet, I took a good look at our surroundings. I was half-expecting a cave, but this was the modern period, so demonic sects and bandits wouldn''t hide in a cave. Instead, it looked like an abandoned building. A warehouse, judging from the look of the large rooms and vast, empty spaces.


    "This has nothing to do with you, An Dou," Qi Fu Ren replied frostily.


    "How scary," An Dou laughed, and then his gaze sharpened. I could feel the tension in the air thicken as he brought his impressive amount of qi down on Qi Fu Ren intimidatingly. "Don''t get too ahead of yourself, newbie."


    Qi Fu Ren said nothing, but he didn''t cower either. As expected of someone who had absorbed three sexagenaries of qi.


    "Get up," An Do told me and hauled me up roughly. When I staggered to my feet, he punched me in the solar plexus, causing me to throw up blood. "I told you to get up!"


    "Gah¡­kah¡­"


    I swayed unsteadily on my feet, but gritted my teeth and forced myself to straighten up. Qi Fu Ren sneered.


    "Hand him over. Senior Ba Yun and I are going to¡­"


    "Silence, newbie."


    A new voice rang out and everyone turned toward the owner. A large, hooded figure proceeded down the dilapidated corridor, and instantly everyone bowed their heads respectfully in his presence. He stopped, glaring at us with that crimson eyes of his. The lower part of his face was concealed behind a mask, which hissed as he breathed through it.


    Apparently someone had wounded his face or windpipe and now he needed a breathing mask to assist his respiration.


    "Down, boy!"


    Ba Yun slapped me across the back, sending me sprawling across the ground when I merely stood there, stunned by the events that were unfolding. While I hacked and coughed, the masked man looked at me coldly.


    "What''s this?"


    "A prisoner we brought back." Qi Fu Ren''s tone was respectful and slightly tinged with fear, something that was unusual. I had never heard such reverence in his voice before. I wondered if this was the man who taught him the qi absorption technique. He certainly was radiating quite the powerful aura. "We plan to¡­interrogate him, seeing that he''s a student of Wu Ling Academy. With your permission, of course, Master Tuo Ta La."


    The man merely nodded.


    "Thank you, Master!"


    "But before you do, bring him."


    "¡­eh?"


    "I said, bring him." The man named Tuo Ta La spoke in an icy tone that literally froze the corridor and coated the walls and floor in ice. "Did you not hear me, Qi Fu Ren?"


    "Y¡­yes, of course, Master!"


    I had never seen Qi Fu Ren this scared before. For Tuo Ta La to intimidate to this extent, that guy must be one hell of a demonic martial artist. Heads and shoulders above even Ba Yun, who completely dominated me in a duel earlier.


    "Get up!" Ba Yun bodily hauled me to my feet. "You''re in the presence of Tuo Ta La, the sect vice leader of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect (Wu Tong Shu Sect). Show some respect, you trash."


    I never asked to be brought to his presence in the first place¡­


    I was half-dragged to a massive chamber on the first level of the warehouse and unceremoniously dumped on the floor. While I struggled to get up and recover, I was mesmerized by the sheer number of demonic sect members that filled the vast, cavernous space of the warehouse. There had to be hundreds of them.


    Most of them were dressed in black or white cloaks, with hoods obscuring most of their features. Less than half of them wore masks, no doubt trying to conceal their identities from the authorities who pursued them for their crimes. The remaining half had realized the futility of hiding and left their faces visible under their thick hoods.


    At the front of the milling crowd was a slight platform, which resembled a throne or a podium. There was no one seated in the throne, but Tou Ta La was standing by its side, turning to address the crowd.


    "Members of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect," he boomed. Everyone fell silent and turned to face him as he raised his hands to draw their attention toward him. "I am glad to see that you''re all well and healthy today."


    There was a buzz among the crowd and they all bowed their heads as one to pay their respects to their vice leader.


    "So how was the haul? I trust that you''ve managed to feast upon the unenlightened and ignorant who continue to slave away in service of that rotting corpse of an empire?"


    "We do have a good haul this time," Ba Yun informed him. "We raided a few villages and brought back a few dozen men and women. The leader will be able to absorb the qi from them to cultivate his Dark Night Shadow Emperor Formula."


    The leader¡­that was right. Tou Ta La was merely the vice-leader.


    Then who''s the leader?


    It seemed that he wasn''t present, and remained in seclusion. Glancing at the empty throne, I couldn''t help but wonder who he was. Not that I wanted to see him personally. I would rather avoid being seen by such a cruel guy.


    "I also notice that you have an interesting find. Bring him here."


    "Ah¡­okay."


    Qi Fu Ren was about to protest, but Ba Yun cheerfully complied. Grabbing me by the scruff of my neck, he casually tossed me atop the podium. I slammed into the ground and skidded, coughing and heaving from the brutal violence.


    "Kuh¡­"


    While I caught my breath, I was suddenly aware of Tuo Ta La leaning closely to examine me, his crimson eyes studying me intensely.


    "!"


    I instinctively scrambled back and took a defensive stance. Tuo Ta La scrutinized me a bit further, and then raised his head to look at Ba Yun.


    "Hmm, this boy has similar qi and elemental affinity to yours, Ba Yun. Both of you seem to practice shadow techniques."


    "Hmph, don''t group me with such trash."


    While Ba Yun seemed offended by the comparison, I remained silent, understanding something instantly.


    He must be referring to my Shadow Steps and Ghost Shadow Sword techniques! Come to think of it, they are based off the shadow element¡­


    Then Ba Yun''s moves from earlier¡­they weren''t just mere footwork techniques like mine. They must have been shadow techniques!


    "Oh? I thought you brought this boy back alive so that you can absorb his qi. Given how you both have the same elemental affinity and type of qi, as well as similar techniques, you should be able to absorb his qi fairly quickly."


    "Ha ha ha! Don''t even joke about that! Why would I want his pitiful qi?" Ba Yun laughed. "Besides, I''m not the one who wanted to bring him back here. Qi Fu Ren was the one who requested that."


    "I see." Tuo Ta La turned his gaze toward Qi Fu Ren, who lowered his head and cupped his hands respectfully.


    "As I said, Master Tuo Ta La, I plan to interrogate this trash for details regarding Wu Ling Academy. He''s a student from there."


    "I''ve already granted you permission for that." Tuo Ta La nodded.


    "Thank you, Master!"


    "But now that you''ve mentioned it¡­" Ba Yun was licking his lips and rubbing his hands gleefully. "I''ve never noticed that this brat''s qi and techniques were similar to mine. Once you''re done with him, Qi Fu Ren, give him to me. I want his qi."


    "You can have it. But¡­" Qi Fu Ren grinned ominously. "Don''t forget what we agreed on. Besides, you''ll be the one handling the interrogation anyway. I hear your methods are the most¡­effective in all of Chinese Parasol Tree Sect."


    "Ha ha ha! You flatter me too much, Junior! Leave it to me!" he then turned to Tuo Ta La. "Then I''ll be taking him."


    "Wait. There''s something interesting about this brat." Tuo Ta La leaned closer. "I''ve noticed it ever since you''ve brought him here."


    All of the high-ranking Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members exchanged bewildered glances, but none of them stopped Tuo Ta La from leaning closer again.


    "Brat, what relationship do you have with the Heaven and Earth Sect?"


    There was a shudder and the crowd began to murmur excitedly. The higher-ranking members, such as An Dou, Ba Yun and Qi Fu Ren looked startled.


    "Heaven and Earth Sect?"


    "Wasn''t the Heaven and Earth Sect destroyed long ago?"


    "Surely you''re joking, Master Tuo Ta La!"


    "No, I''m not. I recognize this qi. It''s been a long time ago, but I was there as a novice when the Heaven and Earth Sect fought the accursed Martial Arts Alliance. I''ll never forget their qi¡­this fearsome sensation¡­"


    "If¡­if he really is from the Heaven and Earth Sect, wouldn''t we be in trouble?" An Dou asked anxiously. "What if they take revenge on us?"


    "The Heaven and Earth Sect is no more," Ba Yun reminded him with a snort. "And if this brat belongs to the formerly prestigious Heaven and Earth Sect, it''s evidence of how far they have fallen. How pathetic."


    "Besides, we have that alliance with Tian Sha Sect and the other demonic sects." Another one of the higher-ranking elders spoke up carefully. "I know Master Tian Sha Tian Zun views them as a rival, and would definitely help us if we''re ever attacked by the Heaven and Earth Sect. Assuming they miraculously revive somehow."


    "¡­answer the question."


    Tuo Ta La wasn''t interested in his subordinates'' conjectures and speculation and devoted his attention toward me. I glared back defiantly.


    "I have nothing to do with the Heaven and Earth Sect."


    "I see. Then you''re useless."


    "Gah!"


    Tuo Ta La drove a hand through my gut, impaling me. I staggered and coughed, blood dripping from both my mouth and wound. Tuo Ta La then withdrew his bloodied hand and stepped over me as I toppled onto the floor, curling to a ball from the pain and clutching my vicious injury.


    "¡­how disappointing."


    Tuo Ta La studied the blood that was dripping from his fingers and licked it. A flicker ran through his crimson eyes and he shook his head in disgust.


    "Whether this is the Heaven and Earth Sect''s divine Heaven and Earth Formula or not, it''s useless. If you really are a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect, then you must have failed to master it. Or you''re probably a failed experiment. Or a fake."


    "He''s an Experimentalist from Wu Ling Academy," Qi Fu Ren spoke up. "That faction is known for trying to restore lost, ancient martial arts, and innovating new techniques. That might be why you felt something similar to Heaven and Earth Formula, Master."


    Tuo Ta La nodded. "Either way, this trash is useless. If he really is a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect, then he''s nothing but a failed disgrace. If not, then he''s a frog who''s trying to taste the meat of the swan." He turned away. "You can do whatever you want with this pathetic loser."


    "My pleasure."

 53 Chapter 52: Torture

    I jolted up as a sharp stroke of pain arced through my body, causing me to writhe and choke. Clutching my gut, I glanced up at Ba Yun''s leering face. He must have kicked me awake.


    No, wait¡­when did I lose consciousness?


    "Who gave you permission to fall asleep?"


    Another kick, and I shuddered as red-hot agony lanced through my mind. Heaving, I tried to stand up, but he stomped on my spine, pinning me to the floor.


    "Who said you can get up?"


    "Ugh¡­"


    Wham!


    "Who says you can make a sound?"


    "¡­"


    I desperately did my best to hold my grunt of pain in, so as to avoid another vicious blow. Ba Yun looked down on me, almost as if disappointed.


    Then he smiled as he observed me. He poked my wound with a toe ¨C the injury that Tuo Ta La dealt me when he impaled me with his arm.


    "Oh? Interesting. It seems that your wound has already closed up."


    Surprised, I clutched at it. Ba Yun was right. The bleeding had stopped and it no longer hurt. How? Was I out cold for that long?


    With a roar of laughter, Ba Yun kicked me viciously, reopening the wound and causing me to shriek and flail about. Shaking his head, he curled his lips into a sneer.


    "Who said you can heal?"


    Huffing, I did my best to still myself, desperately trying to hold my groans in.


    "Get up."


    I obeyed. There was no point defying him here. Ba Yun was stronger, and more brutal. All I would achieve was suffer a lot more.


    The moment I stood up, I regretted it.


    "¡­!!!"


    My eyes widened when I saw the emaciated figure strapped in a chair, his head hung low and his flesh stretching thinly over his bones. His chest wasn''t even moving and I sensed no qi whatsoever from him.


    The guy was clearly dead.


    "Oh? Glad to see you''re taking to your new home pretty well." Ba Yun chuckled as he strode over and unstrapped the dead guy before unceremoniously kicking the corpse to the ground. "The previous occupant¡­expired and I was looking for a new tenant."


    He couldn''t mean¡­


    "Let''s get to know each other over the next few weeks." Ba Yun was rubbing his hands in glee as he tended to the table of metallic tools that was beside the chair. He chuckled throatily. "I''m sure we''ll get to know each other really well."


    The bastard¡­


    I tensed and began to draw whatever qi I could from my own body and the surroundings. I wasn''t surprised that the atmosphere was saturated with ominous yin qi, most likely produced from the death and violence that had been perpetuated in this space. Having seen the fate of the previous victim, I had no desire to end up like him.


    At the very least, I would die fighting to the very last.


    Gulping, I got ready to use a footwork technique, but¡­


    Bam!


    "Kaha! Kah!"


    Coughing and groaning, I found my face slammed against the floor. My vision turned red and I thrashed about, only for Ba Yun to pin me onto the ground.


    "Hmm, Tuo Ta La is right. You seem to be using moves similar to my Demonic Shadow Strike. Your qi feels very familiar."


    Ba Yun took a deep sniff and chuckled again.


    "But¡­you''re too weak."


    I twisted around and tried to kick him, but he stomped on my back, causing me to shriek in agony. While I writhed in pain, he bent down and lowered his head to sneer at me.


    "It''ll be problematic if you don''t stop fighting."


    Fucking bastard! Like hell I would stop! I wasn''t going to just lie down and watch wide-eyed as you torture me to death! I would rather die sooner than excruciatingly!


    Gritting my teeth, I gathered whatever qi I could and clashed it with my purified innate qi, causing a slight explosion that almost threw Ba Yun off.


    "Heh, interesting¡­you still have a few tricks up your sleeve."


    I didn''t respond to his impressed tone, focusing on escaping. Using Tui, I tried to widen the distance between us as much as possible.


    "As interesting as it would be to see you struggle, as I said, it would be problematic if you don''t stop fighting. I want to spend more time playing with you, after all."


    I continued to ignore him and continued to escape out of the room. It was a vast, cavernous space. A basement underneath the warehouse, if I wasn''t mistaken. Despite the enormous space, it was largely empty, with only the chair and the table of tools in the center of the dimly lit interior. There was a door on the far side, a heavy metallic double door that used wheels to keep it shut, but no windows. In other words, there was only one exit.


    I dashed toward the double doors.


    "Going somewhere?"


    "?!"


    I spun around and saw that Ba Yun had caught up with me in a single bound. He giggled as he studied me.


    "You¡­those Shadow Steps¡­I''m impressed you''ve mastered them to this extent. But¡­"


    He seized me by the throat, halting my dash and lifting me off the ground. Dangling from his hand, I kicked and squirmed, but was unable to break free. Ba Yun brought me closer to his bear-like face and grinned sadistically.


    "But¡­Shadow Steps is just the most basic of martial arts. You could say that my Demonic Shadow Strike is the advanced version of your pitiful Shadow Steps. But I guess Wu Ling Academy only has access to the first, huh?"


    I responded with a kick. Ba Yun merely stood still as my foot caught him in the gut, looking more amused than hurt. He shook his head in mock disappointment.


    "This is what you call an attack."


    "GAH!"


    Ba Yun buried his fist in my midriff and I went limp, coughing and throwing up blood. As I hung there, winded. Ba Yun raised me a little higher and then retrieved a syringe with his other hand. Before I could react, he rammed the sharp point of the syringe into the corner of my eye.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    My vision blurred, I screamed and thrashed about, this time more from agony than defiance. I grabbed his arm and struggled to yank the needle out of the corner of my eye, but Ba Yun''s arm wouldn''t budge.


    "Do you know what drug this is?"


    I didn''t. Even if I did, I couldn''t answer. I could only flail and wail in excruciating agony. Tears were forming in my eyes, and red-hit agonies lanced from my socket and directly into my skull. The sharp, intrusive sensation of foreign metal piercing my soft, tender tissues and lodging it there. Unable to endure the pain, I dropped to my knees, begging and pleading.


    "Please¡­no¡­AAAAAH! Get it out! Please! I''m begging you!"


    "Oh? But I haven''t even injected the suppressant yet. This is just the beginning."


    Ba Yun thumbed the syringe and pushed. Something surged into the tissue in my eye, and I screamed. It felt like molten lava creeping into my veins, spreading through my body in a destructive rampage and burning me from the inside out.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Please! NOOOOOOOOOO! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "You see, qi suppressant drugs are extremely rare," Ba Yun said matter-of-factly, completely ignoring my pleas. It was as if he was explaining an interesting product in display to a group of curious students on a field trip. "This qi suppressant is made from the Hellfire Toxin, with its lethality toned down and diluted. Even so, its effects are so potent that your body will react instinctively by suppressing it with every ounce of qi it has. I won''t say it''s perfect, because it doesn''t shut down your qi entirely, but it forces your body to devote a significant amount of qi into suppressing the toxins in your system to prevent a messy death. But¡­even if it suppresses 80 to 90% of your qi, I would say that it already has done a pretty good job."


    "NOOO! Please¡­!!!!"


    Sobbing, I begged and thrashed against the needle even as I fought to yank it out, even as the toxin ravaged my system. I couldn''t hear what Ba Yun was saying, didn''t want to listen to him. I just wanted it to end.


    And¡­it finally ended. As the last of the suppressant flowed into my veins, Ba Yun yanked the needle out with a spray of blood. Choking and weeping, I curled into a ball on the filthy floor, not caring how pathetic I seemed. Not caring how pitiful I looked. Ba Yun snickered as he looked down on me, and nudged me with a toe.


    "You''re still alive, aren''t you?"


    I whimpered incoherently and he kicked me. With most of my qi dedicated to suppressing the toxin, I was unable to muster up an inner force defense and the pain felt amplified several times over, sending me spinning about.


    "Gah¡­!"


    "I asked you a question," Ba Yun snarled.


    "Y¡­yes. I''m alive."


    "Then get up. Your chair."


    I looked up, dazed, and Ba Yun struck me. By that time, I was so out of it that he could have hit me a hundred times and I still would have remained slumped on the ground. Ba Yun shook his head and hauled me up before planting me roughly on the chair.


    "I''ll let you rest a bit," Ba Yun sneered in mock mercy. "So make sure you can recover as much strength as you can. You''re going to need it."


    He then left, leaving behind an echo of horrifying laughter.


    *


    I didn''t know how much time had passed, but the agony that swirled through my veins had finally dulled down. Breathing a sigh of relief, I leaned against my chair. I was too weak to stand, too weak to get up and explore the room. The suppressants had sapped me of most of my strength and qi, as well as my ability to resist.


    "Yo. Feeling better already?"


    Glancing up, I glared at Ba Yun. He was pushing the double doors open as he entered the room. Following behind was a gleeful Qi Fu Ren, who was savoring my misery. Ba Yun chuckled as he held my vengeful gaze.


    "Oh, good. You''re still lucid. You can still feel rage. You still have the intention to defy me."


    "Heh. I look forward to see you break him down, Senior."


    Chuckling, Qi Fu Ren maintained his distance and watched as Ba Yun strolled up to me. I tried to stand up, but my legs refused to obey me.


    "The effects of the Hellfire toxin remain, huh? Good." Sniggering, Ba Yun stopped and browsed through the assortment of tools on the table next to him. "I can''t have you getting up and walking around just yet. I need to teach you a lesson."


    "¡­"


    I gritted my teeth and glared at him hatefully, but he only seemed to bask in it even more. After some more rummaging, he finally produced a wicked-looking tool.


    "Ah¡­finally."


    It looked like a cross between a nail clipper and a wrench. I immediately felt a chill when I saw it. Even as I squirmed, Ba Yun suddenly lashed out and seized my right arm.


    "Oh no, no, no. don''t spoil the fun."


    Fun? What fun?


    "You know what this is, right?"


    Giggling ominously, he gripped my struggling hand. With the effects of the suppressant still lingering in my system, and my complete lack of strength and qi, I couldn''t break free. I watched in horror as he placed my thumb into the machine and gently slotted the thin piece of metal under my short thumbnail.


    "Relax," he told me soothingly. "The fun hasn''t started yet."


    Perspiration began to bead on my face as I realized what this tool was for.


    "And away we go!"


    With a flick of his finger, Ba Yun flipped the metal.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    I howled in agony as the tool ripped my thumbnail off my thumb in a single go, wrenching the keratin from soft, raw tissue in a spray of blood. Pain pounded my skull, radiating from my thumb and drowning me in a blood-red sea. Tears welled up in my eyes and I sobbed uncontrollably as my wounded thumb twitched, the tender skin exposed to air for the first time.


    "Ah¡­ah¡­ah¡­"


    "Ha ha ha ha! How pathetic! I should have photographed that expression!"


    Qi Fu Ren was guffawing in the background, enjoying the show. Under normal circumstances, I would have glared at him, but right now I was in too much pain to display any sign of defiance. I could only writhe and moan in my chair.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    "How pathetic."


    Ba Yun shook his head as he slipped the device out of my thumb. He gave me a sympathetic look, which was immediately replaced by a smile.


    "But don''t relax just yet. We have nine more nails to go."


    "No¡­please¡­no¡­"


    I trembled violently as Ba Yun placed my right index finger into the device and slotted the metal under my nail.


    "Please¡­"


    Ba Yun merely widened his smile, and then flicked the lever.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    *


    By the time all my fingernails were ripped out, I was half-catatonic. Ba Yun merely shook his head, disgusted at my frailty, and then left the room with a grinning Qi Fu Ren in tow. They returned the next day, but this time Ba Yun turned his attention toward my toenails.


    With all my nails gone, the next day, he broke each of my fingers, one by one. The following day, it would be my toes. Then the day after next, he broke my arms and dislocated my shoulders. The next day, he smashed my legs, crippling me.


    As each day went on and on, I just numbly sat there, breathing heavily and trying to blank out the pain as best as I could. Despite my qi mostly suppressed by the Hellfire toxin, I could draw on the remaining percentage of my qi to heal my broken body as much as possible. I didn''t know if it was the Heaven and Earth Formula, but just like the wound Tuo Ta La left me, I was slowly healing up and piecing my limbs back together.


    But it was pointless. Whenever I healed them just a bit, Ba Yun would arrive the next day and break my body all over again. But gradually, I grew acclimatized to the pain, and learned to somehow shut off my emotions and responses, my senses and pain. I just sat there dully, mentally withdrawing to some dark corner of my mind and vaguely registering the physical violence that was meted out on body on a daily basis.


    ¡­at least until today.


    "Don''t worry. We won''t be doing the usual abuse today."


    Ba Yun sounded awfully cheerful when he entered the room today. I barely looked up at him and continued to hang my head, already mentally withdrawing into the darkest and deepest crevice of my mind as I steeled myself for the hellish torment that loomed ahead.


    Unfortunately, all the excruciating experiences I had suffered so far weren''t hell. No, not yet.


    "I brought you some new friends today!" Ba Yun announced gleefully and raised a massive, transparent tank. Within the clear, plastic walls, huge wasps buzzed and flittered about, banging against the screen with wicked stingers and scrabbly legs. Despite my mind supposedly being dulled, I seemed to awake from a sea of sluggishness and surfaced into a reality of horror.


    "I wonder, do you know what these are?"


    I knew, of course, having read about them in the monster encyclopedias in Wu Ling Library, but I was in no condition to answer. It didn''t matter, anyhow. Ba Yun was in the mood to show off and would give his explanation in that same gleeful manner as always.


    "These are Parasitic Wasps. A type of demonic beast. Nasty, creepy things, aren''t they?" he broadened his smile. "But don''t worry. You''ll have plenty of chances to get all intimate and friendly with them."


    I instinctively stiffened and leaned back against my chair, as if I was trying to widen the distance between us as much as possible.


    It was useless.


    "But let me introduce you to your new best friends first. You see, Parasitic Wasps have a very special characteristic."


    Ba Yun''s voice was coy now, soothing even, as he stroked the side of the plastic tank. The Parasitic Wasps banged angrily against the plastic screen, but even with the incessant clacking of their stingers, they failed to break out of their transparent prison.


    "They lay their eggs inside their hosts. Right under the skin, you see, where the larvae draws nutrients and stuff from the host''s body. They germinate, grow larger and slowly transform into infant wasps. Once their transformation is complete, they break free of their host''s body, tearing the flesh apart in their bid for freedom."


    My mind was awash in horror, especially since I fully realized what he was about to do.


    "Most hosts do not survive the process. I can''t blame them. It''s one of the most painful things ever especially since some of the larvae germinate within the internal organs."


    I swallowed and squirmed in my chair, but to no avail.


    "In other words, you''ll be housing their children. What greater honor can there be, for a best friend? They will be your children as well."


    ¡­I knew it. I knew it. I didn''t want that to happen. I didn''t want that to happen. I didn''t want that to happen.


    My eyes bulged as I struggled feebly on my seat, but my broken and still-healing limbs flopped weakly, deprived of strength and qi. The suppressant continued to ravage my body from within, and my eye throbbed from the repeated injection.


    As Ba Yun drew closer, the plastic container rattling from his hands and the Parasitic Wasps'' buzzing grew into a crescendo, my sanity snapped. Hanging my head pitifully, I closed my eyes and wept pathetically.


    "Please¡­"


    My voice came out hoarsely, the first words I had uttered in days. Ba Yun widened his eyes in mock surprise.


    "Oh? You''ve finally regained the ability to speak? I''m relieved! You haven''t said anything in days, after all. But I can''t hear you¡­what did you say?"


    "P¡­please don''t¡­"


    If I were to look back at myself, I would hate myself for being so pathetic. I would hate myself for being so weak. Yet, at that very moment, there was absolutely nothing I could do. I had no means to fight back, my qi and strength had been sapped entirely. I was just a hollow husk, my mind and sanity scraped away, layer by layer, with each brutal act of violence that this psycho meted out on me. I was at the mercy of this lunatic.


    The only thing I could do was¡­beg.


    "I¡­beg you¡­"


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Ba Yun laughed and laughed and laughed, his voice echoing thunderously throughout the cavernous room.


    "And here I thought your mind had gone, that you had finally lost your sanity! But you''re still in there somewhere, aren''t you?"


    I didn''t understand what he meant, and I didn''t care. I just continued to hang my head weakly, quietly pleading for mercy.


    "This is interesting! Amusing! Even after so much pain and suffering, you still somehow clung to your sanity. Or perhaps you''re so afraid of bugs that your sanity returned! This is amusing!"


    Ba Yun continued to chuckle.


    "Oh, I should reward you for showing me something so funny."


    My heart skipped a beat, and I almost sighed in relief.


    "Here, you can have some company with your new friends."


    With a bark of cruel laughter, Ba Yun hurled the tank to the floor, smashing it with tremendous force. The Parasitic Wasps swarmed out of the broken cage, but Ba Yun managed to exude an aura of qi that protected him from them.


    Realizing the futility of their attacks, the Parasitic Wasps turned and buzzed toward me. With most of my qi suppressed by the Hellfire Toxin, and my weakened condition, it was only natural that they vent their rage on me.


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    "I''ll leave you guys to catch up and get all intimate then."


    Guffawing, Ba Yun spun the wheels on the double doors and let himself out. Seconds later, the unmistakable click of the doors indicated that I was locked inside the room with the wrathful, gigantic insects.


    With a furious buzz, they all swarmed toward me.

 54 Chapter 53: Inner dialogue

    I felt someone roughly slap my swollen cheek, brutally yanking me back into harsh reality. Blinking the comfortable darkness away, I looked up and stared at a sneering Ba Yun. When he saw my eyes opened, he grinned.


    "Goodness, you really like to sleep, don''t you?"


    I said nothing.


    "That won''t do. It''s already the next day. We need to start business again."


    "¡­"


    "Say something, won''t you?"


    Ba Yun struck me. I felt something squirm beneath my skin, the part where Ba Yun hit me, and felt revolted. Disgusted. Terrified. Sick to my stomach. But as nauseous as I was, I had nothing to throw up.


    Ba Yun had not been feeding me. From time to time, he had splashed enough water on me ¨C not enough to hydrate me, but just enough to keep me alive. Thanks to that, I was running on pretty much empty.


    Shaking his head, Ba Yun placed a thumbscrew on my thumb. I didn''t even flinch, didn''t react as he tightened the screw, and blood burst from my ruptured flesh. Something writhed and died underneath the flesh, but I hardly felt the sensation. Or I did, but after having experienced through Hell, my mind only vaguely registered the pain.


    Pain was something I had become overly familiar with, to the point that it no longer shocked or forced a response out of me.


    Ba Yun looked disappointed, and he took out another fingerscrew and placed on my index finger this time. The raw skin, still exposed to air after having my newly grown nail ripped out for a second time, stung, but like I said, it barely elicited a response from me anymore.


    "You know¡­I was once like you."


    Ba Yun was muttering something as he got to work. I vaguely listened to him, half-paying attention because there was nothing else I could do.


    "I was also captured¡­by a terrible bastard."


    Like I care.


    "It may surprise you, but this bastard is someone from the so-called orthodox sects¡­part of the so-called justice-preserving Martial Arts Alliance."


    Well, of course. While I wouldn''t be surprised if the culprit turned out to be another rogue martial artist from a demonic sect, it made sense that a member from one of the orthodox sects would capture a demonic sect member.


    "You see, he captured me on the pretense of interrogation. He justified to the higher-ups that his interrogation was necessary." Ba Yun barked out in harsh, guttural laughter. "It was for the sake of obtaining information on the demonic sects, he claimed. The higher-ups in the Martial Arts Alliance, those so-called paragons of virtue and justice, they knew. They knew the truth, of course. But none of them objected to it. They closed their eyes and let the atrocities happen in front of them. You can ask your beloved principal if you don''t believe me."


    History was written by the winners, after all. And as much as they could try to deny it. Even the winners carried out unsavory acts of unspeakable violence, sometimes against their own citizens, in the name of war.


    "¡­"


    Ba Yun glanced at me, slightly disappointed that I showed no response to his dialogue whatsoever. He sighed and shook his head, deciding to push forward with his self-pitying narrative. I only felt sick listening to his voice.


    "The hellfire toxin I used to suppress your qi¡­that''s something I learned from him, you know? Thinking back, I guess it was necessary for an interrogator to have one. It was necessary if you want to keep a life prisoner without killing him. After all, most martial artists would be able to break free from their restraints and escape if you don''t suppress their qi."


    "¡­"


    "So this man, you see, was a demonic liar under the guise of an orthodox sect member. Perhaps they all are. Hypocrites, every last one of them. All spouting crap about justice and honor and virtue, but inside they''re the same as us. At least we''re not delusional enough to lie to ourselves about our true nature."


    You might be rotten inside, but don''t put me in the same boat as you. While I wasn''t spouting platitudes about justice and honor, I at least thought myself as a decent person who wouldn''t hurt anyone for no reason if they didn''t provoke me.


    "So this guy, under the justification of gathering intelligence, used the hellfire toxin on me. And then he tortured me. For the good of the people, or the good of the Martial Arts Alliance, or so he claimed. He would rip my fingernails out, screw my thumbs and fingers, beat me until I lost consciousness, dunk my head in water¡­"


    Ba Yun paused, a sour expression on his face. Then he shook his head.


    "Ah¡­the memories. Even now, I still shudder when I recall the things he put me through."


    He then placed his arm around my shoulders, dropping his voice into a soothing whisper as he lowered his mouth toward my ear.


    "Most of the things I''m doing to you now¡­I learned from him. A so-called orthodox sect member. A warrior of justice from the Martial Arts Alliance. Makes you laugh when you think about it, don''t you? It''s evil when we do it, but it''s good when they do it."


    I said nothing. I had never thought of myself as someone from an orthodox sect. In fact, now that I thought about it, I was probably closer to Ba Yun than I was to Teacher Jiao or Zhu Jiao or anyone in my school. My master was the Heavenly Destroyer Tian Mo, the tyrannical Absolute One whose reign of terror as the sect leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect struck fears into everyone''s hearts. I was the successor of a demonic sect, and held the Golden Dragon Medallion, the evidence that I would be the next leader of the now defunct sect.


    Assuming I intended to restore the Heaven and Earth Sect to its former glory, of course.


    Obviously, Ba Yun didn''t know that. If he was attempting to sway me over to the demonic way, he probably would be disappointed. Yet ironically, I would probably be considered as someone who was already a cultivator of the demonic way.


    "But I''m still grateful to him, you know?"


    "¡­"


    Ba Yun chuckled. I continued to hold my silence.


    "It was this man who taught me the truth of the universe. He taught me how the world works. It was through him that I finally understood the workings of reality." Ba Yun had stepped in front to pace about, but he stopped and visited a grin upon me. "Something that I will be teaching you too."


    Not interested.


    "The strong rules over the weak. It''s useless to talk about justice and virtue and honor if you don''t have the strength to back yourself up. No, no¡­in fact, it''s the strong who decides how to define justice and honor. No matter the world, the weak will always be fodder for the strong. The strong will always dictate the workings of the world."


    There was so much bullshit in his statement I didn''t even know where to begin. On the other hand, he did have a point. The whole reason why I ended up being tortured as his prisoner was because I was weaker than him. Without the strength to fight back against Ba Yun''s tyranny and brutality, I could only be a victim.


    All these values and platitudes about justice were useless if they were just words. Ba Yun was partially right that I needed strength if I wanted to enforce those values.


    However, power was only part of the equation. Great power came with responsibility. Ba Yun was ascendant now because he was strong, but his tyranny would prove to be his downfall. No matter the history, no tyrant stayed at the top through sheer strength and brute violence forever. His oppressive ways and harsh rule would make him enemies, who would slowly hide in the shadows and wait for their chance to pounce. Furthermore, he would be alone. There was strength in unity, power in the collective. Push them hard enough, and even the farmers would take up arms one day and overwhelm a supposedly technologically advanced foe with sheer numbers. That was the whole point of revolutions. The proletariats would overthrow the bourgeois. The citizens would overthrow the king and execute him, just like during the French Revolution. Strength was meaningless if you monopolized it and neglected the feelings of the collective.


    Furthermore, no man was an island. Soldiers, no matter how strong and powerful they were, still needed to rely on the farmers to survive. Without the supposedly weaker farmers, they would have no food to eat. It made no sense for soldiers to oppress the very people who were providing them the basic sustenance for survival.


    Of course, that was just a simplification, and throughout history, farmers had always been oppressed. But similarly, throughout history, farmers had also fought back and resisted, revolutions of the lower class had succeeded, nobility and royalties had been toppled by commoners. Power was always in flux. To claim that one could do anything he or she wanted just because he or she had the power was the height of folly and ignorance. The world was made up of a complex web of interdependent relationships. Trying to dominate over the weak was a surefire way to collapse in future. As they said, pride always came before a fall.


    Strength wasn''t everything.


    Unfortunately, I was in no condition to debate or give Ba Yun a piece of my mind. And I was under no obligation to convince him. So I just remained silent as I always had, not even letting slip a groan of pain as he tightened another screw around my right middle finger and drenching the broken appendage with blood.


    "¡­"


    Ba Yun regarded me for a moment, seemingly disappointed by my indifference and complete lack of response. Shaking his head, he continued to pace about in front of me again, waving his hands dramatically.


    "And thanks to that lesson, I became the man I am today."


    He turned around and folded his arms proudly as he grinned at me. I didn''t even bother to look up at him.


    "One day¡­one day he forgot to give me the suppressant. He forgot to inject me with the hellfire toxin. And that was my chance. I recovered my qi. And I demonstrated the lesson he taught me. I broke free of my restraints, overpowered him and made him my prisoner. I turned the tables in him and completely reversed our positions."


    Ba Yun threw his head back and laughed. I listened disinterestedly.


    "It was my turn to interrogate him. My turn to experiment on him¡­to use all the devices he used on me on him. It was my turn to enjoy his suffering, to watch him howl in pain as I broke his fingers, toes and limbs with the very tools he used on me. It was fun to see how the former torturer reacted to being tortured."


    "¡­"


    "And in the end¡­I devoured him. Not literally, of course. I sucked him of his qi. He was asking me about the methods and techniques that the demonic sects used, and I was more than happy to personally demonstrate it for him."


    Good for you. I''m sure he must have enjoyed the demonstration, especially since he got to experience it firsthand.


    "But that''s another valuable lesson he taught me, you see." Ba Yun leered at me. "I won''t make the same mistake as he did. I won''t forget to administer the suppressant."


    He rammed the needle in my eye. I twitched and flailed about in instinct, but by now my body had gotten acclimatized to the pain, so I didn''t howl as I did during the first week or so. If Ba Yun was disappointed by the lack of my response, he didn''t say anything. After pumping the drug into my veins, he removed the needle and scrutinized me.


    "I won''t lower my guard around you, I won''t give you a chance to escape. So if you were planning on lying low to get me to lower my guard, if you''re harboring any sort of hope that you''ll find an opening to exploit¡­give up."


    The bastard was trying to drown in my despair. He was trying to suck whatever little hope I had remaining in my heart, and shove me down deeper into despair. He wanted me to break down, to give off some sort of reaction. Anything.


    Useless. My spirit had broken down long ago, after he broke my body. My mind had hollowed up and I had never entertained the notion of hope or toyed with the idea of escaping. Even as the Parasitic Wasp larvae burrowed and shifted revoltingly beneath my skin, the only thought I had was death.


    I was merely awaiting death. Waiting to die. Only in death would the pain and torment end. Revenge no longer occurred to me. I just wanted the agony to come to an end. That was honestly the only thing that occupied my hollow mind right now.


    Ba Yun''s lips curled in disgust and he cuffed me at the back of my head, causing blood to flow out from ruptured flesh. I jerked and toppled over from my seat, only for the rough leather straps to restrain me and keep me in place.


    "¡­"


    Even after the blow, I said nothing. The pain he caused with physical violence was nothing compared to the pain that was squirming and burrowing underneath my skin, rustling within my organs and feeding off me.


    "Hah¡­"


    Ba Yun sighed and turned away, grumbling under his breath.


    "You''re a lot more tenacious than I thought. No one has ever lasted this long¡­I thought you would be begging me for death, weeping and crying, blabbering and blubbering incoherently. But even at this stage, you continue to defy me with your silence."


    "¡­"


    Beg you for death? What was the point? I knew he wouldn''t grant me that release. If anything, he would laugh and deliberately extend my suffering for as long as he could. By now, I would have to be mentally retarded if I still didn''t realize just how sadistic he was ¨C and precisely because of that, he was extremely predictable.


    "Fuck!"


    Growling in rage, Ba Yun cuffed me across the back of my head and I lost consciousness again, eagerly welcoming the warm, comfortable darkness that ferried me away from the excruciating agony of physical reality.


    *


    "How pathetic."


    Raising my head, I saw Master sitting right in front of me. Blinking, I glanced around and was disappointed to see that I was still in the torture room. The same vast space, unending emptiness, splotches of dried blood and the accursed table of torture devices next to my chair. Unsurprisingly, I was still strapped to the chair.


    "¡­"


    I wasn''t dead.


    "No, you''re not dead. Yet."


    Master confirmed, and then he rose from his feet and glared at me reproachfully, with his hands on his hips.


    "¡­then¡­you must be a hallucination."


    "What I am isn''t important," the ghostly figure that resembled Master snapped. "More importantly, are you okay with this? Are you all right with dying a dog''s death like this? Are you going to let that bastard get away with this?"


    I stared at him wearily, drained both physically and mentally.


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    "What do you expect me to do? I can''t do anything. I''m too weak, and he''s too strong. He even has me drugged."


    "Drugged? Are you joking? With this level of toxins? Don''t fuck with me!" Master snarled furiously. "What did you learn Heaven and Earth Formula for? Heaven and Earth Formula is supposed to render you immune to all poisons. It might take some time, but you should already be adapting to the toxins. Not to mention, you absorb that anti-venom quality of the Hellfire Badger in Sen Lin Forest. Your body should have developed the antibodies against the Hellfire toxins long ago!"


    "So what?" I asked bitterly. "Even if I get my qi back, I''m no match for him. That fucker is too strong, and I''m too weak. Moreover, I''m finished. I can feel the Parasitic Wasp larvae squirming inside me. I don''t have long to live¡­they''ll tear me open from the inside out soon."


    Master sighed exaggeratedly.


    "For what reason did I teach you the Heaven and Earth Formula? I had high hopes of you, you know? I had dreams of you becoming the strongest. I was expecting you to restore and revive the Heaven and Earth Sect and bring us back to our former glory."


    "That was all you," I grumbled sourly. "I never asked for any of that. I never wished to do any of that. Don''t selfishly push all your personal desires and expectations on me, then go and get disappointed on your own."


    Master stared at me. At this point, I was tired, so very tired of suffering, so very tired of living. I didn''t care if he disapproved of me. I didn''t care if he thought I was pathetic. I just wanted everything to end.


    "You¡­for what reason did you want to be a martial artist?"


    "¡­eh?"


    Wasn''t that obvious?


    "Because I want to be strong?"


    Master burst out laughing when he heard my response.


    "That''s the wish of every young man, isn''t it? To become strong. But why do you want to be strong?"


    "That''s¡­"


    The answer came to me so naturally, but now that I thought about, I realized I hadn''t actually considered the reason behind it very deeply.


    "Isn''t it like you said, it''s the wish of every young man to want to be strong?"


    "But why does every young man wish to be strong?" Master persisted. Scrunching up my face, I thought about it.


    "Pride, I guess?"


    "So, do you feel proud of yourself right now?"


    "That''s¡­"


    I lowered my head.


    "Any other reasons? Is it just to fuel your ego?" Master''s tone was harsh and condescending. I hesitated, but forced my sluggish mind to process the question a little more deeply. "Why is being strong something to be proud of in the first place? So that you can show off? So that you can win the hearts of beautiful girls? For such shallow reasons?"


    "¡­to protect others. To protect the innocent. To protect my family from those who would seek to harm them."


    "Now we''re getting somewhere." Master nodded, satisfied. "So, how''s that working out for you? Did you succeed?"


    "What do you think?" I retorted bitterly. "I''m the one who needs protection now."


    "I won''t deny that¡­but if I were to reframe the question¡­do you regret trying to protect others?"


    "¡­huh?"


    Taken aback by the sudden change in question, I looked at Master in bewilderment.


    "No¡­I think."


    "Really?"


    "¡­really."


    "Even though that''s what led you to this mess?"


    "What do you mean?" I demanded, confused. "I¡­"


    Master sighed exaggeratedly and shook his head. "Has the torture addled your brains? Do you not remember? The whole reason you got into this mess and ended up being tortured in the first place was because you attempted to be a hero."


    "I¡­tried to be a hero?"


    Puzzled, I stared at Master, unable to digest his words. I tried to think a bit more, but my mind refused to work. Master sighed again, his patience wearing thin.


    "Did you lose all your memories from the shock and pain? Well, I guess I can''t blame you. Think back¡­why did you get captured by this sadistic bastard in the first place?"


    "¡­because I was weaker than him, and he defeated me."


    "No, not that!" Master groaned as he buried his face in his palm. "Think back a bit further. Why did you even bother to fight an opponent stronger than you in the first place?"


    "I¡­"


    Then I remembered. Lu Shun and the villagers. Old Man Yi. How they were fleeing desperately before the advance of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect as the rogue martial artists slaughtered and massacred the innocent villagers.


    "Ah¡­"


    So that was why. I wanted to save them. I wanted to protect the innocent villagers from the heinous, brutal demonic martial artists. I wanted to save them from the dreadful fates that awaited them should they fall into their hands.


    Master nodded with a smile when he saw the light of those memories return to my eyes. Folding his arms, he stared at me.


    "That''s right. So you do remember."


    "Yes."


    With a devious smile, Master raised a finger.


    "Then another question." His smile widened ominously. "Even after knowing the outcome, even with the benefit of hindsight and knowing that this sort of hellish fate and torture awaited you, would you have still made the same choice and stand against these bastards in order to save the villagers? Or would you perhaps have chosen differently?" he lowered his voice conspiratorially. "After all the suffering you''ve been through, do you regret your decision right now?"


    I closed my eyes. I wasn''t a saint, so I would be lying if I said I had no reservations making the same decision without a second thought. And truthfully, I did feel a slight sense of regret and trepidation. If I had known that such an awful fate awaited me, would I still make the same decision? Or would I have fled on my own, leaving the villagers to their demise?


    In the first place, why am I sacrificing myself for their sakes? They aren''t family, we weren''t even that close. And whatever debt I feel I owe them, I''ve paid them several times over. I hunted Wild Boars to feed them over the winter, didn''t I?


    Then why? Why should I be obligated to save them? Why should I be the one suffering in their stead?


    Why was I stupid enough to ever want to be a hero? When I clearly am not one? When I''m just a normal, ordinary guy without any talent for martial arts?


    Even then¡­


    "No. I would not have changed my decision."


    That was my answer.


    "Having gone through this hellish pain¡­I would feel guilty if I allow anyone to suffer through this in my stead." I snorted at my stupidity. "¡­I will be lying if I said I don''t feel a little regret, and I probably would waver if it actually happened. But the deed has been done, and I''ve already suffered. It''s too late to regret and think about what-ifs. There''s no point blaming others for my decision and wishing I could have changed it. I can only look ahead¡­"


    No. there was nothing waiting ahead of me.


    "¡­it won''t be much long until my death, until my suffering ends."


    How ironic. I was being punished for being a hero, for trying to be a good guy. Meanwhile these evil bastards got away with whatever atrocities them committed. It was unfair. Life was so unfair. Reality was harsh. Though, I shouldn''t say I was surprised. In the real world, the good guys didn''t always win and the bad guys didn''t always lose.


    "It''s not over yet."


    I barked out in harsh laughter at Master''s statement. It sounded incredibly na?ve to my jaded ears. "Really? Then how am I supposed to end this?"


    "Fight back. Retaliate. If someone hits you, hit him back until he is no longer able to hit you. It''s that simple."


    "No, it''s not!" I snapped irritably. "The opponent is very much stronger than me. It doesn''t matter what Heaven and Earth Formula I learned. It''s not enough. Fine, it''s my fault for being unable to learn or master it, but at this point, I don''t have the ability to fight back."


    "Yes, you do."


    "No, I don''t!" I glared at Master, who remained impassive. The bloody geezer was asking for the impossible. "You should have seen how much stronger that fucker is than I am! How much weaker I am! I''m totally no match for him at all!"


    Master sighed and shook his head.


    "What''s the purpose of martial arts?"


    "To learn how to fight¡­for self-defense."


    "Yes. But what''s the principle behind martial arts?" Master narrowed his eyes. "Why do people bother to learn martial arts? If you''re stronger, then why do you need to learn martial arts for? Couldn''t you already overpower your opponent with superior strength?"


    "That''s¡­"


    Then I understood Master''s question.


    "For the weak to fight back against the strong."


    Master nodded. "Very good. So you know the answer after all." Then his voice grew sharp. "Then why are you still whining about your opponent being stronger than you? About you being weaker than him? Isn''t that why you learn martial arts in the first place? To overcome that difference in strength? What''s the point of learning martial arts if you only fight opponents weaker than you? Anyone can beat a weaker opponent, even without martial arts."


    "I¡­" Swallowing, I found myself unable to refute Master''s logic. My shoulders sagging, I leaned against the chair. Something squirmed uncomfortably beneath my skin. And then in another spot. Suppressing a shudder, I looked at Master imploringly. "Even so, it''s too late for me. That bastard has implanted parasites all over my body."


    "So what? Use that to your advantage."


    "¡­? How?"


    I stared at Master, bewildered. Master merely smiled, but gave away nothing more than a hint.


    "Parasites are living things. Now, think back among your Heaven and Earth techniques. Which of them are applicable to your current situation? Which one would be the most useful in your current circumstances?"


    "¡­I don''t know."


    "That''s your homework then." Master wagged a finger at me. "I''m not going to give you all the answers. Think about it on your own."


    "But¡­" I protested, but Master was having none of it.


    "Homework," he repeated firmly. "I can''t always be around to tell you what to do. Hell¡­" he grinned. "I might not even be real. There''s no guarantee that I''m not anything more than a figment of your guarantee. So I won''t always be around to guide you. You''ve to start standing on your own two feet and figuring out solutions on your own."


    "That''s¡­"


    "And besides, time''s up."


    "Eh¡­?"


    I stared at Master, baffled by his sudden statement. He was standing up and walking away, almost as if he was vanishing into thin air.


    "It seems that your host has returned. I''ll see you later¡­if you survive whatever he has planned for you next."


    "W¡­wait!"


    "Fei Wu."


    The door creaked open, and the vanishing visage of Master was replaced by the dreadful and very real figure of Ba Yun. I closed my eyes and lowered my head, once again withdrawing into some dark corner of my mind to seek refuge from today''s torture.

 55 Chapter 54: Tragedy

    I continued to hang my head even as Ba Yun called out to me again. It wasn''t that I planned on defying him, but I was just too tired and wracked in pain to raise my head.


    "After spending the past week with you, I''ve come to realize something."


    He placed an arm around my shoulders in mock assurance, chuckling.


    "That your body¡­as well as your mind are unexpectedly tenacious. Even after all of this, you continue to preserve your sanity. I''m impressed."


    I said nothing. There was nothing more to say. If anything, the silence was probably what helped me endure. I felt like the moment I said anything, the sturdy mental barrier that I had built to keep reality out would begin to crumble.


    "And so I tried to come up with something different."


    He pulled on a trembling black leash.


    "What do you think of this?"


    Sounds of chuckling and sobbing were intertwined, and soft weeping reached my ears. My eyes widened and I finally looked up.


    Ba Yun shoved a familiar pair toward me, his arms wrapped around them. My jaw dropped when I recognized them. Even though they had been beaten black and blue, their faces swollen and bleeding, their features were unmistakably those of the mother-son pair who took care of me all those months ago when I was in Chun Xiang Village.


    "Hu Shi and Hu Hai?!"


    "Yes, indeed! The mother and son from the village I found you in! It appears that you know these two quite well, doesn''t it?"


    Ba Yun roared gleefully with laughter as he presented the battered figures of Hu Shi and Hu Hai to me.


    "F¡­Fei Wu¡­"


    Hu Shi looked at me, both apologetic and miserable.


    "I''m¡­sorry¡­"


    "No¡­no, you¡­"


    I met Hu Shi''s resigned, terrified gaze with wide, horrified eyes. Ba Yun savored our expressions, the exchange of fear that passed between us, and chuckled again. He then slowly tilted his head to rest his amused gaze upon me.


    "Now here is the dilemma. I really have no clue what to do, but I figure that you do. After spending so much time with me, I think you''ve earned the right to a reward. You get to choose, my dear Fei Wu. Which one should I kill?"


    I wanted to throw up. I wanted to cry. In my hazy, disorientated eyes, Ba Yun''s visage had turned into that of a monster. Despite appearing human, he was bereft of any human features. A monster with a human mask.


    How long?


    Lu Shun and Old Man Yi had told me. I vaguely recalled that they told me how the demonic sect, the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect had invaded and abducted a few women and children prior to my arrival. That was the reason why they even sent out the request in the first place. They were looking for someone to rescue these hostages.


    But with hope came despair. For because they were still alive, they could be instantly killed, right now, right in front of my eyes.


    How long had they been keeping these guys alive? Then¡­are the other abductees still alive? What''s going to happen to them?


    A sense of dread was swirling within me, mingling with the uncomfortable sensations of something crawling under my skin.


    I had to hand it to him. Ba Yun was a master of making my skin crawl.


    "Wuu¡­"


    "Help me¡­"


    I watched helplessly as Hu Shi and Hu Hai cried, their tears streaming down their cheeks as they realized their doom.


    "Why?"


    I managed.


    "Why what?"


    Ba Yun looked at me derisively and I found that I wasn''t able to shape my question coherently. I didn''t know how to give voice to the anger and vortex of emotions that were threatening to overflow in my mind.


    "¡­why can''t you just spare them?"


    "Spare them? Why would I do that?" Ba Yun barked out in harsh laughter. Snorting, he curled his arms around the mother-child pair. "Even if I don''t kill them now, the Leader will be sucking their qi essence sooner rather than later. Either way, they''re dead. I''m being generous, you know. I''m letting you decide how they die."


    "Let them go¡­please¡­"


    "Why would I let them go?" Ba Yun threw his head back and guffawed. "Look at how much fun I''m having!"


    "No¡­"


    Closing my eyes briefly, I clenched my teeth and steeled my will. Fire seemed to blaze in my eyes as I opened them and glared at Ba Yun murderously.


    "Let them go."


    "Ah, yes!" Ba Yun was enjoying every minute of this, gleefully rubbing his hands. "This is how it should be! The fire! It''s back in your eyes! Only when you''re fighting back like this, would it totally be worth crushing and breaking your heart and spirit!"


    "Don''t touch them!"


    "You seem to be mistaking something."


    Ba Yun grabbed hold of Hu Hai. Black qi dripped out of his fingers and turned into a blade that cut the squirming child''s skin. Hu Hai''s eyes widened and he whimpered as blood flowed down his neck and stained his white collar.


    "You''re in no position to make any demands."


    "Fuck you!" I shouted. Straining against the cuffs, I desperately fought against my restraints but they held firm. If I could just get free, I would sock him as hard as I could and grab the kid from his grasp. But I couldn''t. I was fastened firmly to the chair, unable to budge even a single step forward. "Let them go! If you harm them, I''ll kill you! I''ll fucking kill you!"


    "Oh? And how will you do that?" Ba Yun sounded genuinely curious. He pressed his fingers closer to Hu Hai''s carotid artery and the poor boy whimpered in pain.


    "Hai''er!" Hu Shi cried out. I went still, shutting my mouth and freezing at the horrifying sight. Swallowing, I lowered my head.


    "Please¡­"


    "Hmm? I can''t hear you."


    "Please¡­I''m begging you¡­please let these two go."


    Ba Yun strode over and backhanded me. My head was flung back forcefully, and I tasted blood. Inside my face, something burst, something that was once living and feeding off my qi and body. I jerked in my chair, a metallic taste filling my mouth.


    "Wrong. That''s not the answer I want to hear."


    Even as he said that, he was actually smiling and savoring every moment of my defiance. He grabbed the top of my head and yanked it up. I clenched my teeth and refused to let out a sound even as he tightened the grip around my skull.


    "So¡­which one do you choose? Who should die?"


    "T¡­that''s¡­"


    I was gritting my teeth so hard my jaw ached. I glared at him, my trembling hands clenched into fists.


    "Oh, this is so hilarious. You sacrificed yourself to save the village that this two are from, didn''t you? Standing up against me and Qi Fu Ren, all so that you can buy time for the villagers to escape. It was so amusing, especially when you''ve already failed."


    "¡­you''ve already captured these two long before I arrived in the village."


    "Yes¡­ah, I see you know that. Nonetheless, I also learned that there''s some sort of fate connecting you with these two. It was Heaven''s will, you know? I never would have thought that you had been in that village before. Not until I happened to overhear the prisoners talking a few days after I let slip that I have been playing with a new toy. I never would have thought that you have some an intimate connection with the sacrifices we''ve gathered!"


    "You sick bastard¡­I swear¡­if I ever get out of these cuffs, I''ll fucking kill you. You''ll regret this¡­I swear!"


    "Ha ha! More!"


    Ba Yun cuffed me at the back of my head, sending me sprawling forward in my seat. My restraints were the only thing holding me back, preventing me from totally toppling onto the floor. I briefly wondered if that would be better, if I were to just lie on the floor. Would I be able to escape this terrible reality then?


    "So?" Ba Yun licked his lips as he pulled my head back up by the hair, the roots almost tearing free from my scalp. "Which one?"


    "You¡­" I gritted my teeth. "You fucker¡­I''ll kill you!"


    "No, no, no. I''m the one doing the killing today. And you''ll be the one doing the choosing. Now, choose!"


    "I¡­" I was hyperventilating right now. My throat constricted and I squeezed my eyes shut, all resistance fleeing me. I was helpless, unable to fight back, unable to do anything. Even if I yelled and pleaded, I knew Ba Yun wouldn''t listen to me. "¡­I won''t¡­do it¡­"


    "If you don''t decide, then I''ll kill both of them." Ba Yun''s voice was cold and final. There was a slight smirk when he spoke again. "Or perhaps it would help if I rephrase the question?


    He placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned closer to whisper into my ear in mock kindness.


    "Which one do you want to save?"


    "I¡­I¡­I¡­"


    "Fei Wu."


    At Hu Shi''s soft voice, I slowly raised my head. She was mouthing something.


    Choose Hai''er.


    She was telling me to save Hu Hai. Her maternal instincts were kicking in, and she wanted nothing more than to protect her child.


    Even if it meant her death.


    "You''ll just kill them both anyway. You''re only toying with me. I know you have no intention of letting either live."


    "Perhaps¡­perhaps not. How would you know? Either way, their deaths will be on your conscience, all because you refuse to choose."


    "Fuck you," I spat and squeezed my eyes shut.


    "Oh¡­scary. So I''m assuming you want to be responsible for both their deaths?"


    "Why don''t you just kill me?"


    My voice was bitter as I tried one last act of defiance. I was growing desperate, and my mind was slowly unraveling.


    "Kill me in their place. Instead of killing either of them¡­kill me instead. That should satisfy you, right?"


    "Hah¡­" Ba Yun sighed exaggeratedly. "There is no meaning to killing you like this. No, for defying us, death would be too easy." He chuckled throatily, still leaning so close that I could feel his fetid breath tickling my ear. "Your punishment must be more severe."


    "No¡­I''m begging you¡­don''t kill either of them."


    It wasn''t as simple as making a choice and allowing Hu Hai to live. I would be sacrificing his mother for that. In other words, I would be killing Hu Shi.


    That wasn''t a choice I could live with. It was impossible. I wasn''t a murderer. Prior to this, I had never killed a living human with my bare hands. Magical beasts and demonic creatures were one thing. I had to kill them in order to survive, but¡­


    ¡­but they weren''t human.


    How can I kill a fellow human being? How can I make a choice that determines a fellow human being''s life and death?


    I can''t.


    Impossible. This is impossible!


    "Hey, hurry up."


    Ba Yun was getting impatient. He turned around to face me, putting on a gentle and kind fa?ade. But I could see the murderous malice shining through his dark eyes. He placed both his hands on my shoulders.


    "If you don''t decide quickly, I''ll really kill both of them, you know?"


    "No¡­please¡­"


    "Then hurry up and choose. The brat? The mother?"


    My eyes widened. My mouth opened and I tried to speak, but at first nothing came out. My throat wasn''t able to form any words.


    "..."


    "Hmm?" Ba Yun pressed relentlessly.


    "Fuck you¡­"


    I gritted my teeth.


    "¡­if you harm either one of them, I swear I will kill you! I don''t care how, but one day, I''ll definitely escape and avenge their deaths. You mark my words, I''ll¡­"


    Ba Yun straightened up and glared at me. For a moment, he was rock still, as if he couldn''t believe the answer I gave.


    Then a vein twitched in his temple and he glared at me.


    "I''m not asking you about that bullshit!"


    He stepped forward and grabbed me by my hair again, shaking me violently, causing me to rock in my chair.


    "What''s your reply? Hmm? Answer my question, hey! Decide! Decide! Decide quickly! Don''t be such a wuss, hey!"


    "Shut the fuck up!" I yelled. "I already told you, if you have to kill someone, kill me instead!"


    "And I told you it''ll be too simple! You deserve a far worse punishment than death!" Ba Yun roared back as he kicked me so hard that I fell over, the chair and all. The rivets that bolted the chair to the ground had given out under the tremendous impact and the furniture fell over, taking me along with it. I grunted as the back of my head hit the rough floor.


    "¡­"


    Ba Yun fell silent for a moment, and then he sighed.


    "Whoops. Looks like I lost my cool for a bit there. Sorry about that."


    He then righted the chair, bringing me back up to an upright position. Shaking his head, he dusted me off with his hands, his paws slapping hard against my body. I jolted from the impacts, but didn''t utter a sound of pain.


    God¡­end this already. Please¡­I beg You, end this¡­


    Both Hu Shi and Hu Hai watched in silence, their eyes wide as they struggled to comprehend what had just happened. I raised my head wearily and met their gaze.


    I can''t let them die.


    They took care of me when I was on the verge of death, giving me a place to stay and helping to nurse me back to health after my fight against the Hydra. I couldn''t let them die. I had to find a way to save them, to save the both of them, no matter the cost.


    Even if I had to offer my life in exchange.


    "¡­just kill me, and let them go. Please¡­"


    Ba Yun paused as he studied me, then he straightened up with a smile.


    "I see. All right then. I understand."


    He then strode over to Hu Shi, who flinched and wept quietly. But the lady had already steeled herself, having resolved to die in her son''s place.


    "Brat, watch closely."


    "No¡­" I murmured, my eyes wide and wet with tears.


    "..."


    Hu Hai, despite his youth, also understood what was going on. He bit his lips as he fought to hold back a sob, tears streaming down his face. He clenched his fists and cried, his body shaking.


    "¡­Senior Ba Yun."


    To my surprise, someone else had entered the room. It was none other than Qi Fu Ren. Even the bully seemed sick to his stomach at what was transpiring inside here.


    "Don''t you think you''re going too far? These commoners are sacrifices for the sect leader. You can''t just take them and kill them on your own."


    "They''re going to die either way, what difference does that make? As long as you don''t tell anyone, who would know?"


    "That''s not the point." Qi Fu Ren took a deep breath and clenched his fists. "Don''t you think your actions are too depraved? No matter the circumstances, to kill the kid''s mother in front of him is just¡­"


    I never thought I would see the day Qi Fu Ren stand up for other people. He was a bully who loved to pick on the weak, to establish his superiority so that he could wallow in his self-perceived sense of superiority.


    It was probably a testament to just how depraved and how far gone Ba Yun was, to the extent that even a bully was sickened to his stomach by his horrible actions.


    "¡­huh?"


    Ba Yun twitched as he turned to glare back at Qi Fu Ren. The bully didn''t seem at all intimidated as he stood his ground.


    "Say that again, Qi Fu Ren?"


    "I said you''re going too far," Qi Fu Ren replied fearlessly. "I enjoy your abuse and torture of Fei Wu, don''t get me wrong, you''re doing an amazing job of breaking down his indomitable spirit. But you shouldn''t drag others into this. That kid and his mother have nothing to do with Fei Wu. There is no reason to torture and kill them."


    "Are you not listening to anything I said? This mother-son pair have intimate connections with that loser over there. I heard them talking, you know? They were the ones who took care of him and housed him when he ended up half-dead in their village."


    "I don''t mean that¡­I mean, there is no reason to torture people other than Fei Wu himself¡­"


    "Hey, junior." Ba Yun was turning to face him fully now, his fury washing out in a sea of hostile qi, as he emphasized on their difference in status. "Are you telling me what to do?"


    "I just¡­"


    "They''re both going to die later, either sacrificed to our great leader or killed by me. Isn''t it mercy on my part if I end their misery sooner rather than later? Aren''t you being a hypocrite? You know their fates. What''s the difference if they die now or if they die later, huh?"


    "That''s not¡­"


    "Are you getting cold feet now, hmm? Newbie? Did you suddenly realize you have a conscience and can''t bear to kill innocents? It''s too late, isn''t it? Your hands are already stained with the blood of innocents."


    Ba Yun glowered at Qi Fu Ren, who fell silent, unable to rebut him.


    "I know what you did. The promising newbie¡­with an amazing reputation when he officially joined the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect. Weren''t you the one who killed your own lackeys, hmm? And now you''re getting cold feet and telling me not to kill?"


    "I''m not telling you not to kill anyone," Qi Fu Ren protested. "But¡­but even if you have to kill someone, at least¡­at least make it quick. There is no sense in torturing them like this." he turned to look at me scornfully. "Fei Wu is different. He deserves to be tortured. He doesn''t deserve a quick, easy death. But¡­" He turned to glance back at the mother-son pair. "Those two are innocent. If you want to kill them, make it as painless as possible."


    "Painless as possible? What do you mean painless as possible, huh?! Death is still death, isn''t it?!"


    Then suddenly Ba Yun chuckled in understanding.


    "Oh, earlier you said something about killing the kid''s mother in front of him, didn''t you? Is that what''s making you uncomfortable? The order of who dies first?"


    With a single motion, Ba Yun seized Hu Hai by his neck and lifted the poor kid off his feet. Twisting his flailing captive about, he began strangling the choking boy.


    "How about this? If I do this, then the brat doesn''t have to watch his mother die! Is this better? Huh?!"


    "Hai''er!"


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    Hu Shi''s cry of despair was lost in Ba Yun''s rage and violence.


    "How about this? Eh?"


    "Senior Ba Yun, wait!"


    "ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!"


    There were painful and ominous cracks that snapped through the vast interior space of the room.


    "Hai''er!!!!"


    Hu Shi was screaming now, trying to reach out, but unable to help her child. I watched, stunned and horrified at the brutality that was unfolding before me, helpless and useless.


    "Senior, that''s enough¡­! Stop!"


    "DON''T YOU DARE TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"


    Ba Yun was bellowing thunderously now even as his grip tightened and crushed the choking and sobbing Hu Hai''s trachea.


    "I DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS ROOM! THIS ROOM IS MY TERRITORY! MINE! MINE! I DECIDE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN HERE!"


    He threw Hu Hai''s lifeless corpse onto the ground and stalked off, shoving Qi Fu Ren to the side. Even the bully looked aghast at what had just transpired.


    "You¡­"


    "What?" Ba Yun snarled at him, but Qi Fu Ren didn''t rise to the bait and merely respectfully maintained his distance.


    Ba Yun then came a stop somewhere in the middle of his room and let out a holler.


    "See what you''ve done!? You ruined my fun! You''ve ruined everything! Ah, fuck! Fuck this shit! FUCK!"


    While he was raving and ranting, Hu Shi crawled over to Hu Hai''s body and wrapped her arms around him.


    "Hai''er¡­ah¡­Hai''er¡­"


    She began sobbing.


    "Uuu¡­ugh¡­why, Hai''er? Why? Heavens, why must you be so¡­?"


    Ba Yun turned his feverish, demonic gaze on her, something in his mind snapping.


    "Uuu¡­"


    Even as Hu Shi wept, he slowly stomped toward her. Then with a single flick of his arm, he materialized a shadow blade from his arm and stabbed her in the chest, gouging her heart out and flinging her into the air in a spray of blood.


    "You''re too noisy!"


    My jaw dropped open and my eyes widened when I witnessed the brutal murder. My hands fought against the restraints, but I was unable to break myself free.


    "I''ll kill you¡­I''ll kill you¡­I''LL KILL YOU!"


    I was screaming incoherently and glaring at Ba Yun murderously. Thrashing about on my seat, I yelled and raged against the fucking bastard.


    "I''ll definitely kill you, you fucking bastard! You''ll regret this! I swear, I''ll make you regret this, even if it''s the last thing I do! I swear I''ll kill you! I swear, you''ll regret this! Just you wait, I''ll definitely¡­!"


    By now I was raving and ranting crazily, aware that my threats were meaningless. That I did not possess the power to carry out what I was yelling incoherently at the psychotic bastard.


    "Yeah, yeah."


    Ba Yun was leaving the room and dismissing my empty threats. With a wave of his hand, he didn''t even glance back at me before he left his room.


    "Do your best, loser."


    Before he stepped out, however, he paused. With one hand on the door, he sneered.


    "And before you start yelling and raging at me, think about this, you trash. This is all your fault. All your fault for being a hypocrite."


    Then he shut me inside the room with the corpses of my benefactors.


    "Ugh¡­ah¡­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Letting loose an impotent howl of fury, I struggled against my cuffs and restraints one last time, but as usual, my lack of strength of qi prevented me from doing anything.


    "¡­I never meant for this to happen."


    Qi Fu Ren looked at both of the corpses and shut his eyes. Then he stepped forward and placed both mother and child together, granting them at least a dignified burial of some sorts. Not that it held any meaning.


    By the next day, Ba Yun would have some servant or subordinate come in and clear the bodies, and they would be dumped unceremoniously together with all the other victims that the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect had massacred.


    Hypocrite? Who''s the true hypocrite? What''s the point of granting them this burial when you''re going to sacrifice them¡­going to kill them anyway?


    No¡­this is my fault. It''s all my fault for being useless. If I wasn''t such a weak, useless trash, I would have been able to save them¡­


    All those ideals of justice, of virtue and honor¡­they were useless in a place like this. Ba Yun was right. Those with strength got to decide what virtue and justice was. Anyone without the strength to back up their lofty ideals would remain just talkers, spewing meaningless words that had no concrete reality behind them.


    "You do realize this is your fault, don''t you?" Qi Fu Ren sneered. I said nothing, and Qi Fu Ren continued. "It''s all because trash like you existed. If you''ve never existed, this mother and child would never have died. If you''ve never existed, I wouldn''t have been reduced into a fugitive, a criminal who has to throw his lot in with a demonic sect. If you''ve never existed, nothing bad will happen in this world. Everything is on you."


    He kicked me before striding out of the room.

 56 Chapter 55: Descent into insanity

    I was mumbling something to myself, my words hoarse and incoherent.


    "It''s all my fault¡­"


    Hanging my head, I sagged against my restraints.


    "All because I exist¡­my very existence causes harm to other people. Just by existing, I cause others to suffer¡­I should just die. I don''t deserve to live."


    Why can''t everything just end already?


    "Somebody¡­just save me. Or¡­just kill me already¡­I beg of you¡­"


    "How pathetic."


    The ghostly figure of Master sat cross-legged in front of me, shaking his head as he glared at me in disapproval.


    "No one''s going to save you, you know? You can''t rely on anyone except yourself."


    "¡­"


    "There''s no one in this room except you. You''ve to do everything yourself. If all you do is wait, by the time someone finally comes to help you, you''ll be long dead by then. You need to do something yourself, put in some effort from your end."


    God helps those who help themselves. Or something like that?


    "Maybe." Master shrugged.


    Can''t you help me?


    "Me?" Master laughed. "What good would relying on me do? I''m just a figment of your imagination. I''ve long been dead. What do you expect me to do? Become a ghost and haunt that fucking bastard who tortured you?"


    Better than nothing¡­


    "Except that I''m not real. I''m just something your mind conjured up, you know? To prevent you from falling into insanity. You know as well as I do that your real master has passed on long ago, gone into the great wheel of reincarnation."


    So what are you here for?


    "To keep you company. You''re going crazy from loneliness, you know that, right? Being locked up here, all alone except during the torture sessions. Your mind has already snapped, your spirit has already broke, and your heart is dead."


    ¡­


    "But I guess the question is why. Why did you end up here? How?"


    Because I exist.


    "Surely you don''t believe that." Master laughed and shook his head. "Now ignore that bullying bastard for a few moments. How do you end up in such a sorry state?"


    ¡­I got unlucky, I guess.


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    That''s¡­I don''t know.


    I had no idea what I did in my previous life, or if a previous life even existed. I wasn''t a big fan of the reincarnation idea. I was more inclined toward the Christian notions of salvation, and worshipping a single God. While I wouldn''t say I was completely monotheistic, I would happily devote myself to a single God.


    A lot of good that did me.


    "No, no, no. Don''t turn this into a religious debate. I don''t care what you believe in. It doesn''t matter here."


    Master tutted and shook his head.


    "You blame bad luck. I guess it can''t be helped. Even a neutral outsider could scarcely believe the sort of misfortune that has befallen you."


    I said nothing. There was nothing to be said regarding that.


    "But¡­you know, I don''t believe that."


    I glanced up at Master, surprised. He smiled scornfully and flicked a finger at my forehead.


    "There''s no such thing as luck." I never felt the flick. His finger seemed to vanish before it made any physical contact. That was right¡­this "Master" was not real. "Every situation is an event that is borne out of the interactions between countless circumstances. Like the butterfly effect. A butterfly flapping its wings somewhere would cost an air current that might blend in with the atmosphere, flow across the world and meld with a gigantic whirlwind elsewhere."


    I was pretty sure that had been scientifically proven to be false¡­or something. I couldn''t remember. My head hurt too much.


    "The point is, regardless of the truth of that claim, is that you should be looking at the source of the situations. Who created these circumstances? What led to this outcome? Is it just luck alone?"


    Master leaned closer and sighed disapprovingly.


    "Don''t you think every single instance of oppression is this world is caused by the victim''s lack of strength?"


    "¡­"


    "If you were strong enough, would you have fallen to that psychotic bastard in defeat? If you had beaten him, would you have ended up here, tortured and toyed with by that maniac? No¡­all this is your fault. Your fault for being weak."


    I know. I know that.


    "No, you don''t. You are vaguely aware of that fact, but you don''t comprehend the true meaning behind it." Master tapped his temple. "Think about it a bit more. If you were stronger, if you were able to kill that murderous motherfucker, would you have been able to save the mother and child? Would you be able to prevent both of their deaths?"


    That''s¡­


    "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Ideals are amazing and beautiful, I''ll admit that. But do you think reality will always go your way? Sometimes you''ve to abandon your ideals and confront reality. Kill or be killed. If you don''t kill, you will be killed. If not you, then someone close to you. Like Hu Shi and her son¡­"


    Master sighed dramatically.


    "Ah~ Even though they nursed you back to health, gave you a bed to sleep in, and looked after you when you were about to die¡­this is how you repay them? By being so weak? By being so indecisive? Thanks to that, you ended up losing both of them."


    There''s no guarantee that the fucker would have spared the other''s life even if I chose one. He''s just toying with me. You saw that. You know that. Even if I chose the child, he would have killed both of them anyway, just to laugh at my misery.


    "Oh, but you don''t know that. You''ll never know. All because you never tried. All you know for sure is that your decision¡­or the lack of it caused both of their deaths. This is the outcome, not of anything else, but your own weakness."


    Shut up.


    "Running away from the truth now? Can''t deal with reality?"


    I gritted my teeth. Shut up, shut up, shut up!


    "Do you really want me to shut up and leave you alone here?"


    Master''s voice was soothing, almost kind. I gritted my teeth, tears rolling down my face when I found that I couldn''t answer.


    I¡­I¡­I¡­! I don''t know¡­somebody¡­please¡­


    "There''s nobody here."


    Dad¡­Mom¡­please¡­save me¡­


    "Your parents aren''t here either. It''s your fault if they worry themselves to death, you know? Do you know how they''ll feel when they learned that you''ve died a pitiful, dog''s death here?" Master slapped his thighs as he roared in laughter. "I still remember the day you told them you wanted to enroll in Wu Ling Academy and become a martial artist. How''s that working out for you?"


    I¡­I¡­I wanted to be a martial artist¡­I¡­


    "Yes, you did. And how does it feel? Being a martial artist?"


    I¡­I¡­don''t know¡­


    "Are you even a martial artist?"


    No¡­I failed.


    "Yes, you failed. After assuring your parents that nothing bad would happen. Even after the incident in the abyss, you survived, pulled yourself back to the surface and proudly told your family that you had become stronger. You bragged about how you learned martial arts for the purpose of protecting your family. Even though you''re just a weakling who''s ignorant of how the world works. But who''s going to protect them now that you''re gone? And who''s going to protect you?"


    Nobody¡­


    "That''s right. Nobody. You can''t rely on anyone these days. You''ve to do everything yourself. And to do that, you need to obtain the strength necessary to do everything yourself. Otherwise, it''s all just talk. All that bragging will remain empty, hot air."


    That''s right¡­I''m too weak¡­I should never have said all those things. I¡­


    "You disappointed your family. You let them all down. They''ll be sad when they learn of your death, you know? And it''s your fault for disappointing them. It''s your fault for letting them down. It''s your fault for dying off on your own and making them all sad."


    But it can''t be helped! I¡­!


    "You what? Have to be a hero? You don''t regret trying to help others? Look at yourself!"


    Master rocked the chair. Or perhaps I did, but ascribed the motion to the illusion.


    "What happened after your noble sacrifice? Is it worth it? Is it worth being a noble hero, just so you can suffer like this? You weren''t even their intended targets to begin with. You just took the place of the true victims. What are you, Jesus Christ? You don''t mind suffering in their place? Don''t make me laugh. I know you''re not a saint who believe in that sort of BS."


    I¡­I don''t regret it. I don''t¡­


    "Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that."


    I¡­all of this happened because I was too weak.


    "Correct. But even though you know that you''re weak, why did you have to go play the hero?"


    ¡­.that''s right. Why am I suffering even though I did the right thing? Why am I being punished for being a hero? God, this is so unfair. Why are the Heavens punishing me and torturing me when I''m merely doing what is right?


    What''s the point of doing the right thing if I get punished for it? What''s the point of being a hero if I get punished for it?


    If that''s the case, then I should have just left them to their fate and escape by myself. It''s not that I expect to be rewarded for being a hero, for doing the right thing¡­but this is ridiculous. If I''m going to get punished for doing the right thing then what''s the point? I don''t care about benefits, but if I suffer for being a hero, then what''s the point?


    "Yes. There''s no point being a hero if you''re weak. You won''t save anyone, least of all yourself. You should treasure yourself more. Your family¡­they wouldn''t care about the people you saved. They care more about you."


    I should live for them¡­for my family¡­so that they won''t worry, so that they can set their hearts at ease¡­


    "Even if it means leaving other people to die?"


    Who cares about other people? I can''t even save myself. If they can''t save themselves, what right do they have to rely on others to save them?


    "Great power comes with responsibility. It seems that you''re misunderstanding something." Master leaned closer, dropping his voice into a whisper. "I''m not saying it''s wrong to be a hero. I''m not saying you can''t save others¡­that you''re wrong in saving others. But¡­"


    But what?


    "There are times where you have to protect something at the cost of something else. Nothing in this world is free, you know? If you want something, you''ve to put in the time and effort into obtaining it. It''s the same logic everywhere. It''s not the matter of you turning into an edgelord and spouting nonsense about letting the world die. No, no, I''m not asking you to become a selfish asshole who only put your own desires first."


    Master shook his head and then gestured toward the door.


    "After all, if you do that, then you won''t be any different from those two bastards who tortured you and put you in your current sorry state, would you?"


    Then what are you asking me?


    "Simple. Think about it. The reason why you''re here isn''t because you chose to save the villagers. The reason you''re here isn''t because you wanted to be a hero. It''s much simpler than that. There''s no problem being a hero and saving other people if you possess the strength to do so. If you were strong enough, everything would be fine, wouldn''t it? The people you saved would be happy, the bad guys would be defeated and arrested¡­or even killed so that they would never be able to commit atrocities ever again¡­and you''ll be praised as a hero. And rewarded."


    ¡­


    "You''re not being punished for doing the right thing. You''re not punished for being a hero. You''re punished merely because you''re weak. That''s all. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a hero. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing the right thing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to save people. What''s wrong is that you tried to save people even though you were too weak. You didn''t have the strength to be a hero, yet you tried to do so and fell short. You''re being punished for overestimating yourself, for not knowing your limits. For losing to a bastard like Ba Yun."


    I¡­


    "But are you okay with that, though? Just because he''s strong and you''re weak, is it all right for him to do whatever he wants to you? Are you going to let him get away with this? Are you going to prove him right, that strength is everything, and the strong can do whatever they want? What about your values? I thought you strongly believe that power comes with responsibility, and that everyone has a social obligation to each other? Are you going to let that ideal crumble in the face of overwhelming strength and villainy?"


    No¡­I can''t forgive them. I can''t forgive that bastard Ba Yun for torturing me. For playing around with people''s lives and murdering them so casually. I can''t forgive the demonic sect¡­the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect that he''s part of, for¡­abducting people and treating them as livestock, sacrificing them just so they can get more strength.


    I can''t forgive any of them.


    "That''s right. If the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect gains any more power, they will soon invade the rich cities of the great Zhou Empire. They''ll overwhelm the military forces stationed here. They''ll sweep across the streets, abducting innocents and growing their pile of sacrifices so that they can continue their demonic cultivation."


    I can''t let that happen.


    "That''s right. You can''t. Because if it does¡­your precious family¡­your Dad and Mom, your brother Fei Ji, all your friends at Wu Ling Academy¡­they will end up like that mother and son pair, like Hu Shi and Hu Hai."


    I won''t let that happen.


    I gritted my teeth even as tears rolled down my face.


    Not just Chinese Parasol Tree Sect¡­anyone who dares threaten the safety of my family¡­the wellbeing of my friends¡­I''ll crush them all.


    "Yes. That''s what it means to be a hero. You can''t save everyone. You can only save the victims. And to save the victims, you''ve to kill the villains attacking the victims. You know as well as I do that such human trash will remain trash forever. They''ll never reform their ways. You let Qi Fu Ren go, you let him live. And what happened? He sought revenge. He''s partially responsible for your current predicament. And he''s participating in the massacre of innocents. Now¡­if you did the right thing and killed him when you had the chance¡­in that official match long ago, wouldn''t you have saved many of the villagers'' lives? Wouldn''t you be able to avoid this fate of being captured alive and tortured like this? All this was because you weren''t ruthless enough."


    That''s¡­


    "True. You know that you can''t deny it."


    I couldn''t muster a response to that. I clenched my fists and tried to pull at the cuffs that bound me to the chair, but it didn''t give.


    So what? I asked bitterly. All this self-reflection is useless now. It''s too late. There''s nothing I can do.


    "Really?"


    Master leaned to peer at me closely, then he jabbed a finger into my face.


    "You''re still breathing. You''re still alive. You''re not dead yet. Why wouldn''t you be able to change your fate?"


    How?


    "What do you mean how? Why did you learn the strongest martial arts technique in history, Heaven and Earth Formula? For what reason did I personally teach you? What''s the use of learning Heaven and Earth Formula if you''re not going to use it?"


    How do I use it in this situation?


    "You expect me to give you all the answers or something?" Master scoffed. "Can''t you think for yourself for one second? If you''ve truly put in the effort to learn Heaven and Earth Formula properly, instead of merely going through the motions, then shouldn''t you be able to figure out the answers on your own? You have a brain. Use it, boy!"


    I tried, but couldn''t think of anything. Maser, upon seeing my exhausted expression of resignation, sighed exaggeratedly.


    "Look, you''ve the Hellfire Badger''s immunity to venom. Heaven and Earth Formula also grants you unparalleled immunity to poisons. The Hellfire toxin no longer has any effects on you and your qi is no longer suppressed."


    So what? Even without the suppressants, I''m still no match for that bastard Ba Yun or even that fucker, Qi Fu Ren.


    "You''ve learned the most powerful martial art in history, Heaven and Earth Formula. Are you telling me you''re going to lose to a second-rate demonic sect martial artist?"


    I already lost to him.


    "So you''re going to keep losing to him? You don''t want revenge? You''re going to just let him get away with torturing you like this?"


    Then what can I do?


    "Goddammit, I told you to use your brain and think for yourself! You have tools at your disposal. You have Heaven and Earth Formula! Don''t just spend your time moping on that bloody chair feeling sorry for yourself! Review the lessons I taught you! Review and revise and remember what Heaven and Earth Formula can do!"


    ¡­Heaven and Earth Absorption¡­


    "That''s right! Absorb qi from your surroundings. Purify your qi. Don''t stop doing that. If you keep doing that, you''ll be able to grow stronger and finally get enough strength to overpower even that psychotic bastard!"


    It won''t be enough. And I can''t store and integrate the surrounding natural qi into my innate qi. It won''t be enough¡­


    "Is the surrounding qi the only thing that''s available to you?"


    That statement caused me to stop and sit up straight. What was that supposed to mean? What else was there available to me¡­?


    Ah...


    That was right. Heaven and Earth Absorption allowed me to absorb qi not just from the surroundings but also from living things. I had experimented and succeeded in absorbing qi from living creatures and plants. It was not ideal, and it took me a lot of time, but time was something I had in frightening abundance.


    As for living things¡­


    I felt the revulsion rise to my throat when something squirmed and crawled under my skin. The larvae had grown, had expanded and were threatening to break out of my flesh and body anytime soon. If I didn''t do anything, that is.


    I see¡­so that''s how it is¡­


    "That''s right. You''ve learned this pretty well in Sen Lin Forest, haven''t you?" Master chuckled as he sat down in front of me and gave me an indulgent look. "The strong eat the weak. The survival of the fittest. Eat or be eaten. In order to survive, you hunted magical beasts and demonic creatures and feasted on them. Otherwise you would be the one eaten by them instead. Isn''t that the same here?"


    ¡­yeah.


    "These Parasitic Wasp larvae have been feeding off you, draining nutrients and qi from your body to nourish themselves. So why can''t you do that to them in return? Since they''re feeding off you, it''s only natural that you feed off them in return."


    Eat or be eaten¡­


    "That''s the way martial arts work too, isn''t it? Defeat your foe and grow stronger¡­or get defeated by your foe and die. How do you think the top martial artists reach the peak of their fields? By climbing atop the bodies of the defeated, of course."


    The Parasitic Wasp larvae are just another enemy¡­another opponent to defeat¡­


    "That''s right," Master agreed enthusiastically. "Defeat the enemy in front of you right now. I know you''re harboring intense hatred for that psychotic bastard who did this to you, but you''ve to deal with the current obstacle first. Only when you''ve surpassed this enemy can you start planning your revenge."


    Something wriggled under my skin again. I shut my eyes and bit my teeth to clamp down on my revulsion.


    I''ve to do this. In order to survive. In order to grow strong.


    It doesn''t matter who the enemy is. I''ll ascend to the top by climbing atop whatever foe who dares get in my way. I''ll do whatever it takes to survive, and then get my revenge on Ba Yun and Qi Fu Ren.


    I can''t forgive them. I won''t let either of them get away with this.


    I''ll kill them.


    But first I''ll kill these fucking pests who think they can use my body as food.


    Taking a deep breath, I began to execute the process of Heaven and Earth Absorption. Closing my eyes, I reached out with my senses and gently drew the qi from the foreign, invasive organisms that were leeching off my body, and then reversed the flow of qi.

 57 Chapter 56: Counterattack

    Tang Qi Hong looked around nervously. Beside her, Zhu Jiao shrugged.


    "Well, it''s the only way."


    "Yeah, we need to get that idiot out of there," Ban Zhang agreed as he crouched down beneath the grass. "Unless you''ve a better idea?"


    "No, but¡­"


    "Don''t worry. As long as we follow Teacher Jiao''s lead, there shouldn''t be a problem." Tong Xue assured Tang Qi Hong before gesturing toward Teacher Jiao, who was at the front. All around them, heavily armored adults marched toward the gigantic warehouse that served as the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect''s base. Troops alighted from armored personnel carriers and formed a perimeter. Even though they didn''t bear rifles ¨C ranged projectile weapons were pointless in a world where people could shoot qi blasts out of their hands ¨C they wielded sharp pointy sticks¡­ahem, swords, staffs, spears and an assortment of other melee weapons.


    The great Zhou Dynasty had sent a huge force of Imperial Guard to destroy the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect once for all. After receiving a large influx of reports where dozens of villages were raided and massacred by the despicable Chinese Parasol Tree Sect, the royal family couldn''t sit still any longer and sent out the Imperial Guard.


    The commander, recognizing the level of threat that this upstart demonic sect posed, having destroyed dozens of villages and claimed countless lives of citizens, had pulled together several regiments of martial artists, banding them together to exterminate the demonic villains with extreme prejudice.


    "Stay with me, guys," Teacher Jiao told the middle school students without turning back. He had grudgingly gave them permission to participate in the mission, on the condition that they remained under close supervision. He wasn''t about to lose any more students to the despicable demonic martial artists, yet at the same time he recognized that this would provide his students valuable and much-needed experience.


    "Yes, Teacher Jiao."


    The students followed closely. Originally Xiao Zhang had not intended to send a small delegate of Wu Ling Academy teachers and students to the frontlines, choosing to leave it to the Imperial Guard. However, my classmates had apparently petitioned him, and he finally gave his permission on the grounds that it would provide experience. That was when the condition was set, and Teacher Jiao personally volunteered to be their chaperon.


    "We do need to at least show that we''re invested in the safety of our students, and we don''t just leave everything to a third party."


    Master was correct in that regard. Unless you were strong enough and confident that you would be able to survive, it was the height of folly to throw yourself into danger where your chances of survival were extremely low.


    The demonic martial artists of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect were alerted to their presence and were all streaming out to meet the Imperial Guardsmen with their own demonic martial arts and ominous weapons. There had to be hundreds, if not thousands of crazed cultists, shouting praises for their revered leader as they sought to butcher and slaughter in his name.


    "Whoa¡­"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened when he saw the solid, steel wall of implacable Imperial Guardsmen hold the onslaught of demonic cultists back, stemming the tide of menacing weapons and demonic techniques. The rogue martial artists broke over the Martial Arts Alliance troops, their front ranks impaled by mystic spears or cut down by sacred swords.


    "Quick! Use this chance to infiltrate their base! We''re going to look for Fei Wu and rescue him from there!"


    Teacher Jiao issued instructions to the following students, and they hurried after him as he sought an alternative route through the tide of traitors.


    "Do you think Fei Wu is still alive?" Tong Xue asked nervously as they tried to weave around a point in the enemy''s defenses that seemed the weakest. A platoon of Imperial Guardsmen had breached the defenses at one of the warehouse''s smaller entrances, the orthodox martial artists combating demonic ones with explosions of qi and elemental blasts. The sheer violence and power that saturated the air unnerved the young middle school students.


    "He has to be, right?" Tang Qi Hong snapped. "He can''t die!"


    "The villagers said that the demonic sect kidnapped him. That means they don''t plan to kill him, at least not yet."


    Tong Xue shook his head at Ban Zhang''s deduction. "That was over two weeks ago. The villagers also mentioned that the demonic sect was abducting people to drain them of their qi. Fei Wu could very well be¡­"


    "Does it matter?" Zhu Jiao interrupted. "Fei Wu might be dead, or he might not. But we won''t find out until we get in there. If he''s still alive, then he needs rescuing. Otherwise, we''ll avenge him. Standing around and talking about isn''t going to achieve anything."


    Tong Xue hesitated, and nodded. Smiling he punched a fist into his palm. "You''re right. No point overthinking about it. We''ll do the things that we can do. One step at a time!"


    "Yeah. And besides¡­" Zhu Jiao grinned. "I know how tough Fei Wu is. He''s not going to die so easily."


    *


    Zhu Jiao was right. Despite all the torments and excruciating agonies inflicted upon my body, I was still alive, still hanging on. In fact, I was probably in better shape than before.


    It took me a day or two to absorb all the qi from the Parasitic Wasp larvae embedded within my flesh and organs, greedily draining the qi from them like a man on the verge of dying from thirst. Completely robbed of their life essences and qi, the larvae broke down and completely decomposed into qi, which I lapped up.


    Right now, there was no trace that any of the Parasitic Wasp larvae had ever inhabited my body. While at first I found it difficult to integrate and incorporate their inhuman qi into my own innate qi, I had experience from my time in Sen Lin Forest.


    It didn''t matter what creature they were. If they were living organisms, that I could consume their qi and make it my own. Of course, it would require some time, but time was something I had in abundance. In between Ba Yun''s torture sessions, I would meditate, cultivate and incorporate the foreign qi into my own, assimilating the demonic bugs'' qi and making it part of me.


    Thanks to that, I was feeling a bit more robust than before. If this was a proper wuxia or xianxia story, I would be listing the breakthroughs or whatever I made, but all those weird realms and stages and levels were meaningless to me. I didn''t know how to estimate all those weird stages. What I did know for sure, however, was that I felt better and a bit stronger than before.


    Was it enough to make up the difference between me and Ba Yun? I didn''t know that. But I also continually purified my qi, to the point that it was highly volatile and I could set off a spark by just rubbing it against the surrounding qi.


    "Hu¡­"


    Keeping my eyes closed, I continued to purify my qi, waiting and biding my chance. Not yet¡­at least, not until¡­


    Boom.


    A distant explosion thundered somewhere faraway, but I didn''t bother to raise my head and looked around. I was too absorbed in my own cultivation to pay any attention to mundane reality. Besides, I was in quite the predicament right now, and was in no position to pay attention to the troubles of anyone else.


    But there''s a battle going on¡­lots of people are fighting¡­I can sense their qi. I can feel the combat¡­what''s going on? Is the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect under attack? By who?


    That didn''t matter. The only thing I needed to know was that this was my big chance to escape from here.


    "Fei Wu."


    Before I knew it, Ba Yun had showed up. I didn''t even hear him open the door. The sound must have been drowned out by the explosions and noise of combat.


    "We''re being attacked by the Martial Arts Alliance. The royal family has finally sent their Imperial Guard after us."


    "Heh." I smirked while keeping my head down. "So what do you want me to do? Are you trying to recruit me into the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect?"


    "Dream on. As if trash like you will ever be allowed into our great sect."


    Sneering, Ba Yun looked down on me with pure condescension.


    "I originally planned on taking my time and torturing you today as well, but¡­duty calls. As one of the elders, my duty is to fight and protect our base from those orthodox sects rubbish."


    "Then why are you here?"


    "Hmph." Ba Yun snorted, as if he couldn''t believe that I had the gall to question him. "To prepare for battle, of course?"


    I chuckled. "Really? I thought you just want to slack and run away from duty."


    "No, no, no. what do you think I am?"


    "A bastard," I replied honestly. "A fucking psychotic bastard who should be rotting in hell."


    Ba Yun laughed at that and shook his head. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I immediately felt a burning sensation.


    The guy was trying to suck my qi.


    "I had a lot of fun, you know. I enjoyed my two weeks with you. It was really fun and amusing to see you struggle, to break you down, to build you back up, and then to break you down again."


    "I''m glad you enjoyed it," I retorted, my voice dripping heavily with sarcasm.


    "But alas, it all comes to an end here. This might be the last time I''ll get to see you. I don''t doubt that I''ll survive this battle, but we might be forced to escape, relocate and find a new base. Obviously, if that happens, I won''t be able to bring you along. Or some of the orthodox martial artists might come across this place during the thick of fighting and rescue you. That would be terrible, but I can''t stay here to guard you. I am needed elsewhere."


    "How terrible indeed."


    "So¡­I''ve decided. As much as it pains me to, I''ve decided to end your sorry existence right here and right now. You''ll become a part of me."


    I said nothing and focused on his hand, resisting the irresistible pull and locking the flow of my qi in place.


    "The Demonic Shadow Strike, one of the demonic martial arts that the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect practices, includes a technique that allows the user to suck qi from another person. That''s what our leader is using, and that''s what he taught us. Thanks to that technique, we''re able to rapidly increase our strength. That''s why, even after the destruction of the Heaven and Earth Sect and many other demonic sects, the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect is able to rise and grow powerful in such a period of time. The downside is that we had to find a lot of necessary sacrifices, but the outlying villages were perfect for that. With the defenses concentrated in the cities and the capital, the rural villages in the countryside were left vulnerable to attack."


    "¡­"


    "Sucking the qi from one common villager might not be efficient. It wouldn''t increase our qi by much, and it''s not worth the effort. However, sucking the qi from a hundred¡­from a thousand villagers¡­ now that''s going to make a hell lot of difference. It would help us improve our cultivation by leaps and bounds in a relatively shorter time than it takes you so-called orthodox martial artists to raise your realms and levels."


    I continued to maintain my silence, even though Ba Yun made a horrible mistake. He thought I was an orthodox martial artist?


    Oh, how terribly mistaken he was.


    "On the other hand¡­a single martial artist is worth ten thousand normal villagers."


    Ba Yun licked his lips as he strengthened the qi absorption technique, trying to force my qi out of him. He looked perplexed when it didn''t work. Ignoring the aberration, he continued to spew his longwinded rhetoric.


    "It''s also fate that you share the same type of qi and elemental affinity as me, that you use similar techniques as me. I will be able to immediately assimilate your qi and go straight to battle after this, stronger than before!"


    "¡­fate indeed. Except that if you truly believe that I use similar techniques to yours, you''re deluded. Our techniques are worlds apart."


    "What did you say, trash?"


    I didn''t reply. Instead of using words, I showed him using actions.


    "!!!!!"


    Ba Yun''s eyes widened when he realized that something was wrong. Even though he was trying to suck my qi, his qi was being absorbed by me instead. The flow of qi reversed and he wasn''t able to stem the currents of his qi from surging into me.


    "You bastard!" he roared as he forcibly tore his steaming hand away from my shoulder, staggering backward and clutching his fingers. "What did you just do to me?!"


    "What, the same thing you tried to do to me, of course."


    "You fucker!"


    Unamused, Ba Yun stomped forward to hit me, but in a single motion I snapped the cuffs chaining my legs together, broke the chair and leaped forward.


    "?!"


    Before Ba Yun could respond, I was already twisting my body in midair and landing on top of him. Having left the chains on my handcuffs intact, I wrapped them around his neck and began to squeeze and suffocate him.


    "Gah¡­"


    His eyes bulging and his mouth frothing, Ba Yun struggled futilely, but I merely tightened the chains around his neck.


    "How does it feel?" I whispered into his ear. "To be in the same position as poor Hu Hai? To be receiving a taste of your own medicine?"


    With a surge of strength and an explosion of qi, Ba Yun grabbed me and tore me off his shoulders, hurling me away with a bellow.


    "GAAH!"


    The chains between my handcuffs snapped, but that didn''t matter. I knew the same trick wouldn''t work twice. Instead, I just flipped myself in midair and landed gracefully on my feet. Good, even after two weeks of sitting, I could still execute Shadow Steps decently enough.


    "Fucking brat¡­!"


    Roaring in fury, Ba Yun glared at me. I cocked my head to the side.


    "So it''s fine if you do it, but it''s not fine if others do it to you, huh?" I snorted in laughter. "Double standards. You called me a hypocrite, but it seems that you''re the biggest hypocrite yourself."


    "Silence!"


    Unhappy about having his faults revealed, Ba Yun bellowed at me. Without waiting for a response, he bounded toward me.


    "You''re just trash! Fodder! Food for me!"


    Drawing his arm back, he delivered a devastating punch, but I merely stepped to the side and dodged it neatly.


    "The strong eat the weak! In other words, I eat you! I''m the strong one, you''re nothing but trash!"


    "So try it," I replied before seizing his arm.


    "!!"


    Ba Yun tried to wrench his arm free, only to realize that something was amiss. All of his qi was escaping his body through his arm and flowing rapidly into me.


    "This¡­this is¡­!"


    I merely smiled.


    "You were talking about that qi absorption technique that your Chinese Parasol Tree Sect had. What was it called again? The Demonic Shadow Strike? I think that was it. A pity, though. It''s nothing more than a cheap knockoff of the original Heaven and Earth Absorption technique."


    Ba Yun turned pale, even as he fought to pull his arm free, but I kept my grip on his arm, digging my fingers deeply into his flesh. Wisps of qi escaped from his reddening arm, all of them entrapped and sucked into the raging maelstrom of qi that swirled inside my dantian.


    "¡­Heaven and Earth Absorption¡­?"


    "That''s right." I grinned. "Shall I demonstrate to you how to use a real absorption technique?"


    "How¡­? This is impossible¡­"


    I sniggered as I increased the rate of absorption. "You always thought that I was an orthodox martial artist, didn''t you? But you were sadly mistaken. I''m the successor to the Heaven and Earth Sect, the one tasked with restoring it."


    "Heaven and Earth Sect?" Ba Yun repeated, his eyes bulging.


    "Yup¡­and I don''t care who the opponent is. Whether you''re from the so-called orthodox side or the demonic sect¡­as long as you get in my way, I''ll crush you all."


    "You crazy bastard!"


    Ba Yun gambled on allowing a massive amount of his qi to surge out of his system in a major explosion. He finally succeeded in dislodging me, and I was forced a few steps back. Coughing and cursing, Ba Yun clutched at his swollen hand.


    My grip had been so strong that it actually left deep, red impressions of my fingers into his smoldering arm. Thin wisps of qi continued to escape from his arm and he stumbled backward, heaving and panting.


    "You¡­what are you¡­? No, how¡­?"


    He swallowed and then shook his head to clear his mind. Suppressing his fear, he studied me intently before his eyes widened in surprise.


    "You¡­when did you reach the Qi Fusion Stage?"


    "Qi Fusion Stage?" I shrugged. "Wasn''t I always at the Qi Fusion Stage?"


    "No, you were at the Qi Essence Stage before. How did you skip the Flowing Qi Stage and reach the Qi Fusion Stage? ¡­just what the hell are you?! You¡­you monster!"


    "Monster? Funny that you''re calling me that when you''re quite the monster yourself."


    Ba Yun seethed as he clutched his swollen, red arm. With a roar, he lunged at me.


    "It doesn''t matter if you''ve reached the Qi Fusion Stage! You can never beat a Pure Spirit Stage practitioner like myself!"


    I dodged his attack, casually hopping back even as he pulverized the ground and left a crater. Dodging the flying debris, I widened the distance between us.


    "You know, I honestly don''t care about all these weird stages that you''ve been talking about since earlier. Qi Fusion Stage, Pure Spirit Stage, Flowing Qi Stage¡­whatever. All of these have no meanings to me."


    Probably in an ordinary martial arts xianxia novel, the cultivators would have to go through tedious, boring step-by-step processes to proceed from one stage to another, and even within those stages, from one level to another. But I didn''t know what these weird numbers were. How did you quantify your qi, anyway? How did you estimate how much qi you had just based off sensation or gut feeling alone? How did you know what stage you were?


    It wasn''t realistic. Not unless they had some weird biological qi measuring device implanted inside their bodies or something.


    Not that it mattered. Right now, I was more concerned with the increasingly hostile Ba Yun. Spinning around, he delivered another punch, but I dodged it. Ba Yun then followed with a kick, qi blasting off his foot with frightening impact, but I used Duo to evade it.


    "Where did you go?!"


    Howling, Ba Yun whirled around to find me, lashing out with his hands. Had I appeared behind him, I might have been caught by that vicious backhand.


    But I wasn''t behind him.


    "Up here."


    "?!"


    Ba Yun looked up, only to see me planting my foot onto his face.


    "Eat this."


    It didn''t take me more than a millisecond to stabilize myself, and I clashed my purified qi with the potent yin qi that permeated the surroundings. This triggered a volatile reaction that erupted in a supernova of explosive qi.


    "GAAAAAH!"


    The entire place was consumed in flames. Not just any flames, but black, shadow flames. The fire element being overly imbued with yin qi. The very essence of the shadow or darkness element.


    "¡­"


    Even I didn''t expect such tremendous power to emerge from the collision between my pure but volatile innate qi and the dreadful yin qi that saturated the surroundings.


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    ¡­I see.


    The basement had seen a lot of death. Many people had died horrible, violent deaths in this cavernous space, and I even witnessed the demise of Hu Shi and Hu Hai themselves. An air of violence had continued to linger here long after the living departed, which gave rise to an intense negative qi that now permeated the atmosphere. With nowhere else to go, the negative, deathly qi had continued to accumulate within this enclosed space, to the extent that it was highly potent yin qi on par with even the most hellish of places.


    The laments of the dying, the grudges of the wronged, and the violent deaths of the innocents had all melded together into a demonic atmosphere so saturated with ghostly yin qi that the basement resembled the underworld itself.


    At that moment, I was reminded of Grandma Meng and her soup ¨C particularly the power she wielded over the dead.


    "GAAAH!"


    Thrashing about violently, Ba Yun vengefully emerged from the thick, enormous cloud of smoke and strode forward. Blood streamed down his face and body, severe injuries sustained from taking the full brunt of my Seismic Step. I was actually surprised that he survived my Seismic Step, but I guessed the guy had to be pretty tough if he could make it to the upper echelons of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect.


    "¡­you¡­you¡­"


    Shadowy black qi was now blanketing Ba Yun''s muscular figure, almost forming a thick spiritual armor that encased his body in mystic protection. Around his hands, the shadowy qi lengthened and sharpened into blades.


    "I can do that too."


    Raising my hands, I froze the water vapor in the air into dual ice swords and adopted a combative stance.


    Ignoring my defiance, Ba Yun was growling incoherently.


    "I''ll kill you, kill you¡­kill you! I''ll chop you into pieces, cut off all your limbs, and then slowly kill you!"


    Snorting, I pointed one of my ice swords at him ¨C the one in my right hand.


    "That should be my line." I narrowed my eyes. "Remember what I swore after you murdered Hu Shi and her son?"


    The air surrounding me crackled and snapped as it froze, a thick coat of frost materializing from thin air as the temperature plummeted all around me.

 58 Chapter 57: Monster

    After wheezing and panting heavily for a few seconds, Ba Yun barked out in harsh, guttural laughter.


    "Kill me?" he snarled. "I would like to see you try!"


    I said nothing and merely watched as he retrieved an item from his pocket and slapped it onto his chest. At first I thought it was some sort of ornamental plate, but after a few seconds it became clear that it was a Spirit Armament. Black tendrils of disturbing qi burst out of the plate, resembling some sort of abysmal demon clawing its way out of Hell. The dark shadows crept over his body, forming some sort of armor that protected his body. An armor-type Spirit Armament, then.


    Ba Yun''s spirit armor was pretty ugly, though. Then again, what did I expect from a Spirit Armament possessed by one of the demonic members of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect? I wasn''t surprised to see those dark, almost ooze-like armor give him a demonic visage.


    "Oh, how scary."


    I sighed and shook my head before pretending to quiver in fear.


    "Gr¡­.argh!"


    Ba Yun was growling incoherently, his mind completely lost to rage and vengeance. He raised a hand, where a cluster of black tendrils lengthened and sharpened into a thick, solid spirit blade. His current demeanor kind of reminded me of Venom. What a creepy Spirit Armament. I had never seen anything like it before.


    "Ku ku ku ku ku¡­"


    Ba Yun chuckled as he crouched down on the ground for a moment, as if waiting for the shadowy armor to take hold and fully form. Then he straightened up and grinned at me. I stared back at the demonic visage, half-expecting a forked tongue to flick out. But too bad the black qi wasn''t some sort of alien symbiont.


    "Earlier, you used Shadow Steps, didn''t you? A footwork technique."


    Snarling, Ba Yun glared at me from under that shadowy qi helm. But his mouth was still clearly visible, and twisted into a toothy grin.


    "I shall throw those same words you said to me back at you. Shall I demonstrate to you how to use a real footwork technique?"


    Smiling, I beckoned him forward. "By all means."


    Ba Yun''s legs tensed, the sheer force of that movement crunching the ground underneath his feet and reducing concrete into rubble.


    And then he disappeared.


    The dark shadow blade sliced down toward me, a clear intent on Ba Yun''s part to cleave me into two.


    How slow¡­


    "Demonic Shadow Strike!"


    And he still even has the idiocy to yell his technique''s name as he unleashes it. Should have spent that energy into increasing his speed instead.


    As the black blade slashed down toward me, it was my turn to disappear.


    CRUNCH!


    "!!"


    Damn it¡­thanks to his counterattack, I wasn''t able to use Seismic Step again!


    Ba Yun had learned from his previous mistake and was relying on intuition to guess where I was, spinning around to slash me when I dodged to the space behind him. Once again, I evaded his shadowy strikes by the thinnest of margins.


    "Kuh!"


    Kicking off the ground, I retaliated by springing at him and slicing with my frost swords. Each ice blade swept in from different directions, sliding under his shadowy blade and sinking deeply into his torso. Or so I believed, until I found the frozen blades lodged within his Spirit Armor.


    That''s one tough Spirit Armor¡­


    Worse, I wasn''t able to pull my ice swords out, and was forced to abandon them when Ba Yun countered with another sweeping slice of his shadowy sword.


    "FEI WU!"


    Roaring, Ba Yun went berserk and lashed out blindly. Even though I had only dealt him superficial wounds, it was clear that they went through and he was hurting pretty badly. Blood dripped from his wounds where my ice swords remained embedded within his flesh.


    "KILL YOU!"


    I twisted around to dodge his shadowy strike and slid to the side, seizing an opening to launch another attack of my own.


    "Heh!" Ba Yun chuckled, despite realizing that he was wide open. "What are you going to attack me with?"


    The bastard evidently thought that I was disarmed because I was forced to abandon my swords. Unfortunately for him¡­


    Shing!


    I froze two new ice swords and slashed him from the side, drawing up a geyser of blood. Ba Yun bellowed and staggered back from the impact.


    "You were saying?"


    And then Ba Yun''s grimace turned into a sneer and I realized that his taking the full brunt of my attack was a feint.


    Wham!


    "Kuh!"


    Despite blocking his shadow sword with my ice swords, which I crossed instinctively, the frozen blades shattered instantly and I was hurled across the room. As blood leaked out of my mouth, I swore under my breath.


    "Not powerful enough, huh?"


    Flipping myself in midair, I skidded across the ground in an attempt to halt my momentum. Generating a new ice sword, I stabbed the ground to arrest my backward slide, even as the shattered ice sprayed me.


    "!"


    Unfortunately, Ba Yun wasn''t going to wait for me to stabilize myself. He was suddenly in front of me.


    Even as I raised my sword to protect myself, he kicked me in the gut and sent me flying across the room. This time, I couldn''t right myself. I was flung across the air, helpless and unable to do anything. Before I knew it, I crashed into the opposite wall with a thunderous thud.


    "Kuh! Ugh¡­!"


    A cobweb of cracks expanded rapidly underneath my body, the impact leaving a large dented crater in the reinforced concrete. Blood dribbled from my mouth and I swayed, dazed and winded, before sliding down the wall and crashing onto the ground in a cloud of dust.


    "..."


    Blood streamed down my head, and my body hurt all over. But this pain was nothing compared to the excruciating agony that Ba Yun put me through during the past two weeks. Something of this level¡­I could still stand. I could still endure.


    I could still fight.


    Rising shakily to my feet, I created another new pair of ice swords and watched Ba Yun from a safe distance.


    Ba Yun is much stronger than me, physically. And he has more qi than I do. But I have the advantage in speed¡­and perhaps intelligence.


    It would be foolish to engage directly in a head-on battle. I would surely lose if I tried to contest him in strength. He would undoubtedly overpower me with his brutal Demonic Shadow Strike and Demon Shadow Sword.


    In contrast, my Ghost Shadow Sword depended on speed rather than power. The Ghost Bear might be physically strong, but I wasn''t. I had to rely on my superior speed and agility to overcome an overwhelmingly stronger foe.


    "You know¡­your footwork is disappointing. I thought you wanted to show me ''real'' footwork, but all you''ve done so far is rely on brute force and raw strength. You''re so slow."


    "Guh¡­gah! Fucking brat!"


    Ba Yun took the bait and bellowed at me. I merely smiled and lowered my ice swords, inviting him to charge.


    "What, did I touch a nerve?"


    "I''ll show you! Shadow Dash!"


    Another inexplicable instance of Ba Yun shouting the names of his techniques out when he used them. I merely shook my head and then disappeared right before his charge carried him right through the space where I was standing on a millisecond ago.


    "?!"


    Snarling, Ba Yun turned around while flailing aggressively, hoping to somehow slash me with his shadow sword.


    "Where did you go?"


    "So this is your so-called ''real'' footwork technique?"


    I cut his back open, sending another spray of blood gushing high into the air. Then I frowned. The damage wasn''t as much as I would like. The Spirit Armor was doing its job and protecting him from suffering a fatal wound.


    "How disappointing." I shook my head as I stepped back. "If this is your demonstration of a ''real'' footwork technique, then I''ll be happier learning a ''fake'' one that''s vastly superior."


    "Gah! Bastard!"


    I stepped back and allowed Ba Yun''s shadow strike to sweep past in front of me, narrowly missing by a few millimeters. But no matter how close he was to hitting me, a miss was a miss. That said, I couldn''t afford to get hit by him.


    Boom!


    Jumping up, I used my footwork techniques to disappear once again before Ba Yun pulverized the ground I was standing on, his massive shadow blade utterly crushing the concrete into a pool of broken debris.


    I can''t let him hit me¡­if I receive a direct hit from that, it''s over. He has an overwhelming advantage in a short-range fight. He''s too strong for me to trade blows with. And that Spirit Armor is protecting him from the worst of my attacks.


    In other words, if I wanted to defeat him, I had to find a way to break through that Spirit Armor first. Otherwise I could shave away at his defenses all day and still not bring the huge bastard down.


    The question was¡­how?


    Speed. That''s the only advantage I have. And my footwork techniques.


    I was so glad that Teacher Jiao taught me all those footwork techniques. Duo and Tui had been integral to me escaping so far.


    And now¡­


    "KILL YOU!"


    Bellowing ferociously, Ba Yun dove toward me again. As usual, he was so slow¡­


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    Eh?


    I could see his movements, almost as if he was in slow motion. I could see the currents of qi raging around him. I could see the trajectories of his movement, how he would move and where he would be if he continued doing what he was doing right now.


    So that''s how it is.


    Liu. The fourth footwork technique that Teacher Jiao taught me. I could finally put it into good use now.


    Stepping into Ba Yun''s path, I disrupted the qi flow and blocked the trajectory of his movements. Ba Yun''s eyes widened when he suddenly found himself losing his balance and toppling over into an undignified heap.


    "You¡­what did you do?!"


    He swung his shadow sword at me, but I could clearly see the trajectory and stopped the movement even before it completed, my ice sword occupying the space his shadow sword was supposed to take.


    "?!"


    Ba Yun sought to retreat, but I cut off his path of retreat, my ice swords occupying the trajectory where he was supposed to move to.


    "UGH!"


    More blood splattered onto the ground and Ba Yun staggered backward as he shrieked in pain. He slashed desperately at me, and this time he used so much raw power that I was forced to retreat rather than disrupt his move.


    "You! What did you just do?!"


    "I''m not stupid to tell my enemy what I''m doing to fight him."


    Suppressing the desire to roll my eyes, I struck again. Ba Yun staggered back as I opened up a new wound on him. Growling, he slashed at me, but I avoided blocking his blow head-on. Jumping on top of his shadow sword, I spun around and delivered a Shadow Kick to his gut, causing him to double over in pain.


    But as strong as he was, Ba Yun recovered quickly and struck again, almost cutting me in half at my midriff. Fortunately, I was able to use my footwork to evade and appear above him. With his sword stuck on the ground, I spun in the air and delivered a roundhouse kick that would have made any Lunar Rabbit proud.


    "ARGH!"


    The blow snapped Ba Yun''s head back and he stumbled backward, his ears ringing from the impact. I landed and stabbed his chest with my swords, only for the ice blades to shatter against his sturdy Spirit Armor.


    "Hah!"


    Despite the pain, Ba Yun could still crow in triumph when he saw that my Ghost Shadow Sword had not much effect on him. Seizing what he saw as an opportunity, he countered with a large sweep of his shadow blade.


    But I was no longer there.


    "?!"


    Dancing about, I kicked him from the side, causing him to drop to one knee as a sickening crack echoed throughout the room.


    "My knee! You bastard¡­!"


    He slashed at me again, but I was already waltzing away. Spinning around, I delivered a second roundhouse kick that caused his head to snap back with a spray of saliva and blood.


    "Gah!"


    Again, he tried to cut me down, but I was already darting away with my footwork and deftly retreating to a safe distance.


    "Stop running around like a pesky bug, damn it! Stop escaping and dodging my attacks!"


    "Are you an idiot?" I sighed as I ducked under another sweep that was meant to take my head off. "Who the hell is stupid enough to listen to a command like that? Do you really expect me to stand still and let you hit me?"


    "I am strong! Stronger than you! That''s my right as the stronger one! Weak trash like you should just submit and let us feed on you!"


    "Then do it. If you''re as strong as you claim, then you should have no problem catching me, right?" I punctuated my scorn with another kick to his other leg, causing him to kneel. "You aren''t strong just because you say you are. You have to prove it with actions, rather than words."


    That was right. As with ideals of justice, honor and virtue, just using words to claim that one was strong was useless if he didn''t have the strength to back his claims up. In the end, it would remain an empty claim, just hot air.


    Ideals, bragging, whatever¡­no matter what I want to do, I need to back it up with actions.


    "Kuh!"


    Ba Yun swung around in hopes of catching me off guard, but I was already disappearing from his view and striking from his peripheral vision. His frustration grew and he let out an enraged roar. Ignoring him, I continued to chip away at his armor.


    No¡­am I really chipping away at his Spirit Armor? It seems that he''ll just temporarily repair the damage by infusing it with his qi.


    If this turned into a battle of attrition, it would be to my disadvantage. After all, Ba Yun clearly had more qi than I did. Furthermore, this served to hit home the difference between someone who wielded a Spirit Weapon and someone who didn''t. One day, I had to find and procure myself a Spirit Weapon of my own.


    For now, however, I should focus on defeating my opponent first. Otherwise that future would never come to pass.


    I''ve no choice. I''ve to smash through his Spirit Armor in one go. Overwhelm his defenses so that I can deal a fatal blow.


    "STOP RUNNING AROUND!"


    Even as I calmly analyzed and came up with tactics and countermeasures, Ba Yun was giving in to his frustration, growing increasingly infuriated with his failure to capture me or land a clean hit. I dodged under another of his frantic slashes, and then used Jin to charge ahead and knee him in the face. Ba Yun grunted as his spirit helm caved in, but he didn''t fall.


    As I suspected, the spirit helm was restored in a few moments, with Ba Yun repairing it with his innate qi.


    Yup¡­then I''ll have to do this then.


    Taking a deep breath, I gathered more of the surrounding qi to me while dodging another vicious attack. Just as Ba Yun performed a massive attack that practically cleaved the entire room in half ¨C his shadowy blade destroying the ground and leaving an enormous fissure, I disappeared.


    "Not this shit again!" Ba Yun howled.


    "Don''t worry," I replied as I reappeared above him and planted a foot on his helm. "I''m going to change things up a little."


    Seismic Step.


    Colliding the surrounding qi with my pure, volatile qi, I obliterated Ba Yun''s Spirit Armor in one go. Blood shot outward in an ascending shower, almost like a volcano erupting. Ba Yun''s mouth gaped and his eyes rolled in his sockets as he fell to his knees, his body half-destroyed by my powerful attack. This time, I had made sure to use a lot more of the surrounding qi, and thus the effects of my Seismic Step was amplified several times more than the previous one.


    As ominous and revolting as the surrounding deathly yin qi was, it was totally worth it taking the time to gather and accumulate more of the surrounding qi and using it. Besides, I had suffered through worse revulsion than this¡­


    The Parasitic Wasps and their larvae using my body as a host came to mind.


    The only trace left of Ba Yun''s Spirit Armor was currently the cracked, ornamental plate that I saw him retrieve from his pocket earlier. Right now, it was nothing more than a useless, broken breastplate, the writhing shadows disappearing into it as it shattered under the force of my attack.


    And with his Spirit Armor destroyed, Ba Yun was left vulnerable and exposed to the full power of my attacks.


    "Gah¡­! AAAAH!"


    Coughing out in blood, Ba Yun lay sprawled on the ground. He attempted to materialize another shadow sword and slash it at me, but I also forged my own ice sword out of the air and stabbed his arm, impaling it to the ground.


    "AAAAAH! GAAAAH!"


    Ba Yun howled in agony as he thrashed about, writhing desperately. However, he was unable to free his arm from the ice sword that was riveting that limb to the floor. Wailing pathetically, he sought to clutch his pinned arm with his other hand.


    "Oh no, you don''t."


    With a single flick of my hand, I stabbed his left arm into the ground. Ba Yun hollered something incoherently and his thrashing grew more violent.


    "What was that?"


    I cocked my head to the side as I listened to Ba Yun''s wailing. He was weeping and staring up at me with tears in his eyes.


    "M¡­m¡­monster¡­"


    "Me? A monster?"


    Something inside me snapped when I heard that. Forging a third ice sword, I stabbed his right leg, impaling the thick meat of his thigh to the ground.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "You haven''t looked in the mirror, have you? Calling others a monster¡­are you aware of what you''ve done?"


    I stabbed his left leg with a fourth sword, eliciting another shriek of pain.


    "You''re the true monster here. And I''m not talking about your hideous appearance." Shaking my head, I stepped on the fingers of his right hand and crushed them, breaking the bones with a single step. Ba Yun howled.


    "NO!!! Please¡­!"


    "Hmph." I snorted as he wailed and begged pathetically. "Did you ever stop when I asked you to?"


    "I¡­I¡­I¡­"


    "¡­didn''t." I finished his sentence for him. "You massacred villagers because your sect tells you to. You drained their qi to grow stronger. You killed for fun. You tortured people because it amused you. Your very actions are monstrous. You call other people a monster, but you''re the true monster here."


    I glared at the pathetic, whimpering form of Ba Yun, feeling disgusted.


    "But I''ll admit it¡­I''m probably a monster too. I''ve no choice. I''ve to become a monster to fight a monster. I realized what I had to become in order to fight monsters like you." Leaning closer, I whispered into his ear. "You''re the one who forced me to become a monster."


    That was right. Originally, I wasn''t a monster. The one who turned me into a monster was the sick and sadistic Ba Yun. He was the real monster.


    And now that monster was about to be devoured by a monster he himself had created.


    "Hii...!"


    Ba Yun squealed as he struggled against his frozen restraints, but it was useless. The ice swords weren''t just pinning his limbs to the ground. They were freezing his limbs. A layer of ice was gradually expanding over his arms and legs, metamorphosing his flesh into icy crystals.


    "And I have to thank you."


    This time I was smiling broadly. Ba Yun turned up to look at me with confused, teary eyes, not sure what I was saying.


    "Just like you learned from the orthodox martial artist, I also learned from your mistakes."


    "¡­eh?"


    The bastard didn''t realize what mistakes he had made. That was fine.


    "I won''t make the same mistake as you did¡­the mistake of not killing me immediately. The mistake of deciding to let me live so that you can torture me to your heart''s content. The mistake of not sucking my qi right from the beginning."


    The same mistake all villains made, letting the protagonist live so that they could "torture" him. As I suspected, it would be a decision that would return to haunt them. After all, the protagonist was an entity who always escaped and prevailed over his enemies.


    Ba Yun was no different. Except that the torture he inflicted on me was horrendous and unforgivable.


    That was fine. I was about to deliver my wrathful vengeance and pay him back for every ounce of pain he dealt to me.


    Straddling Ba Yun, I reached out and thrust my hand into his back, tearing his spine open and reaching all the way into his dantian.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "¡­you''re right. We have the same elemental affinity. And even though your shadow techniques are laughably inferior to Heaven and Earth Formula, there are still some similarities. This will make the process of absorbing and assimilating your qi a lot faster."


    Saying so, I began to absorb Ba Yun''s qi directly from his dantian.


    "Please¡­please don''t¡­please¡­spare me¡­"


    Ba Yun whimpered and begged desperately, tears rolling from his eyes. I impassively regarded his pleading expression for a moment, and then grinned as I continued to suck his qi essence dry.

 59 Chapter 58: Rescue

    The fucking bastard had kept me starving, depriving me of food and feeding me only enough water for me to survive. The only reason why I managed to beat him was because I drew upon the qi from the Parasitic Wasp larvae to nourish and sustain myself. But qi was no substitute for food. I could rely on qi to keep me strong and alive for a week, maybe two, but once my body ran out of nutrients, carbohydrates and protein, no amount of qi was going to keep me alive.


    Leaving Ba Yun''s dried, desiccated husk of a corpse in his torture room, I went down the corridor in search of a cafeteria. Surprisingly, the corridors were deserted, with no guards or members of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect patrolling about. Stopping and listening to the distant sounds of battle, I figured that they were too busily defending their base from invaders to patrol and roam about the interior of their base.


    Good. I was free to go wherever I wanted. I was too hungry and thirsty to fight right now, anyway. I need to replenish my strength in that area.


    Where''s the infirmary?


    Now that I was exploring the area, I realized I had no idea what the layout of the warehouse was. It was only natural ¨C I had spent practically the entire two weeks locked inside the basement that was converted into a torture room. This was my first time setting foot out of that hellish space in about fifteen days.


    Fortunately, I found the infirmary easily enough. Just like the corridors and other abandoned rooms in the warehouse, the infirmary was empty, save for scattered chairs and broken tables. Passing by the wrecked furniture, I headed into the kitchen and rummaged the place for food. Fortunately, there were refrigerators stocked with some food. Not caring if they had rotted or spoiled, I took some meat and vegetables, cooked them in the frying pans I found, and then sat down to eat. Turning around, I poured myself a glass of water and gulped it down.


    "Ah¡­I''m revived."


    After filling my stomach, I leaned against the damp, moldy wall and rested for a few moments. Closing my eyes, I took a short nap, but as usual the place wasn''t conducive for sleeping. Still, that short period of recuperation allowed me to digest my food.


    "?!"


    I woke up suddenly as something crashed in the distance. Apparently there was violent fighting somewhere outside the infirmary, probably between the orthodox martial artists from the Alliance and the rogue criminals from the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect. some were drawing closer, some were getting further away, and some remained where they were.


    Oh¡­interesting¡­


    Eh? This group¡­


    And just like that, I detected a small cluster of faint, weak qi, all huddling together. It seemed that warriors and martial artists weren''t the only ones who were inside the warehouse.


    Could these people be¡­?


    Only one way to find out. I picked myself up and began heading in the direction where I sensed their presences. As I suspected, the corridors and warehouse remained unguarded and I encountered no opposition as I neared my destination.


    However, I could sense the large-scale conflicts raging outside the warehouse. Ducking my head below a window as a flare of qi explosion surged toward the heavens, I quietly made my way toward what seemed like another chamber.


    "¡­"


    I heard mumbling as I descended the stairs. Despite the majority of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect having mobilized to combat the Martial Arts Alliance''s Imperial Guard, they weren''t careless enough to leave their spoils of war unprotected. Even from this distance, I could detect the presence of two sentries outside the door.


    "Whoa, that''s mental."


    "They''re really going at it out there, aren''t they?"


    Despite not possessing qi senses as sharp as mine, the sentries could still hear the thunderous noises of conflict even in the basement. As another detonation vibrated through the thick walls of the warehouse, they looked up nervously.


    "Do you think we''ll be able to win?"


    "Of course. Vice Sect Leader Tuo Ta La is leading the resistance, after all."


    "Where''s the leader?"


    "In seclusion somewhere. I don''t know. You know that they don''t tell us grunts anything. Apparently he locked himself in isolation after absorbing a few hundred commoners'' essence. He''ll need a few months to assimilate such a massive amount of qi."


    "I wish we had access to some of that qi."


    "Heh. If things don''t go well for them upstairs, we might get our chance. There''s nobody to keep an eye on us, after all."


    "You mean¡­?"


    "Yeah. You take the first watch. I might as well absorb the qi from some of the people here. No one''s going to notice if a few of the sacrifices die, right? And besides, the sect leader already absorbed hundreds of villagers'' qi. He won''t miss a few dozen."


    "Heh¡­fine. But once you''re done, it''ll be your turn to guard."


    I vaguely wondered how coincidental it was that I just happened to stumble upon the sentries at the exact moment they decided to feast on the abducted villagers. It was almost as if the plot dictated that I happened upon this very instance right after defeating an enemy. Of course, the fact that the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect was embroiled in a major conflict right now probably contributed that, but I was amazed I didn''t stumble upon them several seconds before or after they had this conversation. It was almost as if they were speaking for an audience beyond the fourth wall to listen to, you know, to emphasize just how villainous and despicable they were, and to justify my killing of them later.


    Or maybe I was just overthinking things.


    I descended the stairs stealthily, not making a single sound with Shadow Steps. Neither of the sentries, even the one who had taken the first watch, noticed me. Silently rounding around the stairs, I crept out of the shadows and materialized behind the sentry. It was pretty easy, given how he was facing the door instead of keeping a proper lookout. Entirely distracted by the screams of the sacrifices within the room as his comrade set himself upon them, he leaned closer to press his ear closely to the door, as if he could see through the thick material.


    I didn''t blame him. If I was in his position, I would never have thought there would be an enemy lurking so close. I would have assumed that because of the ferocious combat upstairs, everyone else would be too busily fighting for their lives to come down here. This was probably the last place to be in the middle of an invasion.


    Assuming that no one could hear the racket the abducted victims and the other sentry were making, of course.


    "NOOO!!!"


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "SAVE ME!"


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Even behind the closed doors, I could hear the screams of the dying and the laughter of their tormentor. I had to hurry or there wouldn''t be anyone left to save. Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration, but I would rather save more people than less.


    "Bastard¡­he''s enjoying himself, isn''t he? I should have asked him to let me go first. Wait, will he really leave some for me?"


    Nope. Even if he did, it would be pointless, because I killed the guy with an ice sword the next instant. The poor sentry didn''t even know what killed him. One moment he was leaning against the door and trying to eavesdrop, and the next, his heart was run through. He gurgled, blood dribbling from his lips, and crumpled to the floor.


    I caught him before his ground could hit the floor, and placed him down as soundlessly as I could. I needn''t had bothered. The people inside the room were making too much noise to hear what was transpiring outside.


    Shaking my head, I quietly pushed the door open and slipped inside. Peering around the door, I saw the second sentry gripping a poor lady by the throat and draining her qi. Veins bulged on her head as she gasped, turning pale and pallid as her life essence left her body. Similarly, veins bulged in the guy''s hand as he attempted to suck her dry.


    Judging from the lack of corpses lying around, it seemed that I wasn''t too late. That made sense. Sucking someone''s essence wasn''t an instantaneous process, but one that took quite a bit of time. Unfortunately, if I didn''t hurry, the poor lady would expire and the sentry would turn his greedy attention to the other cowering occupants in the room.


    "?!"


    Several of the abductees were taken aback by my sudden appearance, but I shook my head and gestured for them to remain silent. Creeping behind the busy sentry, I abruptly lashed out and took his head off his shoulders.


    "!!"


    The lady dropped from the headless sentry''s grip, coughing and gagging. The villain stayed standing for a few more moments before his beheaded body realized that it was dead and consented to toppling over.


    "T¡­thank you," the lady gasped. I shook my head again.


    "Don''t thank me just yet. Wait until I actually get you guys out of here."


    The villagers'' eyes widened and they stared at me in wonder. For the first time in weeks, it seemed that they had recovered just a bit of hope of leaving this place alive. Having experienced hell in the last fortnight, I knew fully well the kind of despair that they had sunk into. But even I had managed to crawl out of that dark abyss and turn the tables on my opponent.


    Power comes with responsibility. I am not these bastards from the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect. just because I''m strong doesn''t mean I can do whatever I want and kill whoever I like. I''m different from these bastards.


    Like Master said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be a hero and saving people. What''s wrong is trying to save people when I''m weak and shamefully failing at that, thus becoming a burden and causing my family and friends to worry.


    But now¡­I had attained the strength necessary. Or so I hoped. Even if I didn''t, I knew better than to let myself get caught alive again. At worst, I could just escape first and then return later with reinforcements. That was better than everyone dying together.


    "Is everyone all right?"


    The abductees nodded, still unable to believe that their chance to escape had finally dawned on them. They traded wary, cautious looks, but aware that they had no other choice or opportunity, rallied around me.


    "Follow me."


    I could hardly care less if they trusted me or not. I wasn''t a god. I couldn''t save everybody. That painful realization had weighed heavily down on me over the past two weeks. The number of people I could save was limited to the level of ability I possessed. Sometimes I had to make a few tough sacrifices in order to save at least a few, or everyone would get wiped out together. The world wasn''t ideal, and sometimes difficult choices were forced upon me.


    If they wanted to stay behind instead of trusting me, that was their prerogative. As long as they didn''t drag us down, as long as they didn''t get in my way, I didn''t care what they did. My responsibility was only to those who decided to follow me.


    "Stay close," I told them curtly as I led the way out into the corridor. A few of the abductees glanced at the corpse of the first sentry, but didn''t say anything. They probably were hardened after witnessing unspeakable acts of brutality and violence during their few weeks of captivity here, or they just didn''t care anymore. It didn''t matter. I was only going to take care of their physical wellbeing, not their psychological conditions. "The Martial Arts Alliance''s Imperial Guard has come for us. I''ll lead you guys to them."


    "The Imperial Guard!"


    "The Alliance!"


    "Finally!"


    The abductees finally saw a huge ray of hope, and their pace quickened. I had to get them to slow down in order to inject them with some caution. It would be extremely frustrating for us to get so close to freedom, only to fall at the final hurdle.


    "Whoa!"


    "What''s going on?"


    "!!!"


    As expected, the route outside wasn''t entirely smooth. As we neared the exit, we came across reserves of demonic martial artists, warriors who were hiding in the shallow interior of the warehouse and awaiting their chance to enter the fray.


    Fortunately, we were coming from the direction they least expected, and most of their attention was riveted on the battle outside, or they would have seen the whole crowd stampeding toward the exit. Even with my techniques, I couldn''t possibly conceal over a hundred untrained civilians who had lived in a village their whole lives without ever experiencing combat.


    "You are¡­?!"


    "Aren''t those the sacrifices?"


    "We can''t let them get away! Otherwise the sect leader will¡­!"


    "Your sect leader will die," I coldly corrected them, landing on the first one and pulverizing him with a Seismic Step before they could react. As the bloody pulp of flesh that barely resembled a corpse toppled over, I landed in their midst and lashed out with two ice swords, cutting them apart before they even realized what was going on.


    These henchmen¡­they''re too weak. They''re nothing compared to Ba Yun. I guess that''s why he was one of the higher-ranking leaders in this sect.


    "You¡­"


    The villagers stared at me blankly after I finished the remaining dudes off, almost awestruck by the carnage. One of them widened her eyes.


    "You...aren''t you the kid? The kid who came to our village last year? The one who Lu Shun saved by the riverside?!"


    I turned back to her, but didn''t recognize her. Nonetheless, if she knew who I was, then she must be¡­


    "You''re from Chun Xiang Village?"


    "Yes, that''s right. I saw you last year, when you helped to haul back the Wild Boar meat."


    I nodded, half-distracted. "I''m sorry about what happened to your village."


    "Oh, no! What happened wasn''t your fault! I''m just grateful that you came to save us, but¡­"


    She stared at me, perplexed. I noticed a cluster of villagers nearby, also giving me the same confused stares. I didn''t recognize any of them, but they seemed to know me. I guessed they were also from Chun Xiang Village.


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    Not that it mattered. They were under my protection right now, regardless of which village they were from, and I only cared about delivering them to safety. Turning away, I stalked toward the exit while keeping an eye out for more interlopers and guards.


    "Hey¡­isn''t he¡­a little different from before?"


    "Yeah¡­I don''t remember him being this¡­this¡­"


    "Ruthless?"


    "Yeah¡­I guess so. But I guess he had no choice but to be ruthless to survive."


    "The kid has changed so much since the last time we saw him."


    "He¡­grew up? No¡­even so, he grew up too quickly."


    "Didn''t they say they captured him and he was locked up in one of the torture rooms by that monster elder? What happened to him?"


    "He escaped?"


    "¡­he probably went through a worse hell than us¡­"


    "¡­"


    I could hear them whispering behind me. Apparently they were taken aback by my mentality. Some of them felt sorry for me.


    I ignored them all.


    As we neared the exit, I suddenly threw myself against the wall and gestured for all of them to stay back.


    "Stay here," I instructed them. Frowning as I detected the familiar sense of qi, I slowly crept along the wall and peered around the corner.


    Someone was fighting intensely against a large group of people. A young man my age, who emanated an unyielding sphere of golden, earth qi that protected him by repelling the attacks of the hooded, masked figures who surrounded him.


    "Kuh!"


    "This brat is tough!"


    "Damn it! Why can''t we handle a single kid?!"


    That kid was none other than Zhu Jiao. Even though he was outnumbered by several opponents who were older than him, he was more than holding his own. I guessed it wasn''t surprising, given how he possessed a sexagenary of qi ¨C in other words, the amount of qi he received was equivalent to roughly sixty years of cultivation.


    On the other hand, despite his vastly superior quantity of qi and his overwhelming strength, he lacked experience in combat. That was something that his opponents took advantage of, relying on tactics to win. Clearly brute force and raw strength wasn''t everything. Zhu Jiao was being pushed back slowly but surely.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Gritting his teeth, Zhu Jiao waited for one of his opponents to become overzealous with his attacks before he lunged forward and punched the guy''s chest. The hooded figure was flung backward, blood spraying out of the gap that served as a mouth for his mask, and crashed into the wall with a loud thud. The concrete cracked from the impact and he slid down, unmoving.


    "Whoa!"


    "Zhang!"


    "Be careful! This brat is strong! Getting hit by him even once is no joke!"


    The Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members immediately grew wary of Zhu Jiao''s overwhelming power and retreated in high alert. They continued their relentless assault, predicting Zhu Jiao''s fairly predictable attacks and seizing chances to attack when he showed an opening. Despite Zhu Jiao''s impeccable defenses, his supposedly impenetrable Golden Kirin Armor was slowly being worn down by the sheer number.


    "Kuh!"


    Clenching his fists and gnashing his teeth from frustration, Zhu Jiao tried his best to defend from the next onslaught of attacks. He lashed out, only for his target to deftly dart out of reach. At that moment of overextending himself, one of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members attacked him from behind, causing him to stagger.


    These guys are good¡­they''re no ordinary henchmen. They''re a lot better than the reserves who remained behind earlier.


    The current batch of enemies were clearly on a different level from the sentries and reserves I had faced thus far. My only chance was to take them out by surprise, or I would be dragged into a long, unwieldy fight.


    I couldn''t afford to do that right now.


    Pressing myself against the wall, I counted the number of assailants. There were five of them, and they were slowly breaking Zhu Jiao''s defenses apart. If I attacked too soon, I wouldn''t be able to take them out and I would be dragged into a stalemate, but if I left it too long, my good friend Zhu Jiao would be in danger.


    My timing had to be perfect.


    Taking a deep breath, I began drawing upon as much natural qi from the surroundings as possible while purifying my innate qi. Juggling a few calculations in my head, I waited until all five had their backs turned on me before I stepped out and materialized my icy qi into physical form. Clashing my volatile innate qi with that of the surrounding elements, I launched a hail of ice swords at the group of Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members.


    "!!!"


    Distracted as they were by the desperately defending Zhu Jiao, none of them saw my attack coming and they were all pierced and impaled by the powerful icy projectiles. Splashes of blood slapped wetly against the concrete floor and walls as the five of them were brought low, precious red fluids leaking from their mouths and wounds.


    "Who?!"


    "What?!"


    "Ugh!!"


    They struggled to turn around and counterattack, but already frost was rapidly expanding across their wounds and freezing their bodies from the point of entry. Coughing and wheezing, they sought to break free of the ice, but I didn''t give them a chance. Striding forward, I froze a pair of ice swords and slashed them, delivering the finishing blow and killing all five of them.


    "Hey, Zhu Jiao."


    "¡­Fei Wu¡­is that you?!"


    Zhu Jiao couldn''t believe his eyes. Not that he never expected to see me again, but he appeared terribly disturbed by my coldblooded execution of his foes.


    "Are you all right?"


    "Uh¡­yes¡­that''s not it!" Zhu Jiao deactivated his Golden Kirin Armor and stared at me, his mouth agape. "What about you?! What happened to you?!"


    "I''m all right too. Went through hell, but I managed to escape."


    "Went through hell?" Zhu Jiao continued to stare at me, stupefied. He probably wanted to say that was an understatement, but he was unable to find words for it. Instead, he shook his head and approached me while casting a glance at the dead Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members at my feet.


    It was obvious what he was thinking.


    Is this really Fei Wu? He¡­he''s like a completely different person from before¡­


    Shocked by my callous, coldblooded execution of enemies who were, just moments earlier, giving him a hard time, Fei Wu put on a complicated expression. He seemed to want to ask something, but wasn''t able to put his question into words.


    I didn''t wait for him to process his thoughts, and instead offered a question of my own.


    "You''re here¡­did you come for me? And I''m guessing you came with the rest?"


    "Ah¡­yeah." Still in shock, Zhu Jiao nodded. "Teacher Jiao, me, Ban Zhang, Tong Xue, Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou. We all came to rescue you."


    "Thank you."


    Bowing my head, I expressed my gratitude sincerely. I truly meant it. I had never thought anyone would come save me, having given up any hope of being rescued during the two long weeks of hellish torture.


    "No, that''s¡­"


    "Where''s the rest?" I cut Zhu Jiao off before he could wave my thanks away. He hesitated and glanced outside before turning his view upstairs.


    "While trying to infiltrate the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect''s base, we ended up running into one of the sect elders. Teacher Jiao is currently engaging him in battle, trying to hold him off so that the rest of us could break in and locate you. However, we encountered some resistance within the base and were forced to split up."


    "That makes sense." I nodded, and then closed my eyes. Even without being told, I could sense Teacher Jiao''s qi faraway, clashing with an almost equally powerful presence. That fight might take a bit longer, but currently it seemed to be in Teacher Jiao''s favor.


    More importantly¡­


    "Tang Qi Hong is upstairs," I murmured upon detecting her qi on the rooftop. Her presence was flickering faintly, and from my limited perception I could tell that she was being bombarded and overwhelmed by a hail of powerful attacks from a formidable enemy. "She''s the one in most danger right now."


    "Ah! Tang Qi Hong! That''s right!" Zhu Jiao''s eyes darkened. "Earlier, before we were forced to split up, we ran into Qi Fu Ren. The bastard was clearly targeting her for some reason, and he set his new lackeys upon me."


    He gestured at the corpses who were scattered across our feet. I shook my head and smiled bitterly.


    "I guess he needed new subordinates after killing off Hu Shuo and Ba Dao."


    "That lowlife scoundrel¡­" Zhu Jiao growled. I nodded in agreement.


    "Tang Qi Hong is the one who''s in the most danger right now, so I''ll be going up to support her."


    "Eh?!" Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened. "You''re in no condition to rescue other people! You should get out of here first! I''ll bring you to safety! In the first place, we''re here to save you!"


    "Says the one who needed me to save him," I smirked. Zhu Jiao grimaced at that, and lowered his head.


    "Ugh¡­yeah¡­but really, what happened to you, man? It''s like¡­you''re a completely different person."


    "Well¡­a lot of things happened," I replied vaguely as I started up the stairs. "And I don''t have time to explain. I need to help Tang Qi Hong first."


    "Wait! I''m coming with you!"


    I nodded. "I appreciate the backup, but first¡­can you do me a favor?"


    "¡­a favor?"


    I gestured toward the band of abductees who were crouching and waiting from around the corner, having watched the battle from afar. Zhu Jiao did a double take when he spotted them.


    "Whoa! Where did all of them come from?"


    "A hold in the basement. The Chinese Parasol Tree Sect was keeping them as prisoners. They were meant to be sacrifices for their sect leader, so that he can absorb their essence. More importantly, can you help guide them to safety? Bring them to the Imperial Guard and get those orthodox martial artists to look after them."


    "Whoa, whoa! I get that, but aren''t our positions reversed?!" Zhu Jiao waved his hands in protest. "You should take them to safety, while I go back up Tang Qi Hong."


    "Do you have any confidence of beating Qi Fu Ren as he is right now?"


    Zhu Jiao stopped short when I threw him that question. The look on his face was enough to tell me everything.


    "Even so¡­"


    "I do," I cut him off. "I have a trump card."


    "Really?" Zhu Jiao sounded skeptical. I merely smiled reassuringly and went up the stairs, refusing to listen to any of his objections.

 60 Chapter 59: Interlude

    "Where could Fei Wu be?"


    Tang Qi Hong was growing frustrated, but she clamped down her emotions and looked around. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath.


    "And I hope Lian Rou and the others will be fine¡­"


    "They will be," Zhu Jiao assured her. "Each of us has a sexagenary of artificial qi. These demonic cultists don''t. In terms of sheer strength, we are definitely superior. We just need to be careful and not let our guard down."


    An explosion from outside caused the two of them to jump. Gulping, Zhu Jiao glanced outside a nearby window.


    "I hope Teacher Jiao will be all right."


    "Yeah," Tang Qi Hong agreed worriedly. "That Chinese Parasol Tree Sect elder seemed pretty strong. Even if Teacher Jiao has several sexagenaries of qi¡­"


    Another tremendous clash sent extreme reverberations throughout the creaking structure of the decrepit warehouse. It was clear that the crumbling building wouldn''t be able to withstand the collision between two titanic forces for long.


    Teacher Jiao and that Chinese Parasol Tree Sect elder are one thing, but we literally have two armies fighting outside¡­


    "We have to hurry," Zhu Jiao told Tang Qi Hong. "Our job is to find Fei Wu and get him out of here as quickly as possible. Let''s hurry."


    Tang Qi Hong frowned, but nodded. She wrung her hands anxiously.


    "The sooner we achieve that objective, the faster we can meet up with everyone else. They all should be heading for the same destination."


    "That''s right¡­"


    The two of them rounded a corner and headed toward the stairs. From their intelligence after asking a captured demonic martial artist was that poor me had been imprisoned in some basement that had been converted into a torture chamber. The last thing he had heard was that I was still alive, but his boss, Ba Yun, intended to devour my qi essence.


    If they wanted to save me, they had to hurry.


    "Downstairs!"


    Zhu Jiao was about to sprint forward when the ceiling blew apart. Lightning crackled as someone surged into the space, blasting the place apart and sending the two Wu Ling Academy students reeling back.


    "I knew you would be here."


    Qi Fu Ren grinned as he stepped into the broken corridor, occupying the staircase. Shaking his head in mock disappointment, he glanced at Zhu Jiao and Tang Qi Hong, who were rising to their feet and getting ready to do battle.


    "Boss!"


    "Leader!"


    A bunch of hooded Chinese Parasol Tree Sect underlings followed suit, dropping in behind Qi Fu Ren and flanking the bully. Qi Fu Ren waved them back impatiently without turning to face them, keeping his eyes on his former classmates instead.


    "What are you doing here?" Zhu Jiao demanded. "Why are you¡­?"


    "He¡­he''s part of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect," Tang Qi Hong realized in dread. "The people behind him are part of the sect, and they''re calling him a leader¡­"


    "Bingo!"


    Qi Fu Ren clapped slowly, grinning brightly.


    "Thanks to you guys causing my expulsion from both the White Tiger Sect and Wu Ling Academy, I was forced to throw everything in with this lot. But¡­I can''t say I hate it. In fact, the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect fits me far more than Wu Ling Academy ever did!"


    Both Zhu Jiao and Tang Qi Hong exchanged glances, but didn''t deny it. In fact, they rather agreed with Qi Fu Ren''s assessment. The bully was obviously far more at home in a demonic sect than an orthodox academy.


    "Here, as long as I have the strength, I can do whatever I like! Ha ha ha ha!"


    A chill ran down Tang Qi Hong''s back. "You¡­"


    "Ah¡­yes. You must be here for that trash, Fei Wu. It''s too late."


    Cackling madly, Qi Fu Ren charged forward and seized Tang Qi Hong by the throat. Lightning clashed with fire as Tang Qi Hong unleashed her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox technique to combat Qi Fu Ren''s Element of Thunder and Lightning. Okay, I stole that name from a Korean murim manhwa, I don''t know what the name of the White Tiger Sect''s lightning techniques were.


    The two of them crashed through the wall, but Tang Qi Hong managed to free herself from his grip and kicked him in the chin. While Qi Fu Ren recoiled, she jumped back to widen the distance between them and then injured a flaming spear. Spinning the flaming spear around elegantly, Tang Qi Hong slashed at the retreating Qi Fu Ren.


    "Hmph. You and I have a score to settle." An ugly grin was spreading over Qi Fu Ren''s roguish face. "If I recall correctly, you''re Fei Wu''s woman, aren''t you?"


    "W¡­w¡­w¡­what the hell are you talking about?!" Tang Qi Hong spluttered, and she overzealously struck at Qi Fu Ren as he jumped back with an amused laugh. "Where did you get such a weird idea from?!"


    "It''s pretty obvious from the way you cling to him!"


    "Was it?" Zhu Jiao, being the typical dense protagonist, didn''t seem to have noticed Tang Qi Hong''s affections at all. I couldn''t say I wasn''t aware, but I just wasn''t self-conscious enough to do something unless Tang Qi Hong actually took her own initiative and confirmed it herself. Because, you know, if everything was just me being overly self-conscious and delusional, then that would be one hell of an embarrassing mistake.


    Everything would just become pretty awkward.


    Besides, who said the guys had to make the first move? If the girl was interested, then she should take the initiative. Otherwise it was her loss. I was a firm advocate of gender equality, after all.


    "And since it was both you and that trash who drove me out of Wu Ling Academy, I guess I''ll start with you first."


    "!!"


    Tang Qi Hong barely managed to block Qi Fu Ren''s Lightning Fist, his attack being so much more powerful than before because he had sucked two sexagenaries'' worth of qi from his former underlings. With triple the amount of qi she possessed, Qi Fu Ren was overwhelming her with brute strength alone.


    "Tang Qi Hong!"


    Zhu Jiao jumped forward to help, activating his Golden Kirin Armor, but Qi Fu Ren''s new underlings intervened, placing themselves firmly between him and their leader. Kicking and punching, they drove Zhu Jiao back in a frenzied assault that send shockwaves reverberating through the sturdy field of yang qi.


    "Kuh!"


    "You guys, keep him off my back for a bit. Kill him if you can, or at least delay him until I finish this bitch off."


    "Yes, sir!"


    The bunch of underlings crowded Zhu Jiao, cutting him off from reinforcing Tang Qi Hong. She was on her own for now.


    However, that didn''t matter. Tang Qi Hong was determined to bring down Qi Fu Ren and finish him off once and for all, even if she had to do it on her own.


    "Haaaaah!"


    With a determined yell, Tang Qi Hong swung her blazing spear at Qi Fu Ren, but he blocked it with his arms that were wreathed in protective lightning before countering with a kick. Her reflexes honed to perfection, Tang Qi Hong elegantly dodged his next Lightning Punch, but Qi Fu Ren followed up with a massive Lightning Flash that tore open a hole in both the wall and the ceiling.


    "Aaaah!"


    Crying out, Tang Qi Hong found herself hurled through the large gape in the ceiling as the shockwaves from Qi Fu Ren''s enormous attack battered her. Flipping herself in the air, she landed on the rooftop and skidded backward.


    "Huff¡­!"


    "Ha ha ha ha!"


    Gripping the edges of the hole he had just carved into the ceiling, Qi Fu Ren hauled himself up and out onto the rooftop. His boots clacking against the crumbling concrete, he cracked his knuckles and drew closer to Tang Qi Hong.


    "You bastard¡­!"


    Gritting her teeth, Tang Qi Hong stabbed her blazing spear into the ground and raised both of her hands. A golden, fiery bow materialized in her hands and she launched nine flaming arrows at Qi Fu Ren. The fiery projectiles slammed into him with unerring accuracy and exploded, enveloping the rooftop in a blinding conflagration.


    "Kuh!"


    Smoldering heavily, Qi Fu Ren stumbled out of the inferno with a hacking cough. His lips curling into a snarl, he glared murderously at Tang Qi Hong. Surprise flickered through his dark eyes as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened.


    "Even with three times as much qi as you, I can still be hurt by your attacks? How shocking. I guess the decisive of a battle isn''t solely about the difference between the quantities of qi that the combatants have. I can''t afford to be careless."


    Tang Qi Hong replied with another volley of nine flaming arrows. This time, Qi Fu Ren punched them with his Lightning Fist, detonating them before they could unleash their full destructive effects upon his body.


    "!!"


    Tang Qi Hong involuntarily took a step back. Qi Fu Ren grinned, and then vanished.


    "?!"


    Instinctively, Tang Qi Hong dropped her bow on reflex and grabbed her spear. Yanking it out of the ground, she just barely managed to parry Qi Fu Ren''s Lightning Punch in time, but the impact was so tremendous she was lifted off her feet and sent skidding across the ground. While she fought to regain her balance, Qi Fu Ren seized the chance to deliver a second Lightning Punch.


    "Kuh!"


    Tang Qi Hong had no choice but to block that strike as well. However, being off balance, she was unable to prevent Qi Fu Ren from punching the spear out of her hand. Spinning rapidly and helplessly through the air, the flaming spear struck the ground and slowly vanished from material existence.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Cackling madly, Qi Fu Ren threw a third punch. Without her weapons, Tang Qi Hong was forced to cross her arms to defend from the blow, gathering her inner qi for a spiritual defense. Unfortunately, Qi Fu Ren had anticipated just that.


    "Thunder Break!"


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Tang Qi Hong screamed as the lightning coursed through her body, overwhelming her defenses and electrocuting her. Her body going into spasms, she toppled onto the floor, jerking and writhing. Qi Fu Ren ruthlessly kicked her, sending her flying across the rooftop.


    "It''s useless."


    Tang Qi Hong looked up tearfully, unable to respond as pain and electricity continued to wrack her body.


    "You see, Thunder Break is a technique that relies on purely yin qi, because opponents always use defensive yang qi to guard against Lightning Fist. So by only conjuring yin qi, I am able to counteract your yang qi completely, and with a direct hit, disrupt the flow of qi in your body and prevent you from using it for a while. Of course, the effects will differ depending on the user''s level of skill in using the technique, and the toughness of the opponent. But since I''ve perfected my skill and you''re three times weaker than me¡­"


    Snickering cruelly, Qi Fu Ren delivered a barrage of Lightning Punches that sent destructive shockwaves throughout Tang Qi Hong''s curled body.


    "AAAAH!"


    "He he he he he!"


    Giggling sinisterly, Qi Fu Ren bent down and straddled Tang Qi Hong, even as she tried to curl into a fetal position. Reaching out with both hands, he tore at her clothes, ripping the fabric and exposing some of her skin.


    "Y¡­y¡­you¡­what are you doing?!"


    Fear sketched across Tang Qi Hong''s face as she struggled futilely against his advances.


    "What does it look like I''m doing?"


    Qi Fu Ren licked his lips and chuckled hoarsely.


    "You''re Fei Wu''s girl, aren''t you?"


    "I¡­I¡­I don''t know what you''re talking about!"


    "No use being such a tsundere. Your feelings for him are as plain as day." Qi Fu Ren licked her cheek and she recoiled in horror. "I wonder, how would he feel when he realizes that I stole his girl from him?"


    "S¡­steal?"


    "You can''t possibly be that innocent, can you?!" Qi Fu Ren chortled as he tore at more of her clothes, trying to rip off her uniform jacket. The fabric, despite being made from material designed to withstand most martial artists'' attacks, was beginning to give way under the assault of someone who possessed three sexagenaries of qi.


    "NO!"


    Tang Qi Hong did understand the implications indeed and she kicked out desperately, trying to push Qi Fu Ren away. Unfortunately he was too strong. Never mind his physical prowess, he had three times the qi of hers.


    "Don''t worry. I heard that it only hurts at first."


    "NOOOO!!! Stop!"


    Tang Qi Hong wailed as her resistance intensified, but Qi Fu Ren would not be stopped. He continued to nuzzle against her neck.


    "I mean, it was that trash Fei Wu who caused me to lose my girl. He made me look like an idiot in front of my beloved Bai Ning Xue. Thanks to him, she''ll never look at me again. All because he humiliated me and made me look like a bad guy in front of her!"


    Gripping the fabric of her uniform jacket, he tore the enchanted threads loose. His eyes darted around, crazed in lust and vengeance.


    "It''s only fitting that I steal his girl from him after he robbed me of mine!"


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    Tang Qi Hong looked up at him, astonished. "You''re blaming Fei Wu for your own atrocities and abuse?"


    "The strong can do whatever they want!" Qi Fu Ren roared as he continued to strip away her ruined uniform jacket. "That''s the right of the strong! I am strong!"


    Shaking her head incredulously, Tang Qi Hong realized that Qi Fu Ren had totally lost it. She gritted her teeth and kicked him in the crotch as hard as she could, eliciting a high-pitched howl from her assailant.


    Clutching at his groin, Qi Fu Ren toppled over, shrieking. No matter how much more powerful he was than Tang Qi Hong, he was no match for a kick targeted right at one of his most vulnerable parts. Tang Qi Hong quickly seized the chance to crawl away.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    She had to escape from that rapist and put as much distance between them as possible. Perhaps get to where Zhu Jiao was and team up with him¡­


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Despite the debilitating agony, Qi Fu Ren had recovered just enough to pounce on her again. Tang Qi Hong hit the ground and rolled away, but Qi Fu Ren kicked her. The wind knocked out of her, Tang Qi Hong staggered, only to be struck by another Thunder Break.


    "AAAAH!"


    As her body convulsed from the electricity and toppled over, Qi Fu Ren sat astride her once more, pinning her to the ground.


    "You bitch¡­" he hissed. "After I make you mine, I''ll kill you. After I violate you to my heart''s content, I''ll fucking kill you! I''ll make sure that trash never reclaim you again."


    "N¡­no¡­!"


    Tang Qi Hong wept as she struggled, trying to kick at his groin again, but Qi Fu Ren pinned down her legs. She shuddered as she stared up at his lustful, violent eyes, turning pale from fright.


    Her former classmate no longer appeared human. He seemed more like a demon¡­a malevolent entity wearing the shape of a teenage boy.


    "W¡­what are you?" she whispered, tears glistening on her cheeks.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll send you to join your beloved Fei Wu soon." Ignoring her question, Qi Fu Ren shook his head slowly as he straightened up. "Still, I''m amazed that you lot tried to save him. It''s useless. I gave him to Ba Yun. He might be quite an evil bastard, but he''s one of the best torturers in the world. His techniques of slowly tormenting a person and breaking him down are simply topnotch. And once he gets sick of his new toy, he''ll just drain them of their qi essence¡­and two weeks are more than enough for him to tire of that rubbish. By now, that trash is surely dead."


    "You¡­!"


    Gritting her teeth, Tang Qi Hong glared at him, only for Qi Fu Ren to throw his head back and roared in laughter.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll send you to join him. You both can spend an eternity in hell together. And after that I''ll send Zhu Jiao and the others to accompany you guys."


    Guffawing in triumph, Qi Fu Ren threw down one last punch.


    "Please¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong squeezed her eyes tearfully and pleaded. Not to Qi Fu Ren, but to the heavens, to anyone.


    "Someone¡­please save me¡­"


    "No one''s going to save you!" Qi Fu Ren hollered as his devastating Lightning Punch drew closer to her.


    His fist never reached her head.


    My foot caught Qi Fu Ren in the face and I kicked him with all the strength I could muster by clashing the volatile pure innate qi in my body with the surrounding natural qi, causing an immense detonation that sent Qi Fu Ren spiraling helplessly in the air. Cartwheeling uncontrollably like a broken puppet, he crashed heavily onto the ground with a thunderous boom, carving a crater.

 61 Chapter 60: Vengeance

    "!"


    As I expected, a flare of golden lightning arced out of the crater, lancing forward in the form of a destructive bolt. Scooping Tang Qi Hong into my arms, I carried her before using a footwork technique to disappear.


    BOOM!


    The lightning bolt seared into the ground where Tang Qi Hong was lying on a few moments ago. Qi Fu Ren, that despicable bastard. Even when down, he wouldn''t miss an opportunity to fire off an attack at someone who was incapacitated.


    "The hero saving the beauty, eh?"


    Rising from the crater, Qi Fu Ren wiped blood from his mouth and glared at me with a fierce grin that was ruined by the bloodied swelling of his cheek. He spat a glob of blood and staggered toward me, his eyes hard.


    "Of course you''ll come to save your woman."


    "Fei Wu!"


    Tang Qi Hong was just as surprised as Qi Fu Ren to see me. Her eyes widened in incredulity as she studied me, and then she realized something was amiss.


    "You¡­what happened to you?!"


    "A lot," I replied curtly.


    "Don''t give me that! You¡­!"


    She needn''t had said anything. I knew far better than she did that I looked like hell. More because I actually felt like hell.


    Unfortunately, I had no time to rest. Not when there was one last enemy I needed to defeat first.


    No, not just defeat. I was going to end this once and for all. I was sick and tired of letting Qi Fu Ren run around freely, of allowing him free reign to hurt my friends and loved ones. One way or another, I was going to settle all my debts with him today.


    Ignoring Tang Qi Hong, I focused my hostile gaze on Qi Fu Ren, who looked more amused than intimidated.


    "Fei Wu!"


    Tang Qi Hong broke me out of the spell and I glanced down at her.


    "Right¡­sorry. Tang Qi Hong¡­you and Zhu Jiao¡­and Teacher Jiao, and all the others came here to save me."


    I lowered my head.


    "Thank you."


    "¡­Fei Wu¡­?"


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened in disbelief as she studied me, still unable to comprehend what was going on. Then she caught sight of the blood all over my hands and feet.


    "That''s not my blood," I assured her. "Well¡­most of it, anyway."


    Much of the blood that I bled had dried up long ago, so I wasn''t lying.


    "We¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong began, but she found herself at a loss for words. I didn''t let her continue. Instead, I interrupted her.


    "You''re hurt."


    "!"


    "I''m sorry¡­it''s all my fault."


    If they didn''t come to save me¡­if I had never gotten captured in the first place¡­then none of my classmates and my homeroom teacher would be hurt. None of them would ever be in danger to begin with.


    It was all my fault for being too weak.


    "No, wait! You¡­what about you?! What did they do to you?"


    "A lot," I replied curtly for the second time. A lightning bolt saved me from being reprimanded by Tang Qi Hong and I used Tui to evade the lethal bombardment of electricity that scorched the dull gray concrete black underneath my feet.


    "Fei Wu!"


    Zhu Jiao had just reached the rooftop too. I withdrew to his position and put the semiconscious Tang Qi Hong down as gently as I could.


    "I''m all right," I assured him, and then met his brown eyes steely. "Look after Tang Qi Hong for me, will you?"


    "O¡­okay!"


    Nodding gratefully, I used Jin and dashed toward Qi Fu Ren, taking him by surprise. He stopped hurling his lightning bolts around and focused his insane, murderous gaze upon me. Sighing in mock disappointment, he shook his head.


    "So you''re still alive, shitty trash."


    I shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint you."


    "You¡­" Qi Fu Ren narrowed his eyes, his stance growing slightly wary. "You seem to have changed. I don''t know what that bastard Ba Yun did to you, but you''re clearly a different person from before."


    He then snorted.


    "Well, that makes sense. If you didn''t change, you would be long dead at the hands of that psychotic bastard."


    "Look who''s talking," I retorted. "Your hands aren''t very clean. No, they''re stained with the blood of the innocent." Cocking my head, I then smiled faintly. "Or have you already forgotten all about poor Hu Shuo and Ba Dao?"


    "Shut up!"


    Hollering, Qi Fu Ren tossed an onslaught of lightning bolts at me. I easily weaved through them, using Jin to get in front of him.


    "Hah! Na?ve! I have three sexagenaries of qi! You have nothing compared to me¡­guh!"


    My Shadow Kick caught him in the chest, cutting off his speech and sending him careening across the rooftop.


    "Kuh! You¡­!"


    Rolling to his feet, Qi Fu Ren sought to counterattack, throwing a Lightning Punch at me. But I stepped to the side and twisted my ehad slightly out of the way before kicking his knee and causing him to stumble.


    "Fucker!"


    Qi Fu Ren retaliated with a sweep of his arm, lightning bursting fiercely out of it, but I bent my back and dodged it by a hair''s breadth. Using the momentum, I flipped myself up and rammed both legs against Qi Fu Ren, sending him spinning to the ground as blood spurted from his mouth. In a single, fluid motion, I jumped back up to my feet.


    "Stop dodging!!!"


    Bellowing in rage, Qi Fu Ren charged at me again, punching with his Lightning Fist. I easily dodged it and scoffed.


    "For someone with three sexagenaries of qi, you sure have a difficult time dealing with me, don''t you?"


    "Fucker! Shut up!"


    Qi Fu Ren roared and threw another punch that I effortlessly evaded. Hooking my leg around his ankle, I tripped him up and sent him sprawling on the ground.


    "Gah!"


    Before he could get up, I stomped on his back and unleashed Seismic Step. The ground beneath Qi Fu Ren''s body collapsed and both of us crashed through the warehouse, plunging into the depths below amidst falling rubble.


    "Fei Wu!"


    I could hear Zhu Jiao shouting to me from above, but I waved at him to back off.


    "Stay where you are!" I yelled back at him. "Take care of Tang Qi Hong!"


    "But¡­!"


    "Trust me, you don''t want to see this."


    "Huh?! What?!"


    I ignored him and showed him a thumb''s up sign.


    "Trust me."


    With that, I exerted more power into Seismic Step and sent Qi Fu Ren smashing through several levels of the warehouse. We smashed past the second level, then the first, and then kept going into the basement.


    BOOM!


    "UGH! ARGH!"


    Pinned beneath my foot, Qi Fu Ren writhed and flailed wildly, blood erupting from his mouth and wounds. Debris continued to rain about us, catastrophic damage dealt to the crumbling structure. I ignored a huge chunk of concrete, merely swinging my hand out and slicing it with my Ghost Shadow Sword technique before it could crush me.


    It just so happened that a particularly big piece from that chunk crashed onto Qi Fu Ren''s face, causing him to gag.


    "Kuh! Ugh!"


    Qi Fu Ren thrashed frantically, grabbing my foot and lifting it off his back. As expected of someone with three sexagenaries of qi¡­even though I was placing my full body weight and all of my strength into pinning him to the basement floor, he was still superior to me in terms of physical strength. This wasn''t a contest I could win.


    "I''ll kill you! You fucking bastard¡­I''ll kill you!"


    Qi Fu Ren bellowed impotently from beneath me, slowly but surely lifting my foot away from the small of his back. I merely looked down on him condescendingly before unleashing another Seismic Step that carved a crater into the ground, with Qi Fu Ren bearing most of the impact.


    "AAAAAAAAAARGH!"


    "You did always love stepping on other people," I remarked. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end of that now?"


    "FUCKER! I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"


    With a roar, Qi Fu Ren unleashed a desperate burst of Lightning Flash. Sensing the danger before he could fully execute his technique, I used a footwork technique and retreated as far back as I could, even as golden rays of lightning erupted from his body.


    BOOM!


    "Phew¡­that was dangerous."


    Despite putting as much distance as I could between myself and my opponent, I could still feel my skin tingling and my body going numb from the sheer volume of voltage that Qi Fu Ren discharged into the air.


    This guy is dangerous. I can''t afford to play around with him.


    Not that I ever intended to do that to begin with.


    Qi Fu Ren rushed forward to deliver a barrage of Lightning Punches that devastated the walls around us. Knowing that I could not afford to take a direct hit, I relied on evading his every attack, ducking under his cracking fists and avoiding his electricity.


    "Fight me if you''re a man!"


    "Uh¡­isn''t that what I''m already doing?" I muttered, trying my best to suppress the urge to roll my eyes.


    "Then stop dodging!"


    "And let you hit me?" I felt like we had this conversation before. Was this guy an idiot? He just never learned.


    Instead, I stopped trying to think of an innovative retort and responded with a roundhouse kick that struck the side of his head and caused him to stagger back. Despite putting my full strength behind that blow, Qi Fu Ren was merely fazed and not taken down.


    He has superior strength and endurance, but I''m just a tad faster than him¡­


    "You¡­you''re definitely different from before," Qi Fu Ren growled as his hand went up to his temple, and his fingers came away wet with blood. "What the hell happened to you down there, in Ba Yun''s basement?"


    "You should know. You were there most of the times."


    Not caring to elaborate, I jumped above Qi Fu Ren''s kick and then ducked under a punch before retaliating with a kick to his midriff. Qi Fu Ren was forced back one step, his body presumably throbbing from the blow, but he held firm.


    "No¡­"


    Qi Fu Ren''s eyes narrowed when he realized something was amiss. He aimed another Lightning Punch at me, but I easily dodged it.


    "What happened to Ba Yun? I find it difficult that he just let you out of his basement like that?" he glared at me suspiciously. "And the others were looking for him earlier because he wasn''t at his post. Where did he go?"


    I smiled thinly as I stepped back to avoid another Lightning Punch. "It''s as you suspected. He came to his basement to finish me off."


    Qi Fu Ren''s eyes widened when he understood the implications of my statement. For all of his faults, the cunning bully was not an idiot.


    "You¡­what did you do to him? I don''t believe you defeated him! That''s impossible!"


    "You can believe whatever you want," I replied coldly. "I have no obligation to convince you otherwise."


    "Fuck you!" Qi Fu Ren snarled. "There''s no way you could have defeated Ba Yun! Impossible! He was so much stronger than you!"


    "That''s what he thought too," I agreed while ducking under another punch. Raising my right hand, I suddenly activated my Ghost Shadow Sword, but this time, instead of merely freezing an ice sword, I imbued it with dark shadowy qi reminiscent of someone. The horror on Qi Fu Ren''s face told me instantly that he recognized it too.


    "That''s¡­"


    He staggered back when I slashed him with my newly improved Ghost Shadow Sword, unable to follow the movements of the dark blade. Blood spurted from his chest as he staggered back, his eyes still bulging in disbelief.


    "You¡­you didn''t just kill him¡­"


    "No," I agreed. "It would be a waste not to make use of his life."


    "You bastard¡­you actually sucked his qi?!" Qi Fu Ren gaped at me incredulously, looking as if he was believing that this whole thing was a nightmare. "No, there''s no way you can''t. When did you learn the Demonic Shadow Qi Movement technique?"


    I burst out laughing. "You call that cheap knockoff a qi absorption technique? Are you kidding me?" I met his punch squarely with my blade, causing more blood to spurt out of his knuckles. Twisting around, I grabbed hold of his arm and a ghost of a smile flickered over my face. "Let me demonstrate to you the real qi absorption technique."


    "!!!!!"


    Qi Fu Ren mouthed something speechlessly, utterly horrified, when he sensed his qi flowing from him into me. He struggled futilely, locking his qi flow and forcibly preventing it from going over. I had to hand it to him, but he was resilient.


    "W¡­what is this?! this is so much more powerful than the Demonic Shadow Qi Movement that Master Tuo Ta La taught me?!"


    Perspiration was flowing down Qi Fu Ren''s face in thick rivulets as he struggled to stem the flow and prevent his qi from leaking out. I frowned as I noted the difficulty I had in draining him of qi. Of course, Qi Fu Ren was on the worse end, but even so¡­


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    Right, it''s much easier to suck the qi of someone who was incapacitated than someone who''s still at fairly full strength.


    The reason why I could drain Ba Yun''s shadowy qi was because I had weakened him tremendously by beating him almost to the point of death. Similarly, Qi Fu Ren absorbed the qi of his lackeys surprisingly easily because he took them by surprise by seizing their throats and cutting off their airflow. If they were breathing normally and were on guard, he would never have succeeded in draining them of their qi.


    To increase the success of qi absorption, one had to weaken the target first, and bring him to the verge of death before the attempt.


    Otherwise¡­


    "Don''t underestimate me!!!!"


    With a roar, Qi Fu Ren suddenly released the lock on his qi flow and allowed a tremendous surge forward. Sensing danger, I quickly let go and raised my Ghost Shadow Sword to protect me. My instincts were spot on. Qi Fu Ren had gambled on a gigantic move and struck me with Lightning Flash at pointblank range.


    "Huff¡­"


    I skidded backward, my body fuming with acrid smoke as electricity danced about me. Dropping to my knees, I convulsed as the devastating electric currents ran across my body, rampaging and ravaging my inner systems.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    "Ha ha ha! I finally got a clean hit on you!"


    I tried to raise my Ghost Shadow Sword up to protect myself, but Qi Fu Ren shattered it with a lightning kick before punching my solar plexus with an enhanced Lightning Punch. I doubled over before the explosive crack of electricity lifted me off my feet and hurled me against the wall.


    "Kuh¡­"


    Coughing and wheezing, I tried to get to my feet. Snickering, Qi Fu Ren approached me in a slow and deliberate manner, confident in his victory.


    "I don''t know what tricks you used against Ba Yun, but I assure you, they will definitely not work on me."


    Stupid antagonist, getting overconfident as usual and thinking he had won even before the protagonist was killed. I had no idea when they would learn from their mistakes. Ignoring Qi Fu Ren''s jeering, I placed my hand on the ground.


    "Hah! It''s useless. I don''t know what you intend to do, but my Thunder Break has scrambled your qi circulation and disrupted your qi flow. There''s no way you can¡­"


    "HAH!"


    With a yell, I discharged the electricity in my body to the ground, ridding my system of the stunning effects. Rising before a stupefied Qi Fu Ren, I shook myself one final time to make sure the last of the lightning qi left my body.


    "You¡­that''s¡­"


    "You honestly think there''s no countermeasure against such a troublesome effect?" I shook my head. "Before fighting you, I made sure to do my homework."


    "H¡­how? You were locked up in Ba Yun''s basement for two weeks¡­!"


    I snorted. "I was already taking note of the White Tiger Sect techniques way before you guy captured me. The moment you escaped from Wu Ling Academy, I knew for sure that you would come find me again." I smiled. "At least that''s one instance where we think alike. You probably don''t know, but I hate you even more than you hate me."


    And I was going to take my revenge on him.


    "So what? It doesn''t matter if I don''t give you the opportunity to discharge my electric qi into the ground!"


    Qi Fu Ren glared at me defiantly before he lunged forward, his Lightning Fist reared back. I tried to dodge, but he suddenly twisted and aimed a kick at my head. I ducked that second attack on reflex, only to realize that it was a feint and his other Lightning Fist was barreling toward my solar plexus. Unable to evade in time, I crossed my arms and blocked it.


    "Hah!"


    Qi Fu Ren crowed as he unleashed his Thunder Break. Lightning exploded and the smell of singed flesh filled the air along with acrid smoke. Electricity danced about the floor and scorched the ground and I was sent skidding backward.


    "How do you like my Thunder Break?"


    "I don''t like it at all," I replied as I lowered my fuming arms. Qi Fu Ren merely snickered and launched himself at me before I could discharge the electricity into the ground.


    "Keep that smug visage up! I''ll hammer that attitude along with your face to hell!"


    Thinking that I was no longer able to use any techniques because he disrupted my qi with his Thunder Break, Qi Fu Ren threw another Lightning Punch.


    It never landed.


    "UGH!"


    A geyser of blood sprayed into the air and Qi Fu Ren recoiled, clutching his bleeding stump. His disembodied right arm crashed down a few meters away, red fluids leaking from a hole and spreading into a dark sea.


    "How¡­how¡­?!"


    Wailing, Qi Fu Ren stared in fear as I swung my Ghost Shadow Sword. Despite having taken his Thunder Break, I was still using my techniques as per normal, as if my qi flow hadn''t been disrupted.


    That was because it wasn''t disrupted.


    "Well, you were kind enough to explain your Thunder Break technique to Tang Qi Hong, and I just happened to be there to hear it."


    This was why people shouldn''t be stupid enough to show off and explain their techniques to their enemies. They might have thought they won, but they were actually giving away vital information, information that their opponents could use against them. In war, intelligence was everything. The side with more intelligence had a greater chance of victory.


    And every advantage counted.


    I had no intention of explaining to Qi Fu Ren that, because his Thunder Break was created purely using yin qi to counteract the opponent''s defense materialized from yang qi, it wouldn''t work if I chose to form my inner qi defenses using yin qi instead. And being a demonic sect member, I had an abundance of yin qi.


    "Impossible, impossible, impossible!"


    Qi Fu Ren was spluttering as he tried to back away from me, unable to comprehend what had just transpired.


    "I''m the strong one! The strong has the right to do whatever he wants! The strong rule over the weak! And I''m strong!"


    I took another step forward.


    "How is this happening!? This is impossible, impossible, impossible! The strong has the right to rule! I can''t possibly be defeated!"


    I was sick of listening to his ranting, so I used Jin and dashed forward. Swinging my Ghost Shadow Sword, I sought to behead him, but Qi Fu Ren had one last display of defiance left in him. Roaring in fury, he swung his left arm forward and unleashed Lightning Flash.


    Black and golden waves of qi clashed and collided against each other, tearing the interior of the basement apart and blasting walls into debris. What was left of the ceiling crumbled and began to rain down on us.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­huff¡­"


    Qi Fu Ren was perspiring profusely as he held the Ghost Shadow Sword in my right hand at bay with his Lightning Flash. Seeing that he was overpowering me with sheer amount of qi, his lips curled into a feral grin.


    "Hah! I knew it! I''m stronger than you after all!"


    I didn''t deny that. Qi Fu Ren possessed three sexagenaries of qi compared to my¡­few years'' worth of qi. Even if I factored the two or three decades worth of qi that Ba Yun cultivated and stole throughout his lifetime, it was merely a fraction of the quantity Qi Fu Ren wielded. In a battle of strength, there was no way I could win.


    But I never planned on fighting Qi Fu Ren head-on, at least not without a cunning stratagem to back me up.


    My left hand darted forward, a second Ghost Shadow Sword materializing in it and scything toward Qi Fu Ren. My opponent''s eyes bulged and he sought to block it¡­only to realize that he was missing his other arm.


    "AH!"


    With a scream he tore away, desperate to avoid the killing blow. He succeeded in dodging the second Ghost Shadow Sword, but at a cost. While his eyes were transfixed on the Ghost Shadow Sword in my left hand, I struck out with the first in my right and amputated his remaining arm right above the elbow, sending the limb cartwheeling through the air in a spray of blood.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"


    Howling, Qi Fu Ren dropped to his knees, flailing helplessly without both arms. He stared at me imploringly, his mouth moving to beg for his life, but I didn''t make the mistake of heeding him. I had let him go several times too many.


    And every single time, he came back to haunt me¡­to hurt my friends and loved ones, to try and take his "revenge" on me for not allowing him to bully me.


    I had enough of his bullshit.


    Scissoring his neck with both my Ghost Shadow Swords, I beheaded him in a single stroke, sending his head flying off his shoulders. Qi Fu Ren''s head struck the ground and rolled for a few moments before finally coming to a stop his face kissing the dirt.


    Good. I didn''t want to see his face ever again.


    With emphasis on my hatred, I stomped on his skull, flattening it and squashing the brain matter into nothingness. Leaving the bloody mess behind, I turned and began to make my way out of the collapsing basement.


    "¡­!"


    I didn''t manage to get far. From the opposite direction, about a hundred hooded figures rushed toward me. They were sprinting in my direction, casting anxious looks over their shoulders and shouting to each other over something.


    "Retreat!"


    "Fall back!"


    "Get to the underground tunnels and then seal the exits! We need to get away from these Martial Artist Alliance bastards!"


    Evidently the battle outside had reached a tipping point and had turned sour for the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect. realizing that they couldn''t win and that they were in danger of being wiped out, the surviving members of the demonic sect had fled to the basement, seeking to use the underground tunnels to escape their pursuers.


    And unfortunately for them, I just happened to be in their way.


    "That''s¡­!"


    The vanguard of the fleeing Chinese Parasol Tree Sect skidded to a stop, their leader staring at me from behind his mask.


    "Who¡­?!"


    "Isn''t he Leader Ba Yun''s prisoner?"


    "Eh? The toy Ba Yun captured for torturing?"


    "What is he doing here?"


    Then one of them spotted Qi Fu Ren''s headless body. Even without his head, they recognized his muscular physique and stylish clothes.


    "That''s¡­!"


    "Isn''t that Leader Qi Fu Ren?!"


    "Don''t tell me¡­this brat killed Qi Fu Ren?"


    While some of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members regarded me with fear, most others glared at me hatefully. I met their gaze evenly, hating their guts even more than they hated me, especially after the hellish experiences they put me through.


    I wasn''t going to let even one of them get past me alive. I was going to exterminate them all, so as to prevent them from ever threatening the Great Zhou Empire again, and in effect my family and friends.


    "What''s with this person?"


    "Careful! If he defeated Qi Fu Ren, then he must be no ordinary martial artist!"


    "Did he¡­did he defeat Ba Yun as well? Is that why Ba Yun never showed up?"


    "¡­that''s¡­!"


    A murmur of unease swept across the hooded figures, and some even faltered, taking several steps back. However, the leader stepped in front to lead them by example.


    "Don''t be afraid!" he hollered. "There''s only one of him, and over a hundred of us! No matter how strong he is, there''s no way he can beat all of us!"


    Even though there was some hesitation, his words spurred the majority into action. More of them nodded and stepped forward, showing some sort of solidarity.


    "That''s right, that''s right!"


    "If we stand together, there''s no way we''ll lose to a single guy!"


    "Let''s take revenge for Leaders Ba Yun and Qi Fu Ren!"


    "For the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect!"

 62 Chapter 61: Aftermath

    "Don''t let them escape!"


    "I saw them go this way!"


    The orthodox martial artists of the Imperial Guard chased down the fleeing stragglers of the now decimated Chinese Tree Parasol Sect. having exterminated approximately 98 percent of the demonic sect, they proceeded to hunt down the survivors.


    One detachment was hurtling down the basement, intent on flushing them out, when they stumbled upon me. I was holding the last of the small group of demonic martial artists who encountered me during their escape, draining the last dregs of their qi, when they came to a screeching halt to stare at me in disbelief.


    I silently let go of my victims and turned to face them.


    "Hands up!" One of the martial artists ¨C a commander, judging from the lapels on his military uniform ¨C shouted, pointing his sword at me. Seeing that they were from the Martial Arts Alliance, I complied and raised both my hands up.


    "Hey, wait, isn''t that a kid?"


    "What''s a kid doing here?"


    "And he looks¡­hurt¡­"


    "But earlier, he was¡­"


    The orthodox martial artists were staring at my bloodstained clothes ¨C most of it was not mine, but I did sustain injuries earlier, especially when fighting the likes of Ba Yun and Qi Fu Ren. But my wounds had healed after I sucked the qi from over a hundred enemies.


    "They attacked me," I spoke up. "I was only fighting back."


    The orthodox martial artists went still for a moment, then the Imperial Guard commander glanced at the corpses of my victims.


    "Those are indeed the bodies of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect rogues¡­" he acknowledged, looking unsure.


    "You did all this?"


    "¡­yeah."


    The Imperial Guardsmen looked at me skeptically, but I had no reason to lie. If they didn''t believe me, that was their prerogative. I had no obligation to convince them.


    "Wait," the Imperial Guard commander ordered, keeping his sword pointed at me. "Keep your hands up."


    The rest of the orthodox martial artists remained wary of me, their weapons held in defensive stance. Their commander studied the bodies of my victims and frowned.


    "The way these Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members were killed¡­they seemed to be killed by a demonic technique." He turned to stare at me. "And you''re the one who killed them, correct?"


    "I told you, they attacked me." I tried to keep the irritation out of my voice. "I fought back in self-defense."


    "So you''re a demonic martial artist!"


    I shrugged. "Depends on how you define demonic."


    "Kill him!"


    "Ugh?!"


    The commander looked bewildered as he stared at his disembodied bottom half before his top half toppled onto the floor. His subordinates jumped back, completely caught off guard by the new assailant. Spinning around, they gaped at An Dou.


    That''s¡­


    Swallowing, I kept my cautious gaze on one of the leaders of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect, but he was paying no attention to me. Instead, he disappeared from the corner and reappeared in the midst of the surprised orthodox martial artists. The group of orthodox martial artists immediately assumed defensive stances, but it wasn''t enough.


    "Ugh!"


    "AAAAH!"


    Blood splattered and limbs flew as An Dou butchered the soldiers of the Martial Arts Alliance. They struggled to fight, but they were no match for him.


    "That''s a Chinese Parasol Tree Sect elder!"


    "He''s too powerful!"


    "Fall back! Retreat!"


    Broken and taken apart by just a single demonic martial artist, the morale of the orthodox martial artists collapsed as they watched their comrades massacred. As much as I was supposed to be on their side, I couldn''t feel sorry for them. After all, despite supposedly being the paragons of justice, they were about to kill me just because they judged my techniques as demonic. Even though I didn''t attack or provoke them.


    I wondered just who was the real demon here.


    As the orthodox martial artists fell, An Dou turned to face me. He noticed Qi Fu Ren''s headless corpse nearby.


    "You¡­you''re the one who killed all my fellow sect members here?"


    There was no point denying it. It was clear that An Dou knew the truth, so I merely nodded wordlessly.


    An Dou narrowed his eyes, and then raised his sword and flail. The former was in his right hand and the latter was gripped tightly in his left hand. An Dou had quite a unique fighting style, combining his swordsmanship with lethal whips of his spiked flail.


    "Don''t blame me for avenging my comrades'' deaths."


    I had no intention to blame him for anything. I merely nodded again and raised both hands to freeze the water vapor in the air into twin ice swords. However, nothing happened. Instead, I dropped to a knee.


    "?!"


    My inner qi was churning ferociously within my body, swirling like an untamable whirlpool. The massive amount of qi refused to obey me, instead clashing with my innate qi in a mutinous manner and refusing to be integrated.


    Ah¡­I see¡­the elemental affinity and essence of qi that I absorbed from over a hundred Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members are very different from mine.


    Not only did I absorbed an excessive amount of qi that threatened to overload my qi circulatory system, I needed a huge amount of time to assimilate all the qi I had just absorbed. A "digestion" period, to put it simply. Unlike Ba Yun''s qi, which was fully compatible with mine because he used similar techniques and had the same elemental affinity, the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members possessed vastly varied skills. Just like Qi Fu Ren, who used lightning techniques from the White Tiger Sect, the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect seemed to be an amalgamation of rogue martial artists who either broke away or were exiled away from their original sects, and came together to take revenge on the Martial Arts Alliance who ousted them.


    Meaning that not everyone used the same Demonic Shadow techniques that Ba Yun used, and they used from fire to lightning to earth to wood techniques, or their variants. That meant it was impossible for me to fully assimilate their qi the same way I did for Ba Yun''s qi.


    Furthermore, I had absorbed and stole a hundred cultivators'' worth of qi. No matter how I looked at it, I was going to require a very long time ¨C it wouldn''t surprise me if I needed many months or even years ¨C to assimilate all that qi.


    This is one of the weaknesses of Qi Absorption techniques, I realized in resignation. There''s a period of vulnerability where I can''t use any of my techniques because I''m unable to integrate and assimilate all the newly absorbed qi, and they''re interfering and hampering my ability to channel my qi and materialize them into techniques.


    Worse, I was actually in deep danger. Normally, no ordinary mortal could withstand absorbing such an avalanche of qi within such a short time. If I didn''t quickly assimilate the qi I had just sucked from over a hundred cultivators, the overabundance of qi would overload my system and rupture my qi channels, causing me to implode from the inside out. To put it simply, I would die a grisly death from my greed.


    An Dou did not seem all that sympathetic, and he was actually relishing the window of opportunity that my blunder provided him.


    "¡­"


    Even so, I wasn''t going down without a fight. Taking a deep breath, I adopted a defensive stance. Even without qi and the ability to use martial arts techniques, I was going to find a way to survive this battle. I had survived Ba Yun''s torture and attacks. I had prevailed over Qi Fu Ren''s bullying and abuse. I was going to overcome this new challenge as well.


    An Dou punched at me, black dragons made completely of qi coiling around his arms. He meant to punch me, and I tried to dodge it. However, without my qi, I couldn''t use any footwork techniques or follow An Dou''s movements. The black dragons surged toward me, their deadly jaws wide open as if to clamp down on my flesh.


    An Dou''s fist never reached me.


    Boom!


    I was buffeted my shockwaves as two tremendous forces collided. Shielding myself, I caught sight of Teacher Jiao standing in front of me. He had caught An Dou''s fist before it struck me, completely stopping the blow.


    "You¡­!"


    An Dou''s eyes widened when he saw Teacher Jiao. Teacher Jiao merely smiled briefly before countering with a powerful flaming fist that detonated against An Dou''s chest. The latter spewed blood as he was hurled across the air, his body scorched by the intense heat.


    "I won''t let you harm any of my students," Teacher Jiao declared.


    "¡­"


    The demonic martial artist glared at Teacher Jiao for a moment, and then backed off. He then snickered as he cast a glance at me.


    "Really? Your student over there will most probably die. He did quite the stupid thing."


    "What are you talking about?" Teacher Jiao glared at An Dou. The latter merely laughed loudly as he continued to withdraw.


    "He absorbed over a hundred martial artists'' qi. The avalanche of qi will kill him eventually. Looks like he got too greedy!"


    "¡­"


    Closing my eyes briefly, I then stood up and took a step forward. Clenching my fists, I got ready to retaliate against that smirking villain.


    "Fei Wu."


    Teacher Jiao placed a firm hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me back.


    "You''ve done enough. Rest."


    "But I haven''t defeated all the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members yet."


    I continued to keep my eyes on the retreating An Dou. I was burning with vengeance against these bastards. They made me suffer. They caused me excruciating pain and almost killed me. Ba Yun, Qi Fu Ren and even Tuo Ta La. The rest might not have a direct hand in my suffering, but they stood by and approved of the main culprits'' sadistic behavior. By that, they were involved and implicated in my torture, whether they actively tormented me or not.


    "You can leave that to us. You have done more than enough. You''ve done very well, in fact, and made Wu Ling Academy proud."


    "By getting captured and tortured?" I snorted. "No way."


    "You survived," Teacher Jiao corrected simply. "And you defeated a large portion of their sect by yourself. Any more and you''ll burn yourself up. You''re no longer in any shape to fight, so you should just rest. Just believe in us and leave the rest to the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "No longer in any shape to fight¡­?"


    I realized my legs were shaking uncontrollably. Unable to stand any longer, I dropped to a sitting position while the qi raged inside my body. My vision blurred and I swayed, growing feverish. That was right. The warring seas of qi within my body was wreaking havoc on my system and causing my internal organs to overheat.


    "Just rest there and watch. I promise you, we''ll destroy the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect."


    With that, Teacher Jiao used Jin, one of the footwork techniques he taught me, and suddenly appeared in front of a stunned An Dou. An Dou tried to defend himself with his sword and flail, but Teacher Jiao sliced through both weapons with his spear, and then kicked him in the chest, breaking the demonic martial artist''s ribcage. While An Dou doubled over, coughing blood, Teacher Jiao beheaded him with a swipe of his spear.


    I watched the brutal carnage through hazy eyes before I finally kneeled over and completely lost consciousness. As I blacked out, I vaguely heard Zhu Jiao and Tang Qi Hong calling out to me from a distance as they finally descended to my position.


    The next thing I knew, when I woke up, I was in the infirmary. Blinking my eyes groggily, I reached out for my glasses, then realized that they had been destroyed by Ba Yun. I hadn''t worn any glasses for over two weeks now.


    When did I¡­?


    The Martial Arts Alliance must have brought me back to Wu Ling Academy while I was unconscious. Just as well. After spending two weeks being strapped to a chair and tortured, it was a relief to find myself waking up on a bed.


    "Fei Wu!"


    Turning around, I caught sight of Tang Qi Hong, Zhu Jiao, Ban Zhang and Tong Xue entering the room. Tang Qi Hong was rushing in, closely followed by Zhu Jiao, while Ban Zhang and Tong Xue hung at the back, joined a few seconds later by Lian Rou.


    "Hey, guys." I waved at them. "Sorry to make you worry."


    "That''s right!" Tang Qi Hong snapped at me. "What were you thinking, pulling a stunt like that?"


    "I wasn''t thinking, actually," I admitted. "Just wanted to save the villagers from being attacked by those bastards."


    "Well, you certainly succeeded in saving them," Zhu Jiao assured me with a smile. "They came looking for us, begging us to save you."


    "They did?" I looked at him in wonder. Lu Shun, Old Man Yi and the others must have gone through a perilous journey in order to reach Wu Ling Academy. "How are they now? Are they all right? Where are they staying?"


    "They''re fine," Tong Xue informed me. "Martial City has provided them and the other village refugees shelter and accommodations. They''re going to try and integrate them into the city and find them jobs. We''ll bring you to visit them when you get better."


    "Thanks."


    "Still, that was a very reckless thing you did," Ban Zhang told me disapprovingly. "I mean, what you did was noble and all, but you almost got yourself killed!"


    "But I saved the villagers."


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    "That you did," Lian Rou agreed quietly.


    With not much stuff left to say, I asked them about what happened over the past two weeks while I wasn''t in school. There didn''t seem to be much, which was a relief. I nodded as I listened, but I wasn''t paying much attention to the conversation.


    My mind was somewhere far away.


    "Ah, good to see that you''re finally awake."


    After some casual conversations, Teacher Jiao strolled into the room beside Teacher Yi. Apparently the latter had called the former when she saw that I was awake, but she decided to leave me to my friends instead of checking on me.


    Most likely because she knew that I was beyond medical help. I wasn''t injured in any sense of the word, but my situation was¡­still perilous.


    Catching the look on Teacher Yi''s face, Teacher Jiao turned somber. He glanced at the other students in the infirmary.


    "If you don''t mind, Teacher Yi and I would like to have a word with Fei Wu."


    "Eh?"


    "Okay¡­"


    "All right."


    My five friends gave me one last look, and then exchanged glances. Zhu Jiao patted my shoulder reassuringly, then they complied and left the infirmary. Once they were gone and out of earshot, both teachers turned to race me.


    "You realize what sort of condition you''re in, right?" Teacher Yi asked quietly.


    "Eh? What do you mean?"


    "You seriously don''t know?"


    Teacher Yi frowned in concern. Teacher Jiao stepped forward and placed a comforting arm on her shoulder, and she took a deep breath.


    "You know you will die if you keep this up, don''t you?"


    "Keep what up?"


    "You absorbed the qi from over a hundred cultivators, didn''t you?" This time, it was Teacher Jiao who spoke up. He watched me carefully, and I nodded.


    "That''s foolish of you!" Teacher Yi reprimanded me sharply. "Don''t you realize how dangerous that is?! That excessive amount of qi will kill you!"


    "Unless I assimilate all the qi," I replied. Both teachers stopped and stared at me.


    "You¡­what do you mean?"


    "I mean what I mean. All I have to do is assimilate the qi." I shrugged. "The lab couldn''t customize the appropriate qi for me, but I found a way around it. Don''t worry," I added when I saw their perplexed and half-shocked expressions. "I don''t intend to go around sucking qi from everyone. Just those who try to kill me, and even then¡­I don''t want to do it too often. As you can see, it has enormous drawbacks."


    "That''s right. It''s too dangerous!"


    Teacher Yi nodded fervently. Teacher Jiao hesitated before concurring.


    "Even if you do it, make sure you do it in moderation, and not absorbing over a hundred cultivators'' qi in one go."


    "Sure."


    "Still¡­" Teacher Yi looked a little troubled. "How are we going to cover this up? Student Fei Wu won''t be able to use his qi for a long time. Will the school kick him out?"


    "I''ll talk to Principal Xiao," Teacher Jiao offered, but he looked uncertain of himself. "I''ll convince him to give Student Fei Wu a chance."


    "But he''ll notice the changes, won''t he?" Teacher Yi sounded worried. "He''ll realize that Student Fei Wu is unable to use his qi. What if he¡­?"


    "I won''t let the principal kick Student Fei Wu out of the school. I''ll try to explain everything to him." Teacher Jiao looked determined, but then he blinked in dismay when he realized that something was amiss.


    Teacher Yi seemed to notice it too, and she shook her head.


    "Are you seriously going to tell Principal Xiao that Student Fei Wu went and absorbed over a hundred cultivators'' qi?"


    "¡­good point."


    Teacher Jiao also realized that it was not a good idea to inform the principal of Wu Ling Academy ¨C one of the Martial Arts Alliance''s premier schools ¨C that one of the students had resorted to using demonic martial arts. Even if it was to survive.


    "Then what should we do?" I asked, but honestly I couldn''t be bothered. I had just survived hell on earth. Getting kicked out of the academy was no big deal. I would find some other way to survive, as I did during my stay in Ba Yun''s torture chamber.


    Teacher Jiao frowned as he contemplated. He glanced at Teacher Yi before he offered the plan he was formulating in mind.


    "Nothing. I''ll speak to Principal Xiao and negotiate for some time. I''m sure I''ll be able to bargain for at least a few months. You did survive the clutches of a demonic sect and even defeated over a hundred cultivators. And we found signs that you defeated not only the traitor Qi Fu Ren, but also one of the leaders of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect, Ba Yun."


    "How do you know that?" I demanded. I didn''t remember telling anyone about that, at least not anyone from Wu Ling Academy.


    "Your qi was all over the room. And the wounds on Ba Yun¡­they were done by your Ghost Shadow Sword." Teacher Jiao looked as if he wanted to say that it was useless for me to deny it when they had overwhelming evidence. I didn''t.


    "Is that true?" Teacher Yi asked, skeptical because she wasn''t on the scene. I sighed and nodded reluctantly.


    "Yeah. He tortured me and tried to kill me, so I slew him in self-defense."


    "You did more than slay him, didn''t you?" Teacher Jiao studied me. "You absorbed his qi. His dantian was ripped out and his corpse resembled the hundred or so cultivators that you exterminated in the basement."


    "Yeah."


    There was no point denying it. I was already prepared for the consequences. At that time, I wasn''t even thinking about the consequences, to be honest, but having been through such a hellish experience I wasn''t in a position to worry about the aftermath. I was more invested in surviving, even if it meant resorting to "demonic" martial arts.


    "Does anyone know about this?" Teacher Yi asked worriedly. Teacher Jiao shook his head.


    "I didn''t inform the Imperial Guard. Besides, it''s not as if the Martial Arts Alliance know what kind of qi that Student Fei Wu possesses. They''re not as familiar with him as I am. They probably assumed there was some sort of infighting."


    I recalled how the orthodox martial artists, the so-called good guys, attacked and tried to kill me just because they assumed I used a "demonic" martial arts technique. Despite me informing them plainly that it was done in self-defense.


    There was no reason to trust them, and I was glad that Teacher Jiao didn''t provide them the information regarding me.


    "So for now this info is only between us." Teacher Yi nodded. "Let''s keep it that way."


    "Yeah¡­"


    Teacher Jiao didn''t manage to finish his sentence when the door to the infirmary opened. Xiao Zhang strode in with a somber expression.


    "Principal Xiao! Wait¡­!"


    Teacher Jiao tried to stop him and explain, but Principal Xiao waved him off. He stopped by my bed and stared at me. For a few seconds, no one said anything.


    Then the principal of Wu Ling Academy nodded.


    "How long will you need?" he asked me quietly. I scratched my head and pondered for a bit, and then straightened up.


    "About two years."


    "Good." Principal Xiao nodded curtly and turned away. "You have two years. After that, you''ll have to prove to me that my faith in you was not misplaced."

 63 Chapter 62: Crimson Lava Frui

    It was just before spring, somewhere in the twilight of winter. I had recently turned sixteen and entered the high school division not too long ago, which brought about a lot of changes. Not so much as far as I was concerned, because I didn''t benefit much from the rise to high school. My theoretical knowledge remained as solid as ever, thanks to me building up a strong foundation with my diligent attitude, but as for martial arts¡­


    "¡­not yet, huh?"


    For some reason, even though I had finally assimilated all that qi I absorbed from over a hundred cultivators, I didn''t feel ready. I should be able to use my qi techniques now, but after almost two years of being unable to use them, I had grown rusty. It would take me a couple of months of practice to get used to using them again.


    Raising a hand, I punched the air while unleashing my qi. The training facility, which wasn''t all that different from the middle school division''s, withstood the blast from my fist, but the reinforced walls still shuddered from the tremendous impact. Even after two years of not using qi, I could tell that I had gotten considerably stronger.


    The question is whether I''ve managed to catch up with my peers¡­


    While I spent all this time assimilating and integrating all the qi I had absorbed into myself, my classmates and schoolmates continued to develop their martial arts. As they grew stronger, they were provided more artificial qi, and most of the high school students by now possessed at least two sexagenaries of qi. The stronger ones were rewarded with three sexagenaries of qi ¨C and these were the top students, the strongest martial artists in our cohort.


    While I was struggling with my own personal problems and spent the majority of my time in isolation training, my peers had surged ahead toward the heavens. I heard the strongest nine or so were now student council members or something.


    What was it with student council members in these kind of stories always being composed of the strongest students in school? Like, seriously, being a student council member and organizing events or governing the student body had absolutely nothing to do with one''s strength. It should be charisma, leadership skills and perhaps administrative ability.


    Not¡­winning a fight against others and having more qi¡­


    In any case, I had no interest in joining the student council, so that suited me fine. I had more important things to worry about.


    Time for another mission¡­


    "Ninety-nine gold coins¡­"


    So I only needed one more gold coin. That shouldn''t be difficult. Just one more one star mission and I would obtain the amount necessary to purchase the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword manual. Then I would finally be able to learn proper swordsmanship. Relying on my self-created Ghost Shadow Sword would not be optimal.


    "All right, let''s do this then."


    Leaving the training facility, I returned to my room and consulted the tablet built into the desk that was provided. Picking a mission, I then proceeded to prepare for it. Fortunately, there wasn''t much stuff I needed for a herb-gathering mission.


    As I left the dormitory room, I noticed that there weren''t many students hanging around. Apparently the holidays were just beginning, and the majority of the students had gone home. I would probably leave in a couple of days to spend time with my family as well. It had been a while since I paid them a visit.


    Furthermore, Lunar New Year was coming, so I was obligated to spend the New Year with them, particularly the Reunion Dinner on New Year''s Eve. Besides, I had no reason to stick around in Wu Ling Academy, all alone. My relationship with my family was great, and I was actually happy I still had one, as opposed to the clich¨¦ orphans who made up most wuxia protagonists¡­I mean, who made up a good number of the students in my school.


    But first, let''s get this mission done, and buy the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword manual, and learn those techniques over the New Year holidays!


    With that in mind, I proceeded to the outskirts of Wu Ling Academy. The mission this time dictated that they wanted the Crimson Lava Fruit from Tushan, so I headed there. Apparently it was a small mountain range with rich, luxurious verdant plains and a vast variety of plants, trees and herbs. A beautiful place, probably the most beautiful in all of the Middle Continent. Despite being officially under the Great Zhou Empire, Tushan was allowed its autonomy, and pretty much operated independently as its own kingdom.


    One of the ways to get there was by sea, since it was pretty far to the east, but from Martial City, it was an easy ride there by train and then bus. So I took public transport after registering for the mission and headed there.


    "..."


    There wasn''t many humans roaming the forest surrounding Tushan. The forest wasn''t very dense, but resembled more like a meadow, but that did not exclude powerful magical beasts from staking out their territory there. The bus dropped me off at a stop just outside the nearest town, and I had to make a long walk there.


    I''ve to be careful of the magical beasts, though¡­


    The magical beasts seemed fairly strong, and with me still being rusty with my martial arts after spending the last two years assimilating qi instead of practicing them, I preferred to avoid combat with them if necessary. After all, that was why I took a herb-gathering mission in the first place. Otherwise, I might as well apply for a combat mission.


    Despite the lack of cultivation, I did invest a lot of time into purifying the qi I did succeed in assimilating, which would make Master proud. Furthermore, I did not neglect my physical training. The body was a vessel or container for inner qi, and the more qi I had, the more necessary it was for me to strengthen my body physically, or I would be unable to contain it.


    Even so, it would be suicidal to fight demonic creatures and magical beasts so soon after I had finally finished assimilating and purifying all that amount of qi. I needed to get my reflexes and techniques back up to scratch before I started throwing any punches around, or I would be the one getting my ass kicked.


    "Where''s the Crimson Lava Fruit?"


    First, I had to find the Crimson Lava Fruit. According to the encyclopedia on mystical plants and magic herbs that I had read, the Crimson Lava Fruit was found on a Crimson Lava Tree. How creative.


    The problem was that the Crimson Lava Tree I eventually located was being guarded by a sleeping Lava Salamander.


    Okay, that''s not good.


    The Lava Salamander was a large, crocodile-sized creature that resembled a dragon. Covered from head to tail in crimson armored scales, it was a tough opponent to crack. Not to mention, it was capable of breathing fire hot enough to incinerate a poor middle school martial artist to ash. Even though I was now a high school student, I wasn''t confident that I could somehow survive a direct flame attack from the high-ranking magical beast.


    Pushing my glasses up my nose, I inhaled deeply as I studied the dozing enemy. After the incident with the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect, I had approached the Bureau of Spirit Engraved Armaments and procured myself a new pair of glasses. Even though I no longer suffered from myopia and thus didn''t need the new glasses, I didn''t feel myself without them, so I got myself a pair regardless. Besides, I requested for a few "improvements" that would help me in fighting, so it was worth the ten gold coins I paid for them.


    That was partly the reason why I didn''t have enough gold coins for the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword manual despite taking missions regularly over the last two years (or slightly less than two years, but you get my point). I was spending too much money on pointless stuff. Well, pointless to others, but not to me.


    My lenses flared as they tracked the Lava Salamander''s movements, estimating the amount of qi it was emanating, which showed up in a vision slightly similar to infrared. Readings and meters flickered at the sides, much like the head''s up display in a game. I paid them no attention, because I wasn''t the type to believe that qi or strength could be quantified, but the patterns were what I found important. If the numbers spiked, it meant that the Lava Salamander intended to attack.


    Right now, the numbers remained constant, so there was no danger of being assaulted.


    The pulse seems fine¡­the blood pressure seems normal¡­


    I had no idea why the spirit engravers who designed my glasses added such functions, but they proved to be useful, especially when I had to participate in many missions such as these where my goal was to avoid magical beasts rather than hunt them.


    Besides, it would be a waste to slay these magnificent beasts. Having suffering tremendously at the hands of Ba Yun and Qi Fu Ren, and almost losing my life at the hands of those demonic martial artists, I found that I appreciated life a lot more.


    Taking a deep breath, I slowly crept toward the Lava Salamander. Doing my best not to wake it, I tiptoed around the Lava Salamander and was relieved when I finally reached the tree. Good, half of the job was done so far.


    Climbing atop a root, I nimbly jumped to a branch and caught it. Swinging heavily from the thick branch, I hauled myself up in a single movement and then forced myself to maintain my balance on the narrow walkway. Gulping, I then carefully made my way to the leafy portion of the branch, which was right at the end of the branch.


    There, a few Crimson Lava Fruits hung, emanating dense yang qi. I could feel the temperature rise as I ventured nearer, their intense yang qi combusting into fiery energy that shrouded their immediate surroundings in a hazy mirage. Gathering my icy, cool qi to protect myself from the immense heat, I reached out and snagged one of the Crimson Lava Fruits.


    "Phew¡­"


    Finally allowing myself to exhale, I plucked the Crimson Lava Fruit and cautiously placed it in my bag. Snapping the satchel shut, I then slowly backed away. I had no intention of taking a second or so Crimson Lava Fruit. From personal experience, I knew how greed would be my undoing. The amount of fiery qi that the Crimson Lava Fruit exuded was already overwhelming. Trying to bear two of them on my person would only attract the unwanted attention of magical beasts. Besides, Crimson Lava Fruits were rare, and it was not a good idea to pluck too many of them. It would be akin to killing the goose that lay the golden eggs.


    I would not succumb to that sort of greed.


    "Hah¡­"


    Sighing, I looked for a proper place to land. Dropping myself from the branch of the Crimson Lava Tree, I then began to make my way back toward the edges of Tushan, where civilization reigned. The sooner I could get away from this place of wilderness, the better. Especially when there was a magical beast literally sleeping under my nose.


    As I tiptoed away, the readings on my glasses flunctuated and I froze. The hearbeat of the Lava Salamander had seemed to peak, and its qi was spiking. Worse, the pulse and qi maintained the elevated levels without dropping.


    "Gr¡­"


    At the rumbling sound behind me, I couldn''t help but slowly turn my head. As I thought, the Lava Salamander had awoken from its slumber and was now fixing its ruby eyes on me. It was clear that it had spotted me.


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    With a snarl, it lunged forward at me. Its jaws yawned wide open, revealing two rows of sharp, glistening teeth. At the back of its throat, the beginnings of a fiery torrent ignited to life, getting ready to flow out in a destructive stream.


    I''m pretty much screwed, am I not?


    At that moment, I didn''t care if my martial arts techniques or reflexes had gotten rusty. I needed to evade or I would be roasted instantly, quite literally.


    Kicking off the ground, I settled into what I hoped was a familiar rhythm of the footwork techniques that Teacher Jiao taught me all those years ago. How long had it been? Three years now? Maybe four?


    No matter. If I didn''t move right away, I would die. As simple as that.


    With that, I shot forward at a blinding speed. Disappearing into a blur as I activated Jin, I dashed to the front and to the side, narrowly avoiding the roar of an unfolding torrent of superheated flames that blasted out of the Lava Salamander''s mouth.


    "Hot!"


    Stumbling away, but mostly protected from its flames by the aura of thick, frosty yin qi that I had coalesced around my body earlier, I managed to use another footwork technique to withdraw, placing more distance between myself and the Lava Salamander.


    Snarling, the Lava Salamander turned and darted toward me an incredible speed that belied its immense size.


    "Damn it¡­"


    While I was confident I would be able to outrun the Lava Salamander despite its surprising swiftness, I briefly contemplated with the option of fighting it. I would prefer to avoid getting dragged into a tussle with that monster if I could help it, but I wasn''t averse to killing it if it threatened me. As much as I sympathized with the magical beast, my experience at the hands of Ba Yun and Qi Fu Ren had hammered any of that naivety out of me long ago. If I wanted to survive, I had to be ruthless. That meant killing anything that got in the way of me living.


    Like the Lava Salamander, for example.


    But first, I should try the option of outrunning it. As fast as the Lava Salamander was, it was no match for my speed. Especially if I used my footwork techniques.


    Disappearing, I widened the distance between me and my pursuer again. The Lava Salamander uttered a howl of frustration and unleashed another torrent of flames from its jaws, which I effortlessly dodged. Despite clearly not being able to catch up with me, the Lava Salamander was persistent and continued to chase me relentlessly.


    No wonder they needed to hire someone to collect the Crimson Lava Fruit for them instead of getting it themselves¡­


    The stubbornness of the Lava Salamander was getting on my nerves. Twisting around, I began to form a pair of ice swords, wondering if I should just kill the relentless magical beast after all. It would make my life easier, and I certainly didn''t want to lead it all the way back to the bus stop and threaten the townsfolk living nearby¡­


    "!"


    Whoom!


    To my complete surprise, something blasted past my face from behind and struck the Lava Salamander''s forehead with uncanny accuracy. My glasses automatically magnified the view and I was able to catch a glimpse of the projectile before it exploded against the Lava Salamander''s surprised face. Even if I didn''t, I could just replay the scene with my glasses.


    It was a fiery arrow.


    That''s¡­!


    "Over here!"


    Hearing the familiar voice, I spun around and caught sight of a figure I recognized instantly. She was waving to me, and I obliged her by using Jin to cross the distance between us in a single bound. The girl caught my hand and yanked me over the crest of a hill, and the two of us disappeared from view. Somewhere, the Lava Salamander roared in frustration, but my qi senses combined with the tracker on my glasses, indicated that it was staying still. Most likely because it had no idea where we went, after being blinded by the arrow.


    "What are you doing here, Fei Wu?"


    Tang Qi Hong gave me a sharp glare as she ran forward. I followed her, mostly because I had no idea where else to go.


    "One star mission."


    "Huh? Which one star mission?"


    "Gathering a Crimson Lava Fruit."


    I saw no reason to hide the truth, especially since Tang Qi Hong technically saved my life. There was also no reason to be rude to my savior.


    "You''re still taking one star missions and gathering herbs or fruits?" Tang Qi Hong sounded incredulous. Then she nodded sympathetically. "Oh, right. I forgot that you can''t use your qi and martial arts¡­huh?!"


    She blinked and suddenly came to a stop. Likewise, I stopped because I had no idea where we were supposed to go.


    "B¡­but you just used footwork techniques! I just saw you use footwork techniques to escape from that Lava Salamander!"


    "Yes, I did," I replied, not sure why that was such a big deal. Then again, nobody knew that I had finally finished assimilating all that qi I absorbed from the hundred plus cultivators almost two years ago, and was able to use my qi once again.


    "H¡­how?!" Tang Qi Hong spluttered. I shrugged.


    "I finally finished assimilating all the qi."


    Again, I saw no reason to hide, and despite her seemingly stupid questions, Tang Qi Hong was being rhetorical. She had most likely realized the answer, but was just too shocked to prevent her rhetorical questions from slipping out.


    "Ah, of course. Of course." Tang Qi Hong nodded understandingly. "Congratulations. You''re finally able to use your qi again!"


    "Yeah."


    The past two years or less had been pretty tough for me. Even though Qi Fu Ren was no longer around, that didn''t mean there were no longer any bullies. When several schoolmates realized I couldn''t use my qi, they thought I was an easy target. If it weren''t for Zhu Jiao, Ban Zhang and Tang Qi Hong, they would have died.


    No, I wouldn''t have beaten them in a contest of qi or direct battle of strength, but after my experience in the torture chamber of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect, I had devised ways of killing my enemies even without the use of qi. Never again would I allow myself to be tormented or brought so close to the verge of death, not without fighting back. If my friends hadn''t deterred the bullies from physically attacking me, I might end up like Qi Fu Ren, expelled and branded a criminal. Assuming the authorities were able to find evidence that I was the one who killed them, of course.


    As it was, the worse I suffered was verbal abuse, insults and ostracizing. Not that I cared. I was insulated from the worst of these because I spent most of my time in isolation training. That is, being locked inside a metal, reinforced chamber for months without being allowed any contact with any other people. It was truly isolation training, meant to imitate and replicate the old, "historical" training experiences of mountain ascetics or ancient martial artists/cultivators cutting off all contact with the material world and meditating alone in the mountains by themselves. Truly isolated in every sense of the word.


    I wasn''t sure how a metal chamber was supposed to mimic a mountain, and there really wasn''t any point in cultivating or learning martial arts if you were going to cut off all contact with every other human anyway.


    "Planning on taking the level 6 test soon?"


    All high school students had taken the level 6 test and had passed them by their first year, at least. I was the only one who had yet to take the test ¨C most of the high school students were level 7 and higher. None was level 5 or lower, like me.


    "Yeah. After Lunar New Year, I guess."


    "Eh?! Why so late?!"


    "I need to get used to using my techniques again. I''ve gotten a little rusty after not using them for almost 2 years."


    "Heh¡­" Tang Qi Hong looked at me disbelievingly. "But from what I saw, you were executing them just fine."


    I shrugged, and then stirred the conversation away in another direction. "What are you doing here, Tang Qi Hong?"


    "Ah¡­that''s right. You probably didn''t know. I live in Tushan. I''m returning to stay with my sect over the holidays."


    "Eh? The Nine-tailed Fox Sect is in Tushan?"


    "Yeah," Tang Qi Hong replied with a nod. "Our sect''s base is in Tushan." She then smiled as she whirled around to face me. "Why don''t you come visit?"


    "Eh? No, I mean, I have to¡­"


    "Come on!" Tang Qi Hong grabbed my hand and tugged me in the direction of where I assumed her sect''s headquarters lay. "You''ve come all the way here, you might as well drop by! It''s getting late anyway, so you should just stay the night."


    I glanced up at the darkening sky, realizing that Tang Qi Hong was right. By the time I reached the dorm back at Wu Ling Academy, it would be after ten. Though I wasn''t very enthusiastic about visiting a sect that I didn''t belong to, and ending up in quite the awkward atmosphere, it was pretty likely that I wouldn''t be able to catch a bus back in time.


    I might have missed the last bus or train and there was no way I could simply walk back to the Wu Ling Academy dorm like this.


    Furthermore, I had known Tang Qi Hong long enough to be aware that she wouldn''t take no for an answer. The blond girl could be very persistent if she wanted to.


    "Come on! Hurry! We should get back before it gets dark!"


    "Yeah, yeah¡­"


    I allowed Tang Qi Hong to pull me along, and before I knew it, we were standing outside a fortress that was overlooking one of the extremely high hills. She brought me to a stop in front of one of the gates.


    "Master Shou, I''m bringing a friend!"


    Even before the hidden master emerged, I already caught sight of his presence on my glasses. I could sense him without my glasses, a faint but extremely powerful star twinkling in the shadows. If I had not learned Heaven and Earth Formula, I would never have detected his presence at all. Swallowing, I glanced in his direction.


    "Oho¡­interesting."


    The enormous man with bulging muscles stepped out to study me, his crimson eyes sparkling mischievously.


    "That''s quite the impressive young man you brought back, Qi Hong."


    "Uh, well¡­"


    Shou then pressed his eyes to his hand and wept in joy.


    "Finally, our Qi Hong has grown up! She''s finally at the age where she''s bringing a boy back home! I''m so pleased for her!"


    "I¡­I''m not bringing a boy back home!" Tang Qi Hong shouted, flustered. Her face had gone all red.


    "Oh? So he''s a girl?"


    "I''m not a girl," I muttered under my breath. Shou chuckled.


    "Well, you clearly aren''t."


    "A¡­anyway, just let us in! He''s coming in for a visit! It''s getting late, so I don''t feel comfortable sending him off on his own!"


    "It''s true that it''s getting late." Shou glanced at the darkening sky, and then he turned to open the gates. "Come on in, the both of you."


    As we both entered, Shou dropped back to whisper mischievously to Tang Qi Hong.


    "He''s quite the catch, isn''t he? Are you sure you don''t want him?"


    Tang Qi Hong''s cheeks flushed a deeper red than before and she grabbed my hand and dragged me away instead of answering. I glanced back at the guffawing Shou, who proceeded to shut the gates firmly now that the both of us were safely inside the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s base.


    "You''re staying here for the holidays?" I asked Tang Qi Hong. She nodded. "Eh? You''re not going home and spending time with your family?"


    "What are you talking about?" Tang Qi Hong stared at me. "The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is my family now."


    "¡­oh."


    I had a feeling I understood everything just from that revelation, and didn''t press further. Come to think of it, I had never asked Tang Qi Hong much about herself before, didn''t ask her about her family or background. We spent quite some time together, but I didn''t know her that well. Either because I didn''t ask or she didn''t talk much about herself.


    "I''m an orphan," Tang Qi Hong explained quietly. "But Master and Mistress adopted me as their daughter."


    "That''s good."


    That sounded lame, but I had no idea what else to say. Tang Qi Hong smiled somewhat warmly, and nodded.


    "They feel like my real parents to me. I think you''ll meet them later, but they should be busy right now."


    She then turned sharply down the marble pathway and led me to a detached house located somewhere within the massive compound. As we strolled along the path, I glanced around and took in the sights of the fortress. It was literally a castle, with many detached houses and pavilions clustered within its walls.


    I swear, it resembled some Chinese castle I had often seen in historical manhuas and donghua. Chinese animation, I mean.


    "We''ll be having dinner later, so you''ll see them then."


    For some reason she sounded smug. Like, why?


    "Thank you," I mumbled simply, deciding not to be rude and question her. If she wanted to be smug, that was certainly her prerogative.


    "Hmm. But for now, I guess I''ll bring you to my forge."


    "Your¡­forge?"


    That sounded a little unexpected. Tang Qi Hong chuckled for a bit.


    "Well, one of the main skills we learn in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is forging weapons and Spirit Engravings." She turned to stare at me for a second. "You do something similar, now that I think about it. But you use ice instead of fire."


    "Yeah, because ice is cool."

 64 Chapter 63: Tushan

    No, to be more accurate, the Tushan fortress was built around the volcano. Even as acrid smoke billowed out of its ravenous mouth, a miniature city was nestled at the foot of the gigantic mountain, slotted neatly into smaller hills that dotted the landscape. The buildings of the city were varied ¨C way more advanced, modern and affluent than the town near the bus stop I alighted at a few hours ago. I almost couldn''t believe there was a city within the fortress.


    Why do they need those high, fortified walls for?


    I half-imagined a colossal Titan rearing its head over those walls and peering down on the insect-like residents scampering within the Tushan Fortress. Maybe it was to keep out the Titans¡­ahem, I mean magical beasts and demonic creatures.


    "What are you looking at?" Tang Qi Hong sounded amused as she dragged me along. "Never seen a city before?"


    "Not inside a fortress, at least."


    Tang Qi Hong merely giggled. "You haven''t seen anything yet."


    She then explained to me that the Nine-tailed Fox Sect was divided into inner sect and outer sect. I had no clue why a sect bothered to divide itself into inner and outer, but their organization was none of my business. Anyway, the inner sect resided within the buildings clustered atop the Flame Volcano, and was thus able to make use of the natural heat and flames from within its depths.


    Each of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s inner disciples were granted a single house atop the volcano, which contained a forge. Within these forges were furnaces, which were naturally powered by the flames emanated from the volcano''s lava.


    At the foot of the volcano, Tushan City was divided into nine districts. Within each of these districts, the outer sect disciples dwelled. But they were not alone. While Nine-Tailed Fox Sect governed the city, the residents within were not necessarily sect members. Merchants, artisans, clerks and a whole host of other Great Zhou Empire citizens had settled down in the city, providing secondary and tertiary services such as selling spirit herbs, spirit medicine, spirit materials, enchanted artifacts, spirit engraved gear and various other cultivation and forging materials.


    "A lot of the inner sect members are considered dual martial artists and blacksmiths," Tang Qi Hong told me proudly. "That''s why the status of the inner sect disciples is very high, and there aren''t many of them. Each one is an authentic blacksmith of prestigious rank."


    "Heh¡­so are you an inner sect disciple?" I asked, impressed. Tang Qi Hong placed her hands on her hips and puffed her well-endowed chest out proudly.


    "Of course! Who do you think I am?"


    "So what does the outer sect do?"


    "The outer sect is mainly responsible for selling enchanted artifacts and spirit engraved gear, as well as manage the various branches of Nine-Tailed Fox armament shops scattered throughout many major cities in the Great Zhou Empire. They also assist us inner sect disciples with menial labor and simple tasks. You know, such as grinding and cutting up spirit materials so that we inner sect disciples can more efficiently forge spirit engraved gear. But we''re the ones who inscribe spirit engravings and infuse spirits into the engraved armaments in order to turn it into a spirit engraved gear."


    Before we could reach Tang Qi Hong''s residence, however, an adult over thirty popped his head out of one of the shops and waved at her.


    "Qi Hong! What are you doing here?"


    "Elder Zhao! Are you selling stuff again?"


    "Yeah, depositing my Spirit Engraved Gear at a shop. I''m hoping to make some money off them." Elder Zhao was rubbing his hands in glee. He then turned toward me curiously. "You brought a friend with you? Is he your boyfriend or something?"


    "N¡­no! Geez!" Tang Qi Hong reddened. "I''m just showing him around Tushan City! Introducing him to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and all that."


    "Cool." Elder Zhao nodded as he studied me. Then he brightened up. "Hey, why don''t we recruit him? The recruitment exam is tomorrow, right?"


    "Eh?" I was taken aback by the straightforward suggestion. Elder Zhao nodded enthusiastically as he deepened his scrutiny.


    "Every year, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will recruit new disciples. We get a few from visiting academies such as Wu Ling Academy ¨C that''s how we recruited you, right? Qi Hong? But it''s not nearly enough to maintain the running of the sect. as long as you possess the basic knowledge of forging armaments or have a certain level of martial arts, and you pass the recruitment exam, you will qualify to become an outer sect disciple in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Uh, cool."


    I had no intention of joining the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, though. Not when I was already technically part of the Heaven and Earth Sect.


    Then again, I was officially an Experimentalist, and not part of any sect, so¡­


    "Why not?" Tang Qi Hong brightened at that and gave me a little push. "Fei Wu, why don''t you give it a try?"


    "Uh, well¡­"


    "After becoming an outer sect disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, you will be assigned a personal teacher who will teach you both martial arts and forging spirit armaments. You''ll be guided through the various forging processes so that you''ll be able to better assist the inner sect disciples with simple tasks such as grinding and discarding spirit materials. After about two years of training, you''ll be evaluated."


    Elder Zhao mistook the cause of my hesitation and launched into a long explanation of how the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect worked.


    "The evaluation works by the inner sect arranging examiners to evaluate your performance and abilities. Once we recognize your talent, potential or achievements, then you''ll naturally be brought over to the inner sect so that the authentic blacksmiths or the top martial artists in our sect can impart their experience and wisdom, and even knowledge of spirit engravings, to you. This is the only way for an outer sect disciple to become an inner sect disciple. That''s why most people join the outer sect first, for this opportunity."


    "Uh¡­cool."


    I didn''t ask, though¡­but I guess knowing about this was better than not knowing, so I didn''t complain. Instead I merely nodded patiently.


    "Becoming an inner sect disciple and becoming recognized as one of the top spirit engravers is a big deal, you know?" Tang Qi Hong informed me. "You''ll occupy a high-ranking position within the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and have a lot of connections with many of the major sects and powers. You''ll have a lot of influence and gain access to vast resources."


    "R¡­right," I mumbled, not knowing why they wished to recruit me of all people. I was just a One Star Constitution cultivator, after all. Then again, Tang Qi Hong probably just wanted me in the sect with her. For what reasons, I couldn''t say, because I didn''t want to be overly self-conscious and misunderstand anything.


    But I wasn''t that dense either.


    "Qi Hong, how about I bring this young man to the hostel for the examinees? He can proceed to the examination straight from there tomorrow. You can drop by and watch then."


    "Eh¡­" Tang Qi Hong looked a little disappointed, but she swallowed it and nodded. "Sure." She turned to me and patted my shoulder with an encouraging smile. "Good luck!"


    "Wait, why are you guys deciding this for me? I never said I wanted to take the exam¡­"


    My protests were in vain. Neither Elder Zhao nor Tang Qi Hong was listening to me. The former was gesturing for me to follow him, while Tang Qi Hong waved goodbye before departing. I tried to object, but Tang Qi Hong, despite keeping her eyes on me for as long as she could, merely waved and disappeared up the volcano.


    "Qi Hong sure has taken a liking to you," Elder Zhao chuckled. I couldn''t help but roll my eyes and sigh.


    "¡­I guess."


    "I''m looking forward to see how you''ll perform in the exam tomorrow."


    "Don''t get your hopes too high up," I muttered under my breath. "Prepare to be disappointed."


    Now that I was dragged into this mess, I decided to give the whole thing a go. Might as well have some fun messing up the exam and doing my best. I wanted to see how far I could go, even though I didn''t hold much expectations of myself.


    After all, not only were my skills rusty, I had almost no knowledge of spirit engraving or forging armaments. Now that I thought about it, this was probably why a Four Star Constitution practitioner like Tang Qi Hong joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect instead of the Red Phoenix Sect. no doubt she had some prior background in Spirit Engraving or artifact forging.


    While my forging knowledge only stretched to the extent of shaping weapons with ice, I decided to give it a try.


    *


    The next morning, I woke up relatively early and proceeded toward the examination venue. As I expected, by the time I reached there, the plaza in front of the outer sect''s city was already filled with countless candidates, many of them young and hopeful.


    The great gate had yet to open, but many youths had already arrived early. For what reason, I did not know. Perhaps to grab their spots? Was the exam first come first serve or something? Whatever the reason was, I had no idea. Anyway, I was surprised to see that several of the youths came from the top sects. Not just Wu Ling Academy, but also Qi Mo Valley, the Snow Valley Sect, Kun Lun Sect, Heavenly Way Sect, and even from the four celestial creature sect ¨C White Tiger Sect, Red Phoenix Sect, Black Tortoise Sect and Green Dragon Sect.


    Apparently you could serve as a secondary Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member, as long as you keep your martial arts sect as your primary. Many of these youths chose to do so because they wanted to learn the finest spirit engraving techniques and forging methods from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, which was the most prestigious sect for those sort of techniques. However, I was aware that such secondary Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members were usually regarded as outsiders and were considered not as trustworthy as primary Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members such as Tang Qi Hong. They would never attain the ranks that full primary Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members did.


    Naturally, these high-ranking martial artists from prestigious sects carried an air of arrogance about themselves, and were even accompanied by servants. I wondered why. It wasn''t as if the servants could take the exams for them. They would be just dead weight. Maybe they just tagged along for the sole purpose for their masters to show off their incredible statuses or something.


    Well, none of my business¡­


    "Whoa. Isn''t that Tong Xue? From the Smart Shadow Sect? What is he doing here?"


    There was a murmur that rumbled throughout the crowd when they caught sight of a familiar friend. I blinked when I saw Tong Xue somewhere at the front, wondering if I should wave at him. Seeing the crowd''s attention riveted upon him, I decided not to. I didn''t want to draw any attention to myself if possible.


    "Didn''t Tong Xue already break through to the Flowing Qi Stage a couple of years ago? Shouldn''t he be on the verge of attaining the Qi Fusion Stage? His cultivation in the martial arts field should be going smoothly, so why would he want to participate in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s outer sect disciple exam?"


    "Only God knows," someone else muttered.


    While they conversed, Tong Xue strode forward with a warm smile on his face. He was as friendly as ever, which allowed everyone to relax around him. I remembered that was how he befriended me a couple of years ago.


    The guy was a great friend, if a little¡­lacking on the courage department.


    "What are you doing here, Tong Xue?" I asked as I waved at him, finally deciding to ignore the attention if it came. The people around us weren''t focused on Tong Xue for too long, given how their attention shifted quickly when a newcomer arrived.


    "Oh? Fei Wu, you''re here too?"


    "Yeah¡­somehow."


    I sighed and shrugged. Tong Xue chuckled.


    "I''m guessing it has something to do with Tang Qi Hong."


    "A little," I admitted. "But more like Elder Zhao from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I meant to stay the night after a mission, but somehow I got dragged into the exam."


    "Heh¡­I see."


    "So why are you here?" I asked again, refusing to be dragged away from the question. Tong Xue smiled.


    "Breaking through to the Qi Fusion Stage was proving a little difficult, and I haven''t gotten enough experience. So I thought it would be a refreshing change to come to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to learn about Spirit Engraving. It''ll help me take my mind off the problem for a while. Perhaps I might find an alternative path! There''s also the possibility that meeting people while forging spirit armaments will help me develop as a martial artist as well."


    Tong Xue was humble and polite, as always. I was surprised that he was so forthright, plainly giving his honest intentions without much probing. The guy had nothing to hide, or so it seemed on the surface anyway.


    But if what I knew about the Smart Shadow Sect was anything to go about, I suspected there was some form of underlying motive behind Tong Xue''s participation in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s outer sect disciple examination.


    However, it didn''t matter. Tong Xue was my friend, and I had no reason to doubt him, so I merely nodded in fake understanding.


    I wasn''t given much time to contemplate on Tong Xue''s true motives, though. A shocked cry from somewhere in the crowd caught my attention.


    "Isn''t that Liang Shao Yang?!"


    A youth was yelling in fear. The countless youths scattered across the courtyard immediately gulped and paled when they heard the name.


    "Who¡­?"


    While I remained confused, many people instinctively moved out of the way to allow a single youth to walk straight to the gate of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s outer sect plaza. Even those people who had arrived early to occupy the front of the queue swiftly gave way to the newcomer when they saw him approaching.


    Just like that, Liang Shao Yang, who despite having arrived late, took the front spot of this line in such a manner. He would therefore become the first candidate to take the outer sect examination.


    "You don''t know who he is?" Tong Xue asked. I merely rolled my eyes.


    "Of course not. Should I know him?"


    "He''s Liang Shao Yang of the Divine Shadow Sect. you know what the Divine Shadow Sect is, right?"


    I nodded at Tong Xue''s question. I did know what the Divine Shadow Sect was. It was a demonic sect, full of assassins who were willing to kill in exchange for large sums of payment.


    "Liang Shao Yang grew up in the Divine Shadow Sect, and it''s rumored that he has been assassinating people ever since the age of twelve. As of today, he''s probably sixteen like us, but he has probably killed over a hundred people."


    I pushed my glasses up my nose as I studied Liang Shao Yang. With my Heaven and Earth qi senses, I could certainly sense the dark, shadowy aura that hung around him like a murderous cloud. It was clear that Liang Shao Yang''s hands had been stained with blood. Beside me, Tong Xue smiled strangely, but he shook his head and said nothing more.


    Neither of us did anything when Liang Shao Yang cut in front of us. Tong Xue showed no resentment, and clearly had no intention of disputing the matter. As for me, I was meant to queue up at the back, and I returned to my spot quietly.


    After going my separate way, my attention was drawn again to the entrance to Tushan Fortress. Apparently a group of newcomers had just arrived as well.


    "Miss, please come this way."


    A hunched servant over sixty was striding forward, gesturing for an eye-catching, beautiful young girl to enter.


    The young girl was about sixteen or seventeen, roughly my age. Her eyes blazed crimson, almost like a phoenix''s, and her willow-colored brows arched in a lovely manner. The way she sashayed forward seemed to indicate that she was someone who was used to being at the center of attention, captivating everyone ¨C particularly the male crowd. She wore a light blue dress, and for some reason there was a trickle of snow that swirled around her long legs as she moved to the front. Her hips swayed amidst the trail of snow and she ignored the lustful gazes of many male candidates in the crowd as she cut the line as if she had the right to do so.


    She took her place right behind Liang Shao Yang.


    "It''s Yin Jing Jing from the Snow Valley Sect!" someone softly whispered from somewhere in front of me. I recognized the Snow Valley Sect, but sadly, I had never heard of someone named Yin Jing Jing.


    However, the people in front seemed to know who she was. Not only was she from one of the eight major sects, the Snow Valley Sect, her surname Yin seemed to be pretty famous around here. Many people automatically stepped aside to make way for her.


    The girl moved as if she was entitled to such a treatment, walking past the crowd who had split apart for her. When she reached Tong Xue, she paused and glanced at him uncertainly. She frowned, as if trying to place her finger on something.


    "I think we''ve met somewhere before?"


    Tong Xue tilted his head in reply and shrugged. Smiling warmly, he scratched his head as he tried to remember.


    "I''m not sure. Maybe about three years ago, when your father brought you to the Smart Shadow Sect for a visit, you might have spotted me among the disciples who had gathered as an honor guard."


    "Oh, you''re right." Yin Jing Jing nodded in acknowledgement. "That''s right."


    With that, she passed by Tong Xue and continued forward until she arrived behind Liang Shao Yang. She then stopped and stared at him.


    However, Liang Shao Yang paid her no attention at her. His attention had been riveted onto the gate to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s outer sect plaza as he patiently waited for it to open, and never once did he turn around to glance back at the people behind him.


    Say what you like about the guy, but he certainly had focus.


    "Hmph, so there actually exists such an unpleasant guy," Yin Jing Jing muttered in irritation as she narrowed her eyes while looking at Liang Shao Yang''s back.


    Now that both Liang Shao Yang and Yin Jing Jing were at the front of the line, everyone who had parted to allow them through earlier promptly relinquished their positions and reformed the ling, winding line.


    Tong Xue didn''t seem to mind, and he merely chuckled good-naturedly. I felt a little sorry for him.


    This time, even as more and more young men and women continually arrived in drips and drapes, they took their place in line without cutting. It was impressive how orderly everyone was, other than those two self-entitled bitches.


    Should I go kick them off the line for cutting the queue? I wondered darkly, feeling a trace of annoyance. I couldn''t believe nobody was doing anything about it. Then again, they were probably intimidated by the duo''s power and status. One was the son of the sect leader of the Divine Shadow Sect, and the other was the first daughter of the Yin clan and a top disciple in the Snow Valley Sect. it was only natural that everyone else feared them.


    Hmph, they''re nothing compared to the Heaven and Earth Sect, though¡­


    I was going to get ready to give them a piece of my mind, when someone came barreling in front of me.


    A few seconds ago, probably because I was clearly feeling very annoyed, the two people in front of me had felt really uncomfortable. The temperature had plummeted around me due to my irritation and they were shivering as they got the chills. Glancing at me, they couldn''t help but shudder and they opened up a distance between us on reflex. I had noticed their movements despite their attempts to be discrete, but didn''t say anything.


    Most likely I was too focused on the two people at the front of the line to be offended at them. Anyway, just before I could step up, a sturdy-looking fella wearing the dark uniform of the Dark Asura Sect, ran up.


    The fellow was obviously late, having just emerged from the long street that ran along the courtyard in Tushan City. He was laughing as he ran, probably amused by some sick joke inside that tiny brain of his.


    Upon his arrival, he was dismayed to see the extremely long line that wound from the front of the plaza. Fortunately, he spotted the relatively wide space between me and the two guys in front of me, and he grinned in relief.


    Without any hesitation, he rushed over with a whoop of joy, and cut the queue right in front of me.


    Bad mistake.


    "Hey," I began, annoyed. My temper was already frayed by the two bitches who cut the queue and took their places at the front, and this guy had to come along and worsen my mood. When he heard me, the Dark Asura Sect dude spun around with a sneer.


    "What?"


    "Get in line, dude," I told him coldly. "I was here first."


    "Heh, what are you going to do about it?" the Dark Asura Sect fellow sneered as he shoved at me with a hand. Qi surged up wildly inside him as he executed a Dark Asura technique, probably to blast me out of the queue and far away as a lesson for talking back to him.


    Too slow.


    I stepped to the side as his Dark Asura Strike completely missed me, passing through the front of my chest by a hair''s breadth, then whirled around to deliver a roundhouse kick to his head. My foot caught the top of his temple and the poor dude was hurled out of the line and sent crashing into an untidy heap on the courtyard.


    "UGH!"


    Coughing, he lay sprawled on the ground, stunned and unable to get up.


    Everyone in the long, winding line turned to ogle at the unbelievable sight. One of them actually stumbled back as he shouted.


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    "Isn''t that Tian Jian Hao from the Dark Asura Sect? He should be at the middle levels of the Flowing Qi Stage! And his father is one of the leaders of Dark Asura Sect! How the heck did he get kicked out of the line like that?!"


    Upon hearing that, everyone tried to search for the culprit. Even Liang Shao Yang and Yin Jing Jing were drawn to the commotion, and they curiously turned around to observe what had just transpired behind them. I tried to remain indiscrete as possible, trying to whistle (and failing miserably) as I blended in with the crowd. Unfortunately, the two guys in front of me had seen everything and they turned pale with fright.


    They automatically moved up in front, widening the distance between us. Clearly they had no intention of being drawn into the conflict and wanted no part in the trouble that was sure to ensue. I couldn''t tell if they were more afraid of me or Tian Jian Hao.


    "Fucker! How dare you kick me?!"


    Tian Jian Hao bellowed as he rose shakily to his feet and glared murderously at me. I merely shrugged with a smile.


    "How dare you cut the line?" I replied.


    "Bastard! I''ll kill you!"


    Even as he charged at me, I calmly stood my ground and patiently waited for him to close the distance. As Tian Jian Hao came within range, I pivoted on my left foot and lashed out with my right leg, taking him by surprise.


    Wham!


    The kick slammed squarely on Tian Jian Hao''s chest.


    Even though Tian Jian Hao had practiced the Asura Armor Body technique, which granted him a sturdy physique and enormous endurance, he wasn''t able to halt my attack. The dude who was supposedly known as the immovable object had met an unstoppable force and he was flung several meters backward, blood spewing from his mouth.


    Boom!


    To add insult to injury, the tremendous impact from his collision with the ground ended up carving a small crater.


    This time, after his fall, Tian Jian Hao was no longer able to get up. Part of the reason was because a thin layer of frost was rapidly freezing over his chest. Trembling violently from the cold, he lay on his back, his enraged aggression instantly frozen by the bone-numbing cold that seeped into his body from the ice.


    His jaw dropped as he stared at me quietly, and I could see the obvious fear glinting at the back of his dark eyes.


    I merely cocked my head and gestured silently toward the back of the line. Swallowing, Tian Jian Hao crushed the ice on his chest with a huge amount of his qi and he slowly got up. He then obediently proceeded to the back of the queue.


    "What the heck just happened?"


    "Did you see that?"


    While there were a few curious murmurs that ran through the crowd, there was also amused snickers.


    "Hah! He deserved that for cutting the queue!"


    "Serves him right."


    "Tian Jian Hao has been arrogant for too long!"


    "Glad to see him put into his place."


    I exchanged a glance with Tong Xue, who shook his head with a weary smile. I shrugged in response and mouthed, he asked for it.


    Still, I was glad to see that my martial arts hadn''t rusted much. I could still infuse my kicks with icy qi. My Heaven and Earth Yuan Yin Frost technique had seemed to improve, especially after I assimilated all that qi from the hundred or so cultivators and purified it. Hell, my frost attacks seemed more potent than ever.


    Probably because I absorbed so much yin qi from over a hundred demonic martial artists¡­


    Certainly, it took me almost two years to assimilate and purify all that amount of qi, but it seemed that it was totally worth it. Patiently waiting for long-term benefits had rewarded me with a strength I would otherwise not have achieved if I had rushed my cultivation.


    Oh boy, I can''t wait to use these in actual combat!


    Creak!


    Just as I thought that, the gate to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s outer sect finally swung open, allowing the waiting candidates entry. A familiar figure strode out with a broad smile, accompanied by six Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples who were most likely his bodyguards.


    "Elder Zhao¡­"


    I recognized Elder Zhao from yesterday. I wasn''t surprised that he was the one who came out to greet us. He did say that he was responsible for recruiting new disciples into the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, after all.


    "Welcome, everybody!" he called out in a booming voice, and then turned around while gesturing for us to follow him. "You may now enter the Tushan plaza. I''ll begin the briefing for the outer sect disciple examination."

 65 Chapter 64: Outer Sect Disciple Examination

    Elder Zhao smiled welcomingly, but I had a feeling he didn''t fancy the chances of most of the candidates assembled before him. I had heard from Tang Qi Hong, who sent me a text message on my cell phone last night, that the recruitment examination for outer sect disciples remained extremely harsh and difficult.


    The passing rate was about ten to twenty percent. The rest of the candidates would be brutally eliminated.


    Even after one passed the examination, they would remain under strict observance for the next few months. If they were unable to show any potential as either a blacksmith/Spirit Engraver or a martial artist within the next few months, they would be dismissed.


    Every year, several hundred young men and women from a vast variety of sects originating from many different places would all gather at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to register, but eventually only twenty to thirty of them would pass the exam.


    Out of these twenty to thirty successful candidates, a significant portion of them would be dismissed over the next few months as the elders and masters observed them. In the end, the number of youths who could officially become proper outer sect disciples of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would not exceed ten.


    Scary¡­


    Worse, among the few who remained, only one or two who displayed talent or potential would be chosen to join the inner sect. and that would be considered impressive, as there would be years where none of the cohorts of the outer sect succeeded in joining the inner sect.


    Thanks to that harsh guideline, even though the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect held annual recruitments of new disciples ¨C and even went to the various prestigious academies to attract talented individuals ¨C they were inevitably left with vacancies.


    "The registration fee is one gold," Elder Zhao reminded us. I winced at that. Now I had to take another mission to get back up to hundred gold¡­then again, I heard that there would be rewards awaiting those who passed the examination, so if I wanted to save time and money, I had best do my best to pass the exam. "Regardless of whether you pass or fail the exam, we will not refund you the gold. If there are no other questions, let''s begin the registration! First person in line, please come forward!"


    Without wasting any time, Elder Zhao launched into the registration process.


    "Liang Shao Yang!"


    "Gotcha. Second person!"


    "Yin Jing Jing!"


    Just like that, the long line slowly shortened as the candidates moved to the front and disappeared into the plaza. As I was relatively early and had to queue somewhere near the back, it took me an hour before it was finally my turn.


    "Name!"


    "Fei Wu."


    Elder Zhao''s eyes seemed to twinkle when he caught sight of me, but being the impartial invigilator he said nothing and waved me in after I placed the gold coin on his desk. Before I could move, he extracted a token from a box and passed it to me. Accepting it, I nodded my thanks and stepped past the checkpoint.


    "Seems like I''m Candidate number two hundred and forty-four," I muttered as I glanced at the huge numbers stenciled into the token.


    "This way."


    Within the vast plaza, a Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciple guided me into a nearby room. What the hell? There were halls and rooms in the plaza? Anyway, apparently the disciples here had the job of receiving examination candidates and guiding them to the proper place. So I followed them into the aforementioned room and took a seat at a desk as directed.


    There was a tablet in front of me. Pushing up my glasses, I followed the brief instructions from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciple and swiped at the screen.


    "What the hell is this? An exam?"


    It was a theoretical exam, yeah. I could see a bunch of questions coming to the surface when I swiped at the screen.


    The first question was immediately something I remembered seeing in my alchemy lesson. Like, what was the spirit material that reacted with Lava Jade to stimulate the fiery yang qi within it into a volatile, combustive reaction? Obviously it was Spirit Magnesium, and I typed in the answer before I was aware that my hands were moving.


    Oh, and the main distinguishing characteristic of Divine Cloud Crystal? Definitely the dense yang qi it produced that could be used for infusing heavenly weapons with divine qi, which sped up the process of increasing the concentration of yang qi in fire element to make it divine.


    And Dragon Bone was known for its robustness, its dragon qi and draconic spirit, and was normally used for defensive spirit armaments.


    Good thing I paid attention in alchemy class over the last three and a quarter years or I would never have been able to answer any of these questions. Being a diligent student certainly paid off in spades. Before I knew it, I had finished answering all the questions, and the screen displayed a question asking me if I wanted to end the exam session.


    "Sure, why not?"


    I tapped the yes button and then the tablet rang, bringing over the invigilator. The young Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciple nodded when he glanced at his own tablet, not knowing if he should be impressed or dismissive.


    "You finish your exam really quickly," he told me. Then he pointed to another room. "Please proceed there and wait for instructions."


    "Yes, sir."


    I nodded and obediently proceeded into the large room. When I stepped inside, I immediately caught sight of several people. It was two-way ¨C they were also staring at me for some reason. I instantly recognized Liang Shao Yang, Yin Jing Jing and Tong Xue. Unsurprisingly, they had seemed to have passed the theoretical exam and were seated inside the room, all of them along a long bench with a bunch of other people.


    Liang Shao Yang and Yin Jing Jing glanced at me, and then withdrew their gazes indifferently. Obviously they didn''t think very highly of me.


    "Fei Wu! Over here!"


    Tong Xue, as expected, waved at me. I nodded and took a seat next to him when he made some space for me.


    "Glad to see you make it," I told him with a grin. Tong Xue grinned back.


    "Hah! As if we would be taken down by a theoretical exam!"


    "Indeed," I agreed. Glancing at the other candidates, I saw that other than the four of us, there were at least seven others. Many of them were wearing quite expensive-looking clothes, which indicated their affluent backgrounds. Not surprising, given the caliber of the people required to pass this exam or something.


    Several of them were familiar with each other, and just like me and Tong Xue, had clustered together to whisper amongst themselves. Others remained by themselves and waited silently, almost bored by the long waiting time.


    "I can''t wait to see Lian Rou," Tong Xue was telling me. I nodded distractedly, vaguely aware that Lian Rou was in the same sect as Tang Qi Hong. The two of them were best friends, after all, and were literally inseparable.


    "You guys going out yet?"


    "Yeah, I guess. I asked her out, and she accepted, but we haven''t been on many dates."


    Tong Xue fiddled his fingers wistfully. He then grinned at me.


    "What about you?"


    "What about me?"


    "Aren''t you here for Tang Qi Hong?"


    I tried to suppress a sigh at the question. As much as I liked her, it wasn''t official yet.


    "Not really," I replied with a shrug. "I happened to be accompanying her when Elder Zhao saw me. He then asked me to try out the examination. I originally had no intention of doing so, I just wanted to return and buy a martial arts manual."


    "Heh¡­"


    Tong Xue raised an eyebrow at that and shrugged. I didn''t care if he believed me or not. I had no obligation to persuade him.


    Over the next four hours, more candidates entered the room, clearly having finished the theory exam. They would take whatever seat they wanted, and I noticed that none of them dared to sit next to Liang Shao Yang or Yin Jing Jing. It was as if the duo had an invisible bubble around them, preventing anyone from taking the seat beside them.


    On the other hand, because I was smiling and being friendly with Tong Xue, they didn''t mind sitting next to me. The room grew noisier as more and more candidates chattered or chatted with each other. I wasn''t ashamed to confess that I was one of them, conversing animatedly with Tong Xue and laughing at both his and my jokes.


    Before we knew it, noon had arrived and the flow of candidates stopped.


    "All right¡­if you don''t mind following me!"


    Elder Zhao popped into the room. We turned our heads slightly to watch him as he greeted us with that affable smile. He clasped his hands behind his back and swept his gaze around us warmly, but I detected some sadness within his dark pupils.


    "But first, I''ve to make sure your names are on here. When I call out the number on your token, you may proceed to the second stage of the examination. Those whose numbers are not called, I''m sorry to say, you have failed the first assessment. Please head toward the exit, and my disciples will show you out. All right¡­"


    He glanced at his tablet and began calling out the numbers.


    "One, two, four, eight, thirteen, nineteen¡­"


    Liang Shao Yang, Yin Jing Jing and several other youths who had registered early haughtily stood up and formed a line as they exited the room, filing out into the courtyard beyond the theory exam hall.


    "Eighty-seven."


    "That''s me!"


    Tong Xue hopped to his feet. He patted my shoulder and smiled.


    "I''ll go ahead. I''ll see you later!"


    I nodded with a smile. That guy, he seemed to have no doubt that I would pass the theory exam as well. I watched him go and hoped that we would be able to pass the second stage of the outer sect disciple exam together.


    While I waited, Elder Zhao continued to call out numbers.


    "Two hundred and forty-four."


    Like I said, there was no doubt I would pass the theory exam. Theory was the one thing I was good at. I would probably fail the other stages though¡­ugh.


    "Over here!"


    I spotted Tong Xue amidst the growing number of candidates who were gathering in the broad space that was the courtyard. Apparently we were to wait here for further instructions, and I joined him as Elder Zhao continued to read out the numbers from inside the room.


    "We made it!" he cheered. I couldn''t help but grin and nod from his infectious enthusiasm. Exchanging high fives, I glanced around the courtyard.


    "I wonder what the next stage of the exam is?"


    "I guess we''ll find out," Tong Xue replied with a wink. "I believe it''ll be a physical exam, to test our senses or something."


    "Really?" I raised an eyebrow at that, wondering why he would know that, but then nodded. Of course he would. This was Tong Xue we were talking about here. The guy was from the Smart Shadow Sect, which specialized in intelligence and reconnaissance.


    However, I doubted I would be able to squeeze any information out of him, and in any case, I had no intention of cheating.


    After all the students whose numbers were called out had gathered in the courtyard. Having finished calling out the names, Elder Zhao strolled into the courtyard and raised a hand to gather all of us around him.


    "All right, let''s proceed to the next stage. Follow me and Lian Rou."


    "Ah¡­Lian Rou!"


    Tong Xue''s eyes widened when our classmate appeared. Evidently Lian Rou was one of Elder Zhao''s direct disciples, and as such she was given the responsibility of assisting him in the invigilation duties for this exam.


    The crowd of candidates followed Elder Zhao and Lian Rou across the corridor and up a winding path of a mountain next to the volcano.


    "As you all know, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is the premier sect for forging Spirit Engraved Armaments," Elder Zhao was telling us as we followed the winding path up the mountain. "Whoever wants to enter our sect must go through rigorous trials. You have just passed the theory exam, but that''s not enough. Not for a sect who excels in both blacksmithing and martial arts."


    Without glancing at us, he grinned and exchanged a look with Lian Rou, who smiled politely and cheerfully.


    "I wonder how many of you will remain after the second trial."


    Out of the four to five hundred candidates who had registered for the examination, only about half or so had passed. Two hundred and twenty or so candidates were now traveling through the wide path that spun around the mountain.


    "There are three parts to the examination," Lian Rou added, for the benefit of the participants following her. Elder Zhao chuckled and nodded.


    "Thanks for reminding me, Lian Rou."


    Elder Zhao stepped back and allowed Lian Rou to take over.


    "As you all know, forging a spirit armament isn''t easy. The process is basically creating weapons out of spirit materials by infusing spiritual qi into them, thus creating enchanted armaments. However, the most important aspect of forging isn''t the spirit materials. It''s your skill as a blacksmith, and your knowledge of Spirit Engravings."


    I already knew that.


    "Wow, what a pretty assistant invigilator," one of the guys marveled, clearly not paying any attention to Lian Rou''s explanation. She ignored the commotion and continued coolly.


    "The Spirit Engraving on a spirit armament can be said to be its soul."


    While the guys continued to marvel, someone from the back snorted.


    "Hah! What do you know? The most beautiful person in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is the girl who is next in line to be the successor to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect¡­the future sect leader, Tang Qi Hong."


    "And the First Senior, Hu Mei Er is a close second! No! She''s on par with Tang Qi Hong at least! Their beauty rival each other!"


    "Hmph, how ignorant."


    Folding his arms, Tong Xue sneered.


    "Lian Rou''s beauty isn''t something that plebeians such as yourselves are able to appreciate."


    ¡­uh, what? Dude¡­? Are you all right?


    But knowing how in love Tong Xue was with Lian Rou, I decided not to push it and remained as quiet as I could.


    Raising a finger, Tong Xue turned to stare at the rest.


    "Anyway, from what you''re saying, I assume you''ve all come to participate in the outer sect disciple exam for Tang Qi Hong or Hu Mei Er?"


    "Ha ha ha ha!" one of them chuckled. "Yeah, I traveled over three hours by train just to see First Senior Hu Mei Er!"


    I''m sure you did¡­but that''s quite the poor reason to want to join a prestigious sect. not that I cared, since I didn''t have any reason to join the sect in the first place.


    "All right, we''re here."


    Surprisingly enough, what awaited us at the peak of the mountain was another mountain that was several times higher, and¡­a waterfall that plunged from the higher mountain down below. Situated at the bottom of the waterfall were several slabs of elegantly carved marble.


    "The second stage of the entrance examination."


    Elder Zhao turned back to proudly announce to us. I didn''t feel very impressed, merely glancing over the cliff to stare at a separate platform where the slabs of marble lay. The waterfall from the higher mountain splashed down onto the platform before spilling down the circular rock structure in fountain-like curtains of foam.


    A magnificent view, to be sure, but I wasn''t here to appreciate the scenery.


    The slabs, on the other hand, drew my interest. They were tall, thin pillars of varying heights and distributed in no pattern I could discern. It reminded me of platform games, where you had your character jump from one pillar to the next to reach the next stage.


    "From here onward," Lian Rou warned in place of her master. "There is no turning back. The second stage of the examination involves using these columns that you see here as footpaths to each the mountaintop."


    She smiled as she turned to point at the peak of the higher mountain. Everyone watched in awe as she then jumped up easily.


    "If you succeed in doing so, you will be considered as having passed the second stage of the exam."


    She then elegantly jumped down onto the platform below, bouncing gracefully from one pillar to the next. Propelling herself to the highest column, she then sprang into a second, similar platform that was nestled in the mountain higher than the first, and then repeated her swift, sure-footed movements. Demonstrating how to pass the exam, she hopped from one column to the next effortlessly, clearing the second platform as well before leaping to the mountaintop without breaking a sweat. Upon reaching the top cliff with an elegant flourish, she then spun around to gaze down on the lot of us, her silky black hair gently rustling in the wind.


    All the guys gaped and watched her in awe.


    "What do you think?" she beamed proudly. "Really easy, right?"


    "It does look easy," one of the candidates chuckled as he watched Lian Rou''s swift and confident movements.


    "Yeah, I thought the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s entrance exam is supposed to be harsh and difficult, but it''s only of this level!"


    "Let''s go!"


    All the over-confident guys sneered and smirked after they saw Lian Rou''s success, and they sprinted forward. At the back, Elder Zhao merely smiled. I had the impression that he was snickering to himself.


    I knew it. There''s more to this exam than what meets the eye.


    Noticing that I hadn''t jump forward yet, Tong Xue also similarly stayed back, studying the columns intently.


    The moment those few overconfident guys stepped onto the pillars, however, the pillars glowed brightly and blasted them off their bases. Those guys, having lost their smirks and confidence by now, shrieked in a most un-masculine manner as they plunged into the waters below and were swept away by the force of the waterfall.


    "Numbers fifty-five, sixty-two and three hundred and eighty-four are eliminated," Elder Zhao declared at the back of the crowd as he consulted his tablet. The remaining candidates all turned to stare at him fearfully.


    "Didn''t you listen carefully to what I said earlier?" Lian Rou asked, amused. "The soul of a spirit armament is its spirit engraving."


    Everyone fell silent as they turned back to pay attention to Lian Rou''s lecture.


    "If you''re unable to differentiate between even the most basic of spirit engravings, then you''re not qualified to enter our sect. Please leave."


    There was a murmur in the crowd as everyone turned to stare at each other worriedly.


    "What? Spirit Engraving?"


    "There''s a Spirit Engraving on those marble pillars?!"


    No shit. I mean, what else could have blasted the poor bastards off earlier? A ghost? Obviously it had to be the effects of a spirit engraving, which enchanted those marble pillars with mystical abilities and spiritual powers. With my Heaven and Earth senses, I could see the flow of qi around them resembling the spirits of the magical beasts from which materials were extracted.


    This is gonna be tough.


    "If we step on top of it, we would trigger the Spirit Engraving and be blasted off?!"


    "Then how are we supposed to cross those columns?!"


    "It''s impossible!"


    "Idiots¡­"


    Tong Xue shook his head in disapproval, but obviously he was too polite to say it out loud.


    "All you have to do is differentiate the Spirit Engravings. That''s all."


    "You know how to differentiate them?" I asked Tong Xue incredulously. Stupid question on my part. Of course he did. Tong Xue was the most well-informed person among the candidates, since he came from a sect that specialized in intelligence and espionage.


    "Of course. Watch me."


    With a smirk, Tong Xue then mimicked Lian Rou''s movements. However, before he could jump, someone dashed ahead of him.


    "Whoa!"


    Tong Xue frowned, but he didn''t halt. Instead, he picked up speed and overtook the guy who had the temerity to shove him back. I recognized the other guy as none other than Liang Shao Yang. Tong Xue too, but he didn''t say a word.


    "You''re in the way."


    Liang Shao Yang''s hand blurred and a gigantic sword materialized, slashing toward Tong Xue.


    "!"


    Tong Xue flipped his body just in time to avoid being cleaved in half. He crashed back onto the edge of the cliff where we were perched on, and spun around to glare at Liang Shao Yang, who had also landed and prepared for combat.


    "What do you think you''re doing, you bastard?" Tong Xue demanded, annoyed. I was moving forward to back him up, in case there was a fight.


    "Clearing away the hindrances," Liang Shao Yang replied coldly.


    "Really? You''re the one hindering others," Tong Xue replied as he assumed a defensive stance. "But I''m curious to know whether you have the ability to stop me."


    "All of you, stop!" Lian Rou snapped, glaring especially at Liang Shao Yang. "This is the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. you''re not allowed to do whatever you want here."


    "That''s right." Elder Zhao stepped back from where he was hiding earlier, his eyes resting on Liang Shao Yang. "Young Master Liang, I ask that you refrain from attacking the other candidates. This is an entrance exam, not a duel."


    Liang Shao Yang lowered his head, his eyes dark, but didn''t protest. Tong Xue watched him, and then breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Well, I''ll be going on ahead first!"


    Tong Xue didn''t hesitate and jumped off, launching himself toward the pillars. Liang Shao Yang merely watched him with cold, indifferent eyes, but with Elder Zhao watching him, he made no move to attack again.


    "The pillars are split into two types!" Tong Xue shouted an explanation to the other candidates. He was being the friendly, helpful guy who was popular in Wu Ling Academy, offering hints and tips and advice to others who needed it. "One type has the Spirit Engraving that blasts you off its surface the moment you step on it ¨C the booby traps, if you will. The other has neutral Spirit Engravings that do nothing if you step onto them, and they are safe to step on."


    Lian Rou leaned forward and peered at Tong Xue in surprise, thoroughly impressed by what she was seeing.


    Tong Xue can actually differentiate the types of Spirit Engravings engraved upon the top of the pillars! We finally have a talented candidate!


    Elder Zhao hung back and stroked his beard with a smile, pleased with Tong Xue''s performance and helpful nature.


    "It''ll be great if he passes all three stages of the exams," he remarked with a grin.


    "As long as you can differentiate between these two types of Spirit Engravings marked on the pillars," Tong Xue continued, unaware of the praise he was attracting from the invigilator and his assistant. "This entrance exam will prove to be pretty simple!"


    "Oh?"


    A smile curved across Lian Rou''s pretty face as she watched Tong Xue make his way through the second, higher platform.


    "Do you really think it''s that simple? Don''t you think you''re underestimating the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect too much?"


    "?!"


    Tong Xue suddenly realized that the last, and tallest pillar was a trap, having two layers of Spirit Engravings embedded within it. The pillar glowed the moment he set foot on it and blasted him off its surface. He scrambled and flailed helplessly as he plummeted toward the raging rapids below, where he would be washed away by the waterfall.


    "Tong Xue!" I shouted.


    But my worries were unfounded. Tong Xue righted his body in midair, and for a moment it seemed like he disappeared. No. he traded his position in midair with that on the cliff, latching onto a shadow and sucking himself onto its surface. Using the steep side of the cliff as a foothold, he then kicked himself up and cleared the entire height in a single bound, landing in front of a stunned Lian Rou.


    "Sorry about that," he said apologetically, scratching his head. "I let my guard down for a second. But I still passed, right? Since I managed to reach the top of the mountain."


    "Well, yes. You did well." Lian Rou nodded. Tong Xue threw a fist in the air.


    "Hell, yeah! Just you wait, my beloved Lian Rou! Soon I''ll be able to stand next to you."


    "Ahem¡­" Lian Rou''s cheeks were a little red as she coughed and turned away. "It''s not over yet. Look behind you."


    "Eh?"


    Tong Xue blinked and spun around. As expected, Liang Shao Yang was close on his heels, leaping up to land on the mountaintop.


    "You¡­!"


    Tong Xue bristled with hostility, but didn''t say anything. As for Liang Shao Yang, he landed indifferently on the ground and walked past the other guy without paying any attention to him. Instead, he directed his question at Lian Rou.


    "When will the next stage of the examination begin?"


    "Why are you so impatient?" Tong Xue snapped. "The rest of the candidates haven''t made it up here yet!"


    "Don''t worry," Liang Shao Yang replied. "There won''t be any other candidates."


    "What are you talking about?" Tong Xue demanded, his voice taking on an edge. "You¡­!"


    However, realization dawned on him and he sprinted toward the edge of the cliff to peer down at the two platforms below.


    "T¡­this is¡­"


    A sight of devastation greeted him. Remnants of wrecked pillars lay scattered all over the water, debris being swept away by the waterfall.


    "You destroyed all the pillars with the neutral Spirit Engravings!" Tong Xue rounded on the uncaring Liang Shao Yang. "Don''t you think you''ve gone too far?!"


    "Yeah!"


    The crowd below was in an uproar.


    "How can you do this?!"


    "This is too unfair!"


    "How are we supposed to cross the platform now? This bastard¡­!"


    "Fucker!"


    "How dare you¡­!"


    "If all of the pillars have been destroyed, then how are we supposed to cross it?!"


    I glanced at Elder Zhao, but he merely stayed back, his arms folded as he watched the commotion. Evidently, this wasn''t against the rules or he would have done something. But he didn''t, so there was no point whining about it.


    Whining and raging wouldn''t help us pass the exam, after all.


    I narrowed my eyes as I glared upward, my eyes drilling into Liang Shao Yang''s cold, uncaring back. The bastard¡­suddenly, I wanted to pass this exam just so I could spite that fucker. And help the people around me while at it, so as to retaliate against the bastard''s stunt. He reminded me of a bully, and I hated bullies.


    "Despicable!"


    "Fucker! Come down here and we''ll fight you!"


    "Quiet! Don''t you know what kind of sect Divine Shadow Sect is?! Aren''t you afraid of antagonizing them?"


    "So what?! He can be from the Heaven and Earth Sect for all I care! He has no right to do this to the rest of us!"


    Brave words¡­


    "Hey!" Tong Xue protested to Lian Rou. "Isn''t this against the rules?!"


    "¡­the rules did not state that you''re not allowed to destroy the pillars," Lian Rou replied reluctantly. I nodded. I knew it. So that was why Elder Zhao didn''t make a move. And when her master didn''t say anything, Lian Rou''s hands were tied as well. After all, she was a mere assistant. "So it''s not counted as breaking the rules."


    "You''re kidding, right?" Tong Xue''s jaw dropped. "That''s going too far!"


    "Even so¡­" a hint of a smile touched Lian Rou''s lips. "There are still people who are able to climb up to the mountaintop."


    "?!"


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    Liang Shao Yang stiffened when he heard Lian Rou''s words. He slowly turned back, his eyes widening just a fraction.


    I was jumping across the raging rapids, but instead of using the crumbling or wrecked pillars, I was creating pillars of my own. Using my frosty yin qi, I froze the water. Thanks to the waterfall, I had abundant amounts of material through which I could construct imitations of the destroyed pillars. By using my qi, I forged a row of gradually ascending ice pillars that stretched across the two platforms and made my way to the mountaintop without much effort.


    Landing on the peak, I then straightened up and beckoned for the other candidates to follow me.


    "Hurry up and get up here before those ice pillars melt!"


    "Whoa!"


    "You''re a great guy!"


    "Awesome!"


    "Thanks!"


    "I owe you!"


    Grateful for my intervention, the other candidates scrambled forward to climb aboard the ice pillars I had just prepared not just for myself but also for them. The surface was a bit slippery, but if as martial artists they weren''t able to maintain their balance and prevent themselves from slipping off the icy surface, then they didn''t deserve to pass the exam.


    Hell, I basically made the exam a lot easier for all of them to pass.


    "Heh!" Elder Zhao was chuckling to himself as he watched from behind, unable to contain his amusement. "What a guy! I knew he was interesting! Qi Hong, you really chose one hell of a guy to bring back to our sect!"


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"


    On the other hand, Tong Xue was roaring in laughter. Doubling over as he clutched his gut, he waved a fist around, unable to control his amusement.


    "Oh, did you see Liang Shao Yang''s expression? Ha ha ha ha ha! You''re awesome, Fei Wu! You''re really awesome!"


    "No, not really," I replied, feeling embarrassed from Tong Xue''s unceasing praise. "I only did what I could to pass the exam. This is legal, right?"


    "Of course," Lian Rou confirmed as she strode over with a smile. "The rules do not forbid you from creating your own pillars either. In fact, considering that this is an exam to test your skills as blacksmiths or Spirit Engravers, I would say that constructing your own pillars to climb up to the mountaintop is a perfect demonstration of your skill as a blacksmith." Her smile turned mischievous. "No wonder Qi Hong is so smitten with you."


    "I think you overestimate me," I muttered, trying to suppress my embarrassment.


    "As always, Fei Wu, we can''t underestimate you." Lian Rou shook her head as she studied me with a look of curiosity. "You never cease to amaze us."


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Excellent work!"


    Raising a hand, Tong Xue exchanged a high five with me. I complied, despite my hand stinging when our palms collided.


    "Still, this will be quite the pickle if all the candidates in this batch makes it through," Elder Zhao remarked as he watched the rest of the candidates jump from pillar to pillar, trying to climb up the mountain. He stepped forward and cupped his hands around his mouth to call up to me. "Do you mind if I modify your ice pillars a bit?"


    "Uh, please go ahead."


    I had no reason to refuse, and nodded. Elder Zhao smiled and he gestured for the flow of candidates to stop. I didn''t see what he did, but with a single swing of his hand, he suddenly engraved a Spirit Engraving on each of the pillar.


    "This will be a more fair assessment."


    I realized that Elder Zhao had inscribed the two different types of Spirit Engravings that were on the original marble pillars earlier. I had no idea how he did it without accidentally destroying the ice pillars, but that spoke of his insurmountable skill as a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver. I mean, even though I was the one who forged those ice pillars, I didn''t use spirit materials. I used ordinary water and didn''t infuse them with much qi.


    Normally, any attempts to engrave Spirit Engravings into them or modify them would cause the relatively fragile frozen pillars to collapse. Yet Elder Zhao managed to pull off such a delicate procedure in a second.


    "You may continue."


    Realizing what Elder Zhao just did, the other candidates began to cautiously make their way up to the mountaintop, trying their best to identify which one had the neutral Spirit Engravings and which one had the volatile one.

 66 Chapter 65: Frozen Solid

    Elder Zhao had taken the initiative to explain to us the prestige of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    After the second stage of the examination, only a total of about a hundred candidates had managed to pass and reach the third stage. We were then led into a cavern built into the middle of the volcano, where many small forging furnaces lay.


    Beneath each furnace were small amounts of low-quality fire crystals, and on a nearby table, various types of spirit materials were neatly spread out for our use.


    While I held my token and followed Tong Xue, each of us was led to one furnace under the direction of Lian Rou while Elder Zhao''s voice droned on and on in the background. Liang Shao Yang and Yin Jin Jin had also passed the exam and were standing in front of their own furnaces. The latter had warmed up to me because of my "contribution" earlier and she nodded at me. Lian Rou finally had help in the form of nine other Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples, who followed her lead and directed the hundred or so candidates to their respective furnaces.


    "These spirit engraved armaments are used in every sect and martial arts organization," Elder Zhao informed us proudly as the flames in the Flame Volcano flickered, casting insidious shadows over his face. "They are crafted by disciples of our sect."


    He then swept his gaze over us.


    "That is why the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect remains influential and powerful in the Great Zhou Empire. Even the Martial Arts Alliance has to respect us."


    I''m sure they did¡­or they were most likely plotting something behind your back to usurp you of your power. Like all other clich¨¦ wuxia stories.


    "The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect consists of the inner sect and the outer sect," Elder Zhao continued gravely. "Once you become outer sect disciples, you''ll eventually have a chance to become inner sect disciples if we see that you have the potential, and we will have actual, authentic master spirit engravers train you."


    The lights above seemed to brighten along with the smoldering flames that burned at the center of the cavern.


    "The hundred and eleven of you have passed the second stage of the outer sect examination," Elder Zhao told us with relish. I gulped at that. The examination had certainly been brutal. Out of the four hundred plus candidates who had originally registered to take the examination, seventy-five percent of us had been eliminated, and only 111 of us remained. That was quite the intimidating prospect, now that I thought about it.


    "Everything has been prepared for all of you," Elder Zhao declared as he gestured at the materials lying on our tables. "I assume you all already know what we want you to do. That''s right, it''s pretty obvious, isn''t it? You''re all to forge a spirit armament. Any elemental affinity ¨C metal, wood, water, fire or earth ¨C is fine. Of course, metal armaments are the easiest to forge, especially when you recall that forging and combining metals require the simplest processes. That said, you have free rein to forge whatever you want. Use whatever spirit materials you want ¨C it doesn''t have to be all of them! And create whatever gear you want! Armor, swords, hammers, spears, bows, arrows, axes, whatever! Anything is fine as long as you can create it!"


    After pacing around, Elder Zhao finally stopped at the middle of the cavern and turned around to face all of us. With a holler, he swung down his hand.


    "Without further ado, let the third exam begin!"


    Liang Shao Yang, Tong Xue and Yin Jing Jing all seemed to move at the exact same moment, immediately igniting their fire crystals and lighting up their furnaces. Everyone else followed closely a few seconds later, sparking their fire crystals to life and lighting up their furnaces.


    I was the only one who hadn''t started up the fire yet. Instead, I picked up and identified each and every spirit material I had available to me.


    "Uh¡­Auric Gold, Crimson Copper, Ethereal Silver¡­"


    Running through the names in my mind, I wondered what sort of spirit armament I could forge with them. I had only created weapons out of ice, but obviously that wouldn''t be enough to pass this Nine-Tailed Fox Sect examination.


    For one thing, my ice weapons weren''t meant to last long. Not only would they melt within the intense heat of the furnaces clustered within this enclosed cavern before long, they weren''t sturdy enough to maintain their existence beyond an hour or two. That wasn''t something I could call a spirit armament. No, they were pretty much¡­forgeries. Imitations. Fake weapons projected temporarily into existence to serve a specific function before disappearing forever.


    So what exactly should I do?


    Well, since ice weapons are the ones I have most familiarity with, thanks to my elemental affinity and techniques, I might as well stick to those.


    Ice was just water element imbued with more yin qi than yang qi. And Elder Zhao said we were allowed to forge weapons with the water elemental affinity.


    The aforementioned Elder Zhao was moving around the group, observing this year''s batch. He was keeping a close eye on Liang Shao Yang, Yin Jing Jing and Tong Xue, ensuring that he didn''t stray too far from their positions.


    Not only did these three have the highest martial arts cultivation of all the examinees, their backgrounds were also far from ordinary. They most likely had studied forging armaments within their own sects before coming to take the exam. That was why, whether it was their experience or their techniques, Elder Zhao couldn''t help but be impressed with them. He was confident that these three would not only pass the examination without a hitch, and would be this year''s top disciples. In fact, he would bet on them attaining the chance to enter the inner sect before long.


    As for me, he only asked me to join on a whim, but he was just as aware as I was that I didn''t have the background or talent necessary to forge artifacts. He was impressed by my trick with the ice pillars during the second stage of the exam, though, so he naturally glanced in my direction from time to time. I was afraid I had to disappoint him because I was taking my time to identify the spirit materials and come up with a weird design for an artifact.


    Of course, being an impartial invigilator who had one eye on the future of the sect, Elder Zhao would naturally pay more attention to the actual talented prodigies who had a high chance of becoming inner sect disciples in the future, so that he could make preparations in advance.


    "Senior Hu?"


    "Senior Hu, why are you here?!"


    A fiery red figure suddenly appeared within the cavern, dressed in a skimpy pink and white dress, while her long, pink hair flowed breezily in the wafts of hot air that rose from the numerous furnaces. It was a beautiful seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl. Even the loose blacksmith robe that she wore over her pink and white dress was unable to conceal the seductive curves of her body, which included her ample chest and wide hips. That gorgeous figure alone was able to tempt any man and fill his heart with nearly uncontrollable lust.


    Or something like that, anyway. I mean, you could probably guess what sort of descriptions came with beautiful girls in wuxia or xianxia story by now. Just be glad I didn''t resort to using white, jade-like skin, okay?


    As soon as she showed up, the eyes of all the male Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples present were immediately drawn to her, filled with excitement and desire. They managed to clamp down on their blossoming emotions and greeted her politely.


    Even the male examinees were distracted despite trying to focus all their attention on forging. Their concentration began to slip as they occasionally snuck glances at her gorgeous figure while crafting their armaments.


    "Mei Er, why are you here today?" Elder Zhao asked with a warm smile. He waved at her as she bounced about the cavern, and then continued. "Well, it''s good that you''re here. Since you''ve come all the way here, you might as well help me grade them. There are a few outstanding youths in this batch, so you might want to take note, keep them in mind and think about who you want as your assistant later. You''ll get a chance a few days later¡­"


    "Uncle Zhao!" Hu Mei Er greeted him enthusiastically. "Sorry for disturbing the exam. I came here today so that I can choose a few people to be my assistant. All the promising candidates from previous years have already been picked by my fellow disciples. This time I''ll make sure not to miss out on any of them!"


    Her blue eyes sparkled like sapphire as a pretty smile curved across her lovely face. There was some sort of elegant charm to the way she seemed to shyly avoid the looks of the examinees in the cavern.


    "Ha ha!" Elder Zhao chortled. "It''s your fault for being arrogant the previous few times! You thought there weren''t any promising candidates and dismissed the exams. In the end, there were a few outstanding candidates who helped your fellow disciples plenty by properly separating and refining spirit materials, thus saving them a lot of time and energy! Who asked you to miss out on the batches from the previous years?"


    Hu Mei Er sulked at that. "But before that, there weren''t any promising candidates, and they barely passed the exams! There wasn''t even a single one I could use, so I ended up giving up on all those new recruits!"


    "Well, don''t worry. I can guarantee you that you''ll be able to find some talented assistants this time around," Elder Zhao assured her with another chuckle. "Though I''m afraid some of them will already be taken by others."


    He glanced pointedly at Tong Xue''s direction, suspecting that he would only follow Lian Rou. Lian Rou probably already had dibs on him as well.


    "I understand." Hu Mei Er nodded with a smile and began hovering around the courtyard like a ghost, drifting next to each examinee to observe their armament forging process and Spirit Engravings.


    Unfortunately for these examinees, when they realized that she was nearby ¨C her presence preceded by an intoxicating fragrance ¨C they would lose focus and began to make mistakes and become sloppy with their refining methods.


    "¡­"


    Hu Mei Er could only shake her head in disappointment, and then leave for the next examinee. Her pink figure ghosted across the shadows of the cavern, almost like a dancing butterfly in a meadow.


    Most of the candidates ended up glancing at her with lustful eyes, and even those who weren''t approached directly by Hu Mei Er couldn''t help but cast their gazes in the direction of her beautiful figure. Apparently they forgot the reason why they were here in the first place.


    "Again, another useless person who isn''t able to focus on forging armaments and control his state of mind¡­"


    Hu Mei Er sighed and shook her head. Despite her disillusionment, she continued to move around. More candidates ended up losing focus in order to drool over her seductive figure, her flirty movements throwing their concentration off. However, unaware of her own charm, Hu Mei Er could only feel let down.


    "Mei Er, there are three people you should pay close attention to," Elder Zhao informed her gently. "They might just be the candidates you''re looking for."


    The moment Hu Mei Er returned to his side, Elder Zhao directed her attention toward Liang Shao Yang, Yin Jing Jing and Tong Xue. He made sure to stay a good distance away and kept his voice down, lest they overhear him and flatter themselves.


    "They have great potential, their backgrounds are extraordinary, and they clearly have experience in forging armaments. I''m confident that they will pass the examination."


    Liang Shao Yang, Yin Jing Jing and Tong Xue were located near the front of the cavern. Hu Mei Er had previously passed through there in her first round, having realized that the trio were the center of attention.


    She nodded gratefully at Elder Zhao''s reminder, and proceeded toward the front row. Dropping beside Liang Shao Yang in an elegant movement, she peered over his shoulder.


    Liang Shao Yang immediately tensed up, his aura turning murderous. Far from being intimidated, Hu Mei Er actually brightened up in excitement. She cheerfully approached the furnace, her eyes glinting passionately and she stared at Liang Shao Yang with an adoring and smitten gaze.


    Unfortunately, this was one of Hu Mei Er''s usual modus operandi.


    A fiery, passionate stare of adoration. Up to the present, she had not failed even once in using this to charm a man. There were very few men who could resist her charms.


    Apparently, when forging an armament, there was very room for error. If one was distracted, even for a second, their movements would be affected, and even the most minor effects would show in the refining process.


    Aware of this, Hu Mei Er observed Liang Shao Yang''s every move.


    "Hmm¡­"


    She placed a finger on her lips as she watched passionately. Liang Shao Yang remained unmoved, for now. Compared to the other candidates, he was much calmer and a lot more focused. Even when he was under her intense, passionate gaze, Liang Shao Yang continued to focus his attention on the furnace in front of him and handled the spirit materials with utmost care. He was meticulous in his techniques, measuring the exact same quantities of spirit materials and melting them upon the furnace whenever necessary.


    The complete opposite of me, who had no idea what I was doing and randomly throwing arbitrary quantities of spirit materials into the furnace without any care for exact quantities and volumes. As I said before, I didn''t care much for the quantification of anything, I was all heart and emotion, and opposed to positivism.


    In contrast, there was not even the tiniest mistake in every single action of Liang Shao Yang. I was so jealous of him in that regard.


    Hu Mei Er nodded in approval, surprised and impressed by Liang Shao Yang''s commitment to forging stuff. The seductive smile on her lovely face widened, and everyone looking at her couldn''t help but feel a flash of desire.


    Without breaking away, Hu Mei Er gently nudged into the space beside and behind Liang Shao Yang and intentionally pressed her chest against his arm. She leaned closer to whisper into his ear with a throaty chuckle.


    "You''re a little different from the other men, aren''t you?"


    As expected, even Liang Shao Yang''s self-control crumbled a little at that. The fingers on his left hand trembled slightly as he drew a deep breath.


    Crack.


    Unfortunately, that was more than enough to cause him to slip up, and he inadvertently crushed a piece of Crimson Copper into powder.


    Hu Mei Er glanced at him before withdrawing abruptly, her elegant lips curling in disdain even as she maintained that beautiful smile. "I guess you''re not that different after all¡­"


    No longer paying any attention to poor Liang Shao Yang, she changed her target and proceeded toward Tong Xue this time.


    "Oh wow¡­I thought Liang Shao Yang would be able to ignore Senior Hu''s charm, but I guess he''s a guy after all."


    "Still, he did very well to resist all the way until the end. He''s doing much better than the other guys taking the exam."


    "Heh¡­yeah. Senior Hu has been the sect''s second-most talented disciple for the past ten years, second only to Senior Tang. She has also been one of the most beautiful disciples as well, on par with Senior Tang."


    "Yeah¡­if she wasn''t so young, both she and Senior Tang will be the top two people in the inner sect. they''re both geniuses when it comes to Spirit Engraving and forging spirit armaments."


    "Hai¡­I wish I could be chosen by either Senior Hu or Senior Tang. I would be satisfied even if the only thing I do everyday is polish spirit materials for them."


    "Me too."


    The few outer sect disciples who were helping out with invigilating the exam sighed as they whispered to each other along the walls of the cavern. They all glanced at Hu Mei Er, clearly infatuated with her beauty.


    "Really? You guys should aspire to reach higher."


    "EH?! Senior Tang?!"


    The outer sect disciples jumped when Tang Qi Hong suddenly showed up. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at them.


    "What kind of nonsense are you guys babbling about?"


    "Eek¡­forgive us¡­"


    Fortunately for them, Lian Rou came to the rescue.


    "Qi Hong, what are you doing here?"


    "O¡­of course I''m here to look at the potential candidates! Like Senior Hu, I''m looking for an assistant!"


    Tang Qi Hong couldn''t help but glance in my direction, and grew a little worried when she saw the mess I was creating. Lian Rou couldn''t help but giggle.


    "Don''t worry. I''m sure Fei Wu will find a way."


    "W¡­who says I''m worried about him? And why does it have to be Fei Wu?!" Tang Qi Hong was flustered, and then tried to divert Lian Rou''s attention away from me. "Rather than me and Fei Wu, shouldn''t you be more worried about Tong Xue?"


    While the two girls and the male outer sect disciples were whispering to each other, Hu Mei Er had made her way toward Tong Xue, suddenly appearing beside him.


    Tong Xue had originally been focusing on forging his armament. When Hu Mei Er appeared beside him, he simply smiled at her.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t afford to pay much attention to their conversation because one of the Sea Sapphire crystals just condensed and I had to focus every bit of attention I had into crafting it into a long shape. By the time I finished that, it seemed that their conversation had taken quite the unusual turn. Hu Mei Er''s brow was twitching in annoyance as she was forced to listen to Tong Xue ramble on and on about something.


    "I''m very sorry, Senior Hu. Even though I admit that you''re beautiful, but my heart already belongs to someone else."


    Even as he conversed, fiery and shadowy qi blended and amalgamated as he skillfully crafted his artifact.


    "Would you like to know who that person is? Should I tell you who she is?"


    There was no need to¡­it was obvious that the person his heart belonged to was none other than Lian Rou.


    "I think it''s best if you focus on forging your spirit armament," Hu Mei Er told him as a bead of perspiration rolled down her face.


    Hu Mei Er had originally intended to test Tong Xue''s mental fortitude, which was why she had approached him with a bright smile, but he ended up turning the tables on her by rambling on about his beloved Lian Rou.


    That guy was remarkable. I should learn from him. Unable to deal with Tong Xue, Hu Mei Er had no choice but to withdraw.


    "This kid¡­" On the other side of the cavern, Elder Zhao burst out laughing.


    "I told you there''s no need to worry about Tong Xue," Lian Rou told Tang Qi Hong, her expression half-flattered and half-triumphant. Tang Qi Hong could only wave her best friend''s remark away and chuckle sourly.


    "Yeah, yeah. You''re so lucky."


    Hu Mei Er gave Tong Xue one final glare before she gave up and withdrew. As much as she wanted to affect him and throw off his focus, she wasn''t sure she could stand listening one more second about how deeply he was in love with Lian Rou, or she might actually throw up. She chose to instead glance in Yin Jing Jing''s direction.


    However, she shook her head and whispered silently to herself. "She''s a girl. There''s nothing I can do about her then¡­"


    She finally returned to Elder Zhao''s side with a sigh. "I guess Liang Shao Yang''s the most useful of the bunch."


    "What about the other two?" Elder Zhao inquired with a smile.


    "You''re kidding, right? Lian Rou can have that Tong Xue guy, since it''s obvious that they''re so deeply in love with each other."


    "That''s¡­" Lian Rou mumbled as she blushed, but she was unable to deny that. Tang Qi Hong, who was beside her, giggled and placed an encouraging hand on her best friend''s shoulder.


    "As for Yin Jing Jing, I''ll have no choice but to wait until she finishes forging her spirit armament. I''ll be sure to keep an eye on her. But¡­" Hu Mei Er''s shoulders drooped slightly. "By that time that happens, the rest of the seniors would have arrived by then, and I might not be able to pick the assistant I want."


    "I see¡­should I book Liang Shao Yang for you then?"


    "Do you mind waiting a bit? I''ll take another look. If there really isn''t anyone suitable enough, then I''ll have no choice but to pick Liang Shao Yang."


    Hu Mei Er frowned in dissatisfaction. She obviously didn''t seem pleased to settle for Liang Shao Yang despite him clearly being heads and shoulders above the rest. I shook my head, thinking that her expectations were incredibly unrealistic and too high. As much as I resented Liang Shao Yang for the stunts he pulled during the second stage of the exam, his peerless skill and incredible talent were undeniable. Not to mention, his focus was nearly unrivaled.


    "Who do you have your eyes on, Junior Tang?" Hu Mei Er asked spitefully. Apparently the two girls had something of a bitter rivalry and clearly didn''t get along well with each other. Tang Qi Hong narrowed her eyes and folded her arms.


    "I don''t see how it''s any of your business."


    "Hmph. It''ll probably be a useless trash anyway."


    Hu Mei Er regarded her number one rival with scorn and turned away. She then returned to the center of the hundred or so aspiring blacksmiths in hopes of finding someone suitable. This time, she decided to explore the corners and edges of the crowd where she hadn''t ventured toward previously. Perhaps she would get lucky and have a fortuitous encounter.


    While wandering around the edges, Hu Mei Er flitted from candidate to candidate, intently scrutinizing them one by one, and occasionally she would approach her target and stare at him passionately. The poor guy would be distracted and made a mistake, or commit some sort of sloppy maneuver during the delicate refining process.


    When that happened, Hu Mei Er would immediately leave and select a new target to test. Unfortunately, she ran into disappointment again and again, no matter which target she chose.


    At least until she finally neared my position and felt the bone-numbing chill that emanated from my not-so-fiery furnace.


    By that point, Hu Mei Er had grown disillusioned and wasn''t paying much attention to me or any of the remaining candidates.


    "There are only a few people left," she remarked to herself. Oi, I can hear you, you know. "If I still can''t find anyone, then I have no choice but to choose Liang Shao Yang."


    She said that as if it was a bad thing. The guy was destined for great things, and I could see him very well becoming one of the top blacksmiths or martial artists in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. his future was limitless. Yet for some reason Hu Mei Er wasn''t satisfied with him. I guess this was a situation of a fool not knowing just how fortunate she really was.


    But who Hu Mei Er chose was none of my business, and I had to pass this exam, firstly to spite Liang Shao Yang, and secondly, so that I wouldn''t let Tang Qi Hong down.


    "Br¡­!"


    Feeling the icy cold that emanated from my furnace, Hu Mei Er couldn''t help but feel surprised. Her jaw dropped when she saw what I was doing.


    "Huh? What is that young man doing? He''s using an ice technique to forge a spirit artifact? How does that work? So strange¡­"


    While she was musing to herself and observing me, those thoughts stopped right in her head when she caught sight of what I was forging.


    "Eh? I''ve never seen such a spirit armament before¡­"


    That was because I was trying to forge not a conventional weapon like a sword or spear or shield, but a¡­gun.


    There were no guns or rifles or projectile weapons in this timeline. Mostly because they were obsolete and pointless, not when people could shoot fireballs or icicles out of their hands. If you could fire off qi blasts with your bare hands, what need had you of a gun? That was why the firearms technology in this timeline extended no more than bows and arrows.


    But there were bows and arrows, which meant that I could apply that same ranged projectile weapon concept to guns. There was no reason why I couldn''t infuse the bullets with qi and create a devastating ranged weapon that would be far more effective than spirit bows and arrows. Spirit guns were cool.


    At least that was what I thought, anyway.


    Presently, I was molding the shape of the gun using ice. Sculpting the firing pin, the barrel, the breech, the firing bolt, the spring, the grip and the muzzle separately, first using ice as a blueprint, I poured the metals into the icy molds and began to harden them with qi. Part by part, I began assembling the rifle together and then inscribed the only Spirit Engraving I knew. One I learned while cultivating Heaven and Earth Formula.


    The complex mechanisms (well, it wasn''t that complex if you knew how to do it) and the myriad of parts required to assemble a single rifle wasn''t something that Hu Mei Er had seen before. She couldn''t help but feel fascinated, despite not being able to comprehend the true nature of the deadly ranged weapon.


    But she was definitely impressed.


    A mischievous smile crept over her beautiful face, which then curled in a seductive manner. She wore the same passionate gaze that she had successfully used on all the other guys in the cavern as she stared at me, and emanated her undefeatable charm.


    Despite being very aware and self-conscious of Hu Mei Er being so close to me in proximity, I tried my best not to look at her. For one thing, I could feel Tang Qi Hong''s terrifying glare on me. The message was clear. If I fell to Hu Mei Er''s charms, she would personally kill me. Even though we weren''t officially going out or anything¡­


    Wow, a woman''s jealousy was absolutely terrifying. I was more afraid of what Tang Qi Hong would do to me than being tempted by Hu Mei Er''s beauty and passionate, adoring gaze. Glancing in Tang Qi Hong''s direction to assure her that I wouldn''t crumble, I then returned my attention to my ice rifle.


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    "Oh¡­? I see how it is¡­"


    Hu Mei Er had caught the exchange between me and Tang Qi Hong, and she understood the situation. The smile on her lovely face grew wider as she began to scheme something in those dark corners of her mind.


    This wasn''t good. I felt like a new toy that Hu Mei Er had just discovered, and knew that she was going to start playing with me.


    "An interesting fella like Liang Shao Yang. I see, so you''re the assistant that Junior Tang Qi Hong picked. Let me see if I can steal you away from her¡­"


    To be honest, Hu Mei Er had no interest in my abilities or talent (or the lack of it, actually). She was nursing a grudge against Tang Qi Hong for suddenly appearing a couple of years ago and stealing her number one disciple spot away from her, as well as rivaling her in beauty. That was why she resented Tang Qi Hong, and she decided to get back at her by stealing what belonged to her.


    But it wasn''t as if I belonged to Tang Qi Hong. I wasn''t sure how I felt about being treated like an object, but it certainly did not feel pleasant.


    Nonetheless, I had more important things to worry about. Such as trying to successfully inscribe the Spirit Engraving I had in mind on the gun. This was important, as it would distinguish the gun from a normal one if it could draw upon qi from the Spirit Engraving.


    "Oh?"


    Apparently, because I was afraid of Tang Qi Hong and thus able to resist her charms, Hu Mei Er grew even more interested in me, thinking that I had somehow surpassed her expectations. Which I didn''t, but whatever.


    "Let''s hope you won''t disappoint me. I wonder if you''ll be able to hold out for a while longer."


    Suddenly, she giggled, and in a flash, her voluptuous figure was pressing on my left. Smiling, she closed in and whispered into my ear seductively.


    "That''s an interesting armament you''re forging. I''ve never seen it before. Do you mind telling me the details of what you''re crafting?"


    Her sizeable breasts were scant centimeters away from my left arm. And for some reason I could feel fevered heat radiating from her gorgeous figure. The girl was sure pouring on the charm on a plebian like me.


    Those rosy, red lips¡­that sweet fragrance that wafted from her seemingly delicate body as she moved, those fiery, passionate eyes¡­and the attractive figure that approached to an uncomfortably close distance¡­right now, her allure had exceeded human parameters, and the desirable heat she emanated was hot enough to melt even solid rock.


    "¡­gulp¡­"


    The male Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members that were assisting Elder Zhao and Lian Rou in invigilating couldn''t help but gulped as they watched Hu Mei Er''s alluring, seductive figure pour on her charm to the max. While they struggled to suppress the lust rising within them, Tang Qi Hong gritted her teeth and glared murderously at her rival.


    As much as Tang Qi Hong wanted to swoop down and pull Hu Mei Er away, she was afraid of kicking up a scene and disrupting the examination. She wasn''t selfish enough to put her own feelings ahead of the sect''s important exam, knowing that throwing a fit here and creating drama would throw the focus of the candidates more than Hu Mei Er already did, and cause most of them to fail for sure. So she clenched her fists and reined in her anger.


    It was also because Tang Qi Hong trusted me. Recognizing that, I vowed not to betray her trust and focus my attention entirely on my rifle. Seeing my efforts, Tang Qi Hong relaxed a little and smiled somewhat happily.


    "We''re both lucky, aren''t we?" Lian Rou murmured mischievously. Tang Qi Hong blushed.


    "I¡­I don''t know what you''re talking about!"


    I''m sure you don''t¡­


    While Elder Zhao glanced in disapproval at the outer sect disciples in the cavern who were openly drooling and displaying their lust on their faces, probably thinking some nonsense about them having no mental fortitude and being doomed to spend the rest of their lives in the outer sect (I would honestly give them a lot more credit than that), I continued to shape more of the stuff. Reaching for an Arctic Wolf''s monster core, which was one of the spirit materials provided, I began integrating the material into my snow rifle.


    The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, after all, didn''t just provide ores, crystals and metals for forging. One of the necessary materials required for Spirit Engraved gears were the monster cores of magical beasts, which was why they were often in high demand. As long as demonic cores used to be the central part of a magical beast, it would contain the densest amount of the creature''s qi, which was pretty much the traces of the magical beast''s soul. By binding this "soul" to the spirit armament through Spirit Engravings, we would be able to grant the weapons the spiritual abilities of these deadly magical beasts. The Arctic Wolf, for example, was known for its Blizzard Breath. If I succeeded, the bullets of my ice rifle would be able to freeze the opponent.


    At that time, I didn''t know what Hu Mei Er was doing there. I had no idea she was here just to choose an assistant. I was too far away from the front to hear her conversation with Elder Zhao, and I wasn''t paying much attention to her antics around Liang Shao Yang and the rest. Most of the stuff I had here was written on hindsight, after I gathered the accounts from Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou and Tong Xue much later. Presently, I assumed that she was only here to intentionally create trouble and cause people to fail the exam.


    Especially since she was pressing her shapely body closer, which was disrupting the next step of my Spirit Engraving, I couldn''t help but feel annoyed. Furthermore, Tang Qi Hong''s gaze had grown cold again, and I was getting annoyed at her being irritated over something that absolutely was not my fault. Growing weary, I sighed.


    "Hmm, this is really an interesting armament. If you don''t want to tell me what it is, then can you at least tell me where you learn this Spirit Engraving from?"


    Hu Mei Er''s smile was dazzling even as she pressed her curvaceous body closer toward me. I could almost see a vein bulging in Tang Qi Hong''s temple, and Lian Rou had to physically restrain her to stop her from jumping down and attacking the bitch. I didn''t realize it at that time, but Tang Qi Hong was growing infuriated, because from her point of view, it looked as if Hu Mei Er was literally getting impatient to lie down on top of me or something.


    Thanks to that, the surrounding candidates couldn''t help but turn to stare, their lustful eyes fixated on her seductive figure.


    Knowing that I had to do something before Tang Qi Hong snapped, broke free of Lian Rou''s grip and charged down here to fight with Hu Mei Er right in the middle of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s outer sect disciple examination, I resorted to drastic measures.


    I''m counting on you, buddy.


    Ignoring Hu Mei Er''s question, I instead infused the Arctic Wolf''s monster core with more of my purified frosty yin qi. The volatile reaction caused sparks to fly from the slowly assembling rifle and they scattered toward Hu Mei Er.


    Unaware of the sparks, Hu Mei Er continued to lean into me. Her irritation was visible on her face and I could see that she was clearly thinking to herself, do you really think you can ignore me? I''m curious to see how long you can hold out against my seduction techniques!


    Suddenly, she felt a strange, cold sensation spreading rapidly around her body. Stumbling back from shock, she glanced down and her lovely expression turned into one of horror.


    Her thin pink and white dress was freezing over, a thick layer of ice coating the fabric and hardening over her skin.

 67 Chapter 66: Cold Shoulder

    "Senior Hu!"


    The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples all yelled in unison as they rushed over to help their beloved senior, flustered.


    Elder Zhao could only bury his face in his palm, shaking his head in exasperation. He knew that the ice wasn''t life-threatening. It would only give Hu Mei Er a chill, but nothing more than that. There was no need to overreact like his flustered disciples did.


    "Aren''t you glad?" Lian Rou giggled as she whispered to Tang Qi Hong. "Your Fei Wu is so faithful that he even gave that Senior Hu the cold shoulder."


    Tang Qi Hong reddened. "M¡­my Fei Wu? He''s not mine, and what do you mean by faithful? It''s not as if we''re going out or anything."


    "Sure, sure. Whatever you say."


    They weren''t the only ones watching from a distance. Liang Shao Yang, Yin Jing Jing and Tong Xue, as well as the rest of the examinees, all spun around to watch the commotion when they heard poor Hu Mei Er''s screams.


    Hu Mei Er''s beautiful face no longer displayed that seductive smile of hers. Instead, her expression was scrunched up in panic as she hastily brushed away the ice that spread across her blacksmith robes.


    "Get the ice off me!" she shrieked, her eyes bulging in horror.


    "¡­it''s just ice," I muttered with a shake of my head. The yin qi unleashed from the Arctic Wolf''s monster core wasn''t that much. Yeah, perhaps a bit of my pure qi had been mixed in, producing a volatile reaction, but it wasn''t to a destructive amount.


    Unfortunately, Hu Mei Er was too panicky to realize that. Her mind clouded by horror, she executed a Nine-Tailed Fire Fox technique, igniting a blast of flames that vaporized the ice into steam. Her thin blacksmith robes, which was loose and thin, shattered immediately from the sudden rise in temperature.


    Apparently, the ice had frozen them over and rendered the blacksmith robes extremely brittle. The blacksmith robes were originally designed to withstand intense heat and high temperatures, especially since the wearers tended to spend all their time in front of a fiery furnace smelting minerals and metals to forge armaments. From another perspective, that meant that the blacksmith robes offered no protection against ice.


    Thanks to that, the robes got frozen into icy crystals, which broke instantly when Hu Mei Er hastily melted the frost with her fiery techniques.


    Unknown to me, Hu Mei Er had customized her blacksmith robes to be loose on the outside while tailoring the inside with a tight-fitting silk dress that emphasized her curves. Unfortunately for her, the frost from the Arctic Wolf''s monster core had spread to that silk dress and froze the thin fabric as well so when she executed her fiery techniques, the damaged fabric also broke apart.


    "UUWAAAAAAH!"


    I winced as Hu Mei Er''s bloodcurdling shriek pierced my ears. Hey, at least your clothes were still largely intact. It wasn''t as if all of her clothing was destroyed in that sudden surge of flames, so she wasn''t fully naked. The only thing that was exposed was her waist and abdomen, where the icy sparks of frost landed earlier. Otherwise her lower hips and chest were still covered. Not very modestly, but then she was never dressed modestly to begin with.


    Not that I cared.


    "Are you all right?" I asked, feigning concern.


    "This is your fault!" Hu Mei Er screamed at me. Well, she had a point. While I didn''t actually intended to destroy her clothes, I did deliberately fling some icy sparks at her. But I had expected her to dodge them, like any sensible person would. I never thought that she would be so focused on teasing me that she didn''t see the sparks coming.


    Was that my fault or hers? Well, it didn''t matter. A mature guy would lower his head and avoid conflict. It didn''t matter if I wasn''t the one at fault, or Hu Mei Er deserved it for being mischievous. I wasn''t petty enough to protest against that.


    "Uh, sorry?" I could only shrug and apologize helplessly. Hu Mei Er rounded on me, her fiery qi exploding powerfully from her lithe, seductive body.


    "You''ll pay for this! I''ll kill you! I''ll fucking kill you!"


    "Uh, I don''t think you want to do that¡­"


    My warning came too late, or perhaps Hu Mei Er refused to listen to anything I say. If that was the case, then her loss.


    Boom!


    As flames erupted from her body, the thin fabric of her clothes ¨C still weak from the icy sparks scattered over them earlier ¨C disintegrated, leaving her completely naked and exposed in front of over a hundred candidates.


    "Gaaaah!"


    "Whoa!"


    "Oh my goodness!"


    Needless to say, there were several comical moments when a few of the candidates fell back, blood spurting from their noses, while a few of the more sensible ones, such as Liang Shao Yang and Tong Xue, prudently avoided their gazes. Learning from their example, I turned away from the naked Hu Mei Er and focused completely on inscribing the Spirit Engraving on my almost completed ice rifle.


    Seeing that I was plainly ignoring her, Hu Mei Er blew up in rage.


    "Are you ignoring me? You fucking bastard!"


    I raised a hand to stop her. As her flames threatened to wash over me, they struck an invisible barrier and immediately turned into ice. Hu Mei Er''s eyes widened when she realized that my martial arts cultivation was at least on par with hers.


    "Y¡­you¡­!"


    Pushing my glasses up, I continued to fix my gaze upon my rifle. But I wasn''t cruel enough to stay silent, so I muttered something under my breath.


    "You should take care of your appearance first."


    "Huh?! What are you talking about¡­EH?!"


    Another scream when Hu Mei Er finally realized what I was referring to. She dropped down to the ground, shielding her chest and groin with both hands, curling into a fetal position. Tears began leaking out of her eyes as she glared at me, her snowy skin tinged a furious red from head to toe. Fortunately, her pink hair was long enough to cover a good portion of her back and waist.


    "I will never forgive you!"


    Sighing, I took off my uniform jacket and tossed it to her before returning my attention to my forging project. Unable to do anything but grab my jacket and drape it all over her, Hu Mei Er continued to glare at me resentfully.


    Glancing at my token, she snarled.


    "Number two hundred and forty-four! I''ll make sure to remember this! I''ll make you pay for this humiliation that you did to me!"


    "Uh, I don''t mean to sound rude, but isn''t this your fault for trying to get in my way?" I retorted without even glancing at her.


    "You fucking brat!"


    Hu Mei Er, after buttoning my jacket, rose to her feet like a tigress. Flames burst into life in her hands as she got ready to hurl them at me. Seven other fireballs materialized behind her, hovering dangerously in midair as they rotated in a circle.


    "I''ll never forgive you! Get out of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect this instant!" she hollered in fury, tears brimming in her eyes. "And never come back ever again! Don''t even think that you can take one step inside Tushan City again!"


    I finally deigned to cast a sidelong glance at her. To be honest, I couldn''t care less. While I did want to get back at Liang Shao Yang, I was beginning to think this whole farce wasn''t worth it. It wasn''t as if I wanted to join the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in the first place. If Senior Hu wanted me to leave, I was perfectly fine with it.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Instead, it was Elder Zhao who laughed.


    "Mei Er." He gave her a disapproving look. "You know you had this coming, since you were being overly mischievous. Don''t blame others for your downfall."


    "Elder Zhao!"


    Hu Mei Er practically screeched at him.


    "He''s the one who clearly bullied and humiliated me! Please avenge me!"


    The fuck was with her logic? Well, fine¡­


    However, Elder Zhao had other plans. Before I could assent and abandon my furnace, he turned to gaze firmly at Hu Mei Er, his eyes full of reproach.


    "Mei Er," he reprimanded her. "Let''s just leave the matter as it is. Let him apologize and let him go. Stop being so stubborn."


    "But¡­"


    "Today is the entrance examination for the outer sect disciples. You''re here to find an assistant, aren''t you?" Elder Zhao stared her down, and Hu Mei Er was faltering. Her flames were dissipating as she felt a tiny thread of fear. "You''re not supposed to create mischief and do whatever you want. We already gave you a huge measure of free reign, but if you begin to attack the examination candidates, then I''m afraid I''ll have to punish you."


    "Besides, you have no right to kick anyone out of the sect."


    Tang Qi Hong had finally convinced Lian Rou that she wasn''t going to resort to violent methods and hopped to my area to firmly place herself between me and Hu Mei Er. Folding her arms, she glared at Hu Mei Er.


    "What do you think you''re trying to do to Fei Wu, anyway? Using that vulgar body of yours to seduce him?"


    "T¡­that''s¡­!"


    Hu Mei Er was blushing furiously, but she was unable to rebut those accusations. Turning around, she caught sight of all the male candidates all staring at her, especially her bare legs. The hem of my jacket was barely covering her nether regions, after all.


    And underneath my jacket, she was buck naked, given how her dress and robes were completely incinerated when she recklessly used her fire techniques earlier.


    Her face reddened further, if possible, and it was as if she had erupted like a volcano. With a nearly inhuman screech of embarrassment, Hu Mei Er immediately fled the cavern as if she was being chased by a hundred ghosts.


    "Hmph! Serves her right."


    Tang Qi Hong seemed vindicated in her decision to chase Hu Mei Er away. Then she turned around and pulled my ear.


    "You too¡­you''re not off the hook. What''s the idea with burning off her clothes?"


    "Ow, ow, ow! I swear, that was never my intention! I only meant to chase her away! I didn''t think she wouldn''t be able to avoid that!"


    "¡­well, that''s true. She got what she deserved, that Senior Hu." Tang Qi Hong seemed a little pleased.


    "Ahem." Elder Zhao cleared his throat. "Qi Hong, remember that they''re still in an exam. Try not to disturb the examinees."


    "Ah¡­yes!"


    Tang Qi Hong gave me one final look of warning before she jumped back to the stage where Lian Rou awaited.


    Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong were roommates in both the Wu Ling Academy dormitory and in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s residence. I already knew about the former, but I only learned of the latter fact later. Not that it was of any importance, but given how close the two girls were, it was natural that they would share the same residence.


    I couldn''t help but let my eyes linger on them when Tang Qi Hong went up to rejoin Lian Rou. In contrast to Tang Qi Hong''s extraordinary beauty, Lian Rou seemed relatively plain by comparison. That wasn''t to say that she wasn''t pretty ¨C on her own merits, Lian Rou was indeed very pretty, with a kind, gentle and honest personality to match. Otherwise she was the clich¨¦ girl next door kind of character without any particular eye-catching qualities.


    Unfortunately, despite her own merits, she appeared to serve as a foil to the much more beautiful Tang Qi Hong, to the point where some people felt sorry for her. To my knowledge, Lian Rou never resented Tang Qi Hong for that, and the two were as close as sisters.


    "That was close." Tang Qi Hong sighed. "We can''t let Senior Hu do whatever she wants, and let Fei Wu be dismissed."


    She seemed relieved that Elder Zhao was on her side.


    Lian Rou giggled. "I''ve to say, though, Senior Hu deserved what she got. Being mischievous and trying to distract people while they were forging their armaments¡­ha ha! I bet she never expected that she would encounter someone who would be able to resist her charms! As expected of Fei Wu, he''s ruthless as ever!"


    "He''s not that ruthless," Tang Qi Hong protested softly.


    "I know, I know. But that was still quite the sight to see!" Lian Rou shook her head, thoroughly amused.


    "Yeah, did you see her expression when all of her clothes burned off? Who asked her not to listen to Fei Wu''s warning!" wow, but Tang Qi Hong was obviously harboring some sort of grudge against Hu Mei Er. "We''ll never let her live this down!"


    I actually began to feel sorry for Hu Mei Er¡­


    Without anything else to distract me, I returned to forging my armament. My ice rifle was almost completed, and I just needed to tidy up the Spirit Engraving. Truthfully, I could feel the glares from all the other candidates, particularly Liang Shao Yang.


    Liang Shao Yang seemed to be infuriated by what transpired between me and Hu Mei Er. If he was jealous, he needn''t had bothered. I had no interest in Hu Mei Er. The only person for me was Tang Qi Hong, or at least I hoped so¡­


    What I didn''t realize was that Liang Shao Yang wasn''t interested in Hu Mei Er either. I was completely unaware of this at that time, but Liang Shao Yang''s gaze often flickered in the direction of Tang Qi Hong.


    If I wasn''t antagonized by that bastard, I would have said that he had good taste, and we might actually be friends. But alas, it was not meant to be.


    He wasn''t the only one staring daggers at me. Unlike him, however, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples and the other examinees were truly infatuated with Hu Mei Er, and they dearly wanted nothing more to help her kill me. Or perhaps they had realized my close relationship with Tang Qi Hong and they were extremely jealous.


    On the other hand, some of those gazes softened and they shook their heads in resignation. Apparently, a few of them remembered how I helped them during the second stage of the examination. My decision to forge ice pillars to replace the columns that Liang Shao Yang destroyed earlier had earned me quite a few friends, so they didn''t quite resent me as they would otherwise have.


    However, one stare stood out from the rest. This gaze was neither filled with rage, jealousy or resigned empathy. Instead, it was filled with curiosity.


    Elder Zhao had moved his attention away from Liang Shao Yang to observe me. As he watched, his amazement grew, and he subconsciously approached my position.


    "Using ice to forge a weapon? How intriguing. What''s more¡­his movements, it seems like he has practiced ice-forging hundreds¡­no, thousands of times¡­what a rare and eccentric technique. It reminds me somewhat of the ice spirit armaments crafted by the disciples from the Snow Valley Sect, yet is very different."


    His eyes narrowed as he studied the Spirit Engraving on my weapon intently.


    "Where have I seen that Spirit Engraving before? Why does it feel so familiar?"


    It wasn''t just the Spirit Engraving and my ice-forging techniques that moved him. He was also curious about the mechanisms and shape of the rifle. I didn''t blame him. This was the first time that Elder Zhao saw a rifle. This timeline having deviated a little from my original timeline meant that there were no projectile weapons beyond bows and arrows manufactured in this world. So my gun was pretty much unprecedented.


    "Qi Hong¡­"


    Tearing his gaze away from me, he jumped back to where Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou awaited and performed their invigilation duties from afar.


    "Where did you find this guy?"


    "Eh? What do you mean?"


    "How much do you know about him?"


    Tang Qi Hong was taken aback by his questions, and she shook her head in puzzlement. Placing a delicate-looking finger on her ruby lips, she thought for a bit.


    "Um¡­Fei Wu is a classmate from Wu Ling Academy. We''ve been classmates since middle school, so about four years now? We hang out with each other a lot."


    "They''re pretty much an unofficial couple," Lian Rou added. Tang Qi Hong blushed.


    "Says who?!"


    "More importantly¡­" Elder Zhao had no interest in a teenage romance comedy and steered the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Do you know which clan he is from? His family?"


    "Eh?" Tang Qi Hong blinked, confused. "His family is pretty normal, I think? I don''t think I''ve met them much¡­maybe I''ve seen his parents once or twice, but I didn''t talk to them. They seem pretty ordinary, though. His father was a martial artist."


    "So he''s not from one of the major ice clans¡­"


    "No, I don''t think so?"


    Tang Qi Hong mistook Elder Zhao''s rhetorical question for an actual one, and he merely shook his head.


    "Anyway, I assume that you intend to take him as your assistant?"


    "Of course!" Tang Qi Hong brightened up. "That shouldn''t be a problem, right?"


    "No," Elder Zhao assured her. "From what I see, he''ll have no issues passing the third stage of the exam and becoming an outer sect disciple."


    "Yay!"


    "Don''t celebrate too early yet, though," Elder Zhao cautioned her. Then he turned to Lian Rou. "What about you?"


    "Eh? Me? Well¡­"


    Lian Rou''s gaze flickered somewhere to the front. As if he sensed something, Tong Xue glanced up and grinned at her.


    "Hey, Lian Rou! I''m almost done!"


    "Uh¡­good job." Lian Rou waved back, looking a little uncertain. For some reason, everyone''s gazes were drawn to her this time. Previously, they were staring in Lian Rou''s direction because they were trying to steal glimpses of the beautiful Tang Qi Hong, but Tong Xue''s outburst had piqued their curiosity somehow.


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    "You two know each other?" Elder Zhao asked curiously.


    "We''re classmates as well," Tang Qi Hong replied with a smile. "Me, Lian Rou, Tong Xue and Fei Wu have been in the same class for the past four years!"


    "Well, yeah¡­" Lian Rou quickly clamped onto her best friend''s statement and nodded.


    "Lian Rou, please choose me as your assistant!" Tong Xue called out from the front. "I''ll do any task for you!"


    And then, right in front of over a hundred people, Tong Xue''s brilliant smile widened. After he bowed politely, he then did the boldest thing ever.


    "I love you, Lian Rou!"


    "UWAAAAAH!"


    Blushing furiously and unable to handle all the attention that was now directed toward her, Lian Rou hastily fled the cavern with a cry. The poor girl had been used to being in the background, serving as a foil to her more beautiful best friend, so she wasn''t able to endure the enormous volume of attention thrown her way when Tong Xue confessed his love for her right in front of everybody.


    Elder Zhao burst out laughing at the scene and shook his head in amusement. Clasping his hands behind his back, he chuckled.


    "The candidates in this batch are really an interesting bunch of people!"


    This fella is amazing.


    As for me, I gaped at Tong Xue, totally not expecting him to pull a bold stunt like that. To confess his love for Lian Rou in front of so many people, the guy must have a screw loose in his head or something. On the other hand, I couldn''t help but admire his courage. It took a lot of guts to pull something like that off!


    Good for him, I guess.


    I knew Lian Rou was also attracted to Tong Xue, and in fact, the two of them were officially a couple. Back in Wu Ling Academy, our class knew that Tong Xue and Lian Rou were going out with each other, so this was nothing new. It also meant that Lian Rou would most likely choose Tong Xue as her assistant anyway, despite her embarrassment.


    Of course, that meant we had to finish forging our spirit armaments and pass the third stage of the entrance exam first¡­


    "Fei Wu, good luck! Let''s pass the entrance exam together and become the assistants of Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong!"


    I was caught off guard when Tong Xue called out to me. Damn it, and here I thought I was finally able to shrug away all the attention previously directed to me, but the bastard caused me to stand in the limelight once more!


    "Those two¡­are they in this together?"


    "That guy from the Smart Shadow Sect¡­he didn''t seem like anyone special at first, but he actually has such an insane side to him? What kind of place does he think the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is? Did he come here to find a wife?"


    "And now he''s scheming with the other guy who froze Senior Hu? What''s their relationship? Are they bastards in league with each other?"


    "Yeah, not only did that bastard freeze Senior Hu, he seems to have a close relationship with Senior Tang! Just who the hell is he?!"


    "That Smart Shadow Sect smart aleck too! Why does he have such a close relationship with Senior Lian Rou?"


    "We had better keep an eye on those two! If they make it into the sect, we''ll have to find a way to force them out¡­or kill them!"


    Fuck this bullshit¡­

 68 Chapter 67: Examination results

    While walking to the front, Elder Zhao issued that announcement, causing a flurry of panicked movements as examinees hastily improvised to finish their half-forged armaments or something. He glanced at the digital clock at the front of the cavern, and nodded.


    "Just stay where you are and don''t move. I''ll come to each of you personally."


    And now, the excruciating wait part where we sat down and idled, nervously watching Elder Zhao as he assessed the artifacts we had just forged. Beginning with Liang Shao Yang, Elder Zhao would pick up an artifact and examine it using his qi senses. You know, that spiritual bullshit thing where he felt for the inside using spiritual senses to ensure there was spiritual cohesion or a harmony between yin and yang and all that.


    After spending a few seconds sensing the artifact, Elder Zhao would then make a decision whether or not he was satisfied with the forged item. If he was, he would record the examinee''s candidate number in his tablet. Otherwise¡­nope.


    Those poor dudes who didn''t get their numbers recorded in the tablet were then approached by the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples, who had the ignominious duty of informing them that they had failed and guiding them outside the cavern.


    Needless to say, Liang Shao Yang passed. I might add that Yin Jing Jing passed as well. Tong Xue, who was right at the front, also passed without any difficulties, Elder Zhao clearly recording their numbers in his tablet after observing their artifacts. If someone like me could see that from so far away, they could too.


    I gulped. The tension was getting to me and I had to clench my hands into fists to stop my fingers from fiddling anxiously. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to relax even as Elder Zhao drew closer and closer.


    To be honest, I needn''t be so nervous. After all, I couldn''t care less if I failed or not. I never intended to join the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to begin with. And given the hostility emanating from some of the other candidates (while a few remained grateful to me for helping them during the second stage of the examination), I wasn''t sure I would be comfortable entering the sect with them.


    It would be so awkward.


    Unfortunately, while I was half-distracted by my thoughts, Elder Zhao eventually reached my position. He picked up my rifle, tested its weight and probed it with his qi senses, and his eyes widened at the relatively complex mechanisms within it. He marveled over it, instinctively understanding what its purpose was, and nodded in approval.


    Without saying anything, he recorded my number in his tablet and moved on to the next candidate.


    Before I knew it, an hour had passed and only twenty-four people remained standing within the cavern. The rest of the examinees had been guided out of the furnace room by the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples, having been informed of their failure. I couldn''t help but feel sorry for them, and simultaneously relieved that I avoided such an unfortunate fate.


    "All right, all of you remaining in the room have passed the examination," Elder Zhao declared with a grin. "Tomorrow, inner sect disciples will meet you and choose their assistants from your batch. If any of you are chosen, you''ll have the chance to learn authentic forging methods from them. Make sure you watch and learn carefully!"


    "Yes¡­"


    The remaining twenty-four candidates chorused in unison. Elder Zhao''s smile widened and he nodded in approval.


    "But becoming an inner sect disciple''s assistant is a tough job too. You''re required to help them grind and sort their spirit materials, or help them while they forge spirit armaments. Of course, such experiences will aid you greatly in developing your own forging methods, so I truly hope that most of you will benefit from being selected."


    He then consulted his tablet and a mischievous glint lit up in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he glanced at me and Tong Xue.


    "Tong Xue and Fei Wu, was it? You''ve both already been selected. I''m sure you already know who you are assistants for."


    We did indeed, and thus we officially became the assistants of Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong.


    What I didn''t know, however, was some sort of weird drama unfolding behind the scenes¡­


    *


    "WHAT?!"


    Hu Mei Er shrieked when she heard the news. Apparently she had tried to book me as her assistant, but her plan failed miserably when she learned that Tang Qi Hong had long booked me in advance.


    "I knew it! Number two hundred and forty-four¡­you have some kind of relationship with Tang Qi Hong!"


    Clenching her fists angrily, Hu Mei Er glared into the distance.


    "No wonder he was able to resist my charms! He was already used to being around such beauties, having a relationship with Tang Qi Hong and all that!"


    She narrowed her eyes as she pondered over what she had learned for a moment, and a sinister smile slipped over her face.


    "Junior Tang¡­you might have gotten yourself someone who seems to be a decent man¡­but as your sworn rival, I''ll definitely take everything away from you. Even your man. I don''t believe I''ll be able to seduce him away from you!''


    That girl¡­she evidently loved to waste her time on such nonsense. While it wasn''t as if I was completely immune to her charm, I feared Tang Qi Hong''s rage even more, and was sensible enough not to involve myself with Hu Mei Er.


    However, Hu Mei Er''s grudge against me lay deeper than merely my association with Tang Qi Hong.


    "Moreover, that bastard humiliated me in front of everyone¡­I''ll never forgive him! I''ll definitely have my revenge! Once I succeed in seducing him, I''ll then dump him in front of everyone and drive him out of the sect! I''ll definitely ensure that you''ll get expelled from the sect in the most shameful manner possible!"


    Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, indeed¡­


    On the other hand, I had to roll my eyes. The girl was already assuming that she would succeed in her schemes. It wasn''t as if I knew or overheard what she was saying back then, but thanks to hindsight and my protagonist''s privilege, I guessed there was no harm in chronologically fishing out this little instance for the amusement of the existences beyond the fourth wall.


    "I swear, I''ll make him suffer and kick him out of the sect!"


    For the rest of the night, the people in the Tushan Residence belonging to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect heard a series of terrifying, hysterical laughter echoing creepily from within one of their most vaunted rooms.


    *


    Of course, I was blissfully unaware of this at that time. I was still paying attention to whatever Elder Zhao was saying.


    "Number eighty-seven, Tong Xue, and number two hundred and forty-four, Fei Wu. The two of you can go ahead and leave first. There is no longer any need for both of you to remain here¡­for now, anyway." Elder Zhao''s smile was slightly ominous and I felt a chill run down my spine for some reason. "Return to Tushan City in three days'' time. Pack whatever clothing and necessities you require, and bring them to Tushan City. Before the New Year holidays, and also before the semester begins, you''ll be staying in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s outer sect residence. And you''re to return here even after the semester begins, for after-school training."


    So this was where the Traditionalists come to everyday after school. Having been an Experimentalist previously, I had never experienced having a sect to return to after school everyday. Many people chose to stay in the residences provided by their sects but a significant portion of students returned to the Wu Ling Academy dormitories during the evenings so that they wouldn''t need to travel too far to get to classes in the morning.


    While Tong Xue and I made to move, I couldn''t help but glance back at the rest of the dudes who had passed the examination along with us. Elder Zhao had turned to address them, that sinister smile having disappeared from his wrinkled face.


    "The rest of you, however, will have to remain here until tomorrow, at least. You will need to wait for the inner sect assistant selection tomorrow. When the results are released, then only would you also be given three days to prepare before returning here."


    Without anything else to talk about, Elder Zhao then dismissed the rest of the people in the courtyard where we were led to after the third stage of the exam was completed. The outer sect disciples brought the newly initiated to the temporary dormitories where they would stay for the night. Unfortunately, neither Tong Xue nor I had any place to stay, since we had been instructed by Elder Zhao to return home to prepare.


    "Let''s go," I told Tong Xue and he nodded. The both of us exited the courtyard together and headed home. This would be the last time I would see my parents before the New Year holidays, so I had best make the best of my time.


    "We passed the entrance exam!" Tong Xue exclaimed in joy. I shrugged nonchalantly. Truthfully, I had never thought that I would be able to pass the entrance exam, especially since my knowledge in forging spirit armaments was lacking so much. Hell, I only knew one type of Spirit Engraving. The one I learned while cultivating Heaven and Earth Formula, and I used that to stabilize, however briefly, the ice swords that I froze from thin air.


    I had been aware that this particular Spirit Engraving would have much greater effects on actual spirit armaments that weren''t just hastily forged from the air, having experimented with it before and practiced countless of times during my training. Even then, I had mostly practiced on inscribing the Spirit Engraving onto ice weapons that I froze out of thin air and rarely touched real spirit materials. It couldn''t be helped.


    After all, actual spirit materials were incredibly expensive and difficult to get my hands on. They weren''t something I could simply procure solely to practice on.


    Fortunately, regardless of the medium, the method of inscribing the Spirit Engraving was the same. Thanks to that, I was able to make use of my experience of countlessly practicing the Spirit Engraving on ice weapons and applied it to actual spirit materials. I had to admit, even I was slightly impressed by the result, and very pleasantly surprised.


    However, that was as far as my knowledge of Spirit Engraving went. Unless I learned other Spirit Engravings and methods, I would remain a one-trick pony. It would be incredibly difficult for me to catch up with the other aspiring blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers if I relied solely on my Heaven and Earth Spirit Engraving.


    Little did I know, it was precisely this Heaven and Earth Spirit Engraving that had caught the eye of both Elder Zhao and Hu Mei Er, because it was extremely valuable and rare. I didn''t know it at that time, but apparently just my knowledge of this Spirit Engraving alone rendered me someone who was highly precious to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, regardless of whether I actually had any knowledge of other Spirit Engravings or not.


    Additionally, my Heaven and Earth qi sense allowed me to be very sensitive to the different kinds of Spirit Engravings, allowing me to read them more easily than other people. It was this ability that also made me vital in the eyes of the senior and professional Spirit Engravers.


    Of course, I knew none of this, and to be frank, I couldn''t care less about Spirit Engraving. It was fun, a little hobby that allowed me to fight on even ground by freezing ice swords for my Ghost Shadow Sword techniques, nothing more. I had never entertained the notion of ever becoming a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver.


    "Still, Fei Wu, you''re really amazing."


    "Huh?"


    I turned and stared at Tong Xue, puzzled by his sudden statement. What the hell was he talking about?


    "To be able to draw the attention of that Hu Mei Er¡­.even a girl as challenging as her has been completely tamed by you."


    "Tamed by me?" I repeated incredulously. "More like she''s harboring some sort of grudge against me, especially after what I accidentally did to her."


    Tong Xue stared at me in mock horror and surprise. "You mean all of that was just an accident?"


    "Dude¡­"


    I shook my head, too weary to argue. Besides, I knew Tong Xue long enough to be aware that he was only joking.


    "Seriously, though, you have to be careful." The humor in Tong Xue''s expression vanished as he stared at me gravely. "Hu Mei Er is certainly someone who does hold a grudge. Now that you''re in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect as well, she''ll find all sorts of ways to make your life difficult."


    "Is it possible for me to reject the offer and leave the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect now?" I wondered out loud, honestly not wanting to deal with all that trouble. Tong Xue laughed.


    "Come on now, you shouldn''t be giving up so easily." Tong Xue patted me in the back. "What are you so worried about? You have Tang Qi Hong to look after you. She''ll definitely not allow Hu Mei Er to bully you."


    I nodded in agreement. Tong Xue had a point, and I was suddenly reminded of why I even bothered to put in effort in the exam. I didn''t want to disappoint Tang Qi Hong, after all. And I didn''t want to see her hurt if I quit right after she chose me as her assistant. I needed to repay her faith in me somehow.


    "Speaking of which, you really have quite the thick skin, confessing to Lian Rou in front of everyone like that." I pushed my glasses up my nose to peer curiously at Tong Xue from behind my thick lenses. "To think that you actually came all the way to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect just for a woman. You''re quite the romantic."


    "Ha ha, it''s worth it, though!" Tong Xue grinned happily. "But Lian Rou is nothing compared to Tang Qi Hong. Tang Qi Hong is the most beautiful princess in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. her beauty is famed throughout even the eight major sects, rivaled only by Hu Mei Er and Bai Ning Xue. Countless men dream of her. You should know that there are many young men who try to join the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to get close to her, to attempt becoming her assistant. Yet she has rejected every single person before. I think she''s pretty happy when she saw that you''ve participated in this entrance exam."


    "She has Elder Zhao to thank for that," I muttered, remembering how I got into this mess in the first place. The old dude was the one who recruited me, who suggested that I participate in the outer sect entrance examination.


    "But it''s precisely because of that that I hope you won''t turn your attention toward my Lian Rou, okay?" Tong Xue flashed a grin at me. "You already have Tang Qi Hong, so please don''t compete with me and vie for my Lian Rou''s attention. Tang Qi Hong is certainly more beautiful, but she has quite the fiery temperament. On the other hand, my Lian Rou is a gentle flower, with an incredibly kind and good-natured personality. You can hardly find any girl who is as sweet, patient and kind as her. Of course, she is my beloved, so I hope you can focus your attention on Tang Qi Hong instead."


    "That''s assuming she reciprocates," I muttered under my breath. As much as I wasn''t dense, I wasn''t taking Tang Qi Hong''s feelings for granted. For all I knew, I could be overly self-conscious and misunderstanding everything. As long as Tang Qi Hong didn''t clearly come out and told me honestly that she liked me, I wasn''t going to delude myself that she did. After all, women were complex creatures. She could be sending me mixed signals.


    A friend of a friend, for example, used to think that a girl who was extremely friendly with him was in love with him, but was in a rude shock when it turned out that she was in love with someone else, and things turned very awkward between the both of them. And the girl eventually began avoiding me¡­I mean, my friend.


    No, I wasn''t talking about myself. I''m talking about a friend of a friend, okay? Honest!


    While we headed back home, I suddenly realized something.


    "I need to return to Wu Ling Academy for a bit," I suddenly spoke up. Tong Xue blinked and stared at me in surprise.


    "Forgot something?"


    "Yeah, actually." I clutched at my bag. "I''m supposed to deliver the Crimson Lava Fruit to the academy. I took the mission, after all. In fact, I was supposed to have delivered it yesterday, but a few things happened and I ended up staying the night at Tushan City."


    "Heh¡­"


    Tong Xue nodded, and then pushed me forward.


    "Well, then what are you waiting for? Go!"


    I waved at him before I went on my separate way and headed in the direction of Wu Ling Academy.


    *


    "Um¡­"


    I realized that I had spent a gold coin for the entrance exam, so I was back to ninety-nine gold coins again. Which meant I was back to square one¡­or rather, square ninety-nine, and was short of just one gold to purchase the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship.


    Talk about taking one step forward, and another backward.


    On the other hand, when I accessed my tablet, I saw that I had received a cash reward for successfully passing the exam.


    "Oh! Five gold just for passing the exam?!"


    Not only did I get refunded my gold coin, I earned another four. That was pretty impressive. It was a clear incentive for candidates to pass the exam. Sighing a breath of relief, I wiped the perspiration from my face and proceeded toward the main office to deposit the Crimson Lava Fruit.


    "Oh, not bad!"


    The receptionist smiled brightly at me as I entered, her light brown braided hair gently flowing down the side of her face. She nodded in acknowledgement and gestured for me to pass the Crimson Lava Fruit to her. I obliged.


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    "Thank you, Miss Jie Dai Yuan."


    Having done business with Jie Dai Yuan countless times ¨C I had to take about a hundred missions just to save up this much gold, after all ¨C I was somewhat familiar with her. She also recognized me and smiled.


    "As efficient as ever, Herb Gatherer!"


    That was her nickname for me, especially because all I seemed to do was gather herbs. I guess in her mind I was the same as a certain someone who only chose missions where he could slay goblins. At least I didn''t hide my face behind a helm all the time, though my glasses certainly served as a much less protective alternative.


    "Uh¡­"


    That didn''t mean I liked the nickname, though. However, since she was paying me, I couldn''t complain. Forcing a smile, I waited patiently as she ran through the standard administrative procedures to confirm my completion of the mission.


    "All right, that''s done now," she told me with a friendly smile. "Good work as always. I''m sure Miss Huo La La would be happy to receive the fruit."


    "Uh huh."


    I nodded, though I couldn''t care less who Huo La La was. Probably some rich ojou-sama or something.


    "Really, I appreciate you doing all these missions." Jie Dai Yuan looked at me forlornly. "Most students tend to neglect and dismiss these simple, low ranked missions because they aren''t as rewarding both in terms of monetary gain and combat experience. However, they are absolutely necessary, because many of the requesters often have sick relatives or are suffering from some sort of disease themselves ¨C illnesses that can only be cured by procuring the spiritual herbs or mystic plants or enchanted fruits they ask for. And many of these spirit herbs are difficult to obtain. They are not something you can simply find on the market, and even if they are, their prices are exorbitant." She bestowed a look of approval on me. "By accepting their requests at such a low price, you''re really helping them out."


    "Uh, well¡­I guess¡­"


    To be honest, I had never really thought that far ahead. I wasn''t carrying out these missions for altruistic reasons, and I certainly was no Goblin Slayer obsessed with slaying goblins so that there would no longer be villages that would fall victim to them. I was merely carrying them out for the gold coins, simply because I couldn''t fully use my qi throughout the past couple of years, and thus it would be far too dangerous for me to attempt the actual combat missions.


    But I didn''t tell her that. Plastering on a fake smile, I exchanged a few pleasantries with Jie Dai Yuan before scooting out of there as quickly as I could before she could uncover my complete insincerity and lack of selflessness.


    "Okay, so¡­what should I do now?"


    With that done, I focused on my next goal. The Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship. As a martial arts manual, it can be purchased online, but I had to collect the actual scroll from the library.


    Let''s do that then.


    Using my tablet, I completed my purchase of the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship. It stung when I watched my hard-earned hundred gold coins vanish, leaving me with just four gold coins in my balance, but I steeled myself, knowing that it was completely worth it.


    The Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship wasn''t a Level Five martial arts technique that was locked behind a paywall for nothing.


    Still, what is wrong with the academy? What''s wrong with the whole education system? It''s so capitalistic, for a lack of a better word to describe it.


    Normally, you would expect an educational institution to provide the resources without locking them behind a paywall. Sure, we didn''t have to pay tuition or school fees for enrollment, which was undoubtedly a big benefit, but you would expect the teachers to actually teach whatever they could. Yet the system was designed around a paywall where you had to earn credit by performing labor in the form of missions, and then spend those hard-earned credits on purchasing techniques from the school. And even then, you were expected to learn those martial arts techniques on your own, without any guidance from the teachers or masters.


    The Experimentalists were clearly at a disadvantaged when compared to Traditionalists, who had the advantage of being taught personally by actual masters and teachers who didn''t lock techniques and skills behind paywalls¡­or at least that was what I thought at that time, but I would discover the truth later. Needless to say, I wasn''t exactly pleased with how the system exploited students for labor, and the money supposedly earned from performing that labor returned directly to the school in the form of martial arts manual purchases.


    There was something fishy about the whole thing.


    Nonetheless, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Even if I staged a boycott, nobody would bother to follow my example because the system had been so ingrained within their heads that they saw absolutely nothing wrong with it. I would just be wasting my time and falling behind my peers as I foolishly rebelled against a system that no one other than myself wanted abolished.


    On the other hand, the advantages of being an Experimentalist were that we were given complete, full reign to learn whatever we like. Nobody cared what we did, as long as we showed results. In contrast, the poor Traditionalists had no choice but to learn the techniques that their masters wanted them to learn, the skills that their masters thought would be useful. Experimentalists like me had the full freedom to design our own curriculum and choose whatever techniques we wanted to learn. Which was why I could just pick Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship and no one would bitch about it.


    I spent too much time immersed in my thoughts that I didn''t realize I had already reached the library. The librarian was waiting for me there.


    "Uncle Du Shu Guan," I greeted him. The elderly librarian lifted his large-rimmed glasses to stare at me before his face crinkled into a smile.


    "Ah¡­Student Fei Wu. It has been a while, hasn''t it?"


    I nodded. I had spent more time assimilating and purifying my qi, as well as training physically and taking missions, that I didn''t have time to go to the library to borrow new martial arts manuals and learn new techniques. I did, however, continue to patronize the library because I needed to read books to expand on my knowledge regarding the new world I was in. Even after a few years here, I still hadn''t fully grasped the vast entirety of this world.


    "I see you''re here for the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship." Du Shu Guan adjusted his thick glasses as he peered at his tablet. He rose to his feet and waved his hand at me, telling me to wait there for a moment, before disappearing into the back of the library. A few seconds later, he emerged with a single book. "Here you go."


    "Thank you!"


    I accepted the book from him. Du Shu Guan smiled.


    "No, it''s nothing at all. I''m glad you''ve come. Good luck with mastering this technique."


    "I''ll do my best."


    Now that I had paid for this technique and purchased it, I didn''t have to return the manual. It belonged to me permanently.


    Hmm¡­


    As I lifted up the manual to study it, I suddenly realized that the words and techniques inscribed within the paper were a form of Spirit Engraving. The martial arts manual was a form of spirit artifact! Not just this one, but every martial arts manual in the library!


    Wow¡­I didn''t realize it before¡­


    It was only after taking the entrance exam that I realized how similar the martial arts manuals were to spirit artifacts, and how the text inscribed within their pages was a form of Spirit Engraving, emanating a power of their own.


    No wonder, when I first came to the library, I could sense such potent power radiating from the martial arts manuals. They were no ordinary objects. They were actual spirit artifacts that had been enchanted with qi and mystical power. The text, being a form of Spirit Engraving, had bestowed upon them that sort of power.


    This world is getting more and more mysterious¡­


    Even after a few years here, I was still learning something new everyday.


    Gripping my newly acquired martial arts manual, I bowed gratefully to Du Shu Guan before turning around and heading home.


    I had three days to go through the martial arts manual before I had to return to Tushan City and begin my Spirit Engraving and artifact forging lessons under Tang Qi Hong. Once that started, I would have much less time to practice and learn the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship.


    That won''t stop me, I vowed to myself, hardening my resolve as I strode impatiently toward my house. I had fallen behind because of my stupid stunt a couple of years ago, and now I had to do my best to catch up.

 69 Chapter 68: The Nine Spirit Engraved Pillars

    Most people were under the impression that cultivation involved sitting around and doing nothing as they revolved their qi inside their bodies or some bullshit like that. You know, like how Qin Lie would sit on top of a small glacier and meditate. Or how Xiao Yan would just sit around and meditate to cultivate his essence flames or something instead of, you know, actually executing them? While I recognized that cultivating the esoteric essence of qi and inner strength was vitally important, most authors went off to the other extreme end and totally forgot about training actual martial arts. At least Li Fu Chen went around chopping black ore rocks with his meteor sword everyday or something.


    Anyway, I was pretty pleased when I saw wisps of qi taking on the forms of black dragons as I executed a swing with my ice sword. As usual, when forging an ice sword out of thin air, I made sure to practice inscribing the Heaven and Earth Spirit Engraving into the frost weapon, so as to ensure my skills didn''t grow rusty.


    If this was any other xianxia or wuxia story, I would be launching into a longwinded rhetoric about what stage I had reached, what realm I had attained, or what level I broke into, but all these weird levels and numbers meant nothing to me, so you guys can be grateful if I skip all that bullshit. Honestly, who cared what realm I was in? It meant nothing except to rank me against other people, and all the rankings in the world didn''t matter when I get into actual battle. If I was fighting in reality, then the only question that mattered wasn''t what level or realm or stage I had attained, but whether I was stronger or weaker than my opponent.


    That was all.


    I need to go to the training room in Wu Ling Academy¡­


    After studying the manual from front to back, I was impatient to actually practice the techniques. It was fine and all reading and learning the theoretical principles from the text, but it was quite another thing altogether to practice those techniques in reality. I needed to do both in order to successfully master it. And my practical ability had always been worse than my theoretical skills.


    He was right about one thing, though. All I needed were the basics of Heaven and Earth Formula. I had to adapt the techniques to my own style and improvised accordingly. The problem was that I still hadn''t developed my own style yet, which was why I was relying on previously learned techniques such as Shadow Steps and the Lunar Rabbit''s kicks, as well as trying to find more martial arts such as the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship.


    Gr¡­


    The serpentine black dragons that were coiling around my frost blade seemed to take on a life of their own, growling aggressively as I swung it forward, simultaneously carrying out the techniques and attacks as specified in the manual while taking the utmost care not to damage anything in my room. Nearby, spread open on my desk, the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship manual throbbed with power, dark wisps of qi swirling around it.


    Thanks to the martial arts manuals being spirit artifacts, they actually helped the user to understand more innately and instinctively the content inscribed within their pages. I wasn''t sure how to describe it, but it was as if there was an intelligent entity (or artificial intelligence) supervising me while I practiced, implanting ideas directly into my mind in the form of intuition, and influencing my movements so as to correct whatever mistakes I made while trying to learn from the manual. It might not be as straightforward or skillful as an actual human teacher, but the spiritual artificial intelligence dwelling within the manual was clearly the next best thing.


    "Oi, Wu''er!" Mom shouted from downstairs. "What are you doing in your room, making such a racket?"


    Crap, I was making too much noise. I immediately halted my practice.


    "Sorry! Just practicing martial arts!"


    "If you want to practice martial arts, go outside and do it!" she hollered from outside my room. "Don''t do it in your room! Otherwise you''ll break something!"


    "Yes¡­"


    To be honest, I wasn''t very enthusiastic about practicing outside where everyone could see me. We had a garden, and despite the low fence, there weren''t many visual barriers to stop people from spying on whatever I was doing. I preferred practicing in an enclosed space, which was why the training rooms in Wu Ling Academy were a godsend. Not to mention, it was pretty awkward and embarrassing to be swinging my sword and practicing martial arts alone in front of everyone who walked by. If it was a dojo (and even dojos had practices take place in enclosed space that were barred from the view of outsiders), I wouldn''t mind blending in with the crowd and practicing with everyone else, but alone, it just felt weird.


    Or maybe that was the attitude and mentality I brought over from my original timeline, and no one would be as hesitant to practice in the open as I was.


    Whatever the case, Mom had a point, so I stopped and went downstairs. As if he timed it perfectly, Dad returned home.


    "Let''s go out for dinner!" he announced happily as he stepped through the door. "Everyone, get ready!"


    "Eh? We''re going out to eat?" I asked, confused. Dad nodded with a big grin on his face.


    "You''re going to Tushan City tomorrow, aren''t you? You won''t be home in a while, so I''ll treat you to a farewell dinner!"


    "I won''t be long gone," I reminded him. "I''ll be back for the New Year holidays."


    "That''s over a month away!" Dad replied dismissively. "We''ll have another feast then!"


    "Uh¡­okay¡­"


    Since I got to eat delicious food, I had no complaints. So I just looked forward to having a dinner with my family, which, now that I thought about it, was becoming quite a rare occurrence and something I had taken for granted back in my original timeline.


    *


    The next day arrived, which meant that my three days were up, and I brought along whatever clothing and necessities I needed to Tushan City. As always, I took a train, and then a bus to the remote part of the Great Zhou Empire. Upon reaching the gates of Tushan City, I caught sight of a familiar face standing guard outside.


    The heavily muscular Shou was standing with his arms folded across his broad chest, wearing an equally wide grin on his tanned face as he watched the flow of people entering and exiting the huge gates of Tushan City.


    "Oh, it''s you again! Um¡­"


    "I''m Fei Wu," I reminded Shou. To be fair, I had actually forgotten his name at that time, having met so many people three days ago. It was only later when I spent more time in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect that I eventually remembered his name.


    "Oh, right! You''re support to report in today! I heard that you passed the outer sect disciple exam! Congratulations!"


    Chortling heartily, Shou smacked my back, almost causing me to double over and hit my face against the floor.


    "Good, good. Well done, lad! As expected of the man that Qi Hong brought back!"


    "Uh¡­" I couldn''t help but sigh. Why was everyone already assuming that I was Tang Qi Hong''s boyfriend or something? Whether she liked me or not, she hadn''t actually made any move or confessed to me, so we weren''t officially going out. And that fact meant that our relationship could go either way. I wasn''t taking anything from granted, especially from previous experience¡­I mean, the experience of a friend of a friend.


    "Oh, wait. What''s your number again?"


    Shou scratched his head as he consulted his tablet. Figures. Of course they would sort us out by numbers rather than name.


    "Two hundred and forty-four."


    "Yeah, that''s right!"


    Shou nodded fervently, and then he suddenly chuckled. Trying to suppress his mischievous grin, he gestured for me to pass through the gates.


    "Go ahead. Someone will bring you to your room later."


    "Yes, sir. Thank you very much!"


    I bowed gratefully and stepped through the gates.


    I didn''t have to wait long. Before even five minutes passed, an outer sect disciple appeared and gestured for him to follow me. Since he was obviously the guide that Shou was referring to earlier, I followed him obediently. The outer sect disciple escorted me past grand, impressive-looking buildings that were crafted elegantly and stylishly, and toward the foot of the Flame Volcano. Wait, what? Was it really called Flame Volcano?


    Whatever.


    Anyway, as we reached the foot of the volcano, I noticed a beautiful sight somewhere outside the row of clustered buildings built further into the white rock. Rows of functional, blocky buildings ringed a huge lake that spread leisurely across the space of the foot of the volcano. In the middle of the lake was a platform that was connected to solid ground only by a thin, long bridge. Surrounding the platform were nine marble pillars that sported exquisite designs and elegant patterns across their smooth surface. I couldn''t help but stop to admire the magnificent sight.


    I wasn''t the only one who was awestruck by the magnificence of the exquisite marble pillars. Gathered across the circular platform were many outer sect disciples who were scattered around the pillars that ringed the platform. Their admiring gazes were focused intently on the beautiful patterns and intricate diagrams inscribed onto the stone pillars, and they were trying their best to copy such patterns into their digital tablets with their styluses.


    "Do you mind if I go take a look?" without waiting for an answer, I was already wandering toward the platform, enraptured by the sight of the nine marble pillars. I swept my gaze over the symbols inscribed into the smooth, pearly surface of the pillars, trying to decipher them. It didn''t take me long to recognize them. "Whoa! Those Spirit Engravings¡­!"


    "What are you looking at?" the outer sect disciple demanded impatiently as he caught up to me. His eyes narrowed in scorn when he saw what I was studying. "Do you even understand any of the patterns engraved on the Spirit Engraved Pillars in the Lake of Fire?"


    What makes you think I don''t? I scoffed inwardly, but was too politely to say that out loud to a senior. So I stayed silent instead. Good thing I did, for the outer sect disciple lost his expression of ridicule, which was replaced by one of reverence as he gazed in the direction of the Nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    "Those Spirit Engravings were personally inscribed by the founder and the first sect leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. they possess profound meaning and power behind them. Only those with the necessary talent and intelligence will truly be able to decipher the profound meaning concealed beneath those mystical diagrams."


    Uh¡­what? Did you seriously expect me to buy that BS?


    "Legend has it that the founder explored the world and learned countless Spirit Engravings. He brought them back and inscribed the deepest, most powerful patterns into these Nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, not just for himself but also for all the disciples as well as the future disciples of the sect to comprehend the true wonders of these arcane patterns."


    I''m sure he did.


    "Did you know that the Nine-Tailed Fox was founded over nine hundred years ago? Countless of generations have passed and gone, and hundreds of thousands of people have visited this place as some sort of pilgrimage, so as to experience the wonders of the Spirit Engravings inscribed into these pillars. A few even remained beside the pillars for decades! But even then, throughout these nine hundred years or so, only thirty-eight people have gained insight from these Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    "Heh¡­" I pretended to be impressed, though in all honesty I couldn''t give a fuck. The outer sect disciple obviously didn''t see through my mask, and continued to babble his little history lesson excitedly even though I never asked for it.


    "All thirty-eight of them went on to becoming outstanding blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers whose achievements have been recorded in the annals of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s history. They are the pride of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and the pillar of our strength and prestige, having laid the foundation for the sect to be what it is today." The outer sect disciple was nodded zealously now, almost as if he was in a religious fervor. "In fact, all the Spirit Engravings today are the products of these thirty-eight geniuses, formed as they gradually and fully deciphered the profound meanings concealed within the arcane patterns on the Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    I didn''t ask.


    "Every single Spirit Engravings we have today come from them, and the power of our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect also indirectly stems from all of their achievements in the past and continue on even to the present!"


    Well, I wasn''t completely disinterested, but I was more curious about the patterns and Spirit Engravings inscribed onto the pillars. I focused in the arcane designs, trying to work out a single, coherent pattern among them. My qi senses were tingling, and it was almost as if I could hear spiritual voices speaking from within the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Not in voices, but¡­I wasn''t sure how, but it spoke to the spirit.


    Just what the hell are you guys?


    There was also something that felt strangely familiar, something that seemed buried deep below the Nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, directly beneath the platform. No, that wasn''t accurate. It was extremely deep below the platform, almost as if there was a bottomless abyss that lingered unseen, covered up only by the flawless material that drifted proudly atop the lake.


    Even though I''ve never seen any of these patterns before, they feel so¡­familiar. As if they''re trying to talk to me, trying to tell me something¡­


    I swallowed as I craned my head to look at them from bottom to top. Each pillar was towered over a dozen meters and were nine feet wide. The mystical symbols resembled pictures more than hieroglyphs or some strange, arcane alphabet. Looking carefully, I could make out pictures of magical beasts, demonic creatures, forests, mountains and rivers. There were even great displays of conflicts between monsters, with fires raging about against a hellish landscape, while serene sceneries of peace and joy stretched out in other segments.


    This kind of reminds me of an emaki from Japan.


    "In the last twenty years, only two people have comprehended the wonders of the Spirit Engraved Pillars, attaining enlightenment from three of the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars." The outer sect disciple glanced at me wryly. "One of them is Elder Hai Mo. About eighteen years ago, he meditated under the Spirit Engraved Pillars for three whole years and eventually deciphered a new Spirit Engraving from one of the pillars. Right now, he is the First Elder of the sect! The second is Senior Tang Qi Hong. Three years ago, she amazingly comprehended the Spirit Engravings when she looked at them, achieving enlightenment as she consecutively entered the spiritual realms contained within two different Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    "Impressive," I murmured with a smile. As one would expect from Tang Qi Hong. She was a four star constitution cultivator, after all, and even if she lacked the combat strength that Zhu Jiao or Bai Ning Xue possessed, she more than made up for it in Spirit Engraving and forging. I couldn''t help but respect her even more.


    However, it was clear that the outer sect disciple held none of that for me. He was regarding me with scorn.


    "We do not know what Senior Tang learned from that miraculous encounter. Only the current Sect Leader, his wife the Sect Mistress, and Elder Hai Mo know what Senior Tang learned from her meditation. What we do know is that, after that astounding experience, Senior Tang became the most talented disciple in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, surpassing even the previous first disciple, Senior Hu Mei Er! She is allowed access to all the rare spirit materials in the sect, and can do whatever she wishes with them. Sect Mistress teaches her personally, and she also receives lessons from First Elder Hai Mo as well! They spare no expense and use whatever resources the sect has available to groom and nurture her."


    In other words, favoritism. Though I was tactful enough not to raise that point.


    "She is the greatest treasure of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and we''ll definitely not allow anyone to monopolize her!"


    I raised an eyebrow at that, not knowing whether to be amused or offended. I remained silent, of course. No sense antagonizing the senior and making more enemies than I already had.


    The outer sect disciple finally dragged me away from the platform and Nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. I followed him to one of the buildings that was near the lake and nestled deep within the toe of the volcano. Evidently this was to be my new residence, or dormitory in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and by extension, Tushan City.


    "Here''s your ID."


    The outer sect disciple handed me a card with my photograph and name on it. Basically a student card, an object that I was very familiar with, having always relied on it to get access to university buildings and borrow library books back in my previous life. This sect identity card would make my life a lot easier by allowing me access into Tushan City and the outer sect disciple district without needing to rely on Shou to open the gates for me.


    "You''ll be staying in room 44," the outer sect disciple told me coldly, and then pointed at my card. "That ID is important, so don''t lose it. It''ll store all your personal information and credit, and if you lose it, a replacement will cost 5 gold."


    Wow, that was fucking expensive. I had to take five herb gathering missions just to make that kind of money.


    "The income you earn will depend on how much you contribute to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. we have regular lectures on armament forging from the sect elders, but if you want to attend those lectures, you are required to pay tuition fees for them. You can also purchase books, martial arts manuals, forging textbooks and spirit materials from the outer sect."


    What the fuck? What was with this capitalistic system that every sect and education institution resorted to? Even after getting into the sect, I still had to pay? Were they trying to suck me dry of money or something? What was the point of joining the sect if I still had to pay to attend their lessons? Oh, of course the lectures were only available to sect disciples, and not to outsiders no matter how much they were willing to pay, but that was not the point. It just spoke of capitalistic greed and exploitation of the sect disciples!


    Trying to suppress an exasperated sigh, I focused my attention on the more important matter at hand.


    "I assume we earn income through carrying out missions?"


    "That''s right." The outer sect disciple nodded. "Taking missions is one way, but you essentially have to work to earn income. Cutting spirit materials, refining spirit materials, smelting artifacts, preparing spirit herbs or sorting out mystic plants, grinding spirit stones, distilling monster cores, and a variety of other chores ¨C all these provide income in the form of gold coins. You don''t have to worry. Senior Tang will plan missions for you. You''ll be rewarded the appropriate amount of gold coins according to the level of the mission. As long as you''re able to complete them in the time given and achieve your quota, there should be no problems."


    "Thank you."


    I bowed gratefully and watched as the outer sect senior left impatiently. Wow, what a friendly guy. It was as if he couldn''t wait to kick me out of the sect or something.


    Sighing, I explored my new dormitory room. To my surprise, it was larger than I expected, bigger than the dormitory room I had in Wu Ling Academy. For one thing, it was a double-story apartment. The bedroom, obviously, was on the upper level, complete with my own personal bathroom, minimal furniture and a bed. I was glad they provided a desk and table, on which on I could set up a laptop, but I probably need a shelf for the books I planned on purchasing.


    But what pleased me the most was the small training room adjacent to the bedroom. I could go in there and train, especially with the reinforced walls and even a personal training dummy that looked a little less advanced and sophisticated than the modern ones that Wu Ling Academy used. As prestigious as the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was, even they couldn''t measure up to the wealth that Wu Ling Academy possessed.


    That said, the designs were similar, so I wouldn''t be surprised if many of the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers who worked in the Bureau of Spirit Armaments and designed the training dummies and battle puppets that we used for our daily training and regular tests were mostly from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Descending to the lower level, I found a storage room and a workshop for forging and Spirit Engraving. The workshop even provided the most basic of tools, which was awesome. It meant I didn''t need to go and purchase my own.


    Phew¡­


    Every penny saved was a gold saved.


    Boom!


    I almost jolted upright when I heard an explosion from next door. Scurrying out of my apartment, I stepped into the white, almost sterile corridor and wandered over to the apartment just next to mine.


    Room number forty-five, huh?


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    "Gah!"


    Coughing, someone shoved the door open and staggered outside as smoke billowed outward from inside his apartment. Astonished, my eyes widened when I saw who he was.


    "Tong Xue?"


    "Oh! Fei Wu! You''re finally here too!"


    Suppressing his cough, Tong Xue managed a grin while waving the smoke away. I instinctively took a step back when he accidentally fanned some of the acrid fumes toward my direction, and studied him curiously.


    "What were you doing?"


    "Ha ha ha, sorry. I was carrying out an experiment in my new workshop." Tong Xue looked sheepish. "I think I added a little too much hydrogen sulfate to the Ruby Fire crystal and everything blew up in my face."


    "Why would you do that? You know we''re supposed to be careful around hydrogen compounds and the volatile Ruby Fire Crystal?" I realized I was echoing the warning of Teacher Lian Jin Shu, our alchemy teacher, but it seemed pretty appropriate in this solution.


    "Oh, well¡­just an assignment that Lian Rou gave me." Tong Xue offered me a grin. "Don''t worry, Wu, you''ll get yours from Tang Qi Hong soon enough!"


    Damn¡­I just couldn''t wait.

 70 Chapter 69: Hard Work

    "Yeah, I reached here earlier than you. I went to meet up with Lian Rou first, and she gave me a bunch of hydrogen sulfate to refine. Once I''m done with that, I''m supposed to combine the refined powder with the Ruby Fire Crystal to transmute it into a Volcanic Crystal."


    "Oh¡­cool."


    I didn''t know what else to say, so that was the first word that came out of my mouth. Tong Xue grinned.


    "Don''t worry. You''ll get your turn soon enough."


    "Fei Wu! Are you there?!"


    Just after Tong Xue prophesized, I heard someone calling my name. Turning around, I caught sight of Tang Qi Hong strolling along the corridor of our apartment building and heading toward my room. I quickly stepped out of Tong Xue''s apartment and waved to her.


    "Over here!"


    "Ah, speak of the devil." Tong Xue grinned and gestured for me to leave. "Go talk to Tang Qi Hong. I''ll see you later then, neighbor."


    "Sure. Later."


    I bade Tong Xue farewell and closed the door behind me. Stepping into the corridor, I called out to Tang Qi Hong.


    "Here! Sorry, I was talking to Tong Xue."


    "Heh¡­so you guys are neighbors, huh?" Tang Qi Hong looked pleasantly surprised, and then she nodded in approval. "That''s good. You two can watch each other''s backs."


    "Huh?"


    There was something about the way she said that that bothered me. I cocked my head to the side, perplexed.


    "You don''t know?" Tang Qi Hong giggled. "The both of you have become pretty huge targets since three days ago. There are a lot of outer sect disciples who resent the both of you, and they''ll be looking to cause trouble."


    "That ain''t good," I muttered, aghast. It seemed like I had bitten off more than I had chewed. I should have rejected the offer and left the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect as quickly as I could. I wondered if it was too late to quit now.


    "Don''t worry about it. Both you and Tong Xue are tough. And you have me and Lian Rou looking after you! We''ll make sure none of those bastards bully you two. So don''t worry, okay?"


    Tang Qi Hong reached out and patted me. I suppressed a sigh and wondered if the sole reason why she chose me as her assistant was just to tease me. It wouldn''t be too out of behavior for the usually mischievous girl.


    "For now, let''s start on your first assignment. It''s about grinding phosphorus into fine powder. She smiled. Ten kilograms for one gold coin. Easy money, right?"


    "As much as you can, of course." Tang Qi Hong looked as if I had just asked an obvious question. Lady, this was my first day in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. of course I wouldn''t know anything about it. "Twenty, maybe thirty. You have about five days to do it. Make sure you hit the quota and at least get ten kilograms done by then, or you won''t be able to receive the gold coins as payment."


    "I''ll get it done," I assured her, and then looked around. "Uh, where is the phosphorus?"


    Tang Qi Hong giggled at my movements. "We haven''t gotten it yet, silly. I came here so that you can help me procure a supply of it. Let''s go!"


    "Where are we going?" I asked as I followed her down the corridor and toward the elevator. Normally I would prefer to take the stairs, but the girls tended to prefer to take the elevators. At least the ones in my class, anyway.


    Tang Qi Hong gave me a strange stare. "The marketplace, of course!"


    As it turned out, the marketplace in Tushan City sold just about everything. A row of shop houses lined up along a wide road where cars and vehicles bustled to and fro. What, were you expecting magical beasts and carriages instead? This is the twenty-first century. We had moved past that a long time ago and were now using automobiles.


    On the other hand, it seemed more like the twenty-second or twenty-third century, because all the cars on the road were hovering. Powered by qi, they defied gravity and soared above the road, maintaining a low altitude and traversing in an orderly fashion so as to avoid accidents. Of course, this timeline wasn''t completely accident-free either, but due to the nature of the vehicles here, the drivers had to be more careful than usual.


    "Over here!"


    Tang Qi Hong was skipping happily across the streets and gesturing for me to follow. I complied obediently, drawing more than a few envious stares from the outer sect disciples who were running errands in the city.


    Gosh, but I hated attracting this sort of attention.


    I stopped right at the entrance of a shop that seemed to sell animal parts as spirit materials. While monster cores were in high demand, the other parts of monsters and magical beasts were also frequently used as spirit materials. If not for forging artifacts and armaments, then for traditional medicine and supplements. Bones, for example, could be used as ivory, with certain magical beasts'' skeletons being sturdy enough to use as the base for spirit weapons. Or, like my bag, which I had sewn using the pelt of a Silverback Wolf. Teeth could be used to create daggers, dragon scales could be used to forge armor, and claws could be used for blades.


    There were so many possibilities that it would be pointless to try and list all of them here. Shaking myself out of my stupor, I passed through the automatic doors, which slid open to allow me entry. Realizing that Tang Qi Hong had gotten way ahead of me, I hastened my steps and hurried after her.


    "Wait¡­!"


    "What took you so long?" Tang Qi Hong snapped impatiently. I smiled sheepishly and bowed my head apologetically.


    "Sorry."


    "Well, it''s fine." Tang Qi Hong turned to the shopkeeper. "Do you mind giving me two boxes of monster bones?"


    "What kind of monster bones?" the shopkeeper asked.


    "Any kind," Tang Qi Hong replied breezily. "Preferably those with high phosphorous content."


    "Ah, you need phosphorous powder, eh?" the shopkeeper nodded in understanding. He turned away with a smile and proceeded toward the storeroom. "Wait here for a second, dear customer. I''ll be back shortly."


    I understood why Tang Qi Hong requested that I accompanied her. Obviously she wanted me to be her courier, to carry her purchases for her. That said, it would be ungentlemanly of me to not help a girl ferry two large boxes of animal bones around, so I had no complaints.


    "Here!"


    Less than five minutes later, the shopkeeper emerged and dumped two huge boxes on the counter with an audible thud. I gulped when I saw the size of those boxes, and the amount of bones stacked up within them.


    I''ve to carry those two boxes all the way back to the residence area?


    Good thing it wasn''t too far from here or I would die from the immense burden. I wondered if Tang Qi Hong was doing this on purpose.


    "Thank you!" Tang Qi Hong brightly thanked the shopkeeper and then produced her ID. The shopkeeper accepted it and scanned it with the card reader next to the cashier machine. After a beep, he handed it back to her.


    "All right, I''ve recorded your purchase."


    I wondered curiously how much two boxes of monster bones cost. After all, I might need to procure them in future. The question must have shown on my face, for Tang Qi Hong giggled before she spoke up.


    "All spirit materials are free for inner sect disciples. That''s one of the benefits we have from becoming inner sect disciples."


    "Heh¡­"


    I nodded, impressed. So the system wasn''t entirely capitalistic¡­


    Well, it still is, sort of. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. The masses have to work and slave away for the benefits of the few on top¡­


    I might be cursing the inner sect disciples right now, but to be honest, if I became an inner sect disciple, I would most likely dismiss the suffering of the outer sect disciples and adopted the attitude of "tough luck, if you don''t like it, work hard and get yourself promoted to the status of an inner sect disciple!" Easier said than done, of course.


    It was likely that I might be doomed to be an outer sect disciple forever. Not that I actually planned on being in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect forever, mind you. Eventually I would have to leave and strike out on my own, and find a way to rebuild and reestablish the Heaven and Earth Sect.


    Hefting up the two boxes of monster bones, I then followed Tang Qi Hong out of the shop. She saw the expression on my face as I pondered over irrelevant things, and misunderstood what I was thinking.


    "If you want to be an inner sect disciple, you''ll need to be acknowledged by the elders from the inner sect. you''ll have to prove that you have the talent to become a skillful and powerful blacksmith or Spirit Engraver, and display your potential in forging artifacts. Of course, that might take you a few years, if you''re lucky. Some people end up stuck in the outer sect for their whole lives, but it''s not a bad thing. There are benefits to being an outer sect member or elder, after all."


    I nodded. From what I knew, outer sect disciples could get promoted to outer sect supervisors or managers who took charge of the branches of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s armament shops scattered across the Great Zhou Empire.


    "Of course, there''s also a much easier and faster method¡­"


    "Huh?"


    I glanced at Tang Qi Hong, surprised. She smiled proudly, and I intuitively realized that she was going to boast about herself.


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    "If you can gain enlightenment from communing with the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars and rouse a reaction from at least one of them, then you''ll immediately receive the qualifications to belong to the inner sect. nobody will question your status, they will definitely acknowledge you as a treasure of this sect, as someone who will be the future of this sect!"


    "Uh¡­really?" I rolled my eyes at that. "Easier said than done."


    Tang Qi Hong burst out laughing at that. "Of course, but I just wanted you to be aware that it''s still a possibility. But you''re right. Over the past two years, only Elder Hai Mo and I have been able to attain enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillars!" she puffed her well-endowed chest out proudly. "How about it? I''m impressive, right?"


    "Yeah, yeah."


    Tang Qi Hong pouted at my lack of reaction. She poked a finger at my shoulder, almost causing me to drop the two boxes I was struggling with from shock. Damn, but there had to be at least fifty kilograms dispersed about the two boxes!


    "You should give it a try!" she insisted. I snorted incredulously.


    "Come on, don''t be ridiculous. I''m aware that there are Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples who try to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars everyday in hopes of attaining enlightenment. Most of them end up wasting their time. Unless I have exceptional potential or immense talent, there''s no way I''ll be able to provoke a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    Tang Qi Hong looked a little disappointed and she glanced down, muttering to herself. "At least give it a try before giving up, geez!"


    "Maybe one of these days," I told her while struggling to cope with the tremendous weight of the two boxes of monster bones. "For now I''ll focus on the assignment you tasked me with."


    Tang Qi Hong waved flippantly. "I trust you, and I gave you five days. I know you''ll get it done. What you do using your free time during the five days is entirely up to you."


    She was hinting that I make use of the time to visit the platform in the middle of the lake and attempt to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Well, I preferred to spend that time on honing my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship instead¡­


    Speaking of which¡­


    "Oh, is there something under the platform? Something below the lake?"


    I remembered the indescribable yet familiar sensation I felt when seeing the platform earlier today. It was as if there was an abyss lying beneath the platform, and it was definitely not the lake. It was something different, like something monstrous, dark being dwelled at the bottom of the lake, dormant.


    No, it wasn''t even at the bottom of the lake. It was beneath the lake itself, far deeper than the watery depths of the huge lake.


    "Huh? The lake is below the platform. There''s nothing else underneath it. Maybe water and lots of fish, and other aquatic magical beasts."


    "I don''t mean the aquatic magical beasts¡­not unless there''s a dragon living at the bottom of the lake."


    "What are you talking about?" Tang Qi Hong giggled. "You''ve been watching way too many movies. There''s no dragon in the Lake of Fire, and hasn''t been for millennia. It''s just a normal lake, with ordinary aquatic magical beasts."


    Ordinarily, someone from my original world wouldn''t perceive the existence of aquatic magical beasts as "normal", but I had almost four years to get used to the logic of this timeline. So I merely nodded without any further questions.


    "Are we heading back to your forge?" I asked Tang Qi Hong, frowning when I realized that we were heading right back in the direction where we came from.


    "Heavens, no. I''m sending you back to your apartment, then I''ll return to my workshop. You have five days, you''re not possibly planning on spending all of them in my workshop, are you? You can get the task done in your own workshop. Don''t worry." She smiled mischievously, misunderstanding the rationale behind the question. "I''ll make sure to drop by regularly to check on you, so you don''t have to worry about feeling lonely."


    "That''s not what I''m worried about," I muttered.


    It didn''t take long before we returned to my apartment. Tang Qi Hong watched me stagger into my apartment with the two boxes in tow, then when satisfied, she departed. Left alone to do my task, I began working on it as quickly as possible.


    "Hmm, what tools do I have?"


    Scrounging through the workshop, I found the appropriate gear and began to prepare them. Placing the two boxes of monster bones next to me, I began grinding them with a grinder and then poured the product into a plastic container.


    "Er¡­am I doing this right?"


    To be honest, I wasn''t sure. I hadn''t actually done proper armament forging before. This was my first time in a workshop. My previous experience consisted totally of just freezing ice swords out of thin air.


    "Um¡­like this?"


    I ground the bones into phosphorous powder, making sure they were extremely fine, and then put them into the container. Consulting my tablet, I used Google to make sure I was getting the procedures right.


    Yes, even in this timeline, Google existed. And it was great for finding the answer to anything I needed.


    However, there was quite the danger of working with phosphorous. It was a highly reactive element, which meant it caught fire easily. Some of the powder burst into flames when I used too much strength to grind it, the phosphor sparks flying from the broken bone and landing on the back of my hand.


    "OW!"


    I winced and withdrew my hand in reflex, almost dropping the grinder. Blowing on it, I frowned when I saw the burn mark.


    "Oh, that hurts."


    Consulting my good friend Google again, I realized that I was missing a vital step. That was, to ensure that I had adequate protection. Despite knowing that the element phosphorous was highly reactive, I wasn''t very experienced with actually working with it. This was why Teacher Lian Jin Shu always reminded me that theory was different from practical. Even though I had a solid foundation for the theoretical concepts and knowledge, when it came to actually carrying out practical experiments and tasks, I was still quite the amateur.


    "Gloves, I need gloves¡­"


    Muttering to myself, I grabbed a pair of gloves from the workshop and heaved a sigh of relief to myself. There was also a mask, which helped to prevent me from inhaling phosphorous powder. So I donned it as well. Once I had covered my hands and face, I resumed working again.


    "Ugh, how exhausting!"


    "¡­"


    I didn''t even bother to look up when Tong Xue strolled into my apartment to watch what I was doing. I had been so carried away with completing my task that I didn''t even realize that it had already turned into evening.


    "What are you doing here?" I asked, stopping my work and placing the grinder down. Removing the mask, I greedily gulped down a lungful of fresh air.


    Tong Xue snickered. "Taking a break, of course. I''ve been working for hours. You too, you should rest. You spent the entire afternoon grinding bones nonstop. Time for dinner!"


    "Oh, right." Now that Tong Xue mentioned it, I realized just how ravenous I was. Taking off my gloves, I straightened up and dusted myself off. "Shall we go have dinner together?"


    "Yeah! That''s why I''m here. Let''s go to the cafeteria together!"


    "Sure. Give me a second."


    I made sure to place away the monster bones neatly, not wanting to leave my workshop in a mess. I had a bit of an obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding not leaving things in my desk or workplace like that.


    While sweeping the phosphorus powder into the plastic container, I briefly wondered if I could create a phosphor weapon like a certain priesthood that worshipped machines in the forty-first millennium. That would ignore cover and light up the targets like tracer rounds!


    "You should be careful," Tong Xue informed me as he studied the remaining monster bones. "Some of these bones are saturated with powerful yin qi, and they have become slightly spiritually toxic. It''ll leave burns on your hands if you''re not careful."


    "I learned that the hard way," I replied with a chuckle, and then waved my gloves. "Good thing I have these, eh?"


    "Yeah." Tong Xue smiled back. Then he rubbed his stomach. "Anyway, let''s go! I''m starving!"


    "Right. So am I." I was about to follow him when I remembered something important. "How much do they charge for meals in Tushan City?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. If we visit the outer sect cafeteria, the meals there are free." Tong Xue smiled reassuringly. "It''s the sect''s responsibility to provide food and housing, after all. As long as you''re in a sect, they''ll take care of you."


    I vaguely wondered if "taking care of" us didn''t equate to actually "teaching" us. At least I didn''t have to worry about necessities and survival.

 71 Chapter 70: The sect leader’s daughter

    "Hello, Fei Wu! Are you done?"


    Tang Qi Hong sounded cheerful as she skipped into my apartment. I had left the door unlocked, because I didn''t have anything for burglars to steal, and Tang Qi Hong and Tong Xue regularly dropped by for a visit, so there was no point locking the door.


    "Yeah. Just about, too."


    I ground the last piece of bone into powder and then poured it into a container. Capping it, I rose to my feet and carried the crate to Tang Qi Hong.


    "Here they are!"


    "Oh! Impressive! You actually did all of them in five days!"


    Tang Qi Hong was surprised. I shrugged.


    "Yeah, but I probably was sloppy with my work."


    I could boast about my speed, but the quality of my work was another matter entirely. I had no confidence regarding that.


    Tang Qi Hong smiled wryly as she took out a bottle to sample the powder, stirring the contents with her finger. And no, I sure as hell will not be describing her finger as jade. What was it with Chinese xianxia novels and their obsession of describing girls as jade?


    "Hmm, it''s far from perfect, but it''s passable." Tang Qi Hong nodded in slight approval. "I have to say, for your first time, you did a good job."


    "Uh, thanks."


    I was sure that Tang Qi Hong was merely being polite, but I felt relieved that she wasn''t angry or something. At least I didn''t screw up too badly, or to the point where even Tang Qi Hong would get mad at the sheer lack of quality.


    "But wow, you actually ground all fifty kilograms of monster bones." Tang Qi Hong''s eyes were wide. "Normally most people would need about two to three weeks to grind everything. You''re really, really fast!"


    "Huh? Is that so?"


    All I did was sit down for six to eight hours a day and did nothing but grind. It was tedious, it was extremely boring, and it was dull, but I just ground over and over and over again until every single bone was grounded into phosphorous powder. What I lacked in skill and talent, I compensated for in patience and tenacity.


    "Good job." Tang Qi Hong sifted the contents of several more bottles before nodding. "Well, they are not perfect, but I can polish them up a bit before using them for spirit armor. You should come along and watch my forging methods too!"


    Thanks to spending so much time grinding these damned bones everyday, I ended up cutting the hours I spent on martial arts training¡­on practicing the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword techniques. I should just go ahead and help out with physical labor.


    Obliging Tang Qi Hong''s request, I picked up the crate and followed her back to her residence. Unlike me, Tang Qi Hong had an entire house to herself. As expected of an inner sect disciple, even their quarters were on a completely different level from us outer sect disciple.


    "Still, I didn''t expect you to pull it off the first time. Even though the quality isn''t topnotch, the quantity you achieved is staggering. I was joking when I said I wanted fifty kilograms if possible, but I only expected you to do ten to fifteen."


    "Well, I''m getting paid for it," I muttered.


    "Heh¡­I see." Tang Qi Hong looked a little impressed, and then she glanced at the crate again, thoughtful. "Still, how did you pull it off?"


    "I cheated," I admitted. "I used Google."


    "That''s not cheating."


    I shrugged at that, but didn''t bother to debate further. The both of us then arrived in her house, and I placed the crate of phosphorus powder in a corner of her elegant and spacious workshop. As I said, the inner sect disciples were bestowed privileges and resources that were way beyond that of an outer sect disciple.


    "All right!"


    Rolling up her sleeves, Tang Qi Hong then began to get to work. Smiling, she turned to me and gestured for me to come closer.


    "Watch and learn! I''ll teach you a few tricks in crafting!"


    "T¡­thanks."


    Swallowing, I stepped closer and assisted Tang Qi Hong with her forging, all the while learning whatever I could from her.


    *


    "Done!"


    After three hours, Tang Qi Hong called it a day and dismissed me. Smiling happily at her finished product, she turned to grin at me.


    "And that''s how you do it!"


    "Oh¡­right."


    "Phew¡­" Tang Qi Hong wiped the perspiration off her snowy complexion and shook her head. Stretching her arms, she turned away with a flutter of her skirt. "I''m going to take a shower. All that work has made me pretty sweaty!"


    "¡­okay."


    If this was a h-anime, I would have offered to join her, but this was reality and such a suggestion would earn me a slap in the face, and Tang Qi Hong would probably ban me from coming to her workshop ever again. So I desisted from saying anything stupid and merely nodded with a soft acknowledgement.


    "You''re free to go," Tang Qi Hong told me with a smile. "You can have the rest of the day off, though most likely you''ll return to training and cultivating."


    "You know me so well, though," I admitted with a grin. She glanced at the empty bottles of phosphorus powder with a thoughtful expression.


    "You did devote most of your time into helping me, after all. I''m sure you plan to catch up on all that lost time."


    "It won''t take that long," I assured her with a cheerful expression, so as to not worry her. "I learned a lot from you, too. Thanks!"


    "Sure!"


    With that, I left the workshop and began jogging back in the direction of my apartment. It had been a while, and I wondered if I should resume my physical training today. While I did practice the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship whenever I could, I hadn''t been keeping up on my 50 kilometer run and 500 pushups and sit-ups for the last five days.


    While I was on my way back, I saw a young girl ¨C about thirteen and fourteen (well, she was only a couple of years younger than me) stagger out of a shop with a bunch of scrolls and manuals in her hands. Thanks to her diminutive size, she was struggling under the weight and volume of the stuff she was carrying.


    "Whoa!"


    She stumbled over the path and almost spilled her stuff into the road. Fortunately, I was nearby and I managed to grab the stuff before she could fall over.


    "You okay?" I asked as I picked up the stuff for her. She nodded, embarrassed.


    "Thanks."


    Now that I had a good look at her, I was slightly surprised by what I saw. The girl was incredibly cute, reminding me of a stuffed animal or a squirrel or something. She had thick, dark brown bushy hair that was tied cutely with a ribbon, and was dressed in a red frilly blouse, a pink cape and a long, black skirt, all of which looked both fashionable and traditional at the same time. Plus her kiddy shoes were gray and seemed a tad too big, yet it suited her aesthetically.


    It was almost as if I had encountered a doll who had turned into a human.


    "Where are you going? You need help?"


    Instead of returning the stack of scrolls that had almost spilled out of her hands, I helped her carry them. The girl looked a little troubled.


    "No, I can handle it myself."


    "That''s fine. I was about to go home anyway, so I have some spare time. Let me help you."


    "¡­if you insist." Despite her childish looks, the girl was more mature than she looked. She nodded gratefully and gestured toward a nearby car that was parked a couple of yards away. "If you don''t mind helping me stack these in the boot of that car."


    "Sure. That''s no problem at all!"


    The car beeped as the girl seemed to press a button on her remote car keys, and the boot automatically swung open. I dumped the stack of scrolls into the boot a little too hurriedly, and tried to tidy them up as they spilled all over.


    "No, it''s fine. They''ll just fall over again later!" the girl assured me, and I obeyed, because quite frankly I had better things to do than waste time and effort on something that was not meant to be. She then bowed deeply. "Thank you!"


    "It''s nothing," I assured her. "Do you need any other help?"


    "No, I''m just waiting for my driver." The girl beamed brightly and took both of my hands. "Thank you again!"


    "No problem." With nothing else to help with, I saw no reason to linger about, so I took my leave. As I did so¡­


    "FEI WU!"


    "Whoa!"


    I stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding Tong Xue as he barreled right into me. Tong Xue almost crashed face first to the ground, but then fell over anyway because I decided to meanly hook my foot over his ankle and trip him up.


    "Hey!" Tong Xue complained as he threw both hands out to break his fall and sprang back to his feet once again. I gave him an it''s your own fault look.


    However, Tong Xue ignored me and grabbed my shoulders. I winced and resisted the urge to tear away from his grasp.


    "Do you know who you just talked to?!"


    "A girl," I replied dryly.


    "That''s not what I''m asking!"


    "Obviously." I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Anyway, I don''t, but I have a feeling that you''re going to tell me."


    "She''s Zi Xiao Ji! The daughter of the sect leader and sect mistress of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!" Tong Xue was practically yelling into my face, and I recoiled, trying not to breathe in the air he was exhaling. The guy was too close.


    "Cool."


    "Cool?! Is that all you have to say?!"


    "What do you want me to say then?" I was getting irritated. "Should I be overawed and start clamoring over what a miraculous encounter that was?"


    "¡­you don''t know who Zi Xiao Ji is, do you?" Tong Xue looked at me incredulously. I shrugged.


    "The daughter of the sect leader and sect mistress of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, Zi Xiao Ji, right? You just told me."


    "That''s not what I mean! You do know who Sect Leader Zi Shou De, and his wife, Sect Mistress Su Da Ji¡­I mean, Zi Da Ji, are, right?!"


    "Of course I do," I replied irritably. I knew that much at least, given how famous those two were. Zi Shou De was one of the most skilled blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers in the Great Zhou Empire, and most likely all of the Middle Continent. He was also known as the Spirit Engraving Zhou Emperor. His wife, Su Da Ji, or now Zi Da Ji after her marriage to Zi Shou De, was the most powerful martial artist in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and was the one who developed the Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula martial arts techniques to new heights. She was the ultimate bodyguard who escorted and protected her husband whenever he showed up to release a new spirit engraved gear. The two of them were legendary and without peer, and were the sole reason why the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was established as one of the eight major sects.


    So that girl earlier, Zi Xiao Ji, was their daughter.


    "Wait a second¡­"


    I suddenly realized something. Tong Xue sighed in relief and shook his head.


    "So it finally hit you, huh?"


    I paid no attention to him and instead responded with a question of my own.


    "Isn''t Tang Qi Hong slated to be the next sect leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? But if the Sect Leader and Sect Mistress already have a daughter, shouldn''t Zi Xiao Ji be next in line to succeed that position over Tang Qi Hong?"


    "Wouldn''t that be nepotism?" Tong Xue retorted, annoyed. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and a vast majority of martial arts sects today practice meritocracy. The practice of inheriting leadership positions from parents has died out long ago, because it always resulted in the demise of the sect whenever the only surviving heir turned out to be incompetent, and it always encouraged corruption and factional infighting. So Tang Qi Hong is selected to be the next sect leader based purely on her ability and solely on merit."


    "I see¡­" I nodded. Given how this was an alternative timeline set within contemporary times, it was natural that such outdated concepts such as primogeniture would die out long ago. "But Zi Xiao Ji is also a disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, right?"


    "That''s right." Tong Xue threw an arm over my shoulders. "Don''t judge her by her appearance. She may be small and innocent-looking, but she''s talented as well. Even though she''s not as gifted as Tang Qi Hong or Hu Mei Er, she more than holds her own against the majority of the inner sect disciples and is constantly ranked near the top. Top ten or top twenty inner disciples within the whole of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Whoa¡­"


    "Yup." Tong Xue nodded. "She might not be up there with Tang Qi Hong or Hu Mei Er, or even Liang Shao Yang, but she''s fairly competent and intelligent. She''s quite a good catch, to be honest. Most guys find her extremely adorable and cute." He grinned. "But I already have Lian Rou, so I couldn''t care less. And even if you''re not in an official relationship, I''m sure Tang Qi Hong wouldn''t appreciate you looking at other women."


    I shrugged his arm away in annoyance. "Whatever."


    "Speaking of which, you''re done with Tang Qi Hong''s assignment?"


    "Yeah," I affirmed. "Going off to train now. What about you? Done with Lian Rou''s task?"


    The crestfallen expression on Tong Xue''s face told me everything I needed to know. Far from being sympathetic, I coldly bade him farewell and returned to my apartment to get ready for my physical training.


    *


    "Hmm¡­"


    In the end, I met up with Tong Xue again so that we could head to the cafeteria for dinner together. It was much better to eat with company than to eat alone, after all.


    "Ugh¡­so tiring¡­"


    Despite not running fifty kilometers like I did, Tong Xue looked utterly exhausted. Evidently Lian Rou was pushing him hard.


    "At least I completed my task too¡­" Tong Xue turned to glare at me. "How did you do it so fast? I almost died just to catch up with you!"


    "Why are you trying to catch up with me to begin with?"


    Tong Xue winced. "Lian Rou heard from Tang Qi Hong how you completed her task in record time, and she couldn''t help comparing me with you¡­"


    "Oh. My bad."


    "You don''t sound sincere!" Tong Xue growled. I grinned and shrugged nonchalantly to show that I didn''t care. "How mean!"


    His complaints were drowned out by an altercation in the cafeteria. There was a loud noise and suddenly something exploded at the back of the cafeteria, with tables and chairs flying in all directions, accompanied by debris of food.


    What a waste of food, I thought as I watched the stuff got pasted to the floor next to broken furniture and splinters.


    "You bastard!"


    However, a cry caught my attention. Craning my neck, I caught sight of one of the seniors confronting a very familiar figure.


    "Do you think you''re so impressive? Remember, you''re just a newbie who only entered the sect a week ago! What is with your attitude? You think you can get away with disrespecting your seniors, huh?!"


    Liang Shao Yang raised his head to stare at the bigger senior coolly, his eyes as cold and indifferent as ice.


    "Respect has to be earned, not demanded, Senior."


    "Perhaps!" the guy growled. "And maybe I don''t deserve respect. But that''s no reason to disrespect my sister."


    "Oh, wow¡­"


    Tong Xue shook his head in sympathy as he watched the conflict unfold. All the other disciples were watching, fascinated by the dispute and eager to see blood spilt. While I was curiously spectating from the sides, I was not as enthusiastic to witness violence right before a meal. Well, I would rather not see violence even if I wasn''t about to eat.


    "Of all the people to piss off, that Liang Shao Yang just had to go and offend Senior Pang Feng. Is he an idiot?"


    "Why?"


    "You don''t know who Pang Feng is?" Tong Xue''s jaw dropped. I shrugged.


    "Should I know him?"


    "Dude¡­"''


    Tong Xue buried his face in his palm. I frowned. Hey, I knew about Zi Shou De and Su Da Ji (now Zi Da Ji), and I knew all the famous and legendary figures in the Great Zhou Empire, and I was pretty sure my knowledge of history far surpassed his, but he was acting like I was an ignorant fool just because I didn''t know any of the supposedly promising martial artists and cultivators of our generation. I would say that I had my priorities right.


    Turning my gaze back to Pang Feng, I tried to assess him. He was a huge guy, over two meters tall, had a handsome face, and was dressed in dazzling golden armor. How extravagant. Those polished surfaces would lose their shine in a real battle, which was often full of mud, soil and sand. I didn''t understand why people bother to color their armor gold, but whatever.


    But it wasn''t his armor that concerned me.


    The guy was brimming with sturdy qi, and even from this distance I could sense how tough his physical body and endurance were. He exuded sheer strength, his muscles coiled and densely packed. Most likely he cultivated a powerful defensive martial art.


    "That guy is pretty strong," I murmured out loud.


    "Of course he is." Tong Xue laughed bitterly. "Pang Feng is the Cloud Sky Mountain''s most talented disciple for years. His Golden Indestructible Body Formula is outstanding, and he has built up quite the terrifying reputation for being unbreakable. The sect leader of the Cloud Sky Mountain also has high expectations of him. When he informed everyone that he would be accompanying his sister to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, he caused a commotion in Cloud Sky Mountain. Even the sect leader stepped in personally and tried to convince him to stay in Cloud Sky Mountain, promising to give him every resource the sect possessed¡­"


    "I take it that he failed to persuade this Pang Feng," I commented dryly. Tong Xue nodded with a smile.


    "Well, Pang Feng is an orphan. His parents were famous Cloud Sky Mountain martial artists who were killed in battle a long time ago. His sister is the only family he has left right now. So she''s everything to him. He basically raised her up single-handedly when the two of them were forced to grow up together on their own."


    "That sucks." I was glad I still had my parents. Family was such a precious thing. You never realize how important they were until you lose them ¨C at least in my case, anyway.


    "Yeah. Well, Pang Yun always expressed an interest in forging armaments and Spirit Engraving, and she aims to become a reputable Spirit Engraver. That led to her deciding to join the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Pang Feng resolved to follow her here, just to make sure he can continue to look after her. For that reason alone, he even rejected the Cloud Sky Mountain''s sect leader''s offer to take him personally as his direct disciple."


    "Blood is thicker than water," I remarked sagely as I pushed my glasses up my nose. Tong Xue chuckled at that.


    "Very true."


    "So, uh¡­you think this Pang Feng will beat Liang Shao Yang into a pulp?" that wasn''t some random thought, but something I picked up from the conversations all the other spectators were having. They were all talking about Liang Shao Yang''s folly and mourning his defeat even though the battle hadn''t even begun.


    "It''s highly unlikely that Liang Shao Yang will be able to avoid getting beaten up one-sidedly," Tong Xue replied. "But it''s strange¡­Pang Feng has a good reputation, someone who''s supposed to have an upstanding character and earned everyone''s respect through his strong sense of justice." He frowned as he assessed the situation. "It appears that Liang Shao Yang has provoked or offended his sister, which is why he''s so angry."


    "That Liang Shao Yang just loves to piss everyone off," I muttered under my breath, remembering how he destroyed all the spirit engraved columns during the second stage of the outer sect disciple entrance exam. Tong Xue chuckled.


    "You''re right about that. But he chose to offend the wrong person this time."


    "So you mean there''s a correct person to offend?"


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    "That''s not what I mean," Tong Xue laughed. "But Pang Feng is on a different level from everyone here. Both Pang Feng and his sister, Pang Yun, were outer sect disciples when they first arrived, but within a couple of years Pang Yun revealed her talent in Spirit Engraving and was accepted into the inner sect. the inner sect elders personally taught her and regarded her highly, not unlike that of Hu Mei Er and Tang Qi Hong."


    "Heh¡­"


    "On the other hand, Pang Feng has no interest in forging equipment, and only wishes to devote himself to martial arts. His mastery of martial arts and combat was unrivaled in his generation. He will most likely join the Blood Blades, the venerable combat division of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Blood Blades?" I asked, finding the term unfamiliar. However, for the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to possess their own combat division was not surprising. I just hadn''t heard of the title Blood Blades before.


    "The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is not solely a blacksmith sect, after all," Tong Xue explained gravely. "With many branches all over the Great Zhou Empire, they need competent staff and members. The transportation of Spirit Engraved gear and armaments, for example, have to be escorted and protected by powerful martial artists. Given how there''s also a high number of inner sect disciples who specialize only in forging equipment but aren''t very good at fighting, they require bodyguards whenever they head outside Tushan City. That''s why Nine-Tailed Fox Sect requires powerful martial artists to protect the sect. there is a branch of the sect dedicated solely to this, which is the Blood Blades. It''s responsible for combat, military missions, assassinations, escort, bodyguard duties, protection, subterfuge, intelligence and counterintelligence. Pang Feng is aiming to join the Blood Blades when he made the decision to join Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. he will not hesitate to use his martial might to protect his sister whenever he deems it necessary."


    "Oh, just like how Sect Mistress Zi Da Ji is the bodyguard who protects the Sect Leader, Zi Shou De." I nodded in understanding. Tong Xue grinned.


    "Yup! The perfect combination of Spirit Engraved artifact forging and martial combat mastery! The most talented Spirit Engraver in the Great Zhou Empire, coupled together with one of the strongest martial artists in the Middle Continent! That''s exactly what allows Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to flourish in the present and establish their status as one of the eight major sects!"


    "Cool."


    "Just so you know, Sect Mistress Zi Da Ji is the leader of the Blood Blades," Tong Xue informed me proudly. Then he dropped his voice into a whisper. "I''m also aiming to join the Blood Blades. I''ve no interest in forging Spirit Engraved gear. But I want to protect my Lian Rou, so I did my best to learn forging methods."


    "Good for you."


    "Come on, I know you joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for Tang Qi Hong." Tong Xue nudged me mischievously. I sighed.


    "Actually, no. I never thought about joining the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect at all, but I got scouted by Elder Zhao, who asked me to try out the outer sect disciple exam. I thought I might as well give it a shot, and¡­well, here I am. I didn''t expect to pass the examination."


    "Well, most of the stuff they asked was taught in alchemy class in school."


    Tong Xue didn''t seem surprised. He patted me with a grin, but then frowned.


    "Then where did you learn that Spirit Engraving from? Elder Zhao seemed pretty impressed by it."


    "Uh, that¡­" I obviously couldn''t tell Tong Xue, and I tried to think of an excuse. Fortunately, I was saved by a sudden crash.


    Pang Feng and Liang Shao Yang had come to blows. The latter had blasted the former with vicious sword qi, his qi materializing in the air as blades that sliced and cut at the heavily armored martial artist. However, Pang Feng''s golden armor was much sturdier than its ornament appearance suggested. The blades left no mark on the enchanted armor.


    Of course! I realized. That golden armor is Spirit Engraved gear!


    "Oh, wow¡­amazing. I knew that Pang Feng was a pretty formidable martial artist, but Liang Shao Yang surpasses my expectations as well."


    Along with gasps and shocked outcries from the crowd, Tong Xue added his own commentary. I glanced at him, and he shrugged.


    "Pang Feng is at the peak of Flowing Qi Stage, yet Liang Shao Yang is able to match him blow for blow. Don''t you think that''s impressive?"


    "Is there any meaning to all these stages and levels when all of you guys have been receiving artificial qi?" I grumbled under my breath. Tong Xue ignored me.


    "Fei Wu, you should be careful. If you really want to get close to Tang Qi Hong, you have a difficult path ahead of you. She is much harder to woo than Lian Rou and you have countless rivals vying for her attention as well. If I''m not mistaken, that Liang Shao Yang, who''s from the mysterious and terrifying Divine Shadow Sect, is also targeting Tang Qi Hong. So you had best be on your guard against someone like him."


    That warning was better meant for someone else. For, while the two exchanged furious blows with each other, Pang Feng''s golden gauntlets smashing against Liang Shao Yang''s shadowy swords (which, I noted with interest, was similar to my Ghost Shadow Sword) to produce massive shockwaves that buffeted the spectators and sending more chairs and tables flying. The ground beneath their feet cracked, unable to withstand the tremendous impacts that their duel generated.


    Boom!


    Pang Feng finally gained the upper hand and delivered a powerful punch that drove Liang Shao Yang back despite the latter successfully defending it with a pair of crossed swords. Skidding to a stop, Liang Shao Yang narrowed his eyes and infused his newly created swords with more qi before charging forward.


    Undaunted, Pang Feng met his challenge head on, bellowing as he countered with a charge of his own. He threw a powerful punch that produced sonic booms as his arm hurtled forward, his gauntlets getting ready to meet the double slash that Liang Shao was executing with hi dual swords.


    "STOP!"


    Right before the two weapons could collide, however, someone appeared between them.


    Zi Xiao Ji.


    The diminutive, cute little girl had intervened, jumping right in the middle of the battling two to halt the battle.

 72 Chapter 71: Jealousy

    Unable to alter the trajectory of their attacks or halt them in time, Pang Feng''s gauntlet and Liang Shao Yang''s swords smashed into poor Zi Xiao Ji, reducing her into a bloody pulp and killing her instantly.


    ¡­or would have, if someone hadn''t stepped in to intervene in time.


    "!"


    "You¡­!"


    Both Pang Feng and Liang Shao Yang stepped back, their expressions frozen in shock and disbelief. Similarly, Zi Xiao Ji slowly raised her head, surprised that she was still alive after her reckless and utterly stupid action.


    "Uh¡­"


    Two ice shields protected her from both sides, huge dents carved into their frozen surface. The Spirit Engraving gleamed, despite the rents that destroyed them, and the glacial barriers still held. The gauntlet and blades had pulverized most of the ice, reaching to the final layer of defense before finally halting.


    Pushing my glasses up my nose as I stood up, I cast a cold glare at both Pang Feng and Liang Shao Yang.


    "The cafeteria is a place for eating, not fighting. If you want to kill each other, go do it outside, and not in here."


    "That''s¡­I''m sorry."


    Pang Feng looked ashamed of himself and lowered his head. His fighting intent and aggressive qi dissipated almost immediately. He turned to Zi Xiao Ji and cupped his hands apologetically, bowing deeply.


    "I apologize for frightening and almost hurting you, Miss Zi Xiao Ji."


    "No, not at all. I''m fine, so everything''s all right!"


    Zi Xiao Ji tried to wave everything away.


    "Please don''t be too hard on my brother." A young girl who was about a couple of years older than me showed up and also bowed. "He was only standing up for me."


    "Yeah¡­" Pang Feng raised his head to glare at Liang Shao Yang, who still remained cold and indifferent, but his sister quickly placed a hand on his arm to stop him.


    "Brother," Pang Yun said with a shake of his head. "That''s enough. I appreciate you standing up for me, but we shouldn''t be troubling everyone else."


    "¡­"


    Pang Feng took a deep breath and finally nodded. He turned toward everyone and bowed his head.


    "I''m very sorry, everyone."


    "It''s all right."


    "Yeah, it''s not your fault."


    Clearly, Pang Feng was popular with everyone, for the crowd dismissed his apology and assured him that he was fine. There were a few looks of hostility cast at Liang Shao Yang''s direction, but as always, he ignored them.


    "Thank you again," Zi Xiao Ji told me. I flapped my hand frantically.


    "Nah, I didn''t do anything."


    "You just saved her life," Pang Yun told me with a gentle smile. Zi Xiao Ji enthusiastically nodded in agreement.


    "That''s right!"


    "How stupid," Liang Shao Yang muttered and turned away.


    "Hmph." Liang Shao Yang snorted. "I wasn''t the one who forced her to jump in the middle of a battle despite not having the strength necessary to do so."


    That said, I noticed how he panicked and tried to stop (despite failing) when he spotted Zi Xiao Ji earlier. Evidently, even Liang Shao Yang wasn''t dumb enough to cause harm to the daughter of the sect leader and his wife.


    "Bastard¡­" Pang Feng growled, but Pang Yun held him back again. Shaking her head, she whispered firmly in her brother''s ear.


    "Brother, that''s enough. Liang Shao Yang is not worth it."


    "¡­"


    Pang Feng took a deep breath, closed his eyes and turned away with his bulky arms folded across his broad chest.


    "Are you sure you''re all right?" I asked Zi Xiao Ji. She nodded with a smile, despite still looking a little shaky.


    "Ah, yes. But I should be the one asking you that. After all, you''re the one who took the full brunt of the blow¡­"


    "Not me. My shields did." I tapped my ice shields, both of which shattered instantly at my touch and rained upon the ground in icy crystals.


    "Thanks for intervening and saving Miss Zi''s life." I initially wasn''t sure why Pang Feng was expressing his gratitude to me, then I realized that he was relieved that he was thanking me for saving him from being a criminal who murdered the daughter of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect leader and his wife. That would bring about terrible repercussions.


    "Nah, I only did what anyone else would have done. Besides, it isn''t that much of a big deal. I really didn''t do much."


    "Still, that''s pretty impressive." Tong Xue finally showed up, gaping at me. "How did you stop the attacks from not one, but two martial artists at the peak of the Flowing Qi Stage? You only seem to be at the middle level of the Flowing Qi Stage at most."


    I rolled my eyes. Again with this whole bullshit regarding stages and levels. I didn''t care too much about how I was vastly inferior to my opponents in terms of levels or stages, it wouldn''t have made any difference in deciding to jump out and save Zi Xiao Ji.


    "Now that you''ve mentioned it, your qi seems a little irregular," Pang Feng remarked, studying me. "I can''t really estimate your level or stage."


    "You mean it''s normal to go around estimating people''s stages and levels?" I blurted out with a raised eyebrow. "Do you guys go everywhere with qi measuring devices, or are you guys walking qi estimators? How exactly do you measure someone just from sensing someone''s qi? Are you able to accurately quantify and categorize someone''s strength just from sensing his qi?"


    Everybody just stared at me.


    "Uh¡­yes?" Tong Xue said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    "If anything, it''s weird that you are unable to measure and judge what level or stage someone is at," Pang Feng agreed. "You should be able to tell just from the amount of qi he emanates."


    "And how exactly do I measure that amount, other than ''it''s a lot'' or ''it''s very little''?"


    This was just too vague and made no sense to me. Everyone just stared at me again, not sure how to respond.


    "It''s hard to explain. We just¡­do."


    Thanks for the completely useless answer.


    "Hmm, maybe you''re already at the Qi Fusion Stage?" Tong Xue mused to himself as he scrutinized me. I was growing uncomfortable under his gaze and took a step in reflex. "What stage have you reached, Fei Wu?"


    "How would I know?!" I snapped. "Am I supposed to be able to quantify my qi with nothing but instincts and qi sense, and then categorize it according to stages and levels?"


    I mean, even on Earth, people didn''t just divide their strengths into classifications based on some obscure sense. If you wanted to know the strength of your grip, you use a device that measured your output of strength in terms of kilograms, and even then the results would vary. You usually wouldn''t get the identical quantity of strength twice. Physical proficiency was measured through how many pushups or pull ups you could do, or how fast you could run a certain distance ¨C measured by using a timer or clock. Nobody just stared at you, use some sense, and then say, "Oh, your grip is at level 10!" or "You''re at the level of running 4 kilometers in fifteen minutes!"


    As for martial arts, the whole Dan system was incorporated by basing it on tests, not quantifiable numbers. If your master was satisfied with your performance in a test, then you get whatever Dan number they arbitrarily assigned you. And even most masters admit that these Dan ranking was essentially meaningless. A 10-dan karate black belt might still lose to an experienced fighter without any belts or Dan ranking in a street fight.


    But obviously no one paid any attention to whatever I was saying. They were still obsessed with trying to figure out my levels and stages.


    "What do you think, Senior Pang?"


    "Hmm, well, you seem to have a point¡­"


    I give up¡­


    "Wow, as expected of Sister Qi Hong''s assistant!" Zi Xiao Ji clapped her hands, impressed. "No wonder she chose you!"


    "No, that was just a coincidence¡­"


    Even as I downplayed that remark, my curiosity was piqued by the way Zi Xiao Ji addressed Tang Qi Hong. Not as Senior Tang Qi Hong, but as Sister Qi Hong. Basically, in Chinese, normal people would address Tang Qi Hong as Tang Qi Hong Shi Jie, which literally means Senior (Big Sister) Tang Qi Hong, but Zi Xiao Ji was presently calling her Tang Qi Hong Jie Jie, which literally means Big Sister Tang Qi Hong, but in a more affectionate manner.


    She must have some sort of relationship with Tang Qi Hong¡­


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    While thinking that, I caught a glimpse of something flickering in Pang Feng''s eyes. But the glint was gone after a second and he forced a smile.


    "So you''re the assistant, huh¡­" he whispered to himself. He sounded disappointed ¨C not disappointed with me, but at something else. Perhaps himself. It was almost as if he was jealous of me, but I couldn''t be sure.


    "In any case," I spoke up, clearing my throat. "I''m hungry and I want dinner. But the place is pretty trashed up, so let''s help the poor staff clean up the place and repair everything before grabbing a bite. What do you guys say?"


    With the exception of Liang Shao Yang, who had long departed the cafeteria, no one had any objections.


    *


    "Heh¡­"


    The next day, Tang Qi Hong seemed to be in a foul mood. When she came to my apartment, she stopped at my doorway, folding her arms and tapping her foot impatiently against the ground. Her clear, sky blue eyes bore into me with heated intensity.


    I shuddered involuntarily, wondering why she was so ticked off.


    "Um¡­is everything all right?"


    "Why wouldn''t anything be?" Tang Qi Hong replied coldly. Shaking her head, she gestured toward a box of Sapphire Scorpion corpses. "Here''s your next task. I need you to skin these Sapphire Scorpions and extract their scales in one piece. Make sure you don''t damage them! They''re vital ingredients to be used for crafting protective armor!"


    "Understood. I''ll get it done right away. When do you need it?"


    "Nine days. Don''t rush. If you break the scales, I''ll deduct from your mission rewards."


    I gulped. That was something I didn''t want, so I nodded and made the sign of the Aquila. Praying to the God-Emperor that I would succeed without any problems, I accepted the box of Sapphire Scorpion Corpses and brought them into my workshop.


    "You¡­seem to be pretty close with Xiao Ji, aren''t you?"


    "Huh?!" I almost dropped the box of Sapphire Scorpion corpses from shock. "Where did that come from, all of a sudden?!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s lip curled. "There''s no use pretending. Last night, Xiao Ji came to me and raved about how you''re her hero and everything. She said I was lucky and extremely perceptive, having the great insight to pick you as my assistant."


    Somehow I doubted luck and insight had anything to do with her decision, but I wisely kept my counsel to myself.


    Instead, I shook my head. "I helped her out yesterday, when she tried to stop Liang Shao Yang and Senior Pang Feng from attacking each other. But I assure you, yesterday was the first time I met her. I''m not close to her or anything."


    Tang Qi Hong''s expression softened and she sighed.


    "Well, Xiao Ji is a good girl. Ever since I came to this sect, she was like a sister to me. That''s why I''m a little protective of her." she glared at me. "So I''ll make sure nobody takes advantage of her innocence! Xiao Ji is still impressionable and na?ve. But she''s really cute, so there are a lot of people aiming for her."


    "If they do, they''ll be getting a visit from the FBI soon enough," I muttered under my breath. Tang Qi Hong frowned.


    "What was that?"


    "Nothing. Just that anyone aiming for a little girl like Zi Xiao Ji has to be sick in the head. And fearless, if they think they can just court the baby daughter of the Sect leader and his wife."


    "Xiao Ji might look like that, but she''s actually no longer a little girl, you know." For some reason, Tang Qi Hong looked a little satisfied with my response and nodded in approval. A chill ran down my back when I saw her expression.


    "Er¡­okay."


    "Anyway, I''ll be counting on you for the Sapphire Scorpions. I''ll be back!"


    Watching her leave, I shook my head and turned my attention back toward the box of dead magical beasts.


    Time to consult Google again¡­


    *


    "NOOOO!!!!!"


    While I slaved away in my personal workshop, I was unaware that something was transpiring elsewhere.


    Tang Qi Hong was dashing into Lian Rou''s VIP pavilion and shrieking as if she was being chased by a hundred ghosts.


    "AAAAAAAAH!"


    Caught completely off guard by Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou let out a screech too. If Tong Xue heard her scream, he would have immediately rushed to her position, but unfortunately she was too far away for him to know what was happening.


    "Qi Hong! Don''t scare me like that!"


    Lian Rou shook her head, annoyed, and picked up the digital tablet whose screen she was inscribing a Spirit Engraving on with her stylus. Patting her chest with her other hand, she smiled as Tang Qi Hong swept into her pavilion as if she owned the place and dropped down into a luxurious couch with a wail.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "I screwed up!"


    Lian Rou''s brow furrowed at Tang Qi Hong''s words. She tilted her head, unsure of what Tang Qi Hong was talking about.


    "What did you screw up on? Did you make a mistake in the final step and ruined the spirit engraved weapon that you had been forging for hours?"


    "No, not that!" Tang Qi Hong sobbed. "I¡­I wanted to tell Fei Wu the truth! I wanted to tell him my feelings, but I screwed up and got irritated with him, snapping at him even though he did nothing wrong! I mean, Xiao Ji even told me the truth of what happened last night, but I got so jealous that I couldn''t think straight, and I¡­"


    "¡­snapped at him." Lian Rou sighed and shrugged, having guessed the situation even before Tang Qi Hong finished her sentence. They weren''t best friends for nothing. "But I''m sure Fei Wu, being the nice guy that he is, didn''t quarrel with you, right?"


    "No, he just¡­offered an explanation. It completely tallied with what Xiao Ji told me yesterday. He didn''t even know what was going on. And¡­" a slight smile touched her lips. "It seems that he thinks of Xiao Ji as a little kid, not as a woman. I don''t think he''s attracted to her at all."


    "¡­right. I''m sure that''s the normal mentality. So what''s the problem?"


    "I¡­I failed again! I failed to tell him how I feel! It feels like I''m getting further and further away from him! And now a potential new rival might have showed up! If I don''t act fast, he might get taken away by some other girl! But¡­my pride and embarrassment always get in the way! UGH!"


    Lian Rou just watched in amusement, fascinated by the drama and antics of her best friend. She shook her head and sighed.


    "Well, even if you fail to get Fei Wu, it''s not as if you''re totally short on suitors. You should know that almost every single male guy in the sect is trying to woo you."


    "Ugh. Yeah, I know." Tang Qi Hong winced. "But I don''t know how to¡­deal with them. I don''t want to just flat-out reject them. That will hurt their feelings."


    "And you choosing Fei Wu over them wouldn''t?" Lian Rou countered with a roll of her eyes. "Honestly, I wouldn''t worry about it if I were you. You''ll have to make the decision sooner or later, and it won''t change the outcome."


    "¡­I know." Tang Qi Hong hugged her knees to her well-endowed chest. "But that doesn''t make it any easier¡­"


    "I understand." Lian Rou placed a soothing arm over Lian Rou''s shoulders. "Speaking of the other suitors, make sure you keep your guard up around Liang Shao Yang. He clearly seems to be aiming for you. Make sure you don''t fall for his tricks."


    "I knew that from the beginning," Tang Qi Hong replied, but then she frowned. "Wouldn''t Senior Hu Mei Er be trying to seduce him instead?"


    "Senior Hu seems to be keeping a low profile after the incident in the entrance exam." Both girls burst out laughing at Hu Mei Er''s misfortune, but Lian Rou turned serious. "Be careful, though. Senior Hu seems bent on trying to steal Fei Wu away from you, and after that incident, I''m sure she''s planning some sort of revenge against him as well."


    "¡­Fei Wu doesn''t even seem interested in her¡­or me, for that matter." Tang Qi Hong stared blankly at the blank television screen.


    "Well, like I said, you have a lot of other suitors," Lian Rou comforted her with a smile. "Yun''s brother also seems to have a crush on you as well."


    "Pang Feng?" Tang Qi Hong frowned before shaking her head. "I wonder about that. He rarely speaks to me. I think the only person in his heart is his sister. He spends most of his time cultivating and training martial arts¡­" she grimaced. "Much like Fei Wu. Those two are really similar. Pang Feng seems completely focused on joining the Blood Blades. I believe you might be overthinking this."


    "Maybe." Lian Rou shrugged in resignation, not bothering to argue with her best friend. "I hope you''re right."


    *


    "Brother, you should learn to take the initiative. If you don''t express your feelings even in the slightest, she''ll never notice you, you know!"


    At the base of the volcano, right next to the gleaming lake, Pang Yun launched into a lecture regarding romance despite not having any experience herself. Pang Feng refrained from mentioning that and merely watched as his sister stared wistfully across the surface of the clear, bluish lake. Without turning to face him, she continued.


    "There are so many guys trying to woo Senior Tang. I doubt even Senior Tang herself bothers to remember many of their names. If you never tell her, she''ll never look in your direction."


    Pang Feng sighed and leaned back as he sat on the grass. Staring at the lake, he steeled himself and offered a quiet but dignified response.


    "Yun, you don''t have to worry about me. You just need to concentrate on forging Spirit Engraved gear."


    "How can I not worry?" Pang Yun snorted. "Never mind the seniors from the inner sect, just look at the new cohort. That Liang Shao Yang, for example. He''s clearly gunning for Senior Tang. He has quite the background to support him too, being the youngest son of the sect leader of the Divine Shadow Sect. neither his cultivation stage nor his looks are inferior to yours. He''ll prove to be a very formidable rival."


    Pang Feng said nothing, but he scowled at the mention of Liang Shao Yang''s name as he recalled the bastard''s provocation of him and Yun last night. Pang Yun looked a little relieved at being able to get a reaction from him.


    "There''s also that number two hundred and forty-four Fei Wu. I''ve done a little digging into his background, but he appears to be remarkably ordinary. He comes from a normal family. His dad was a former martial artist who worked as a soldier in the Imperial Guard, but that''s about it. No other connections to major clans or sects. He was previously considered trash in Wu Ling Academy, but he overcame his lack of talent ¨C his One Star Constitution ¨C to surpass many of the other students. He kept a low profile during the past two years after an incident regarding the now annihilated Chinese Parasol Tree Sect, but¡­as you saw for yourself last night, he is not weak at all."


    Pang Feng nodded, half-distracted, as his eyes remained on the calm surface of the lake before them.


    "Not only that, he has been personally selected by Senior Tang herself to be her assistant. It''s clear that she holds affection for him. That affection will only grow as they spend more time together. If you dally around for too long, you''ll no longer be able to vie for her heart!"


    "I already told you that you don''t have to worry about it," Pang Feng assured her quietly but stubbornly.


    "Hmph!" Pang Yun snapped. "Fine, then! See if I care!"


    Rising to her feet, she dusted off her skirt and stalked off angrily, pouting as she deliberately ignored her brother.


    Pang Feng didn''t chase after her. Even after his sister disappeared from view, he continued to focus on the surface of the lake, and finally whispered to himself.


    "Fei Wu, was it? He''s actually quite the character." he nodded to himself as he remembered how I saved Zi Xiao Ji from him and Liang Shao Yang yesterday. However, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Even so, I¡­"


    The breeze blew, carrying his words into the air.


    "¡­I still can''t let go of her, after all."


    *


    On the opposite side of the lake, inside an apartment that was quite a distance away from my and Tong Xue''s residence, Liang Shao Yang brooded darkly.


    There was an inner sect disciple from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect inhabiting the same room as him. Over a week ago, he had selected Liang Shao Yang to be his assistant, the latter having rejected Hu Mei Er''s request. Even though he supposedly held the superior position, he was greeting Liang Shao Yang humbly. His tone even contained traces of flattery as he bowed his head.


    "Shao Yang, how is the sect leader of Divine Shadow Sect?"


    "Thank you for your concern, Senior. Father is doing well." Liang Shao Yang responded without turning to face his senior. He continued to ponder for a few more seconds, and then he snapped his fingers. "Ah¡­!"


    The inner sect disciple, Hao Ying, blinked and gaped at his junior, not sure what he was trying to do. Liang Shao Yang cleared his throat in embarrassment and tried to resume a serious expression in order to regain his dignity.


    Unfortunately, it was too late. He was already a joke. At that time, I wasn''t aware of this, but when I found out about it, I found his behavior amusing.


    "I have a request, Senior."


    "What is it, Shao Yang?" Hao Ying frowned, but didn''t protest.


    "Can you please investigate that Fei Wu''s background?"


    "Already did so. There''s nothing remarkable about him at all." Hao Ying essentially repeated all the information that Pang Yun already gathered on me. "As you can see, he''s nothing more than an ordinary martial artist. He has no experience in Spirit Engraving or forging spirit armaments, and he wasn''t even able to absorb the artificial qi that the labs in Wu Ling Academy produced."


    "Yet he survived two extremely dangerous situations and even seemed to have prospered from them." Liang Shao Yang frowned. "He definitely is not someone to be underestimated."


    "Perhaps so, but surely he is no match for you, Shao Yang." Hao Ying''s eyes darkened. "And regardless, he is still a poor match for Tang Qi Hong."


    He took a deep breath and glanced out of the window, his eyes taking on a faraway look.


    "Tang Qi Hong has triggered reactions from not one but two Spirit Engraved Pillars. She is held in high regard by both the current Sect Leader and his wife, the Sect Mistress, and received teachings personally from them both. She also received the recognition and personal lessons from First Elder Hai Mo. She herself is a true genius in the arts of blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving. As long as nothing untoward happens, her position as the sect''s next leader is virtually guaranteed."


    He then turned back to face Liang Shao Yang.


    "Shao Yang, if you are able to move her heart and establish a connection with her¡­in other words, if you are able to make her fall for you and eventually marry you, then in the future, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will definitely become the personal armory for Divine Shadow Sect! All of the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers will serve the Divine Shadow Sect, giving them weapons! And Divine Shadow Sect will attain unprecedented power and be elevated to new heights!"


    "That goes without saying," Liang Shao Yang replied coldly. "The whole reason for me coming to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in the first place is to aim for Tang Qi Hong and eventually earn her hand in marriage. To unify both our sects."


    Hao Ying nodded enthusiastically, but was unable to resist adding a final reminder.


    "But before that, there''s one last obstacle to eliminate."


    "Fei Wu, huh?" Liang Shao Yang sneered cruelly. "Just as his name suggests, he''s nothing but trash. I''ll just dispose of him as per normal."


    Far away, while trying to peel off the delicate Sapphire Scorpion scales without breaking them, I was forced to turn my head away to sneeze.


    "AH CHOO!"


    Sniffling, I shuddered when I felt a sudden chill run down my back.


    What the fuck, man?! Why are people still talking about me behind my back?!

 73 Chapter 72: New assignmen

    After seven days, I scraped the last scales off the Sapphire Scorpions and carefully placed them on a tray. Covering the tray with plastic, I then disposed of the corpses ¨C as Tang Qi Hong told me to ¨C and wiped the perspiration off my face.


    "Time to let her know."


    Retrieving my cellphone, I called Tang Qi Hong to inform her that I had finished my task.


    "WHAT?!"


    Tang Qi Hong shouted from the other side of the phone so loudly that I winced and almost dropped my phone.


    "It''s only been a week! I gave you nine days!"


    "Yeah, well¡­I finished early. I''ll bring them over right now."


    Hanging up before Tang Qi Hong could protest, I picked up the tray and began my journey to Tang Qi Hong''s personal VIP pavilion.


    It didn''t take me long before I reached it, and when I did, I gave her the tray. Tang Qi Hong raised the plastic wrap and inspected the sapphire scales before nodding in satisfaction.


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    "Good."


    "What''s good?"


    "The scales, of course! Looks like you didn''t manage to break most of them." Tang Qi Hong breathed a sigh of relief. "You''ll be rewarded another 5 gold coins for this assignment. Take a good rest, I''ll give you a new task in two days or so."


    "Thanks."


    "I should be the one thanking you," Tang Qi Hong corrected with a giggle. "Your work might not be perfect, but at least you''re fast. That''s admirable."


    "Uh¡­okay."


    Glancing at the bench where Tang Qi Hong was seated on before I arrived, I couldn''t help but feel curious.


    "What are you working on?"


    "Hmm? Didn''t I tell you? I''m working on armor right now. That''s why I had you scrape all the sapphire scales off those Sapphire Scorpions."


    "I mean right now." I pointed toward a half-finished armament on the bench. Tang Qi Hong tilted her head and sighed.


    "Heh¡­" I had heard of an Ice Soul Python before. It was a high-ranking magical beast¡­about rank 5 or 6. It was much larger than the Shadow Leopard I had tricked into fighting the Diamondback Crocodile before, and a lot more powerful, but obviously a bit slower. Placing a finger on my chin, I wondered out loud. "Do you mind if I hunt it for you?"


    "Huh? Are you crazy? Even I wouldn''t want to fight something as vicious as that." Tang Qi Hong was aware that I didn''t receive any artificial qi, and assumed that I was weaker than her. "Don''t be too reckless!"


    "Oh, I have ways of dealing with magical beasts. And I probably won''t go alone. I''ll just join the Blood Blades group that you were planning on hiring."


    "Hmm, that''s a good idea." Tang Qi Hong contemplated for a bit before nodding. "It''s true that you''re more interested in combat than forging equipment, and as my assistant you''re of more use as a bodyguard than an assistant blacksmith. All right then. I''ll let you know tomorrow! For today, just take a break and resume your training."


    "Got it." then suddenly I remembered something. "Oh, and do you mind if I take one or two scales from the Ice Soul Python?"


    "Sure. I''ll set aside five pieces for you, if you and that Blood Blades team succeed in hunting the Ice Soul Python."


    That was a fair enough condition, and I nodded gratefully.


    "Thank you!"


    "Well, you''re the one risking your life hunting it, so I think that''s a fair reward," Tang Qi Hong explained, feeling a little embarrassed. "Anyway, run along now. I''ve to complete a hundred sets of Sapphire Scorpion armor by next week, so I would prefer not to be disturbed!"


    That suited me fine, especially since I had stuff to do. Such as physical training. Waving goodbye, I headed back to my apartment to begin my training as usual.


    *


    The next day, I received word from Tang Qi Hong that a group had indeed accepted the job, but she didn''t sound very happy over the phone.


    "They say to meet them outside the outer sect area," she told me snappily before hanging up. I just gaped for a moment, not sure how to respond.


    "Wait, what? Who are they? At least tell me their names or how I''m supposed to identify them!"


    Unfortunately, the line was dead, and Tang Qi Hong wouldn''t take any of my calls in either case. Shaking my head in resignation, I proceeded toward the outskirts of Tushan City. Preparing my stuff, I slung my haversack over my shoulder and departed.


    While walking toward the exterior of the outer sect sector, I passed by the platform floating on the Lake of Fire. As usual, there were many inner sect and outer sect disciples gathered under the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    It was quite a common sight as there was plenty of people who wanted to try their luck, hoping to divine some sort of understanding from the engravings inscribed onto the elegant surfaces of the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and some even fantasized over being able to trigger a reaction from any of the pillars, hoping that there was some sort of fate at work.


    As I drew closer, I saw that it wasn''t just the old disciples, but even the twenty or so new disciples who had only just been recently admitted into the sect had also arrived. Like the rest, they also wanted to attempt to trigger a reaction from the pillar in hopes of attaining some sort of enlightenment from the Spirit Engravings.


    I recognized Tian Jian Hao from the Dark Asura Sect, who tried to cut queue when we first took the examination. Naturally Liang Shao Yang from the Divine Shadow Sect was also there, as was Yin Jing Jing from Snow Valley Sect. to my surprise, even Tong Xue, who was supposedly not interested in forging armaments, was also sitting under a Spirit Engraved Pillars, meditating and doing his best to commune with it.


    Shaking my head, I passed by the platform. Unfortunately, if I wanted to leave the outer sect sector and exit Tushan City, I had to walk past the platform. That meant I had to tolerate unwanted attention when the people on the platform spotted me.


    Ugh.


    Trying to square my shoulders and appear as inconspicuous as possible, I tried to distance myself from the plaza while heading for the outskirts.


    Pang Feng''s younger sister, Pang Yun, the inner sect disciple Hao Ying, Liang Shao Yang and even Tian Jian Hao scrutinized me intently, their eyes boring deeply into me as if they could drill right into the center of my heart and discover my real nature or some bullshit like that. I felt like a virus under a microscope.


    "Are you heading out?" Tong Xue asked with a smile when I walked past him. I stopped and nodded, then cocked my head to the side with a perplexed expression.


    "Um, I thought you weren''t interested in forging Spirit Armaments?"


    "No, of course I''m not," Tong Xue replied sheepishly. "But I wanted to try as well. I want to see if I''ll be able to comprehend the Spirit Engravings on the Spirit Engraved Pillars, or if I can trigger a response from these Spirit Engraved Pillars. After all, everyone who passed the exams will consider themselves special, and believe they''re smarter and more talented than the rest. So they would want to try. Even though I''m not that interested in forging spirit armaments, I can''t say I''m completely immune to this sort of hubris."


    "Good luck!" I wished him. "I hope you succeed!"


    "Ha ha ha," Tong Xue chuckled. "I wish. What about you? Do you want to try?"


    "Not today. I have a mission today." Glancing at my cell phone, my eyes widened. "Whoa! It''s already this late! Sorry, I''ve to go meet up with my group. I''ll see you when I get back!"


    "Sure, sure! Have a safe trip!"


    Tong Xue waved as I scurried away hastily, rushing toward the outside of the outer sect sector. Once my figure vanished from view, he then focused his attention back on the Spirit Engraved Pillars and meditated seriously.


    "He''s been in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for a little over two weeks, but he hasn''t even sat under the Spirit Engraved Pillars and study their Engravings yet? Does he not possess the desire to do so? Or maybe he has no intention of testing out his talent?"


    "I doubt it. I''m sure he wants to. If anyone can comprehend the Spirit Engravings on one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and trigger a reaction from it, then they will instantly be promoted into the inner sect and the Sect Leader, Sect Mistress and all the elders will personally take care of them, and nurture them to be the core of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. They will be entitled to all sorts of special privileges. There''s no other method that is faster or more direct."


    "Then why hasn''t this guy tried it yet?"


    "Isn''t it because he''s too busily assisting Senior Tang? She''s been giving him a few difficult tasks. I heard that he even volunteered to hunt an Ice Soul Python just so she can work on her next project. So he probably doesn''t have the time to attempt to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars yet. He''s too busily doing everything he can to make her happy."


    "Yeah, Senior Tang seems pretty happy."


    "Ugh, that bastard! I''m so jealous!"


    "Why a sly bastard¡­"


    Wow, those scoundrels were really going at it, gossiping all sorts of nonsense about me behind my back. Good thing I had already left, or I would be pretty pissed off at them. As it was, I was blissfully unaware of the bullshit they were spouting until Tong Xue told me much later.


    Liang Shao Yang and Tian Jian Hao, who were under two separate Spirit Engraved Pillars, listened to the rumors, and their expressions darkened considerably. Oh come on. I knew Tian Jian Hao was an idiot, but surely Liang Shao Yang was intelligent enough not to believe this nonsense, right? Or was I overestimating him?


    I guess jealousy does really horrible things to affect one''s reason and composure.


    *


    "Over here!"


    "¡­eh?"


    At first, I was stunned, wondering why Zi Xiao Ji was waving at me, of all people. She beckoned for me to come over, which I was reluctant to do so because I was going to be late for my meeting with the Blood Blades group at this rate.


    And then I realized, I saw no sign of the Blood Blades group except for Zi Xiao Ji, who was standing next to a slender girl with long, braided hair and a huge, bulky guy who was almost as big as Pang Feng.


    Even though I had a sinking feeling, without any sign of the group I was supposed to meet, I had no choice to venture over to Zi Xiao Ji''s group.


    "Um¡­hello."


    "It''s so good that you can join us!" Zi Xiao Ji beamed brilliantly as she almost bounced up and down excitedly.


    Join you? Could it be¡­?


    It didn''t take a genius to guess what Zi Xiao Ji was talking about. That sinking feeling I felt at the bottom of my gut only grew stronger.


    "I didn''t know you''re from Blood Blades," I mumbled. Zi Xiao Ji shook her head.


    "No, I''m not from Blood Blades, but these two are!" she gestured to the slender girl and huge guy beside her. "Let me introduce you to them! This is Zhao Shi, and Da Ge!"


    The girl, Zhao Shi, nodded silently, her slightly pretty face creased into an expression of nonchalance. In contrast, the huge guy, Da Ge, grinned and waved in a friendly manner. I returned the greeting with a polite bow.


    "I was also looking for an Ice Soul Python, so when Sister Tang said that she needed scales from it, I jumped at the chance to procure it!"


    I knew it. I just knew that Zi Xiao Ji was tagging along for the monster hunting mission¡­


    "Even so, as a Spirit Engraver, there isn''t any real need for you to tag along, is there?" I asked, puzzled. Zi Xiao Ji raised a finger and shook her head.


    "It''s fine! I had nothing better to do anyway! And I wanted some combat experience! Mom is so great at martial arts¡­and I plan to live up to her reputation as her daughter one day!"


    Right. Zi Xiao Ji was the daughter of Zi Da Ji, formerly Su Da Ji, the greatest martial artist in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and the leader of the Blood Blades.


    "We''ll make sure to protect Miss Zi," Zhao Shi promised. Da Ge nodded in agreement, a confident grin spreading over his bear of a face.


    "Of course!"


    "¡­protect Miss Zi?" I frowned, wondering about their tone. There was something about their words that piqued my curiosity. Shouldn''t the mission of hunting an Ice Soul Python be our priority, not protecting Zi Xiao Ji?


    "Hey! I don''t need protection!" Zi Xiao Ji protested hotly. Neither Zhao Shi nor Da Ge responded to her, which infuriated her even more. "Stop ignoring me!"


    "We apologize, we didn''t intend to ignore you."


    That deferential tone that Zhao Shi took with Zi Xiao Ji further aroused more suspicions. Taking a deep breath, I swept my gaze across the three of them.


    "You guys sound like you''re Miss Zi''s personal bodyguards or something."


    "We are."


    Say what?


    "Speaking of which, thank you for protecting the Miss last week!" Da Ge inclined his head toward me.


    "Yeah, it''s our failure as her bodyguards to fail to guard her when she most needs it." Zhao Shi shook her head, and then looked firmly at Zi Xiao Ji. "We''ll make sure not to let you out of our sight this time."


    "I want to have my own privacy, you know!" Zi Xiao Ji argued, annoyed. Zhao Shi merely shook her head and the two girls argued.


    "Oh, and thanks for helping the Miss with her scrolls too." Da Ge scratched his head sheepishly. "Normally I should be the one helping her carry her stuff, but I had to buy replacement parts for our car. While I did so, the Miss went ahead and bought her scrolls and carried them before I could get back. Thanks!"


    "Oh!" I suddenly remembered the car where Zi Xiao Ji brought me to, where I placed the scrolls in the boot. "So you''re the driver!"


    "That''s right!" he gestured toward the exact same car that I saw parked outside the scroll shop where I met Zi Xiao Ji a week ago. "And we''re taking that car to the Arctic Mountains!" he frowned after a second. "Unfortunately, we''ll have to park the car at the bottom of the mountain. We won''t be able to drive up the treacherous terrain."


    "Huh? Why? The car hovers, right?"


    "Too much qi interference, and the qi-producing engine isn''t powerful enough to climb up the steep slope."


    I wasn''t sure how that worked, but if they say so. Honestly, that felt more like a convenient plot device to put us in danger as we climbed the Arctic Mountain on foot, but given how normal people couldn''t simply drive up a mountain in a car in my original world, I guess it wasn''t without reason. Not to mention, we might scare off the Ice Soul Python and other magical beasts with the amount of noise the hovering car was making.


    Or worse, draw their attention toward us. As advanced as the hover-car was, it was no tank, and wouldn''t be able to withstand the elemental and physical attacks from monsters, magical beasts and demonic creatures.


    "Let''s go!" Zi Xiao Ji tugged on my hands happily. "I''m so happy that we get to work with you again, Fei Wu!"


    "Uh¡­right." I wasn''t sure how to feel about this, and resisted the urge to yank my hands out of her grip. "I''ll be in your care, Miss Zi."


    "Come on! You can call me Xiao Ji! We''re friends, aren''t we?"


    "¡­"


    Now I knew why Tang Qi Hong was in such a foul mood earlier that morning, when she called me. When she learned that Zi Xiao Ji and her personal bodyguards were the team who accepted her request, she must have flipped out. Zi Xiao Ji was getting overly friendly with me even though we had only met twice before.


    Sensing a sharp stare, I raised my head and spotted Zhao Shi glaring daggers at me, suspicions clouding her eyes. I met her gaze coolly, refusing to back down.


    Hey, don''t give me that attitude, lady. I know nothing about this. I volunteered for this mission first, and you were the ones who decided to take it.


    "Don''t mind Zhao Shi," Da Ge assured me with a grin. "She''s paranoid about everyone and everybody."


    "And you lack caution, Da Ge," Zhao Shi replied frostily as she folded her arms. "Leaving the Miss alone during last week''s errand. You almost let her get hurt."


    "Huh? You were the one on guard duty during the cafeteria incident!" Da Ge retorted, momentarily losing his good humor. "Nothing untoward happened when I drove the Miss out to the store! But what were you doing when the Miss interfered in the altercation between Junior Pang Feng and Junior Liang Shao Yang?"


    "That''s¡­" Zhao Shi''s face flushed. "I let my guard down back then. I''ll make sure I won''t do it again."


    "She was in the restroom when that happened," Zi Xiao Ji informed Da Ge cheerfully. "So please don''t blame Zhao Shi for being absent then!"


    Zhao Shi''s face grew redder. "There''s no need to tell them that!"


    Yeah, girl¡­that was too much info, and it was a delicate subject for ladies. Speaking of which, being a lady herself, Zi Xiao Ji didn''t seem to realize that. Then again, she was still young and incredibly innocent.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!" Da Ge guffawed raucously, and then turned away. "Well, it''ll be a long drive, so let''s not waste any time! Get ready, folks!"


    I approached the car that I saw last week, feeling a little apprehensively. It wouldn''t be the first time I had ridden a hover-car, having been a passenger in my dad''s hover-car before, but still¡­it felt surreal. I spent most of my time on public transports, after all.


    Before I could climb into the backseat, Zhao Shi stopped me and pointed toward the front passenger seat. Evidently she planned to sit in the back with Zi Xiao Ji, probably so that she could keep her eye on her.


    "Please take the front," she told me coolly.


    "Right." With no reason to complain, I obliged. Besides, Da Ge was clearly better company, so the more I thought about it, the more I would prefer to sit in the front with him. On the other hand, sitting in the back with Zi Xiao Ji would be awkward.


    And I probably would not be able to withstand the hostility from Zhao Shi. Hmm, to be frank, it wasn''t so much hostility as it was distrust and suspicion.


    "Don''t mind her," Da Ge assured me when I buckled myself in the front seat. "Zhao Shi is like that with everyone."


    "Except you?" I asked dryly. Da Ge chuckled at that.


    "We had a long working relationship together. At first, she didn''t trust me as well, but over the years we built up quite the solid rapport."


    "That''s good."


    "By the way, what''s the deal with you and Junior Tang Qi Hong?" As he started the engine and revved the car up, Da Ge abruptly threw a curveball at me. "I heard all the rumors, but you clearly aren''t the cunning, scheming bastard the gossipers make you out to be."


    What the fuck were people gossiping about me? Did they have nothing better to do with their time?


    "We''ve been classmates in Wu Ling Academy for years," I replied honestly. "And friends, I guess. But Elder Zhao was the one who invited me to take the entrance exam, and¡­so here I am."


    Frankly, I had never expected to pass the exam. After unexpectedly being accepted into the outer sect, I had just gone with the flow, rolled with the punches, and did my best to learn forging stuff. It seemed pretty beneficial for me, after all.


    Now that I think about it, I want to forge a proper Spirit Engraved armament for myself¡­one that I can use in the battlefield without always temporarily freezing water vapor into ice swords. I need something less fragile, something infinitely more durable¡­


    Which was why I requested a couple of Ice Soul Python scales from Tang Qi Hong.


    "Heh¡­that makes sense." Da Ge nodded. "The both of you seem pretty close."


    "I guess. We''ve known each other for years, after all."


    "How nice!" Zi Xiao Ji broke in from behind. "Sister Tang rarely interacts with any of the guys in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! How is she in Wu Ling Academy?"


    "She''s diligent, talented and intelligent," I replied with a nod. "She''s one of the top students in the academy."


    "As expected of Sister Tang! How cool!"


    "I heard she''s not a match for Bai Ning Xue from the White Tiger Sect, though," Zhao Shi said from the back.


    "I don''t think anyone''s a match for her, to be honest." Scratching my head, I sighed. "Other than Zhu Jiao."


    Because he was the main character.


    "Oh, wow! Bai Ning Xue! I also heard about her! She''s really famous throughout the Great Zhou Empire! She has a lot of potential!"


    Da Ge nodded.


    "I also heard that she''s quite the ice queen." Zi Xiao Ji sounded thoughtful. "Aloof and on a completely different level from everyone."

 74 Chapter 73: The Ice Soul Python’s lair

    "Hey, where''s your weapon?"


    Zhao Shi noticed something amiss when I followed the trio behind without anything. She had a hand on the sword sheathed at her hip at all time, while Da Ge was carrying a large broadsword on his back. Even Zi Xiao Ji had a short sword buckled to the belt of her cute dress. I was the only one who didn''t seem to have a weapon.


    "All the water in the atmosphere is my weapon," I replied as I raised a hand and froze an ice sword into existence. Zhao Shi sighed and shook her head, annoyed at my response.


    "That''s not going to be enough." Reaching into a bag, she produced a single sword and threw it at me. "This is a spare sword. Keep it on you at all times."


    "¡­thank you."


    Glancing at the sword, I was impressed with the intricate Spirit Engraving inscribed into its blade. As expected of the Blood Blades. As the combat division and military arm of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, they were provided the best and highest quality Spirit Engraved armaments and equipment. This sword surely cost about 100 gold.


    The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect clearly didn''t spare any expense in arming their most powerful martial artists with the best weapons they had to offer. If this was a spare sword, I couldn''t imagine what sword Zhao Shi was wielding. And even from the distance, I could feel the potent qi being emanated by Da Ge''s clothed broadsword.


    "Okay, let''s go."


    When everyone was armed, Zhao Shi immediately formed the vanguard and went ahead to scout. Zi Xiao Ji followed in the middle, followed by Da Ge, who took rearguard duty. The trio obviously had a wealth of experience working together.


    Feeling a little left out I lingered at the back, unsure of what I should do. Keeping a distance from the trio, I kept an eye out for magical beasts. My glasses went on overdrive, a small section displaying infrared vision to keep track of any sign of life, while a minute radar-cum-motion detector constantly scanned the area for any movement.


    Where are all the magical beasts?


    Certainly, the Arctic Mountain was cold as hell, and I couldn''t see the ground because it was covered by meters of snow. Worse, there was a blizzard impairing our vision considerably, and if it weren''t for my hi-tech glasses, I wouldn''t be able to see more than a meter away from my face. As it was, the others probably had to rely on their qi senses. I had the benefit of both my glasses and my qi sense, so I wasn''t as bogged down in the snow as the others.


    Will they be all right, though?


    Maybe it had something to do with understanding and mastery of skills far more than qi. Or something like that. Who knows?


    Still, it is strange how there''s no sign of any life or magical beasts on the mountain. I''m pretty sure they would have adapted to the environment.


    Yet my glasses or qi sense wasn''t picking up anything. With a frown, I continued to keep an eye on the surroundings while doing my best not to lose track of my temporary teammates. In fact, Zi Xiao Ji noticed that I was falling behind and she stopped.


    "Come on, Fei Wu!" she called out to me, waving. "Hurry up! We should stick together!"


    "Be careful, Miss!" Da Ge warned her, looking around in panic. "Keep your voice down! Shouting here might cause an avalanche!"


    "That''s just a myth," I corrected him as I caught up and shook my head. "If you want to cause an avalanche, an explosion is a far more likely and much more efficient method. Sound is too weak to trigger an avalanche."


    "¡­huh?"


    "They did a study a few years ago, and ruled out sonic booms and sound as triggers for avalanches. The most common cause of avalanches are winds¡­meaning we should watch out for the weather and hunker down whenever there''s a powerful gust of wind."


    Da Ge and Zi Xiao Ji stared at me, impressed.


    "How do you know that?" Zi Xiao Ji asked.


    "I read a lot."


    "So what? That''s all just useless trivia." Zhao Shi had just returned from scouting and she snorted derisively. "The main reason why you don''t want to yell here is because sound carries¡­which will attract predators. Like an Arctic Wolf, or Blizzard Bear. Frost Wyverns are known to fly around here too, as well as Ice Dragons."


    "Ugh¡­" Zi Xiao Ji shuddered at that, but Da Ge merely smiled.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Zi. No matter what kind of monsters show up, we''ll protect you from them." he jabbed a thumb toward his broadsword. "I''ll cut them down with my Giant Slayer!"


    "Honestly, it''ll best if we avoid attracting their attention altogether," Zhao Shi muttered. "We''re only here for the Ice Soul Python, so let''s not waste energy and time fighting other magical beasts and monsters."


    That was certainly a wise decision, and I had no objection to that. Neither Da Ge nor Zi Xiao Ji protested either, so Zhao Shi continued to lead the way.


    "Where are the magical beasts?"


    It seemed that I wasn''t the only person bothered by the complete absence of living things. There was no sign of any creatures, to the point where even Zi Xiao Ji was crept out. Da Ge pursed his lips as he glanced around, while the only sign of Zhao Shi was her distant back, which was barely visible in all this snow.


    "Maybe they''re hibernating," I suggested. Da Ge frowned.


    "But it''s not winter yet."


    "It is winter all year around in the Arctic Mountain," I pointed out. Da Ge laughed at that.


    "That''s true."


    "Even so, there should still be at least a pack of Arctic Wolves or a Blizzard Bear wandering around," Zi Xiao Ji pointed out before shuddering. Whether it was from fear or the cold, I couldn''t tell. "I don''t like this at all."


    "The Ice Soul Python''s lair should be up ahead," Zhao Shi called out to us from in front. "There''s nothing between us and the Ice Soul Python''s lair."


    We had finally reached something that resembled a plateau built within the steep slope of the mountain. It wasn''t exactly the peak of the Arctic Mountain, but it mercifully leveled off into a relatively flat ground.


    "Phew¡­"


    That made it a lot easier for us to traverse. And about time, too. The cold was biting right to the bone, sapping our energy and making it harder for us to move. If I hadn''t practiced frost martial arts, I probably would have frozen to death by now. At the very least, I would have suffered from frostbite or something.


    "The lair should be that cave over here."


    Zhao Shi seemed completely unaffected by the cold and exertion, and was standing right outside a cave. She coolly gestured for us to approach. Da Ge cautiously escorted Zi Xiao Ji as she hurried over, ensuring that we weren''t walking straight into an ambush.


    "Where''s the Ice Soul Python?"


    "Inside, obviously."


    Zhao Shi sighed and rolled her eyes at Da Ge''s question. He grimaced, and grinned sheepishly.


    "Sorry, that''s not what I meant. I guess I should phrase my question further. Is it active, or asleep? Dormant in hibernation, or wide awake?"


    "Ah. Well, it''s not moving right now, at the very least." Zhao Shi frowned as she stood at the entrance of the cave, closing her eyes and focusing on listening. Or so it appeared, but she was actually extending her qi sense to pick up any movement from the Ice Soul Python. As for me, my glasses picked up something massive inside the cave.


    Oh boy¡­that''s really huge!


    Gulping, I made my way to join the rest of them while glancing around for more threats.


    "It''ll be disadvantageous for us to fight it inside the cave," Zhao Shi said calmly. She had continued to face the interior of the cave with her eyes closed and her hand pressed against the icy rock wall. "We should lure it outside."


    "How do we do that?" Zi Xiao Ji asked nervously.


    And why is it disadvantageous for us to fight the Ice Soul Python inside the cave? I wondered. Then again, Zhao Shi had a point. This was the ice Python''s lair. Obviously it had home ground advantage and was more familiar with the terrain than we were. Moreover, there wouldn''t be much room for us to move around inside such an enclosed space, which would nullify our one advantage over such an enormous opponent ¨C our speed and mobility.


    Instead, I decided to answer Zi Xiao Ji''s question.


    "Well, if we copy a certain dongman adaptation of a certain web novel, even though those events never happened in the web novel and were dongman original, we would need to capture an Arctic Wolf pup and use the poor thing as bait to lure the Ice Python out of its cave. But obviously I am against this idea."


    "Why?" Zhao Shi asked, her eyes narrowing. "Don''t tell me you feel sorry for the Arctic Wolf pup, you hypocrite?"


    "Uh¡­" I couldn''t deny that. Why did the Arctic Wolf pup had more of a right to live than the Ice Soul Python we were hunting? And why wasn''t I campaigning against the hunting of Arctic Wolf packs just so we could get their pelts, claws, teeth and monster cores?


    "But it''s too cruel¡­"


    "We''ll think of an alternative, then, Miss Zi."


    When Zi Xiao Ji protested, Zhao Shi instantly obliged, lowering her head and promising to find another way. Hey, wasn''t her attitude toward Zi Xiao Ji completely different from her attitude toward me? Who was the hypocrite?


    This is clearly an example of someone who has double standards¡­


    However, I saw no benefit to arguing with a bitch when we still had a battle to attend to later, and just knit my fingers behind my head.


    "I''ll be the bait then."


    "Eh? Isn''t that dangerous?" Zi Xiao Ji asked, surprised. Da Ge also shook his head.


    "Don''t be reckless, Fei Wu."


    "We''ll think of something safer." Even Zhao Shi was against the idea, which surprised me. I guess she didn''t necessarily hate me or wanted me dead.


    However, I stood my ground.


    "Wouldn''t it be the same either way? All I need to do is lure it to the open. I''ll still end up fighting the monster sooner or later."


    "That''s¡­"


    I waved at them and stepped into the cave before they could protest. My glasses seemed to light up as they went into night vision mode.


    "Wait¡­!"


    It was too late. I was literally hurtling into the lair using my footwork techniques. This was a great chance to be practicing them once again. I had been getting rusty after two years of no use, and even though I had just recently assimilated my qi and was able to use them again, executing them in an actual mission and practicing them in a safe zone were two completely different things.


    Where are you?


    Truthfully, I was silent and stealthy, making no noise as I practically glided across the interior of the cave. Glancing around, I relied on my qi sense to track the beast when I realized how unreliable sight was, even with night vision activated on my glasses. There were far too many shadows, and a lot of the giant rocks suspiciously resembled a monster.


    I was jumping at everything, almost mistaking a massive column of rock to be my quarry. Soon enough, I just gave up and switched off night vision, depending on my qi sense to sound out my prey instead.


    "There you are."


    With my eyes closed, I was able to detect the Ice Soul Python the same way Zhao Shi did. Moving swiftly toward the high-ranking magical beast, I stopped a few meters away from what seemed to be its head.


    Right, they have no eyelids.


    At least pythons and snakes didn''t have eyelids, anyway. So I could easily identify the two glowing orbs as the Ice Soul Python''s eyes. The pupils had contracted, and a thin membrane had glossed over the eyes to protect them from the atmosphere, but otherwise it looked as if the Ice Soul Python was wide awake.


    Now, how do I lure it out of its lair?


    Snakes weren''t deaf. They might not have ears, and might not hear sounds as we humans do, but they could still pick up vibrations very well and detect low frequencies. If that was the case, I could still wake it up, but I doubted yelling would be an effective method of doing so.


    No, I needed something with more impact.


    On the other hand, I had the greatest opportunity to kill the Ice Soul Python. Now that I thought about it, wouldn''t it be most effective to slay the Ice Soul Python while it was asleep, when its guard was down? All I needed to do was attack its weak point, the eyes, and I would be able to finish this job once and for all.


    Drawing the sword that Zhao Shi had given me, I used Jin to dash toward the Ice Soul Python''s eye and stabbed down.


    "!"


    A frosty qi buffeted me, knocking me off my feet. I rolled as something massive slammed down on where I fell on earlier, pulverizing the dirt. Jumping up, I evaded a forked tongue that almost stabbed through me.


    The damned thing was awake all this time!?


    Or perhaps the Ice Soul Python was sensitive enough to have woken up when it sensed my killing intent. Whatever the case, it was pointless thinking about it. I had to evade the monster before it caught me in those crushing coils of its.


    Actually, the Ice Soul Python was more likely to swallow me whole, given how tiny I was compared to its whole body. Its head alone was several times larger than my whole body. Gulping, I jumped back and used Tui to retreat.


    "Ss¡­"


    The Ice Soul Python hissed as it lashed out like a whip, its serpentine body darting toward me. With a curse, I used Tui again and widened the distance between us. The Ice Soul Python smashed into the side of the cave, bringing the rocks tumbling down, but its sheer size shrugged off the attacks and it continued to lunge after me.


    "I am so out of here."


    Muttering, I twisted around to avoid getting swallowed again, disappearing from in front of the Ice Soul Python and materializing elsewhere. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I immediately spun around and activated Jin to dash out of the cave.


    "Incoming!" I hollered at the waiting Zhao Shi, Da Ge and Zi Xiao Ji. The trio had already spread out and waited in ambush positions, having expected me to successfully lure the Ice Soul Python. I didn''t tell them about my failed attempt to slay it while it was asleep.


    Boom!


    The Ice Soul Python burst out of the cave. As it did so, Zhao Shi and Da Ge descended upon it. Zhao Shi slashed at its head, her blade narrowly missing the eyes and striking the armored scales that covered its neck. Behind, Da Ge attempted to cleave the Ice Soul Python in half with his Giant Slayer, but the Ice Soul Python''s armored scales proved impenetrable to his broadsword. Da Ge swore as the broad blade merely bounced off.


    The Ice Soul Python writhed and lashed out, attempting to coil around the two, but both of them dove out of the way, narrowly escaping its serpentine body. Its tail whipped out to lash out at them, but they managed to dodge again.


    "Just die already!"


    Zhao Shi was shouting angrily as she slashed at the Ice Soul Python again, but her sword proved ineffective, unable to pierce through the armored scales. Da Ge ran behind and swung his broadsword down with all his might, but was similarly unsuccessful, the armored scales all but impervious to his attacks.


    No wonder Tang Qi Hong wants the armored scales of the Ice Soul Python as spirit materials for her armor and equipment. They are really resilient!


    Unfortunately, this was no time to be impressed by the Ice Soul Python''s sturdiness. If we failed to slay it, we would get eaten, or at best we would be forced to escape with our tails between our legs.


    After coming all the way up this mountain and braving the elements, I was pretty sure that failure would leave a bitter aftertaste. Not to mention, we wouldn''t be able to get the gold and corresponding rewards for this mission.


    "The Ice Soul Python''s scales are too tough!" Zhao Shi warned. "We''ve to target its weak spot! The eyes!"


    "Easier said than done!" Da Ge grunted as he dodged another deadly attack from the Ice Soul Serpent''s whip-like tail. "The damned thing is moving around too much!"


    "Is¡­is there anything I can do?"


    Even though Zi Xiao Ji had drawn her short sword, she remained at a safe distance, spectating for the most part. I noticed that her sword was black, almost like iron, but didn''t seem sharp at all. To be honest, it resembled a blunt iron club more than a sharp, bladed weapon. Yet there was something about the qi in the sword that bothered me.


    Then I realized that the qi didn''t solely belong to the sword. It mostly came from the ominous qi that Zi Xiao Ji infused into her sword.


    "Be careful, Miss!" Zhao Shi reminded her tensely. "We don''t want you in combat. Keep your power in control!"


    "But¡­"


    "Don''t worry, Miss Zi. We can handle this!"


    Da Ge assured her with a bright smile. Zi Xiao Ji didn''t look convinced, but she nodded. Taking a deep breath, she gazed upon the Ice Soul Python with golden eyes, something insidious flickering inside them.


    As if there was another personality dwelling within the deep shadows of her soul¡­


    Well, this wasn''t the time to get all philosophical and poetic. I had to help. Using Shadow Steps, I suddenly appeared in front of the Ice Soul Python''s face while it was distracted by Da Ge and Zhao Shi. Spinning around, I plunged the sword deep into its eye, causing it to wail horrifically and thrash about violently.


    "Whoa!"


    I was dislodged from the Ice Soul Python''s vicious death throes. Or at least I thought so, but I realized that its qi wasn''t fading away that much. If anything, it was growing stronger and more aggressive.


    "Damn it!"


    "Be careful!" Zhao Shi shouted at me from below before dodging the Ice Soul Python''s huge tail, which smashed into the ground once more.


    "I''m trying!"


    "Over here!"


    Near the belly, Da Ge grunted as he parried a blow from the Ice Soul Python with his broadsword. The ground beneath his feet cracked, but as expected of the sturdy fellow, he endured the tremendous weight behind that strike.


    I hit the ground near Da Ge before rolling to his feet. Despite his struggling, he grinned at me.


    "Good job, Fei Wu!"


    "It''s not over yet," I warned cautiously, especially when I saw the vengeful Ice Soul Python rearing back before dashing toward us.


    "I know. But can you pull that trick off again? Make sure you sink your sword deeper this down, though."


    "I''ll try." I suddenly realized Da Ge''s intentions, and nodded. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself just as the Ice Soul Python lunged at us, its jaws wide open.


    "Hah!"


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    With a determined bellow, Da Ge stomped forward and swung his broadsword. Realizing the danger, the Ice Soul Python clamped its jaws shut but continued its ferocious charge. A huge azure wave of qi rippled from Da Ge''s broadsword and sliced into the Ice Soul Python''s snout, but as before, its glacial armored scales absorbed the attack without any visible damage.


    Even without its fangs, the Ice Soul Python was still a formidable monster. It crashed onto Da Ge''s position and he was forced to endure the full momentum behind its blow, parrying its closed jaws with his broadsword. Grunting, he sank his feet deep into the ground, but was unable to halt the Ice Soul Python''s charge. Skidding backward, he left deep furrows in the snow and ground, steam billowing upward from the intense friction.


    Fortunately, he didn''t have to endure for long. Dashing from beside him, I activated Jin to dash in front of the Ice Soul Python''s remaining eye while it was still distracting. Infusing my sword with qi, I stabbed its other eye, completely blinding it.


    Even as the Ice Soul Python shrieked in agony, I drove my sword deeper and unleashed a burst of pure but volatile qi into its eye, igniting it with the natural qi from the rich environment. The qi blast reached the brain of the Ice Soul Python and instantly reduced it into a bloody mess, imploding it against its thick skull and finally killing it.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Yanking my embedded sword out of the Ice Soul Python''s ruined socket, I dropped to the ground and struggled to catch my breath.


    "Phew¡­"


    Freed from having to block the Ice Soul Python''s charge, Da Ge collapsed to sit on the snow, perspiration dripping down his face despite the low temperature. Exhausted, he grinned at me and flashed me a thumb''s up.


    "Great work, Fei Wu!"


    "Yeah, good job."


    Even Zhao Shi was nodding, impressed by my handiwork. She showed a rare smile as she glanced at my sword, which was dripping with the Ice Python''s blood.


    "I made the right choice to give that to you."


    "Thanks," I murmured, winded.


    "Yay!" Zi Xiao Ji cheered as she dropped down to rejoin us. "You did it, everyone! You completed the mission!"


    Unfortunately, her celebration was premature. As soon as she dropped to the ground, there was a huge tremor that rocked the plateau upon which we were perched.


    Zi Xiao Ji went still. "What was that?"


    "No¡­it can''t be¡­"


    Zhao Shi turned pale as she glanced back at the cave where the Ice Soul Python came from. Da Ge gulped.


    "What is it?"


    "No," Zhao Shi replied as she trembled. "It''s worse."


    I blinked at that, fear and disbelief filling my heart. "What could possibly be worse than a two-headed Ice Soul Python?"

 75 Chapter 74: Danger

    A second Ice Soul Python had emerged from the cave, and upon seeing the body of its dead mate, had gone berserk. Hissing furiously, it writhed about, flinging or sending tons of ice crashing down on our positions.


    "At least it''s not the second head," I muttered. "Or it''ll grow much stronger after the first head is killed."


    "What are you talking about?" Da Ge demanded as he tried to dodge an artificial avalanche that the second Ice Soul Python was hurling at us.


    "Nothing." I glanced at the rampaging Ice Soul Python and frowned. "This can''t be good. Snakes usually have multiple mates. When in the mating season, dozens, if not hundreds of male snakes were all compete and tangle together into a snake ball as they attempt to mate with a single female snake, or something like that."


    "They¡­do?"


    Da Ge stared at me blankly.


    "At least rattlesnakes or anacondas do," I replied as I scratched my head. "It''s called a snake mating ball. Well, it depends¡­some type of snakes, such as vipers, prefer one-on-one mating, and the male will aggressively chase other males away."


    "I''m pretty sure Ice Soul Pythons belong to the latter category," Da Ge mused. "I don''t believe they indulge in huge mating balls."


    "This isn''t time for a zoology discussion!" Zhao Shi shouted from the other side. "Why are you calmly discussing snake breeding patterns!? We''ve to do something about this Ice Soul Python before it consumes its mate!"


    "Wait, what? Consume?"


    While I was confused, having not read that particular trivia in the encyclopedias in the library, Da Ge''s eyes widened.


    "Oh no!"


    The both of them surged forward, slashing at the second Ice Soul Python with their swords. However, the Ice Soul Python reared up, hissing, and unleashed a wave of qi that blasted the both of them backward before they could reached its eyes. A thick layer of frost covered the already snowy area, hardening into ice above the snow.


    "Whoa!"


    Even though I was a distance away, I found myself buffeted and knocked back by the powerful blow.


    How strong!


    "Ah!"


    While I regained my balance, I heard a scream. Raising my head, I saw Zi Xiao Ji knocked off the plateau by the sudden blast of qi. Gritting my teeth, I activated Jin and dashed across to grab hold of her before she fell. Unfortunately, I miscalculated and overestimated my strength, and the both of us simply fell off the edge.


    "Whoa!"


    "AAAAAAAAAH!"


    Oi, stop screaming into my ear, girl!


    "Miss!"


    "Miss Zi!"


    Both Zhao Shi and Da Ge had seen us fall over, and were panicking. Scrambling to the edge of the plateau, they stuck their heads out helplessly, hoping against hope that they were wrong as they peered downward. I mean, what were they trying to achieve? To watch us plummet to our deaths or something?


    Fortunately, I had managed to stop us from plummeting to our deaths with my last-ditch effort. Unfortunately, I wasn''t sure how long I could hang onto my sword. Or if my sword could endure it.


    "Hang on! We''ll get you!"


    "As much as I would love for you guys to do so, aren''t you forgetting something?" I called out from below.


    The hissing of the Ice Soul Python struck fear into the duo''s hearts. While it wasn''t going to risk slithering toward the edge, where the rock might not be able to withstand its weight and crumble ¨C which would cause even the venerable Ice Soul Python to fall to its death from such a great height ¨C it had other methods of attacking.


    Right now, it was sending a shower of icicles at us. Both Da Ge and Zhao Shi scattered, even as the gigantic icicles shattered against the snow-covered rock. Despite hanging on by a single thread, I mean sword, I couldn''t resist observing the flow of the qi.


    ¡­just like how I learned from the Lunar Rabbit and the Ghost Bear, I might be able to learn something from this Ice Soul Python¡­


    Like channeling my qi and creating an ice-based ranged attack. I needed to learn how to shoot icicles. Not only would it increase my advantage and give me a long-ranged option, it would also make it easier for animators to animate my fight scenes because¡­well, quite frankly, it was easier to draw someone shooting icicles than someone exchanging blows with his opponent.


    Crack¡­


    Even though the cliff''s edge shielded us from the barrage of icicles, I could see the rock weakening. My sword cut deeply into the crumbling stone, slowly sinking downward. We dangled even more precariously as gravity sought to ensnare us with its fingers.


    "No!"


    Zi Xiao Ji''s eyes widened when she realized what was happening. She gulped and glanced at me, steeling her eyes with determination.


    "Please let go of me, Fei Wu."


    "¡­huh?"


    I wasn''t sure I heard her right.


    "I told you to let go of me," Zi Xiao Ji repeated. "If you''re by yourself, you''ll be able to climb up by yourself, right? If you continue to hang onto me, both of us will die. Let go of me! It''s my fault that we''re in this situation in the first place! I don''t want you to die because of me!"


    "Aren''t you underestimating me?" I gritted my teeth and swung myself toward the wall of the cliff, ramming both my feet against the rock. Damn, but the snow was making it too slippery. I couldn''t gain any traction at all. "I have no intention of letting you go at all. If I sacrifice you to save my own skin, the sect leader and sect mistress will kill me anyway."


    Zi Xiao Ji smiled a little sadly, an expression that sent alarm bells ringing in my head.


    "It won''t matter. Father and Mother wouldn''t be sad if I die. They definitely won''t blame you either. They know how everyone has to do their best in order to survive, even if it means stepping on top of others."


    "Even so, I won''t do it." gnashing my teeth in frustration, I tried my best to swing Zi Xiao Ji upward, but neither my arm nor the rock that my sword was embedded in could withstand the motion. I heard an ominous crack that stopped me.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    "Don''t worry, I''ve gotten you!"


    Da Ge reached down and grabbed my wrist. With a single movement, he yanked my sword out of the ice and hauled both me and Zi Xiao Ji up. The guy had incredible strength.


    "What about the Ice Soul Python?" I asked, nervously glancing behind Da Ge''s broad shoulders. The magical beast was thrashing about in the background, hissing ferociously.


    "Zhao Shi went to distract it while I rescue you guys."


    "Thanks, and sorry."


    Da Ge patted my shoulder and smiled warmly. "No, we should be the ones thanking you for saving the Miss. We''ve failed our duty, and it''s twice that you''ve saved her in our place. Honestly, you should be her bodyguard instead."


    "No thanks," I replied immediately. "Tang Qi Hong will kill me."


    "That''s right!" Zi Xiao Ji agreed. "Don''t get any funny ideas, Da Ge! Fei Wu belongs to Sister Qi Hong!"


    Hey, you do realize that I''m not an object that belongs to anyone, right?


    "Stop talking nonsense over there and help me if you''re already done with the rescue!"


    Zhao Shi was hollering as she tried to dodge another attack from the Ice Soul Python. This time, she made use of her agility to strike at the head, her blade flashing toward the Ice Soul Python''s eye. As before, the Ice Python''s armored scales made it nearly impenetrable to any of our attacks. The only option was to attack its weak spot, its eyes.


    Realizing that was how its mate died, the Ice Soul Python withdrew its head in reflex and used its bulk to slap Zhao Shi away. The slender girl frowned and immediately flipped her body in midair to avoid its attack. Slightly tapping her foot on the incoming mass of muscle and armored scales, she used it as a platform to propel herself to a safe distance.


    And just in time, too. The Ice Soul Python unleashed a second blast of ice that shattered the frost coating the plateau and threatened to knock us over again. This time, I quickly erected a huge glacial wall to protect Zi Xiao Ji, Da Ge and myself from the wicked shockwaves. The ice barrier cracked and slowly crumbled, but by the time it was completely shattered, the Ice Soul Python''s frozen wave blast had ceased.


    "Phew¡­"


    "It''s not over yet!" Zhao Shi warned.


    To our immense surprise, the Ice Soul Serpent didn''t press on its advantage. Twisting around, it sank its fangs into its deceased mate and seemed to tear open a huge hole in its corpse. My jaw dropped when I realized what it was doing, especially when I saw the gigantic spherical orb that it ripped out of its mate''s body.


    Earlier, Zhao Shi said something about the Ice Soul Python consuming its mate. I finally understood what she meant.


    "We''re too late!" Zhao Shi cursed as she tried to jump at the Ice Soul Python, her sword streaking toward its eyes like an arrow. However, the Ice Soul Python merely swallowed the monster core of its mate and then unleashed a third qi blast that knocked Zhao Shi over and sent her flying head over heels across the snow.


    "¡­this isn''t good," Da Ge muttered.


    "You don''t say," I retorted as I conjured another ice barrier to protect the three of us. Dropping to my knees and gritting my teeth, I glanced at Zi Xiao Ji. "Stay here," I instructed. "And don''t come out until it''s safe."


    "And how are we going to make it safe?" Zhao Shi snapped. "You have a way of slaying the second Ice Soul Python?"


    "Now that it has consumed its mate''s monster core, it would have grown several times stronger." Da Ge gulped. "And because they''re both the same species of monsters, and possess the same elemental affinity and qi, it''ll be able to instantly assimilate and absorb all the qi from its dead mate. We''re in trouble."


    Instantly assimilate, huh? Sounded like me, especially after my battle against Ba Yun from the now defunct Chinese Parasol Tree Sect.


    "Well, we''ve to work together if we want to defeat a monster like that," I pointed out unnecessarily and glanced at Da Ge. "Da Ge, do you mind working with me to distract the Ice Soul Python''s attention? While we do so, Zhao Shi can attack its weak spot."


    "Sure! I have no problems with that." Da Ge glanced up at Zhao Shi, who was recovering after being flung so far away. She straightened up and gripped her sword tightly, preparing another offensive stance. "What about you, Zhao Shi?"


    "Doesn''t seem like we have a choice, do we?" Zhao Shi glanced at us, her expression as cold as ever. "I''m counting on both of you!"


    At least Zhao Shi trusted me enough to rely on me. Which was a lot more than I can say for when we first met.


    Both of us ran toward the Ice Soul Python. Even as we charged forward, I noticed that its qi was swelling, thickening and growing much denser, the blue glow that indicated its aura intensifying into a horrifying light.


    Yeah, the Ice Soul Python had definitely merged and assimilated its mate''s monster core with its and grown expontentially stronger.


    "Be careful!" I warned Da Ge. He nodded.


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    "SSSSS!"


    Hissing ferociously, the Ice Soul Python lashed out at us at a greater speed than before, almost catching us off guard. Both of us jumped and rolled in different directions, barely evading its bulk.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    "Whoa!"


    As I panted, I could hear Da Ge crying in panic from the other side. Not wanting him to be in trouble, I immediately stabbed the armored scales with my sword even though I knew they were impervious to any form of blade.


    "Ss¡­!"


    That got the Ice Soul Python''s attention. Hissing furiously, it turned its attention back to me. Apparently, it had been chasing after Da Ge first because he was bigger and therefore appeared to be the juicier and better meal.


    Poor guy.


    Fortunately, it seemed that my hit had some sort of impact, for I had aggravated the Ice Soul Serpent''s wrath. Its coils lashed around, as if trying to crush me, but I was using my footwork to flee for my dear life.


    "Sssss¡­!"


    The Ice Soul Python seemed determined to swallow me whole. I could feel a cold gust of air blast toward me, a blizzard of hellish cold that seemed to sap my strength away. It hurt even just to breathe, the freezing air stabbing into my lungs like knives.


    Twisting in midair, I kicked the ice crystals that were saturating the air and used them to propel myself away by way of a footwork technique. Dropping onto the ground, I immediately spun around, only to see the Ice Soul Python lunging straight at me.


    This time, I raised my sword and stood my ground instead of running away.


    The Ice Soul Python crashed down onto my position, but seconds before it could swallow me whole, Zhao Shi materialized right beside its head and plunged her sword into its left eye, stabbing the one chink in the gargantuan serpent''s armor.


    ¡­but nothing happened.


    "?!"


    Zhao Shi gasped in shock and recoiled when her blade literally bounced off the Ice Soul Python''s eye. A shimmering barrier of blue qi seemed to have coalesced over what was formerly its one weak spot, rendering it impervious to an attack.


    "Impossible!"


    "It must be because it consumed the monster core of its mate and grown much stronger!" Da Ge shouted in disbelief. "It no longer has any vulnerabilities!"


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­" I groaned. "How are we supposed to defeat a monster like that?!"


    "Kuh!"


    Zhao Shi was tumbling through the air, struggling to regain her balance. However, the Ice Soul Python wasn''t kind enough to wait for her to recover. Snarling, it lunged at her before she could dodge, its jaws wide open.


    "Zhao Shi!" Zi Xiao Ji screamed.


    "Get away!" Da Ge yelled.


    Too late. Zhao Shi was unable to escape in time. She could only close her eyes as the Ice Soul Python surged toward her, greedily seeking to swallow her whole.


    "¡­?"


    She never ended up in the Ice Soul Python''s mouth. Instead, she found herself shoved out of the way by someone most unexpected.


    "Be careful¡­"


    Those were the last words out of my mouth before the Ice Soul Python swallowed me whole.


    Bam!


    "Gu!"


    Zhao Shi hit the ground and rolled to a stop, her body covered in snow. She looked up in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened.


    "No way¡­"


    Da Ge''s mouth dropped and he shook his head in denial. From a distance, Zi Xiao Ji clutched her cheeks, tears running down her eyes.


    "NOOOOO!!!!! Fei Wu!"


    Quit screaming. I ain''t dead yet.


    "Ugh! Yuck!"


    To be more accurate, I was in quite a disgusting place. Slimy liquid clung to me, most likely the Ice Soul Python''s drool and mucus. Huge muscles were contracting, trying to squeeze me down as the Ice Soul Python swallowed me. If I allowed the muscles of its enormous esophagus to push me down toward its stomach, a horrific death would await me. There was no way in hell that I would want to get bathed in acid and corrosive digestive juices.


    "AAAAH!"


    With a determined yell, I stabbed the mucous membrane that was doing its best to push me further down its throat. My blade sank in deeply, a spray of blood splashing against me in a disgusting manner and causing me to recoil. A tremor rippled throughout the dark cavity that I found myself in, almost throwing me off.


    Wait, did my blade just sink deeply into the membrane?


    Oh¡­that''s it!


    A smile spread across my face despite me being completely grossed out by the slimy saliva and all sorts of secretions. I might just have a way out of this.


    Outside, my teammates were weeping or sobbing, probably assuming that I had died or something.


    "This is my fault¡­my fault for being unable to kill the Ice Soul Serpent!"


    Zhao Shi was cursing her helplessness, her inability to slay the Ice Soul Python. She was so depressed that she even got the name of the magical beast wrong. It was Ice Soul Python, not Ice Soul Serpent. Not that I was there to correct her.


    "Both of you! Get out of there! Fall back! We can''t afford any more casualties!"


    Despite being in tears, Zi Xiao Ji remained calm and gave orders to her two bodyguards. Da Ge stared at her, aghast.


    "But¡­but Fei Wu is¡­"


    "We can''t do anything for him now," Zi Xiao Ji replied helplessly, her eyes brimming with tears. "We have to survive¡­for his sake as well!"


    "Oi, don''t go killing me off like that."


    The trio froze when they heard my voice ring across the plateau. The Ice Soul Python screeched and shuddered a something attacked it from the inside. Blood spurted from between the armor blades and the Ice Soul Python crashed downward, wailing and writhing. A pool of blood began to spread beneath its gargantuan body.


    "W¡­what¡­?"


    Zhao Shi stared at the screeching and thrashing Ice Soul Python blankly, only for Da Ge to grab her and drag her out of there before its tail whipped out and obliterated the chunk of rock where she was sprawled on earlier.


    So violent was the Ice Soul Python''s spasms that the entire plateau was becoming reshaped and demolished by its vicious attacks. Yet, the attacks from within didn''t stop. A blade pierced the cracks between the armored scales from inside the Ice Soul Python, sending another geyser of blood out. Screeching, the Ice Soul Python banged its head and body against the ground, as if hammering itself would somehow drive the thing torturing it from within out of its body.


    Don''t worry, I''ll be out of your body soon enough.


    Stabbing and cleaving the membrane of the esophagus, I cut my way out of the Ice Soul Python''s insides with my sword. Kicking a huge chunk of flesh out of my way, I emerged from a massive, gaping hole, covered from head to toe in blood and other bodily secretions. As a final goodbye gift, I slammed my foot against the exposed esophagus and executed Seismic Step.


    As always, I had triggered off a reaction between my volatile, pure innate qi and the surrounding qi of the ice-rich Arctic Mountain. The insides, completely unprotected by the Ice Soul Python''s revered and highly sought after armored scales, erupted and disintegrated all across the Ice Soul Python''s body as it entered its death throes.


    "Not as fanciful as lightning, but it''ll have to do."


    Unfortunately, I was not Qin Lie, so I couldn''t use Heavenly Thunder Eradication or whatever that lightning technique was called.


    Quivering, the Ice Soul Python thrashed about for a final few minutes before it finally died.


    "Whoa!"


    Coughing and spluttering, I slid down the corpse and tried to wipe the blood and saliva from my body and face.


    Gross!


    "Fei Wu! You''re alive!"


    "You made it!"


    Zi Xiao Ji and Da Ge ran over to me. Meanwhile, Zhao Shi fell onto her rump, her legs weakening as she stared at me from a distance, unable to believe what she had seen.


    "You¡­you''re still alive."


    "Well, I can assure you that I''m certainly no ghost." I slapped away the droplets of drool, which sort of grossed out both Zi Xiao Ji and Da Ge, causing them to stop a short distance away from me. That was fine. If our positions were reversed, I would most likely do the same, so I didn''t blame them at all. "I''ve survived worse."


    Like Ba Yun''s torture, for example.


    "Anyway, let''s proceed to pack these up. We have an abundance of the Ice Soul Python''s armored scales, and we can make use of their fangs and other stuff to sell to the spirit material shops. Not to mention that enhanced monster core¡­"


    A monster core that was made from fusing two monster cores together would definitely fetch a high price from the market. I could just imagine the thousands of gold coins we would earn just from the monster core alone¡­


    I''ll need to give some of that money to my family!


    "Sure. Let''s proceed right away."


    Da Ge cheerfully nodded and unsheathed his broadsword, preparing to use it as a butcher knife. I wondered if he was going to cut the Ice Soul Python apart. Now that I had torn a hole through the second one, it would be easier to butcher them into pieces, I guess.


    "Oh, wait!"


    Zhao Shi had finally recovered from her shock and was joining us, her composure totally regained by now. She tilted her head toward me, a faint smile on her usually strict face.


    "Now that you''re¡­a little dirty, do you mind digging out the monster core for us, Fei Wu?"


    I shrugged. I didn''t mind at all, and I proceeded to use the sword to cut the Ice Soul Python from the inside out, slicing until I reached the monster core.


    *


    With all that done, I proceeded to change out of my soiled clothing and into clean ones. With all the snow around me, I could use that to temporarily clean me off. There was still a bit of stench, but I would need a proper shower to wash that off.


    Once we had cut apart both Ice Soul Serpents into manageable chunks, Zi Xiao Ji placed them inside a spatial device or something. I was expecting it to be a spatial ring or something clich¨¦, but it looked more like a box.


    "Done!"


    Zi Xiao Ji beamed brightly after she placed the last of the Ice Soul Python pieces into her device. The rest of us nodded and prepared to escort her down the mountain. Even after the deaths of the Ice Soul Pythons, none of the usual wildlife came out.


    But this time, I could sense them out there. They were keeping their distance, watching them from afar. My glasses detected the fleeting shapes of a few Arctic Wolves as they bounded into cover, hiding just beneath the horizon.


    "¡­"


    Since we did not use their pup as bait to draw out the Ice Soul Python, there was no reason for the pack of Arctic Wolves and the Arctic Wolf King to attack us. Hell, that was an anime or dongman-only thing and never happened in the original novel. At least I didn''t remember it ever happening in the original novel anyway.


    "Thanks for lending me your sword. It really saved me."


    I passed the sword that I borrowed from Zhao Shi back to her. I wasn''t flattering her. The sword literally saved me not once but twice. If I didn''t have it when Zi Xiao Ji and I fell off the cliff¡­if I didn''t have it when I was swallowed whole by the Ice Soul Python¡­I shuddered to think what had happened. My temporary ice swords weren''t strong enough to endure the weight of either of those instances. They were too fragile.


    Clinging onto it in the cliff would have caused it to snap and we would fall to our deaths.


    And the ice swords I created from thin air would most probably not be able to pierce through the thick membrane of the Ice Soul Python''s esophagus. They were too weak for that. The only reason why I was able to cut through it as because the sword I had borrowed was of such a high quality.


    "I''m glad it helped." Zhao Shi fell silent for a moment. I glanced at the reflection in the rear view mirror ¨C as before, she had taken the back seat beside Zi Xiao Ji while I climbed into the front passenger seat next to the driver, Da Ge. "And thank you."


    "I didn''t do much."


    "Yes, you did!" Da Ge was guffawing cheerfully. "We''ll be rich thanks to you!"


    "We''ll make sure to split the profits from this mission with you. You''ll get at least half of the money we earn from the monster core."


    "Nah, I''ll just take twenty-five percent. There''s four of us, after all."


    "You''re the one who slew the second Ice Soul python, you know!" Da Ge reminded me good-naturedly. "Don''t be reserved!"


    "It''s a group effort," I insisted. "And I wouldn''t have been able to do it without you guys. Twenty-five percent, and no more than that."


    Da Ge and Zhao Shi exchanged glances, but didn''t say anything else. They probably realized how stubborn I was.


    As we drove into Tushan City and passed by the platform, Zi Xiao Ji suddenly spoke up.


    "Hey, Fei Wu, aren''t you going to try?"


    "Try what?" I turned back to stare at her. Zi Xiao Ji pointed toward the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars standing in the Lake of Fire.


    "Try communing with those pillars and seeing if you can trigger a reaction."


    "Nah, I won''t be able to do so. I don''t have any background in forging stuff or Spirit Engraving. I''ll probably end up in Blood Blades rather than in the inner sect."


    "Blood Blades is the inner sect," Zhao Shi pointed out. "The core, anyway."


    "Yeah, I mean, rather than being a blacksmith."


    "Oh, so you and Sister Qi Hong are going to follow Father and Mother''s example?"


    "What?!" I spluttered, completely caught off guard by that. Coughing, I shook my head. "That''s still too far off in the future. I need to focus on surviving the next three years in Wu Ling Academy and in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect first."


    "Good point," Zhao Shi agreed. Da Ge merely laughed.


    "I''m sure you''ll be fine. If it''s you, Fei Wu, you shouldn''t have any problems."


    "That remains to be seen."


    Glancing at the Nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, I couldn''t help but shudder. It didn''t seem like anyone had noticed, but there was a terrible, deep darkness dwelling beneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, buried in the abyss below the Lake of Fire. A literal monster.


    Can''t anyone feel its presence?


    That was one of the reasons why I was reluctant to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Instinctively, I felt that whatever the darkness was, it would consume my soul the moment I attempted to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars. It was precisely because I was the only one who could sense it that I would be the one most vulnerable to its predations.


    If I was careless, the darkness dwelling beneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars would flow up and plunder my mind, using my body as its host and imprisoning my consciousness in the darkest corners of my mind while doing whatever it wanted in reality.


    I couldn''t afford to let it happen.


    Closing my eyes, I briefly considered my options. If there came one day where I really had no choice but to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, then I had to find a way to mentally fortify my spirit and my soul before then.

 76 Chapter 75: Holidays

    Tang Qi Hong passed me five pieces. That might sound generous, but she had several hundred for herself. And that was only half of what we hauled back ¨C Zi Xiao Ji had taken the other half, with Zhao Shi and Da Ge helping her carry them to her own forge.


    I smiled. "Isn''t it obvious? I''m going to use them to forge equipment or weapons."


    "Do you even know how to?" Tang Qi Hong asked skeptically. She had a good point. I didn''t have any experience in forging actual weapons whatsoever. My only experience came from freezing stuff into ice weapons, but metal was another story altogether.


    "Nope. But that''s why I''m your assistant. I''m supposed to learn from you."


    "Sure. But you''ve done enough for today. Take a break and I''ll assign you tasks tomorrow."


    Now that might not sound like "learning blacksmithing" from being Tang Qi Hong''s assistant, but let''s get real. Preparing spirit materials and the like was the most basic of the basics. If I couldn''t even do these properly, how could I start talking about forging my own weapons? No weapon could be forged without even the basic understanding of how to prepare the spirit materials for the blacksmithing to take place in the first place.


    With that done, I decided to go practice my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship. Since training was going to sound boring and tedious, and I couldn''t be bothered with levels or stages, we''re going to skip those details.


    Needless to say, the next day came, and as promised, Tang Qi Hong showed up with a new assignment.


    "Here are the Solar Lava Stones. I think there''s about three hundred of them. What I need you to do is extract the flame qi from them and distill them into fiery ore. If you get this done within fifteen days, I''ll reward you with ten gold coins."


    "Roger that!"


    I saluted. Tang Qi Hong smiled. "Thanks, as usual. You''ve been a great help. But try not to rush, okay? Sometimes I''ve to redo the stuff that you prepared and processed."


    "Sorry about that."


    I wasn''t Qin Lie. Obviously without practice and experience, I couldn''t prepare spirit materials perfectly. On the other hand, like Tang Qi Hong said, I got a bit sloppy in my haste to get the work done before the deadline.


    "Nah, you''re good. You''re a fast worker, which helps a lot. I''ll be counting on you then!"


    "No problem!"


    Twelve days later, I brought the fiery ore that I had extracted and purified from the Solar Lava Stones and brought them to Tang Qi Hong''s doorstep. She had a shock when she saw me bundling them over.


    "I told you not to rush!"


    "Oh, well¡­purifying qi is my forte."


    Tang Qi Hong was surprised by the quality of my work this time. Nodding in satisfaction, she dismissed me.


    "Take a rest. I''ll give you something new tomorrow."


    "How are the Ice Soul Python armor going?"


    "It''s going," Tang Qi Hong replied vaguely. "I''m almost done."


    Craning my neck, I saw the pile of Ice Soul Python armor neatly stacked up in the corner of her workshop. Catching my gaze, Tang Qi Hong smiled.


    "Of course, you''re welcome to stay and learn if you want to."


    "I''ll take you up on your offer then."


    The next day¡­


    "Here are eight Draconic Rhinoceros horns. Help me shape them into spears. They''ll be the core for Spirit Striking Spears, so try not to distort them too much. Hmm, five gold coins for this, and the deadline will be about twelve days. Can you do it?"


    "Even if I have to stake my life on it."


    Tang Qi Hong laughed at that. "You don''t have to go that far. All right then, I''m counting on you. And I''ll teach you how to forge spears when you''re done."


    "Looking forward to it!"


    With that, I began to work right away.


    One benefit of doing these tedious chores was that I could deepen my comprehension of these spirit materials and their attributes. If I understood what sort of attributes, elemental affinity or other special characteristics they had, I could better forge corresponding equipment and armaments that suited whatever occasion that beckoned.


    And just like that, another twelve days passed. This time, because the task was a lot harder, I barely managed to make the deadline. Panting, I hauled the eight spear-shaped Draconic Rhinoceros horns toward Tang Qi Hong''s workshop.


    "Oh! Just in time!"


    Tang Qi Hong wiped the perspiration from her face when she spotted me. Apparently she had been using the fiery ore I distilled for her earlier to forge Solar Daggers or some flame-type spirit weapon. She placed the last piece down in a crate and turned to me.


    "Oh, this looks good!"


    She nodded in approval as she picked up one of the Draconic Rhinoceros horns and observed it closely. Placing it back, she beckoned me to step inside.


    "Let''s begin right away!"


    After watching her forge a spear or two, Tang Qi Hong dismissed me. From the exhausted look on her pretty face, she seemed like she needed a break. I respectfully bowed and departed from her workshop, getting ready for my usual physical training.


    "Whoa¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong stifled a yawn as she downed a cup of water and splayed over her bed. As she did so, Lian Rou walked in.


    "Qi Hong, how as it been recently?" she asked. Tang Qi Hong raised her head wearily and stared at Lian Rou blankly.


    "What do you mean?"


    "How is your blacksmithing going?" Lian Rou specified. Oh come on. You didn''t really think she was going to ask Tang Qi Hong if she had tamed me, right? This wasn''t Spirit Realm, and I was far from being Qin Lie.


    "Going well."


    "You seem like you''ve picked a capable assistant." Lian Rou nodded, slightly impressed, as she ran a hand through the Draconic Rhinoceros horn.


    "Oh, well¡­Fei Wu is all right, I guess?" Tang Qi Hong smiled. "He''s not perfect and he lacks experience, but he''s pretty diligent and listens to everything I say. I can''t complain. I think he''ll gradually get better with more practice."


    "That''s the same for everyone." Lian Rou frowned and she noted the smoothness and curve of the Draconic Rhinoceros horn. "Hmm, could it be¡­this was done by him?"


    "Yeah, he did. Pretty good, right?" Tang Qi Hong puffed her chest out proudly. Oi, I was the one who shaped them, you know. Not you.


    "Wow, this is pretty good, considering that he''s a newbie. There are a few rough edges, but this is on par with at least a few of the inner sect disciples'' work."


    "That''s right. He did all eight of them for me within twelve days. I just need to polish them up a bit, but he saved me a lot of time in terms of refining the material to make it ready for use. I probably just need a few minutes to correct the minor flaws before I can use it as the core material for my Spirit Striking Spears. Fei Wu''s work saves me a lot of time and energy."


    "Wow, that''s impressive." Lian Rou smiled bitterly. "I wish Tong Xue was just as dedicated. He doesn''t really put in as much effort in his work, and I usually end up redoing a lot of his preparation from scratch."


    "Tong Xue is the same as Pang Feng," Tang Qi Hong reminded her. "He has no interest in forging. He''s probably here to join Blood Blades."


    "Isn''t Fei Wu the same?" Lian Rou wondered out loud. "I mean, he has never expressed any interest in blacksmithing before. He''s more of the combat type, like Tong Xue. Actually, Tong Xue isn''t even the combat type, he''s more of the espionage and intelligence type. But Blood Blades also need intelligence agents and spies, so Tong Xue''s skills in those areas will be a good fit for them."


    "It''s a pity that Fei Wu can''t assimilate artificial qi like the rest of us, or he would be able to be among the top." Tang Qi Hong sighed. "That one star constitution¡­I feel like either someone measured his constitution wrongly, or we''ve been judging the whole idea of talent and strength wrong from the start. I guess he''s proof that you can''t judge someone by his constitution."


    "But¡­if he is this focused and diligent with his work¡­what is he going to do?" Lian Rou looked puzzled. "Join the Blood Blades or become a Spirit Engraver like you?"


    Tang Qi Hong giggled. "I think it''s precisely because Fei Wu is such a diligent person that it doesn''t matter what he does. If you tell him to do something, he''ll do his best to do it."


    Lian Rou shook her head and smiled dryly.


    "You''re pretty lucky, aren''t you? Make sure you grab him before some other girl does."


    "D¡­don''t talk nonsense!" Tang Qi Hong turned red. "We¡­we''re not in that kind of relationship! I mean, I¡­ugh!"


    Good thing I wasn''t there to witness that tsundere nonsense or I would probably bury myself at how cringe worthy that was.


    *


    Before I knew it, a month had passed since I had first entered the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. the New Year holidays arrived and we were allowed to go home to celebrate with our family.


    The New Year holidays in this timeline were identical to Lunar New Year as celebrated by all Chinese Diasporas as well as those in China back in my original timeline. For mainland China, there would be fifteen days of holidays and celebrations, set aside so that we could go around visiting relatives. In Singapore, it would be shortened to only two days, but we had the weekends to continue the visiting of relatives.


    It was a pretty fun holiday, especially since I got to eat a lot of nice food I otherwise wouldn''t eat normally.


    The only thing that bothered me was the spring cleaning. I mean, seriously, who enjoyed spring cleaning? I would much rather spend the time doing other stuff¡­like eating. Or training. Or gaming. Or doing something that I enjoyed.


    On the other hand, the reunion dinner on the night before the actual Lunar New Year Day was worth all the trouble.


    "Looking forward to the meal, Wu?"


    Dad was grinning when he saw me almost salivating at the prospect. I blinked and hurriedly reclaimed my composure, and nodded.


    "Yeah. It seems delicious."


    "Well, we''ll be leaving soon, once your mom is ready."


    As always, ladies take longer to get dressed and stuff. Not that I had any complaints. Along with my brother, Fei Ji, I leaned back in the couch and waited patiently for Mom to emerge. Dad was humming to himself as he checked his new shoes, spreading kiwi over them.


    ~~~~


    I jerked up when I heard the doorbell ring, the melodic tune floating throughout the house as a result of the bell.


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    "Who could it be?" I wondered out loud. Ji shrugged.


    "Who knows?"


    Well, he couldn''t be bothered to answer the door, too busily playing Fate/Grand Order on his cellphone or something. So I took the initiative to rise to my feet and beat my Dad to it, especially since my Dad had his hands full with kiwi and his shoes.


    "Who is it?" Dad asked when I opened the door. Calm down, Dad. I haven''t even opened the door fully to have a good look yet.


    "Whoa!"


    I almost fell over when I saw the person waiting outside the door. Tang Qi Hong was dressed prettily in a red dress, waving excitedly when she saw me.


    "Tang Qi Hong? What are you doing here?"


    "Hey." Tang Qi Hong smiled nervously as she glanced inside my house. My brother glanced up curiously for a few seconds before looking back at his cellphone. In contrast, my dad placed his shoes down and got up to see what was going on, a puzzled expression on his face.


    "Hmm? Is that¡­?"


    "A friend of mine," I informed him. "Tang Qi Hong."


    "Hello, uncle." Tang Qi Hong politely bowed her head. She glanced at me hesitantly. "Do you mind if I come in?"


    "Sure, sure! We''re about to leave, but you''re welcome to sit in for a few minutes." Dad was as polite as ever, gesturing for her to come in. he turned to me. "Wu, get your friend a drink."


    "Okay." I nodded and headed toward the refrigerator.


    "No, it''s fine. Did I come in at a bad time?"


    "Well¡­" Dad scratched his head a little. "We were about to leave."


    "Ah¡­"


    "What did you come for?" I asked as I brought a can of soda from the fridge and placed it in front of her. Tang Qi Hong nodded her thanks, but she didn''t touch the can.


    "Well, actually¡­do you mind if I join you for reunion dinner?"


    "Eh? What happened?" I blinked in confusion, trying to comprehend what I had just heard. "What about your family?"


    "You didn''t know?" Tang Qi Hong stared at me. "Oh, I didn''t tell you or anyone. Um, I''m an orphan, so I don''t have a family to celebrate Lunar New Year with."


    Dad and I stared at her sympathetically for a few moments. Then Dad clapped his hands and smiled.


    "Sure. You''re very welcome to join us."


    "Is that fine? I mean, I don''t want to impose¡­"


    I raised an eyebrow at that, having a sneaking feeling that wasn''t the case. Tang Qi Hong was pretty sly and slightly manipulative. After all, if she really had no intention to impose, she wouldn''t show up at my doorstep abruptly, completely unannounced, and then dropped quite the bombshell into our laps. I was pretty sure she had planned this out.


    "Why? What''s happening?"


    Mom emerged from the room, finally done with her makeup and whatever she needed to get ready for our Reunion Dinner. As this was a big occasion, she insisted on dressing up fancily for the occasion and ensured that Ji and I at least wore more formal clothing than usual. When she saw Tang Qi Hong, she did a double take.


    "Eh? You''re¡­?"


    "She''s Tang Qi Hong, a friend of mine."


    "Do you mind if she joins us for reunion dinner, dear?" Dad quipped.


    Mom took a while to digest what she was hearing, and then she beamed happily and nodded excitedly.


    "Sure, sure! You''re more than welcome!"


    I could already tell what she was thinking. Those delightful eyes of hers¡­she was overjoyed that I found a girlfriend, or so she thought. The next thing I knew, she would be asking Dad to prepare red rice, except that red rice was a Japanese tradition and not a Chinese one.


    And so Tang Qi Hong rode in the car with us. Mom wouldn''t stop gushing over how beautiful she was, her cheeks glowing brightly.


    "You must be very close to Wu, right?"


    "Yeah, sort of¡­he has helped me a lot in school."


    Tang Qi Hong didn''t look uncomfortable at all, and chatted happily with Mom. Beside me, Ji raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but didn''t say anything. Like Mom, he had concluded that Tang Qi Hong was my girlfriend.


    "Ha ha ha, sorry¡­as you know, my son is a little¡­eccentric. He likes reading more than socializing, and rarely goes out. Please continue to take care of him."


    "No, not at all." Tang Qi Hong shook her head. "I''m the one who has always been in his care, and I''m grateful to him for it."


    "Heh¡­"


    Mom was grinning, obviously taken with this new addition to our family, or so she thought. She nodded at me.


    "Wu, make sure you take good care of Qi Hong, okay? Girls like her are rare. Ah¡­you so aren''t worthy of her¡­"


    "That''s not true at all!" Tang Qi Hong hurriedly interjected.


    As for me, I was shaking my head and maintaining my sullen silence. Trust my mom to jump into conclusions like that. Then again, it was pretty hard to blame her. After all, how was I supposed to explain a girl who showed up, basically introduced herself to my family, and asked to join the reunion dinner and participate in the relative visits over the next few days?


    "Don''t you usually spend your New Year holidays with Sect Leader and Sect Mistress, especially over the last few years?" I asked.


    Tang Qi Hong nodded. "Yeah, usually I will have dinner at their place and follow them to visit their relatives. But this year, both Sect Leader and Sect Mistress are out on a mission. They won''t be back for another three months or so. I''m left alone this year."


    "That''s all right!" Mom assured her. "You''re welcome to join us from now on, every year!"


    "Thank you."


    "I''m surprised that Elder Zhao or Lian Rou didn''t ask you to join them," I remarked off handedly. A shadow crossed over Tang Qi Hong''s beautiful face.


    "I actually asked Rou if I could join her, but she refused." She frowned. "In fact, Rou was the one who suggested that I turn to you."


    That Lian Rou¡­I should have known that she was such a schemer¡­


    "Well, everything''s fine, right?" Dad shot me a look in the rear view mirror, even though his attention was half on the road. "I think it''ll be great to have Qi Hong join us every year."


    "¡­right."


    I nodded, and didn''t argue. Evidently my parents were going to take Tang Qi Hong''s side over mine, and not without good reason. It would be cruel to leave her alone by herself. The problem was how everyone was going to perceive our relationship after this¡­


    *


    What I feared would happened had come to pass. Tang Qi Hong was introduced to my extended family, and participated in visiting all our relatives. Even though I did not outright say anything, everyone seemed to assume that Tang Qi Hong was my girlfriend, and treated her as such. She even received a few red packets from my impressed relatives.


    This is going to unfold into one gigantic misunderstanding, isn''t it?


    Rubbing my head, I exhaled and shook my head in despair. Tang Qi Hong herself didn''t seem upset by everyone treating her as my girlfriend. In fact, she seemed to exalt in it happily chatting with my female cousins and socializing with them as if she was already part of the family.


    "You found a great girl, Wu," Mom told me approvingly. "I was worried what kind of girlfriend you would find, but Qi Hong is really top tier. You really aren''t worthy of her. I''m impressed. How did you get her to fall for you?"


    "I didn''t."


    Mom raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. On Tang Qi Hong''s part, she did nothing to dismiss the perception that she was my girlfriend, and she in fact actually encouraged that image even though she made no mention of the status of our actual relationship to me. I had no idea what that girl was thinking, and I had a feeling that trying to push her would result in disaster.


    Qi Hong is probably making use of me¡­hiding behind me to prevent other suitors from approaching her. Or something like that¡­


    Admittedly, I wasn''t dense like most Japanese light novel protagonists, and I could tell that she had positive feelings toward me. But as mentioned before, my past experience informed me that being overly self-conscious would be highly awkward and embarrassing. What if, like my former classmate, Tang Qi Hong would laugh at me for deluding myself that she was in love with me? That she was merely using me as a cover, and I was flattering myself for thinking otherwise?


    Just like what happened with my former female classmate¡­things would become awkward, and the rest of my class would tease me¡­


    On the other hand, the people in high school are a lot more mature, so I doubt they''ll resort to such things¡­


    Then again, I was a thirty-year-old in a sixteen-year-old body. I might be forgetting just how immature high school students were.


    "Why did she choose you then?"


    "Huh?


    I broke out of my thoughts when Mom asked me that. Shaking my head, I blinked in confusion, and then realized that she had been asking me a question.


    "I helped her once, and she''s been grateful to me ever since."


    "You mean she fell for you because you helped her once?" Mom began laughing. "What is this, a shounen manga or something? Since when does something so convenient happen? If that''s the case, why hasn''t she fallen for any other guys? I hardly think you''re the only guy in her life to have helped her."


    Mom had a point. I merely shrugged and shook my head.


    "I don''t know. I honestly don''t."


    Mom looked at me sympathetically and placed a hand on my shoulder, glancing at Tang Qi Hong, who was laughing with the rest of my female cousins.


    "Well, make sure you keep hold of her. You have no idea how much of a treasure you have in your hands."

 77 Chapter 76: Bugging

    It was almost like we were teleporting from one end of the Great Zhou Empire to another. I wondered why I even bothered with the bus and train to such a faraway place. In fact, I would have moved back to my dorm if it weren''t for the Phoenix Express. Fortunately, Tang Qi Hong allowed me, Tong Xue and Lian Rou to ride on the Phoenix Express with her, whenever she returned to Tushan City. A few of the other juniors and schoolmates from the same sect joined in, but surprisingly enough, there weren''t many of us.


    Most of the students in Wu Ling Academy were more interested in joining the four Celestial Guardian Sects, and the rest simply couldn''t make the cut. Not anyone could just join the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, after all.


    Now that we were back in school, things had gotten a bit busier. After class, I had to rush toward where Tang Qi Hong was waiting with the Phoenix Express, get a ride back to Tushan City, and depending on the schedule, attend to assignments that Tang Qi Hong had assigned me, or busy myself with my own martial arts training.


    And just like that, three months passed. The semester began in spring, and we were fresh into our first year of high school, surviving whatever Teacher Jiao threw at us.


    It was during one of these weeks when Teacher Jiao approached me.


    "Student Fei Wu, a word, if you please."


    "Sure."


    I rose from my desk and followed him to the staff room. After Teacher Jiao took his seat, he spun around in his office chair to face me.


    "I believe you''ve already assimilated all that qi you''ve absorbed from about two years ago, correct?"


    "That''s right, Teacher Jiao," I confirmed.


    "Well, the deadline is almost up. Principal Xiao wants you to take the level 6 test. Right now, you''re the only high school student who has yet to take the level 6 test. You''re currently stuck at level 5, but most high school students pass through level 6 within the first month of their first year. In fact, we have a good deal of students progressing to level 7, and even a handful attaining level 8." He paused and tapped his fingers on the desk. "We''re expecting at least a few students to reach level 9 by the end of this academic year."


    So what did that have to do with me?


    "Fei Wu¡­when do you intend to take the level 6 test?"


    "¡­soon."


    "Well, it better be soon. Principal Xiao is expecting you to achieve level 6 at least. That''s why he allowed you to stay in Wu Ling Academy even though you were temporarily unable to use martial arts for almost two years."


    Principal Xiao could go fuck himself. But obviously I didn''t voice that out. That said, I couldn''t help but be annoyed by the pressure he was exerting on me. Truth be told, I didn''t envy his position. Principal Xiao was running a martial arts institution, not a charity. He couldn''t afford to be handing out gifts and free tuition fees to any student. As much as I hated to admit it, this timeline continued to be a materialistic society, and thus everything was judged by results.


    If I wanted to stay in Wu Ling Academy, I had to produce the results to show that I had the right to remain here. It was the same for everyone. And while I detested the idea of being tested and having my ability quantified, I knew they needed some form of evaluating the students who enrolled here. Otherwise students could just slack off and not bother to do their work, yet continue to earn and benefit off freebies without working for it.


    Sighing deeply, I closed my eyes and lowered my head.


    "I''ll take it next week. I''ll go book the level 6 test for next week."


    "Good." Teacher Jiao looked almost relieved. Throughout the four years, he had remained our teacher, and even went up with us into high school. I wasn''t sure how the education system worked, but in Wu Ling Academy, our homeroom teachers followed us into high school. I doubted he would be teaching us if we chose to move on into the university division, though. "The minimum level that Principal Xiao expects of you is level 6. Please make sure you reach that."


    I wondered briefly if I should just jump straight to level 8, but decided against it. Remembering the last time I underestimated the battle puppet and getting beaten up severely for it, I decided to take things one step at a time. Besides, I had plans to keep a low profile.


    If I''m not mistaken, there''s an interschool tournament in the summer¡­


    If I wanted to participate in the tournament, I would need every advantage I could get. I didn''t want to give away too much of my martial arts for my prospective opponents to study and develop countermeasures again.


    After the tournament in the summer, I''ll take whatever level tests they want, even up to level 9 if that''s what they want me to.


    My goal was to get a high ranking in the tournament, and maybe even win it. Hopefully. Of course, with super-strong participants such as Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao in the mix, the odds of me winning the tournament were pretty slim.


    But that was exactly why I needed every advantage I could get. So that I could take my prospective opponents by surprise.


    "Make sure you do your best, okay?" Teacher Jiao told me as he ran through his tablet and booked a date for me. "Next¡­Friday. I''ll see you in the coliseum then."


    "Can''t it be a private affair?" I asked. "I would rather not be watched by everyone as I carry out the test."


    Teacher Jiao shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, Student Fei Wu. No special treatments. You''re subjected to the same conditions as everyone else, and therefore will suffer the same disadvantages and advantages as everyone else. I don''t think the other students will be happy if you try to keep your martial arts a secret from them."


    I groaned inwardly, but nodded outwardly. It looked like I had to prepare special countermeasures. Well, I should have techniques other than Heaven and Earth Formula that I could use for the rest. Heaven and Earth Formula wasn''t exactly a combat-type martial arts anyway. Throughout the years, I had to develop my own form and fighting style, since the rituals had died out long ago. Or, as Master had told me, there weren''t any rituals and forms to begin with.


    That was why I asked for a week. It would give me ample time to prepare an alternative martial art I could use in front of everyone while not revealing my hand for the tournament. At least for now, anyway.


    "Understood."


    "Well, good luck."


    Teacher Jiao smiled and patted my shoulder encouragingly.


    "I believe in you. You''ve never let me down before."


    I sighed. Way to pile on the pressure on me even before the level 6 test began. Now that I was committed to taking it, I had no intention of failing it, but that didn''t mean I didn''t feel any pressure or anxiety. Unlike the other students in Wu Ling Academy, I still couldn''t absorb artificial qi. But that was quite all right.


    Thanks to my encounter with Chinese Parasol Tree Sect, and spending the last two years assimilating and purifying my qi, I should have roughly the same, if not more inner qi than the students in my cohort. Which was ironic, really.


    ¡­this will be my trump card against all my schoolmates who have received several sexagenaries of artificial qi.


    "¡­I''ll do my best."


    Forcing a smile and feigning a confidence I didn''t feel, I bowed to Teacher Jiao before I exited the staff room.


    *


    "Shao Yang, I''ve gotten what you''ve asked for."


    At night, shadows danced about and veiled the figure sneakily stepping into Liang Shao Yang''s apartment. Stepping out of the shadows and into the faint illumination afforded from Liang Shao Yang''s desk lamp, the figure revealed himself to be none other than the inner sect disciple who had taken the former as his assistant.


    Hao Ying.


    He retrieved a velvet box from within his cloak and placed it on Liang Shao Yang''s desk. Liang Shao Yang nodded, a malicious light gleaming in his dark pupils. He reached out to take the velvet box and studied it, probing its contents with his qi sense.


    "Thank you, Senior."


    "You''re welcome." Hao Ying bowed his head politely and smiled darkly. "You know how I''m in service to Sect Leader. The reason why I was able to enter the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and become an inner sect disciple in the first place was all because of the influence of the Divine Shadow Sect Leader. I owe him a great debt."


    He raised his head to look intently at Liang Shao Yang.


    "I hope you''ll be able to accomplish the mission that Sect Leader assigned you. If you succeed, then our Divine Shadow Sect will reach heights previously undreamed and attain unimaginable power. Beginning with the subjugation and absorption of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "I''ll do my best," Liang Shao Yang replied coldly.


    Hao Ying merely smiled again, and then bowed his head before taking his leave. Slipping into the shadows, he melted into the darkness once again and returned to his VIP pavilion back in the volcano, completely unseen and undetected.


    "Fei Wu¡­"


    Holding the velvet box up and observing it, Liang Shao Yang''s lips curled upward into a sneer and his eyes gleamed.


    To be honest, he was still not convinced by his father''s schemes. It was a pretty well-known fact that Tang Qi Hong already had someone she liked. To force his way into getting married to her so that he would be able to gain control of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect seemed like the most stupid plan ever. Nonetheless, it was worth a shot, for the guy in question was merely a classmate in Wu Ling Academy and not part of the sect.


    Therefore, theoretically, if one could get into the sect and become close to Tang Qi Hong, he would be able to move her heart and switch her interest to someone else. If he succeeded, then Divine Shadow Sect would become much stronger with the resources and spirit armaments of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect at its disposal.


    But who knew that the guy in question would end up taking the exam at the same time as him?


    At first, Liang Shao Yang thought nothing of me. He merely thought me of a bug, an insect to crush under his foot as he climbed to the top. Yet I had thwarted his plans over and over again, even freezing a bunch of new pillars to replace the columns he had destroyed. Not only that, I had managed to pass the blacksmithing exam.


    To be honest, Liang Shao Yang wasn''t in love with Tang Qi Hong, so there was no danger of me getting NTRed. Assuming I ever end up in a relationship with Tang Qi Hong, of course, but you know how all these romantic dramas went. Anyway, the girl Liang Shao Yang fell for was none other than Hu Mei Er, who whispered into his ear from behind.


    Call it love at first sight, or whatever, but I guess Hu Mei Er''s seductions worked on him. Yet, he had to keep his distance from her, for the greater good of Divine Shadow Sect. in order to accomplish the mission for Divine Shadow Sect, he needed to get close to Tang Qi Hong, the inner sect disciple in prime position to succeed the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Win her heart, become her husband, and he would be able to manipulate things from behind the scene.


    Unfortunately, I showed up, stole the place of assistant from him, and he lost the chance to get close to her.


    I don''t care who you are¡­you''re a fool if you think you can challenge me over a woman!


    Liang Shao Yang glanced at the night sky, his face filled with scorn. As the stars were blotted out by the dark clouds, he then melted into the shadows in the same manner as his senior Hao Ying, and seemingly vanished without a trace.


    As for me, I was blissfully unaware of everything that was happening, and could only piece the events together with the benefit of hindsight. At that moment, I was more focused on breaking Phoenix Jade into powder, which would be an ingredient for some Phoenix Armament that offered near-divine protection. Or so Tang Qi Hong told me anyway.


    As I said, it had been three months since I had joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. all I had been doing thus far were running errands for Tang Qi Hong, such as grinding monster bones into powder, purifying and distilling qi from monster cores, refining spirit ores, extracting mystical essences from spirit stones, and more¡­


    I didn''t resent Tang Qi Hong for tasking me with such tedious and time-consuming chores. If anything, I was grateful for them. They allowed me to get more familiar and intimate with spirit materials, and to learn a vast amount of knowledge about them that I wouldn''t otherwise have learned solely from reading encyclopedias.


    No wonder I was always told not to only stick to reading, but to go out and experience the world in itself. There was so much to learn beyond just staying in my room or hanging out in the library and reading books.


    I wonder when I''ll be able to learn Spirit Engraving. I can''t wait to forge a spirit armament with those Ice Soul Python scales.


    Well, before I attempted that, I needed to get the basics right. And to do that, I needed to focus on preparing the spirit mateirals that Tang Qi Hong had requested from me.


    By now, I had gotten used to the chores that Tang Qi Hong assigned me, and I methodically executed the grinding or refining or preparation processes, becoming fully immersed in the work. In fact, I was so engrossed in grinding the Phoenix Jade into powder that I barely paid any attention to the outside world.


    However, I raised my head when I detected something outside my door. Ever since I had mastered Heaven and Earth Formula, my Heaven and Earth senses made it extremely difficult for anyone to sneak up on me. Furthermore, I recognized this presence.


    "Liang Shao Yang? What are you doing here?"


    Confused, I opened my door, only to stare at his shocked expression. Then he scowled coldly and threw something at me.


    "Bleah!"


    I gagged and shielded myself as something slimy and disgusting struck me. Blinking, I glanced down and my eyes widened when I saw a bunch of worms biting into my skin.


    "Whoa! Get them off me!"


    With a yell, I squashed them. But it seemed that I was too late. Liang Shao Yang gave me a triumphant smile before he vanished into the night.


    "Hey! Get back here!"


    Before I could chase after the fleeing Liang Shao Yang, however, I had to eliminate all of these bugs. If I wasn''t mistaken, these were Venomous Scarabs, bugs that could inject a highly potent neurotoxin into their victims, and then feed on their flesh. They were usually used to decompose corpses in some ancient civilization that built gigantic pyramids as tombs. Basically this timeline''s equivalent of ancient Egpyt.


    "Fei Wu! What happened? What''s with the commotion?"


    To my horror, Tong Xue had emerged from his apartment, having heard the ruckus.


    "Wait, wait, wait! Be careful! There''s a bunch of Venomous Scarabs in my apartment! Let me exterminate them first!"


    "Eh!? Are you all right?!"


    Despite my warning, Tong Xue barged in and used his skills, throwing a bunch of shadowy knives at whatever Venomous Scarabs he could see. I sighed and eliminated the rest of them by freezing them in ice.


    "Ouch¡­"


    "You''re bitten! Oh no!"


    Tong Xue''s eyes widened when he saw the angry welts on my skin. I shrugged.


    "Yeah, I have."


    "What do you mean, ''yeah, you have''?! Those Venomous Scarabs are incredibly lethal! Their poison can kill a man in a few minutes!"


    "Well, I wouldn''t worry about that if I were you¡­" I began, getting ready to inform Tong Xue that I was basically immune to poison, but I was too late. Tong Xue was already dialing Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong on his cellphone.


    "Lian Rou! Please come over! Bring Tang Qi Hong with you! Something has happened! Hurry!"


    "Oi, oi, don''t panic¡­"


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    Dude, thanks to Heaven and Earth Formula, and me absorbing the characteristics of a Hellfire Badger, I was immune to poison. Of course, Tong Xue didn''t know that, but he wasn''t giving me any chance to tell him that.


    "Sit down! Don''t move too much! Try to stay still so that the poison won''t spread!"


    "That''s why I''m trying to tell you¡­"


    "Try not to talk! You''ll only circulate the poison further!"


    I gave up.


    "Fei Wu! What happened?!"


    A few minutes later, Tang Qi Hong came crashing into my apartment, barging through the open door and looking all panicked. Her eyes widened when she saw the dead and frozen Venomous Scarabs in my apartment.


    "Venomous Scarabs?! Why are they¡­?!"


    "I don''t know! But Fei Wu has been bitten by them! A lot of them too!"


    Tong Xue truly knew how to add oil to fire. He gestured animatedly toward the red welts on my arms, which were already starting to heal.


    Unfortunately, Tang Qi Hong didn''t notice the "starting to heal" part. She was horrified when she saw the bite marks, and having known about the potent venom of the Venomous Scarabs, she couldn''t help descending into panic mode.


    "Oh no! Lian Rou! Help!"


    "I''m coming, I''m coming!"


    Lian Rou also rushed into my apartment, having been close behind Tang Qi Hong. She had been a little delayed as she took some time to grab a first aid kit, having some idea of what had transpired when Tong Xue called her.


    And then she stopped and stared at me, her mouth gaping in shock. She glanced at the bites on my arms, and then back at my complexion.


    "Uh¡­okay, it seems like you''ve been bitten, but you don''t look¡­poisoned?"


    Both Tong Xue and Tang Qi Hong stopped panicking and turned to stare at her before spinning around to ogle at me.


    ""EH?!""


    "Like I said¡­" I sighed. "I''m immune to poison because of a certain martial arts technique I practiced."


    "Now that you''ve mentioned it, there are certainly specific types of martial arts that allow you to resist poison, or even become completely immune to it." Tong Xue thought for a bit. "Which one is it? The Nine Yang Divine Formula (Jiu Yang Shen Gong)?"


    "What, do you think I''m Zhang Wu Ji or something?" I snorted. "Sorry to disappoint you, but that''s not the one. You''re pretty close, though."


    "More importantly, where did these Venomous Scarabs come from?" Tang Qi Hong cried out. "How did they end up here?"


    "This¡­is strange," Lian Rou agreed with a frown. "Venomous Scarabs come from the far West, from a huge continent called Fei Zhou. They live in swamps near the north of that continent, and obviously wouldn''t be able to travel this far into the Great Zhou Empire. Not unless someone transported them within specially designed containers that imitate their habitats."


    While they were talking, the commotion had drawn a lot of attention from the other outer sect disciples, and they were arriving to stare into my apartment. How rude.


    "You were yelling at someone when I arrived," Tong Xue remembered as he stared intently at outside, his gaze causing several outer sect disciples to flinch. "I''m assuming someone set these Venomous Scarabs on you."


    "Yeah, he literally threw them on me." I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Fortunately I''ve experienced worse or I would totally flip out."


    As lethal and terrifying as these Venomous Scarabs were, they were nothing compared to my experience with the Parasitic Wasps. Ugh¡­those memories caused me to shudder even now. That said, I couldn''t forgive the perpetuator for setting them on me.


    "That bastard¡­"


    "Eh?"


    Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou were looking both frightened and confused. Tong Xue, on the other hand, leaned close.


    "Who was it?"


    "Liang Shao Yang," I replied. Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou froze.


    "Are you sure?" Lian Rou asked quietly. Tang Qi Hong nodded.


    "That''s quite the accusation to make. Did you see him?"


    "I did," I replied.


    "Even so, we''re going to need more evidence than that, or he''ll just brush it off as you falsely accusing him." Tong Xue sounded frustrated. He rose to his feet. "Stay still and rest, Fei Wu. I''ll report this to Elder Zhao."


    "I''m coming with you!" Tang Qi Hong also sprang to her feet.


    "No, you stay here with Fei Wu, Qi Hong." Lian Rou stopped her. "I''ll accompany Tong Xue. If what Fei Wu says is true¡­his life is being targeted. And that means we''re going to have to tread this situation very carefully."

 78 Chapter 77: Trial

    While Tang Qi Hong panicked, Tong Xue suddenly understood what I was trying to do. As he left my room, he began shouting.


    "Oh no! Fei Wu has died! Someone poisoned him!"


    "Eh?" Lian Rou was looking confused, but Tong Xue grabbed her hand and yanked her along.


    "We''ve to go find Elder Zhao and report this to him immediately! And search for the murderer!"


    "Eh?! Eh?!" Tang Qi Hong looked like she was in despair. She grabbed me and shook my body violently. "Don''t scare me like this! Didn''t you say you''re¡­?"


    "Play along," I hissed in a low voice. "The murderer might still be out there. He might still be watching me."


    "Oh." Tang Qi Hong understood. She nodded briefly and then dropped down and started wailing. "NOOOO!!!! Fei Wu?! How can you have died?! NOOOO!!!! Don''t leave me! You''re the best assistant I ever had! How will I prepare spirit materials now, when you''re dead!?"


    Girl¡­you need to improve your acting. And besides, weren''t you preparing your spirit materials just fine before I joined the sect as an outer sect disciple? I could only hope that the outer sect disciples gathered outside wouldn''t notice the lack of common sense.


    Liang Shao Yang, you bastard¡­


    The one I wanted to fool the most was Liang Shao Yang, the dude who tried to kill me. If possible, I wanted him to think that I was dead or something.


    "Stay there with his body, Qi Hong!" Lian Rou instructed. "Don''t worry! We''ll definitely find the murderer and avenge Fei Wu''s death!"


    Evidently, Tong Xue had whispered the idea of faking my death to her, and she had responded well to that. The two of them disappeared shortly.


    The commotion had attracted not just outer sect disciples but inner sect disciples as well. By now, a large group of inner sect disciples had also been drawn to the ruckus and were curiously mingling with the outer sect disciples to watch the show. Honestly, what was so interesting about a murder? It was as if they hadn''t seen anyone die before¡­


    ¡­wait. They most likely didn''t. As much as this was a martial arts world, it was a time of peace and killings rarely occurred, especially within Tushan City. Or so it seemed, anyway. I had gone through so many peaceful days that it felt almost like my original timeline, where the crime rate wasn''t high and people didn''t die everyday.


    Among the crowd were Pang Feng, Tian Jian Hao, Liang Shao Yang and Hao Ying. Even Yin Jing Jing, who had been cultivating quietly beneath the Spirit Engraved Pillars, had stopped and rushed over to see what was going on. Lady, don''t you think you''ve your priorities all messed up?


    To seal the acting, Tang Qi Hong stood up, retrieved my blanket and threw it over me. She then turned to glare sternly at the gathered onlookers.


    "What are you guys looking at? Fei Wu has been murdered! Have some respect, will you? Go attend to your own businesses, and don''t crowd around here. I need the place clear so that Elder Zhao and the Blood Blades can investigate the scene smoothly without any hindrances." She clenched her fists as her gaze sharpened. Her rage was visible as she swept her gaze, particularly over Tian Jian Hao and Liang Shao Yang.


    I felt sorry for Tian Jian Hao. The poor guy was innocent. But since Tang Qi Hong was not supposed to know who killed me yet, she had to put on a show of ignorance. Tian Jian Hao looked puzzled and retreated somewhat timidly, most likely trying to figure out what was happening, while Liang Shao Yang maintained his poker face, refusing to give anything away. I had to hand it to him, the guy was an excellent actor.


    Meanwhile, Tong Xue and Lian Rou reached Elder Zhao. Lian Rou rushed into the building that served as both his quarters and office.


    "Elder Zhao! Are you here?!"


    "What is it, so early in the morning?"


    Unlike the disciples, Elder Zhao was deeply focused on his work, and hadn''t heard about the murder yet. He raised his head to look at Lian Rou as she dashed into his office.


    "Elder Zhao! It''s Fei Wu! He has been bitten by Venomous Scarabs!"


    Elder Zhao''s expression darkened immediately. He stood up, putting his electronic tablet to sleep and laying it on the table. Putting on his coat, he followed Lian Rou and Tong Xue out as they briefly explained the situation.


    "Where did those Venomous Scarabs come from?"


    "Fei Wu said that Liang Shao Yang threw them at him. I heard someone attack him before I ran over." Tong Xue provided his eyewitness account. Elder Zhao nodded, his expression unchanging, but rage simmered inside his dark eyes.


    "It has only been a few months and already a murder has happened. I can''t believe that Liang Shao Yang would be so ruthless as to use Venomous Scarabs to kill a fellow sect member. But then again, he is from the Divine Shadow Sect, known for their brutal assassination methods. Even so, this is not the Divine Shadow Sect! How dare he acts as if this place belongs to him?!"


    "I think that he attempted to murder Fei Wu because he had gotten so close with Qi Hong," Lian Rou said as she bowed her head.


    "Murdering people just because he''s jealous? What kind of logic is that?" Elder Zhao spat. "Is he going to kill all the guys in the sect because they''re all aiming for Qi Hong? He might as well commit a massacre now."


    He then took a deep breath to calm himself down. Biting his lip, he glared into the distance as he considered a few factors.


    "Even so, if Fei Wu is the only eyewitness, it''ll be difficult to prove Liang Shao Yang''s guilt. Rest assured, I''ll definitely investigate this. I''ll start by looking into where these Venomous Scarabs come from, probably by finding out who had just returned from Fei Zhou, or at least who has connections with people from Fei Zhou and the means of procuring things from Fei Zhou."


    "Thank you very much, Elder Zhao!"


    "You don''t need to thank me," Elder Zhao told Lian Rou and Tong Xue, waving their gratitude away. "This is my duty, after all. I''ll let you guys and Qi Hong know when I have more information. For now, I''ll have to go investigate the scene. Tong Xue, do me a favor and contact Shen Cha and his investigative team. Don''t tell them anything ¨C just tell them to personally report to me immediately, and have them meet me at your or Fei Wu''s apartment."


    "Roger that."


    Tong Xue saluted, and then scampered off.


    Elder Zhao nodded as he watched him go, and with Lian Rou accompanying him, he headed toward my position.


    *


    "Shao Yang, why are you still so anxious? Isn''t that Fei Wu already dead?"


    Hao Ying watched as Liang Shao Yang paced incessantly across his apartment, surprised by his lack of composure. The latter scowled, his eyes flashing maliciously.


    "Not necessarily. During my time in the Divine Shadow Sect, I was taught one thing by my father. If I have not confirmed with my own eyes that the target is a corpse, then I must never assume that he is dead!"


    "The venom of the Venomous Scarabs are so toxic that it will kill a fully grown man within minutes. And you saw him get bitten, didn''t you?" Hao Ying studied Liang Shao Yang, who didn''t deny it. "Unless they have an antidote on hand, which I''m sure they don''t, he should be dead by now. It''s been hours since he has been bitten!"


    "That may be true, but there is always the possibility that Senior Tang or Senior Lian Rou happen to have the antidote on hand. That acting¡­was too unnatural."


    Fuck! I told you that you need to work on your acting, Tang Qi Hong! See what you''ve done!? You gave it away!


    Liang Shao Yang paused as he drummed his fingers impatiently against the table, as if trying to remember something that he had forgotten. Something streaked past the greyish pupils of his eyes and he jerked his head up.


    "Senior, where did you get the Venomous Scarabs from?"


    "I bought them from an outer sect foreign ambassador," Hao Ying replied. "He is a regular in Fei Zhou, and he carried a few of them with him for businesses and trade. You know how there''s always a market for exotic species of magical beasts and monsters from overseas." He stopped when he noticed Liang Shao Yang''s cautious expression. "Don''t worry, outer sect foreign ambassadors normally operate outside the sect, and I only dealt with him outside Tushan City. There''s no way our tracks would be discovered by anyone."


    Liang Shao Yang smiled thinly, his eyes glowing ruthlessly as he gazed upon the trembling Hao Ying.


    "Are you sure you want to take that chance?"


    Hao Ying felt a chill go down his spine, and he gulped. Shaking his head, he bowed deferentially and took a step back.


    "I understand. I''ll take care of it right away."


    Drenched in cold perspiration, he quickly withdrew from Liang Shao Yang''s apartment. Having grown up in the Divine Shadow Sect as well, he understood just how ruthless the members of the sect were. If he didn''t take action and covered his tracks, the authorities ¨C particularly the Blood Blades ¨C would eventually find the Venomous Scarabs connection leading back to him. And in order to prevent suspicion from befalling him, Liang Shao Yang would ruthlessly silence even his fellow sect member, Hao Ying, without any hesitation whatsoever.


    Obviously, Hao Ying had no desire to die, so he could only cut off all trails leading back to him and take care of the outer sect foreign ambassador before he ended up being silenced by the young master of his sect.


    *


    As it was, someone leaked out that I was alive, and¡­the game was given away. On the other hand, after I was given ample time to recover (not that I needed it, because I had immunity to all poisons), I was summoned to a trial.


    "You say that Liang Shao Yang did this to you?"


    A council of elders had gathered to pass judgement. Elder Zhao was one of them, but he seemed a little sidelined. As for the Sect Leader Zi Shou De and his wife, Da Ji, neither of them were present. It seemed that they were out on a mission and wouldn''t be back for a few days.


    As such, this council of elders served as a substitute to investigate the attempt on my life. With nothing to lose, I told the truth.


    "You are aware that you''re making quite the accusation, right?"


    A hawk-nosed elder, Ying Bi, reminded me. His expression was predatory and grave, almost like that of a hawk.


    "I can only describe what I saw," I replied firmly. "If you don''t believe me, then there''s nothing more I can say."


    "So he says. What do you have to say in your defense?"


    Another elder, this time named Elder Tong Pan, turned to Liang Shao Yang, who had been brought here to testify as well.


    Liang Shao Yang maintained his nonchalant expression.


    "There must be some mistake," he declared coolly. "I never stepped out of my apartment the whole night, until I heard the commotion."


    He then glanced at me, as if challenging me to contest that. It was his word against mine, and given how the majority of the elders were gazing at me suspiciously, I knew whose word they would believe more.


    They did realize that this dude was from the Divine Shadow Sect, a sect known for assassinations and underground dealings, right? Why were they more suspicious of me than they were of him?


    The answer was pretty clear. Liang Shao Yang had displayed more talent in Spirit Engraving and blacksmithing than I did, and was well on his way to becoming an inner sect disciple. With someone whose future was so bright and would most likely bring great contributions to the sect, they couldn''t bear to dismiss him in favor of a slightly above average and merely hardworking outer sect disciple who didn''t have that much of a prospect beyond being¡­I dunno, a Blood Blade or an assistant for an inner sect disciple.


    "Do you have evidence that I was the one who attacked you?" Liang Shao Yang was addressing me now, his eyes glinting maliciously.


    "Well, I saw you with my own eyes."


    "Are you certain that the person you saw was me? Wasn''t it dark? How were you able to see the features of your assailant?"


    I frowned. The guy was trying to provoke me. He was expecting me to shout and yell at him, to threaten and rage at him. It appeared that he was slightly disappointed that I didn''t take the bait and was acting just as calmly as he was.


    "How did you know it was dark?" I countered. "If you weren''t there, as you claimed, why do you know the details about the lighting of the environment?"


    Liang Shao Yang stuttered, caught off guard by my question. Elder Ying Bi glanced at him, and then decided to intervene to help him.


    "Just answer the question, Fei Wu."


    Biased bastard. I noticed he wasn''t asking Liang Shao Yang to answer the question.


    "The corridor is pretty well-lit. You should know. There are a lot of fluorescent lights in the corridor of the residential buildings."


    "¡­that is true."


    The elders couldn''t deny that.


    "But an investigation carried out shortly after the attack showed no traces of Liang Shao Yang''s qi. Or anyone''s qi, for that matter. Are you certain that someone actually attacked you?"


    "I heard it!" Tong Xue called out from my side of the room. "I heard someone attacking Fei Wu!"


    "But are you sure that was Liang Shao Yang? Did you actually seen him?"


    "That''s¡­" Tong Xue faltered, but Elder Zhao stepped in.


    "The question was whether he was sure that Fei Wu was attacked. And at least one other eyewitness heard it, so we can be certain that Fei Wu wasn''t lying, and that he really was attacked last night."


    Nobody questioned that after that. However, I suddenly understood why Liang Shao Yang didn''t resort to more direct methods, such as attacking me. He used Venomous Scarabs because they left no evidence of his involvement. If he attacked me personally, he would inevitably leave behind traces of his qi, lingering qi signatures that could be traced back to him. On the other hand, if he used the Venomous Scarabs or some other creature to carry out his murder for him, then he wouldn''t have to use any qi at all.


    Elder Zhao realized this, for he added, "Since the attempted murder was carried out using Venomous Scarabs, it''s obvious that no qi would be involved. Otherwise the accused would just attack with his own weapons and martial arts rather than rely on monsters to do the job for him."


    "You need evidence that I''m the owner of those Venomous Scarabs," Liang Shao Yang countered coolly. Cunning bastard. That was something no one possessed, at least not yet. "Otherwise this is all just conjecture."


    "Then, do you have evidence that you were in your apartment during the attack?" Elder Zhao asked. He was probably the only one in the council who was on my side. Liang Shao Yang maintained his poker face, his earlier blanching a faint memory.


    "Yes. I have an alibi."


    Stepping down, he gestured for Hao Ying to step forward. The inner sect disciple took his place and glanced nervously at the elders.


    "I was there, in Liang Shao Yang''s apartment, when the attack took place. I can testify that Shao Yang was inside his apartment until we both heard the commotion and headed out to see what was going on."


    "¡­didn''t you guys arrive separately?" Elder Zhao frowned. "I have a couple of eyewitnesses who testified that you both didn''t show up in the scene together."


    "That''s¡­"


    Hao Ying paled. I noticed Liang Shao Yang shooting him an incomprehensible stare. It wasn''t a murderous glare, but it wasn''t friendly or encouraging either. I wasn''t sure what to make of the almost nonchalant expression.


    "That''s enough, Elder Zhao."


    The other elders had intervened to cut short this farce of a trial. Elder Ying Bi tapped his desk as he glanced around the sea of eyewitnesses and investigators.


    "As there isn''t any solid evidence, we''ll let Liang Shao Yang go for now." He nodded at me, his lip curling. "And you too, Fei Wu. Don''t make any more trouble."


    "Hey, he''s the victim here, you know?" Elder Zhao interjected, annoyed.


    "Of course." Elder Tong Pan cleared his throat and smiled. "Elder Zhao, make sure you have one or two of your Blood Blades protecting him. Ensure that no further harm falls upon him."


    I don''t need protection. I need justice.


    Unfortunately, the elders didn''t seem to care.


    "I''ll continue the investigation. When I unearth irrefutable evidence and confirm who the perpetuator is, I''ll definitely bring him to justice."


    Elder Zhao straightened up and declared. The other elders glanced at each other, but they didn''t object.


    "Sounds good to me."


    "Yeah, we''ll hold the trial again, after you find solid evidence."


    "But before then, don''t make any baseless accusations, okay?"


    Baseless accusations, my foot. I saw with my very own eyes Liang Shao Yang attacking me. But unfortunately, since I was the only one who saw him actually assaulting me, it was his word against mine. And Liang Shao Yang had an alibi. Even though I knew Hao Ying was a false alibi and most likely was in this together with Liang Shao Yang, I had no way of proving it.


    How infuriating.


    "Noted."


    Elder Zhao glowered, but he couldn''t go against the decision of the majority of the elders. The only way he could overrule them was to procure even more evidence, evidence solid enough to persecute Liang Shao Yang. Right now, I had to admit that the evidence was flimsy, and in the eyes of the elders, it looked more likely that I was accusing Liang Shao Yang because I was jealous of his talent and status and wanted to plot his downfall.


    "Don''t worry¡­we''ll definitely nail him." Elder Zhao placed an assuring hand on my shoulder, his expression solemn and dark. "Give us a bit of time and we''ll find the evidence. Until then, stay safe and keep a low profile. I''ll be¡­"


    "Me, me, me!"


    Zi Xiao Ji was jumping into the courtroom after the session was adjourned. She was followed by Zhao Shi and Da Ge.


    Elder Zhao gave her a baffled look. "What do you mean, you?"


    "I heard that you''re to assign the Blood Blades to look after Brother Wu!" so I was Brother Wu now, huh? When did I become her brother? I was pretty sure that never happened. "I volunteer!"


    "But you''re not a Blood Blade." Elder Zhao was looking even more perplexed. Zi Xiao Ji cleared her throat.


    "No, but Zhao Shi and Da Ge are!"


    Zhao Shi sighed and rubbed her temple. "And there you have it."


    "I don''t mind," Da Ge offered cheerfully. "It''s just one other charge. I''ll be happy to keep an eye on both of them."


    Tang Qi Hong frowned as she hurried over.


    "Hey¡­" she protested, but Zi Xiao Ji grabbed her hands before she could say anything else, almost dancing happily.


    "Sister Qi Hong! I''ll protect Brother Wu for you! Rest assure, I''ll make sure he''ll be safe! Hmm, maybe we should add you too!"


    "Uh, what? Um, no, I mean¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong was getting all flustered, unable to handle Zi Xiao Ji''s infectious energy. She glanced at me for help, and I shook my head wearily.


    "I don''t know anything anymore."


    "F¡­fine! I''ll take you up on your offer then! Fei Wu is my assistant, after all! If you''re going to protect him, then make sure you do it while he assists me with my work!"


    "Consider it done!"


    "Oi, you know that we are the one who have to do all that bodyguard work and not you, right?" Zhao Shi placed her hands on her hips, exasperated.


    "On the other hand¡­" Elder Zhao was pondering thoughtfully. "With all of you in a single large group, I believe Liang¡­I mean, the perpetuator will not dare to target you."


    "Good point!" Da Ge agreed.


    "Hmph," Tang Qi Hong snorted. "Anyway, let''s just go back for today." She glanced at me, concerned. "Especially you, Wu, you just recovered from being poisoned. You should rest for today."


    "I told you, I am immune to venom," I muttered, but Tang Qi Hong smiled ominously.


    "You should rest. In three days, I''ll be working you to the bone, so make sure you have enough energy for whatever tasks I assign you, okay?"


    Maybe I should have pretended to be poisoned after all¡­


    On the other hand¡­


    "Three days from now? Isn''t that Thursday? Don''t we have classes on Thursday?" I tilted my head. "We can''t just skip school."


    "Oh, don''t worry about that." Tang Qi Hong smiled sweetly as if she had done me a favor. "I''ve already contacted Teacher Jiao and informed him of your close brush with death. We''ll have the entire week off, but you''re to report for the level 6 test on Friday."


    Today was Monday, so¡­four days from now. Gotcha. It also seemed that Teacher Jiao hadn''t forgotten about the damned level 6 test. Well, I did prepare for it, so I didn''t mind taking it.


    *


    The next day, while Elder Zhao was reading reports in his office and sorting out files, one of his subordinates appeared at the door. A martial artist belonging to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, he was of the revered Blood Spears and under the direct command of Elder Zhao.


    "What is it, Shen Cha?" Elder Zhao asked, noting the heavy expression on his subordinate''s face.


    "Long He is dead."


    "What?!" Elder Zhao jumped out of his seat and slammed both his palms against his desk, causing piles of paper to fall slowly to the ground. "How?!"


    "Someone slit his throat with a blade." Shen Cha paused for a moment before shaking his head. "There were no signs of struggle. It appears that he was taken by surprise before his death."


    "But why?"


    Shen Cha swallowed and produced his tablet, scrolling through a digital report.


    "I suspect¡­it has something to do with the attempt on Fei Wu''s life."


    "What do you mean?" Elder Zhao demanded, but his eyes had narrowed in realization as he joined the dots together.


    "In the past six months, Long He was the only one who had been to Fei Zhou. According to our investigations, Long He did bring Venomous Scarabs back with him.


    Elder Zhao scowled. "I see¡­the moment we began the investigation, someone had the foresight to silence Long He before we can interrogate him. He was most likely involved in the attempted murder, whether directly or indirectly. It''s too much to be a coincidence." He sighed as he flopped back down on his chair. "Continue investigating and see where the trail leads. I want to know who Long He recently interacted with. Keep tabs on all of them."


    "Roger that." Shen Cha bowed and then withdrew from Elder Zhao''s office silently.


    *


    "Ah choo!"


    It had been three days since the trial, but I couldn''t help but feel a chill, as if someone was talking about me behind my back. If there truly was someone talking about me behind my back, I swore to find him, and kill him.


    On the other hand, I attended school as usual, aware that I had only a couple of days left before the level 6 test. The trial and attempt on my life had thrown my schedule back a little, but I was able to figure things out and come up with a contingency plan for the level 6 test in time. I was cutting it pretty close, but I should be able to manage it. It was far from perfect, but after narrowly escaping with my life, I didn''t mind making do with what I could.


    Yeah, I know I didn''t seem convincing, what with snot dripping from my nose and all¡­


    "Are you all right, Brother Wu?"


    Zi Xiao Ji watched me, concerned, as I sniffled. I nodded and mumbled a "yeah."


    "Make sure you don''t catch a cold."


    "¡­right."


    Suppressing the urge to retort, I retreated back to the corner of my room. Apparently, just so that they could guard me, Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge had me move into Zi Xiao Ji''s VIP pavilion. Obviously being the daughter of the sect leader and his wife had its privileges, so Zi Xiao Ji was essentially living in a palace.


    At least the pavilion had a nice veranda that afforded a magnificent view over the Lake of Fire. Even at this time of the night, there were still inner sect and outer sect disciples gathered underneath the slightly luminous Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    Some were scribbling symbols and diagrams on their electronic tablets with their styluses, while others were in quiet meditation. I recognized Yin Jing Jing, Tian Jian Hao and Liang Shao Yang as they sat under the Spirit Engraved Pillars, doing their own thing. Evidently they still held hope of comprehending the pillars, receiving enlightenment and triggering a reaction so that they could jump straight into the inner sect.


    Tong Xue was conspicuously absent. The guy had given up quite some time ago.


    "Do you want to try as well?" Zi Xiao Ji asked me, misunderstanding my reason for staring at the platform atop the Lake of Fire. I shook my head.


    "No, I''m just wondering how Liang Shao Yang can just calmly go over there and continue whatever he''s doing even though he just tried to kill me."


    "Don''t worry. I wouldn''t pay any attention to him. Especially now that you have us to take care of you!"


    "You mean me and Da Ge, Miss," Zhao Shi corrected from another corner of the room. She chugged down a can of beer before plopping the empty vessel down. Wiping her mouth, she rolled her eyes. "I''m not sure if you can protect yourself with your skills, never mind someone else."


    "Geez!" Zi Xiao Ji pouted as she turned on Zhao Shi. Then she turned back toward me, her eyes brimming with curiosity. "But why don''t you want to try out the Spirit Engraved Pillars, Brother Wu? Don''t you want to be an inner sect disciple?"


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    "Well¡­"


    To be honest, I didn''t care about being an inner sect disciple. Just being in the Nine-Tailed Fox Ssect was incidental. I never meant to join it in the first place. Of course, I had to admit that the idea of triggering a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and receiving acknowledgement from the elders was an attractive prospect.


    It would certainly take that Liang Shao Yang down a peg.


    However¡­


    Whoa!


    Even from this distance, I could sense that demonic presence dwelling under the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. It was just waiting for me to approach, so that it could seize me and take over my body. I still hadn''t fortified my spirit and mind to resist its invasion, and so I had to hold off attempting the Spirit Engraved Pillars for now.


    At least until I found a countermeasure against whatever was inhabiting the abyss beneath the Spirit Engraved Pillars¡­


    Liang Shao Yang and the others were lucky. While they couldn''t sense the menacing demonic presence, didn''t know what was lurking beneath them, that fact also meant they wouldn''t be as vulnerable to its predations as I was. They could continue their attempts to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars without having to fear the presence or worry about their bodies being taken over. Lucky bastards.


    "Anyway, you should sleep early tonight," Da Ge told me, as cheerful as ever. "Miss Tang says that she has a lot of work for you."


    "Oh boy," I grumbled, but I obeyed. The next thing I knew, I was wide awake when Tang Qi Hong''s voice echoed throughout the pavilion.


    "Wu! Are you awake?"


    "¡­yeah."


    I groggily climbed out of bed. Nearby, Da Ge stirred, still half-asleep as he struggled out of his slumber with Tang Qi Hong''s voice serving as a good replacement for an alarm clock.


    "From today onward, you''ll be my blacksmith assistant! Get up now and follow me to my workshop! I need to forge a weapon, and you''ll be helping me with it!"


    Er¡­wasn''t I already doing that all along?

 79 Chapter 78: Blacksmith Assistan

    As always, Tang Qi Hong was busy. Today, she had seven furnaces burning at once, each of a different size and possessing different contents. Underneath the furnaces, thick yang qi burned, manifesting in incredibly power flames that turned the bottom of the furnaces red-hot. A short distance away from the furnaces were shelves that were stacked from top to bottom with rare spirit materials and qi ores.


    Having been to Tang Qi Hong''s workshop before, I wasn''t too surprised by what I saw. However, Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge found themselves gaping in awe at the forge belonging to the top inner sect disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Unfortunately, they weren''t allowed to marvel or express their amazement. They were only allowed in on the condition that they wouldn''t make any noise and disturb Tang Qi Hong''s blacksmithing process.


    Tang Qi Hong herself was fluttering from furnace to furnace, throwing spirit materials into each of them and refining them or doing whatever she needed to turn them into weapons. And I was slightly behind, trying to grab stuff off the shelves.


    "Eight Mystical Earthly Branches! Throw them into furnace four!"


    "Roger that!"


    "One kilogram of Divine Iron Ore, throw them into furnace three!"


    "Understood!"


    "Two pieces of Stellar Steel bars, furnace number seven!"


    "Got it!"


    Even as Tang Qi Hong moved, she was issuing instructions at a rapid rate. It was all I could do to holler back and follow her orders to the letter. Grabbing the specific spirit materials that Tang Qi Hong requested, I tossed them into the corresponding furnaces at whatever time she wanted me to put them in, then hopping back to the shelves.


    While Tang Qi Hong danced at the center of the circle of furnaces, I was circling outside the fiery ring, collecting spirit materials and throwing them into whatever furnace as ordered. Perspiration dripped down my face as I struggled to catch my breath, but before I could even inhale, Tang Qi Hong had already moved on to the next cauldron, with a new request.


    I was relieved to see that I wasn''t the only one struggling. Tang Qi Hong was perspiring profusely as well, her face red from the exertion. Even so, she looked overjoyed, completely in her element as she stirred, melded or refined the contents of her furnaces.


    Whoosh!


    "Cough!"


    Ugh¡­


    I had no choice but to expend significant amounts of frosty yin qi to form a protective aura around me to protect me from the tremendous heat, otherwise I would have shriveled up and died from dehydration and burns.


    Finally, Tang Qi Hong stopped and she flopped down in the middle of the circle of furnaces in a cross-legged position.


    "Now I''ve to begin the Spirit Engraving process. I need you to help me by adding the relevant spirit materials whenever necessary."


    "Okay."


    I nodded and observed her. Tang Qi Hong wiped the perspiration from her forehead, her face just as red as mine, and she smiled.


    "Make sure you keep up! I''m counting on you!"


    "I''ll do my best."


    "I know you will." Tang Qi Hong then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I watched, awestruck, as the bracelets on her wrists glowed and unleashed blasts of fire.


    Whoa!


    Resisting the impulse to take a step back, I watched as Tang Qi Hong''s normally pale arms redden under the furious glow. Unaffected by the divine flames that now wreathed her, Tang Qi Hong launched into her Spirit Engraving process, her hands flickering through the air and drawing fiery symbols in the air.


    Those are¡­!


    High grade Spirit Engravings. There was no mistake. I watched in awe as the fiery symbols, circles and diagrams hovered ferociously in the air for a few seconds, their numbers and complexity increasing as Tang Qi Hong continued to weave more intricate patterns into them, adding to the volume and potency of such Engravings.


    And with a flick of her hands, she sent all the flaming symbols into the seven furnaces. The fiery Spirit Engravings all disappeared into the furnaces and merged with the stewing spirit materials within, amplifying their power and enchanting the artifacts.


    Boom!


    However, several of these mergers turned out to be incredibly volatile. A single furnace trembled and shook violently as explosions rocked its interior when the spirit materials ignited under the blazing domination of its new Spirit Engraving.


    "Soothing Ice Jade! Hurry!" Tang Qi Hong shouted even without opening her eyes. "Furnace five, three pieces of Soothing Ice Jade!"


    I wasn''t even given any time to think. Acting on reflex, I grabbed the Soothing Ice Jade from the shelf beside me and immediately threw them into furnace five.


    Sizzle¡­


    Thankfully, the moment the Soothing Ice Jade sank into the contents of furnace five, the violent explosions ceased and the reactions began to calm down. I could finally let out an exhalation of relief as I wiped the sweat off my forehead.


    "Phew."


    "It''s not over yet," Tang Qi Hong told me, amused. Her eyes were still closed, but she was aware of everything that happened inside her workshop. I didn''t find that surprising. After all, this was her territory, her domain.


    Gulping, I waited for the next set of instructions.


    Tang Qi Hong didn''t disappoint. Her orders came out fast and furious, and I struggled to keep up, running up and down the shelves to grab whatever spirit materials she asked for and tossing them into the appropriate furnace. I wasn''t a measuring machine, so I had to estimate the quantity. Fortunately, I had my glasses, which had a built in measuring device in my lenses, so I could grab a fairly accurate amount or weight of whatever material Tang Qi Hong asked for, and threw them in accordingly. Banzai for advanced technology!


    On the other hand, Tang Qi Hong''s movements only seemed to grow faster and more animated. Her hands danced across the air, tracing and weaving more intricate Spirit Engravings and inscribing them into the contents within the seven different furnaces. As she did so, her instructions accelerated, almost catching me off guard.


    You''ve got to be kidding me!


    Panting, I dashed to the shelves, occasionally relying on my footwork techniques just to keep up with the increased rate of orders that Tang Qi Hong was issuing. I was disappearing into a black blur within the cave (come to think of it, wearing black in a sweltering workshop full of fires is not a good idea), blitzing from one end to the other just to grab whatever spirit materials Tang Qi Hong wanted.


    Finally¡­mercifully, the orders ceased. Tang Qi Hong gradually stopped the inscription of her Spirit Engravings and fell silent. She just sat on the meditation mat quietly, almost as if she was resting. Exhausted to the point of collapse, I used this opportunity to sit down and regain my strength as well. While leaning against the wall, I glanced at the seven furnaces in the enormous workshop and tried to recall the movements and Engravings that Tang Qi Hong demonstrated. There was a lot I could learn from her.


    "Yao Tai¡­really was a low-ranking blacksmith," Zi Xiao Ji whispered from the entrance of the workshop.


    "WHO THE HELL IS YAO TAI!?" I yelled before I could stop myself.


    "Someone at Nebula Pavilion," Zi Xiao Ji replied.


    "What the hell is Nebula Pavilion?!"


    "Miss, this isn''t Spirit Realm," Zhao Shi reminded Zi Xiao Ji, who frowned and shrugged. Before the little lady could say anything else, she also quickly added, "And this isn''t Sword Dynasty either."


    "Aw¡­"


    "Didn''t I tell you guys that you can only watch if you keep quiet?" Tang Qi Hong growled from where she was sitting. The two girls immediately shut up after that.


    As for me, I turned back to study Tang Qi Hong''s figure, trying to burn into my memory her movements and Spirit Engravings. I needed to try them out when I returned to my workshop. Since I still had the Ice Soul Python armored scales that I was planning to use to forge a couple of weapons, after all¡­


    A long time passed before Tang Qi Hong finally spoke up again.


    "Put out the fires!"


    Before I could obey, Tang Qi Hong was already moving her hands and executing some fire technique. Dense yang qi flowed out of her hands and streaked toward the seven furnaces. Upon contact, the divine flames that blazed under them immediately retreated into promethium pipes that led all the way back toward the heart of the volcano.


    The interior of the workshop instantly dimmed, the only illumination afforded by the fluorescent light hanging above in the ceiling. I breathed a sigh of relief as the temperature also fell, the heat receding along with the volcanic flames.


    "Wu, can you use your ice techniques to cool down the furnaces and speed up the formation of the spirit artifacts within?"


    "Roger that."


    At Tang Qi Hong''s behest, I stood up and approached the furnaces. Taking a deep breath, I channeled my frosty yin qi toward the furnaces and cooled them down. The moment my frosty yin qi touched the furnaces, thick, white fog billowed across the workshop. Ghostly tendrils obscured the sight of everyone inside the workshop, settling down in a dense cloud that enfolded everything within its snowy embrace.


    I moved from one furnace to another, freezing them with my icy qi and cooling both the furnace and the spirit artifact contained within. When I finally finished the last one, I slowly withdrew.


    Normally, because vision was obscured, if this was an anime, it would lead to a "lucky" accident where I crashed into the heroine and end up in an embarrassing position. Fortunately this was reality, so no such lucky accidents occurred. Furthermore, with my Heaven and Earth sense, I could detect not only Tang Qi Hong but also the positions of Zi Xiao Ji, Da Ge and Zhao Shi.


    "Speaking of which, don''t you have your own spirit armaments to forge, Xiao Ji?" Tang Qi Hong asked, irritated.


    "Now that you''ve mentioned it, I do!" Zi Xiao Ji replied cheerfully.


    "Then why are you wasting your time here?"


    "Protecting Brother Wu takes priority!"


    "We''re the ones protecting him, though," Zhao Shi muttered darkly under her breath. I was too tired to shape a retort.


    "I''m here with Wu, I can protect him!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. "I don''t need you to protect him when I''m around!"


    "That won''t do," Zi Xiao Ji argued. "What if Sister Qi Hong and Brother Wu get attacked while you''re in the middle of forging? Your guard is down, and you''ll be too distracted to sense any attack until it''s too late!"


    "The Miss has a point," Da Ge chuckled.


    "Aren''t you underestimating us too much?" Tang Qi Hong grumbled.


    "If the other party is Liang Shao Yang, then we can''t afford to underestimate him!" Zi Xiao Ji reminded her. "His Divine Shadow Sect specializes in assassination, you know!"


    "To be fair, that probably means our presence wouldn''t be much of a help," Zhao Shi pointed out in a low voice.


    "Hey! Whose side are you on?"


    "Nobody''s," Da Ge replied with another laugh.


    "Anyway, just get out of my workshop and keep a look outside. I want to talk to Wu about something." Tang Qi Hong didn''t sound very pleased.


    "Ah!" Zi Xiao Ji suddenly sounded as if she had realized something. "I''m so sorry! I didn''t realize! Let''s go, Shi and Ge! We''re getting in the way of Sister Qi Hong and Brother Wu''s private time together."


    "What private time together?!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. "This¡­this isn''t what you think it is! I just want to talk to him regarding sect business!"


    "Have fun, you two!" Zi Xiao Ji was ignoring her as she stood up and waved. At least that was what I sensed, because visibility was still obscured. "Don''t mind us!"


    "Ugh¡­that brat!"


    I sighed and shook my head. "Anyway, Tang Qi Hong¡­you said you have something to talk to me about?"


    "Ah, that''s right!" Tang Qi Hong nodded. "Wu, don''t you¡­want to be an inner sect disciple?"


    I shrugged. "Not really. If I become one, I become one. Otherwise, I''ll just stay as your assistant."


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    "You need more ambition than that." Tang Qi Hong sounded exasperated. "You''re a very diligent and earnest person. Even though I''m not sure if you''re really that talented in forging or Spirit Engraving, as long as you maintain your current attitude, I''m sure that you''ll eventually be recognized by the inner sect elders as an inner sect disciple."


    "Assuming that they''re not biased against me," I muttered as I remembered the result of the trial a day ago.


    "They might be biased, but they''re not blind," Tang Qi Hong assured me. "There''s no reason for them to deny someone from being an inner sect disciple if he or she can contribute greatly to the sect. they''re more interested in results than favoring people they like."


    "I hope so."


    "What do you mean you hope so?" Tang Qi Hong sighed, annoyed. "Anyway, outer sect disciples ultimately exist to run errands and carry out chores like grinding or refining spirit materials. Yes, they can practice blacksmithing and use the furnaces throughout the sect to forge weapons and armaments, but the difference between them and an inner sect disciple is that only the latter are taught actual Spirit Engraving. The Spirit Engravings of the sect are highly guarded secrets, and only inner sect disciples are granted access to them. If you want to learn Spirit Engraving, you must become an inner sect disciple."


    Assuming I actually want to learn Spirit Engraving, of course¡­


    Not to mention, I already learned at least one Spirit Engraving, which was the Heaven and Earth Spirit Engraving that Master imparted to me. I doubted I needed any other Spirit Engravings. The path of a blacksmith was not for me.


    "As you already know, Spirit Engravings are the souls and cores of weapons. Without them, you will not be able to create a true spirit armament."


    Well, as I said, I already knew one Spirit Engraving, and that was good enough for me. Besides, why would I want to learn how to create a true spirit armament? I would rather invest all that time and effort into mastering Heaven and Earth Formula and becoming a powerful martial artist. My eventual goal was to restore and resurrect the Heaven and Earth Sect. the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was, in the end, just a stepping stone toward that goal.


    The fog finally cleared and I could see Tang Qi Hong''s beautiful face once again. She looked at me cheerfully and affectionately.


    "That''s it for today."


    "Okay."


    Tang Qi Hong stretched herself and stifled a yawn. "Sect Leader and Sect Mistress are returning today, so I have to get ready to receive them. I''ll need to take a shower and dress up."


    "I see."


    Tang Qi Hong was regarded as the adoptive daughter of the sect leader and sect mistress of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, so she was naturally required to be present when they returned, for some sort of formal ceremony. Even if she wasn''t, I knew her well enough to be certain that she would still want to go see them. They had been away for a very long time, and she had gotten a little lonely without them, to the extent where she had to come to my family to celebrate the New Year.


    To be honest, I was quite happy for her.


    "I''ll send you a new assignment in a few days. I''ll have you forge artifacts for me."


    "Eh? But I¡­"


    I wasn''t confident of being able to actually forge spirit artifacts from scratch, but Tang Qi Hong merely smiled.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll have you start small, and forge minor artifacts from the beginning. If you don''t start, you''ll never learn." She turned to stare outside her workshop and spoke louder. "Xiao Ji, make sure you take care of Wu for me."


    "Yes~"


    Zi Xiao Ji responded happily. I bowed my head politely, and then departed.


    "Heh¡­"


    "What is it?"


    I stared at Zi Xiao Ji when I emerged from Tang Qi Hong''s workshop. She had a mischievous expression.


    "I''m surprised that Sister Qi Hong allowed you into her workshop. Over the last four years, except Sect Leader and Elder Hai Mo, no man has been allowed to step into her workshop. You''re not bad at all, aren''t you?"


    "¡­this isn''t my first time there, though¡­"


    "And that''s what is surprising!"


    "Ha ha, you''re thinking too much." Lian Rou chose that moment to show up. "Qi Hong and Fei Wu have been classmates and friends for years now. We''re all in the same middle school and now, we''re in the same class in high school. It''s only natural that she would trust him. Not to mention, Fei Wu saved her life once. Or was it twice?"


    "I don''t remember," I muttered.


    "Heh¡­" Zi Xiao Ji looked impressed. Lian Rou nodded.


    "That''s why Qi Hong likes¡­"


    "Rou, what are you doing here?" Tang Qi Hong interrupted her before she could create some juicy gossip. Zi Xiao Ji looked a little disappointed, and even Zhao Shi seemed to be listening intently before the interruption.


    "Oh, right. I just came back from Elder Zhao''s office. I have some news for you." she looked around and lowered her voice. "The Blood Blades have some new information. Apparently, they suspect that Senior Hao Ying was the one who killed Long He. Senior Shen Cha and the investigative team managed to dig out some Intel and they found out that Hao Ying had been communicating with Long He very recently."


    "Senior Hao Ying?" Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened in shock. "He killed Long He? But that''s impossible! What reason would he have to kill Long He?"


    "Hao Ying is very close to Liang Shao Yang," Lian Rou reminded her.


    "¡­the person who tried to kill Wu." Tang Qi Hong narrowed her eyes. "But even so, what does Senior Hao Ying have anything to do with this? He''s an inner sect disciple, and Liang Shao Yang is his assistant. Liang Shao Yang should be the one obeying him because Hao Ying is of a higher rank and status."


    "Hao Ying is also from the Divine Shadow Sect."


    This time, it was Zhao Shi who spoke up. Everyone turned to stare at her and she shrugged. Da Ge nodded.


    "I heard about that too. He came in the same time as I did, and I''m positive he was from the Divine Shadow Sect."


    "That''s¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong trailed off.


    The next thing we knew, there was a commotion from below. Someone was screaming from the pavilion under Tang Qi Hong''s.


    Then it turned into a coherent babble.


    "Senior Hao Ying! Senior Hao Ying is¡­dead!"


    "That''s¡­"


    "Pang Yun''s voice!"


    Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou exchanged glances and immediately rushed below. I gulped and glanced at Da Ge, who nodded gravely.

 80 Chapter 79: A New Prodigy

    I had a bad feeling as I hurried down Tang Qi Hong''s pavilion and proceeded to the next one. Every inner sect disciple had their own private pavilion or house¡­well, it was too small to be called a "house". Obviously it was not luxurious enough to be a personal villa too. As powerful and rich as the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was, they couldn''t afford to be giving out inner sect disciples their own private villas. Their resources weren''t unlimited.


    However, their small houses were each furnished with immense comfort and expensive furniture, more so than the sparse necessities of the tiny apartments the outer sect disciples were provided. And the inner sect disciples had far larger workshops, more advanced furnaces and access to more supplies and their own warehouse to store immense quantities of spirit materials, tools and other blacksmithing equipment. Not to mention their own personal weapons, armor, artifacts and armaments. They were pretty much the cream of the crop, and their dwellings reflected that.


    Of course, Hao Ying was no exception.


    Unfortunately, his more than meager home was of no use to him when he was dead.


    And dead was how Pang Yun found him. She was standing at the entrance of his pavilion, waving her hands in panic.


    "Senior Hao Ying¡­he''s dead!"


    "What happened?" Tang Qi Hong asked when she reached her. Pang Yun whirled around, horror and disbelief etched across her pretty face.


    "I¡­I don''t know. I came to borrow Mist Cloud Stones from Senior Hao, but when he didn''t respond after I knocked on the door¡­I pushed it slightly. It turned out to be unlocked, and so I opened it, and then¡­and then I saw¡­that!"


    She pointed inside the house. I craned my neck and looked inside, only to spot Hao Ying lifelessly slumped against the wall, his head lolling about like that of a broken doll''s. His skin had turned completely gray, a tinge of sickly gray spreading across his flesh.


    That''s¡­signs of poisoning from a powerful neurotoxin!


    Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou, who were in front of me, pushed past and stared inside, wide-eyed in horror.


    "T¡­those are Venomous Scarabs!"


    "What?!"


    I immediately barged to the front to shield them from whatever attacks, my frosty qi coming to the fore. The surviving Venomous Scarabs that were still feasting on Hao Ying''s corpse scuttled and turned to launch themselves at me, but I froze them before they could move even an inch away from their original positions.


    Of course, that meant freezing Hao Ying''s body as well, but as far as I was concerned I was doing him a favor by preserving the state of his copse for as long as possible.


    "How could this be?!"


    "¡­who else would have done it?"


    "¡­I don''t know."


    I glanced at the two girls, excluding Pang Yun, wishing that Tong Xue was here. With his insights into espionage and intelligence, he might be able to deduce something.


    "For now, we''ll just contact Elder Zhao."


    "What''s going on? What happened to Hao Ying?"


    A new voice spoke up from outside. All of us turned around, seeing a young man about thirty walk into the entrance of Hao Ying''s pavilion. We immediately made way for him to enter the house and check what was going on.


    That''s¡­


    "He''s Di Xuan," Tang Qi Hong whispered. "The current direct disciple of Sect Leader, and is the oldest disciple among the inner sect. he has quite a high status and authority even among the inner sect disciples."


    I nodded. In other words, I couldn''t afford to offend this guy.


    "First Senior!" Pang Yun greeted him. "Senior Hao is¡­!"


    "He was attacked by Venomous Scarabs," I finished for her when she trailed off, almost breaking down into sobs.


    "What?!"


    Di Xuan dashed into the room and noted the frozen Venomous Scarabs. After he glanced at Hao Ying''s body and confirmed that he was really dead, he narrowed his eyes and turned to look at me.


    "Did you do this?"


    "Yeah, sorry. I didn''t have a choice. The Venomous Scarabs were going to attack us, so I froze them before they could reach us. I''m still not very skillful at executing my techniques, so I was unable to control the area of effect and ended up freezing Senior Hao''s body as well."


    "No, you did the right thing." Di Xuan shook his head. "I would have done the same if I were in your position. If anything, I should thank you for protecting the juniors."


    I was more of a junior than any of the girls, but there was no point telling him that, so I just nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Hmm, I heard that an outer sect disciple had been bitten by Venomous Scarabs as well, a few days ago, and barely survived. Now Hao Ying has also been bitten by Venomous Scarabs. Are the two cases related?"


    "The outer sect disciple who was bitten by Venomous Scarabs is him." Tang Qi Hong gestured toward me. "First Senior, this is Fei Wu, my assistant."


    I bowed respectively. "Well met, First Senior."


    "First Senior, Elder Zhao has been investigating the origins of these Venomous Scarabs. While there are reports that Liang Shao Yang was the one who used them, it seems that Long He was the one who brought them back from Fei Zhou."


    Lian Rou chipped in this time, launching into an explanation when Di Xuan grunted briefly in response to my greeting. Probably to reduce friction or to quickly focus him on the topic. I wonder if Di Xuan might also be aiming for Tang Qi Hong.


    "But Long He was also killed. He was stabbed by someone. I don''t know if it''s related, but Elder Zhao and Senior Shen Cha found out that Long He and Senior Hao Ying have been in communication recently."


    "In other words, Senior Zhao suspected that Hao Ying was the one who murdered Long He? But why would he do that?"


    Di Xuan''s voice was filled with disbelief. I didn''t blame him. The whole thing felt surreal to me as well.


    Lian Rou shook her head helplessly. "I don''t know."


    "Then who killed Hao Ying?"


    "I don''t know either."


    Di Xuan gritted his teeth, his frustration growing. "Just what the hell is going on in this sect? An attempted murder and two murders in the space of less than a week? Just who is screwing around with us?"


    While he gnashed in impotent fury, a huge number of inner sect disciples had gathered to see what the commotion was all about. When they caught sight of the pitiful condition that Hao Ying was reduced to, they lowered their heads solemnly.


    Lian Rou had knelt beside Hao Ying''s body to find more clues. Di Xuan hovered over her, vowing to get to the bottom of this.


    "Junior Lian, are you able to tell when he was attacked?"


    "The bites are still fresh, and the Venomous Scarabs have not been feeding on his flesh for too long. I would say¡­two hours ago at the most."


    Tang Qi Hong and I exchanged a look. Two hour ago, we were still in the midst of her frantic blacksmithing process. To think that such a vicious murder took place so nearby, just a few blocks away from her forge.


    "Two hour ago¡­" Di Xuan seemed to be considering something. He glanced at me suspiciously. "Where were you two hours ago?"


    "Wu has been with me the entire time," Tang Qi Hong replied in my stead. "He''s my assistant. I had him help me with blacksmithing and forging artifacts the whole morning. We''ve only just left my place together when we heard Junior Yun shouting."


    "That''s right. We were there too."


    I almost fell over when Zi Xiao Ji spoke up. I had almost completely forgotten about her and her bodyguards. Apparently Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge had taken up a corner in the exterior of Hao Ying''s pavilion to look for clues. I glanced at Zhao Shi and she shook her head. Da Ge also looked uncharacteristically solemn, his usually genial face devoid of his usual mirth.


    "Whoever the assailant is, he''s good. He covered his tracks." Da Ge turned to look at Di Xuan. "He''s most likely a professional assassin."


    There was one unspoken suspicion that rang unbidden to our minds. A certain son of the sect leader of the Divine Shadow Sect, who was rumored to have participated in assassinations ever since he was ten was the first person we thought of when it came to professional assassins.


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    "But we have no proof," Di Xuan growled, refusing to believe it.


    "I''ve already contacted Elder Zhao," Zhao Shi assured him, showing him her cellphone for emphasis. "He''ll be here soon."


    Her word was as good as gold. Even before five minutes passed, Elder Zhao was already there with a cadre of Blood Blades. He stepped through the crowd of inner sect disciples and their assistants, waving for them to go.


    "All of you, leave the scene. This will be under Blood Blades jurisdiction now. We''ll have to investigate the scene, so I''ll ask you not to get in our way."


    The inner sect disciples all dispersed, obeying the venerable elder''s instructions. As the black robed investigators inspected the scene, Elder Zhao nodded at Di Xuan as acknowledgement for handling the matter before he arrived, then whispered a few choice words. Di Xuan bowed respectfully and took his leave.


    Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou, Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi, Da Ge and I were amongst those who were about to leave with the rest of the crowd, but Elder Zhao quickly called out to us.


    "You guys, remain behind for a bit."


    We obeyed and gathered around him. Elder Zhao retrieved his cellphone and dialed a number, contacting someone ¨C most likely Shen Cha. I could hear the senior''s voice from the speaker.


    "Liang Shao Yang hasn''t been in his apartment since early this morning."


    "Thank you. Please continue with your investigations."


    "I will. But Liang Shao Yang is pretty skillful. He managed to evade the vigilance of several of my subordinates a few times, using shadow techniques to sneak away."


    "Do what you can."


    With that, Elder Zhao hung up and turned to look at us gravely.


    "Right now, there is an extremely high chance that Liang Shao Yang is the one who used the Venomous Scarabs both times. However, we have confirmed that Hao Ying was indeed the one who murdered Long He. We found traces of his qi on the weapon used to kill him."


    "That can''t be good," I muttered, illustrating my penchant for making understatements of the year.


    "As you probably already know, Hao Ying was from Divine Shadow Sect before he came to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. he used to train under a renowned assassin from Divine Shadow Sect, but the Sect Leader saw his potential in blacksmithing, so he sent him to train under a Shadow Spirit Engraver in the Divine Shadow Sect."


    "Shadow Spirit Engraver?" that sounded utterly badass, if you didn''t mind me saying. Unfortunately, it wouldn''t be appropriate to say that out loud, so I just left it at that, adopting a suitable expression of being impressed.


    "That''s right. Three years later, Hao Ying then came to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to participate in the entrance exam and was accepted into the sect. he does possess a modicum of talent, which was why he rose to the ranks of the inner sect quickly after being recognized by an inner sect elder. But it was also partially because the Divine Shadow Sect Leader gave a good word about him to that elder, so he has remained grateful to the Divine Shadow Sect Leader ever since."


    "Unfortunately, the son of that Divine Shadow Sect Leader doesn''t seem to share that same sort of appreciation for him."


    Elder Zhao nodded at my remark. "That''s right. And that very son happens to be Liang Shao Yang."


    Er¡­we already knew that, right?


    Zi Xiao Ji exchanged a dark look with Zhao Shi, while Da Ge leaned back with a troubled expression. Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou swallowed nervously, and glanced at me. I merely smiled and shrugged.


    "As you probably have already heard, Liang Shao Yang has grown up in the Divine Shadow Sect since young. It is rumored that he had already been sent on assassination missions even before he was the age of ten."


    Elder Zhao''s expression was complicated and he shook his head with a sigh.


    "The Divine Shadow Sect is known for their highly reputed assassins. It is said that the moment an assassin from the Divine Shadow Sect sets his eye on you, you''re as good as dead."


    "Well, he failed. So far, anyway."


    Everyone stared at me.


    "How can you be so flippant?!" Tang Qi Hong cried. "This is your life we''re talking about, you know?! You''re in terrible danger!"


    "Oh, I know," I agreed as I pushed my glasses up my nose. "But it''s not the first time my life has been targeted. I''ll continue doing the things I''ve been doing up till now. That is, surviving. I''ve survived worse crises and braved more terrifying foes than Liang Shao Yang. If he tries to assassinate me again, I''ll have countermeasures in place."


    "Wait, before you resort to those countermeasures¡­" Lian Rou was panicking because a thought had suddenly crossed her head. She turned to Elder Zhao. "Elder Zhao, this Liang Shao Yang is the son of the Sect Leader of the Divine Shadow Sect, right? How do you plan on dealing with this matter? We can''t move too easily or we''ll come into conflict with the Divine Shadow Sect."


    "Of course we''ll act according to the rules of our sect!" Elder Zhao turned furious. "I don''t care if he''s the son of the Divine Shadow Sect Leader. Even if he''s the Divine Shadow Sect Leader himself, the moment he breaks the rules of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, we''ll bring justice upon him! This is not the Divine Shadow Sect, do they really think they can do as they like here, kill their fellow sect members and get away with it? We''re on par with the other seven major sects, whether it is the Snow Valley Sect, the Kun Lun Sect, or the Green Dragon Sect, White Tiger Sect, Red Phoenix Sect and Black Tortoise Sect! We''ve earned their acknowledgement not only because of our ability to forge the continent''s finest spirit armaments, but also because we have one of the strongest combat divisions in the continent. The Blood Blades!"


    Given how the martial artists of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect were among the strongest in the continent, and that they were also equipped with the finest and most powerful Spirit Engraved armaments that the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had to offer ¨C in fact, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to label them as the most well-equipped military force among all the martial arts sects ¨C most sects would think twice¡­no, think thrice before they dared to invade it.


    However¡­


    "I wouldn''t be so sure of that if I were you."


    "Huh?" Elder Zhao swiveled toward me, as if he didn''t believe what he had just heard. "Do you doubt the strength of our Blood Blades?"


    "No, no. of course I don''t. But that''s not what I''m talking about." sighing dramatically, I turned my gaze to afar. "You claim that you won''t allow anyone to do whatever they like and break the rules of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but I''m not sure if the other elders share your opinion. They always make exceptions for the most talented individuals and grant them a lot more leeway."


    Elder Zhao scowled. "Watch your tone, young man. The Blood Blades will not hesitate to enforce the rules of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "I mean no offense, but¡­" I shook my head bitterly. "The rules only apply to mediocre people like me and the outer sect disciples. They don''t apply to extraordinarily talented individuals such as Liang Shao Yang."


    "What are you implying?" Elder Zhao growled. "That the sect is corrupted?"


    "You''ll see what I mean in just a bit." I closed my eyes and sighed. I was almost amused at how predictable this was going to go. I could already guess what would happen in the near future. "It should be happening in about a few minutes'' time."


    "What will happen?" Zi Xiao Ji demanded, confused.


    "You''ll see," I repeated cryptically, much to the frustration of everyone.


    Before anyone could yell at me for being inappropriately annoying in the face of such a crisis, one of the hooded Blood Blades rushed toward the gathering. It wasn''t just him. All around us, the inner sect disciples in the surrounding area ¨C as well as their assistants ¨C were all behaving animatedly and rushing down to the foot of the mountain. The hooded Blood Blade stopped in front of Elder Zhao, trying to catch his breath.


    "Elder Zhao! The¡­the platform in the Lake of Fire! The platform is¡­!"


    "Huh?" Elder Zhao frowned, puzzled. As for me, I gave everyone an I told you so look, but everybody was too busily paying attention to the newly arrived Blood Blade to catch it.


    "The Spirit Engraved Pillars are transforming!" the Blood Blade''s voice was terse and anxious. "Liang Shao Yang is beneath one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and he has triggered a response from it! Elder Zhao, I think you should go see for yourself!"


    The moment they heard that, everyone''s expressions changed (except mine). Without any hesitation, they barreled down, toward the foot of the mountain and headed directly for the Lake of Fire. Not wanting to be left behind, I followed closely.


    I knew it. I fucking knew it. This is so predictable it''s not even funny.


    The nine Spirit Engraved Pillars in the Lake of Fire had laid the foundation for the creation and continued existence of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. it was also the greatest evidence for affirming the talent of a Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciple.


    As mentioned before, any outer sect disciple who could trigger a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and comprehend the mysteries behind the Spirit Engravings inscribed into their marble surface would immediately be promoted into the inner sect, and be treasured and revered by every sect leader and all the elders. They would be seen as the future of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and raised as such, the sect leader and elders not sparing any expense in nurturing them and providing any Spirit Materials the sect had to offer.


    For over nine hundred years, ever since the creation of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, there were only thirty-eight people who had successfully triggered a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and comprehended their arcane nature.


    Every single one of these thirty-eight people had become the pride and treasure of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, at least in their corresponding period, anyway. The reason why they deserved such treatment was because they would literally become the central pillar of the sect, the pillar of strength that would support the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and bring them great success. Just look at how spoiled Tang Qi Hong was and you would get the idea.


    Speaking of which, over the last couple of decades, Tang Qi Hong and Elder Hai Mo were the only ones who had achieved enlightenment from the arcane Spirit Engravings on the pillars and provoked a response from one of them. Elder Hai Mo was currently the number one elder in the sect, recognized by everyone throughout the Middle Continent as the top blacksmith. Tang Qi Hong had also demonstrated her incredible talent in blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, and everyone raved over how immeasurable her potential was.


    Sure enough, Liang Shao Yang had finally reached the same pedestal as the two, becoming the third person in as many decades to achieve enlightenment from the pillars and trigger a reaction from at least one of them.


    Oh wow, I was so jealous.


    Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou, Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge still seemed to be carrying a fair amount of disbelief as they dashed down the mountain, disappearing to the front. Even more impatient than them, Elder Zhao literally disappeared into a blur and streaked toward the foot of the mountain. He didn''t bother waiting for us.


    Not that he was obliged to, of course. But it would be nice if we could all go there together, you know?


    By the time we reached the floating platform atop the Lake of Fire, we were greeted by a magnificent display of light. Despite night having fallen not too long ago, the platform was illuminated brightly as if it was still day, with floating balls of light hanging in the air. Countless inner sect and outer sect disciples had gathered to watch the spectacle, their jaws hanging open in awe. Their amazed gazes were transfixed upon a single glowing Spirit Engraved Pillar.


    Beneath that single Spirit Engraved Pillar, Liao Shao Yang sat cross-legged, his back straight and his eyes closed as he remained deep in concentration. He was obviously communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, or at least the single one where he was seated beneath.


    Above the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, despite eight of them remaining silent and unmoved, the seals depicting demons and monsters came to life. The pictures writhed and moved animatedly across the surface, bulging and exuding signs of life so forceful I could feel chilling terror claw its way into my heart despite being at such a vast distance. The foul creatures bellowed soundlessly, squirming and twisting violently in the marble surface as if they were trying to break free and erupt into the materium.


    That''s¡­


    I frowned when I saw the astronomical number of golden qi chains that were wrapped around the monsters and demons, restraining them and preventing them from breaking free. The more the demons struggled, the tighter the qi chains would wrap around them, arresting any progress they might have made.


    It was only fitting that Liang Shao Yang should sit underneath that specific Spirit Engraved Pillar, which depicted all those malicious monsters and malevolent demons. He was just as ruthless and murderous as the mythical beasts chained to that pillar. I wasn''t surprised that he was able to quickly establish a spiritual connection with those monsters, and even now he was mercilessly leashing them to his will as he squeezed the arcane secrets out of them to gain enlightenment. No doubt he was learning how to engrave malicious Spirit Patterns.


    "I see¡­so he really did comprehend the mysteries of the Spirit Engraved Pillar. That''s how he triggered a response from it so suddenly."


    Elder Zhao stopped and stared at Liang Shao Yang''s luminous figure in shock, still deep in disbelief. The demons and monsters continued to cast eerie lights and shadows onto Liang Shao Yang''s still form, gnashing their fangs impotently.


    At that same moment¡­


    SCREECH!


    A roaring noise thundered from above, and a hovercraft swooped down, unloading its passengers.


    "It''s the Sect Leader! Sect Leader and Sect Mistress have returned!"


    The inner sect and outer sect disciples couldn''t help but yell when they saw the hovering hovercraft, and the people calmly disembarking from within. One of them looked like a handsome young man with his long, black hair tied back into a stylish ponytail, and he was accompanied by a beautiful woman of the same age, her long, auburn hair flowing gently in the night breeze. The couple dropped into the ground not far from the platform, accompanied by a set of bodyguards. Not long after their arrival, the elders of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect arrived as well. I remembered Elder Ying Bi and Elder Tong Pan amidst them.


    "Sect Leader and Sect Mistress have finally returned," Tang Qi Hong murmured in a low voice. She was the one who told me they would be back today, so she wasn''t surprised. It was just that so many things were happening at once that she couldn''t help but be taken aback.


    "Father! Mother!"


    Zi Xiao Ji looked elated at their return, but at the same time, she had a complicated expression on her face at their timing.


    I glanced around and noticed that almost every inner and outer sect disciple, master and elder had all emerged from their residences to witness this history-changing event. It had only been a little past evening, shortly after dinnertime, and everyone abandoned whatever they were doing to see what the commotion was about. It didn''t matter if they were cultivating, eating or practicing Spirit Engravings. Everyone could sense the changes in the Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    "History has been made."


    "I don''t believe it¡­"


    "Of course it had to be Liang Shao Yang¡­"


    The Sect Leader and the Sect Mistress, the six great elders of the sect, the eighteen normal elders, the twenty-seven masters, the fifty-four inner sect disciples (well, fifty-three, now that poor Hao Ying was dead) and over ninety outer sect disciples, were all present. I caught sight of Tong Xue, and he moved over to join us, even as his attention was mainly riveted on the unbelievable scene before him.


    "Looks like Liang Shao Yang succeeded after all," he muttered darkly. I shrugged helplessly.


    "Yeah."


    Despite my nonchalant response, I was impressed by the turnout. The moment Liang Shao Yang triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillar, the entire sect turned out in force to witness it. I glanced as the six great elders dropped in. First Elder Hai Mo was absent, having been away on a mission, and even Sect Leader and Sect Mistress would have missed this phenomenal event had they been even an hour later in their return back to Tushan City.


    Sect Leader Zi Shou De and his wife, Da Ji, strode to the front of the platform, sweeping past the overawed disciples. The disciples immediately regained their senses at their presence, and they began bowing and saluting.


    "Greetings, Sect Leader! Sect Mistress!"


    "Elders!"


    Be it inner sect or outer sect disciples, there was no difference in the manner they reverently deferred to the elders and the Sect Leader and his wife. Zi Shou De acknowledged their greetings with a nod, and exchanged a brief glance with Zi Xiao Ji. Remarkably, Zi Xiao Ji exercised restraint and didn''t run over to talk to her parents. Knowing her, she would put aside some time to do that later. For now, this grand occasion was far more important.


    Zi Shou Ji''s gaze gleamed as he swept his eyes across the crowd, a smile spreading across his handsome face. After nodding at Zi Xiao Ji and exchanging a father-daughter silent communication, he then acknowledged Elder Zhao''s presence, smiled at his adopted daughter, Tang Qi Hong, and finally rested his gaze upon Liang Shao Yang. I noticed that his wife, Zi Da Ji, also did the same, favoring both Zi Xiao Ji and Tang Qi Hong with a ravishing smile.


    "Excellent!"


    Zi Shou De was nodding excitedly as he stared at Liang Shao Yang.


    "I don''t believe it! To think that we''ve been blessed with another prodigy for the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! Amazing!"


    While he spoke, the monsters and demons finally ceased their struggles and reverted back into inanimate pictures on the marble surface of the pillar. A few seconds passed before they completely stopped, the colors and arcane magic in the air fizzling out without a trace.


    Having spotted the phenomenon from the air during their return, Zi Shou De and his wife had completely dispensed protocol and rushed to the Lake of Fire with all haste, recognizing the importance and significance of this event. They knew what a historically-changing moment this would be, the Spirit Engraved Pillars having identified another prodigy.


    As for me, I remained disturbed when I sensed the deep, dark, abysmal presence stir. It was probing outward, looking for a potential host, and to my pleasant surprise it recoiled in disgust when it came into contact with Liang Shao Yang, having deemed him unsuitable and unworthy. On one hand, I would find it amusing if he actually ended up being possessed by the dark, malevolent entity that dwelled beneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, but my humor would not last long if the entity ¨C whatever it was ¨C intended to massacre everyone present.


    The dark entity seemed to notice my presence, and reached out with creeping, qi tendrils, but I quickly isolated myself, weaving my spirit behind a fortified mental defense. If I was in direct contact with any of the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, that malicious entity would have broken through my spiritual barriers and taken over my body near instantly, but the distance proved to weaken its attacks tremendously. Nonetheless, the effort caused me to break out in cold sweat, and my knees slightly buckled.


    Refusing to display any sign of vulnerability in the face of Liang Shao Yang''s grand ascension, I forced myself to remain straight. Fortunately, everyone was so transfixed with Liang Shao Yang''s success that they didn''t notice me trembling.


    The sect leader, his wife, and the six elders had approached Liang Shao Yang, even as every single inner and outer sect disciple gathered to witness the event. Everyone''s eyes were riveted o Liang Shao Yang''s proud, magnificent figure, filled with envy and longing. I noticed Hu Mei Er, in particular, beginning to fidget restlessly. Liang Shao Yang was now the center of attention, and her intuition that he might be the one for her had proven to be right. A pity that he chose to be the assistant of Hao Ying instead of following her.


    But there was no longer any need for Hao Ying. Having triggered a response in the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, Liang Shao Yang was immediately elevated into the top position among disciples, his path in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect looking to be paved with success and fame. No one would be able to stop his climb upward.


    Even as everyone continued to watch him enviously, Liang Shao Yang ignored their gazes and continued to quietly commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillar for a long while. After minutes had passed, he finally opened his eyes. Initially, he seemed dazed, but then he finally understood what was going on. With a cold smile, he rose to his feet confidently and turned to sweep his steely gaze over the crowd, the sect leader, the sect mistress and the elders.


    That bastard¡­


    I was suddenly aware of the reason for the triumphant smile. The guy had planned everything. The timing was too perfect, too coincidental. Liang Shao Yang wouldn''t have murdered Hao Ying if he wasn''t confident that he would be able to trigger a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillars. He must have realized that he was coming close to comprehending the intricate mysteries behind the arcane pictures after over three months of meditating and communing with the Nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, and chose his timing very carefully.


    For, the moment he became an inner sect disciple and gain recognition for triggering a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars¡­


    "Hurry and greet the sect leader, the sect mistress and the great elders," Elder Tong Pan whispered hastly to the smiling Liang Shao Yang. He nodded and cupped his hands respectfully, all the arrogance from earlier erased.


    "Greetings, Sect Leader, Sect Mistress, and Elders¡­"


    "Let''s skip the formalities," Zi Shou De interrupted with an impatient wave of his hand. He grinned as he approached Liang Shao Yang enthusiastically. "What have you learned from the Spirit Engraved Pillar?"


    "A single Spirit Engraving¡­the Divine Demon Seal." Liang Shao Yang paused as he tried to recall more details from his communion, then he shook his head. "I apologize. I have yet to reach a deep enough comprehension¡­"


    "That is fine, that is fine!" Zi Shou De brightened up, delighted. "The Divine Demon Seal! Impressive! Excellent! From today onward, you''re an inner sect disciple. We''ll make arrangements for you to move into the core of the sect!"


    "Thank you very much."


    Liang Shao Yang bowed respectfully. I wondered how much of it was an act, and how much of it was genuine.


    Nodding in satisfaction, Zi Shou De turned toward his wife and the elders.


    "Our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has been truly blessed by the Heavens indeed! In just ten years, two prodigies have appeared in the sect! This is a sign that we''ll prosper and grow stronger! Spread the news and tell every major sect in the Great Zhou Empire that we have another genius who has shown up within our ranks!"


    "Dear, don''t get too excited."


    Despite the reprimand, Zi Da Ji''s eyes were shining just as excitedly as her husband''s. Zi Shou De laughed.


    "Of course, my beloved. But this is truly an occasion to brag about! Who cares about the Five Star Constitution Bai Ning Xue in the White Tiger Sect? Now we have two prodigies!"


    Zi Da Ji continued to smile, but she said nothing. She was not the only one who was delighted by the news. The elders, the masters and all the disciples were all bathing Liang Shao Yang in gazes of admiration and jealousy.


    "Follow us to the Flame Volcano immediately," Zi Shou De instructed Liang Shao Yang, who was still acting modest. "We''ll need to speak about this, as well as expand on what you''ve learned from the Spirit Engraved Pillar."


    "Understood. I shall obey Sect Leader." Liang Shao Yang nodded deferentially. "I look forward to your teachings."


    "Of course, of course. You deserve every bit of it." Zi Shou De''s smile expanded further, and then he swept another gaze across the gathered crowd. "Any outer sect disciple who attains enlightenment from any of the Spirit Engraved Pillars shall immediately be promoted to an inner sect disciple! Our sect will spare no resources and do our best to nurture them!"


    Even though they were already aware of that, the outer sect disciples couldn''t help but turned to stare at the Spirit Engraved Pillars, their longing intensified. If only it would be that easy. I shook my head, knowing the odds of another prodigy appearing would be near zero.


    If you would just place your hand on these pillars¡­if you would just open your heart to them, you''ll be able to immediately understand them. You''re similar to the spirits imprisoned within these tombs, little friend. If it''s you, you''ll surely¡­


    I cut off the insidious voice that whispered directly to my mind. The malevolent entity was still lurking, tethered to its abysmal cage beneath the floating platform. It had found me and was whispering seductively in hopes of convincing me to let down my guard, commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars aand in doing so become an unwitting host to it.


    Like hell I would do something as stupid as that. As much as I desired power, it would be pointless if I lost my physical body and became a slave in the process.


    But still, I had to hand it to Liang Shao Yang. That was one heck of a stunt he pulled. He really had impeccable timing, having planned everything out from the very beginning. As I suspected, he probably wouldn''t have dared to boldly assassinate a senior from the sect if he didn''t have the confidence to decipher the Spirit Engravings on the pillars shortly.


    And he was rewarded for it¡­


    I nodded grudgingly in respect. As much as I hated him, I had to acknowledge his strength and cunning. To achieve enlightenment and capture the spotlight in front of every disciple, master and elder in the sect, and receive praise personally from the sect leader¡­nobody but he could pull it off. Well, if someone else could trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, he would too, but the chances of that happening were near zero. I could try, but I probably would end up triggering the worst response possible ¨C unleashing the malevolent entity imprisoned beneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars and becoming his host.


    The bastard probably would massacre everyone in sight, including my friends in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I absolutely couldn''t allow that to happen. While I toyed with the idea of trying that out so that I could kill Liang Shao Yang, it would be meaningless if I ended up killing everyone else as well.


    Resisting the urge to sigh, I watched resentfully as Sect Leader Zi Shou De, his wife Da Ji, and the six great elders personally led Liang Shao Yang up the volcano. Most likely they would discuss what he had learned from his communion with the Spirit Engraved Pillar. Everyone else who had remained behind to surround the platform were now animated chatting with each other, their voices filled with envy and awe.

 81 Chapter 80: Conspiracy

    "I''m afraid I''ll have to retract my words. Just consider this as me never having said anything."


    "What did you say?" Tong Xue asked, confused. After all, he wasn''t present at the scene. He probably saw the commotion and heard about Hao Ying''s death, but he wasn''t around to hear Elder Zhao make all those bold declarations.


    "Bringing Liang Shao Yang to justice," Lian Rou informed him. She briefly filled in the gaps for Tong Xue, who nodded.


    "That''s not good."


    "Are you just going to let this pass?!" Tang Qi Hong demanded in disbelief. Elder Zhao could only look at her helplessly.


    "¡­there''s no other way."


    It wasn''t as if Elder Zhao liked the situation any more than we did. He wore a dark expression, his scowl sinking deeply into his aged face. Apparently he was still suspended in disbelief, unable to digest the fact that Liang Shao Yang managed to attain enlightenment at the Spirit Engraved Pillars just before he was about to head out and arrest him.


    Everyone glanced at each other uneasily. They were still trying to absorb what had just happened, about how Liang Shao Yang had evidently achieved enlightenment underneath the Spirit Engraved Pillar.


    The sect leader and his wife had returned at the most inopportune timing ¨C or the most opportune timing, if we were to look at it from Liang Shao Yang''s point of view. I briefly wondered of Liang Shao Yang had actually managed to achieve enlightenment earlier, but he decided to hold off and postpone his triggering of the reaction of the Spirit Engraved Pillar and patiently waited until the sect leader and his wife returned to put on a good show.


    If that was true, then it meant that bastard was calculating beyond belief, with nearly prophetic vision.


    Lian Rou, shook her head and swallowed sharply.


    "For everyone to come witness this¡­this reminds me of the time when Qi Hong triggered a reaction from two Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    "T¡­that time was nothing!" Tang Qi Hong hastily said, then she frowned and clenched her fists. "That Liang Shao Yang¡­how did he do it?"


    "Does it matter how he did it?" Zhao Shi crossed her arms as she sank into deep thought. "This means he''s virtually untouchable."


    I nodded in agreement. Judging from Zi Shou De''s reaction, he obviously appraised Liang Shao Yang as the sect''s newest treasure, and had promised to devote every resource available into nurturing and training him. Zi Shou De evidently viewed Liang Shao Yang as one of the brightest and most promising prospect for the future of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Even if they learned that Liang Shao Yang had committed murder right in the middle of the sect, they would do nothing. In fact, if Elder Zhao and the Blood Blades attempted to arrest him, Zi Shou De, his wife Da Ji, and the six great elders might even be the first ones to stop them. They had been driven crazy over the delight of discovering this new prodigy for the sect. there would be no one who dared to cross Liang Shao Yang now.


    In other words, even if they learned that Liang Shao Yang murdered Hao Ying and tried to kill me, the sect leader and the great elders would just turn a blind eye to his actions. His talent was worth more than the lives of a mere inner sect disciple and several outer sect disciples.


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    "I have underestimated Liang Shao Yang," Elder Zhao admitted mournfully. "That kid is really extraordinary. He is the most cunning person of your generation, and his operandi modus is impressive. I suspect that he only murdered Hao Ying when he had the confidence that he would be able to attain enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillars. He probably calculated and timed everything precisely."


    Same as me, then. Looked like Elder Zhao had also realized just how scheming Liang Shao Yang was.


    "Is there nothing we can do?" Lian Rou asked worriedly.


    "What can we do?" Elder Zhao glanced at her helplessly. "You''ve all seen how Sect Leader and the great elders react toward Liang Shao Yang. Never mind that he had only assassinated Hao Ying and failed in his attempt on Fei Wu''s life. Even if he did kill Fei Wu and a few other outer sect disciples, Sect Leader will most likely pretend nothing had happened, just so he can continue to preserve Liang Shao Yang''s extraordinary talent for the sect."


    "Father is not that corrupted!" Zi Xiao Ji blurted out.


    "That''s right," Tang Qi Hong agreed. Then she sighed reluctantly. "But even if Godfather tries to make a move against Liang Shao Yang, the six great elders will surely move against them. Those old men value the future of the sect more strongly than anything else in the world. Godfather is similar to an extent, but even he will not move if pressured too much by the elders. They will most likely not do anything even if they find out that Liang Shao Yang killed Hao Ying."


    "Huh? Then what''s going to happen to Fei Wu?" Tong Xue demanded. "There''s nothing stopping Liang Shao Yang from killing Fei Wu in broad daylight and getting away with it!"


    "I''ll talk to Father," Zi Xiao Ji promised. "Even if he''s now the number two inner sect disciple in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, there''s a limit to Father''s patience. Liang Shao Yang will not be bold enough to test the limits of his tolerance by killing anyone freely, especially if he doesn''t have a good reason to do so. The sect doesn''t just revolve around one person after all."


    Tang Qi Hong nodded. "We should also talk to Godmother. She''s more¡­discreet in handling these kind of affairs. She''ll know what to do and have some sort of countermeasure in place to prevent Liang Shao Yang from doing anything too¡­violent."


    "Worst case scenario, you still have us!" Da Ge assured me cheerfully, his grin as broad as ever. I couldn''t help but grin back. It was a relief to have this guy watch my back.


    "In the meantime, it''s best that you avoid Liang Shao Yang as much as possible and try not to get into any conflict with him. If anything happens, it doesn''t matter if Liang Shao Yang is the one who provoked you. The elders in the sect will definitely blame you instead."


    "See?" I snorted coldly. "I told you there will be people who are exceptions to the rules."


    Elder Zhao''s face was full of regret. "I''m very sorry, Fei Wu. I''ll also do my best." He glanced at Zhao Shi and Da Ge. "Da Ge is right. You''ll be safest if you stick with them."


    "Or if you just stay in Wu Ling Academy altogether and don''t return to Tushan City," Tong Xue suggested. Tang Qi Hong looked a little upset at that.


    "Wu is my assistant! Who''s going to help me out if he doesn''t return to the sect?!"


    "I''m sure you''ll be able to find a lot more competent assistants. It''s not as if you''ll be short on volunteers."


    Lian Rou sounded cheeky, but Tang Qi Hong was not amused. Not paying much attention to their bickering, Zi Xiao Ji bounced up.


    "Don''t worry! You''ll be safe as long as you stick with me! No matter how high his status, even Liang Shao Yang would not dare to attack or provoke me!"


    "That''s right." Tong Xue smiled. "While it is true that whether you''re an outer sect disciple or inner sect disciple, you will be forced to defer to Liang Shao Yang, having the sect leader and sect mistress''s daughter on your side will prove to be a great boon. The elders might be able to pressure them if it''s just you, but even they wouldn''t be able to stop Sect Leader and Sect Mistress''s rage if Liang Shao Yang were to harm Zi Xiao Ji."


    "Yeah! So you''re safest by my side!"


    Tang Qi Hong scowled, looking very unhappy about that, but was unable to refute that. "Just make sure you escort him safely to my workshop everyday."


    "Roger that, Sister Qi Hong!"


    They really reminded me of siblings¡­sort of like how my relationship with my own brother was. Tang Qi Hong really was adopted into the Zi family, huh¡­


    "Should we still report to the sect leader about Liang Shao Yang''s murder of Hao Ying, and his attempt against Fei Wu?"


    The voice surprised everyone. Turning around, we caught sight of the hooded Blood Blade from earlier, the one who had reported to Elder Zhao about Liang Shao Yang''s successful attempt to trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillar.


    Elder Zhao considered for a moment, and then nodded.


    "I''ll personally inform him of the matter. Leave it to me." he sighed. "But honestly, I don''t think Sect Leader will do anything. He''ll find out eventually, but he''ll focus on nurturing Liang Shao Yang along with the other elders."


    "I''ll tell Father about it!" Zi Xiao Ji repeated. "If I''m the one telling him about it, Father won''t ignore it!"


    "No, he and Sect Mistress will probably help keep an eye on Fei Wu for you, but they won''t punish Liang Shao Yang. He''ll still be allowed to run about freely." Elder Zhao growled and clenched his fists. "That''s what irks me the most. Such a dangerous man given free rein in the sect. even if Fei Wu is protected, the same won''t be same for the other sect disciples. I''m afraid he might end up killing a few outer sect disciples who are unlucky enough to get in his way."


    "You guys are overthinking this."


    Everyone turned to stare at me in surprise.


    "What do you mean?" Tong Xue asked, baffled.


    "Well, think about it¡­" I scratched my head and frowned. "Everything Liang Shao Yang has done is absolutely pointless."


    "Huh?!"


    "¡­I see." Elder Zhao was musing to himself as he stroked his chin, nodding. "The reason why Liang Shao Yang tried to kill Fei Wu was because he was too close to Tang Qi Hong."


    "W¡­who¡­who is too close to me!?" Tang Qi Hong stammered, reddening. Elder Zhao ignored her and pushed on. This was no time to entertain her tsundere behavior. I could almost picture her folding her arms, puffing her cheeks and turning away with a "hmph!"


    "That''s why he also killed Hao Ying, to erase all traces of evidence that would lead back to him. The reason he came to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in the first place is probably because he was aiming for Qi Hong. And Qi Hong is the most talented disciple that both Sect Leader and Elder Hai have placed their hopes on to revitalize the sect, and to succeed as the next sect leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Now that Liang Shao Yang has successfully triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and achieved enlightenment, he''s also in line to be the next sect leader. In other words, there is no longer any need for him to woo Qi Hong."


    "Woo me?!" Tang Qi Hong cried out in disgust. Girl, that wasn''t the point here¡­


    "Well, from this, we know a few things." I held up a finger and began counting off. "Firstly, Liang Shao Yang murdered anyone who could trace him back to his attempted murder of me. Secondly, Liang Shao Yang possessed some confidence that he would be able to attain enlightenment at the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and use it as a get-out-of-jail card in case he got into trouble. Thirdly, he actually succeeded in attaining enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillar, which means that everything he had done prior was utterly meaningless. Even if they find out that he had killed an inner sect disciple, they would not care at all."


    I lowered my hand and shook my head in exasperation.


    "In other words, everything that Liang Shao Yang had done was completely pointless. All he needed to do was to gain enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillar, get promoted to an inner sect disciple, and nobody can touch him. Nobody had to die. Why did he even bother to kill Senior Hao Ying? That made no sense. He could have left Senior Hao Ying or Long He alive, gain enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillar, become an inner sect disciple, and even if the Blood Blades trace everything back to him, there''s nothing he can do because Sect Leader and the great elders will protect him zealously with their lives."


    "¡­"


    Everyone stared at me. I shrugged to emphasize my point.


    "So¡­what was the whole point of all that killing? That single action of gaining enlightenment made all his attempts to wipe clean any trace of his crime by killing completely redundant, foolish, impulsive and needlessly destructive. Senior Hao Ying and Long He would be more useful to him alive than dead. He had no reason to kill him at all if he knew he was going to get promoted to the inner sect while gaining enlightenment, but he did it anyway." I then turned to narrow my eyes at Elder Zhao. "And this is the guy that they want as the potential future leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? Are you serious?"


    Elder Zhao could only shrug helplessly, unable to refute my completely logical sense of reasoning. Judging from everyone else''s silence, they couldn''t find anything to object to at all, and Tong Xue was nodding in complete agreement.


    "This brings me to the next point," I continued, even though Zhao Shi looked as if she was going to fall asleep, Lian Rou looked a bit terrified and taken aback, and Zi Xiao Ji''s mouth was hanging wide open. Even Da Ge seemed a little bemused by my sudden hijacking of the conversation. "Sect Leader will eventually find out that Liang Shao Yang came to our sect in order to woo Qi Hong, and aim to merge the Divine Shadow Sect with the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in the future. He will probably know that Liang Shao Yang originates from a most likely demonic sect filled with murderous, shady figures who think that killing everyone is always the best answer. From this, he should realize that Liang Shao Yang is not somebody you can entrust the future of your sect to, especially considering the interests of the sect and how it conflicts with that of the Divine Shadow Sect''s. Yet the great elders will probably pressure him to allow Liang Shao Yang to do whatever he wants, just because he has far better talent with blacksmithing and spirit engraving than anyone else. So they are placing personal skills over personality and moral values when evaluating the suitability of someone as the next sect leader? Are they seriously considering the option to nurture a shadowy assassin prone to backstabbing to take over as the future sect leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    "To be fair, the sect leader and elders believe that a person''s character can be shaped and molded during the nurturing process. That no one''s personality in the future will be set in stone in the present. They will endeavor to change his attitude and¡­"


    "¡­brainwash him?" I supplied helpfully. Tong Xue and Da Ge chuckled at that. Elder Zhao looked stumped, but unable to find a better word, he nodded.


    "¡­I wouldn''t put it that way, but yes. Anyway, a person''s personality can be shaped, but it''ll be too late to nurture his talent later. For the prosperity of the sect, he will not punish Liang Shao Yang. This I am very sure of."


    "Wait¡­wait, wait." Da Ge suddenly realized something. "If Liang Shao Yang was confident of triggering a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and thus get instantly promoted to inner sect disciple status and reach the point where the sect leader and great elders will consider him as the next sect leader in future, then why the hell would he need to woo Junior Qi Hong in the first place? He can just take over the sect all by himself."


    "To be fair¡­" This time Tong Xue had a valid rebuttal. "I doubt Liang Shao Yang had the confidence of triggering a response and gaining enlightenment before he entered the sect. he only gained the confidence after spending several months meditating and communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Back then, the only surefire way for him to gain control of the sect was to win Tang Qi Hong''s heart and get married to the only future sect leader candidate at that time."


    "There''s no way a guy like him can win my heart!" Tang Qi Hong cried out, horrified. Tong Xue raised his hands to placate her.


    "Nobody is saying you will. We''re only talking hypothetically, and Liang Shao Yang''s delusions obviously do not match up with reality."


    Tang Qi Hong relaxed, but she still pouted at the implication of Liang Shao Yang''s intentions.


    "Well, putting the lack of logic and the complete pointlessness of Liang Shao Yang''s absurd actions aside, what are you going to do?" Zhao Shi asked me.


    I thought for a few moments, and then shook my head.


    "Nothing."


    "What?!" Tang Qi Hong demanded. "You''re just going to let Liang Shao Yang get away with this? Don''t you feel frustrated?"


    "I never said that."


    "But¡­"


    I raised a hand to forestall her protests. "One thing at a time. Right now, I am in no position to challenge Liang Shao Yang. Never mind the vast difference in status, I haven''t even reached the position of inner sect disciple yet. Rising to his provocations now would do me no good and instead harm me. Furthermore, Liang Shao Yang has no reason to attack me right now. So why should I go looking for trouble when I''m in such a massively disadvantageous position? I would rather make use of the time afforded to me to improve my own skills, raise my status and cultivation, and grow stronger. As I am right now, other than combat strength, I am completely outclassed by Liang Shao Yang."


    "¡­excellent." Elder Zhao nodded, thoroughly impressed. "Not a hint of recklessness or impulsiveness at all. Despite your situation, you''ve remained clear-headed, calm and completely composed, able to think things through and reason." He leaned closer, thinking about something. "I''ll formally invite you to join the Blood Blades. If you pass the test, you''ll essentially become an inner sect disciple."


    "That''s great!" Tang Qi Hong clapped her hands, overjoyed.


    However, I shook my head.


    "I appreciate the offer, but¡­I''m not ready yet. First, I''ve to deal with the level 6 test in Wu Ling Academy tomorrow."


    "Oh, right. I forgot that it''s tomorrow." Tong Xue''s eyes widened and he stared at me. "Are you prepared for it? I mean, with all that was happening."


    "No problem. I''ve been prepared since last week."


    "I see." Elder Zhao nodded. "You want to pass that test first before you take another test. We''ll welcome you anytime."


    "Do you mind giving me a few months?" I asked wearily, not feeling like I wanted to take so many consecutive tests in a week, especially with so many events and crises happening over a single week. My body couldn''t hold out.


    Elder Zhao laughed. "You can have as many weeks as you wish. The next Blood Blades entrance exam is in four months, anyway. After summer, and right at the start of fall."


    "¡­after the interschool tournament then." I exchanged a glance with Tong Xue. "Plenty of time to get ready."


    "Hmm, might be a good idea to get some combat experience in the tournament before taking the Blood Blades test," Tang Qi Hong agreed approvingly. "I heard that you''ll be thrown into the wild and forced into real combat."


    "Well, there''s no use coddling prospective candidates," Elder Zhao pointed out. "Not when we have to deal with very real threats on a regular basis. We want our candidates to be prepared for that, otherwise they won''t make the cut."


    "We will be," both Tong Xue and I chorused.


    "That doesn''t mean I''ll go easy on you for blacksmithing!" Tang Qi Hong warned me. "You''re still my assistant, and I''ll be drilling blacksmithing techniques into you!"


    I groaned inwardly, but put on a firm experience outwardly. "I''ll do my best to learn."


    "Good. Prepare yourself!"


    "On that note¡­" Elder Zhao cleared his throat. "You guys should go back and rest. There isn''t much of a reason to stick around here. Remember what I told you!" he turned to Zhao Shao and Da Ge. "Keep an eye on Fei Wu. I know his reasoning is sound and all that, but not everyone operates on logic. Liang Shao Yang is the greatest example of that. Best to be careful."


    "Roger that, sir."


    "You got it, Elder Zhao!"


    Elder Zhao then turned to address Tang Qi Hong and Zi Xiao Ji. "And I''m counting on you two to talk to Sect Leader and Sect Mistress."


    "You can count on me!"


    "I''ll talk to Father and Mother! I promise!"


    "I know you will." Elder Zhao nodded with a smile, then waved us off. "Good night, everybody."


    With that, everyone left the office.


    *


    When I exited along with my friends, I couldn''t help but glance at the Lake of Fire. In the aftermath of Liang Shao Yang''s success, many hopeful outer sect disciples had gathered on the drifting platform and attempting to commune with the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    Once again, I felt my skin crawl when I felt the presence of the malevolent entity lurking beneath the platform. Swallowing, I withdrew myself and hardened my mental defenses to prevent any invasion.


    I spotted Yin Jing Jing, Tian Jian Hao, Pang Feng and Pang Yun, along with countless other Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples, all gathered underneath the Spirit Engraved Pillars in an attempt to comprehend the arcane symbols and pictures.


    The majority of the sect disciples had not dispersed and returned to their apartments or rooms after the miraculous event, even after Sect Leader, Sect Mistress and the three great elders departed. Instead, it seemed that they had grown even more enthusiastic in their efforts, passionately focusing their minds and trying to communicate with the spirits embedded within the Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    I wouldn''t do that if I were you¡­


    That would leave them vulnerable to an open attack, but fortunately the malevolent entity found all of them unsuitable as its host. The bastard was still aiming for me, huh?


    I quickly withdrew my spirit within a fortified mental barrier and prayed that he wouldn''t notice me this time.


    "Fei Wu, there''s still some space over there. You want to try and commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars?"


    Tong Xue thought he was being helpful, and I inwardly cursed. To be fair, I couldn''t blame him because he had no way of knowing that his suggestion would put my very soul in jeopardy. Even so, I had to decline because I didn''t want to offer my body up as a host to some demon.


    "No, I''m¡­a little tired. I need to prepare for the level 6 test tomorrow, remember?"


    Good thing I had an excellent excuse on hand, so I could decline the offer without drawing suspicion or hurting Tong Xue''s feelings.


    "Oh, right! I almost forgot about that! Go get some rest! And good luck tomorrow!"


    "Thanks."


    I bowed and then left for my apartment, with Zhao Shi, Da Ge and Zi Xiao Ji trailing behind me to keep an eye out for any assailants.


    "Dudes¡­you do know that Liang Shao Yang is up the volcano with Sect Leader and the six great elders, right?" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "He''s not going to suddenly teleport down here and try to kill me."


    "He has a point," Zhao Shi admitted. She exchanged glances with Da Ge, and the two of them escorted Zi Xiao Ji home. Zi Xiao Ji looked a little reluctant, but I reminded her that she had to speak to her parents.


    "I''m counting on you to convince your parents regarding the matter on Liang Shao Yang."


    "Leave that to me, Brother Wu!" Zi Xiao Ji brightened up and almost skipped away. Da Ge gave me a wave before he followed her and Zhao Shi into the distance.


    Left on my own, I returned to my apartment and began making preparations for tomorrow.


    Over the next few days, the major sects all over the Great Zhou Empire sent their congratulations, and even the patriarch of the Divine Shadow Sect himself had reportedly set out to personally visit Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to congratulate them, praise his son, and I suspect, to give him new orders under the table.


    Liang Shao Yang moved away from the outer sect district and into the core of the inner sect, one of the luxurious residences embedded into the volcano. He was being personally tutored by Sect Leader and at least three of the great elders, all of whom offered him advice and guidance on forging spirit armaments and inscribing Spirit Engravings.


    Even Elder Hai Mo, who was away on a mission, rearranged his schedule to return earlier than planned, just so he could personally teach the new prodigy who triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars.

 82 Chapter 81: Level 6 Tes

    The next morning, Tong Xue was hammering on my door, rudely jolting me awake. I blinked, bleary-eyed and confused, as I tried to make sense of what was going on.


    "If you don''t wake up soon, you''ll be late for school! Hurry up! Don''t you have a level 6 test today or something?!"


    "¡­ah!"


    That was right! I immediately jumped out of bed, doing a double take when I saw the time. Gosh, but I overslept by nearly an hour!


    Rushing to the bathroom, I began to wash up and brush my teeth, and then I quickly donned some clothing and rushed out of my apartment. Tong Xue was smiling wryly as he watched me stumble around, and shook his head.


    "If I didn''t wake you up, you would have overslept and completely missed the whole thing, wouldn''t you?"


    "I am embarrassed," I murmured and bowed my head gratefully.


    We met up with Tang Qi Hong, who was already waiting on her personalized Phoenix Express bus, and she gestured for us to board.


    "You just made it in time!"


    "Thanks to Tong Xue," I nodded at my friend. He merely beamed.


    "Nah, I didn''t do much. Besides, I''m looking forward to see you fight."


    I groaned at that, even as I stepped into the bus and flopped down onto one of those luxurious, comfortable seats.


    "Prepare to be disappointed."


    "Eh? No way!" Tong Xue scoffed. "I haven''t seen you fight in years. I wonder how you''ve assimilated all that qi you''ve absorbed from the poor bastards of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect. and if you''ve learned any new skills."


    "Not really." And even if I did, I wasn''t going to reveal them. Not when the first high school tournament was only four months away.


    "Well, make sure to take the level 7 and 8 tests after this," Tang Qi Hong reminded me as she sat beside Lian Rou. Most of them were level 7, with only Tang Qi Hong being level 8. Apparently she had high expectations of me.


    Needless to say, Bai Ning Xue was level 9. Zhu Jiao was level 8, but he hadn''t taken the level 9 test yet. Perhaps he wasn''t confident enough. I bet that would change with time, though.


    Well, right now I should worry more about myself than about others¡­


    Swallowing, I made my way toward the coliseum. Teacher Jiao had sent me an email, telling me to meet him there. Obviously the staff were getting the test dummy ready, making sure the right program for the appropriate level was in place. Too low, and it wouldn''t count. Too high, and I might end up as a bloody corpse on the floor.


    On the other hand, because I kept a low profile, there weren''t as many schoolmates as I thought there would be. Of course, I wasn''t expecting a lot ¨C for the more famous students such as Bai Ning Xue, the coliseum would be packed full of students, all trying to spectate and watch her amazing moves and techniques. While on one level, they were trying to learn her moves and analyze her techniques, on the other level there was nothing more satisfying than watching her utterly crush the battle puppets in less than half a minute.


    Bai Ning Xue belonged to a different realm entirely. She was a true prodigy, one that surpassed even Tang Qi Hong. At least Qi Hong could engrave spirit engravings and be a master blacksmith, but in terms of combat, Bai Ning Xue outclassed everyone except Zhu Jiao.


    Speaking of which, Zhu Jiao was another person who would draw a full crowd. Tang Qi Hong too, as well as many of the Four Star Constitution students, most of whom were in the upper echelons of the academy, achieving level 8, or at least level 7.


    As for me, someone who hardly anyone had heard about (especially after almost two years of inactivity), I was amazed that the coliseum was filled to half capacity. Groups of students clustered about, chattering excitedly to each other. I had the feeling that many of them were here to socialize more than to spectate.


    That was fine by me. I didn''t intend to reveal my techniques this early in the game. Undoubtedly there would be some among them who were keen-eyed and attentive, and would even watch replays to analyze my techniques and spread them over the Internet. Already there were webpages dedicated to analyzing and explaining the martial arts techniques of almost every student in the academy. While I wasn''t there¡­yet, that might change after today.


    Got to keep my cards close to my chest.


    Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and pushed past the crowd. None of the students who had gathered here thought to glance in my direction. It was as if they didn''t recognize who I was. Not surprising, given how I kept a low profile. But all matches should have attached a photograph of the participants in the website.


    Goes to show that some people were more interested in the opportunity to socialize and hang out than the actual match or test itself. Well, I was pretty relieved about that. It meant I could continue to keep a low profile.


    "Good luck!"


    Zhu Jiao slapped my back, almost taking me by surprise. I was so lost in thought that I didn''t realize him sneaking up on behind me. Turning around, I saw him and Ban Zhang grinning encouragingly at me.


    "Do your best," Ban Zhang told me. As usual, he was a man of few words.


    "Come on, it''s Fei Wu we''re talking about here." Tong Xue was fighting his way through the crowd to reach us. "There''s nothing to worry about."


    "I agree, but the test dummy isn''t something to be underestimated." Zhu Jiao winced. "I made that mistake the first time I fought against it."


    "They are tough, indeed." Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou had finally joined us, managing to weave their way through the crowd without as much difficulty as Tong Xue. Probably because they were girls, so the guys automatically made way for them to pass through. However, Tang Qi Hong smiled. "But I''m sure Wu will do fine. He''s my assistant, after all."


    "Assistant in what?" Zhu Jiao asked, puzzled.


    "Blacksmithing," Tong Xue told him.


    "Ah, right." Ban Zhang nodded. "I heard that you joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. was it for blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving?"


    Actually, it wasn''t. I randomly obeyed Elder Zhao''s suggestion and ended up passing the entrance examination even though I didn''t expect myself to, and eventually I went with the flow. Qi Hong might have chosen me to be her assistant, but that wasn''t the reason why I joined the sect. I actually didn''t have any reason to join the sect other than because Elder Zhao told me to, and I didn''t want to disappoint my beloved Qi Hong.


    However, it was too complicated to explain everything, and I just didn''t have the time and energy to do so, so I merely nodded.


    "Oh, you had best hurry," Qi Hong reminded me. "Teacher Jiao should be waiting for you in the preparation room."


    "All right. See you guys later then."


    Waving at my friends, I proceeded to the preparation room. Indeed, Teacher Jiao was standing there, waiting for me.


    "You ready?"


    "Yeah." I nodded. Teacher Jiao smiled.


    "Then you may enter the coliseum and begin the test."


    There was nothing more to say, and I didn''t want to waste any more time, so I complied. Stepping past Teacher Jiao, I entered the coliseum and placed my foot on the big stage. As always, despite being an enclosed space that was surrounded by reinforced titanium and armored walls, the coliseum was almost as vast as a cavern.


    The test dummy was waiting for me, its inert form slumped over. Apparently the staff were waiting for me to arrive on stage before they switched the power on from remote. I swallowed as I studied its creepy shape, still not used to its humanoid yet utterly alien appearance.


    The red light blinked on and the test dummy jerked up unsteadily, its movements rough and somewhat clumsy. Then it transitioned smoothly into a stance and stayed still, as if waiting for some sort of signal.


    I exhaled. Clearly the match had begun.


    "Level 6 test, start!"


    Teacher Cai Pan''s voice echoed throughout the coliseum, and I was sure it rang through the spectator area as well. As usual, Teacher Cai Pan was responsible for officiating the match, but in recent years several students took on the role of commentating.


    Fortunately, there was no commentary for level tests. Probably in personal matches and duels between students, and most definitely the school tournaments, but the test-takers had complained in the past that the commentary was distracting, so the academy put a stop to that. However, duels and tournaments were clearly classified differently from tests, so we had no choice but to listen to the commentators babble on and on as if they had the faintest clue of what was happening in the match. Fortunately, I didn''t have to listen to any commentary today.


    I focused all my attention on my opponent before me.


    The red light in the lens that served as the test dummy''s eye seemed to flare up brighter than before, then it dashed at me at blinding speed.


    "!"


    I twisted to the side, just narrowly avoiding its punch, and then kicked it in the midriff. Despite packing my Shadow Kick with as much power as I could, all I managed to achieve was causing the test dummy to stagger back a few steps.


    How sturdy!


    Cursing, I ducked under the level 6 test dummy''s counterattack, the mechanical puppet swinging its deceptively slender arm at my head. The vicious hook would have knocked me unconscious if I hadn''t dodged it. I could still feel the sonic boom blasting from it, and the waves of artificial qi violently wreathing the strike.


    Counterattacking with a kick to its midriff, I then executed Tui to retreat several meters away. The test dummy recoiled, but then straightened and slowly turned toward me with that glowing red lens built into its head.


    There was something creepy about the way it moved and looked. I knew it wasn''t human, yet for some reason I was reminded of a baby trying to take its first steps.


    "Hu¡­"


    I exhaled again and waited as the test dummy corrected its stance. I didn''t have to wait long. The test dummy immediately flung itself toward me on all fours, its movements unrestrained by the lack of flesh. As always, the way it moved was disturbing. I couldn''t help but shudder as it moved toward me with inhuman motions, almost like a mechanical¡­bug.


    "Kuh!"


    I just barely managed to sidestep the test dummy in time, spinning around just as one of its limbs grazed my temple, leaving a trail of blood. Muttering a curse under my breath, I countered with a kick, but the level 6 test dummy arched its back to soften the blow, then leaped up as high as the ceiling and plastered its hands and feet on the surface. Its head whirred and twisted mechanically to look at me with that creepy red lens.


    Oh, wow¡­its fighting style is completely different from any human martial artist! It''s like a monster!


    I swallowed and stepped back. Just in time too. The test dummy had launched itself off the ceiling to strike at me, and I flipped myself away right before it hit the ground.


    Boom!


    "Whoa!"


    Crossing my arms to defend myself from debris, I watched with wide eyes as the test dummy''s landing smashed a large crater into the reinforced concrete (which made me wonder why they even bothered to reinforce the material ¨C though, to be fair, if the floor wasn''t reinforced, the test dummy would have drilled past the first level and into the basement, opening up a new gaping hole in the ground). The test dummy didn''t seem to feel the impact, the mechanical contraption straightening up and plantints its limbs on the ground before rearing to its full height.


    Are they seriously trying to test our skills with such a monster?


    More like torture us¡­I had never seen a martial artist fight like that.


    Then again, test dummies aren''t humans to begin with. Strange¡­wasn''t the purpose of test dummies and battle puppets to mimic and imitate real martial artists as much as possible? What''s the point of having them move so¡­monstrously?


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have time to dwell on that question. The test dummy was lunging at me again, its lens flaring red.


    "Heh¡­that guy is getting his ass kicked."


    "The test dummy is only level 6 and he''s already having this much difficulty?"


    "To be honest¡­doesn''t the test dummy feel stronger than a level 6 one? I don''t remember it being that strong when I took the level 6 test."


    "Did they raise the difficulty of the test or something?"


    "Or maybe it''s that kid¡­I heard he wasn''t able to absorb any artificial qi."


    "But he did steal qi from over a hundred martial artists, didn''t he?"


    Above, behind the soundproof window, the spectators were murmuring amongst themselves. Down here, I couldn''t hear them, but I had a rough idea of what they were talking about. More so when Tong Xue filled me in later. Whatever the case, I didn''t have time to object or protest against their comments.


    The test dummy was hurtling toward me again, and I just barely managed to dive out of the way before it crashed iinto the wall, carving a huge dent in the reinforced material.


    "Holy¡­"


    Pushing my glasses back up, I scrambled to my feet and got ready to evade again just before the test dummy whirled and rotated along its joints, and propelled itself toward me once more. Disappearing into a blur, it lashed out at me with a kick that would have taken my head off if I didn''t instinctively drop to the ground.


    "Phew¡­!"


    Panting, I rolled away just before the test dummy stomped on the ground, leaving a tiny crater and a shower of debris. Jumping back to my feet, I crossed my arms in reflex just as it struck me with a powerful punch.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    The blow was so powerful that despite me parrying it, my whole body was lifted off the ground and hurled into the opposite wall. I slammed into the concrete, coughing out some blood before I slumped to the floor.


    Strong¡­!


    There was no way I could beat this test dummy¡­at least not in a competition of strength.


    But it''ll be all right. I''ll find a way, as I always have.


    I had barely climbed to my feet when I was forced to dive to the side in reflex, the test dummy''s fist hammering into the wall and leaving yet another small crater. Rolling to my feet, I lashed out with a Ghost Shadow Sword, and it was the test dummy''s turn to react on reflex, crossing its arms to defend against the sharp ice blade.


    Clang!


    As I expected, my attack left no mark on the sturdy test dummy. Instead, my ice sword shattered and the test dummy burst through the frosty fragments to strike me again. This time, I dropped down and kicked, sweeping the test dummy''s legs from under it and tripping it up.


    The test dummy flailed helplessly it as it tumbled into a heap, sprawled helplessly on the floor. However, as usual, it rotated around its joints and stood up like some creepy insect, lifting its body off the ground while stranded on all fours.


    I refused to give it the chance to recover.


    Placing my foot on top of the test dummy''s head, I unleashed the volatile pure qi from my leg and executed Seismic Step. The ground around us imploded and shattered from the tremendous impact, the test dummy vanishing within the enormous explosion.


    Did that do it?


    No.


    I suddenly felt a jerk as the test dummy seized my foot. Still remaining unseen within the expanding cloud of dust, it yanked me off balance and spun me around before throwing me at the wall. I flipped my body about and slammed both feet into the wall, tearing chunks of concrete off the surface and barely saving my life.


    If I had hit my head at that velocity¡­I might have died from the impact.


    This thing isn''t playing around¡­


    No, I already knew that. But I was still stunned at how resilient the test dummy was. While I dropped to the ground and straightened up, the test dummy emerged from the dust, with jerky and laggy movements. Evidently I had damaged it, but not sufficiently to the point where it was incapacitated. As it couldn''t feel pain, it would keep on fighting until it was completely destroyed.


    This is supposed to be level 6?!


    Briefly, I wondered if there was some mistake. But there was no point voicing out loud. Teacher Cai Pan hadn''t stepped in and interfered, and any protests I made right now would be perceived as excuses. I had to overcome this, whether I liked it or not.


    But how?


    My ice swords were ineffective. This was the main reason why I chose to stay in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect instead of choosing to leave after passing the entrance examination. Sure, part of the reason was because I had no intention of wasting the opportunity after taking trouble and spending all that time and effort passing the entrance exam, and of course not wanting to disappoint Tang Qi Hong and wanting to stay by her side as her assistant was also a major factor, but my primary motive was to forge my own weapons.


    There was only so much I can do with such fragile ice weapons, even if I had inscribed the Heaven and Earth Spirit Engraving into them. Eventually I would meet people with powerful spirit armaments and consummate skill, and they would obliterate whatever ice weapons I froze out of thin air. No, I needed a proper weapon.


    However, despite spending the last three months or so as Tang Qi Hong''s assistant, I had yet to polish my blacksmithing skills. That was why the five Ice Soul Python scales had remained untouched, lying on my shelf. One day¡­perhaps about three or four months later, I would finally reach the level I found satisfactory before I dared to attempt blacksmithing. Now, I would just screw everything up and waste the highly precious spirit materials.


    No point thinking too much about that now, though. I''ve to focus on my opponent.


    Despite the damage it had received, the test dummy was still moving at a terrifying speed. It had straightened up and launched itself at me, disappearing into a blur. Sparks continued to ring out from its metal plating, but its movements seemed unhindered.


    "!"


    I dodged under its kick and parried its punch. As before, I found myself skidding back, but at least this time I managed to keep my feet on the ground. Without any hesitation, the test dummy smashed its feet onto the ground and whirled around to ruthlessly strike me. I dodged it and responded with a kick to its midriff.


    Bam!


    The test dummy staggered backward, but otherwise managed to hold its ground firmly. It responded with a merciless hook that would have taken my head off if I didn''t use a footwork technique and disappear behind it.


    Spinning around, I rammed my foot against the test dummy''s head, executing a powerful Shadow Kick that would have either snapped the neck of any human opponent or send him tumbling to the ground unconscious.


    Unfortunately, the test dummy was not human.


    While its head remained pinned in place by my foot, the rest of its body rotated around in a disturbing manner until its hands and legs were facing me. It then lashed out to capture me, but I used Tui to widen the distance between us.


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    Just what does it take to incapacitate that thing!?


    The glowering red lens had cracked from my kick, but it continued to move and attack unimpeded and continued to move as quickly as before. It tilted its head, almost as if curious, and then lunged forward again.


    Don''t tell me I''ll be forced to use Heaven and Earth Formula?!


    No way. My schoolmates had passed the level 6 test without resorting to such fancy ultimate techniques. There had to be a way to win this with conventional methods, without using techniques as powerful as Heaven and Earth Formula.


    Don''t falter! Meet the test dummy head-on!


    Suddenly, a voice spoke up in my head, sounding almost like Master''s. I hesitated a moment, but the test dummy was barreling at me too quickly for me to dither. Taking a deep breath, I gambled on the voice in my head and stood my ground. Right as the test dummy arrived, I dodged its punch by the narrowest of margins and then counterattacked with a kick to its core.


    The test dummy flew back, wheezing in a mechanical noise. Not waiting for it to land, I used Jin and launched myself after it. Mercilessly slamming my foot against it, I kicked it to the ground and pinned it there. The test dummy was no pushover, however, and grinding its limbs against the ground, began to push me off¡­


    I executed a second Seismic Step. Then a third. And then a fourth.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    By the time I was done with the fourth, the test dummy was finally a tangled mess of exposed wires and broken parts. Breathing heavily and feeling slightly lightheaded, I stepped away. Keeping my eye on my fallen opponent, I retreated to a safe distance and waited, just in case it decided to get up and attack me again.


    The test dummy struggled to raise its head, which was now attached only by a few wires. Sparks flew from the exposed metal even as the test dummy fixed me with its red lens¡­and then the demonic light died out and the test dummy slumped over like a broken puppet whose strings were cut.


    "The test is over!" Teacher Cai Pan announced, his voice reverberating across the enclosed space of the coliseum. "Student Fei Wu, you have passed the level 6 test!"


    "Finally." Taking a deep breath of immense relief, I leaned against the wall wearily and closed my eyes.


    *


    "Satisfied now?"


    Teacher Jiao glanced at Xiao Zhang, who was watching the test in his office with his fingers steepled.


    The elderly principal nodded briefly and smiled.


    "That test dummy was actually programmed to be level 8, and yet he still succeeded in destroying it. Not bad. Not bad at all. It seems that my faith in his ability has been justified, after all."


    "So we should give him level 8 status then?"


    "Not yet." Xiao Zhang smirked. "Wait and see. If I''m not mistaken, I bet Student Fei Wu has a reason for wanting to remain level 6. If he takes a level 7 test in the near future, give him a level 9 test dummy as his opponent, and promote him to level 9 immediately if he passes, or regardless of the results, tell him the truth and give him level 8 status. But if he holds off from taking any other level tests¡­"


    "Why would he do that?" Teacher Jiao looked puzzled. Xiao Zhang shook his head in amusement."


    "Shi, even though you''ve been his homeroom teacher for so many years, you still haven''t grasped his character¡­or the kind of tricks students pull." He leaned closer and dropped his voice into a dramatic whisper. "The school tournament is only four months away. Any sensibile participant with an eye on winning and becoming the champion will want to hide their true strength."


    "Ah¡­" Teacher Jiao understood. "I''ll do that then."


    "This year''s tournament is going to be very interesting. Not just that student Fei Wu¡­" Xiao Zhang turned around and activated his tablet. "Bai Ning Xue. Zhu Jiao. Tang Qi Hong. Du Lang. Li Chun Long. Feng Tian Yong. Even that new student from the White Tiger Sect, Jian Ling Zhao. A lot of promising candidates this year¡­and most of them are from your class. Who would have thought, huh?"


    "I was just lucky." Teacher Jiao bowed his head, his expression neutral.

 83 Chapter 82: Date

    And so the weekdays flew by, and as I said, about a week had passed since my level 6 test. My promotion went without a hitch, and I received the certification and recognition, which unlocked access to three star missions and more resources. To take four star missions, I had to be at least level 7 and only level 9 students were allowed to take five star missions.


    I wasn''t that invested in the missions, though. I had already earned whatever gold I needed for the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, and I was still practicing and trying to master it. There was no point in trying to buy a new martial arts technique.


    While I was trying to map my future, Tang Qi Hong suddenly showed up in front of my desk, nearly scaring the hell out of me.


    "Wu!"


    "Whoa!" I jumped when her beautiful face suddenly appeared in front of me. She pouted and placed her hands on her hips.


    "What''s with that reaction?"


    "Sorry¡­I wasn''t expecting you to suddenly appear in front of me. You gave me a fright." How embarrassing. A martial artist wasn''t supposed to be caught off guard and taken by surprise, though, to be fair Tang Qi Hong wasn''t emanating any killing intent at all. If anything, she was exuding an air of mischief. "What''s up?"


    "Are you free today?"


    I thought about it for a second. Today was a Friday, which meant I didn''t have anything to do except to, y''know, go back and train. My progress with Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship was going very well, though not as well as a certain Li Fu Chen who had all the weird Perfection or Trance stages (how do you even judge whether you''ve reached those stages anyway?). If not, I would be assisting Tang Qi Hong with her blacksmithing.


    "Do you need me to help you with blacksmithing today?"


    I just helped her forge a couple of spirit armaments on Wednesday, and she had put them out on sale in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s shop branches. What, you didn''t expect me to say Armament Sect Pavilions, did you?


    Anyway, Tang Qi Hong usually pulled off all those large-scale blacksmithing operations once a week at most, sometimes even fortnightly. After all, those sort of blacksmithing procedures consumed a lot of qi, time and both physical and mental energy. To keep that up daily was impossible. She needed to rest for a week or she would burn herself out.


    "No."


    "Then do you need me to prepare Spirit Materials for the next round?"


    Then what is it? As I suspected, she wouldn''t be assigning me new errands for the rest of the week, not after our grueling session on Wednesday.


    That was why I found it stange when she approached me. She had been assigning me less Spirit Material preparation work recently, so I wasn''t grinding as many monster bones into powder or refining spirit ores as I was during the first three months. Not that I would complain if she gave me those tasks. I would do them right away when we returned to Tushan City. And since it was the weekend, I planned to get them as soon as possible before I returned home tonight to accompany my family for the weekend. I was trying to be a filial son, after all.


    Of course, I totally failed at that. My brother was better than me in that regard.


    "Hey! Do I only ask you to accompany me for work!?"


    "Actually¡­yes." I nodded. I couldn''t remember a time when Tang Qi Hong ever asked me to help her with anything that wasn''t blacksmithing-related.


    "That''s¡­!" Tang Qi Hong looked annoyed, then caught herself before she could say another word. She frowned and thought for a bit, then her jaw dropped. "Oh¡­yeah. That''s right. I haven''t asked you out for fun before¡­"


    "You want to go out for fun today?"


    That was fine with me. It would be a nice change of pace. I was getting burned out from training and blacksmithing everyday, anyway. While I was a hardworking person, I was only human. Doing nothing but train everyday was mentally exhausting.


    "All right," I nodded and rose from my desk. "Where do you want to go today?"


    "Let''s go to Tushan City and have some fun!" Tang Qi Hong''s eyes lit up when I didn''t object. She seemed pretty excited.


    "Even if you say that¡­what exactly do you mean by having some fun? In concrete terms, I mean."


    Having fun was so ambiguous. What passed off as fun for somebody could be boring to someone else. Furthermore, there were a lot of things that could be defined as fun. Did Tang Qi Hong want to go shopping? Or have a meal at a caf¨¦? Or go to an amusement park? Or karaoke? It could be any of these activities, yet none of them.


    "Hmm¡­good question." Tang Qi Hong pondered for a bit, looking troubled as she placed a delicate-looking finger on her red lips. "What do people usually do on a date?"


    "You''re asking me? Sorry, but I have no experience whatsoever."


    Tang Qi Hong scowled. "Who else am I asking? And isn''t it the guy''s duty to think of something for a date?"


    I cocked my head at that. "Firstly, you''re the one who asked me for a date out of nowhere, so I don''t have time to think of anything. Secondly, you''re admitting that this is a date, right?"


    I was encroaching on dangerous territory here. The signs were all there, and I hoped I wasn''t being overly self-conscious. Clearly Tang Qi Hong held no small amount of affection for me, otherwise she wouldn''t be asking me out on a date.


    "Ah¡­" Tang Qi Hong turned red and turned away with a "hmph!" "This isn''t a date! I¡­I just need someone to carry my bags for me! That''s all!"


    "Sure." I headed to her desk and picked up her bag. "Any other things to carry?"


    "That''s¡­that''s not what I mean!"


    "Then what do you mean?" I enjoyed feigning ignorance and watching Tang Qi Hong get all flustered. It was so entertaining to watch her flail about in embarrassment.


    "Ugh¡­" Tang Qi Hong continued to avoid my gaze, her arms crossed. "Never mind! I''m going shopping today, and I need you to help me carry my stuff! That''s all!" she then slightly turned back to look at me with one eye (the other was closed). "In return, I''ll treat you to dinner. So you shouldn''t have any complaints, right?"


    "Yup!"


    The mere mention of free dinner had me all perked up and excited. Of course I would like nothing more than a free meal. I didn''t care of Tang Qi Hong was going to burden me with the most tedious of tasks. I would do anything for a free meal.


    "Good luck, Qi Hong!"


    From afar, Lian Rou was flashing a thumb''s up, but Tang Qi Hong pretended not to see her. Her face burning, she strode out of the classroom with her arms folded.


    "Well, let''s go!"


    *


    Despite the change in plans, we ended up taking the Phoenix Express along with Tong Xue, Lian Rou and our juniors from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect back to Tushan City. I wasn''t disappointed, though. The Phoenix Express was the most convenient means of transport, and besides, Tushan City was a real city. We could stil have our date there regardless.


    As the rest of the discipes headed back toward the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s temple in the middle of Tushan City, Tang Qi Hong seized my hand and dragged me away.


    "We''re going this way! First stop, the Spirit Materials shop!"


    "Yeah, yeah. Roger that."


    I followed Tang Qi Hong closely, proceeding toward the Spirit Materials shop. It was the same one as the one Tang Qi Hong frequented, and I was used to helping her carry stuff back toward the sect''s residence at the foot of the volcano.


    The owner was familiar with us by now, and he grinned and waved when he saw us enter. "Ah, Mistress Tang and her assistant! How can I help you today?"


    I couldn''t help but smile wryly at that. I was known to everyone in Tushan City as Tang Qi Hong''s assistant. No one bothered to remember my name. Just like Lian Rou, I served as a foil to Tang Qi Hong''s brightness.


    "Just a couple of Mountain Demon''s bones and a Solar Flare Ore today."


    I raised my eyes at that. There was quite the expensive materials that Tang Qi Hong was procuring. The Mountain Demons were known as a ferocious and powerful demonic tribe that inhabited the mountains and possessed enormous destructive strength. It took a team of several Qi Fusion Stage practitioners just to take a couple of them down. Their rumored Mountain Demon King was rumored to be on par with several Pure Spirit Stage practitioners.


    That meant nothing to me, because all these stages were meaningless to me. What I managed to comprehend from all those hogwash was that Mountain Demons were crazy strong, and therefore their parts would be insanely expensive.


    The Solar Flare Ore was also something that was found in the most dangerous of environments, such as in the middle of a volcano. I wondered briefly if there was an abundance of them within the Flame Volcano that Tushan City was built around, but it seemed that it required the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect masters to extract those. Even inner sect disciples such as Tang Qi Hong wouldn''t be able to survive the hostile environment of the insides of a volcano, where such spirit ores were located. As usual, these ores would be crazy expensive.


    "Sure."


    The store owner smiled breezily and brought them out after a moment of scrounging through his storeroom. As usual, Tang Qi Hong handed over her card, and he swiped it at the register before letting her go. I almost forgot that Tang Qi Hong, as the premier inner sect disciple (above even Liang Shao Yang), was granted unrestricted access to all the resources that the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had. So she essentially received all those spirit materials for free.


    I was so jealous. Well, not really. I wasn''t really that invested in becoming a blacksmith anyway. Probably a Spirit Engraver, but even so¡­forging spirit armaments wasn''t my kind of thing. It wasn''t as if I was the only one who possessed the knowledge of crafting Terminator bombs or whatever that stupid thing was called. Hell, obviously I didn''t know how to forge them.


    "All right, let''s go!"


    Tang Qi Hong sounded cheerful as she entrusted the spirit materials to me and I carried them out. I followed her, but saw that we weren''t heading in the direction of the Flame Volcano or the sect residence.


    "Over here!"


    Tang Qi Hong obviously had more things she wanted to buy. She was almost dancing across the streets, giggling cheerfully as she glanced at the huge glass windows and admired the things on display. Clothing, jewelry, accessories and even silverware. Tang Qi Hong had a wide range of interest, attentively staring at completely unrelated objects. One moment she had her eyes fixated on a luxurious silk dress, and the next moment she wandered to look at blue and white porcelain plates in another shop, studying their intricate patterns.


    I wondered what she was looking to purchase next. Or perhaps Tang Qi Hong was merely indulging in window shopping. Smiling to myself, I indulged Tang Qi Hong on her whims, following her quietly as she raved over the myriad of things on display.


    It really isn''t bad, spending time like this with Qi Hong¡­


    Looking up at the sky, I felt my spirits lift a bit. The change of pace was doing my spirit a tremendous amount of good. After the whole issue with Liang Shao Yang and his assassination attempt, and all the stress over the level 6 test and school work, just idling around and enjoying my time in Tang Qi Hong''s company was extremely refreshing.


    "Eh? What''s this?"


    Finally, Tang Qi Hong stopped in front of a shop. I wasn''t sure what exactly it sold, but it seemed to be an accessory and travel shop. There were plenty of bags and pouches in the shop, along with travel equipment and the like.


    "Heh¡­let''s go in and check it out."


    Something must have finally caught Tang Qi Hong''s eye, for she stopped and swiveled past the automatic entrance of the shop. The double glass doors slid open of their own volition to permit her entry and she essentially waltzed in.


    Smiling, I followed her in.


    "Heh¡­so this is a spatial storage pouch!"


    When I stepped inside, I saw Tang Qi Hong leaning over the counter and admiring a tiny leather pouch the size of her fingers. It didn''t even fill half of her hand, but the shopkeeper demonstrated its usefulness by stuffing several very large items, including two-meter long swords, a huge axe and a shield into the tiny pouch. All he needed to do was infuse the pouch with qi, and the armaments were sucked into its interior.


    Spatial storage pouch¡­I had read about these items in many fantasy wuxia stories and xianxia stories, but I didn''t think they actually had such objects in this world as well. Obviously they were pretty rare and expensive.


    "For about 10,000 gold coins, this can be yours, Mistress Tang!"


    "10,000 gold coins?!"


    Tang Qi Hong did a double take, and perspiration dripped down her face. She nodded and placed it back on the counter, staring at it with a look of longing. Even as the premier inner sect disciple of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, there was no way she would have that amount of money on her person, or even in her savings.


    I bit my lip and contemplated for a moment. As much as I wanted to buy that for Tang Qi Hong, I did not have the money either. Hell, it took me about 2 years just to save up to 100 gold coins, and I spent all of that months ago on the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordmanship scroll. How was I supposed to get a hundred times that amount? In twenty years? I could buy a house or two with that kind of money!


    Fortunately, Tang Qi Hong wasn''t expecting me to buy it for her. She bowed her head slightly and thanked the shopkeeper.


    "Once I get the money, I''ll come back and buy it," she told the shopkeeper, who nodded with a bright smile.


    "Yeah, I have a few of them, and they''ll come in stock. Besides, if Master Hai Mo and the other masters in your sect are anything to judge by, you''ll eventually learn to craft one for yourself, and even produce extra for me to sell!"


    "I''ll do my best," Tang Qi Hong responded with a smile. After thanking him again, she whirled around and strode out of the shop while I followed close behind.


    "Can''t the sect buy that for you?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.


    Tang Qi Hong shook her head. "That spatial storage pouch is not considered spirit materials, and as a luxury item. If it has nothing to do with blacksmithing, then the sect will not purchase it for me."


    "You can say that it''s a necessary tool for blacksmithing, for you to store spirit materials inside and carry them around or something."


    Tang Qi Hong snickered at that. "As much as I want to, the higher-ups are not stupid. They''re not going to allow loopholes like that. I can''t abuse the system, even with my status¡­no, it is precisely because of my status that I must set a good example for all the other disciples."


    I nodded in understanding, and then thought of something else. "Well, the shopkeeper mentioned something about you crafting it?"


    "Oh, yeah. It is a spirit artifact, after all. Which means that blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers like us can forge something like that."


    Tang Qi Hong nodded. My eyes widened.


    "Really?"


    "Yeah. I can ask Elder Hai Mo to teach me the techniques. And while at it, I might as well show you those techniques." She tilted her head and thought for a while. "That would take me a couple of months to learn, though."


    A couple of months¡­this was a high-level technique and advanced Spirit Engraving we were talking about here. And she was saying she could learn something as complicated as that in a matter of months, when people normally took half a year to a year to perfect something like that.


    Tang Qi Hong giggled when she saw my expression. "Don''t worry, I''ve learned far more complex Spirit Engravings than that!"


    I gave up and decided to tackle the next part of the problem. "What kind of spirit materials do you need for the spatial storage pouch? I can''t think of any spirit material that allow you to store items in an alternative dimensional space."


    "That''s because you''re not thinking hard enough." Tang Qi Hong leaned closer to flick my forehead. "Are you sure there''s no spirit material without that kind of spatial storage properties? Have you not heard of a magical beast that possesses that ability?"


    "Magical beast¡­ah!"


    My eyes lightened up when my mind brushed across a faint memory¡­a memory of something that I had read a few months ago in the monster encyclopedia.


    "The Void Whale!"


    "That''s correct!" Tang Qi Hong smiled smugly. "The Void Whale is an extremely rare and powerful magical beast that can only be found in the deepest, furthest part of the ocean. If you want to hunt it, you need to sail about a few days away from the shore of the Middle Continent and deep into the middle of the Pacific Ocean, around the Void Ring¡­a zone where many ships have been shipwrecked and disappeared over the centuries."


    "That''s why it''s so expensive!" I nodded, understanding the ridiculous 10,000 gold coins price tag now.


    "Correct." Tang Qi Hong''s smile widened. Then she frowned. "I suppose I can put in a request for Void Whale materials¡­obviously it''ll take some time to procure it, but in the meantime I can ask Elder Hai Mo to teach me the Spirit Engraving and crafting methods for a Spatial Storage pouch. He''s rushing back to Tushan City because of Liang Shao Yang demonstrating his talent and triggering a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillar last week."


    "Yeah, I heard that Sect Leader wants him to personally teach Liang Shao Yang."


    Tang Qi Hong nodded. "That''s right. Elder Hai Mo is without any doubt the greatest blacksmith and Spirit Engraver in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. there can be no better teacher than him." She then clenched her fists. "But I''ll work hard too. I can''t let Liang Shao Yang surpass me!"


    "Really, Senior Tang?"


    Speak of the devil. While Tang Qi Hong and I were speaking, Liang Shao Yang showed up. To my not surprise, Hu Mei Er was clinging onto his arm, a playful smile touching her flowery lips. She seemed to be looking at both me and Tang Qi Hong with a mocking smile. Raising a pale hand, she waved at us.


    "Junior Tang and¡­Junior¡­Fei Wu, was it?" she was obviously calling me trash instead of my name, but I didn''t rise to her provocation. "Fancy meeting you out here."


    "Senior Hu and Junior Liang," Tang Qi Hong responded frostily. I bowed my head politely to greet them, refusing to give these two inner sect disciples any reason to find fault with me. "What a coincidence."


    "Ah, yes, indeed¡­" Hu Mei Er giggled. "Are you two also out on a date, perchance?"


    She made a show of draping herself all over the unmoving Liang Shao Yang, as if to emphasize her point. Wow, but she really looked like one hell of a slut. I her and silently thought to myself, begone, thot!


    The feeling was mutual. Hu Mei Er raked a condescending glance over both of us. it was clear that she still remembered me as the one who humiliated her during the entrance exam all those months ago, and she was relishing getting one up over Tang Qi Hong. Or so she deluded herself. In any case, she was obviously mocking Tang Qi Hong for getting what she thought was the inferior and trash guy while she netted herself the top dog of the sect, which could only mean that her status would climb if she continued to be his woman.


    Or something like that. I wondered if it was normal for girls to compare their guys as they did their branded handbags or something.


    The rumors are true after all. Hu Mei Er went to become Liang Shao Yang''s woman after he attained enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and triggered a response from one of them. She sure moves fast.


    Perhaps Liang Shao Yang was the one who approached her after achieving his new status. I had no way of knowing, and no interest in knowing either. I was curious, though, about the sudden change in attitude. Previously, Liang Shao Yang had spurned Hu Mei Er, refusing to be her assistant and choosing Hao Ying over her.


    But now he was all over her, or allowing her to be all over him. Perhaps he didn''t want to be her assistant but desired to be her lover instead. But that made no sense. He aimed to woo Tang Qi Hong by trying to be her assistant, only for me to spoil his plans. If he desired Hu Mei Er, then all the more reason to accept her offer to be her assistant.


    Perhaps the reason was much simpler than that. Hao Ying was a senior from the Divine Shadow Sect. it would be easier to scheme and make plans of assassination with Hao Ying as his mentor than Hu Mei Er. As much as he desired Hu Mei Er, Liang Shao Yang was disciplined enough to put the interests of his sect over his lust. As such, he decided to operate and scheme behind the scenes with his fellow Divine Shadow Sect member.


    Right now, despite his icy fa?ade, I could detect a slight disturbance in Liang Shao Yang''s qi that indicated that he was secretly thrilled and pleased with Hu Mei Er clinging onto him like that. I didn''t blame him. I would be secretly delighted too if Tang Qi Hong clung to me like that, but obviously that wasn''t going to happen. Not in the near future anyway. In any case, I sort of understood that the woman Liang Shao Yang desired was Hu Mei Er, not Tang Qi Hong ¨C especially after the events of the third stage of the entrance exam.


    He was only targeting Tang Qi Hong under the orders of his clan. He would rather have Hu Mei Er over Tang Qi Hong, but he had no choice but to woo the latter because, in order to gain control and subjugate the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, he had to marry Tang Qi Hong and become the potential next sect leader. Now that he had triggered a response from the Nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, become promoted to inner sect disciple and was recognized as one of the potential candidates who were next in line to succeed as the next sect leader, he no longer needed to bother with seducing Tang Qi Hong, and could openly chase Hu Mei Er.


    And obviously Hu Mei Er was flattered by his attention. She was leaning close to Liang Shao Yang, stroking his muscular arm.


    Liang Shao Yang looked at me, his eyes full of scorn, then he turned to regarded Tang Qi Hong curiously, as if he thought she had made a gigantic mistake. He smirked, shook his head and silently walked past us without another word. Hu Mei Er continued to hang onto his arm, pressing her well-endowed body against him.


    Then he stopped.


    "In six months, I''ll surpass you, Senior Tang."


    He issued the challenge in a cold, composed tone. Tang Qi Hong''s eyes flared up and she glared defiantly at him.


    "My, aren''t you confident, Junior Liang?"


    "I have every reason to be confident," Liang Shao Yang replied coolly. He then smirked. "Especially if you''re idling your time away on frivolous dates with your trash of an assistant."


    "I''m not idling my time away on frivolous dates, and Fei Wu is not trash!" Tang Qi Hong snapped hotly. I quickly but gently took hold of her shoulder and restrained her. Liang Shao Yang burst out laughing.


    "Perhaps. But compared to me, your assistant is but an ant."


    "Why are you even comparing the humble me to yourself in the first place?" I asked sourly. "I''m just a mere outer sect disciple who serves as Qi Hong''s assistant. Of course I can''t be compared to someone like you."


    A flash of gloating passed through Liang Shao Yang''s eyes as he looked down upon me, as if crediting me for knowing my place.


    "I don''t understand why Senior Tang picked someone as incompetent as you as her assistant," he sneered. Tang Qi Hong bristled.


    "Wu is not incompetent! He''s a pretty capable assistant!"


    "Besides," I followed up dryly. "I''m supposed to be Qi Hong''s assistant. What kind of assistant would I be if I end up getting promoted to the inner sect within a few months of helping her out? She''ll need to find yet another person to recruit as her assistant. I place helping Qi Hong out over my personal interests and ambitions."


    Then I grinned.


    "And unlike you, I have no interest in becoming a blacksmith nor do I dream of becoming this sect''s next leader. I''m not under orders from the Divine Shadow Sect, after all."


    Liang Shao Yang''s lip curled at my last sentence.


    "Impudent," he growled. Fortunately, with Tang Qi Hong around, he wasn''t brazen enough to openly attack me. She was glaring at him.


    "Don''t bother with these small fries, darling," Hu Mei Er cooed as she stroked his shoulders with a soothing hand. "Your time is too precious to waste on them."


    "True." Liang Shao Yang smiled thinly, and then focused his attention back on Tang Qi Hong again. "Like I said, Senior Tang¡­just wait six months. And I''ll show you who the number one inner sect disciple of this sect will be."


    "Bring it on!" Tang Qi Hong snapped hotly before I could stop her.


    Liang Shao Yang continued to plaster that ominous smile on his handsome face, and then he turned away and left with Hu Mei Er continuing to cling onto his arm.


    "Ugh¡­that guy really pisses me off!" Tang Qi Hong growled as she balled her hands into fists. She then turned on me. "Wu! Are you just going to let him insult you like that!? Why didn''t you fight back?!"


    "An outer sect disciple like me? Do I have the right to fight back against an inner sect prodigy like Liang Shao Yang?" I smiled bitterly. "It''s best not to fall for his provocations. He''s looking for any excuse to kill me, after all."


    "Ah¡­" Tang Qi Hong realized what she was saying, and she covered her mouth with her hands. She sighed and shook her head. "I''m glad you managed to stay calm and composed. You really are quite something. If it were me, I would never have been able to keep my cool while that vicious couple insulted me. Fortunately you remembered Elder Zhao''s warning."


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    "Right." I shrugged helplessly.


    "But still¡­I can''t believe that bastard got away trying to assassinate you. Elder Zhao was right when he said that Godfather and the great elders will close an eye to his misdeeds." She trembled in rage. "And he even had the cheek to make such a challenge! I''ve never felt so humiliated in my life before! He''s really underestimating me!"


    "Or perhaps he''s confident because he has some sort of secret method that will help him surpass you," I remarked. Tang Qi Hong''s eyebrow rose.


    "Eh? What sort of secret method?"


    "If I knew, it wouldn''t be secret now, would it?"


    "¡­" Tang Qi Hong looked as if she was about to hit me. I chuckled wryly, and then glanced in the direction where Liang Shao Yang and Hu Mei Er left, and a thought occurred to me.


    Leaving our relationship as ambiguous as it currently is¡­will be pretty detrimental. I think it''s best to clarify our relationship.


    "Say, Qi Hong."


    "Hmm? What is it?"


    Tang Qi Hong stiffened when she saw my expression turn serious. I turned to her and took a deep breath while trying to think of how to approach the topic.


    "Do you have someone you like?"


    This was the safest question. I wasn''t being overly self-conscious. If it turned out that Tang Qi Hong merely thought of me as a good friend and didn''t like me in a romantic way, it gave me a sort of escape route. At least I wasn''t boldly asking if the person she liked was me. If it turned out that I had been deluding and flattering myself all along, that would have been utterly embarrassing and awkward. At least this question allowed me to avoid that sort of fate.


    "EH?!" Tang Qi Hong turned as red as the fiery lava of Flame Volcano. "W¡­w¡­what the hell are you asking, all of a sudden?!"


    I turned to glance meaningfully at the direction of Liang Shao Yang and Hu Mei Er, unsure if she would catch the hint.


    "No, just curious. Seems like Senior Hu has gotten herself a solid boyfriend and she''s making fun of you for not having one." I glanced back at Tang Qi Hong, choosing my words carefully. "We can''t let her make fun of you like that. If there''s anyone you like, I''ll help you out!"


    "I¡­idiot! Of course there isn''t anyone I like!"


    There were two ways I could interpret this. Either she was telling the truth and there really wasn''t anybody she liked, or she was too embarrassed to tell the truth. I had no way of confirming which it was. If it was the first scenario, then by all means, I accepted that I had been flattering myself all along and I should snap out of my delusions. If it was the second scenario, then I was back to square one and had failed to clarify our relationship.


    "Well, that makes sense. It''s stupid to compete with Hu Mei Er over these sort of things. We should focus on cultivation, blacksmithing and spirit engraving over romance."


    "T¡­that''s right!" Tang Qi Hong nodded, flustered. "Who cares about romance? Taking the sect to new heights is more important! Sect Leader, Sect Mistress and Elder Hai Mo have placed high expectations on me, hoping that I will one day become the next leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and govern it in their place! I do not have any room to play around with romance. I had promised them that I would do my best to work hard, that I would devote my entire life into blacksmithing, spirit engraving and leading Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to unprecedented success!"


    "I see."


    "Romance will only disrupt my focus and unsettle my heart. I made up my mind long ago that I will not involve myself with any man!"


    I didn''t know whether to feel stupid and disappointed. Whether Tang Qi Hong was truly attracted to me or not had become a moot point. She was determined to become a spinster for life. She might as well take the vows to be a nun or something.


    Wait, that makes no sense¡­considering that Sect Leader and Sect Mistress are married and have a daughter, romance doesn''t necessarily conflict with succeeding as the next sect leader. Not unless Qi Hong is aware of the implications of the position and is resigned to accepting political marriages to strengthen the sect.


    Well, as long as she didn''t marry Liang Shao Yang and merge the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect with the Divine Shadow Sect, it shouldn''t be a problem. Still, I couldn''t help but feel a sting in my heart. A bitter pain that gnawed at it.


    Most likely that agonizing disappointment was what led me to ask the next question without thinking.


    "What if I tell you that I like you?"


    "EH?!"


    Tang Qi Hong seemed to blow up like a volcano. She shook her head frantically, and then dropped to her knees.


    "Whoa! Are you all right?"


    "Y¡­yeah." Tang Qi hong nodded. Then she looked up at me, and her almost teary eyes hardened. "But¡­in response to your question¡­I''m sorry."


    I knew it. I knew it, but even so her response hit me like a brick.


    "Like I said, I can''t afford to dwell on romance. I need to work hard for the sake of the sect."


    "Yeah," I replied hollowly. "Of course."


    "That said¡­" Tang Qi Hong studied me. "If you rise in status and become a successful Spirit Engraver, or one of the strongest Blood Blades master in the future¡­I don''t think anyone will complain if I marry you."


    Thanks for offering me that faint glimmer of hope. Even so, that was something that would only happen in the far future, huh¡­


    "Well, it was only a ''what if'' question, as I said." I forced a smile. Something ran through Qi Hong''s eyes, but she was back to her usual self after that. Nodding, she smiled.


    "I know."


    We then fell silent, and I had no idea how to dissolve the awkward atmosphere. Fortunately, Tang Qi Hong had more experience in dealing with such matters.


    "All right!" she slapped both her cheeks to lift her spirits. "What do you say we watch a movie at the Riverview Cinema before we return home for the night?"

 84 Chapter 83: The hunt for Void Whale

    The terrible weather had no bearing on my plans, however. As per Tang Qi Hong''s instructions, I ended up renting a workshop with golden coins, so that I could practice forging armaments and the like. Under her tutelage, I began to craft various spirit artifacts and tools. They ranged from spiritual equipment such as an Elemental Crystal Bead, a leather scabbard that sheathed the potent spiritual power of a sacred sword, a crafting knife, or even the steel shaft of a spear.


    I noticed a slight pattern. All of these were parts of a larger object. They were obviously not the central components, but they were necessary. You know, the saying about how an object is more the sum of its parts. Or a machine wouldn''t work if even one of its gears was out of place. Something like that. I was crafting small, little gears that might seem insignificant at first glance, but would prove to be vital cogs in a whole machine.


    "Yay¡­"


    Cocking my head, I lifted the Elemental Crystal Bead that I had just crafted. Eventually all these would be gathered and used to form a protective necklace of some sort, that would most likely be used to enhance the user''s elemental power. Or something like that. Well, it wasn''t as if I was going to be the one using it, but even so I had to ensure I did a good job.


    I was such a responsible person, after all.


    "Um¡­what''s next?"


    Scratching my head, I glanced around my rented workshop. It was pretty good, considering, and I was provided with a single spirit furnace, a few shelves and a whole assortment of tools. It was much better than the workshop I had in my apartment, with a much wider array of tools and equipment. And the furnace¡­the workshop back in my apartment didn''t have a furnace. How sad.


    The damned thing cost a gold coin a day. But I would consider it cheap, especially since I finally had access to a furnace. Unlike Tang Qi Hong, I only had one furnace, but it was more than enough for an amateur like me.


    Like they said, don''t try to run before you crawl. I needed to practice and perfect my blacksmithing skills before I attempted to multitask in the manner that Tang Qi Hong did. Hell, I had no interest in trying to pull that off. I had better thing to do with my time and energy, like cultivating my techniques and increasing my combat capabilities.


    Over the past couple of months, my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship had improved, but I needed to actually test it out in actual combat to see that I wasn''t just deluding myself. And real battles were the best way to concretely improve my skills anyway.


    While diligently crafting the various spirit artifacts and armaments that Tang Qi Hong assigned me, I spent the nights training in martial arts and hopefully improving my swordsmanship. One of these days, I had to take a mission to execute them in combat, but right now I was too occupied with blacksmithing to undertake such extended missions in the field. Sometimes, I wondered why I bothered working so hard in something that I wasn''t even that interested in to begin with.


    It''s for forging my own spirit weapon.


    Glancing at the five Ice Soul Python scales that rested on my shelf, I took a deep breath and reminded myself of the distant rewards that lay in the far future. As long as I learned and improved myself in blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, I would surely one day be able to forge a spirit weapon for myself. I already had a few ideas, but not the skills to put those ideas into practice. If I wanted that to become reality and not just remain a dream, I needed to put all my heart in learning how to forge a spirit weapon properly.


    Fortunately, Wu Ling Academy had a curriculum that allowed us to take classes in cooperative sects. Those who were in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, for example, were allowed to take classes and electives within our own sects in place of classes in Wu Ling Academy. I made good use of the system to pick a few lessons from the great elders and learned more about Spirit Engraving and forging.


    Thanks to the individualized curriculum, I was able to take a few classes on forging and Spirit Engraving that I would otherwise not be able to. Teacher Jiao approved of them, though he was curious as to how I ended up in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "I thought you were going to remain an Experimentalist," he had remarked. I had chuckled in reply and scratched my head awkwardly.


    "Well¡­a lot of things happened and I ended up in there. I don''t think I''ll be an inner sect member or stay there for long. I have my own sect to revive."


    "Your own sect¡­?"


    "Never mind. It has something to do with the martial arts I''m learning, but¡­I would like to keep it a secret for now."


    Teacher Jiao had nodded, and decided not to pursue more. Putting his signature on the form, he then let me submit it to the office.


    Aside from the lessons on forging and Spirit Engraving, I spent quite a bit of time in my rented workshop, crafting spirit artifacts for Tang Qi Hong. Thanks to that, I was growing increasingly familiar with the myriad of spirit materials available, particularly their properties, attributes and characteristics. I specialized, particularly, in forging weapons.


    ¡­which was my aim to begin with, so I had no complaints about that.


    After a while, Tang Qi Hong allowed me to begin forging actual weapons and artifacts, such as swords, axes, spears and other simple armaments. Needless to say, I screwed up in the beginning, so I wasn''t going to detail my embarrassing failures here. It took me a few weeks but I eventually managed to scrape up passable weapons.


    At the same time, I was growing more aware that the summer tournament was only a month away, so I kept an eye on that schedule. I needed to devekop my martial arts more and improve my combat techniques as much as possible.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    It was precisely after one of these training sessions that a mission on the digital bulletin board caught my eye. I was passing through the platform and returning to my apartment after a grueling session of forging at the workshop and running around the foot of the volcano as part of my physical training when I caught sight of a crowd of disciples gathered at the gigantic bulletin board near the main community center of the sect.


    "Oh, what''s going on?"


    Venturing forward, I caught sight of Tong Xue. He grinned and waved at me.


    "They''re posting new missions!"


    I raised an eyebrow at that. The sect posting missions wasn''t a rare occurrence. In fact, they post new missions like every week or even everyday. Most of them were shared with the missions Wu Ling Academy posted on their website. The convenient thing about online registration these days is that it doesn''t matter which portal you applied the mission from. As long as you applied online, the system would naturally register your participation, whether you applied through Wu Ling Academy or through your parent sect.


    The Internet had made life in a contemporary wuxia world a lot easier.


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    "But it seems like there are more people than usual," I remarked. Tong Xue nodded.


    "The tournament is one month later," he reminded me with a smile. "So everyone is scrambling to get as much combat experience as possible before the tournament."


    "Ah, that makes sense." I nodded. Peeking at the luminous, digital bulletin board, I glanced back at Tong Xue. "What about you? Are you applying for a mission as well?"


    "Yup! As someone who''s aiming to be a Blood Blade, I''m definitely taking this chance to gain some combat experience! Not to mention, I don''t want to fall behind in the tournament rankings this year! This is our first year taking part in a martial arts tournament, and I would rather not embarrass myself if possible!"


    "I feel you."


    Sighing, I glanced at the digital bulletin board again and scanned for any interesting missions. I should probably take one too, or I would fall behind.


    "¡­eh?"


    And just like that, one of the missions posted atop the bulletin board caught my eye. I stopped and squinted at the mission that was hovering in one corner, then retrieved my tablet and accessed the missions'' portal.


    "I knew it."


    Void Whale Hunt. That was one of the missions specified in the bulletin board. They were looking to recruit a team of martial artists to help hunt one of the elusive and highly dangerous Void Whales in the darkest depths of the ocean. Anyone could apply and join the team, but they made sure to leave a grave warning for anyone considering this mission.


    The rewards were a thousand gold coins. If we survived. Even if we didn''t, the thousand gold coins would go to our families and bereaved ones. Holy¡­! Talk about a great deal!


    We could even get a bunch of Void Whale material if we want, or trade it away for even more gold. I decided to grab some for myself, particularly because I had been toying around with an idea for the last few months.


    I''ll take this mission.


    Making the decision on the spot, I pressed the relevant buttons, filled in my particlars, and submitted my digital profile online. Within a few seconds, I received a notification that my submission was accepted, and I would receive more details soon.


    "Oh? You''ve already taken a mission?"


    Tong Xue peered over my shoulder, but I casually swiped the screen of my tablet to blank it out before he could see my stuff. You know, privacy and all that. And obviously there was the issue with letting people see your passwords. Even if it only appeared as a series of *, he could see my fingers typing the specific buttons in the touch keypad.


    "Yeah, I have. What about you?"


    "Hmm¡­I guess I''ll take one in the montains. There''s a band of bandits raiding a poor village to the north. I should try subjugating them."


    What was he, Li Fu Chen or something? Trying to take on a band of bandits by himself? I wouldn''t be surprised if he stumbled upon the poor naked girls that the bandits abducted and made himself look like a smug hero.


    "Good luck."


    "What about you? What mission did you take?"


    I smiled. "It''s a secret."


    "Oh, come on! Don''t be like that. Tell me!"


    "Don''t wanna."


    "Eh¡­" Tong Xue looked a little pitiful, so I shook my head and sighed.


    "Just going to hunt a magical beast."


    "What sort of magical beast?" Tong Xue looked curious. I knew he would flip out if I told him it was a Void Whale, so I tried to be as vague as possible.


    "An aquatic magical beast. So I''ll be shipping out to the sea tomorrow. I had best get ready then." I turned away and waved goodbye. There were a few things I needed to prepare, not least for my trip tomorrow. While the system would inform Teacher Jiao about me being away on a mission, I had to personally tell Tang Qi Hong or she would be worried when I suddenly disappeared.


    Fortunately, Tang Qi Hong had been busy the past few days, probably with learning the Spirit Engraving pattern for the spatial storage pouch from Elder Hai Mo. She would be too occupied with her new lessons to notice that I was gone, but obviously it was best to inform her. Tang Qi Hong had not neglected to assign me new tasks, after all.


    I had to inform her that I wouldn''t be able to do any of these new tasks for a while. Thinking about it, I was certain Tang Qi Hong would be undertaking a mission of her own shortly, also to earn practical combat experience for the tournament.


    *


    Less than five days later, I proceeded toward the harbor of Tushan City, which was a few kilometers east of the great fortress walls. It was a pretty easy journey ¨C there was a bus that regularly went back and forth, making it a 20 minute ride at the most.


    As the bus came to a stop, I immediately sprang to my feet and hauled my haversack to my shoulders. Joining the flow of passengers off the bus, I made my way to the bustling harbor where countless ships teemed, bobbing gently in the morning waves. Even at this hour, there were already a lot of people gathered on the docks. Many of them were embarking or disembarking from their respective boats, talking with the captain and exchanging pleasantries.


    Now, where is the boat I''m supposed to go to¡­?


    Consulting my tablet, I followed the directions and looked for a relatively massive ship that was named Mo Bi Di Ke. Pushing up my glasses, I gaped at the size of the ship, its red, rusted hull gleaming under the early morning sun.


    "What are you gaping for, brat?"


    One of the elderly sailors leaned over the rusty railings and spat into the sea. He then fixed a glare onto me, his grizzled face half-covered in the huge shadow of the boat housing. I met his gaze evenly, refusing to back down.


    The sailor couldn''t intimidate me. Not after all I had been through. I had survived torture and abuse, I had prevailed over psychotic enemies in plenty of life-to-death battles. If the sailor thought he could scare me away, he was dead wrong.


    The scarred sailor''s lip curled. "If you have no business here, get lost! We''re busy!"


    I cocked my head to the side. "Anything I can help with?"


    "Huh?!" the sailor snarled, taken aback. "Well, for starters, you can help by getting lost and not taking up space in the docks! We''re busy here, and the place is going to be bustling with people in a few minutes."


    I nodded and began to board the ship. The sailor did a double take.


    "Where do you think you''re going, brat?!"


    "This is the Mo Bi Di Ke, isn''t it?"


    "It is, but¡­" the sailor glared at me. "This is no place for you, brat. Get off my ship or I''ll send you crying and screaming back to your mama."


    Sighing, I shook my head and suppressed the annoyance that was rippling just beneath my calm fa?ade.


    "If I''m not mistaken, your ship has been chartered for the mission to hunt a Void Whale, correct?"


    "¡­yeah, so what?"


    "I''m one of the members who volunteered for that mission."


    The sailor burst out laughing. "Get out of here! Do you honestly expect me to believe that a puny, skinny kid like you can help with hunting a Void Whale? This isn''t some kiddy expedition, you know? Go home before you get yourself killed."


    I held up my tablet and displayed the screen that proved that I had been accepted for the mission. The sailor gawked at the unrecognizable signature of his captain (or so I presumed).


    "You''ve got to be kidding me!"


    The sailor was shaking his head in disbelief as he approached my position, crossing the broad deck with wide strides. He glowered at me, unable to contain his fury. Apparently he still certain there was some sort of mistake.


    "Are they desperate enough to recruit kids now? I know hunting a Void Whale is one of the most dangerous and riskiest missions, but even so, they''ve sunk to a new low and resorted to deceiving brats into throwing their lives away now?"


    "If it''s that bad, why did you agree to sail on a ship that''s heading out on such a dangerous mission?" I countered.


    The sailor sneered at me with derisive laughter. "Firstly, I''m not a greenhorn brat who''s still wet behind the ears. Secondly, I''m strong enough to take care of myself. That said, I don''t have the time or energy to spare to babysit amateur children like you!"


    "Uh huh." I nodded wearily, not wanting to argue too much with the supposedly hardened sailor. "Even so, I''ve already signed up for the mission, so the higher-ups evidently think I can do the job."


    "Did those higher-ups actually see you in person?" the sailor snarled. I shrugged.


    "They should have all my information and track record, so I don''t think there should be a problem."


    "Hmph." The sailor began rolling up his sleeves. "Fine. I''ll give you a chance to prove yourself. Let''s have a bout. If you can even land a single hit on me, you can come aboard and I''ll kowtow to you and apologize."


    "Uh, that''s¡­"


    "What, are you scard or something?" the sailor scoffed. "If you dare not fight against me, then how do you expect me to believe that you''ve the courage to confront something as dangerous and powerful as a Void Whale?"


    This guy¡­was there a screw loose in his head or something?


    "No, that''s not the point." I sighed. "I just don''t think we should be injuring each other even before the mission begins."


    "Injured?" The sailor burst out laughing. "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to hold back, so you won''t run back to your mama, crying about being bullied by adults."


    "I''m more worried about you, actually," I muttered. A vein twitched in the sailor''s brow and he glared at me.


    "Huh?! What did you say?!"


    "¡­never mind. Let''s begin then."


    "Hmph. Don''t overestimate your own strength. You aren''t strong enough to leave even a scratch on me. I''m already at the Qi Fusion Stage! You''re probably only at the Qi Essence Stage¡­or Flowing Qi Stage at most. You can''t¡­"


    I kicked him before he could finish his sentence. Even though he brought up his guard on reflex, my foot snaked beneath his elbows and slammed into his midriff, causing him to stagger. Straightening up, I shrugged.


    "There you go. I landed a single hit on you. So do you acknowledge me now?"


    "You¡­you¡­!" the sailor spluttered, and then he shook his head furiously. "That didn''t count! That was just a lucky hit! You started even before I was ready! Who the fuck attacks while their opponent is talking?! How dare you use a sneak attack?!"


    Sighing, I cocked my head to the side and beckoned for him to make his move. "All right, then begin. What are you waiting for?"


    The sailor growled, and then lunged at me. I stepped to the side, using Shadow Step, and allowed him to barrel forward. As the sailor skidded to a stop and spun around to clutch at me with his claws, I ducked under his fingers and kicked him in the midriff.


    "There¡­"


    I had barely finished my sentence when the sailor countered with a vicious hook, forcing me to dodge and withdraw to a safe distance.


    "Hey! What are you playing at?" I demanded, annoyed. "I landed another hit on you. You started the attack first this time, so you should have no complaints about me launching a sneak attack or whatever, right?"


    "Not counted! You got lucky!"


    The sailor wasted no time arguing and launched himself at me again. Feeling incredibly irritated, I jumped above him right when he pounced on the deck, and landed on top of his head. I resisted the urge to use Seismic Step, and instead jumped away when he swiped at his scalp with a huge paw. Spinning in midair, I lashed out with a roundhouse kick.


    My foot connected with the sailor''s face and a thunderous crack echoed throughout the air. The sailor''s eyes widened in shock, but that was the last thing I saw of his face before he was lifted off his feet and flung off the deck. The sailor gave a short cry before he sailed over the railing and crashed into the waters below.


    "Bleah! Ugh! Argh!"


    Coughing and spitting out the salty seawater, the sailor fumbled around and forced himself to remain afloat. He gaped at me, his eyes still mired in disbelief.


    "How¡­how¡­?!"


    "Hai Yuan, with this, you should be convinced, right?"


    Both of us turned in surprise, only to see an elderly man stride out of the ship''s cabin. His hair was a white mess, complete with a long beard that trailed to his collar. A smoking pipe stuck out of his wizened lips, and he watched both of us, mirth evident in his wrinkled eyes. Dressed in a white naval uniform with black lapels and golden buttons, and even complete with a navy cap, the elderly man stood rimrod straight with a forceful presence that belied his advanced age.


    "Captain Chuan Zhang," the sailor named Hai Yuan muttered, his face red from humiliation. He silently swam toward a ladder at the side of the ship and climbed up, drenched and dripping wet after his tumble into the sea.


    Chuan Zhang merely chuckled before he drew a deep breath from his pipe. "You should know that the Martial Arts Alliance don''t just simply send anyone on dangerous expeditions like this. If they allowed this kid to go, then it means that the kid definitely has some sort of ability." He then turned to me and bowed slightly. "I apologize for any offense that my subordinate has caused you. And I would like to welcome you aboard my ship, Mo Bi Di Ke."


    "None taken," I assured him. Glancing at Hai Yuan, I expected resentment, but the big man was viewing me with respect now. Cupping my hands, I bowed respectfully. "This humble person is Fei Wu, and I am one of the volunteers for this expedition."


    "Ah¡­Fei Wu, was it?" Captain Chuan Zhang stroked his beard as he studied me. "I believe I''ve heard of you. You''ve quite the interesting¡­record."


    I smiled. "I doubt it''s as interesting as the others'', though."


    This wasn''t me being humble. I actually meant it. Anyone crazy enough to participate in an expedition to hunt a Void Whale had to be a seasoned veteran with decades of combat experience, a super-powerful expert, or a former top mercenary with nothing to lose. I was looking forward to meeting them and learning some pointers from them. This would turn out to be a very fruitful journey, not just in terms of getting the spirit material I needed for a spatial storage device, but also to learn from the very best of the jianghu.


    "Eh? Isn''t that Brother Wu?"


    My jaw dropped when I heard the familiar voice. Turning around with a small amount of dread, as well as no small amount of resignation, my shoulders drooped and I gazed down on the newcomers who had just boarded the Mo Bi Di Ke.


    The familiar figures of Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge came into view. Da Ge was waving affably and Zi Xiao Ji was skipping excitedly toward my position.


    I should have known¡­

 85 Chapter 84: Seeing the Sea

    To my surprise, I wasn''t seasick either. In fact, I spent most of the journey comfortably asleep on a couch, waking up to train, practice or eat. Both Zhao Shi and Da Ge turned out to be great sparring partners, and I receved a lot of excellent advice from the two experienced veterans. If I were to join the Blood Blades, they would most likely be my seniors.


    As it turned out, there was quite the group of seasoned mercenaries and aged martial artists who signed up for the mission. There were a couple of old men, who depite the age and white hair, were as muscular as someone half their age and as large as bears. There was a middle-aged mercenary with a scar across his face and an eyepatch, presumably to hide his wounded eye. He claimed that he had lost it during a fight with a demonic sect, but who knew if he was telling the truth. Accompanying him was a handsome spearman, and a lady in a seductive cheongsam and hat who smoked a similar pipe to Captain Chuan Zhang''s. There were also a team of three muscular guys from the Iron Mountain Sect, who somehow reminded me of the seniors who attacked me all those years ago in Wu Ling Academy, back when I was still in middle school.


    Adding the four of us, the team totaled twelve. And that didn''t include the Mo Bi Di Ke''s crew, who numbered twenty. I was amazed that just that handful of them were able to keep such a large ship running at maximum efficiency.


    These guys were amazing seahands. That was for sure.


    "How long until we reach the Void Ring?"


    The spearman, whose name was Qiang Zhe, complained.


    "A¡­few days more¡­I supposed."


    Mo Fa, his beautiful companion lazily replied as she blew rings from her pipe and leisurely gazed at the skies. Qiang Zhe muttered a complaint under his breath, but he obediently slumped down on the couch placed strategically across the deck.


    "Why are you in such a hurry?" Du Yan chuckled, his scarred face twisting into an amused smile. He focused his single eye on Qiang Zhe before glancing appreciatively at Mo Fa, who had laid out to sunbathe in one of the white sun-chairs spread out on the deck. The only thing missing was a pool, but why would you need a swimming pool on the deck of a ship when we were surrounded by nothing but the sea?


    "I just want to get this mission done and over with," Qiang Zhe grumbled. "And I need the money badly."


    "Qiang Zhe¡­got into debt," Mo Fa explained. "His¡­bad gambling habits¡­sort of kicked in."


    "Hey! No one asked you!" Qiang Zhe hastily snapped, but it was too late. The two old men were shaking their heads.


    The bald one, who sported a rich, white beard and mustache that were at odds with his shiny dome of a scalp, was Lao Tou. As expected of someone of his age, he was always looking down conscendingly on the younger generation.


    "Kids will be kids," Lao Ren replied with a laugh. He had longer hair, his neat, white hair tied stylishly into a bun by a ribbon, making him look like a xian of old. He gazed at us indulgently and chuckled.


    "We''re not kids!" Qiang Zhe protested.


    "In their eyes, we probably are. They''re about twice¡­or thrice our age."


    Du Yan shook his head wryly. Lao Ren grinned.


    "You got that right!"


    "Well, we''re just kids," Zi Xiao Ji remarked cheerfully. "I''m only sixteen this year."


    I glanded at Zhao Shi and Da Ge, but neither of them joined the conversation. Da Ge was the oldest of us, in his mid-twenties or so. I wasn''t sure how old Zhao Shi was, but at the very least she was a few years older than me. I should leave it at that, though. You know what they say, never ask a lady what her age was.


    Since nobody asked me, I kept my mouth shut and retreated to the background. I preferred to keep a low profile if that was possible.


    "Ha ha ha ha, glad to see that all of you are still in high spirits."


    Chuan Zhang walked up to the deck, having emerged from his cabim after supervising the ship. The ship was on autopilot anyway, so he didn''t have to stand in front of it all the time. Furthermore, the First Mate, Hai Yuan, was taking his shift, so Chuan Zhang was free to go wherever he wanted for the moment, anyway.


    "We''ll be reaching the Void Ring soon. So be prepared, everybody." Chaun Zhang dropped his voice. "This area is famous for all the disappearances of planes, ships and people. Every year, countless transports vanish in this zone, never to be seen again."


    Sounded like the Bermuda Triangle in my original timeline¡­except that the Bermuda Triangle had been proven to be a baseless myth. There were no more disappearances that happened within the Bermuda Triangle than any part of the sea, and many of the rumors had been outright exaggerated or fabricated.


    I doubted the same was true for this timeline. The reason was simple. The Void Ring was full of sea monsters and aquatic magical beasts. Evend ragons occasionally emerged from the depths to attack full battleships, and those divine monsters were capable of sinking entire fleets if there weren''t any strong martial artists among the crews.


    I hope we don''t run into any dragons¡­


    That remained to be seen. Hopes were flowers that grew on trees¡­in other words, things that rarely happened when you wished for it. Or maybe I was getting that whole idiom wrong. Who cares? You get what I mean, right?


    The weather seemed fine, bright and sunny as the ship sailed underneath a clear skies. There was not a cloud in sight, and not liking the withering, superheated rays of the merciless sun, I retreated into the cabin. Getting a tan was not one of my objectives. Having purchased a pair of cheap swords for this mission, I took them out and began practicing Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship while doing my best not to accidentally wreck the ship from within.


    It was during that particular practice session when I felt the ship jerk somewhat to a stop, and overheard a panicked cry.


    "Sea monster!"


    The flustered voice belonged to one of the crew, and shortly after the warning, the alarm rang. Keeping my balance aboard the shuddering ship, I immediately raced out of the deck to see what was happening.


    As the sailor had warned, there was an enormous sea monster right next to the ship. It resembled a gigantic goldfish, with razor-sharp fins and rows of piranha-like teeth in its mouth. Sunlight reflected off its glittering, crimson scales, giving the beast an angry look.


    "That''s a Sea King!" one of the sailors yelled.


    "Prepare torpedoes!" Captain Chuan Zhang ordered, but one of his sailors cut in.


    "It''s too late, Captain! The Sea King is too close!"


    "Hah, don''t worry about it. That''s what we''re here for!"


    Gleeful at finally having something to do, Qiang Zhe produced his spear and leaped forward. Seemingly hovering in the air, he slashed with his spear and unleashed an immense arc of blood-red qi that clashed against the Sea King and sent it flailing backward.


    "Sea King? I''ll show you who rules the space around here!"


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    The Sea King bellowed as Qiang Zhe slashed it again, opening up another line of blood. The sea around the thrashing magical beast turned crimson as it floundered about helplessly. Enraged, it sought to bite Qiang Zhe out of the air, but he seemed to kick off on thin air and zoomed away, evading its attacks.


    Unfortunately, the ship was not as lucky.


    "Brace for impact!" Hai Yuan hollered.


    "Damn it¡­" I cursed under my breath and glared at Qiang Zhe. The bastard was so busily showing off that he didn''t care that he was putting the rest of us in danger. Using Jin, I advanced forward and spun around in midair to deliver a devastating roundhouse kick that would have made any Lunar Rabbit proud.


    Bam!


    The Sea King jolted as my foot connected with its scaly cheek and the immense magical beast was flung back into the sea.


    "Geez! Brother Wu! Why did you do that?!"


    "¡­huh?"


    As I landed back on the deck, using my footwork to return myself to safety, Zi Xiao Ji pouted and whined.


    "You do realize that I just saved everyone¡­"


    I shut up when I realized how absurd my reply was. Nobody on the ship, aside from the hapless crew, needed saving. Hell, given Hai Yuan''s skills and Chuan Zhang''s strength ¨C as well as their decades of experience ¨C they should be able to protect the relatively amateurish new crewman who had just recently joined their ranks. Everyone here was a seasoned warrior, with enough strength to chop the poor Sea King several times over.


    "¡­never mind. What''s the matter?"


    "We finally have a chance to eat something new!" Zi Xiao Ji complained. "Aren''t you tired of eating the same old rations over and over again? Let''s catch that Sea King and have the chef cook it for tonight''s dinner! With that size, I''m sure it''ll be able to provide several meals! And it''ll be a refreshing change of menu!"


    "The young lady has a point!" Lao Ren guffawed. "I was getting sick of the same old meat and vegetables¡­no offense to you, Chef Chu."


    Chef Chu, a relatively new addition to Chuan Zhang''s crew, was too green to protest at their seeming rebuke of his culinary skills. He was crouched under a table, holding his head and looking as if he was on the verge of tears.


    "Hey, Chef Chu, if we catch that Sea King, will you be able to cook it? You can cook seafood, right?"


    Du Yan jerked a thumb toward the wounded Sea King, who had emerged from the sea once more and seeking revenge.


    Chu stared at us, amazed that we could still think and talk about our stomachs during a time like this. Gulping and not trusting himself to speak, he nodded.


    "Then it''s settled! Let''s go grab ourselves some seafood!"


    Du Yan drew a sword and began advancing toward the edge of the ship. Meanwhile, Zi Xiao Ji turned to her bodyguards.


    "Zhao Shi, Da Ge, can you capture that giant fish?"


    I couldn''t believe she was asking the two Blood Blades so innocently. Zhao Shi smiled and nodded, drawing her short sword.


    "Leave it to us!"


    "You got it!" Da Ge agreed.


    The two of them shot off the deck, passing the stunned Du Yan, and launched themselves at the flailing Sea King. Engaging in movements too fast for the human eye to follow, Zhao Shi carved a bloody path through the surface of the shrieking Sea King, slicing away the scales and sending chunks of flesh dropping into the sea in big splashes.


    "Make sure to grab them!" she shouted to the stunned crew, who were watching her with dropped jaws.


    The Sea King twisted around and lunged at her, intent on seizing her with its jaws, but Da Ge intervened. Raising his huge broadsword above his head, he swung it down and cleaved the Sea King in half.


    Holy¡­


    I also gaped at the amazing scene before me. The Sea King was easily ten to twenty times the size of Da Ge, but he neatly cleaved it in half with just one strike. The two halves of the Sea King crashed back into the sea and drifted aimlessly, turning the waters red with blood.


    "All right! Time to haul all that meat up!" Da Ge called out cheerfully to the stunned crew. They glanced at each other, still rooted to the spot, until Hai Yuan clapped his hands and made his way toward the edge.


    "You heard the big brother! Get moving! We''ve a ton of seafood to collect! Stop gawking and get to work, people!"


    Shaking their heads in disbelief, the crew got to work, rappelling down the hull of the huge ship and began tying ropes to the chunk of meats to haul them up.


    That night, we all had a sumptuous feast of seafood. As Zi Xiao Ji and Lao Ren remarked, it was a refreshing change of menu.


    *


    The dangers atop the sea weren''t limited to sea monsters and magical beasts. A couple of days after the encounter with the Sea King, we ran into a different kind of threat.


    Pirates.


    A deathly silence fell upon us when we caught sight of a ship sailing rapidly toward us. Despite the powerful engine, the Mo Bi Di Ke was more of a cargo ship than a cruiser. It was not going to outrun the smaller but speedier ship that was charging straight at us.


    The first sign that indicated trouble was the black flag fluttering at the top of the ship. A skull with crossbones underneath it.


    ¡­wait, what?


    Are they seriously using that to identify themselves as pirates?


    Worse, it wasn''t just the typical skull with crossbones. There was a hat on top of it, and a smoking pipe sticking out of the bony jaw. Apparently whoever designed the flag for the pirate crew had taken a leaf out of the manga One Piece or something.


    Is there even One Piece in this timeline to begin with? No¡­even with such obvious signs, are they really pirates?


    "Pirates!" one of the crew members hollered in horror when he caught sight of the flag, his eyes growing wide and his face paling in terror. "RUN!"


    I got my answer.


    "Run?" Qiang Zhe scoffed as he brandished his spear and planted the shaft firmly on the deck. "Let them come. I''ll slice them up real good."


    "Hmm¡­isn''t that¡­the Smoker Pirates?" Mo Fa was frowning as she studied the flag. She drew a staff and leisurely leaned back in her seat, even as faint wisps of qi began to gather around the crown of the wooden weapon. "An¡­interesting opponent."


    "Oh! I''ve heard of the Smokers before!" Du Yan sounded excited. "They''re notorious for their Smoke Strike martial arts! They''ve raided dozens of ships and have a high bounty on their heads! If we succeed in subduing them and bringing their heads back, we''ll have some extra gold!"


    Assuming we survived the mission against the Void Whale and returned safely, of course. But I wasn''t one to dampen spirits, so I shut my mouth.


    "So we fight?" Da Ge asked cheerily as he drew his broadsword and began polishing it. Zhao Shi moved closer to Zi Xiao Ji, so as to guard her.


    "It''s inevitable. I don''t think the Mo Bi Di Ke can outrun that ship." Lao Tou sighed as he bowed his head and clasped his hands, his bald scalp gleaming in the sunlight. "And from what I''ve heard about the Smoker Pirates, they aren''t the type to let a prey go either."


    "Their loss." Lao Ren was chuckling as he stroked his beard. "We''ll just massacre and claim the bounty. Even if we somehow fail the Void Whale mission and are unable to bring it back, at least we won''t be returning to shore empty-handed."


    "Oi, don''t jinx us, old men!" Du Yan glared at the elder, but the latter merely smiled back good-naturedly. "I have no intention of failing the main mission!"


    "Neither do I, young man. Neither do I."


    "Incoming!"


    Hai Yuan''s voice sounded unusually tense as the pirate ship drew closer. Even from this distance, I could see a good amount of crew gathered atop the smaller ship''s deck. All of them were waving sabers or cutlasses¡­typical pirate weapons. Qi glowed around them as they prepared to make the jump with their qigong.


    They obviously hadn''t detected the martial artists on board what they thought was an ordinary ship. Man, they were going to be in for a rude surprise when they attempted to board and raid the Mo Bi Di Ke.


    About twenty-five¡­no, thirty of them¡­


    I did a quick headcount and saw that we were outnumbered about one to two point five. Not very good odds.


    For the pirates, I mean.


    "Get them!"


    For some reason, the pirates weren''t firing cannons and bombarding our ships with long-range weapons. Then again, why would they? They wanted to board our ship and rob us. There was no point sinking the ship before they could get their filthy paws on the valuables on board it. They might be suicidal, but surely they weren''t that stupid¡­


    "AAARGH¡­!"


    The first pirate''s scream was cut off along with his head as Qiang Zhe eagerly tore into the fray, mowing down the vanguard with his spear. The pirates on either side of him collapsed, clutching their abdomens and struggling to hold their guts in. They didn''t need to bother, because Qiang Zhe''s next stroke took their heads off.


    Beside him, Mo Fa tapped her staff against the deck, and tendrils of qi drifted past her to seize the stunned pirates. The pirates hacked and cut at the formless tendrils with their sabers and weapons, but the qi appendages merely dispersed harmlessly, only to reform near instantaneously and seize the poor pirates and hauled them up. They then tore the screaming pirates apart, reducing them into messy sacks of flesh and blood.


    I looked away. I thought I had gotten used to such gruesome scenes, especially after suffering torture at the hands of Ba Yun. But obviously I had no reason to watch such carnage if I didn''t have to. Besides, I needed to focus on the battle before me.


    "Brat!"


    A priate lunged at me desperately, probably believing that I was easy prey, especially when compared to the older veterans fighting around me. I merely stepped to the side and then kicked him in his midriff, causing him to double over. As he coughed and wheezed, I snatched the saber out of his hand and lopped of his head.


    There was no need to dirty my new pair of swords (admittedly they were pretty cheap, though) with the blood of scum, after all.


    Ducking to my right, I evaded another slash and answered with a riposte that tore my second assailant''s throat out. As he gurgled bloodily and crashed to the ground, clutching his neck, I spun around and parried a strike from a fourth pirate. He growled and exerted more of his qi into his blade, forcing me back.


    I smiled.


    Using the opportunity to test out my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword techniques, I unleashed a meteoric strike that smashed his saber and cut through his chest. My foe stared at me in disbelief, too stunned to realize that he was dead, and then the top half of his torso slid off and fell while the rest of his body was basically reduced to pulp, as if he had just been struck by a meteor.


    "Whoops¡­"


    I stared at my broken saber. The poor quality weapon was unable to handle my qi, the blade shattering when I infused a little too much energy into it. Discarding the useless saber, I looked for another opponent while thinking to myself.


    I''ve to learn to control the output of my qi, or I''ll end up destroying my weapons. This is why I need a proper spirit armament, or I won''t be able to fight to my full potential. I really need to forge myself a spirit weapon soon¡­


    "¡­eh?"


    Blinking in shock, I realized that there was no longer any enemy. The last of them had desperately charged at Zi Xiao Ji, but Zhao Shi easily dispatched him. Her expression full of contempt, she stepped on his corpse and ground it down.


    "Trash."


    Looking around, I saw that the other martial artists had dealt with their enemies too. As I mentioned, the ratio was two and a half to one, so¡­the elders ended up stepping back and not doing anything. The trio from the Iron Mountain Sect had also stayed back, hanging around the cabin to protect the hapless crew from any pirate stragglers that might have broken free from the skirmish and thought it a good idea to take a hostage.


    Seeing that we were done, the leader of the trio, Yi Shan, stepped forward and cracked his knuckles eagerly.


    "Now it''s our turn!"


    "Huh?" I gaped at him and his comrades. "Your turn to do what?"


    "Board the ship, silly." Yi Shan grinned at me. "You can stay here. You guys did well in holding the fort. Me and my brothers will board the pirate ship and flush the rest out. We''ll also bring back whatever treasure and valuables they have onboard their vessel, and we''ll split them once we return."


    "Split them?" I frowned. "Shouldn''t we¡­like, return those to the police?"


    The silence that followed told me that I had just uttered something stupid. I guess common sense in my timeline was completely different from the rules that this world operated under. Finder keepers and all that, huh? It went against my moral values, so I made a note to surrender my share to the police when I returned.


    Of course, I would later learn that the police was not interested in holding onto the valuable and finding their rightful owners, and would just tell me to keep them, but that was a story for another day.


    "Good job, Shi and Ge!"


    Zi Xiao Ji was praising her two bodyguards. They evidently did their job, preventing a ring of pirates from getting to their charge. When she caught me staring in her direction, she waved and winked at me.


    "Good job, Brother Wu!"


    "A¡­ah." I nodded in acknowledgement, and then turned to glance at the horizon. Was it my imagination, or were the skies getting darker? The heavens, which had been so clear and cloudless earlier, were now growing gloomier, swamped by ominous thunderclouds. Lightning lit up the gray fog occasionally, dancing across the surface of the sea in a violeny frenzy.

 86 Chapter 85: The Void Ring

    Honestly, even if there weren''t any martial artists, it only took a single saboteur to wreck the pirates'' ship and leave them trapped onboard their hostage ship. Then again, the pirates weren''t worried about that because they would just use force to commandeer the boat they had just boarded. So that recklessness wasn''t as stupid as it seemed.


    However, the Iron Mountain Sect trio did find a whole hoard of treasure, and they got ome of the crew and martial artists to go over and move them to the Mo Bi Di Ke once they had cleared out the pirate ship and secured it. With nothing better to do, I also helped. I mean, we were getting the lion''s share of the pirates'' stash, so it wouldn''t be proper to leave all the work to the poor ship crew, who would only receive a pitiful amount.


    Yi Shan had reasoned that we were the ones who risked our lives fighting the pirates in order to protect the crew, so it was only proper that we received the appropriate reward. No one complained, least of all the crew, who were grateful that they were still alive.


    In fact, they were surprised when they saw me helping them out.


    "No, no, no! You should just stay back! Leave this to us!"


    "Yeah! We''re grateful that you protected us, young hero!"


    What the fuck? I was a "young hero" now? For some reason, I really, really hated being addressed as such, and I waved them away.


    "Nah, since we''re entitled to a share, it''s only natural that I help out. I feel bad otherwise."


    None of the other martial artists seemed to share my conscience. They seemed to think such menial labor beneath them. While the Iron Mountain Sect trio remained on the pirates'' ship to ensure the safety of the laboring crew, the rest of the team was lazing around. Qiang Zhe was leaning against the railing and watching the foreboding scene of the stormclouds ahead, while his companion Mo Fa was lounging on a sun-chair to bask in the sun for one final time before we sailed into the shadow of the Void Ring. Du Yan was off somewhere, probably drinking in celebration of our victory over the pirates. The two elders, Zi Xiao Ji and her bodyguards were relaxing on the deck, even though the old men and tiny-looking girl contributed nothing to the battle.


    "What do we do with the ship?"


    Once we cleared out the pirate ship completely, I turned to the Iron Mountain Sect trio, who ere climbing back toward the Mo Bi Di Ke.


    "We sink it," Yi Shan replied simply.


    "How?" I asked with a frown. We didn''t have any demolitions, and the Mo Bi Di Ke was not a naval destroyer. It wasn''t armed with torpedoes or missiles. It didn''t even have cannons. Neither did the pirate ship, come to think of it¡­


    Yi Shan looked at me as if I had asked a stupid question. Turning around, he drew a sword and swung it. An arc of qi the size of a mountain rippled from his blade and cleaved the pirate ship in half. I watched in awe as the two halves of the pirate ship fell apart and bobbed for a few moments before taking in water and slowly sinking beneath the surface.


    ¡­yeah, I definitely asked a foolish question. There were no need for cannons, torpedoes or missiles when martial artists could literally shoot destructive energy waves and elemental blasts from their bare hands or weapons.


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    With the pirate ship destroyed, that left the corpses of the pirates. We had dumped the majority of the bodies over the water, giving them to the fish and sea beasts that dwelled in the ocean''s depths. However, the martial artists had taken measures to behead each and every pirate we had slain and kept their heads.


    I had no idea what they expected to do with the grisly remains, but Qiang Zhe, Du Yan and Mo Fa led us ¨C the martial artists ¨C down to the hold of the ship to preserve the heads somehow. The crew couldn''t handle such a gruesome task ¨C several of the younger crew members had puked their guts out ¨C and so we ended up doing it. Having gotten used to blood and gore during my time at the hands of Ba Yun''s torture, I wasn''t fazed by all the blood and heads.


    I had seen worse, after all.


    However, I was still curious. While we tramped down the stairs and proceeded toward the bowels of the huge ship, I couldn''t help but inquire.


    "Why are we keeping the heads for? Shouldn''t we just dump them overboard as well?"


    "Idiot." Du Yan turned to me with a smirk. "If we toss the heads, then how are we supposed to prove that we killed the Smoker Pirates? We need these heads as evidence, you know. Evidence!"


    "¡­oh. Okay."


    Somehow that made sense. I guess?


    "But we need to¡­preserve them in the freezer¡­so that they won''t¡­rot and decompose. And the stink¡­would be terrible if we¡­leave them just anywhere."


    Mo Fa explained as she opened the door to the freezer. A cold blast of air wafted out and hit us, condensing into fog the moment it came into contact with the outside temperature.


    "So that''s why we''re putting them in the freezer," Zi Xiao Ji remarked. She was the only one among us who looked distinctly uncomfortable with carrying the heads around. In fact, she didn''t even touch them. She had Zhao Shi and Da Ge to do it for her.


    "That''s right."


    "We should inform Chef Chu about this," I warned. "Otherwise he might mistake the heads for meat and cook them for our meals instead."


    Everyone turned to stare at me, turning extremely pale.


    "I was just joking," I muttered. As morbid as my joke was, I was pretty sure my sense of humor wasn''t that off.


    "That wasn''t funny," Qiang Zhe growled.


    "That¡­was in bad taste¡­" Mo Fa agreed.


    "Even for a Fei Wu joke, that was terrible," Zhao Shi complained. I frowned at her. Fei Wu joke? What the hell was that!?


    "Now, now¡­let''s just get this done and over with."


    Fortunately, Zi Xiao Ji stepped in and quickly changed the subject. Though, from her sick expression, I could tell that she did it more to move the attention away from my joke and into less morbid territory.


    "Ugh¡­" Du Yan''s pallor still looked ghastly. He glared at me with his single remaining eye. "It''s your fault that I won''t be able to eat meat aboard this ship again!"


    "Sorry." I turned to Da Ge, hoping that the genial, affable fellow would remain my only ally under this circumstances, but he was looking a shade too green to offer any assistance, and was pointedly avoiding eye contact with the disembodied heads that we carried in the bloody satchels.


    Well, I couldn''t blame him.


    Once all the heads were put away ¨C and thanks to my warning, Qiang Zhe and Mo Fa made sure to separate them from the meat, place labels on them and took all sorts of precautions to ensure there wouldn''t be any mix-ups ¨C we returned to the deck above. Half of the crew were cleaning the ship, scrubbing the blood off the deck and rinsing it with seawater.


    "Ah, you''re back."


    Chuan Zhang nodded when he saw us emerge. We had stopped by the kitchen to notify Chef Chu earlier, and Chuan Zhang was aware of that. We spared him the more grisly details, though. The old captain had a lot to worry about right now.


    "How''s the ship, Captain?"


    Lao Ren was the first to ask.


    "Undamaged. The pirates didn''t dare sink it before they boarded us, so we got away completely unscathed."


    "Then that means¡­"


    Chuan Zhang nodded at Qiang Zhe''s statement.


    "That''s right. We''ll be proceeding straight into the Void Ring."


    At his declaration, everyone turned to stare at the gloomy thunderclouds and dark space ahead. Lightning continued to dance around the shadows, ominous illuminating the inky surface of the sea enclosed within the ring.


    "I trust none of you want to turn back now?"


    "Oi, oi. What are you asking, Captain?" Du Yan wore a mocking grin. "That should be our question. How about your crew? Any of your men chickening out yet?"


    Chuan Zhang shook his head, but he maintained his grim expression. The seasoned sailor had no intention of arguing with Du Yan and attempting to brag about the bravery of his crew, many of whom were newbies.


    "They''ve been paid more than enough. They know their job. Anyone cowardly enough to abandon their duties in the face of danger will be summarily executed."


    What, was he a commissar now? That peaked cap did suspiciously made him look like one. All he needed was that signature black coat and a bolt pistol.


    "Then what are we waiting for?" Du Yan''s grin expanded. "Let''s go hunt ourselves a Void Whale!"


    *


    We sailed into the Void Ring without event¡­at least for the first few hours. Despite my trepidation, nothing major happened when we crossed the boundary between light and shadow. If I wasn''t so keenly focusing my eyes on the Void Ring, I wouldn''t even have noticed when we passed through the line and into the darkness.


    The crew seemed as tense as me while they navigated the ship through the darkness. A terse silence had fallen over them and they glanced nervously over the seas, as if expecting the waters to rear up and consume us at any time.


    The martial artists, in contrast, were relaxed and pretty happy. Even in shadow, Mo Fa continued to lounge upon one of the white sun chairs that she used for sunbathing. Qiang Zhe lay down on the deck, his hands under the back of his head, as he stared blankly at the clouds. Du Yan''s single eye was closed as he leaned against a chair, most likely taking a nap after all that fighting earlier. The elders were nowhere to be seen.


    The Iron Mountain Sect trio stood at the prow of the ship, their arms folded and their figures rigid like silent sentinels. They were most likely watching out for any threat that might surface in front of us as we sailed into the waters.


    "We''re finally here!"


    Zi Xiao Ji seemed a little excited and nervous at the same time, fidgeting anxiously as she leaned against the railing to take a better look at the darkened waters. Not that she would be able to see anything.


    I half-expected Zhao Shi to warn her mistress to be careful, but the young woman was perched nearby, one eye on Zi Xiao Ji and one eye on the sea. Her posture seemingly relaxed, she stayed silent while her charge chirped about.


    Da Ge was looking as cheerful as ever, grinning broadly as he traded jokes with Zi Xiao Ji and pointed out some irrelevant facts. I initially thought he was pointing stuff in the sea out to her, then realized that neither of them could see anything swimming under the inky surface. There could be a 30 meter long Megalodon swimming underneath the Mo Bi Di Ke, and none of us would have realized its presence.


    That was how black the waters were.


    Then again, that was precisely why we were here. To locate the elusive Void Whale in these depths. The question was whether some other monster would find us before we succeeded in locating the Void Whale.


    So I stood on the deck and waited, scanning the depths with my modified glasses. Even with the enhanced vision and additional sensors installed within my enchanted glasses, they weren''t able to pick up a thing. No signs of life¡­or those signs of life were all blocked and disrupted. After an hour of searching, I finally gave up.


    Well, that was anticlimactic.


    To be honest, I wasn''t sure what I was expecting. Of course we weren''t going to run into a Void Whale or any other sea monster right from the get go. We might have entered the Void Ring, but it wasn''t as if every surface area was teeming with magical beasts and aquatic monsters. Even if it was, magical beasts didn''t randomly attack passing ships for no reason, unless we happened across its path. As long as the crew stayed vigilant, we should be able to avoid any mishaps.


    That said, the Void Ring was notorious for a reason.


    Wham!


    "Whoa!"


    "AAAAH!"


    An hour or two after I descended from the deck and went into my room to train, I was rudely jolted out of my session by a gigantic tremor. The Mo Bi Di Ke shook violently and churned about, almost throwing me against the wall. Fortunately, I was practicing martial arts at that very moment, and thus I was able to maintain my balance.


    What happened?


    Obviously we were under attack. Even as I left my room in a hurry, I realized a more pertinent question was, what attacked us?


    I had my answer the moment I surfaced to the deck. Several tentacles were coiling across the deck, sharpened suckers leaving scars on the white concrete. Another gigantic tentacle slammed down on the deck, causing the ship to tilt over, and left quite the crater.


    "Kraken!" one of the crewmen shouted. A tentacle seized him and dragged him up into the air, causing him to scream.


    "Tch."


    Qiang Zhe clicked his tongue in annoyance and jumped up, severing the tentacle with his spear. The hapless crewman found himself dropped back onto the deck, still shrieking and thrashing around as he struggled to free himself from the amputated appendage. Qiang Zhe landed on the railing and spun around to face the Kraken¡­


    "Watch out!"


    Mo Fa''s warning came almost too late. One of the Kraken''s other tentacles lashed out and caught Qiang Zhe. The veteran spearman managed to parry the strike, but he was thrown across the deck. Flipping himself in midair, he reduced the impact with a roll and sprang to his feet with the support of his long spear.


    "¡­bastard¡­"


    "We''ve ourselves quite the tough enemy this time."


    Lao Ren strode through the mass of tentacles fearlessly. The Kraken reared up, showing itself, its gigantic, saucer-like eye glaring at us. I shuddered at the sight of the golden eye and inky, black pupil that resembled the maw of an abyss¡­the eye itself was the size of a small apartment, probably the same size as the apartment I had back in Tushan City.


    However, Lao Ren remained unintimidated by the sheer size of his enemy. Even as the Kraken whipped out two tentacles at him, he merely performed a gesture with his hands. A halo of qi burst out from his body forming a protective aura that repelled the physical attacks of the Kraken and causing the tentacles to bounce elsewhere. The confused appendages leveled furniture and bent railings as they were hurled back by the forceful qi.


    "Kreeee!!!!!"


    The Kraken emitted a shrill, disturbing cry. Its curved beak snapped open, a ring of razor-sharp fangs cycling around as if trying to ensnare something. I was reminded of a thresher. If we got caught by those jaws, we would be in a lot of trouble. Unlike the Ice Soul Python, the Kraken obviously had no intention of swallowing its prey whole.


    "What are you waiting for, you old fool? Attack it already!"


    Lao Tou sprang forward impatiently when Lao Ren still hadn''t counterattacked. The Kraken, sensing the danger, whipped its tentacles at him, but the bald old man dodged its attacks with a speed and graceful agility that belied his advanced age. Weaving through the mass of tentacles, Lao Tou leaped up and ran along one writhing tentacle before jumping onto the next when the Kraken tried to swat him off. Hopping from one wriggling appendate to another, Lao Tou closed in on the bulbous main body of the Kraken and lunged at it.


    "Hah!"


    Cocking his fist back, he punched the Kraken. There was a blinding explosion of qi that forced me to shut my eyes ¨C my glasses automatically darkened to protect my eyesight ¨C and the Kraken was momentarily dislodged from the Mo Bi Di Ke. When my sight cleared, I couldn''t help but be surprised to see blood gushing oout of a huge rupture in its main body.


    But the Kraken was far from dead. If anything, Lao Tou''s lethal attack only served to enrage it more than incapacitate it.


    Whoosh!


    "Whoa!"


    Lao Tou tucked his legs to his chest and spun away from one tentacle, then twisted around to punch another into oblivion. Unfortunately, even as he disarmed the Kraken, the gargantuan sea beast had more than twelve tentacles. Driven into a frenzy, it was attacking indiscriminately, its tentacles lashing out at the other passengers on deck.


    "AAAAH!"


    One of the crewmen was knocked overboard by the tenatcles, his body nearly reduced to a pulp. Even without knowing whether he survived the blow, Mo Fa reached out with her staff and used a technique to slow his fall and levitate his broken body back to the deck. Qiang Zhe was forced to protect her, standing in front to slice another errant tentacle.


    "Mistress! Watch out!"


    Zhao Shi and Da Ge jumped in front of Zi Xiao Ji to protect her, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. Despite cutting and hacking away, one tentacle managed to get through their defenses and knocked the poor girl off her feet.


    I know this might sound strange, almost as if the Kraken was aiming for Zi Xiao Ji, but it really was a coincidence. The Kraken wasn''t consciously targeting anyone¡­at least I didn''t think so¡­but there were just too many tentacles approaching from too many angle for the pair of bodyguards to cover. Not to mention, Zi Xiao Ji was just standing around the deck, as if waiting for the Kraken to hit her. I later learned that she was looking for an opening to strike, but Zi Xiao Ji''s skills were a bit unique, so even though she seemed useless in combat, she wasn''t necessarily so.


    It just took certain conditions for her to activate her fearsome combat techniques.


    Unfortunately, being whacked by a tentacle certainly didn''t seem like one of those conditions. Zi Xiao Ji''s huge, cute eyes widened before she was struck.


    Except that she wasn''t struck.


    The severed tentacle fell short just several centimeters shy of her face, flopping helplessly like a fish out of water. I landed, my swords dripping with blood. Before she could thank me, I was knocked away by another couple of stray tentacles that had broken away from Zhao Shi and Da Ge''s attentions and were rampaging across the deck.


    "Kuh!"


    I managed to use a footwork technique to arrest my slide and alter my trajectory in midair so that I wouldn''t drop into the sea. Just barely grabbing hold of the railing, I managed to swing myself around and threw myself back onto the deck. Kneeling, I glanced up, only to see another tentacle barreling toward me.


    This time, I was the one who was saved. Da Ge cleaved the tentacle millimeters before it could reach me, causing the large appendage to crash onto the floor.


    "That was close!" he told me with a grin, and then proceeded to deal with the rest of the tentacles still waving around.


    "You idiot!" Lao Ren was shouting at Lao Tou. "You made the damned thing angrier! This is why I didn''t want to carelessly attack it!"


    "Huh?!" Lao Tou retorted. "If you''re so smart, then why don''t you find a way to solve this problem? Eh?"


    "Both respected elders, please stop arguing," Yi Shan pleaded calmly before slashing at the Kraken with his sword. The massive arc of qi rippled through the frothy waters before slamming into the Kraken with devastating effect. The giant squid squealed and recoiled, but it was a lot tougher than the Smoker Pirates'' ship and remained in one piece. A shadow flickered across Yi Shan''s composed expression as he noted the enemy''s resilience. "We need to work together to eliminate the threat in front of us."


    "As ashamed as I am to admit it, the youngsters are acting way more mature than us old bones," Lao Ren remarked wryly with a shake of his head.


    "Ugh¡­" Lao Tou had no rebuttal to that.


    Using my footwork techniques, I tried to imitate Lao Tou''s earlier maneuver by weaving through the mass of tentacles ¨C which were steadily being reduced by the team of martial artists. Jumping on top of a tentacle, I ran parallel to Lao Tou, who had repeated the exact same move he pulled earlier. Both of us jumped and crisscrossed each other, even as the tentacles rose and tried to swat us off the appendages we were running on.


    "Heh¡­impressive."


    Lao Tou noticed my efforts and smiled grudgingly.


    I was too focused on running and dodging to respond, however, ducking under a whiplike strike and then using Duo to switch tentacles. There were too many tentacles to eliminate, and at the rate we were going, we could spend days cutting them down and we would still get nowhere.


    No, to overcome this crisis, we had to tackle the root of the problem. We had to eliminate the core of the Kraken.


    Nearing the bulbous body, I leaped off another tentacle, and then bounced off another to reach a relatively unmoving one. Even as that final tentacle rumbled violently beneath my feet, I was already propelling myself into the air to ready myself for an attack.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike!


    Swinging both swords, I materialized my qi into dragon-shaped meteors that thundered down from the heavens and slammed into the Kraken''s face. One even went into the Kraken''s open beak, smashing several teeth apart and tearing a path through its gullet.


    "KREEEEEE!!!!!!"


    The Kraken wailed as it recoiled, withdrawing its writing tentacles en masse.


    "Whoa!"


    Realizing that my footwork wouldn''t save me from sheer numbers, even as I executed Duo to the utmost of my ability, I raised both my swords to defend myself from the mass of thrashing appendages. I would have to cut a retreat path through that wall of suckers, but judging from the sheer strength and numbers I knew I wouldn''t emerge unscathed.


    "Geez¡­you younglings are always so impatient."


    "?!"


    I felt a hand seize me around the waist and snatch me up. Glancing up, my jaw dropped when I caught sight of Lao Ren. He was carrying me like a puppy, jumping on one of the tentacles that was relatively near the core of the Kraken. Holding out his free hand, he executed a Fiery Lotus Palm that obliterated the wall of tentacles and burned a massive hole through them. Without even waiting for the fires to go out, he kicked off and sailed through the opening he had just razed through the tentacles and elegantly landed on the deck.


    "Going for the core of the Kraken was a good plan, but you didn''t really think you could escape the Kraken''s retaliation, did you?"


    "Well, I¡­uh¡­"


    "Still, for someone of your age, that was a good attack."


    Lao Ren nodded approvingly before he dropped me on the floor. I blinked and sat up, still bewildered by what had just transpired.


    "You¡­"


    Zhao Shi was shaking her head as she, Zi Xiao Ji and Da Ge approached me. She placed her hands on her hips.


    "¡­is it my imagination, or aren''t you being overly reckless? This isn''t the first time. Even during that time against the Ice Soul Python¡­"


    "Oh? You youngsters fought against an Ice Soul Python?" Lao Ren stroked his beard as he turned to study us curiously.


    "Yeah," Zi Xiao Ji replied excitedly with a nod.


    "Speaking of which, you also risked your life to save our little mistress," Da Ge remarked as he fell into deep thought. He frowned. "I thought you were chasing after Junior Tang Qi Hong, though."


    "Chasing¡­that''s a bit¡­"


    "It wasn''t just Mistress, though." Zhao Shi sighed. "He also saved me during that time with the Ice Soul Python¡­it was my fault he almost got swallowed¡­"


    Hey, I actually did get swallowed, you know¡­


    "Oh, and that time with the Sea King too¡­" Da Ge recalled. "You tried to save everyone on the ship."


    "Brother Wu is a true hero! That''s why Sister Qi Hong likes him!"


    I knew Zi Xiao Ji meant well, but her mention of Tang Qi Hong brought about a sting in my heart. Qi Hong had essentially rejected when I practically confessed to her a couple of months ago. But Zi Xiao Ji obviously didn''t know that.


    "Even so, your actions to save everyone are bothering on recklessness." Zhao Shi gave me a reprimanding look. "You should take care of yourself more. It''s almost as if you were desperate¡­almost as if you were afraid that any of us would get hurt."


    A faint memory of Hu Shi and her son, Hu Hai, came to mind, but I forcibly pushed that away. I had come a long way since that time. I had attained the strength I needed. This time, I was going to protect everyone. I was going to ensure no innocent ever got hurt in front of me again¡­


    "Cut the chitchat and take care of this monster first!"


    Lao Tou was hollering from the front as he, Qiang Zhe, Yi Shan and Du Yan were engaging the Kraken in bloody, brutal battle. Qiang Zhe carved a bloody path through the Kraken with his spear while Yi Shan cleaved more tentacles away with each swing of his huge sword. Du Yan dodged before stabbing parts of the Kraken with pinpoint accuracy, causing it to shriek in pain.


    As for Lao Tou, he was literally beating up the monster with his bare hands, raining down massive blows that sent the fifty-meter long Kraken shuddering from the sheer impact. Somehow Lao Tou seemed more of a monster than the Kraken.


    "You guys look like you have the situation in hand," Lao Ren called out mischievously. Lao Tou cursed him, but his swearing was drowned out by the screeches of the Kraken when he vented his fury upon its poor body. Literal whole chunks disintegrated under the power of his punches.


    The bald old man was amazing. I knew that from the start, but witnessing his skills with my very own eyes¡­now I knew why he came along on this mission to hunt the Void Whale.


    "Hey, you youngsters!" Lao Tou snapped at Qiang Zhe, Yi Shan and Du Yan. The three veteran professionals turned to look at him inquisitively. "I need you to open a path for me. Cut all the tentacles that are in the way. Can you do that?"


    "Sure, but what are you¡­?"


    Lao Tou grinned deviously at Qiang Zhe''s question. "I''ll deliver the finishing blow."


    "I understand. I''ll leave it to you then, Senior."


    Yi Shan did not hesitate. Along with his fellow brothers from the Iron Mountain Sect, they swung their weapons and unleashed qi strikes that could cleave mountains into pieces. The Kraken shuddered and tried to protect itself with its tentacles, but the vast majority of them were annihilated in that single instant.


    Qiang Zhe and Du Yan surged forward, swinging their spear and sword respectively. Crimson lances and azure blades of qi rippled outward from them and sheared off the remaining tentacles that barred the path to the Kraken''s core body.


    "Now, Senior!" Qiang Zhe shouted.


    "You don''t need to tell me twice!"


    Hollering, Lao Tou shot forward like a missile, literally disappearing from sight. The next thing we knew, another tremendous explosion rocked the Kraken, which promptly blew up in a bloody mist of chunks and pieces.


    "Finally." Standing on top of the water''s surface, Lao Tou dusted off his hands in an attempt to shake the blood away. "That bloody Kraken was a nuisance."

 87 Chapter 86: On the hun

    After two days of fruitless wandering around, I suddenly realized that I had never thought about the most important question. We had encountered quite a few sea monsters and aquatic magical beasts over the past two days, but none of them was the elusive Void Whale. As the second day dragged onto an end, I finally gave voice to my impatience.


    "We keep looking until we find it," Qiang Zhe replied lazily. I stared at him skeptically.


    "Really?"


    "What, you have a better plan?" Du Yan challenged. I shook my head.


    "That''s why I''m asking in the first place. Is there really no method of tracking down a Void Whale? Like¡­specific zones where they show up¡­"


    "That''s why we''re in the Void Ring," Du Yan reminded me.


    "Uh¡­feeding patterns? Are they nocturnal creatures? How often do they come to the surface? Is it more effective to dive and locate them underwater? How deep are they usually located?"


    By now everyone was staring at me.


    "They''re nocturnal, normally." Fortunately, Lao Ren had an answer. I frowned.


    "Then what''s the point of searching during the day?"


    "It''s not like there''s an absolutely zero chance that they wouldn''t show up during the day. We''ll just keep sailing through the area until we eventually run into one. The encounter rate should be three percent, so if we run into enough sea monsters, we''ll encounter a Void Whale eventually."


    I gaped at Lao Ren, not sure if I believed what he had just uttered. However, everyone was nodding as if that was the most logical course of action in the world.


    "What the hell?! Is this Pokemon or something?"


    That was so random. It reminded me of a game where you would run your avatar around the screen and encounter monster after monster until you finally found the one you were seeking to capture. And Lao Ren actually used the term, "encounter rate."


    They were completely treating this as a game, weren''t they?


    However, that conversation imparted a vital piece of information to me. Void Whales were usually nocturnal. So there would be a higher chance of running into them at night than during the day. As I needed whatever strength I had in order to combat the powerful Void Whale, I decided to swap my sleep cycle and go to be during the day so that I could stay awake during the night. Unlike Space Marines of the 41st millennium, I didn''t have the tenacity to stay awake for days on end without sleeping. I heard that martial artists and cultivators could supposedly do it, but I couldn''t.


    Besides, I would much rather maintain a healthy lifestyle.


    *


    The next day, other than a spate of encounters against Sea Kings, Krakens, gigantic sharks, Sea Serpents and a whole armada of sea monsters, there was nothing of interest because the Void Whale had yet to turn up. Personally, I believed we had encountered over a hundred sea monsters, and still not one Void Whale had shown up, which renderered the 3% encounter rate statistic meaningless.


    "Megalodon!"


    I had just come up from the deck when the sailor''s frightened cry alerted us to a new monster. By now, the original crew of twenty-five or so had taken another two casualties, bringing the death toll up to three. No wonder Chuan Zhang ended up bringing along a bunch of fresh newbies. The attrition rate was pretty high.


    "It''s just another big fish," Qiang Zhe remarked casually as he jumped off the railing where he was leisurely sitting on, and proceeded to slash at the incoming Megalodon. The Megalodon screeched and fell back as a thin red line of blood appeared on its belly, and he kicked the gigantic beast away from the ship. The Megalodon had been cruising us with its jaws wide open, as if wanting to swallow us whole, but now it was sent tumbling back into the depths.


    However, this was a Megalodon we were talking about here. There was no way two attacks would kill it.


    Splash!


    The Megalodon emerged from the depths once more and surged toward the Mo Bi Di Ke once more. Qiang Zhe looked annoyed, and began to raise the spear that he had been relaxedly leaning against his shoulder.


    "Leave it to me."


    I like Megalodons, having read about them when I was a kid, and there were quite a few b-horror movies featuring them. That said, if there was a Megalodon trying to kill us, I would not hesitate to ensure its death.


    Drawing one of my swords, I swung it, unleashing a wave of purified ice qi. Just as Master told me, even if I didn''t have as much quantity of qi as my comrades, a tiny amount of purified qi still packed an immense amount of power.


    Crack!


    The entire space of sea in front of the Mo Bi Di Ke turned into ice, almost as if we had somehow ended up in the Arctic Ocean. The Megalodon was caught, entombed within ice and completely immobilized. Its huge, black eyes stared soullessly at the ship, its thoughts unreadable. Held aloft by my ice, it was completely frozen in place. Like, literally.


    "Great job, kid!"


    Qiang Zhe lunged forward, and infusing his spear with all of his qi, blasted a single hole through the Megalodon. The sea beast vanished in a crimson shower of qi, reduced to nothing more than a bloody carcass.


    "Not bad, not bad."


    Qiang Zhe was nodding his head as he grabbed a few of the Megalodon scraps and bundled them up. With my ice having frozen the surface of the sea, he could safely walk on what used to be liquid water. He turned and waved at the cewmen whose shift was ongoing at the moment, and gestured for them to get ready.


    Looked like we were going to have shark''s fin soup tonight, considering what Chef Chu cooked up whenever we hauled back a bunch of shark meat. Yay¡­I think?


    "So it looks like it''s you and me on shift tonight, eh, kid?"


    Qiang Zhe jumped back onto the deck after directing the collection process. Resting his spear on his shoulder, he grinned at me.


    "Don''t¡­forget about me¡­too¡­"


    Mo Fa sidled up to our position after having lounged around on the white sun-chair earlier. Qiang Zhe''s brow twitched.


    "You''re really shameless, aren''t you? You didn''t even lift a single finger during that engagement."


    "The both of you¡­seem to have¡­the Megalodon under¡­control."


    "At least stand up and do something other than laze around and merely watch!"


    Mo Fa nodded her head, her long, dark hair falling from under her hat. "I''ll keep that in mind for future engagements."


    Despite her seemingly lazy character, from personal experience I knew how powerful Mo Fa was. Her techniques seemed more like magic than actual martial arts techniques, and I wondered how they turned out like that. Then again, my freezing of the sea and Megalodon with a single blast of pure qi seemed more akin to a magic spell than a martial art too¡­


    "I wonder how long we''ll have to spend out here before we finally run into a Void Whale," I muttered.


    "Not too long, I hope." Qiang Zhe planted his spear on the deck. "We''ve run into quite a lot of different monsters now. We''ll encounter a Void Whale eventually if we keep up our sailing around the Void Ring."


    Why did it feel like he was talking about a game instead of a proper real hunting mission? Even if this was a somewhat fantasy world, there should still be limits on what kind of rules this world operated on. This was based too much on luck and¡­if I wasn''t mistaken, the term was called random number generation or something.


    On the other hand, I was relieved that we didn''t run into the more dangerous creatures like Dragons. Sea Dragons were divine beings, almost on the same level as gods. Worse, something even worse than Sea Dragons dwelled within the unfathomable depths of the ocean. Known as the Leviathan, it was a magical beast the size of an entire country, so huge that it was literally kilometers in length, and almost a thousand meters across in breadth.


    A true Leviathan, it had somewhat turned into a myth, though many sailors claimed to have seen the enormous beast from a vast distance, mistaking it for an island at first before it suddenly moved across the waters.


    I ended up having to break the ice after the crew were done with packaging the Megalodon meat. Fortunately, this was a cargo ship, so there was plenty of storage in the bowels of the Mo Bi Di Ke, where an increasing amount of monster meat and monster cores were being stored. I personally suspected there was some void spatial storage characteristic that allowed the ship to store more stuff than it appeared capable of, but didn''t comment too much on it.


    After that, hours passed and I waited on the deck. Staring hollowly at the sea, I decided to use the time to train.


    "Oh? Training, are you?"


    Qiang Zhe watched as I practiced my sword techniques on the deck, half-bored and half-curious. He planted his spear on the deck.


    "How about I join you? We can spar, and I''ll show you some movements."


    I stopped and bowed my head slightly, cupping my hands respectfully.


    "Please offer me a few pointers, Senior."


    "Ha ha ha! Sure! We''ve nothing to do until a sea monster shows up anyway."


    So we sspent the next couple of hours training. I was knocked off my feet, disarmed, toyed around with, and completely destroyed one-sidedly. But Qiang Zhe made sure to explain to me where I went wrong, how to counter specific attacks, how to improve my stance, etc.


    This isn''t so bad¡­I''m learning quite a lot from sparring with an experienced veteran.


    Even though he didn''t have artificial qi like my schoolmates, he was still quite strong. Especially when compared to me. I had a feeling that he would hold his own even against people with several times the amount of qi he had.


    "It''s not about the amount of qi," he told me when I asked him. "It''s a matter of technique. That''s what martial arts are about. You don''t win a battle with brute strength. You win it with techniques. Otherwise, why would you bother learning martial arts? Anyone can just do strength training and become as physically strong as possible. If it was that easy to win battles, then we wouldn''t need martial arts to begin with."


    I nodded. "I understand."


    "Yeah, I hope you do!"


    Qiang Zhe punctuated his statement with a thrust that almost tore open my throat had I not parried his strike in reflex.


    "But man, you''re pretty good for someone your age. It feels like you''ve experienced life-and-death combat before."


    "What makes you think I haven''t?"


    "Ah¡­that explains it." Qiang Zhe laughed. "But even then¡­it''s still not enough to defeat me!"


    I was knocked off my feet by a sudden swing of his spear, and then did a backflip to land on my feet. Instinctively, I raised both my swords, but the tip of Qiang Zhe''s spear was already at my throat. I froze.


    "Don''t do big moves," Qiang Zhe advised as he lowered his spear. "They make you look good, but that''s pointless if you''re dead."


    "¡­I understand."


    I nodded and then assumed a new stance to get into sparring again. As I said, this was proving to be an invaluable session for me.


    Splash!


    Our next bout of sparring was interrupted as the Mo Bi Di Ke jolted, a huge wave slamming into its hull and rocking it. The both of us lowered our weapons and looked over the railings. Not far away, a Kraken emerged from the depths, its tentacles writhing as it glided toward us.


    "This monster again."


    Qiang Zhe sighed and shook his head, but he readied his spear all the same.


    "That''s all right. There''s¡­plenty of people¡­willing to buy the Kraken meat¡­off the market. And the core¡­sells for a high price too¡­"


    Mo Fa rose to her feet this time, probably not solely because she wanted to avoid being reprimanded by her partner. She knew how dangerous a Kraken was, and with only the three of us on shift right now, we were going to need every help we could get.


    However, something enormous seized the Kraken before it could reach us. I caught sight of a dark blur, and then something collided with the Kraken, seizing the poor tentacle monster in its huge maw and dragging it underwater.


    "What¡­was that?" Mo Fa whispered, dread filling her voice. I didn''t blame her. Anything large and powerful enough to subdue a Kraken in one attack couln''t be underestimated.


    "The Void Whale. That''s the Void Whale."


    "Huh?!" I turned to gape at Qiang Zhe, not sure if I was hearing him correctly. Beside him, Mo Fa also turned in surprise, and then she nodded.


    "Ah, yes¡­indeed. I didn''t catch¡­a clear glimpse of it, but now that you''ve mentioned it¡­that size and power¡­certainly resemble that of a Void Whale''s."


    "Have you both fought Void Whales before?" I asked, steeling myself for the fight ahead. The couple stared at me.


    "Of course."


    "A few times."


    That explained why they were so calm. Even though Mo Fa did sound a little nervous, her composure was unaffected and she was getting ready to fight. Her staff was already in her hands, and she was gathering qi into it.


    "I¡­don''t¡­particularly enjoy fighting it¡­" Mo Fa admitted. Qiang Zhe snorted.


    "What idiot would enjoy fighting a Void Whale? We''re only doing it because we need the money."


    "You shouldn''t¡­have gambled¡­your money¡­away."


    "Ugh! I was just unlucky! And don''t remind me! Focus on the task at hand!" Qiang Zhe turned to me. "Kid, go wake the others. We need the whole party to face this thing!"


    I had barely taken a step when the enormous leviathan burst from the depths, rivulets of water spilling down its broad body. As black as night¡­or as black as the void, the Void Whale swam through the depths. The remnants of the poor Kraken seemed to dangle from its fangs, which gleamed with what seemed like blood.


    It was coming straight for us.


    "Hurry!"


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    I snapped out of my stupor when Qiang Zhe urged me. Turning around, I dashed into the bridge of the Mo Bi Di Ke.


    "Void Whale!" I yelled. "Wake everyone up! All hands on deck! Prepare for imminent combat!"


    The crewman who was on shift quickly raised the alarm, turning around and hitting a button. All over the Mo Bi Di Ke, a shrill noise rang, waking up everyone on the ship. With my job fulfilled, I quickly returned to the deck.


    Mo Fa was launching a volley of qi fireballs at the Void Whale, but the huge beast merely shrugged her attacks off. I could see that her qi techniques, which could punch bloody craters into the hide of a Colossal Crab or rip through a Kraken, were having little effect on the vast body of the whale-like monster.


    "You little¡­!"


    Growling, Qiang Zhe leaped off the railing and into the fray. Wth a roar, he threw his spear right at the head of the Void Whale. Crimson maelstroms of qi whirled around his weapon as it turned into a blinding projectile that lanced into the Void Whale. There was a bright explosion that illuminated the dark seas for a moment as the spear slammed into the thick hide of the Void Whale and drilled though it with seemingly lethal impact.


    Did he do it? I wondered as I came to a stop, admiring the scene of destruction. However, Qiang Zhe landed back on the deck, his expression grim.


    "Called the rest yet?" he asked. I blinked, and then hurriedly nodded.


    "Uh, yeah! They''ll be here soon!"


    Already I could hear the thudding of footsteps and sense the presence of their qi as the entire team mustered for combat. However, surely even the Void Whale couldn''t withstand Qiang Zhe''s ultimate Army-Crushing Crimson Spear Strike, could it?


    "The Void Whale has finally appeared?!"


    Lao Ren was the first to show up, followed by Lao Tou. Then Du Yan hauled himself out of the cabin, his sword already drawn and his single eye glancing around for the enemy. He stopped when he saw the raging inferno atop the surface of the sea.


    "I see you already started the fun without us," he remarked.


    "Don''t worry," Qiang Zhe assured him dryly. "That won''t kill the Void Whale. You''ll have more than your fair share of fun later."


    "I don''t doubt it," Du Yan replied with a feral smile. Apparently he had experience hunting Void Whales as well.


    "Oh, it''s here! It''s finally here!"


    The next to arrive was Zi Xiao Ji, accompanied by her bodyguards as always. They stopped to watch the colossal conflagration that lit up the night sky, mesmerized. Like me, neither Zhao Shi nor Da Ge had ever encountered a Void Whale before, so they were caught off guard by the awesome spectacle and couldn''t help but admire it.


    The last to arrive was the Iron Mountain Sect trio, and they showed up as silently as ever, with Yi Shan at their head.


    "So¡­it has finally shown up, huh?" he murmured. "Let''s do it!"


    The Void Whale surged out of the inferno, a gaping wound visible on its head.


    "As I suspected, it''s still alive, huh?" Qiang Zhe muttered darkly.


    "Of course¡­a Void Whale¡­isn''t something that is¡­easily taken out¡­" Mo Fa was already preparing new techniques to bombard the incoming Void Whale.


    "Everyone, get ready for battle!" Lao Tou ordered. We were already falling into positions and waiting for an optimal opportunity to attack. Right now, the Void Whale was still quite a distance away, literally out of range of most of our most powerful attacks, except Mo Fa''s.


    Fortunately, we didn''t need to wait long. Enraged by Mo Fa''s relentless assault, and filled with a desire for vengeance against Qiang Zhe''s devastating spear strike, the aquatic leviathan only ever had one target in its mind.

 88 Chapter 87: The Void Whale

    "Steer to starboard!" Chuan Zhang was shouting inside the bridge, directing his crew in evasive maneuvers. "Avoid the Void Whale!"


    The ship began to bank hard to the right, but the speed at which the Void Whale was approaching meant that we wouldn''t be able to evade it in time. The sheer mass and velocity of the Void Whale was more than enough to break the Mo Bi Di Ke in half if it successfully rammed into us.


    No wonder so few people were willing to take up this mission. It carried such a high risk of death and danger¡­


    "Leave it to me!"


    Lao Tou jumped up, and cocking his fist back, he drove it right into the forehead of the Void Whale. Another bright flash of light ¨C this time it was white ¨C illuminated the sea, and the Void Whale was thrown back a few meters. Lao Tou was also flung backward, his body streaking across the air like a comet before he vanished into the water in a gigantic splash.


    "Tou!" Lao Ren shouted.


    A few seconds later, Lao Tou burst out of the water, spitting and cursing. Gritting his teeth, he hopped out of the sea and jumped back onto the deck in a single bound, looking none the worse other than being completely drenched.


    "Damned Void Whale," he complained. I glanced at his opponent. Even though Lao Tou''s punch was more than enough to obliterate a Kraken, the Void Whale was only wounded. It flailed about for a bit before spinning around to face us once more. Its jaws yawned open and it emitted a soulful cry that caused all of us to drop to our knees, clutching our ears.


    "The Whale''s Song!" Du Yan swore.


    After emitting that horrifying shriek, the Void Whale seemed to take a deep breath, and then it lunged for the Mo Bi Di Ke again.


    "Get up! All of you!" Lao Tou was first up on his feet, as usual. Despite his ears bleeding, the bald old man surged to his feet once more and jumped off the deck to confront the immense enemy. "Don''t make this old man do all the work! Come on and fight!"


    Wincing as I clutched my ears, I shakily rose to my feet and followed suit. It wouldn''t be a good idea to leave all the work to Lao Tou, as he mentioned. Hauling myself over the railing, I landed on the swirling sea. Using my footwork, I stepped on beads of seawater that sprayed from the white froth of the churning sea and used them to propel myself forward. Drawing both swords, I swung them and unleashed a ranged ice technique that froze the vicinity around me.


    However, the Void Whale was too large. Despite my best attempts, I only managed to freeze the front part of it. The Void Whale smashed the ice in an instant, its enormous body beaking free from its icy shackles.


    I didn''t know when the latter joined in, but he was acting in concert with Lao Tou, and the two old men drove their fists into either side of the Void Whale, elicting a sorrowful wail from the humongous beast. The shockwaves from their attacks buffeted me, sending me sliding across the very ice I froze across the sea.


    "Kuh!"


    It wasn''t as if there was much ice left, anyway. I managed to arrest my slide right before I went over the edge and jumped off. As the last remnants of my ice broke beneath my feet, I began navigating my way through the treacherous sea by jumping from one spray of seawater to the other. Using the churning waves as footholds, I weaved through the raging sea and closed in on the Void Whale. Swinging my sword, I slashed at the thick hide of the Void Whale, but didn''t leave much of an impact. Still, I managed to draw some blood.


    I wasn''t alone.


    Behind me, Qiang Zhe and Du Yan were also barreling forward while brandishing their respective weapons. They almost seemed to be using their qigong to fly above the sea, their feet not touching the violent, watery surface. Unlike me, who was using a mixture of my footwork techniques and freezing some parts of the sea to traverse the sea, the two of them had resorted to more powerful means of travel. I guess it was true that martial artists could "fly".


    No. I narrowed my eyes as I studied their movements. They weren''t "flying", at least not in the literal sense of the word. They had used their sheer physical prowess to propel themselves across the vast distance in a single bound. That was just a mere jumping action, and in that single leap they crossed over a couple of hundred meters.


    Both veterans landed on the top of the Void Whale and immediately plunged their weapons in. Qiang Zhe scythed a huge chunk of meat and blubber from the shrieking Void Whale, sinking in his spear deeper to avoid getting thrown off by the thrashing Void Whale. In contrast, Du Yan was almost everywhere at once. He went along with the flow, running along the side of the Void Whale while slashing unfettered with his sword.


    "Whoa! Ha ha ha!"


    Lauging joyfully as the Void Whale shuddered underneath his feet, Du Yan jumped up and did a cartwheel in midair before landing on another section of the Void Whale and carving a bloody scar into its hide. Unlike Qiang Zhe, who was a rock of unmoving stability, Du Yan was all animation and movement, never ceasing in his attacks and running.


    I had neither their strength nor skill, and I thoroughly lacked their combat experience. Hence my movements were a lot clumsier. Unable to anchor myself firmly onto the Void Whale or predict its movements and go along with the flow, or even to fly in midair like the streaming Lao Ren and Lao Tou, I had no choice but to compensate with my footwork tehcniques, disappearing and crashing back into the seea. Fortunately, my footwork techniques allowed me to skim across water and charge at the Void Whale once again, and in the event that I made a misstep, I managed to freeze small sections of the seawater to find tiny floating islands of footholds across the wide sea.


    "Not bad, kid!"


    Lao Ren grinned at me as he flew by, diving under a massive fin from the Void Whale and slamming his fist against the underside. The Void Whale screeched as it was overturned, its immense body rolling about in the waves.


    "Hey!" Du Yan hollered as he was forced to make another jump to find a safer place that wasn''t underwater. "Watch your attacks!"


    "Or maybe you should pay more attention to your surroundings."


    Even though he was the one staying stationary and not constantly moving around, Qiang Zhe had apparently moved when I wasn''t looking and was now standing on top of another part of the Void Whale. He had plunged his spear into the creature once again, gouging out another enormous chunk of flesh and blubber. Blood was bursting upward like a geyser, but miraculously none of the red liquid hit Qiang Zhe and stained him.


    I had no idea how he did it. Decades of experience, maybe?


    Taking a deep breath, I pressed on with my attack. Jumping up from spray of water to spray of seafoam, I slashed at the Void Whale''s immense bulk again, leaving a trail of ice expanding across its black skin.


    Landing on the water, which was slowly freezing because of my frosty qi, I skidded back for half a meter before launching myself at the Void Whale again.


    "!"


    Too late I realized that the Void Whale was spinning around, one of its gigantic fins lashing out in my direction. I activated my footwork, executing Tui to withdraw to a safe distance, but I was too slow and the Void Whale was too close¡­


    Boom!


    A gigantic fireball connected with the Void Whale''s head, rocking it backward before it could collide with me. The inferno was followed by a chain of lightning that sent spasms throughout the Void Whale''s enormous body. I didn''t see much clearly, having been in the midst of using Tui, but when I reappeared on the seawater, I quickly glanced in the direction of the Mo Bi Di Ke and saw that Mo Fa had covered me. She smiled and gave me a little wave with her free hand.


    I bowed gratefully and then resumed my attacks. That Mo Fa was providing support fire and covering the weaker members of the team was a great relief.


    "How enviable. I wished I had a big sister looking out for me too."


    "Eh? Zhao Shi?"


    I spun around in surprise when I heard her voice right behind me. Zhao Shi and Da Ge had finally arrived on the scene, having boarded a small motor boat that had silently sailed through the darkness, under the cover of the din our battle with the Void Whale was making.


    "We can''t let you hog all the fun to yourselves!" Da Ge told me with a genial grin on his face. He had already unsheathed his broadsword and was getting ready for battle.


    "Yeah, sure¡­where did you guys get the boat from?"


    It looked nothing like the lifeboats that hung on the side of the Mo Bi Di Ke. Those didn''t have motors, at least not from what I remembered. Was it stashed away in the storage hold of the Mo Bi Di Ke? Even so¡­


    "Brother Wu!"


    A familiar child-like figure popped her head out of the back of the boat. Zi Xiao Ji waved at me, a huge smile plastered on her cute face.


    "What are you doing here?" I demanded, shocked. Zi Xiao Ji had little to no combat capability. Being this close to the Void Whale was just suicide on her part.


    "Mistress is the one who forged this boat," Zhao Shi replied almost lazily, her focus on the Void Whale rather than me. "Naturally she''s the only one who can operate it."


    Oh, that was impressive. I guess Zi Xiao Ji wasn''t just some charge who needed her bodyguards'' protection all the time. There were times when she could actually be useful. Come to think of it, she was tha daughter of the greatest blacksmith and Spirit Engraver in the Middle Continent. Of course building a boat like this was no problem for someone of her caliber. I had a feeling that she would rival Tang Qi Hong in ingenuity and innovation.


    If Tang Qi Hong and Liang Shao Yang weren''t recognized by the Spirit Engraved Pillars and triggered a reaction out of them, surely Zi Xiao Ji would be next in line to inherit the leadership of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect from her father. She was on par with Hu Mei Er at the very least. And I would trust her more than the sly, shadowy assassin Liang Shao Yang.


    "Remember to keep a safe distance!" Da Ge reminded Zi Xiiao Ji, who nodded determinedly. The two Blood Blades bodyguards then jumped from the boat and attacked the Void Whale with their swords. Da Ge''s broadsword scored a large, swathing cut through the Void Whale''s humongous figure while Zhao Shi left a bloody trail in her wake.


    Not to be outdone by the pair of them, I also kicked off the ice and launched myself at the Void Whale again. Slashing out with my pair of swords, I scored a criss-crossing pattern of shallow cuts across the Void Whale''s hide. Of course, such injuries were superficial at most, and the Void Whale seemed completely unaffected.


    However, I had never intended to deal any real damage to the Void Whale. Crystals of frost clung to the Void Whale''s thick hide, the low temperatures and cold slowing its movements ever so slightly. While they might not seem to make any real difference, for experts such as Lao Tou, Lao Ren, Du Yan and Qiang Zhe, even a second''s delay might mean the difference between life and death.


    Therefore I continued my efforts to incapacitate the Void Whale with cold ice, hindering its movements as best as I could.


    "Gr¡­"


    A low grow rumbled from within the Void Whale and it lashed out with its massive bulk, forcing the tiny assailants to scatter. I landed a few hundred meters away, using footwork techniques to stay afloat. Meanwhile, Da Ge and Zhao Shi landed nearby, finding the safety of Zi Xiao Ji''s boat. The cute-looking girl had steered her boat to be at the pefect location for where they landed.


    Lao Ren and Lao Tou continued their gravity-defying stunts and flew around the Void Whale like bonafide immortals while Du Yan and Qiang Zhe shifted their positions.


    "Hold it still!"


    Yi Shan had finally arrived. Swinging his huge sword down, he used the Mountain-Cleaving Slash that he had used on other sea monsters before this, which had always succeeded in slaying them outright.


    Against the Void Whale, however, it was nothing more than a little scratch.


    "HUUUU!!!!!"


    The Void Whale let out another deafening wail, which was most likely another version of its Whale Song. Everyone crashed downward again, other than the pair of old men, clutching their ears and wincing. Even Lao TOu and Lao Ren were not completely immune, their hands clamped over their bleeding ears as they soared around the thrashing Void Whale.


    "Just what do we need to do to take down this monster?!" Qiang Zhe roared in frustration. He probably knew the answer because this wasn''t his first time hunting the Void Whale, but that did not stop the frustration from mounting up.


    "A lot of attacks," Lao Ren replied calmly, though I was pretty sure he was aware that Qiang Zhe''s question was rhetorical. That didn''t stop him from being facetious, though. He grinned wolfishly as he hammered another devastating fist into the Void Whale''s side, causing it to flip over in the sea. "Don''t tell me you''re already tired, youngster?"


    "Who the hell is tired?" Qiang Zhe snapped before he executed a flurry of spear strikes that carved a bloody crater somewhere in the middle of the shrieking Void Whale.


    "We''re only annoying it¡­we haven''t delivered a fatal blow yet."


    "Be patient," Du Yan reprimanded me when he heard my complaints. His single eye narrowed and he sliced deeply into an incoming fin when the Void Whale rolled over to lash out and the other tiny humans. "Every cut matters."


    "Death by a thousand paper cuts, huh?" Zhao Shi remarked, her voice grim.


    "They never said this mission would be easy!" Da Ge chirped in amusement. The guy had just joined the battle so he still looked refreshed. He wouldn''t be as exhausted as me, Du Yan or Qiang Zhe. Actually, I wondered why the old men Lao Tou and Lao Ren were still in shape to continue flying around so much.


    Well, if we talk about clich¨¦s, the older you are, the stronger you are, right?


    Deciding not to think too much about that, I readied myself for a fresh strike. While the Void Whale continued to loll around, retaliating against the ducking and weaving Lao Ren and Lao Tou, I jumped from wave to wave with my footwork, and slashed both swords down again to leave another gleaming trail of ice on its thick hide.


    "Phew!"


    Flipping in midair, I executed another footwork technique to kick off a shattered ice crystal that had broken free from the rest of the ice and was flying on the air, and withdrew to a safe distance before the Void Whale''s massive bulk filled the space where I was sailing through a few seconds ago. Bouncing on the surface of the sea, I then readied myself for another charge.


    "Watch out!"


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    Zi Xiao Ji''s warning came almost too late, but I halted myself in midair and pulled back. Fortunately, Mo Fa was covering me, Zhao Shi and Da Ge, and her hail of fire and lightning attacks struck the Void Whale before it could rear up and consume us. The three of us retreated, with Zhao Shi and Da Ge hastily returning to Zi Xiao Ji''s boat.


    "I''ve to thank that big sister later," Zhao Shi muttered under her breath, cold perspiration forming on her tomboyish face. "Otherwise we would have ended up being food for that huge whale."


    "Ugh¡­" Da Ge grimaced. "I would rather eat food than be food for other¡­creatures."


    "We might still end up food if we''re not careful," I warned. Waiting for Lao Ren and Lao Tou to deliver another couple of devastating strikes with their bare fists, I then seized the opportunity to jump up and unleah another dual glacial attacks to slow it down further. The Void Whale stirred, barely feeling the effects of my icy assault, and focused on the pair of flying old men.


    "Don''t waste the opportunity they bought us!" Zhao Shi ordered and she jumped out of the boat again. Da Ge nodded and followed shortly, and the two of them slashed deeply into the flank of the Void Whale while its attention was still centered on Lao Tou and Lao Ren. Da Ge sucked in a deep breath and unleashed a single massive attack that tore a ravine into the Void Whale''s enormous body while Zhao Shi continued cutting shreds of its hide attack by attack.


    Yi Shan joined in, swinging his broadsword and cleaving through a good part of the tail with his Mountain-Cleaving Strike. That caught the Void Whale''s attention and it whirled around, gnashing and shrieking bestially.


    "Whoa!"


    The three of us jumped back at the sudden movement. I didn''t know if Yi Shan''s aggressive maneuver was deliberate or if he hadn''t considered the repercussions of his actions, but I didn''t have time to ponder over that. The Void Whale was coming at us.


    "Retreat!"


    Da Ge managed to nimbly return to Zi Xiao Ji''s boat, but Zhao Shi ¨C who was closer to the Void Whale ¨C couldn''t evade in time. The gaping maw seemed to tower over her for a moment, Zhao Shi''s slender figure seemingly vanishing into the darkness.


    "Sister Shi!!!!" Zi Xiao Ji screamed.


    "Ugh¡­?!"


    Zhao Shi never got swallowed.


    Instead, I executed Jin and tackled her, sending her flying out of the Void Whale''s mouth and in the direction of Zi Xiao Ji''s boat. The collision meant that my momentum was slightly arrested ¨C for every force, there was an equal and opposite force reacting against it ¨C so I stopped short right within the space of the Void Whale''s mouth.


    Then its jaws closed around me.


    "Brother Wu!!!!"


    "You¡­!"


    "Not good!"


    Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge cried out when they saw me get swallowed by the Void Whale, and then I completely disappeared from their sight.


    Now that I realized it, rolling and hitting the tongue, saving Zhao Shi might have been a bad idea. Well, better me than her. I wouldn''t hesitate to save her again even if I could reverse time.


    "Hai''er!!!!"


    Hu Shi was screaming now, trying to reach out, but unable to help her child.


    I closed my eyes as I allowed the burning memories to wash across my mind. Never again would I allow someone in front of me to die just because of my weakness. I had trained and forcibly attained my current strength to prevent that from ever happening again.


    It didn''t matter what happened to me. I just couldn''t¡­let anyone die. Even if I had to take on the world, I would do everything within my power to stop their deaths. My life was a cheap price to pay as long as nobody else died.


    "¡­"


    But that didn''t mean I was suicidal. If there was a way for me to survive, I would take it. I would cut my way out of the Void Whale if I had to. I wasn''t going to give up until the very end. Being alive meant that I would struggle all the way until the final moment if I had to.


    Splash¡­


    I felt the seawater lap against my shoes, an enclosed lake that filled the Void Whale''s maw after it swallowed tons of the surrounding sea. Whales did not have salivary glands, from what I remembered. The few that did possess them were in fact vestigial, meaning they produced nothing. So unlike the time with the Ice Soul Python, I didn''t have to be disgusted.


    For the moment, anyway.


    The strong currents seemed to sweep me back toward the throat of the Void Whale. I could avoid it by freezing a small segment into ice and anchoring myself to the sides of the inner membrane of the Void Whale''s mouth, but I doubted that would work. Pushing my glasses up, I peered through the darkness. Even though the night-vision function had kicked on and my lenses took on a greenish tinge, I still couldn''t see anything except the massive tongue and gigantic lake of saltwater that washed against my legs.


    If I didn''t do anything, I would be swallowed as well.


    "What''s this?!"


    My glasses detected nothing past the throat. It was like I was staring at a bottomless abyss, almost like that time in Sen Lin Forest. There was no sign of tissue, no esophagus, nothing. It was pure void.


    Almost as if¡­


    No wonder they call this monster a Void Whale¡­


    I finally understood. The Void Whale had a special ability to turn its stomach into a spatial void. That explained its voracious appetite. It could eat thousands of Kraken, the combined mass of its meal several times its entire bulk, without getting hungry because it would store all those Kraken meat within that unrestricted spacious anomaly present within its stomach.


    It was this very characteristic that made the Void Whale a popular hunt target. For Spirit Engravers could use these properties to forge special Spatial Storage devices that could store countless items that would otherwise be several times the mass and weight of the device itself. I also had an idea of using this very characteristic to forge a similar device, which was why I volunteered for this mission in the first place.


    Glancing up at the upper cavity of the mouth, I did some calculations. If I wasn''t mistaken, the brain of the Void Whale should be located that way¡­


    This could be an opportunity. I have access to one of the most vital parts of the Void Whale by virtue of being inside its body right now!


    Gritting my teeth, I steeled myself before kicking off and launching myself upward. Infusing my dual swords with purified qi, I slashed into the membrane and ripped through a cavity, plunging right intp the brain of the Void Whale.


    I felt a gigantic quiver all around me when I burst through its sturdy skull. Initially, my swords clacked inefficiently against the hardened bone, but I twisted around and delivered a roundhouse kick to further weaken it. Here, brute force would prevail over sharp weapons, especially against solid bone. Using Shadow Kicks and the kicks that I learned from the Lunar Rabbit all those years ago, I rained blow upon blow on the gradually weakening skull and watched as the cracks expanded rapidly.


    Almost there!


    I didn''t know how long I had been kicking the skull. The tremors around me continued to increase, getting more powerful by the second, but entangled as I was in soft, muscous tissue, I managed to find my balance and sprang forward to kick again. And again. And again.


    There was no way I was going to give up until I got into the most vulnerable part of the Void Whale.


    Bam!


    Finally, the bone gave way, a huge segment fracturing and splitting off from the main skull. The bony shards buried themselves in the soft brain tissue within, causing another violent spasm to surge around me. Ignoring the tremors, I plunged into the brain tissue. This time, my swords were more effective, carving a bloody path into the core of the Void Whale''s mind.


    I was going to slay the Void Whale from the inside.


    "Uwooooh!"


    With a determined yell, I unleashed whatever purified qi I could with my swords, turning a huge chunk of the brain into bloody mush. Twisting around, I kicked out and my foot tore through more nervous tissue. Activating Seismic Step, I blew an enormous crater within the immense brain that belonged to the poor Void Whale.


    "¡­"


    The Void Whale was most likely shrieking in pain, given the violent vibrations that were jolting the mass of tissue around me. Buried deep inside its skull as I was right now, I couldn''t hear the noise, and focused on destroying more of its brain.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I slashed and cut my way through the Void Whale''s brain, until I finally reached something hard. Another part of the skull, huh?


    By now, the shudders and died down and the Void Whale had gone eerily still. I didn''t know what was going on outside, and I was tired of being stuck inside here, so I decided to free myself. Again, I repeated the maneuver of kicking the skull. It cracked a little, showing a little gap, so I shoved my two swords in there and pried open the skull.


    Gash!


    Using my two swords, I inadvertently cut myself out of the Void Whale''s head in one stroke. Freed from the mass of brain tissue, I emerged from the gaping wound, drenched in blood and blubber oil. Coughing and wheezing, I dragged myself out of the ragged hole in the Void Whale''s head and sank to my knees near the edge.


    "Oh, so you were the one who killed it!"


    Lao Ren landed next to me, chuckling. It was only then that I realized that the Void Whale had really stopped moving, its body floating motionlessly on the sea.


    "What the fuck did you do, after getting swallowed by the Void Whale!?"


    "I cut my way free," I replied as I gestured to my bloodstained swords. The bald old man blanched, and then glowered aat me.


    "That''s not what I mean!"


    "Then what do you mean?" I retorted. I had just got swallowed by a gigantic monster, I was covered from head to toe in disgusting fluids and was in an urgent need of a shower and new clothes. I ain''t gonna take shit from no one. At last not now.


    "You cut your way free of the Void Whale after it swallowed you?" Du Yan was gaping at me as he landed not far away. "Are you out of your goddamned mind?"


    "No. I''m out of the Void Whale''s mind, though."


    Flippantly pointing at the hole in the Void Whale''s head, I couldn''t help but deliver a snarky reply. I was in no mood to be polite, after all.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! The kid has a great point!"


    Qiang Zhe burst out laughing as he joined us, landing nearby with his spear resting on his shoulder. Even though I was soaked in blubber oil and blood, he didn''t hesitate to approach me and slap my drenched back with his hand,


    "Great job, kid! Even I wouldn''t have dreamed of doing something as crazy as attacking the Void Whale from within!"


    "You really make it a habit of getting eaten by magical beasts and monsters, don''t you?"


    Zhao Shi had finally arrived, with Zi Xiao Ji and Da Ge in tow. She evidently remembered that time with the Ice Soul Python and was mocking me for it. Da Ge grinned and placed a hand on her shoulder.


    "Now, now. Whose fault was it that Wu got eaten by the Void Whale? If I remember correctly, he was trying to save you, right?"


    "T¡­thanks," Zhao Shi muttered under her breath and quickly looked away, her face burning. What the hell, was she a tsundere or something?


    "I''m glad you''re all right, Brother Wu! Or we''ll be in deep trouble when we return to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! Especially with Sister Qi Hong!"


    The mention of Tang Qi Hong struck a painful accord in my heart, but I swallowed it and forced a smile.


    "Yeah. It would be a great inconvenience if she lost her assistant."


    "I''m sure it''s a lot more than that!" Zi Xiao Ji insisted, but I was in no mood to argue with her. Instead, I glanced at the others. Yi Shan and his two comrades had also just joined us, the former looking very apologetic.


    Perhaps his attack hadn''t been on purpose, after all.


    More importantly, I wanted to return to the Mo Bi Di Ke, shower, change into clean clothes and rest. But before that, we still had one last thing to do. Turning to the others, I smiled wearily and tried to phrase my question as politely as I could.

 89 Chapter 88: Return journey

    "We''re going home," he declared, to the cheers of the ragged crew. The newbies, in particular, were getting overly tense after every dangerous encounter with the massive denizens of the sea. The poor youths had their nerves stretched taut to breaking point, and they were extremely relieved once they learned that we had accomplished the mission.


    But it wasn''t over yet. We still had to complete the return journey to the relatively safe shores of the Middle Continent. Just because we reeled in and slew the Void Whale didn''t mean the seas were suddenly bereft of danger. Many other magical beasts and sea monsters continued to linger beneath the abysmal depths of the ocean.


    Well, that was what we martial artists were here for. We were supposed to escort the ship safely back to friendly shores. As such, I resumed my shift slightly after the battle. At least that was my intention, until I received the protests from the others.


    "Hey, you did the most work, kid!" Qiang Zhe reprimanded me. "Getting eaten by the Void Whale, delivering the finishing blow directly to its brain¡­if anything, you''re the one who needs the most rest! Go to bed!"


    "Zhe is¡­right, you know?" Mo Fa studied me with those sleepy-looking eyes of her while puffing on her pipe. "You are¡­the one who deserve rest¡­the most."


    "Yeah! You''re making the rest of us look bad!" Du Yan complained.


    I scratched my head and sighed. I had just taken a shower and changed my clothes, so I should look the freshest out of everyone, but even so¡­


    "You look like hell," Da Ge told me plainly. "Go get some sleep."


    "You too," Lao Ren told Qiang Zhe and Mo Fa gruffly. "If I''m not mistaken, you were also on your shift when the Void Whale appeared."


    Qiang Zhe and Mo Fa exchanged glances, and then they both nodded.


    "I''m beat," Qiang Zhe groaned as he stretched himself and stifled a yawn. Beside him, Mo Fa cocked her head to the right.


    "I''ve expended too much of my qi earlier," Mo Fa admitted wearily. "I''ll take you up on your offer then."


    "That''s why we''re heading down now," Qiang Zhe agreed as he grabbed my shoulder and roughly pushed me in the direction of the ship''s cabin. With no other recourse, I obediently followed the couple down the stairs.


    We silently strolled down the corridor, and then suddenly Qiang Zhe turned to stare at me intently.


    "At times like this, kids should just be kids and let the adults take care of them."


    "R¡­right."


    "You¡­did a great job¡­"


    "You heard her. Listen to Big Brother and Big Sister, all right? Go get some rest. If you really want to work, we''ll work you to the bone tomorrow."


    "All right, all right." Pushing my glasses up, I conceded defeat and complied. Qiang Zhe stayed outside his room, as if he wanted to ensure that I obediently returned to my room instead of sneaking back upstairs.


    Like hell I would do that. I had better things to do than to sneak upstairs, just to get caught by the others. I was going to return to my room and sleep.


    Admittedly, I was tired after all¡­


    *


    The next few days passed by in a blur. Before I knew it, we were out of the Void Ring without any further casualties. Most of the sea monsters were content to let us sail by without incident, and the few who did attack us were slain and stored at seafood in the increasingly packed storage hold.


    "I can''t believe we did it!"


    Zi Xiao Ji was sitting on one of the chairs on the deck, gazing at the gradually brightening sky. We were just about to exit the Void Ring now and return to the light. Beside her, Zhao Shi and Da Ge kept a close watch.


    "To think we would be able to successfully hunt a Void Whale!"


    "Begging your pardon, Mistress, but why would we have taken this mission if we thought we would fail it in the first place?"


    Zhao Shi shot her mistress a withering glare, but Zi Xiao Ji merely ignored her. Dangling her little feet off the chair, she raised her hand to squint against the glare of the bright sun. As for me, my glasses automatically darkened to protect my eyes.


    "I can''t wait to go home¡­wait till Father and Mother hear about this!"


    "I''m sure they''ll be considerably impressed," Da Ge remarked cheerfully. In contrast, Zhao Shi seemed to groan.


    "That''s assuming they forgive us for sneaking away and undertaking this mission without telling them¡­"


    "Don''t worry," Da Ge assured her. "Sect Lady will most likely forgive us and consider this mission an invaluable experience of combat for Blood Blades and the young Mistress. She''ll most likely convince Sect Leader that this was absolutely necessary for the young mistress''s growth."


    "¡­huh?" I frowned at that. Wasn''t it usually the other way around? The mother should be the one worried while the father encouraged the children to venture out on their own and gain the necessary experience to survive in life.


    Or perhaps I was too rigidly stuck in my assumptions of gender role.


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    A ripple appeared in the sea again as some monster glided just beneath the surface, swimming parallel to the Mo Bi Di Ke. I glanced in its direction, my glasses going overtime and tracking its movements. Even though the Void Ring had hindered most of its sensors, they could still offer a limited function of tracking.


    That guy¡­


    Zhao Shi and Da Ge had noticed its presence too, and they slightly tensed. They weren''t on edge, just on their guard so that they would be ready if the monster decided to attack us. Over the last few days, there were a few who came close, but they seemed more curious than aggressive and swam away by themselves after a while. If possible, we would prefer not to provoke any of the massive sea monsters into attacking our ship.


    However, I was in no mood to fight, even if the current sea monster turned out to be more hostile than the others.


    The gargantuan shape emerged out from the depths of the sea and sliced through the surface, barreling toward us at an insane speed. Right at the boundary, where several faint rays of sunlight trickled through, the massive silhouette of a gigantic shark was visible. Its jaws wide open, it surged toward the ship in hopes of crushing the metallic hull with its countless rows of sharp teeth.


    "Damn it!"


    "Looks like we''ve no choice."


    Zhao Shi and Da Ge sprang to their feet, drawing their weapons and getting ready for combat. Unfortunately, as I said earlier, I was in no mood to fight. Even so, I dragged myself out of my seat and staggered toward the railing.


    "Wait for a bit," I told the puzzled duo.


    "Eh? But it''s clearly attacking us!"


    "I know," I assured Zhao Shi. "I plan to stop it before it reaches us."


    "Ah." Da Ge nodded knowingly. "We''ll be relying on you then."


    I smiled back, and then swung my sword. In an instant, I froze the entire area of sea in front of us, ensnaring the shark inside a block of ice and halting its momentum. The shark seemed to twitch, but enclosed within its glacial prison, it couldn''t move a muscle.


    "Do you want to kill it and then bring it back for shark''s fin soup?" I asked the Blood Blades duo. Zhao Shi considered for a second, and then shook her head.


    "Nah, not worth the trouble."


    "Agreed." Da Ge was also shaking his head. "I want to be out of the Void Ring as soon as possible."


    "All right, let''s leave before the giant shark breaks out of the ice."


    I offered no argument, and returned to my seat. Even as I plopped down idly, I kept an eye on the giant shark to ensure its icy tomb wasn''t cracking. We didn''t want the nasty bugger chasing us all the way out of the Void Ring.


    Unaware of what had just transpired, the crew continued to steer the ship forward into the safety of the world outside the Void Ring.


    Fortunately, the next few days in the much calmer seas proved to be eventful. Out of the Void Ring, there were relatively few monster encounters. I was half-expecting to run into pirates again, but they never showed up.


    That was good. After all the fighting against sea monsters and sparring against Qiang Zhe and Lao Ren, I was in no mood to fight. Hell, I was exhausting myself just from trying to keep up with the both of them.


    On the bright side, I learned a lot from the elder and the veteran, so it was totally worth it. I even thought that I would learn more from sparring with them than actually fighting with pirates or colossal sea monsters.


    And just like that, another three days passed and we found ourselves within sight of the shore. The docks were growing more and more visible as we neared it, and even from this distance I could see the lively hustle and bustle of the workers and disembarked crews. There was a lot of loading and unloading happening.


    Having secured a massive supply of seafood, as well as the extremely valuable carcass of the Void Whale, I knew precisely the kind of work that port work entailed.


    "We''re finally back, eh?"


    Qiang Zhe emerged from the cabin to look at the bustling port, a smile etched across his handsome face. He had clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back slightly to admire the scenery.


    "With this, I can not only pay my debts, but also live luxuriously for a couple of decades!"


    "Assuming¡­you don''t lose¡­all of your money¡­through gambling."


    "Ugh!"


    Qiang Zhe winced at Mo Fa''s reminder when she came onto the deck. She greeted me with a warm smile.


    "It was¡­a pleasure working¡­with you. I hope¡­we will have¡­another opportunity¡­to work together¡­again."


    I accepted her hand and shook it. "Same here."


    Mo Fa nodded and then turned back to Qiang Zhe.


    "I''ll be¡­keeping a close eye¡­on your expenses¡­this time."


    "Oh, come on!" Qiang Zhe protested. "I promise I won''t go gambling this time! Even if I do, I swear I''ll put a limit on how much I''ll bet! Really!"


    "You¡­said that¡­the last time too¡­"


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Cold perspiration appeared on Qiang Zhe''s face as he melted under Mo Fa''s scrutiny. Scratching his head, he groaned and glanced toward me for help. I could only shrug before an idea suddenly came to mind.


    "Hey, isn''t Mo Fa waiting for you to propose to her?"


    "Huh?! Propose?! What the hell are you talking about!?" Qiang Zhe almost choked when he heard my question. However, Mo Fa smiled faintly and place her hands on her wide hips, staring at the trembling Qiang Zhe.


    "Indeed¡­I have been¡­waiting a long time¡­for it."


    "You brat¡­!" Qiang Zhe tried to send a glare at me, but shuddered when he felt the intensity of Mo Fa''s glare.


    "It has¡­been a long time¡­coming."


    "Ugh! Fine! Fine! I''ll buy you a ring when we get back onshore! I''ll propose to you properly!" Qiang Zhe was clutching his head as he howled helplessly. While he submitted to Mo Fa, I smirked behind the scenes, satisfied with what I had done.


    I had seen the way Mo Fa gazed at Qiang Zhe, after all, and I didn''t want her to suffer the same fate as me. It felt great to push Qiang Zhe toward proposing toward the woman who clearly loved him dearly.


    That didn''t stop Qiang Zhe from glaring at me. You''d better watch it, he mouthed.


    "Congratulations," I replied outright instead, causing him to flinch. Qiang Zhe sighed and finally shook his head in resignation.


    "¡­thanks, I guess?"


    "Yes¡­thank you indeed." Mo Fa was absolutely glowing. "If you hadn''t¡­given this blockhead¡­a little push, he would¡­never have proposed¡­and¡­I''ll be stuck waiting¡­forever."


    "Don''t be so dramatic!" Qiang Zhe complained.


    "Ha ha ha ha! What is this? A true occasion for celebration indeed!" Lao Ren seemed to have heard everything and he strode over in delight. "A wedding! That means a feast! And a party! We should celebrate this joyous event!"


    "Not you too¡­" Qiang Zhe groaned. Lao Ren didn''t seem to have heard him, having descended into a raving insanity.


    "Ah¡­how I wish to be young again!"


    "Aren''t you already married, geezer?" Qiang Zhe growled. Lao Ren started for a moment, and then smiled sadly.


    "I¡­was."


    An awkward silence fell over us, when we figured out what he meant by the use of past tense. Qiang Zhe lowered his head apologetically.


    "Sorry. I didn''t mean¡­"


    "I know. I don''t blame you. And I''ve gotten over it." Lao Ren waved his apologies away. "I''ve been widowed for a long time now. Time heals all wounds."


    "But it leaves scars," I muttered. Lao Ren glanced at me, surprised. Then he sighed.


    "Perhaps, but it''s not that bad. I still have my brother to accompany me."


    "What was that?" Lao Tou poked his head out of a window. "Talking bad about me behind my back again?"


    His statement brought out some laughter from the people on the deck, and eased the mood somewhat.


    While snickering at Lao Tou''s confusion, I turned back to stare in the direction of the bustling Great Zhou port. I would be so glad when I found my feet on top of dry land again. I had spent too much time out on sea.


    I wonder how everyone is doing?


    My heart fluttered a little as the memories of my friends and family flashed across my mind. It had been a couple of weeks since I had seen them, and while I called my family a few times per week ¨C mostly to assure them that I was still alive ¨C it would be great to see them in person. I also needed to catch up on current events after being away for so long.


    Come to think of it, Qi Hong hasn''t really responded much to my messages.


    The combination of fantasy-like qi and technology had allowed me to receive a signal on my cellphone even out in the middle of the sea. The Void Ring proved to be the exception, but the whole area was jamming all sorts of things, not just electromagnetic signals, so that wan''t unusual. That said, Tang Qi Hong gave the briefest of replies once I regained the signal upon leaving the Void Ring. Unlike my parents, who had a lot to say to me after a few days of not being able to contact me, she just acknowledged that I was safe before falling silent again.


    I guessed she was busy. Surely she wasn''t avoiding me just because I confessed to her the other time? I even brushed it off as a hypothesis rather than confirm that it was a real confesion. And the atmosphere between us wasn''t so awkward before I left for this mission¡­


    "It''ll be your turn next, Brother Wu!"


    "Huh? What?"


    I snapped out of my thoughts and whirled around when Zi Xiao Ji spoke up. She was grinning at me from the side.


    "You have to buy a ring and propose to Sister Qi Hong too!"


    "Oh? What''s this?"


    Qiang Zhe scented blood and he quickly sidled over with a mischievous grin.


    "Seems like you have a girl of your own, eh, kid?"


    "I wish." I sighed, feeling reluctant to tell them the truth. But I didn''t want to deceive Zi Xiao Ji and ended up weaving a lie into a much bigger misunderstanding in future that would come and bite me in the ass. That was how all unnecessary drama was created. Through lies and deceit borne out of a desire to preserve my fragile ego. "I got rejected."


    "Huh?!"


    Zi Xiao Ji stared at me in astonishment, not sure if she believed what she was hearing. Qiang Zhe, on the other hand, looked as if he was stricken with guilt again. The poor guy¡­always bumbling into what seemed to be other people''s misfortune.


    "Are you sure?!"


    "Qi Hong said something about needing to focus on being the next sect leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and dealing with all the high expectations that Sect Leader and Elder Hai Mo placed on her. She doesn''t want to lose to Liang Shao Yang, and wishes to pour all her heart and attention into that goal. As a result she has no intention of having a romantic relationship with any guy, at least at this point of time and in the near future."


    "No way¡­" Zi Xiao Ji placed her hand on her mouth.


    "Well, that makes sense." Zhao Shi stepped in with a sigh. "There''s no way Junior Tang will settle for just any man." She glanced at me, her gaze defrosting. "No offense."


    "None taken."


    "Okay¡­as I said, Junior Tang needs to find the right man. A guy with the appropriate strength, talent and status. Otherwise her position as the next sect leader will be threatened. Already it''s under threat from the appearance of a second prodigy, Liang Shao Yang. Unless Junior Fei is able to somehow prove his potential, he wouldn''t be fit to be Junior Tang''s partner."


    "I''m sure Wu has proven himself more than capable of meeting those requirements." As ever the optimist, Da Ge offered some encouragement. I smiled at him gratefully, but then shook my head.


    "Thank you, but I have not. I''m still far from being worthy of anything or anybody. I''ll have to continue working hard."


    "You can be a Blood Blade," Da Ge pointed out. "We''ll definitely welcome you with open arms."


    "You certainly have proven yourself in combat," Zhao Shi agreed. "And your skills and experience far surpass the majority of those in the Blood Blades. We''ll talk to Elder Zhao when we return to Tushan City. We''ll get you a place in there. Who knows, you might be like Sect Mistress, being the martial half to Junior Tang''s blacksmithing half."


    I raised both hands. "Let''s not get too ahead of ourselves shall we? There are still things I need to learn and do before I consider the Blood Blades."


    "Eh?" Da Ge looked slightly disappointed. "We could really use your strength."


    "Eventually," I assured him. "Just not now. I still have a few blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving techniques I wish to learn before I go anywhere."


    "Oh!" Zi Xiao Ji''s eyes lit up. "That''s great!" she sent a glance at her bodyguards, as if to tell them to stop pressuring me. She then turned back to me with a sweet smile. "If it''s about blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, feel free to approach me for help or advice at any time!"


    "I will."


    Not too long after that, we finally anchored ourselves at the jetty and disembarked. As usual, I proceeded to help the crew unload the seafood and Void Whale stuff from the cargo hold, bringing them into a lorry that would ferry the spoils of our catch into a warehouse.


    Du Yan and the Iron Mountain Sect trio took the heads to the nearest branch of the authorities, promising to split the reward after they received it. Having fought alongside them against colossal sea monsters, there was no reason to distrust them.


    As we loaded the Void Whale parts into another lorry, I reached for my bag in reflex. To my relief, my share of the Void Whale parts was still in there.


    I couldn''t help but recall the conversation that occurred just after we had slain the Void Whale. The crew was loading the carcass into the ship, helped immensely by the artificial ice ground that I had frozen over the surface of the sea.


    Despite the solid footing, the ice was not without its dangers. The surface was slippery and the crewmen had to move slowly and carefuly to avoid slipping and falling on the ice. I could see them stumbling about, and to be fair, I would have suffered the same fate had I not trained in martial arts and learned footwork techniques.


    As we loaded the carcass into the storage hold after several trips, I took the initiative to approach the others and make a request.


    "Um, do you guys mind if I help myself to some parts of the Void Whale? I can subtract that from my share of the reward if¡­"


    "What are you talking about?" Lao Ren scoffed. "Take whatever you need. You''ve earned it."


    "Yes¡­and don''t you worry about¡­your reward. Unless you''re planning to¡­take more than five percent¡­I''m sure no one will miss¡­whatever amount you take."


    Mo Fa nodded in agreement.


    "Yeah! In the first place, you''re the one who killed it!" Qiang Zhe concurred fiercely. "If anyone stops you from taking some Void Whale meat or whatever, I''ll give him a good whack!"


    "Thank you."


    I had bowed and thanked everyone for being so accommodating with my selfish request. Before I could proceed to grab whatever I needed, however, Zi Xiao Ji was curious for the reason why I wanted some Void Whale stuff.


    "What do you need the Void Whale parts for?"


    "I''m hoping to create a device similar in function to the spatial storage bags," I had explained to her. "I intend to one day create a tool where I can store my stuff inside without worrying about space and weight."


    "Ah! That makes sense!" Zi Xiao Ji had nodded enthusiastically. "That''s why you came along on this mission! The Void Whale parts are more important to you than the money!"


    "That''s right¡­sort of." Then something occurred to me. "Do you know how to forge and Spirit Engrave a spatial storage device?"


    "Hmm¡­" Zi Xiao Ji had frowned sullenly. "I''m afraid not. The only people who know are probably the elders. Especially Sect Leader and Elder Hai Mo¡­if you want to learn how to forge a spatial storage device, it''s best to approach those elders."


    "That''s exactly what Qi Hong is doing right now. I believe she''s learning directly from First Elder Hai Mo."


    "Oh!" Zi Xiao Ji turned delighted, a mischievous smile spreading across her cute face. "Then you''ve a chance¡­ahem, I mean then you can as her to teach you directly after she finishes learning from Elder Hai Mo!"


    "I certainly will." I nodded. That had been my original plan from the start. I was slightly disappointed that Zi Xiao Ji didn''t know the techniques for it, or I could speed up the process. Too bad reality wasn''t as convenient as fiction.


    I had to take the long, hard way. Well, patience was necessary for success.


    "You really like helping out, don''t you?"


    I broke out of my reminiscence, only to find Zhao Shi staring at me, her arms crossed. Sighing, she grabbed me and dragged me away from the docking crew.


    "They''re being paid for their labor. You''re not."


    "But I feel bad¡­"


    "Don''t! You''ll make the rest of us feel bad too!"


    "¡­oh."


    "And besides, if you don''t hurry, you''ll miss the bus! You got a way home by yourself or something?"


    "¡­oh."


    That was the decisive blow. Without any means of transport other than a five-hour trip by public commute, I would very much prefer not to miss the chartered bus. Checking my belongings one last time to ensure that the precious Void Whale material was still with me, I thn followed Zhao Shi to where Da Ge and Zi Xiao Ji were waiting.


    "You''re really a nice guy," Da Ge told me with a smile.


    "Aw¡­if Sister Qi Hong rejects you, she really doesn''t know what she''s missing." Zi Xiao Ji was shaking her head bitterly. "I need to talk some sense into her!"


    "I would rather you don''t¡­it might make things more awkward between us."


    "Junior Fei is right," Zhao Shi told a dejected Zi Xiao Ji. "We shouldn''t meddle in the love affairs of other people. It''ll only make them mad. And it''s not as if you don''t know how petty and stubborn Junior Tang can be."


    "Eh¡­"


    "Don''t worry," I assured Zi Xiao Ji. "I''ll figure something out."


    "Yeah!" Da Ge chirped in good-naturedly. "You''ll make Junior Tang regret ever having dumped you!"


    "Anyway," I cut in hastly so that I could steer the subject away in a safer direction. Safer for my mental wellbeing, anyway. "Where''s the bus? Aren''t we returning to Tushan?"


    "Oh, before that, we''re stopping by a restaurant along the way."


    "Eh?" I stared at Zi Xiao Ji blankly. She grinned.


    "Have you already forgotten, silly? Qiang Zhe and Mo Fa are getting married! We''re going to celebrate!"


    "It''s also a double celebration for accomplishing the mission and safely returning to shore!" Da Ge added gleefully.


    "Yay!" Zhao Shi punched the air. "I can''t wait! I''m going to order the best wine the restaurant has!"


    Oi, oi. Don''t go spending all your money on wine so soon after the mission.


    "Well, is everyone ready?"


    Looking up, I caught sight of Qiang Zhe and Mo Fa approaching. Du Yan joined in not later, and even the two old men, Lao Ren and Lao Tou, were present. The only people absent were the Iron Mountain Sect trio, with Yi Shan insisting that they needed to return to their sect as quickly as possible after depositing the Smoker Pirates'' heads at the closest police post.


    Oh well. Not everyone wanted to join in, after all. I was feeling a little reluctant, but I wasn''t anti-scoal to the point where I spurned such events. Besides, this might be the last time I saw Qiang Zhe and Mo Fa, and I wanted to send them off with good memories.


    "Yup!"


    "We sure are!"


    "Let''s go!"


    As everyone chorused cheerfully, I smiled to myself and followed them into the chartered bus.

 90 Chapter 89: Return to Wu Ling Academy

    Glancing at my cellphone, I saw that Tang Qi Hong wouldn''t be able to come out of training for the next week or so. She was learning how to forge spatial storage devices under Elder Hai Mo at the moment. As I was the one who made the request, I couldn''t complain. Tang Qi Hong was learning this for my sake, after all.


    Well, I wasn''t that delusional to the point of flattering myself that Tang Qi Hong was doing it solely for my sake. I was sure she realized that the forging techniques for spatial storage devices were integral for a blacksmith and Spirit Engraver, and it was better for her to learn them sooner rather than later. Those things cost a lot.


    Speaking of which, I had better keep my pieces of Void Whale safely. If the other students knew that I had them, they might try to rob me. I trusted most of my classmates enough to not stab me in the back, like Tong Xue for example, but that didn''t mean I was na?ve enough to believe in the so-called good nature that was innate in all human beings.


    I had been burned more than once. I didn''t want to get backstabbed again.


    "Hmm, there won''t be much blacksmithing or Spirit Engraving classes this week¡­I might as well go back to Wu Ling Academy today."


    The tournament was mere weeks away. Two weeks, if I remembered correctly. I had best focus on preparing for combat over blacksmithing. My current goal was to get into the Blood Blades, after all, not to forge a top-grade Spirit Armament. Tang Qi Hong, Zi Xiao Ji and Liang Shao Yang can handle all those. I was happy with fighting.


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    My goal was to attain enough strength to protect everyone. If I couldn''t win a stupid tournament, how would I expect myself to defeat all sorts of formidable enemies who threatened my friends and families? All it took was one mistake¡­one defeat, and I might lose those precious to me forever.


    That was why I was determined to be the strongest. And in order to achieve that goal, I had to begin with training myself to win the tournament. Or at least train myself so that I could gain as much combat experience as possible ¨C in other words, strengthen myself to the point where I wouldn''t get eliminated early.


    That would be embarrassing.


    All the combat training facilities are in Wu Ling Academy. I think I''ll rent a room in the dorm there and stay in school for the next few weeks¡­other than the weekends, of course.


    Making that decision, I hoped onto the Phoenix Express the following morning (the day after I returned to Tushan) and got ready for school. While I idled on my seat, Tong Xue showed up a few minutes later with Lian Rou.


    "Oh! Fei Wu! You''re here!"


    "It''s been a while. Where have you been?"


    I waved back and watched as Tong Xue and Lian Rou took the seats in front of me. The latter, in particular, turned to look at me curiously. Evidently she had noticed my absence over the past few weeks. I was touched.


    Knowing Tong Xue, though, he probably already knew where I went. The guy had his fingers in all sorts of intelligence communiques, fishing for information.


    "Been fishing, haven''t you?" he laughed. The irony was totally lost on him, I bet.


    "Whaling, actually," I corrected him with some relish. It was satisfying to prove him wrong, even if it was just a minor mistake. Okay, I was childish. But I was still technically correct. "Whales are not fish, you know."


    "Ugh¡­I know." Tong Xue held up both hands in resignation. Lian Rou looked from him to me, still puzzled.


    "Whaling? You were hunting a whale?"


    "Yeah, I was trying to reenact the story of Moby Dick."


    Both Tong Xue and Lian Rou stared at me blankly. Evidently they hadn''t heard of Moby Dick before, or that story didn''t exist in the world (then why was the ship named Mo Bi Di Ke then?).


    I sighed. "Never mind. I was hunting a Void Whale. I needed to get some cash for a project I''m working on."


    The Void Whale parts, as I said, were now safely secured and stored next to the Ice Soul Python armored scales. Both types of Spirit Mateirals were locked up tight and barred from the view of anybody, and as much as I trusted Tong Xue and Lian Rou, I didn''t tell them that I actually took a few Void Whale parts for myself.


    You never knew who was listening in on our conversation, after all.


    "Oh¡­what sort of project are you working on?" Lian Rou''s eyes were shining. She was, more than me and Tong Xue, a blacksmith and Spirit Engraver. Naturally she would be interested in forging projects.


    "A personal weapon. I''m still not sure of the details yet, but I''ll figure it out soon. Probably some sort of sword¡­"


    "Right, you practice swordsmanship." Tong Xue nodded. "What was it? Heavenly Dragon Meteor Swordsmanship?"


    Since the Chinese for Dragon and Draconic was the same, I wasn''t going to quibble with him on that. Nonetheless, I glared at him. "How do you know about that?"


    Tong Xue grinned. "I know everything."


    "Except that whaling is different from fishing, it seems."


    "Oh, come on! That''s such a negilible difference!"


    "Is it?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why don''t you try fishing and whaling, then tell me how they are almost the same."


    "Um, can you elaborate more n your personal weapon? So a sword, huh? Why don''t you just get one from the sect?"


    Lian Rou broke in before we could squabble further. I shook my head.


    "No, I want to customize my personal weapon with some weird functions. I''m experimenting with several ideas in my mind, but I''m still not sure which one I want. A weapon that can combine offense and defense, for example."


    That was why I wanted the Ice Soul Python armored scales in the first place. Known as one of the sturdiest magical beasts, the Ice Soul Python''s armored scales made a good ingredient for defensive equipment and armaments.


    "Heh¡­sounds interesting. Make sure to show me when you''re done!"


    Lian Rou was nodding excitedly, her eyes shining. I wasn''t sure why she was so enthusiastic about something an amateur was experimenting with, but I wasn''t one to dampen others'' spirits. So I merely smiled and nodded.


    "Sure."


    "But there''s only a couple of weeks left before the tournament," Tong Xue remarked just when the Phoenix Express lurched into acceleration, throwing us back against our seats. The bus began to take off and soared into the air, surging forward at incredible speed. "You won''t be able to forge the weapon in time."


    "The weapon is not for the tournament," I informed him. Tong Xue''s eyes widened.


    "Eh?! It isn''t?"


    I understood his concern somewhat. Usually the students in our academy would be working hard to procure high-quality weapons, or even mystical treasure weapons. The better the weapon, the larger the advantage the wielder had in a fight. Of course, skill came into play too, but if it was a match between two evenly skilled opponents, the one with the better weapon would have an edge, and thus a higher chance of winning.


    Unfortunately, right now I couldn''t afford to buy a high-quality weapon. I had spent all my money on martial arts manual. And while I normally would have earned a lot of money from the mission where I hunted a Void Whale, most of my rewards were in the form of the Void Whale parts I pilfered from our catch. Not to mention, I planned on using the rest of the cash for living expenses and other spirit materials for my intended weapon.


    Furthermore, it would be a waste to buy an expensive Spirit Weapon, only to discard it or sell it off (at a lower price because it would be second-hand by then) once I had finished forging my personal Spirit Weapon.


    "I''m thinking more long term. This Spirit Weapon is one for the future, something I can use for the next few years and not just for a single tournament."


    "Ah¡­that''s very farsighted." Lian Rou nodded in approval. Tong Xue frowned, but he didn''t object. Perhaps he saw the wisdom of my decision, but he still had several doubts about it.


    "Then what are you going to do about the tournament?"


    "I''ll participate in it¡­"


    "No, I mean, what are you going to use?"


    "Oh, you mean these?"


    I drew my swords from my bag. Even though they were somewhat banged up after the Void Whale mission, I had fixed them up and repaired them as best as I could. As a blacksmith and Spirit Engraver of the Nine-tailed Fox Sect, we had to learn the basics of weapon repairs and maintenance. So I put them into practice after I returned to Tushan City.


    Tong Xue made a face. "You''re using such cheap, poor quality swords?"


    "Hey, they helped me out a lot against the Void Whale, you know?" I frowned at Tong Xue''s casual dismissal of what I deemed were my comrades. "And against the other students, I''ll most likely use non-weapon skills."


    "Like your kicking techniques?"


    "Well, obviously I have far more experience with my kicking techniques than I do with sword techniques." Pushing up my glasses, I affirmed. "Plus I''m not exactly bloodthirsty enough to use swords on the other students."


    "Don''t be na?ve," Tong Xue reprimanded me. "Your opponents will be doing their best to kill you, you know. Haven''t you signed the indemnity form? You know the opponents won''t be made to take responsibility even in the event of your death. We''re allowed to kill each other."


    "Not unless we surrender first," I reminded him. "Killing an opponent who has surrendered will be deemed as cold-blooded murder and is punishable by death."


    "Of course, but do you think your opponents will necessarily wait for you to surrender?" Tong Xue rolled his eyes. "They''ll come at you with the intention to kill right from the start. Some of them are capable of killing others in just one strike."


    "You''re right," I conceded with a nod. "I''ll adjust my tactics according to the opponent. Obviously, if the opponent is strong and full of killing intent, I''ll do my best with my swords. But¡­" I glanced at them before putting them back in my bag. "¡­that doesn''t mean my chances of surviving will be higher. As I said, I lack experience with the sword."


    That was why I took the mission. One of my primary objectives was to get used to wielding swords and actually putting the sword techniques I had learned from Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship into practice.


    The Void Whale had not let me down. Hell, most of the sea monsters I met out in the Void Ring had given me ample chance to practice my sword techniques in reality. While human opponents would pose a completely different challenge, I was sure that the combat experience I gained from slaying sea monsters was invaluable.


    And I still had yet to mention the priceless lessons and advice I had received from sparring with Qiang Zhe. Even if it was just sparring sessions instead of actual combat, the reflexes I honed during those mock battles were just as important.


    Qiang Zhe didn''t go easy on me, after all.


    I had also trained a little against Da Ge and Zhao Shi, exchanging moves with them, but as expected neither of them had reached the level Qiang Zhe attained with his decades of experience. Nonetheless, I also valued my duels with them. They would be closer to the opponents I would face over the tournament.


    "So who do you think will win the tournament?" Lian Rou asked, shifting the subject away from me. Tong Xue grinned as he retrieved his tablet.


    "The favorites are, of course, Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao. As you already know, they are both Five Star Constitution cultivators, and Bai Ning Xue has even attained level 9. Zhu Jiao might still be at level 8, but we all know that''s only because he hasn''t taken the level 9 test yet. He might take it before the tournament, or after¡­"


    "That''s right. Those two are currently the strongest martial artists in our cohort." Lian Rou nodded in agreement.


    "Yup. Other than those two, we have a couple of dark horses. Du Lang, for example, has been progressing steadily¡­he''s also level 8. Then there''s Feng Tian Yong, who has broken through level 9 of the Sacred Phoenix Flame Body Formula."


    I cocked my head to the side as I listened. As usual, all these levels and numbers were meaningless to me. The only conclusion I got out of that was that Feng Tian Yong was incredibly strong at the moment.


    "Li Chun Long is another one to watch out for. He has hit level 12 of the Solar Celestial Dragon Formula."


    Dude, can you speak in proper Chinese and not numbers? History and literature, not math and science, were my strongest subjects. Going off on these levels and numbers were just boggling my mind and meant nothing to me.


    Tong Xue rattled off another list of names I had never heard of before and couldn''t be bothered to remember.


    Fortunately, his conversation was cut short when the bus pulled to a stop. The driver turned his head to glare at Tong Xue.


    "Hey! Quit yapping back there. We''re at your school!"


    "Sorry, and thank you," I told him as I got up and got ready to alight. Tong Xue looked a little sheepish, and he bowed his head slightly.


    "Sorry, got carried away there."


    "You should learn to talk less," Lian Rou giggled as she followed him out of the bus. I lowered my head apologetically toward the bus driver and then alighted along with them. By now, the bus driver seemed more amused than annoyed.


    The roar of engines told me that the bus had taken off behind us, but I ignored it and focused on walking to the classroom. Glancing around, I saw that not much had changed since the last time I had been here.


    How nostalgic.


    After spending a few weeks out on sea staring at absolutely nothing but water for kilometers on end, it was refreshing to see the school again. I couldn''t help but be relieved to be on solid earth after spending so much time on a ship.


    Unfortunately, the peace did not last long. The next thing I knew, Tong Xue had jumped on me the moment I returned to my desk. He had his tablet out again, and was checking the list of participants in the tournament.


    ¡­actually, wasn''t everyone obligated to participate? It didn''t matter if we were blacksmiths/Spirit Engravers or fighters¡­every single student in Wu Ling Academy enrolled here to be a martial artist. It made no sense if we chose to stay out of the competition.


    "What about you?" I asked Tong Xue, breaking him off in the middle of his information-sharing. He stared at me blankly.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Aren''t you participating in the tournament as well? You''re pretty skilled, and even if you aren''t as strong as the others, your intelligence and stealthy tactics should more than make up for your lack of strength."


    "Hey! I resent that!"


    "Oh, I''m not saying you''re weak," I assured him. "I''m just asking what your chances of winning the tournament are. Surely you''ll be making it far into the finals, given that you''re aiming to be a Blood Blade in the Nine-tailed Fox Sect?"


    "Hmm¡­well, it''s true that I aim to get into the Blood Blades eventually, but¡­"


    Tong Xue frowned as he pondered thoughtfully, his finger on his chin. Then he shook his head bitterly.


    "¡­I don''t think I stand a chance of progressing far into the tournament. I''ll probably hit the last 16 or so, and that''s if I''m lucky."


    "Huh? You¡­"


    "There are about four hundred students participating in the tournament. We''ll be having preliminary rounds, and only the top sixteen will make it to the finals. We''ll be having twenty-four matches to decide who the top sixteen students are, and those with the most points of their groups will making it to the finals."


    "Twenty-four matches?!" I blurted out. "You mean twenty-four matches each?"


    "That''s right." This time, Lian Rou had arrived to join us. Having overheard our conversation, her curiosity was piqued. However, she had information of her own. "There are about sixteen groups with twenty-five students each, and we have to fight the other twenty-four students to earn points."


    "Naturally, the only way to earn points is to win. Or draw. A win is three points, a draw is one point and a defeat is worth zero points. The student with the most points in his group will make it to the finals." Tong Xue sighed.


    "Neither Tong Xue nor I am confident of being among the top sixteen," Lian Rou finished. She smiled sheepishly. "Given my strength, I''ll be lucky to be in the top half. I''m more inclined toward blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, after all."


    "I''m probably in the top hundred," Tong Xue declared confidently, then his face fell a little. "But I''m definitely not in the top sixteen. Maybe top fifty at best? But there''s no way I can win almost all of my twenty-four matches to take top spot in my group."


    "Have the groups been decided yet?" I asked. Both Tong Xue and Lian Rou shook their heads.


    "The groups will only be decided right before the day of the tournament," Tong Xue informed me. "This is to prevent sabotage and rigging. And match-fixing."


    "They''re really being careful about this," I observed. Lian Rou giggled.


    "Of course! Wu Ling Academy frowns upon cheating. They''ll deliver heavy punishments to anyone who tries to sabotage or bribe their opponents. We have quite the prestigious reputation to maintain, especially as the role model for orthodox martial artists."


    Somehow I doubted that we were really a role model for orthodox martial artists, and a lot of the so-called orthodox martial artists I had met were either pretty unscrupulous or bloodthirty or glory-hunters, so I was cynical about such claims.


    "That said, it''s still best to gather information on your potential opponents. Knowledge is power and all that, after all." Tong Xue skimmed through his tablet. "It''s best to make sure you know what kind of fighter your opponent is when he or she is revealed, so that you can quickly come up with countermeasures on the spot."


    I stared at him dryly. "You''re not going to be able to memorize all of the other three hundred and ninety-nine or so students'' details."


    "No, I''m not. But I don''t have to. I just need to remember those who will be formidable opponents, especially those with troublesome techniques." Tong Xue then frowned. "Even if they seem weak, they might have some sort of technique that compensate for their lack of strength and will cause us a lot of problems in battle. In certain ways, it''s easier to fight the physically stronger students because their strategies tend to be more direct and straightforward, to the point that their moves become predictable. So you can already prepare for those."


    "So people like you," I remarked. Lian Rou burst out laughing at that.


    "Fei Wu has got you good!"


    "I won''t deny it." Tong Xue tilted his head as he leaned closer to study the particulars of students in his tablet. "But¡­even so, my tricks aren''t going to help me against the likes of Bai Ning Xue or Zhu Jiao or Feng Tian Yong, who will just overpower me with brute force."


    "What about Fei Wu?"


    "Hmm? Oh, Wu, you''re¡­well, a dark horse, I suppose?" At Lian Rou''s question, Tong Xue scratched his head. "There isn''t much information on you and your techniques. You''ve spent too little time fighting over the last two years."


    That was because I spent the majority of that period assimilating and purifying the qi that I had absorbed from over a hundred demonic martial artists.


    "So not many people are giving you any chance. Furthermore, you kind of messed up your level 6 test and barely passed it, so people think you aren''t that strong. The favorites are mostly level 8 and the single level 9 we have currently."


    In other words, Bai Ning Xue was the overwhelming favorite, with Zhu Jiao coming a close second.


    "But who knows, you might surprise everybody." Tong Xue was nodding, more humorous than serious. "That''s why I say, knowledge is power. Look at all the information I gather, they''ll definitely be useful to you."


    "¡­I mean, thanks, but as I said, I''m not going to be able to memorize all four hundred other students¡­"


    "Nah, just look at the stronger ones." Tong Xue waved my statement away. I raised an eyebrow at that.


    "If I can''t even defeat normal opponents, what makes you think I''ll be able to defeat the stronger students?"


    "That''s a good point, but still, it''s better to know than not to." Tong Xue was being very stubborn about it for some reason. "We''ll be able to commentate better."


    "Huh? You want to be a commentator?"


    "Hmm¡­maybe? That sounds fun."


    "Okay¡­" I decided to humor him. "Let''s see what you got."


    "Now you''re talking!" Tong Xue grinned. Spinning his tablet over so that he could show me and Lian Rou, he gestured at the screen. "Now the first person to take note of is Li Chun Long. As I said, he has mastered level 12 of his Solar Celestial Dragon Formula¡­"


    While I knew this was going to be the main tournament arc, and that it would be useful to know some of the potential opponents I would be facing, this was just ridiculous. Did they have to supplement every tournament with a detailed dossier of each opponent I would be facing? Not that I even knew who my next opponent was. Yet, here Tong Xue was rambling on and on about the various strong contenders'' sects, their power levels, their skills, their techniques, their specialities, their weapons, their rivals, their friends, their fathers, their mothers, their dogs, their shoe size, the last meals they ate, and a ten-page essay about the day they took their first step into the jianghu.


    I mean, was all this bullshit information really necessary? Who cared of Yu Wen Tian was rivals with Xiao Wu Chen? And why would I care of Gao Xue''s father was the patriarch of the Gao clan, and that she was motivated to win to bring glory to her sect? Or that Deng Da Shen was jealous of Tou Ren Jia for stealing his childhood friend and saw this as his chance to get back at him? At this point, most of the information was more gossip than useful Intel.


    Besides, there was no point remembering any of it.


    All that matters is that the protagonist (Zhu Jiao) wins. And all these poor bastards cease to matter anymore. Okay, that joke didn''t come across well, but as a reminder, protagonist is pronounced the same way in Mandarin as Zhu Jiao.


    I sighed. I could already predict what was going to happen in this tournament. Zhu Jiao would overcome all odds and reach the finals, where everyone declares him to be the best and praise him endlessly to high heaven every time he wins, until he meets Bai Ning Xue in the finals. Then he''s suddenly the scum of the earth who doesn''t know his place again.


    There, he would challenge Bai Ning Xue and make a bet ¨C if he wins, she will marry him or be his girlfriend. Bai Ning Xue would coldly look down on him condescendingly ¨C though inside, her heart will flutter at how bold her childhood friend is ¨C and says he stands no chance. They have an epic fight, Zhu Jiao wins, Bai Ning Xue is moved to tears at how strong he has become, and she happily agrees to be his girlfriend.


    Then everyone praises Zhu Jiao to no end once again, revering him as some godly protagonist who overcomes all odds and surprised everyone, despite him supposedly being a Five Star Constitution cultivator (which they conveniently forgot because of that one time he lost his talent). Bai Ning Xue''s parents would appear and accept him as their future son-in-law, or they wouldn''t, which would lead to more family drama that Zhu Jiao would overcome through sheer strength and face-slapping, and he still gets to marry Bai Ning Xue after all that bullshit.


    Happy end. Plus it was so clich¨¦ it made me want to puke. There was no longer any need to tell this story. Everyone could see what would happen a mile away.


    "Fei Wu? Are you listening? Hello?"


    "Yeah, I am."


    I was suddenly aware that Tong Xue was calling me. I must have blanked out after his endless droning. Good. At least the existences beyond the fourth wall didn''t have to read all the nonsense about the various characters whose names they probably wouldn''t even remember. Taking a deep breath, I rubbed the back of my neck.


    "So you''re talking about Du Lang now, right?"


    "That''s right! As you know, Du Lang views Zhu Jiao as his rival, and is out to get him. I think he''s in love with Bai Ning Xue, and so he resents Zhu Jiao for capturing no small amount of her attention. He''ll definitely use the tournament as an opportunity to defeat him!"


    Yeah¡­like I said, stupid gossip. Who cares about that, seriously? I couldn''t be bothered if Du Lang was in love with Bai Ning Xue or even Zhu Jiao himself. The only outcome was that Zhu Jiao would defeat Du Lang and humiliate him in front of Bai Ning Xue, thus causing his grudge to grow. Or not. Even if that happened, it was entirely none of my fucking business.


    "Oh, Student Fei Wu, you''re back."


    Teacher Jiao Shi spotted me the moment he stepped into the classroom. I nodded and rose from my desk, relieved at not having to listen to more of Tong Xue''s gossip. On the other hand, Lian Rou looked disappointed. Apparently she really enjoyed listening to all these rumors about other people''s love lives.


    "I should have informed you last night. The mission was successful."


    "Oh, now that you''ve mentioned it, I did receive an email regarding that." Teacher Jiao nodded thoughtfully as he glanced at his tablet. "Well, congratulations. But you''ve missed quite a bit of class. Will you be able to catch up?"


    "I''ll be staying in the academy for the next few days," I told him. "I intend to use the training facilities, and borrow a bunch of training equipment from school. For strength training. I''ll also need to book a room in the dormitories."


    "Good. Make sure you approach the office for that. I''ll send you your assignments, and if you have any questions or problems you don''t understand, feel free to approach me."


    "Understood. Thank you."


    Wu Ling Academy was still an educational institution, after all. Of course I had to get my homework done. Fortunately, theory was my forte, so I wasn''t worried. Tong Xue might be great at gathering information, but I could quickly glance through a text, discard the irrelevant information and focus on the main points.


    That was how I had survived up till now. Certainly, there were advantages to Tong Xue''s style, but I knew my limitations. My memory wasn''t that good, and I couldn''t rely on memorizing everything. That was why I focused on the main points.

 91 Chapter 90: The tournament begins

    I wouldn''t say that the past two weeks had been entirely uneventful. Some major things happened while I was staying in the Wu Ling Academy dormitory, but I was too impatient to rush into the long-awaited tournament arc that I was going to skip through them. What, don''t worry. If necessary, I''ll just insert them back in through a flashback later on.


    If they were important to the main story, of course. I doubted they were that important, at least not for the moment anyway, so I was going to fastforward straight to the tournament arc before the existences beyond the fourth wall could complain.


    "Um, okay¡­"


    I glanced at the tablet as I walked out of my dorm room. I was pleased that I managed to get back the dorm room I had been assigned to for the last three years in middle school. It seemed that nothing had changed. I owned few things and many books, as usual. Furthermore, with digital uploads, eBooks and e-readers, more people were choosing to read electronically over actual, physical books. Having experienced the convenience of a Kindle back in my previous timeline I was half relieved that I didn''t need to worry about space or lugging around a whole load of books wherever I went. If I needed to read something, I could access them from my tablet.


    A pity the same couldn''t be said for martial arts manuals. Unlike digital uploads or physical paperback copies, martial arts scriptures were spirit artifacts in their own right. The teachings and techniques inscribed into them were a form of Spirit Engraving. They emanated a mystical sort of power that wouldn''t be present in any book.


    But at the moment I don''t need new martial arts techniques¡­even if it''s for the tournament.


    To be a competent martial artist, I had to master my own techniques to their utmost extremes. It was quality over quantity. There was no point learning as many techniques as I could if I wasn''t even good at one of them. In fact, learning so many different techniques would only serve to confuse me and disrupt my focus. I would rather master one technique to its extreme than to devour as many different technqiues as I could.


    Otherwise I wouldn''t have bothered with Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship in the first place.


    "Hey, what are you strolling around for? Hurry up!"


    Having seen me just emerge from my room, Feng Tian Yong showed up and slapped me on my back. Hard. I almost doubled over and fell flat on my face, but fortunately my footwork and balance had always been stable.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Oi. Don''t tell me you forgot what day it is today?"


    I sighed and scratched my head. "The day of the tournament, right? They''re assigning us to our sixteen groups today?"


    "If you know that, then why are you idling around here for? Hurry up!"


    Feng Tian Yong almost disappeared in a blur, sprinting off in the direction of the main campus. I sighed again as I rubbed the back of my neck.


    "Even if we hurry, it''s not like it''ll change our group assignments or something."


    Closing my eyes, I muttered grumpily under my breath and then followed after Feng Tian Yong. Stepping into the courtyard, I caught sight of the Phoenix Express landing in the carpark not far away. As I expected, Tong Xue and Lian Rou alighted from the bus. This time, they were accompanied by Tang Qi Hong.


    Oh, Tang Qi Hong had finally come out of seclusion, huh? I wondered if she had finally managed to succeed in mastering the Spirit Engraving and forging process necessary to craft a spatial storage device. Knowing her, there shouldn''t be any problems.


    With a smile, I headed toward them and waved. The trio saw me and stepped to the side, making way for the other Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples who also attended Wu Ling Academy as students. I joined them a few seconds later, ignoring the looks from the fellow disciples who didn''t know me that well other than that I was "Tang Qi Hong''s assistant."


    "How have you guys been?"


    "All right. What about you?" Tong Xue grinned. "I heard there was a major incident in Wu Ling Academy about a week ago."


    "Nothing much," I stifled a yawn. "The principal asked me to help out, but by the time I arrived, there wasn''t much for me to do."


    Tong Xue frowned. "That''s not what I heard¡­"


    "More importantly, the groupings are out. Feng Tian Yong was telling me to hurry up earlier. Let''s go."


    "Ah, that''s right!" Lian Rou nodded. "The tournament is today! We shouldn''t be late!"


    The four of us immediately headed toward the main plaza. As we made our way there, weaving through the throngs of students, I leaned over to ask Tang Qi Hong.


    "How was training?"


    "It was good." Qi Hong looked smug. "I''ve learned how to forge a spatial storage device. I''ll teach you when we return to Tushan after the tournament."


    "I''ll be relying on you then."


    "Over here!"


    While the four of us walked, Ban Zhang suddenly appeared and waved at us. Grateful that the class president (he was still class chairman even after three years) saved some space for us, we moved in his direction. He was located somewhere near the front, currently separated from us by a sea of excitedly chatting students.


    "Wouldn''t the groups be emailed to every student anyway?" I wondered out loud, even as we jostled against the crowd.


    "Certainly, but it''s more fun this way." Lian Rou giggled. Tong Xue seized her hand tightly to make sure she didn''t get carried away by the crowd.


    "That''s right!" he agreed. I raised an eyebrow, but didn''t comment. Apparently, Tong Xue was pleased at the chance to hold his girlfriend''s hand.


    "Whoa¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong grabbed hold of my shoulder and hung on as we wove through the crowd to fight our way toward Ban Zhang''s position.


    "Glad you made it," he told us when we finally joined him near the front of the gigantic holographic bulletin board.


    "Where''s Zhu Jiao?" I asked, noticing that one member of our group was conspicuously missing. Ban Zhang shrugged.


    "Late, as usual."


    It figured. The protagonist Zhu Jiao was always late. If everything went according to the usual clich¨¦s, he would rush in at the final moment, possibly drawing the whole school''s attention, and fall over right in front of the bulletin board. Then he would find out that he had been drawn into the Group of Death, filled with the most powerful candidates.


    Typical.


    "Hmm, which group am I in?"


    "Oh boy¡­Feng Tian Yong is in my group¡­" Tong Xue groaned. "Looks like I''m not going to make it to the round of 16, after all."


    "You don''t say," Lian Rou muttered. "I have Bai Ning Xue in my group."


    Everyone turned to look at her sympathetically, but Lian Rou merely smiled.


    "It''s okay. I told you, I don''t expect to progress far in this tournament. I''ll do my best, but I''ll be happy with a good ranking."


    "Do your best!" Tong Xue encouraged her. "I''ll do my best too!"


    Apparently the rankings within the sixteen groups also mattered. Lose all your matches and you would be placed at the bottom of the school. Second and third places would mean you were within the top fifty, and there would be other rounds where the second-placed fighters would fight against the other second-placed rankings in the other groups for another fifteen matches to decide their standings. So it wasn''t as if only first place was the only goal to look forward to.


    Naturally, the higher your ranking in the academy, the more resources you would receive, whether it was in the form of money, spirit pills, artificial qi, martial arts techniques, etc. There was intense competition over these limited resources.


    Not to mention the prestige this would bring to their respective sects¡­that was why the various sects were so invested in enhancing the abilities of their disciples, to ensure that they bring home trophies and glory to the sect.


    I doubted the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect held much faith in me, but if I earned a respectable ranking, perhaps somewhere among the top hundred among the four hundred or so students in Wu Ling Academy, they would consider my application for the Blood Blades. Obviously if I ranked poorly, like amongst the two or three hundreds, they would throw out my application faster than spoiled pizza.


    "Ugh, I have Kuang Hu in my group," Ban Zhang groaned. We all glanced at him, with only Tong Xue and Tang Qi Hong''s eyes lighting up in recognition.


    "Who?" I blurted out.


    "Kuang Hu¡­he''s a new student who joined Wu Ling Academy during the first year of high school. He''s one of the most promising students in the White Tiger Sect¡­his talent is on par with Qi Fu Ren''s, but he''s more¡­focused and hardworking." As usual, Tong Xue had all the information. He glared at me. "He''s one of those I told you to watch out for."


    "Oh, right." I pretended that I remembered what he was talking about. Fortunately, Lian Rou was on hand to ask in my place.


    "Is he strong?"


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    Tong Xue''s annoyed gaze melted instantly. Oi, your attitude toward Lian Rou and your attitude toward me are totally different! Isn''t this double standards!?


    "Very strong. He''s more powerful than Qi Fu Ren would have been if the latter kept up his flippant attitude toward training. But¡­he''s ruthless and merciless. He''s known as the Mad Tiger, Kuang Hu. He won''t stop until he rips his opponent apart¡­sometimes literally. But there will be teachers refereeing the match, so they will step in to stop him if his opponent surrenders."


    "That sounds scary."


    "I would rather not fight him if necessary," Ban Zhang agreed with a shudder. "They say he''s among the fastest martial artist in the academy."


    "Oh?" that caught my attention. "Interesting."


    "Don''t force yourself. Surrender if you have to." Lian Rou, as ever, was practical, and did not prize victory over health. Ban Zhang smiled bitterly.


    "If I''m in danger, I''ll surrender immediately. But I''m not going to give up before I even fight. Not against that bastard."


    "This guy sounds like a new Qi Fu Ren," I observed. Tong Xue chuckled.


    "He''s not that bad. He''s just¡­pretty ruthless in battle, but he doesn''t bully other people like Qi Fu Ren."


    "That''s good to hear."


    "Hmm, I should be able to get out of my group just fine. The few opponents I have to take note of are Xue Bing from the Snow Valley Sect and Qing Xin Xia."


    Tang Qi Hong was musing to herself as she studied the list displayed in huge letters across the bulletin board.


    "Oh! You''re in the same group as Xin Xia?" Lian Rou''s eyes widened. I listened intently, having a few recollections of the shy, dimituitive girl from the Green Dragon Sect. Qing Xin Xia was certainly talented, but her skills lay more in healing than combat. She was set to be the next Teacher Yi Liao, at least from what I heard.


    "Go easy on her, okay?" Tong Xue laughed.


    Tang Qi Hong frowned. "I can''t afford to underestimate Xin Xia. She might specialize in healing, but I''ve heard that she has become very strong recently."


    I wonder why. It was obvious with everyone who had half a brain that Qing Xin Xia was in love with Zhu Jiao¡­except Zhu Jiao himself. The protagonist was as dense as a neutron star and too obsessed with his childhood sweetheart, Bai Ning Xue, to notice Qing Xin Xia''s affections for him. No doubt Qing Xin Xia planned to use the tournament as a chance to display her prowess and draw Zhu Jiao''s attention toward her.


    Ah, how enviable it must be to be the protagonist of a web novel! To have all these beautiful girls flocking toward him! If only Tang Qi Hong didn''t reject me! Ugh¡­


    "What about you, Wu?" Tong Xue asked. He then spotted my name a few seconds later, after glancing through the bulletin board. "Oh, you''re in the same group as Wu Hei Gui and Wu Xing! Oh boy, that''s not good."


    "Why?" I asked even though I already knew the answer. Shaking my head, I sighed. "Never mind, I know why¡­"


    "Oi, you know how strong Hei Gui is, right? We''re in the same class!"


    I nodded. I had witnessed his fearsome defensive abilities in class, especially during the training session. In the whole of Wu Ling Academy, it was not an exaggeration to say that Wu Hei Gui was the strongest, if not the second-strongest in terms of defense. The Black Tortoise Sect was famous for their formidable defense techniques, after all.


    "He''s going to be a tough nut to crack¡­like, literally."


    Tong Xue scoffed at that. "If you can still make jokes like that, then you''ll be fine. But the other guy, Wu Xing¡­"


    "I believe Wu Xing is from the Kun Lun Sect, correct?" Ban Zhang scratched his head. "I don''t remember much of him, other than the Kun Lun Sect is one of the major eight sects, and they dabble in esoteric elemental techniques."


    "Yeah, he''s from another class too." Tang Qi Hong furrowed her brow. "I don''t think I''ve heard much of him either, but he does have a reputation for being extremely intelligent, talented and strong. I don''t know the details, though¡­"


    "Wu Xing is known as the Five Elements of the Kun Lun Sect," Tong Xue filled us in. He was as reliable as ever. "He''s known for mastering the esoteric five elements principle known to the Kun Lun Sect and is able to wield all five different types of five elements at will, countering whatever elemental technique his opponent uses against him." He turned to me with a grave expression. "He''ll definitely be a tough opponent."


    "I''ll figure something out," I replied. I was aware that none of my classmates were expecting much of me, but Tang Qi Hong was hoping that I would rank highly in my group at least. So did Tong Xue, probably because he wanted a comrade to join him in Blood Blades.


    "But you shouldn''t have a problem against the others¡­uh, looks like Tu Zi Yi is also in your group." Tong Xue frowned. "Hmm, you should be careful of her too. Even though she''s only a Two Star Constitution cultivator, she does have some mean skills."


    "In other words, I can''t let my guard down around her."


    "Yeah!" Tang Qi Hong tried to grab my ear but missed when I ducked. "Don''t let your guard down just because she''s a girl, understand!?"


    "Yeah, yeah." Even though she was the one who rejected me and insisted that she needed to focus on working hard to become the next leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, she was acting somewhat possessive of me. Girl, that was just¡­not right.


    "WHOA! Wait for me!?"


    As if on cue, Zhu Jiao bumbled right into line, almost catapulting into the crowd of students. Being martial artists, all the students immediately parted on reflex, allowing Zhu Jiao to barrel past without striking any of them.


    Bam!


    Zhu Jiao flipped himself up at the final moment and crashed onto both feet. Looking apologetic, he bowed to everyone in the surroundings.


    "Sorry, sorry! I hope no one was hurt!"


    "Hey, Zhu Jiao!"


    "You''re finally here!"


    "Whoa, are you all right?"


    Tong Xue, Ban Zhang and I strode forward to meet him. Zhu Jiao grinned and scratched his head sheepishly.


    "Yeah, I think so. Sorry about that."


    "Always making quite the entrance, are you?" Ban Zhang shook his head, amused.


    "As expected of the protagonist," I muttered. Fortunately, no one heard me or they would be asking me what I meant.


    "Have you guys already seen your groups?"


    "Yup. It''s you now."


    While we gathered to look for Zhu Jiao''s name, the crowd of students reformed and plugged the gap that Zhu Jiao''s reckless charge created.


    "By the way, where''s Ning Xue? Is she not here yet?"


    Zhu Jiao glanced around, puzzled. Not far away, Qing Xin Xia ¨C who was with Li Chun Long and the other disciples of the Green Dragon Sect ¨C twitched. Her pretty face crinkled into a frown, and I swear I saw a flicker of murderous intent behind those hazelnut eyes of hers.


    Oh boy¡­that''s not good.


    Was Qing Xin Xia a yandere or something? Even so, there was probably no need to worry. Bai Ning Xue was powerful enough to take care of herself. The chances of Qing Xin Xia winning against Bai Ning Xue in combat were pretty low.


    Low, but not impossible, but honestly, this wasn''t my problem, and I doubted that the gentle Qing Xin Xia would be capable of such atrocities in any case. Her reaction was perfectly normal. Who wouldn''t think of killing their bitter rival once in a while? To act on it, however, was entirely another matter altogether.


    "Oh! I''m there!"


    "Wow¡­you''re pretty unlucky, aren''t you?"


    The moment Zhu Jiao spotted his group, Tong Xue sighed and shook his head sympathetically. Zhu Jiao glanced at him, surprised.


    "What do you mean?"


    "You''re in the Group of Death. Look, Yu Wen Tian, Long Sheng, Xiong Lao Hu, and Hu Bei Yue are all in your group. These are all people from the eight major sects. Yu Wen Tian is famous as a prodigy in the Snow Valley Sect. Long Sheng is from the Green Dragon Sect, said to be on par with Li Chun Long. Xiong Lao Hu of the White Tiger Sect¡­that''s going to be quite the troublesome opponent. I heard only Kuang Hu is a match for him within their sect, excepting Bai Ning Xue, of course, who is thhe undisputed strongest in White Tiger Sect. Oh, and Hu Bei Yue is pretty reputable in the Red Phoenix Sect. I heard she pushed Feng Tian Yong all the way for the top disciple spot a month ago. Man, your luck is terrible."


    "Ha ha ha," Zhu Jiao chuckled. "I just have to beat all of them, don''t I?"


    Everyone just stared at him. Except me, who was aware of how Zhu Jiao was the typical happy-go-lucky protagonist. Besides, this was the exact situation I was complaining about the other day. Tong Xue could provide all these detailed dossiers about all the opponents that Zhu Jiao would be facing, telling them how strong and talented and powerful and amazing they are, but at the end of the day, it didn''t matter.


    Zhu Jiao would win against all of them and emerge as the top of the group. Then these poor bastards would be consigned to oblivion, with no one ever remembering their names again. Hell, I doubted thse poor souls would ever appear in this trashy story again.


    Poor overhyped fodder characters meant solely to make the protagonist look good.


    "You sure are confident, aren''t you?" Ban Zhang remarked with a wry smile. He didn''t doubt Zhu Jiao at all.


    "Well, my goal is Ning Xue. I can''t lose to anyone until I meet her." Zhu Jiao clenched his fist determinedly and raised it. "We both will meet in the finals. I can''t lose until then! I mean, if I can''t even beat these guys, then how will I ever challenge Ning Xue?"


    "Oh, wow¡­you''re already sure you''ll meet her in the finals."


    I couldn''t help but shake my head and remark dryly. I knew it would happen. It was inevitable. But even so, for Zhu Jiao to be aware of that himself¡­


    "It''s set in stone! I''m sure Fate will arrange that for me!"


    "Hmm¡­good luck."


    I nodded and patted his shoulder. Ban Zhang joined in, and then Tong Xue allowed himself a laugh before slapping Zhu Jiao in the back.


    "If anyone can pull this off, it''ll be you."


    "Yeah¡­don''t forget. You''re a Five Star Constitution cultivator." Tang Qi Hong was smiling. "Even if everyone else has forgotten, we haven''t."


    "Prove everyone wrong!"


    "You''re level 8 in name only. You''re more than a match for any of these guys!"


    "Aw¡­stop it, guys, you''re making me embarrassed." Zhu Jiao laughed, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. "Besides, I can''t afford to underestimate my opponents. It would be disrespectful to them."


    "This will be difficult," Ban Zhang agreed as he glanced at the bulletin board again.


    "Hmm¡­but you know what, I''m getting fired up!" Zhu Jiao was rubbing his palms enthusiastically. "The stronger my opponents, the better! It''s best to fight against powerful opponents! Otherwise there will be no meaning to this tournament!"


    Zhu Jiao''s positive attitude was unbelievable. Nonetheless, his excitement was infectious and I couldn''t help but smile too.


    "I hope we all get through this unscathed," I murmured quietly. "Not just earning a high ranking, but for all of us to at least finish this tournament safely."


    "Amen to that!"

 92 Chapter 91: Brute Rabbi

    For the preliminary rounds, particularly because these were "only" the group stages, the academy had decided to lay aside the training facilities as temporary arenas. As a result, most of the matches ¨C almost all, in fact ¨C were taking place in the training facilities instead of the massive coliseum that was located in the main campus building.


    That did not stop the other students from milling around the tight confines of the training facilities'' interior. While the matches would be recorded and available for viewing if we download or stream them in our tablets, there was nothing that could beat the atmosphere of actually spectating the fights in person. Hence, most of the students were tightly crammed within the narrow corridors, pressing their faces against the transparent screens.


    I would have been among them, but unfortunately my match was scheduled as one of the firsts. Bidding farewell to my friends ¨C most of whom had matches of their own ¨C I proceeded toward the room that I was assigned to.


    "Let''s see¡­room 603. Ah, here it is!"


    Stopping in front of the designated room, I glanced around at the growing crowd of spectators. It seemed they weren''t here to watch my match, but rather the matches in the neighboring rooms. Already those duels had started and I could hear elemental clashes of qi colliding against each other with deadly force.


    They''re really going at it, I thought, feeling slightly nervous. After almost two years in isolation, this was the first time I was dueling against a schoolmate.


    Speaking of which, who was my first opponent?


    "Oh¡­Tu Zi Yi."


    The name was vividly portrayed on the screen of my tablet. Glancing at her homely face, I briefly wondered how far she had progressed over the last two years since we last had a duel. Tong Xue had told me she had polished her skills and warned me not to let my guard down. Even though Tu Zi Yi was a Two Star Constitution cultivator, she was still a formidable opponent.


    I recalled how she easily crushed me the last time we fought. It was shortly after she had received artificial qi.


    Would today be a repeat of that?


    Stepping into the room, I saw that it was empty. The thick, reinforced walls seemed to close in on me, giving off a slightly claustrophobic feeling. The training rooms were not as vast and spacious as the official coliseum.


    Only the finals would be taking place in the coliseum. The twenty-four preliminary matches would all take place here, in the training facilities.


    "Looks like you''re here!"


    "Teacher Cai Pan?"


    I recognized the voice. It was definitely the teacher who usually refereed most of the official duels in the coliseum.


    "Yup. Good luck with your match¡­the both of you."


    Turning around, I saw that my opponent had just arrived. Tu Zi Yi stepped into the room, greeting me with a nod.


    "Good, now that the both of you are here, you can start any time the both of you are ready. Just give me a head''s up when you do."


    "Roger that." I saluted. Tu Zi Yi also nodded.


    "Understood."


    I glanced at her, waiting for her to give the signal, but unlike me, Tu Zi Yi wasn''t impatient to start the match. She merely smiled.


    "It''s been a while since we last fought, haven''t we?"


    "¡­yeah."


    "But you¡­haven''t used martial arts in a while, I heard? Shortly after our last duel, you¡­had an accident and weren''t able to use martial arts for almost two years."


    That was the official story that had spread around the academy after the Chinese Parasol Tree incident. I had let people believe what they wanted because I couldn''t be bothered to explain to them the truth.


    And this misconception benefited me more anyway.


    "Well, something like that."


    "Do you have some tricks up your sleeve, though? Considering that you have no intention of surrendering."


    Evidently Tu Zi Yi remembered the outcome of our last duel, and how she one-sidedly crushed me. And since that was the result, I was in no position to say anything about that. It would just make me sound like a sore loser.


    So I just smiled and shrugged.


    "I would rather try and fail than not try at all. Besides, it''s not a guarantee that I would lose."


    "True." Tu Zi Yi nodded. "But you should know, I''m much stronger than I was two years ago. If you haven''t undergone any tremendous improvement, you¡­don''t stand any chance of winning against me."


    What was this? Trash-talking the opponent before the match? Trying to lower my confidence, or provoke me to anger so that I would get all reckless and be more prone to mistakes during the match? I''m afraid that wasn''t going to work on me.


    "Well, let''s not waste any time and begin then." I gestured for her to ready herself, and was about to call out to Teacher Cai Pan when she nodded and formally cupped her hands. Realizing that this was the tradition for all official matches, I returned the greeting and also cupped my hands. Lowering my head, I waited for Tu Zi Yi to introduce herself.


    "My name is Tu Zi Yi. I have practiced kicking techniques for 5 years. I specialize in the Lunar Rabbit Divine Kicking techniques and the Lunar Fang Shadow Kicking techniques. My estimated inner qi is approximately two and a half sexagenaries. I''m from the Lunar Rabbit Sect, and a student of Wu Ling Academy."


    ¡­uh, yeah. I know. Then again, I remembered that this was tradition. All sorts of formalities. It was only proper etiquette to introduce yourself right before a formal duel. So I nodded and bowed my head politely.


    "Fei Wu. I''ve practiced martial arts for about three and a half years now. As you probably already know, I practice Shadow Steps."


    Tu Zi Yi frowned, noticing that I had omitted a lot of information from my introduction. Despite her confidence, it seemed that she had done some research on me.


    "Aren''t you learning a sword skill right now?"


    "Oh, that''s right. Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship. Rest assured, I won''t be using it against you. I''m ashamed to admit it, but my swordsmanship is not at the level where I can use it against competent opponents."


    "I see." Tu Zi Yi smiled thinly. She craned her neck and noticed that I really wasn''t carrying any sword with me. "Even so, at least include it in your introduction. Otherwise you''ll come off as being dishonest."


    I was already being dishonest, given how I made no mention of my Heaven and Earth Formula. That was something I needed to keep secret at all costs. Fortunately, it seemed that no one had caught wind of that.


    "Right, sorry." I smiled good-naturedly and beckoned for her. "At your signal."


    "Of course." Raising her head, Tu Zi Yi shouted toward the security camera. "Teacher Cai Pan, we''re ready to begin!"


    "All right!" the almost mechanical voice boomed out from the speaker. "The both of you can start the match immediately!"


    Tu Zi Yi instantly moved, disappearing into a blur. Thunder Dash or something similar, it was a standardized movement technique for all Wu Ling Academy students who learned it in order to close in on the enemy.


    Well, the hardcore Traditionalists did not learn it preferring their own traditional techniques from their own sects. Unfortunately, the Lunar Rabbit Sect was a tiny sect with little resources, so Tu Zi Yi had to make use of everything she could get from the academy.


    "!"


    Whoosh!


    I barely ducked under Tu Zi Yi''s first kick, her leg flying upward to connect with my skull. A sonic boom followed, a clear sign that her leg had been moving at a speed that broke the sound barrier. If I got hit by that¡­!


    She''s trying to end the match instantly in her first move!


    Good thing I had fast reflexes, or I would be lying unconscious on the ground by now. Well, perhaps I wouldn''t, but I would still be sprawled on the ground nursing a splitting headache. Taking the full brunt of that kick was no joke.


    "!"


    Tu Zi Yi scraped her foot against the ground and spun around with another kick. I managed to parry that with both hands, but her two and a half sexagenaries of qi was enough to push me back half a meter.


    "Fu¡­"


    I exhaled, but Tu Zi Yi was already delivering a roundhouse kick that threatened to floor me. I blocked that one as well, my hands trembling from the tremendous impact and my left ear ringing from the following sonic boom.


    "¡­you¡­"


    Tu Zi Yi gritted her teeth and switched her foot, kicking me in the midriff. I brought my elbow down and deflected her foot before it could reach me, and then used Tui to widen the distance between the both of us.


    "You''ve really improved," Tu Zi Yi admitted grudgingly as she stared at me. "But even so, you aren''t able to receive any artificial qi. How are you able to match me blow for blow, eeven though I have two and a half sexagenaries of qi?"


    Obviously I had no reason to tell her. She might have a massive amount of qi from the academy, but I had absorbed the qi of over a hundred demonic martial artists. I had no idea how much qi that equated. But it should be way more than three or four sexagenaries of qi. Maybe. I didn''t care.


    After all, the exact quantity and numbers did not matter to me. All that mattered was that I wouldn''t be pushed around by the sheer amount of force that my schoolmates possessed by virtue of having more qi.


    "Hmm, but¡­you''re forced into the defensive. So it''s not as if you''re on par with me."


    Tu Zi Yi''s confidence reasserted itself when she realized that she had been attacking one-sidedly all this while. So perhaps there was still quite the gap between our abilities, or so she concluded. I smiled, allowing her to believe that.


    "Hah!"


    Tu Zi Yi delivered another kick, then swung around for yet another kick. Each and every time, I would effortlessly dodge her or block when she was too fast for me to evade. Dodging under a kick, I then dove to the side before she could kick me from below.


    Tu Zi Yi was no slouch herself, swapping patterns in a somewhat unpredictable manner in an attempt to take me by surprise. It was a pity that I could read her attacks like a book, with the agitated flow of her qi visible to my senses like Christmas lights in the winter.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    After what seemed like a few hundred failed kicks, even Tu Zi Yi had to step back to catch her breath. Panting heavily, she withdrew to what she believed was a safe distance and raised her head to glare at me.


    "How are you dodging all of my attacks?"


    "Not all." I shook my hands exaggeratedly. "Man, your kicks pack a lot of power!"


    "This can''t be right!" Tu Zi Yi seethed. "You shouldn''t be able to block a direct kick from me! Not with the amount of qi you have¡­"


    She trailed off when she realized something.


    "Or were you finally able to receive artificial qi?! Were you hiding that from everyone else? Is that why you haven''t been fighting for the last two years? You were too busily cultivating and undergoing procedures to absorb artificial qi!"


    "Sorry." I made a cross with both my arms. "But you''re mistaken. I swear, I have not received any artificial qi at all."


    Tu Zi Yi did not notice the emphasis on the word artificial. She began shaking her head in denial and jabbed a finger at me.


    "You''re lying! If you haven''t received any artificial qi, then it''s impossible for you to¡­!"


    She never got to finish her sentence. Suddenly I was right in front of her, and I executed a perfectly executed Lunar Rabbit Kick that she had been using on me the whole time. Unfortunately, Tu Zi Yi''s godlike reflexes saved her from being knocked out, and she managed to just barely block my strike, skidding back only a few meters.


    "You¡­!"


    "We''re here to fight, not to talk," I reminded her. "Might I remind you, we''re still in the middle of a match. We can debate on the impossibility of this situation later, but for now¡­" I aimed another kick at her head, forcing her to step back. "Let''s settle this once and for all."


    "I couldn''t ask for more!" Tu Zi Yi cried out, more from frustration than anything else. Clenching her teeth, she retaliated with a kick, but I darted out of her reach. Tu Zi Yi advanced, delivering another kick that I dodged by a mere hair''s breadth.


    With a shriek, Tu Zi Yi swung her foot down, pulverizing the ground and sending a spray of rubble upward. I merely used Tui to withdraw to a safe distance, using the shower of debris as a screen to obscure her view of me.


    "How are you having such stamina?!" Tu Zi Yi demanded. She was steadily getting out of breath, the exhaustion showing on her face. "Stop running around and fight me directly!"


    "You don''t honestly think I''ll do that just because you tell me to?" I asked while moving back to avoid yet another lethal kick to my face. Tu Zi Yi''s foot swung downward and smashed a crater into the floor in front of me.


    "You coward!" Tu Zi Yi spat. I laughed at that.


    "Hah! You''re only saying that because you believe you''re stronger than me, and you somehow think that gives you the right to beat me up with brute strength. If your opponent was physically stronger, would you say the same and fight him directly?"


    "That''s¡­!" Tu Zi Yi''s eyes narrowed as she glared at me. As I thought, she was just being a hypocrite.


    "Hmph. In the end, all you people care about is your own advantage. You complain when things don''t go your way, but in reality these are just excuses. If our positions are reversed, you won''t hesitate to use the same tactics as me to avoid getting crushed."


    "Shut up!" Tu Zi Yi lashed out with a kick that would have taken my head off if I hadn''t stepped back at the last second. "This is the rule of the jungle! The one with the sharpest fangs wins! Thus, Killing Bites!"


    "What the fuck, are you trying to be Brute Rabbit or something?!"


    I couldn''t believe that Tu Zi Yi was audacious enough to rip that classic line off that trashy manga that focused more on fanservice than actual story. And played up on the whole animal-girl thing, which was probably why it was popular.


    Me, I was just reading it purely because of Nomoto, and I hope he¡­never mind. This was not the place to discuss my favorite character in Killing Bites.


    "Stop moving!"


    "And let you hit me?" I couldn''t believe I was having this conversation yet again. Did all combatants think they are entited to a free hit on an unmoving opponent or something? That their opponents should just stand still and take their hits? What kind of logic was that?


    Then something occurred to me. Stopping, I caught Tu Zi Yi''s foot when she tried to kick me and held it still.


    "I''ll let you kick me if you let me kick you."


    "Huh?!" Tu Zi Yi did a double take as she glared at me. "What nonsense are you spouting about?!"


    "As I said," I repeated calmly. "I''ll let you kick me if you let me kick you."


    Tu Zi Yi stopped and took a deep breath, but in reality she was running through several calculations in her mind. She had reached her limit, her stamina severely depleted as she tried and failed to hit me. She knew there wouldn''t be long before she collapsed from exhaustion, and if I was hiding something, I could easily finish her off.


    After all, it was more energy consuming to attack than to dodge. That was why I was a lot more energetic and less tired than her. And Tu Zi Yi knew that.


    "Fine." Tu Zi Yi drew a deep breath and smiled thinly. "But on one condition. You''re to let me kick you first."


    I had already expected that, so I nodded. "Deal."


    Tu Zi Yi''s smile widened. It was clear that she believed she could take me down with one kick. One kick was all it took. She was confident that as long as she kicked me directly, she would win this match.


    I merely stood there and waited, beckoning for her to attack.


    Tu Zi Yi took a deep breath and began gathering large amounts of qi into her legs. She leaped back, putting some distance between us, then sprinted forward. Halfway toward me, she jumped up and spun her body in midair, almost like a drill.


    I watched every movement carefully, learning as much as I could. This was definitely one of the Lunar Rabbit Sect''s most powerful kicking techniques. Tu Zu Yi was clearly taking no chances. She meant to finish me off once and for all.


    "YAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    With a fearsome cry, Tu Zi Yi descended upon my position with everything she had. I shifted my head a little, but otherwise didn''t move my body. Tu Zi Yi crashed down with the force of a meteor, her foot smashing against my chest.


    BOOM!


    An enormous explosion rippled across the room, sending tremendous shockwaves everywhere to batter the reinforced walls. The ground beneath my feet shattered, and a crater was carved right in the position I stood on.


    Even so, I didn''t move. I didn''t budge a single inch. I merely stood there resolutely, absorbing the impact from Tu Zi Yi''s kick.


    "You¡­! Why does it feel like you''re wearing armor!?"


    Yelping in surprise and pain, Tu Zi Yi quickly withdrew and jumped backward, hobbling on her sore foot.


    "I''m not wearing armor." I spread my hands out to show her nothing but my uniform jacket and shirt. Of course, I didn''t show her what was underneath my clothes, but it didn''t matter. I was telling the truth. It wasn''t armor. "Even if I was, it''s not against the rules. Have you forgotten? We''re allowed to use Spirit Armaments, equipment and weapons."


    "Ah¡­" Tu Zi Yi realized that I was right. Then she frowned. "Wait¡­if you''re already wearing protective gear, then why have you been dodging my attacks all this while? You could have weathered my kicks this entire time!"


    I held up a finger. "First of all, I''m not wearing any protective gear." The training gear I had on was in no way armor, after all. "Secondly, where''s the fun in that? I don''t want to win just because of stupid equipment. I want to win based on my own skills."


    "Your own skills?" Tu Zi Yi scoffed. I smiled thinly.


    "Perhaps¡­but then again, you''re the one who failed to finish me off even though you supposedly have better skills than me."


    "That''s¡­"


    "And¡­one more thing." I held up a third finger. "It''s my turn to attack now. You agreed to let me kick you, right?"


    Tu Zi Yi turned very pale, and she backed away, shaking her head desperately.


    "No¡­no! You lied to me! You never told me you were wearing armor! This doesn''t count! You tricked me!"


    "Again, I''m not wearing armor. And I never lied to you. I never said I wasn''t wearing armor either. You made that assumption on your own¡­probably because I chose to dodge most of the time rather than endure your attacks. I offered you a deal, and you never asked for more information or details. Besides, you''re just making excuses now that the situation is to your disadvantage."


    "You tricked me! I don''t care! This doesn''t count!"


    Tu Zi Yi was wailing and running away by now. She must have realized that her attacks had little effect on me, and was therefore choosing to run instead of fight.


    She also clearly showed that she had no intention of upholding her end of the deal. She reminded me of a certain writer who desperately begged me to read and review her story while promising to read and review my story in return, only for her to block me when I made a few mild criticisms of her cheesy dialogue, lack of character development, and most of all, her random use of Japanese. And that review never materialized.


    That was all right, I didn''t need reviews for my story. I already knew the result. Zero point five or one star rating. I was the one most aware that my story was trash. Best not to get any reviews.


    The point was that, it didn''t matter whether the other party kept their end of their deal or not. I had never expected them to in the first place.


    "!"


    Tu Zi Yi suddenly realized I was beside her.


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    "How¡­?!"


    I merely smiled and then kicked her. Tu Zi Yi tried to dodge, but she wasn''t able to evade in time. Her reflexes were as impressive as ever, and she managed to cross her arms to parry my kick.


    It was useless.


    "Gah?!"


    Blood spurted out of her mouth as she crashed across the training room, bruised and battered. She struggled to crawl to her feet and hands, looking bewildered.


    "¡­how¡­?"


    She must be wondering how she was unable to dodge that.


    The reason was simple. It was simply because she had run out of stamina.


    I was aware of Tu Zi Yi''s speed. Quite frankly, Tu Zi Yi was one of the fastest martial artists in Wu Ling Academy. If I were to fight properly with her, I would never have been able to catch her. Especially when I was weighed down by training equipment. She was simply too fast and too fleet-footed.


    That was why I allowed her to attack me one-sidedly all this while. I was luring her to expend the majority of her strength, so that I could exhaust her and drain her stamina. And once she was tired ¨C like right now, I would strike. With her stamina at its limits and her strength drained, she wouldn''t be able to muster the speed necessary to duck my kick.


    And contrary to her expectations, it didn''t matter that I didn''t receive sexagenaries of artificial qi from the school lab. I had purified qi after assimilating all those qi from over a hundred martial artists. Granted, most of their qi had been lost through entrophy, and because qi absorption was quite an inefficient process, but I possessed more than enough destructive power to breakthrough any defenses she could muster.


    Consequently, it was Tu Zi Yi lying on the ground, coughing blood and struggling to get up. She glanced up at me fearfully as I advanced mercilessly, jumping high up and getting ready to deliver a Seismic Step.


    Her eyes widened and she fell back. Throwing up both her hands, she screamed.


    "I surrender!"


    BOOM!


    It was almost too late. An explosion billowed outward as I crashed down, engulfing both of us in dust and smoke. Teacher Cai Pan appeared a second later, his eyes hard. With a swing of his hand, he cleared away the smoke.


    Fortunately, nothing had happened. My foot had smashed the ground and crated a small ravine, splitting the reinforced concrete apart from the sheer force. Just centimeters away, Tu Zi Yi''s head lay, her eyes wide and teary. She was mumbling something from fear, her eyes staring hollowly at the ceiling. Apparently she was in deep shock.


    I pulled away my foot from the crater, turned to Teacher Cai and shrugged.


    "Well, she said she surrendered."


    Teacher Cai sighed in relief and nodded.

 93 Chapter 92: Unbreakable Shell

    Fortunately, we were given a month or so for the preliminary rounds. So as long as we had the battles on consecutive days, we were able to finish the matches within the month. Nonetheless, my friends were surprised that I succeeded in defeating Tu Zi Yi.


    "You actually defeated Tu Zi Yi?" Tong Xue demanded, his eyes growing in shock. I nodded, a little weary from his interrogation. "How?!"


    "Why don''t you just watch the match recording to find out?" I was doing my best not to snap irritably at him. Damn, I was just so tired. I didn''t have the energy to put up with his interrogation. "The details are all there."


    "Hmm," Tong Xue mumbled in agreement as he consulted his tablet. No doubt he was searching for the replay of my duel with Tu Zi Yi. As he watched, he couldn''t help but grin. "You sneaky little bastard."


    "I''m not a sneaky bastard."


    "Yeah, try convincing Tu Zi Yi that. I doubt she''ll forgive you for what you did."


    "You think I care? And I don''t see why I need to be forgiven in the first place. She tried to beat me up. You think she''s entitled to a victory over me?"


    "I didn''t say that." Tong Xue raised both his hands. "Just that your methods of victory are¡­unconventional."


    "Yeah, but I''m not the only one who uses unconventional techniques." I stared at him. "You do most of all."


    "Ugh¡­I can''t deny that."


    "Well, it is fine, isn''t it? As long as Fei Wu won." Lian Rou stepped in to mediate. "And you won most of your matches too, Xue, so that''s fine."


    "What about you?"


    I regretted asking the moment I saw Lian Rou''s expression fell. Tong Xue grimaced and nudged me.


    "Rou had a match with Bai Ning Xue."


    From his tone, I could already guess the result.


    "I lost two out of my ten matches," Ban Zhang assured her. "So it''s not like you''re the only one. We all have it tough."


    "I''ve yet to face Wu Hei Gui or Wu Xing," I joined in. Currently I still hadn''t lost, but other than Tu Zi Yi, I had yet to face any real challenge from the rest of my opponents thus far. "And you know what my chances are like against them."


    "Yeah, I lost my one hunded percent winning streak against Shi Bai yesterday." Tong Xue groaned as he leaned back against his chair. "I''m also going to face Feng Tian Yong next week. I don''t fancy my chances against him¡­he has been blitzing and crushing everyone in my group so far. I doubt my strategy can hold him off."


    "Just do your best," I told him.


    "You too," he replied.


    "What is everyone talking about?"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Ha ha, nothing." Lian Rou was quick to speak up. "How did your matches go so far, Qi Hong?"


    "Do you even have to ask?" Tang Qi Hong smiled brightly. "I''ve won all of them! I''m currently at the top of the group."


    "Yay¡­"


    "Good for you."


    "That''s great."


    All of us forced smiles onto our faces. Don''t get me wrong. We were genuinely happy for Tang Qi Hong ¨C at least I was ¨C but it was hard not to feel envious and a wee bit of resentment at how easily she was cruising to the top spot of her group.


    "How about you guys?"


    "¡­"


    All of us turned away, avoiding her gaze. Realizing her mistake, Tang Qi Hong forced a sheepish laugh.


    "Um, never mind. I hope everyone will rank highly in the tournament."


    To be fair, Zhu Jiao would probably garner the same response if he was here. He had gone off for his match, having been among the first for the day, and from the live updates on our tablets, we could see that he was winning.


    And one-sidedly at that. Typical of a wuxia/xianxia protagonist. Of course he would crush every nameless opponent without breaking a sweat. He was completely unlike me, who had to fight hard for my victories. How was this fair?


    Paying Zhu Jiao''s match no attention, my friends just nodded at Tang Qi Hong''s well-meaning encouragement.


    "Yes¡­"


    "We''ll do our best."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be focusing on blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving."


    Tong Xue, Ban Zhang and Lian Rou seemed somewhat resigned. As for me, I smiled and nodded determinedly.


    "I won''t let you down!"


    Unfortunately, I was aware that my match against Hei Wu Gui was drawing closer, and this would determine my standing in the academy.


    And that match happened to be in an hour or so. Sighing, I shook my head and straightened up, steeling myself.


    "So, shall we get ready for our matches?"


    "Yeah."


    "We should."


    "Let''s go then."


    With that, my group of friends (minus Zhu Jiao) dispersed and we headed to our assigned rooms for our matches.


    Wu Hei Gui, huh¡­


    Like Tu Zi Yi, Wu Hei Gui was a classmate I was somewhat familiar with. We had been in the same class since middle school, and just like all the others, we ended up in the same class when we rose to high school.


    Even then, I wasn''t very close with him. Wu Hei Gui was from the Black Tortoise Sect, one of the most prestigious sects in the Martial Arts Alliance, and among the eight major sects. Major, meaning strongest, in other words.


    Wu Hei Gui and Wu Xing from the Kun Lun Sect were the favorites to win my group. Needless to say the bookies didn''t even consider my existence. I probably had a 1/24 chance of winning the group, even though I was ranking pretty highly after winning all my matches. So far. Even so, I had difficulties in winning against the other opponents, while Wu Hei Gui and Wu Xing were essentially cruising in their matches. Even Tu Zi Yi had one-sided victories.


    Speaking of which, despite her initial defeat, Tu Zi Yi was proving herself to be a competent combatant. She had won the majority of her matches so far, only losing to me and Wu Hei Gui. She had yet to face Wu Xing, but she was clearly making a strong case for herself. No doubt she would be ranked highly when the tournament ended, especially with her highly impressive performances.


    In contrast, I had not put on a single display where I overwhelmed my opponent completely. That was why no one took me seriously. It was also because my opponents were largely competent and I wasn''t that strong to begin with.


    Boom!


    I stopped when I heard the explosion. Since there was still quite some time before my match, I couldn''t help but be drawn toward the various matches taking place at the moment. Through a transparent screen, I caught sight of a familiar silhouette.


    Isn''t that Wu Xing?


    The Five Elements master of Kun Lun Sect, Wu Xing. I could see five different types of elemental qi swirling around him before they blasted off like projectiles. His opponent, a thick, muscular guy that I had trouble defeating just a few days ago, prepared his defenses, but he was knocked over almost instantly by the blow.


    My eyes widened.


    During our match, I had to kick him over a hundred times before I finally got any damage through his thick, slab-like muscles and iron defense. Even then, what finished him off was my all-out Seismic Step, and I almost suffered a serious injury in return when he retaliated.


    However, Wu Xing one-sidedly crushed him from a distance before the poor guy could even strike back.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    I stared in disbelief as the huge guy lay on the ground, unmoving. Okay, probably some time passed since the match had begun, but the way that Wu Xing took him out was just stunning. I gulped as the prodigy of the Kun Lun Sect raised his hand in victory.


    It would be interesting to see the outcome of the match between him and Wu Hei Gui. I wondered if Wu Hei Gui would be able to defend against those five element techniques. Certainly, his defenses were much more formidable than the huge guy lying on the ground, but even then¡­


    Speaking of which, I should worry about my own match first.


    Taking a deep breath, I proceeded toward the room. Before I took more than two steps, I was suddenly aware of Wu Xing staring at me.


    He was grinning arrogantly, his eyes boring into me in a condescending manner. Evidently he recognized me as one of the rivals in his group, and he probably knew how weak I was in comparison to himself.


    I turned away and continued down the corridor. I wasn''t in the mood to rise to his provocation, and it wouldn''t benefit me anyhow. We would meet in battle soon, and I would rather our fists do the talking.


    There was no point bantering and arguing verbally. Words would be meaningless in the face of actual action.


    As I expected, I was early and Wu Hei Gui wasn''t here yet. That was fine. I should prepare for the duel. Taking a seat in the empty training room, which had been requisitioned as a mini-coliseum for the school tournament, I began to meditate. Manipulating and controlling the flow of qi inside my body, I began to purify it using that water-filter imaging exercise that Master taught me.


    Drip by drip. Through the filter. Purified qi emerging from the filter.


    Regulating my breathing, I executed the Heaven and Earth breathing method to refine my qi and further purify it, increasing its potency. It also helped me increase and improve my cultivation, somewhat, but obviously meditation and breathing methods alone weren''t going to help. I also needed to train physically.


    I had no idea how much time I spent on this, but eventually the door clicked open and I broke out of my trance to see Wu Hei Gui step inside.


    "Oh, you''re already here. Sorry for the wait."


    Sturdily built, a little on the short end in terms of height, and with messy black hair, Wu Hei Gui didn''t seem all that different from when I first met him three and a half years ago. He was a little taller and better built ¨C with a lot more muscles than before ¨C but he was easily recognizable, especially with that round face and slightly pudgy figure.


    "No, I was preparing for the duel anyway."


    While the statement could be interpreted in the wrong way, Wu Hei Gui knew me well enough that he didn''t suspect me of cheating. Furthermore, there was a security camera in the training room, recording my every movement ever since I had entered the room, and the staff manning them would have summoned me if they saw me sabotaging anything.


    Standing up, I stretched myself. "Ready for the match?"


    "Yup."


    As usual, we both glanced up at the speaker next to the revolving security camera. We didn''t have to wait long.


    "All right, both participants are here." Teacher Cai Pan''s voice streamed from the speaker. "Both of you may begin the match whenever you''re ready. Just let me know."


    "Understood."


    Taking a deep breath, I glanced at Wu Hei Gui, allowing him to decide whenever. He nodded and bowed, cupping his hands formally.


    "Wu Hei Gui, class 1-4, Wu Ling Academy High School. The Black Tortoise Sect. I specialize in the Black Tortoise Mystical Heart Sutra, water-based elemental techniques such as the Black Tortoise Mystical Flow Formula, and the defensive technique, Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell. Currently, I possess about three sexagenaries of qi."


    He was a level 8, as were most of the other Four Star Constitution cultivators. I nodded and returned the greeting. This time, I didn''t leave out Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, but I didn''t mention my self-created techniques.


    "Anytime when you''re ready," I told him. Wu Hei Gui beamed and nodded. He raised his head toward the camera.


    "We''re ready."


    "All right then. Begin!"


    I waited. So did Wu Hei Gui. We both stared at each other, not moving, each waiting for the other to make his move.


    Then Wu Hei Gui sighed.


    "You know my techniques are mostly defensive based, right? Let''s not waste any time. Come and get me."


    "Don''t give me that," I snorted. "I know you have offensive techniques too. Black Tortoise Mystical Flow Formula, wasn''t it? That uses water elemental attacks to destroy the enemy from range. You don''t just have defensive based techniques."


    Wu Hei Gui merely smiled. "I know. I just want to give you a chance to attack me before I defeat you."


    A vein twitched in my brow, but I clamped down on my anger. I wasn''t immature or petty enough to fall for his provocations. Assessing the situation, I saw that Wu Hei Gui was right. He had no benefit to provoke me into closing the distance and attacking. If he wanted to ambush me or attack, he could do it from long range.


    This was more of a disadvantage to him than anything.


    However, this also indicated just how confident he was in his defense. He was inviting me to attack precisely because he believed that I wouldn''t be able to break his defensive technique, the Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell.


    Admittedly, he had every reason to be arrogant. Up till now, no one had broken through his Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell. Yet. At least no one who wasn''t Bai Ning Xue or Zhu Jiao. Even Du Lang. Li Chun Long and Feng Tian Yong had trouble penetrating Wu Hei Gui''s formidable defenses, but it wasn''t impossible.


    Every match in the tournament thus far, Wu Hei Gui had won in this manner, by sheer intimidation and driving despair into his opponents when they failed to breach his barrier. With their spirit broken, he then finished them off with a single attack.


    To him, a One Star Constitution cultivator like me wasn''t a threat. Especially because I was only a One Star Constitution cultivator.


    "¡­I see."


    I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath.


    I wasn''t a na?ve person who adhered to stupid concepts of honor and fairness. Those values never got me anywhere when I was abducted by the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect or lost on my own in the wilderness of the savage Sen Lin Forest. No, if my opponent was going to offer me an advantage, I might as well grab it with both hands.


    "Then I''ll take you up on your offer."


    Using Jin, I dashed forward and delivered a devastating Shadow Kick that would have cracked even the reinforced walls open. Wu Hei Gui smiled, having already executed his Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell technique. A shimmering, translucent black barrier formed over him, taking the shape of a sturdy tortoise shell.


    Bam!


    "!"


    Wu Hei Gui shuddered, and a little bit of regret flickered across his face. However, he said nothing, and I whirled around for a second kick. This time, I spun around several times in midair to increase the kinetic force of my attack and swung my foot down.


    Wham!


    "Kuh!"


    Wu Hei Gui actually felt that blow. Staggering back, he glanced at me, his jaw dropping slightly as he tried to comprehend what was going on.


    I replied with a third kick.


    CRACK!


    "What the hell?!"


    Wu Hei Gui stared up in disbelief when he saw cracks rapidly expanding over his Black Tortoise Shell. The barrier buckled, but held.


    For now.


    Fourth kick.


    KRUNCH!


    The cracks grew, thickening terrifyingly into cobwebs that almost made the semi-translucent black barrier opaque.


    "I¡­impossible!" Wu Hei Gui cried out. "You''re only a One Star Constitution¡­"


    He never got to finish his statement. My fifth kick crashed through, sending tremors rippling through the crumbling shell. But even so, the formidable barrier maintained its integrity. It would require a few more kicks before I could finally demolish it.


    "Time out! Time out!"


    Unfortunately, Wu Hei Gui wasn''t going to give me the last few kicks I needed. He was crossing his hands and shouting at me.


    Landing on the ground, I turned to face him while pushing up my glasses.


    "I recognize your strength! You''re powerful! Let''s do this properly now!"


    "Aw¡­" I let a sly smile crawl over my face. "And here I am, thinking I''ll be able to break through your Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell with my next attack."


    "Your next attack? Are you serious?" Wu Hei Gui was trembling, pale from the unexpected turn of events. But even he realized that I would require a few more kicks to break through his formidable defense.


    "Yeah. I was wondering if you would allow me one last attack before we do this properly." I feigned disappointment.


    "You¡­" Wu Hei Gui growled. Shock had turned into anger now, and he wasn''t thinking clearly. Visibly annoyed by my apparent arrogance, and still confident that his barrier could take whatever single attack I had in store for him, he beckoned for me to attack. "If you think you can break open my Black Tortoise barrier, you''re more than welcome to try."


    I grinned. "You said it. Don''t go regretting it now."


    "Hah! I''d like to see you make a fool of yourself¡­"


    He trailed off when he saw me jump up. Instead of kicking this time, I landed nimbly on the top of his barrier, planting a single foot upon the cracked surface.


    "What¡­?"


    Wu Hei Gui frowned, caught off guard by my unexpected maneuver. I merely grinned at him.


    "Here''s my final attack."


    Seismic Step.


    BOOM!


    Already weakened by my barrage of kicks, the Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell was unable to withstand my Seismic Step and shattered instantly, revealing a stunned Wu Hei Gui inside. My shocked opponent stared up at me in disbelief, and quickly crossed his hands in reflex as I kicked him. Even without his formidable barrier, Wu Hei Gui had a sturdy physique, and he managed to halt his momentum after skidding a few meters back.


    "You¡­!" he spluttered as he lowered his hands.


    "Sorry. That was out of reflex." I landed on the ground and adjusted my glasses again. "But I told you I''ll be able to break your Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell with one last attack, right?"


    "Damn it!" Wu Hei Gui cursed. "You¡­! Were you hiding your true strength all this while?"


    "Uh¡­no?" I tilted my head. "Did you think I was easy just because I''m a One Star Constitution cultivator?"


    "That''s¡­" Wu Hei Gui realized that he had no rebuttal for that. Swearing under his breath, he crouched down and curled his fingers. "We''ll see¡­I''ll make sure you pay for making a fool out of me! It''s my turn to attack!"


    His next strike came hard and fast ¨C streaking so rapidly that I almost didn''t see it coming. I ducked my head in reflex and felt a spray of water on my face. Whirling about, I dodged a powerful stream of water that pulverized the ground.


    "That''s¡­!"


    As I skidded away, I saw dozens of snaking water serpents. The water attacks that Wu Hei Gui had created had taken the form of gargantuan, water serpents, writhing and hissing silently as they glared at me with watery eyes.


    They charged at me, coming in a fluid cluster of unbridled ferocity. Gritting my teeth, I used my footwork techniques, relying on Tui and Duo to evade their onrushing attacks. Even as I disappeared and weaved through the terrifying bursts of water serpents, the powerful watery attacks left a wake of wet destruction, the huge water serpents carving damp craters into the reinforced ground. I wondered what was even the point of calling them reinforced when they couldn''t even withstand most of the attacks from the students.


    Then again, students such as Hei Wu Gui, Bai Ning Xue and Qi Fu Ren were anomalies. Most of the matches I had prior to this didn''t result in such wholesale destruction of the training room. If I were to be honest, matches that resulted in severe damage to the training room or coliseums constituted only ten percent of the total duels that took place throughout the history of Wu Ling Academy. Still a significant fraction, no doubt, but not entirely exaggerated to the point where reinforced material was rendered absolutely meaningless.


    Right now, though, I had to focus on evading the water serpents. Sometimes interspersing Jin among my footwork to throw off Wu Hei Gui''s aim, I sought to close in. however, this time my opponent was guarded, having repaired and recreated his formidable Black Tortoise barrier. I wasn''t given the time to destroy his Unbreakable Shell with a barrage of kicks, though. Not with a swarm of gigantic water serpents pursuing me.


    Hmph¡­as scary as they are, they''re nowhere as terrifying as real sea serpents.


    Even so, I did my best to avoid getting hit by them. Getting struck by a fake water serpent ¨C as inauthentic as it was, was no joke. I would suffer heavy injuries if I let even one of them score a direct hit on me.


    Despite the deceptively insubstantial and gentle appearance of water, an enormous volume of water could still prove to be deadly. Water can break through rocks if they relentless pelt it, causing erosion. And at the depths of ocean, the tremendous water pressure could crush even steel like an empty can. Highly pressurized streams of water could even cut through metal when directed correctly.


    It was best not to underestimate the destructive potential of water.


    "Ugh¡­running like a little rat!"


    Wu Hei Gui sounded frustrated, but at least he wasn''t ordering me to stop dodging and let him hit me, unlike a certain Tu Zi Yi. In any case, I was in no position to retort. Diving to the side and just barely avoiding a gigantic water serpent from swallowing me whole, I rolled to my feet and kicked off the ground to dash toward him.


    "It''s useless!"


    Wu Hei Gui crowed as I kicked his formidable Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell. Despite doing my best, that single blow wasn''t going to crack the sturdy barrier. Even if I planned to accumulate damage with cumulative attacks, Wu Hei Gui had grown wise to my tactic and renewed his barrier whenever he had the chance. And with me being distracted by the water serpents of his Black Tortoise Mystical Flow Formula, he had plenty of opportunities to repair or re-conjure that nigh impenetrable shield of his.


    However, I smirked. I was about to deliver a second kick, only for the water serpents to crash down on my position. Before they could, however, I disappeared, and the full weight of the water serpents collided with Wu Hei Gui''s Unbreakable Shell.


    "I see¡­so that was your plan."


    Wu Hei Gui narrowed his eyes when realization dawned on him. Glancing at the swirling water serpents, he shook his head.


    "That was a good plan, but unfortunately¡­my attacks have little effect on my barrier. Especially since my elemental affinity is water, so the efficiency of any water-based attacks would be reduced by fifty percent."


    Well, it depended on the attacker, but that was a good estimate. Nonetheless I hoped that it would at have some effect, but I couldn''t see any sign of damage. That was one hell of a sturdy barrier. Moreover, Wu Hei Gui would have repaired it instantly if his own attack had damaged his own Unbreakable Shell.


    I was hoping that the water serpents would be able to smash it in one hit.


    Well, that didn''t work out. Time for plan b.


    Hopping back to evade another swarm of water serpents, I gathered as much qi as I could in my dantian. Raising my hands, I unleashed the purified frosty yin qi that I had been accumulating within my body in a single surge.


    Krack!


    "?!"


    Wu Hei Gui''s jaw dropped when he saw that I had frozen everything in one go. All of his water serpents had been transformed into gigantic glacial statues, their once liquid form solidified into ice. Immobilized, they were pinned in place, entombed by my chilling technique.


    "How¡­?!"


    I replied by jumping on top of his frozen barrier. Wu Hei Gui was forced to maintain his Unbreakable Shell, or the cold would rapidly encroach upon his position and imprison him as well. As a result, he couldn''t just dismisss his Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell lightly.


    It didn''t matter. I executed Shadow Kick, smashing the ice that had coated his barrier. A few cracks ran down the surface and Wu Hei Gui staggered from the impact.


    "You¡­! Impossible¡­!"


    I couldn''t be bothered to correct his denial. Whirling around, I delivered a second roundhouse kick that widened the cracks all over his supposedly Unbreakable Shell.


    "No way¡­! This can''t be happening!"


    And then I jumped upward and stepped on it, executing Seismic Step.


    "No¡­"


    BOOM!


    The Unbreakable Shell shattered in a deafening explosion, the ice around us breaking apart and misting around us in a thick fog. The ground caved in, a crater formed beneath Wu Hei Gui''s feet. As the pudgy guy dropped to his knees, I landed in front of him and delivered a Shadow Kick into his midriff. He blocked it as best as he could, but¡­


    "Gah¡­!"


    Blood spurted out of his mouth as he was hurled across the air. He landed awkwardly, but threw out a hand and desperately fired off a swarm of water serpents in a last-ditch effort to send me away. I tried to freeze them, but a couple managed to get through my screen of ice and slammed into me.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    This time, I was the one hurtling toward the opposite side of the room, smashing through several of the frozen water serpents I had immobilized with my ice technique earlier. Slamming into the wall, I slid down, a trail of blood trickling from my mouth.


    "UWAAAAH!"


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    Looking up, I saw Wu Hei Gui throwing a single, immense water serpent at me while emitting a bloodcurdling cry. This time, his water serpent was much larger than all the others put together. I intuitively understood that this was his ultimate attack, and that Wu Hei Gui wanted to end the battle with this strike.


    Very well then.


    Staggering to my feet, I drew one of my swords. Steeling myself, I gripped the hilt with both hands and infused my blade with as much frosty qi as possible. As the water serpent neared, I swung it, almost as if I wanted to slash it.


    But I didn''t cut it apart. The water serpent wasn''t something tangible to be cut apart, nor was it fragile enough to dissipate upon a powerful sword strike. It was almost a living entity in its own right, emanating a strength and vitality that was almost overwhelming.


    Even so, I faced it down. Refusing to back down, I unleashed my icy qi and froze the gargantuan sea serpent as it barreled toward me.


    "!"


    Unlike the others, the water serpent continued to surge forward even as its form solidified into ice. It continued streaking forward like a meteor, even as more of its body froze, its frozen jaws set to clamp down on me.


    And just like that, it stopped right in front of me. Just a few more centimeters and it would have hit me, crushing me against the wall.


    "No way¡­"


    Even as Wu Hei Gui gaped in disbelief, I sighed in relief. Then I sheathed my sword.


    "You¡­!"


    I glared at Wu Hei Gui as he spluttered, and then disappeared from his sight. Wu Hei Gui instinctively understood that I had used Jin to dash toward his position for one final attack, and he quickly erected a new Unbreakable Shell.


    Bam!


    My kick rang off the black barrier, but I didn''t care. I rained down a barrage of kicks, slowly and surely cracking and ripping apart the Unbreakable Shell. Wu Hei Gui gritted his teeth, and realizing he wouldn''t be able to win in this manner, slammed his foot down against the ground and threw his fist forward. Black qi swirled around it as he threw a punch with everything he had.


    "UWOOOOOH!"


    I met his challenge head-on. Well, not really. The moment I smashed Wu Hei Gui''s barrier with a kick, I immediately stepped to the side ¨C just as he lunged outward to obliterate me with his punch. His fist sailed just millimeters away from my face, and I spun around before delivering a roundhouse kick that connected with his chest and hurled him against the wall.


    "Gah!"


    Blood spurted from his mouth as he slumped against the wall, but he was not out of the fight. Not yet, anyway. Blood dripped from my cheek, where the shockwaves from his punch had scraped my skin, but I didn''t care.


    I was going to finish this once and for all.


    Jumping forward, I delivered a final Shadow Kick just as Wu Hei Gui threw his hand out and launched two massive water serpents in my direction. Forced to evade at the last moment, I used my footwork technique and dodged in midair.


    The sole of my feet found the water droplets that had been saturating the space in the training room, as a result of Wu Hei Gui''s contant summoning of water serpents, and I launched myself off, spinning my body just above one of the water serpents that sought to bite me. Spiraling away from the surging water serpent, I dodged the jaws of the other and sailed right beneath its fluid body. Even so, streams of water blasted off the serpent''s watery form and lacerated my skin as I slid under it, causing blood to stream from my wounds. Gritting my teeth, I ignored the pain and allowed my momentum to carry me forward.


    I wasn''t going to let a little pain stop me from reaching my opponent.


    Right before I hit the wall, I rocked and threw myself to my feet, swinging my leg upward. Black qi gathered around my foot before it connected with Wu Hei Gui''s face.


    Bam!


    A sickening crunch echoed throughout the training room, and Wu Hei Gui toppled over, his eyes rolling up in their sockets. He fell, sprawled over the floor and didn''t get up.


    Heaving heavily, I rose shakily to my feet and wiped the blood from my mouth and face. Staggering toward Wu Hei Gui''s unmoving body, I prepared to deliver one final blow. Perhaps a Seismic Step to make sure he stayed down for good. For all I knew, he could be pretending, waiting for me to lower my guard before springing forward with a surprise attack¡­


    "Wait."


    Teacher Cai Pan''s voice rang throughout the training room. I stopped and glanced wearily at the speaker.


    "Wu Hei Gui is unconscious. Fei Wu, you''re the winner."

 94 Chapter 93: The tournament heats up

    Tong Xue was staring at me in disbelief. I shrugged and gestured at his tablet, feeling a twinge of annoyance.


    "You can watch the replay if you don''t believe me."


    "It''s not that I don''t believe you, but¡­wow. Just wow."


    Tong Xue was shaking his head, thoroughly impressed. I shrugged and stared back at him, trying to maintain my calm fa?ade. Honestly, I was screaming in joy inside, scarcely able to believe that I had managed to break Wu Hei Gui''s impenetrable defenses.


    "What? You won?"


    Lian Rou showed up, fresh from her match, and her jaw dropped. Tong Xue waved her over to our position and nodded.


    "Yup, he did."


    "Congratulations."


    Ban Zhang showed up out of nowhere and spoke behind me, almost shocking us with his appearance. If I hadn''t sensed his presence and qi a few seconds ago, I might have jumped out of my chair.


    "Thanks. What about you?"


    "I won."


    "Me too."


    "Uh¡­"


    Lian Rou was the only one who didn''t seem eager to share the results of her match. No one inquired her further.


    "Now, all that''s left are¡­Qi Hong and Zhu Jiao. Where are they?"


    "Oh, Qi Hong?" Lian Rou brightened up when I switched the topic. "She won her match half an hour ago. She went back to the dorm to shower."


    "¡­"


    We all glanced at each other, at a loss for words. As expected, Tang Qi Hong won her match almost immediately. She really was one of the more powerful students in school, what with her Four Star Constitution potential and all that.


    "What about Zhu Jiao? Shouldn''t he already have finished his match?"


    "Well, about that¡­" Tong Xue looked a little troubled. "He''s fighting against Yu Wen Tian. It''s a tough match for him."


    "Let''s go cheer him on," I suggested. No wonder we didn''t see Zhu Jiao earlier this morning. He had to make a lot of preparations for his match against one of Snow Valley Sect''s prodigies, Yu Wen Tian. I briefly wondered if Yu Wen Tian was closed to Yin Jing Jing. The two of them might know each other, being rated very highly among the sect and all.


    "Good idea!" Lian Rou beamed.


    "I''m down with that," Ban Zhang agreed.


    "Let''s go! I know where his match is taking place." Tong Xue offered to guide us there. As none of us bothered to read up on the other matches, we had to rely on him.


    The resulting clash culminated in a terrifying shockwave that battered the reinforced walls of the training room.


    "Whoa!"


    I couldn''t help but gape at the incredible sight. A small tornado had whipped up from the collision, spinning around violently and blowing up their hair and uniform sleeves. Neither of them backed off, the both of them not even taking a single step backward as they confronted each other with determined expressions.


    "Impressive¡­" Tong Xue murmured, awestruck.


    "Both of them are worthy enough to enter the finals," Ban Zhang mused.


    "Hu¡­"


    Yu Wen Tian took a deep breath as he freed his sword from Zhu Jiao''s clutches. The two of them traded blows ¨C Zhu Jiao delivering vicious punches and Yu Wen Tian slashing mercilessly ¨C before they were each thrown back a few steps.


    "Let''s try this then!"


    Narrowing his eyes, Yu Wen Tian thrust his sword forward. It wasn''t a simple thrust, however. He was twirling and twisting the sword in his hand, and the azure qi wreathing his blade took the shape of a snake.


    "Snow Serpent Strike!"


    Really? Did you really have to shout out the name of your technique?


    Nonetheless, the power of his sword style couldn''t be underestimated. Even as Zhu Jiao parried Yu Wen Tian''s strike with his gauntlets, the latter switched his pattern of attack, almost slipping through Zhu Jiao''s defenses.


    The Snow Serpent Sword Style was known for its many variations, yet maintained a brutal precision that aimed directly for the opponent''s vulnerabilities. Furthermore, even from this distance and separated by a thick, transparent barrier, I could still sense the domineering aura that the azure serpent exuded.


    "If I''m not mistaken, the Snow Serpent Sword Style is classed as one of the more complex techniques in the Snow Valley Sect," Tong Xue whispered. "It might not be among their strongest, but it''s definitely still a high quality, above average sword style."


    That might sound contradictory ¨C so why bother learning a technique that wasn''t one of the most powerful? The answer was that the Snow Serpent Sword Style was most likely a prerequisite to elarning a stronger, more advanced technique further down the line. But for now, it was more than enough for Yu Wen Tian to domninate opponents of his generation.


    That was what he had been doing all along, during this tournament.


    ¡­until now.


    "!"


    A golden aura of fiery yang qi burst from Zhu Jiao''s body, expanding into a massive sphere that incinerated the azure serpent coiled around Yu Wen Tian''s blade in an instant.


    "What?!"


    Yu Wen Tian withdrew in reflex, before Zhu Jiao''s fist could hammer past his blade and into his face. Breathing heavily, he glared at Zhu Jiao.


    "What the hell is that technique?"


    "What, Golden Kirin Sacred Creature Arts?" Zhu Jiao shrugged. "I''m pretty sure you should know about my techniques by now¡­especially if you bothered to do some research on me."


    "You¡­!" Yu Wen Tian spluttered, but he couldn''t deny that. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before he switched his sword stance.


    It was clear from his expression what he was thinking. Even though Yu Wen Tian did do some research on Zhu Jiao''s abilities, he didn''t expect Zhu Jiao''s technique to be this strong. The firepower of the Golden Kirin Sacred Creature Arts had exceeded his imagination.


    Of course, Zhu Jiao had kept the secret of his ghostly master. No one knew that the specter of Qi Lin had been the one teaching him the Golden Kirin Sacred Creature Arts all this while. They had assumed that Zhu Jiao had succeeded in restoring the lost Golden Kirin Sacred Creature Arts through his own natural ability and the school''s resources. Zhu Jiao had allowed the misunderstanding to propagate ¨C encouraged it even ¨C and thus the existence of Qi Lin continued to be concealed. I was still the only one who knew about it.


    However, neither Zhu Jiao nor Qi Lin was aware that I knew their secret. And I intended to keep it that way.


    "I see. I don''t have a choice then."


    A burst of powerful qi surged from within Yu Wen Tian.


    "That''s the Mystical Thunderbolt Body technique, level 8!" Tong Xue gasped. I stared at him with a raised eyebrow.


    "How do you know it is level 8?"


    "I can estimate it from the amount of qi that he''s emanating," Tong Xue explained. I frowned skeptically, but decided not to press for details. I would just be wasting my time.


    "What technique is that?" Lian Rou asked, puzzled. Tong Xue jumped at the chance to show off his knowledge.


    "The Mystical Thunderbolt Body technique. It''s a kind of advancement technique to help you with your cultivation, rather than just give you combat techniques or fighting styles. It''s¡­to help you increase your cultivation level and amount of innate qi."


    Ah¡­so that was what Heaven and Earth Formula was. rather than a combat technique, Heaven and Earth Formula was just an advancement technique that exponentially increased the amount of qi I had in my body and allowed me methods of increasing it further through qi absorption techniques or drawing natural qi from my surroundings, or even purifying the impure qi in my body to create a more powerful effect.


    Well, I knew that already. No, honestly! I''m not lying!


    In any case, that was why I needed to learn more combat techniques such as Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship or Shadow Steps for actual fighting moves. Otherwise I would just have plenty of qi but no way of putting it into practical use.


    By executing the Mystical Thunderbolt Body technique, Yu Wen Tian''s physical strength multiplied severalfold. Lightning crackled around his body, the golden currents of qi mixing with the azure snowy qi that was already curling around his sword.


    Even though there wasn''t much of a visible change, other than the potency and color of his qi, instinctively I could feel the potent dominant presence of his qi swirling outward to grasp and suffocate me. From the reactions of my friends as they gasped and paled, I could tell that they could feel the intangible effects too.


    "Accept your defeat!"


    Bellowing ferociously, Yu Wen Tian lunged forward as the golden qi expanded rapidly over his sword, interweaving with the azure qi, and he swung his weapon at Zhu Jiao.


    It was clear that he intended to finish the duel with this single move, putting all of his strength in this final strike.


    "Hmph. Just what I was waiting for."


    At the exact same moment when Yu Wen Tian cleaved toward Zhu Jiao, he also executed his mystical advancement technique, the Golden Kirin Sacred Body Constitution. In just a millisecond, his presence surged up forcibly, almost like a hurricane.


    Don''t ask me what level it was, I have no freaking idea. It could be level seven, eight or nine, or even one, and I wouldn''t have a clue.


    Anyway, Zhu Jiao stepped forward and raised both his armored arms, meeting Yu Wen Tian''s powerful strike.


    BOOM!


    Another enormous explosion rippled across the training room, sending powerful tremors across the facility. Lian Rou swayed unsteadily, and Tong Xue quickly grabbed hold of her before she could fall over. Ban Zhang grabbed the railing below the window while I shifted my feet quickly as I instinctively activated my footwork.


    Inside the room, I could see lightning and ice clashing with golden flames and earthly qi. As the collision of the two potent qi died down, I could see Zhu Jiao and Yu Wen Tian skidding away from each other, their weapons smoldering.


    "Whoa¡­amazing¡­"


    "Impressive."


    "I don''t believe this!"


    It wasn''t just my friends. A huge crowd had gathered to watch the intense battle, mesmerized by the sheer power and display of ferocity from both sides.


    It wasn''t just the students. Even a few of the teachers were present, their eyes glowing as they spectated.


    "Excellent. Excellent!"


    An elderly teacher, Teacher Lao, was clapping his hands gleefully. From the perspective of the academy staff, the more talented students we had, the better. It would increase the prestige of the academy, especially as the ex-graduates gained fame and power, which would in turn increase enrollment and donations.


    "I knew you were strong," Yu Wen Tian admitted grudgingly as he lowered his fuming sword. "But your power has surpassed my imagination."


    "I could say the same for you," Zhu Jiao replied as he shook his smoking gauntlets, wincing from the slight pain.


    "Hmph." Yu Wen Tian drew a shaky breath, and then he lunged forward, thrusting with his sword. Zhu Jiao just barely managed to deflect the powerful strike away, and metal screamed against metal in a shower of sparks.


    Bang! Wham!


    The two exchanged furious blows, their arms disappearing into blurs as their speed and power rapidly increased. We could feel the vibrations even outside the room as the two clashed violently against each other, much like a pair of dragons fighting to the death. Or a vicious duel between a dragon and a tiger.


    Only one of them would be getting out of this alive. Well, that was an exaggeration. The academy would do its best to ensure both survived.


    Each blow found its mark, a sword cleaving at armor, or a fist banging against blade. More sparks flew as the two terrible oceans of qi clashed and collided, trying to engulf the other. Their blows were getting more violent, more¡­desperate.


    Clang!


    The two of them sprang apart in a shower of sparks, breathing heavily. It was a miracle that they had kept up their frenzied brawl for this long without losing any stamina, but it appeared their ferocious exchange was finally taking its toll.


    "Amazing¡­I''ve to hand it to you."


    Yu Wen Tian huffed as he wiped the perspiration from his forehead.


    "You''re the strongest opponent I''ve ever faced."


    "Hmph."


    Despite breathing as heavily as Yu Wen Tian, Zhu Jiao smirked as he mopped his face with a hand.


    "I could say the same about you. Unfortunately, I can''t stop here. Not if I want to compete at the very top and¡­face Ning Xue in the finals."


    "Bai Ning Xue?" Yu Wen Tian scowled. "Surely you don''t think you''ll be able to stand against her in combat, do you?"


    "Can''t hurt to try." Zhu Jiao''s smile widened. "But first I''ll have to defeat you and everybody in this group so that I can advance to the last 16."


    "Dream on!"


    Scowling, Yu Wen Tian shot forward like a bullet and slashed at Zhu Jiao, who met him squarely like a rock. Though seemingly immobile, Zhu Jiao was the very pillar of calm, standing very still as he met Yu Wen Tian blow with blow.


    Crunch! Crack!


    Even the reinforced walls of the training room were beginning to crack from the impact, the ground beneath their feet shattering with each heavy blow. As the room crumbled, debris began to scatter all over the place, hurled into the air by the sheer force of the two combatants'' qi.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    "Are those two even human?"


    "I''ve never seen a battle like this¡­"


    "Monsters¡­they''re both monsters!"


    The spectators watched with bated breath as they waited for the battle to reach its climax. Unable to tear their eyes away from the amazing scene, they seemed almost too afraid to blink. The two were trading blows in movements so fast that even a single blink would cause us to miss a lot.


    "Thunderbolt Kick!"


    Again, with the shouting of his techniques. I couldn''t help but shake my head when Yu Wen Tian yelled out the name of his technique while delivering a kick. However, Yu Wen Tian did have an edge in the number of martial arts he learned, which surpassed that of Zhu Jiao, who only learned a small handful of styles. The latter was forced to dodge as the former left a massive crater in the ground, rolling away before bringing his armored arms up to defend.


    "Kirin Flash."


    The golden aura surrounding Zhu Jiao''s body amplified and he unleashed a surge of qi that knocked Yu Wen Tian off his feet and sent the latter rolling away to safety. Cursing under his breath, Yu Wen Tian jumped up again.


    "I''ll defeat you, no matter what!"


    Hardening his resolve, Yu Wen Tian lunged at Zhu Jiao and thrust his sword forward. Golden qi wreathed his blade, transforming into a blizzard of swords sharp enough to slice even the rocky debris that was floating all over the air.


    Against this, Zhu Jiao elected to harden his defense. Steeling himself, he solidified his golden qi and met Yu Wen Tian head-on with a roar.


    Clang!


    Sword met gauntlets. Once again, an enormous explosion erupted as the two tremendous forces of qi collided, ripping apart the training room and causing the walls to break as golden and azure qi ripped each other apart like demonic beasts.


    The rocky debris that had been hovering momentarily in the air, defying gravity because of the saturated atmosphere of qi, were all instantly obliterated by the sheer force, crushed into fine powder no longer visible to the naked eye.


    "Holy¡­"


    "Heavens, just how powerful are their qi?!"


    "Monsters! They''re definitely monsters!"


    The students were crying out, stupefied by the display of utter ferocity and power. Many of them were trembling, paling as they watched the violent explosions tear apart the training room from within, the two duelists no longer visible in the midst of the qi inferno.


    "It''s time to settle this."


    "Agreed."


    The two duelists were running out of stamina and qi. After excuting such massive moves that consumed so much qi, neither of them could hold on for much longer. After all, they weren''t Mary Sues like Li Fu Chen, who could go on and display thousands of moves yet not feel tired at all, and still utterly dominate his opponent.


    An azure-golden glow enveloped Yu Wen Tian''s sword as he held it tightly with both hands. Accumulating as much qi as he could, he stepped forward with a bellow and swung his sword, unleashing a devastating arc of energy.


    In contrast, Zhu Jiao merely stood still. I could see the figure of a golden Kirin settling over his body, almost as if he was turning it into armor. The Kirin seemed to roar thunderously as it reared forward to meet the incoming arc of energy. As if responding to its will, Zhu Jiao cocked his right arm back and threw a powerful punch.


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    BOOM!


    A golden beam of energy surged from Zhu Jiao''s fist and smashed apart the gigantic arc of destruction that was barreling toward him.


    "What?!"


    Yu Wen Tian froze, then raised his sword in reflex to defend himself.


    It was useless.


    The golden blast of energy knocked the sword out of Yu Wen Tian''s hands and engulfed him in a golden explosion that sent tremors across the entire training facility. The wall caved in and actually collapsed, sending Yu Wen Tian sprawling into the locker room just behind. A golden Kirin seemed to materialize above him, devouring Yu Wen Tian''s prone form with its gigantic jaws and then erupted in a devastating explosion that caused everyone to shield their eyes.


    "Holy s¡­"


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    "And this isn''t even the finals yet¡­"


    A murmur ran through the crowd as they tried to squint past their fingers and hands, unable to believe what had just transpired. In a single hit, Zhu Jiao obliterated Yu Wen Tian''s ultimate attack and laid him low.


    He even destroyed the reinforced wall of the training room and sent his opponent flying into the next room!


    "That guy is insane," I muttered under my breath. Well, what else could I expect from someone who was obviously the protagonist of a xianxia story? Of course he would completely dominate all his opponents like a certain Mary Sue with so-called demonic perception despite having "only" a normal bone frame.


    "Zhu Jiao won!" Tong Xue gasped and pumped a fist into the air. "Great job!"


    "Yeah, he completely exceeded everyone''s expectations." Ban Zhang shook his head. "Group of Death¡­that''s not going to stop him from making it to the finals."


    "What terrifying power," Lian Rou sighed as she shuddered. "It seems only Bai Ning Xue is a match for him now."


    "That would be one hell of a final," I agreed, watching Zhu Jiao''s triumphant figure as he raised his hand to the air, looking exhausted but overjoyed.


    *


    The next few days passed by in a blur. I managed to scrape through my group, winning narrowly over my opponents. There were a few close calls and narrow shaves, but I managed to scrape a scrappy victory over them, either through luck or sheer plot armor¡­I mean tenacity.


    Unlike Zhu Jiao, I didn''t have to worry about facing a lot of powerful opponents. I had already defeated the troublesome ones such as Wu Hei Gui and even Tu Zi Yi. That left Wu Xing, the Five Elements prodigy from the Kun Lun Sect.


    As it was, it turned out that our match was arranged on the last day. Wu Xing had just defeated Wu Hei Gui in an extremely close battle. I suspected Wu Xing only won because he could manipulate all five elements and chose the elements that Wu Hei Gui was weak against. In other words, wood and earth with the latter especially being a counter to water.


    "Hmm, room 479."


    I stopped in front of the designated room, while still replaying the events of Wu Xing''s match against Wu Hei Gui the other day. Make no mistake. Wu Xing was a formidable enemy, and I had to do my research on him if I wanted to stand even a chance of not embarrassing myself, never mind winning.


    Furthermore, I had somehow managed to win all my matches so far. All I needed was a victory over Wu Xing and I would emerge the top in our group and make my way to the last sixteen. Everything was riding on this match.


    Unfortunately, the same could be said for Wu Xing.


    "¡­"


    "Oh, you''re finally here, eh?"


    For the first time, I wasn''t the one who came to the room first. Wu Xing was already inside, waiting for me. Even though I came early, he still beat me to it.


    This was not a good sign.


    "Are you ready for the last battle of the preliminary round?" Wu Xing asked as he cracked his knuckles. I watched him for a second and then nodded.


    "Yeah."


    "Good." Wu Xing watched me carefully. "You are aware that whoever wins this match will make it to the finals, right?"


    "Yeah."


    No doubt the guy was going to say something along the lines of he was going to win this battle and advance to the last 16. I had heard it all before.


    "Although I have no doubt who would win this match¡­"


    See? I knew it. Sighing, I shook my head and turned away, but that did not discourage Wu Xing from continuing.


    "Your progress has surprised me. I didn''t think you would be able to beat Tu Zi Yi and Wu Hei Gui. Especially the latter. To think you could even defeat a disciple from one of the eight major sects¡­oh! That''s right!"


    He struck his palm with his fist.


    "You are also from one of the eight major sects, if I recall. The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, right?"


    "Uh huh¡­"


    I was wondering if there was any point to this conversation.


    "But even so, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is known for blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving. Unless you''re not one of their famous Blood Blades¡­"


    "I''m not," I assured him. I also didn''t tell him that I was aiming to get into the Blood Blades eventually. Deliberately withholding information was a form of strategy.


    "Heh¡­impressive. Well, it doesn''t matter. You''re unlucky that your final opponent is me." Wu Xing shook his head mockingly. "To have the tiny hope of advancing to the last 16¡­"


    He then clenched his fist, as if crushing something. The tiny hope he was talking about, I bet.


    "¡­only to have it destroyed when I show up as your final opponent."


    "Stop being dramatic." I sighed. "Let''s not waste any time and begin right away."


    "Straight to the point. I like that!" Wu Xing grinned, and then turned up to the speaker and security camera at the top of the training room. "Teacher Cai, we''re ready."


    "Okay. Then you can begin."


    "Wu Xing of Kun Lun, the Five Elements prodigy of the Kun Lun Sect. my specialization is¡­all five elements! The esoteric Five Elements Principle of Kun Lun. Not to mention, I am the smartest and brightest among my sect¡­"


    I listened to him ramble on and on, not bothering to remember the rest of his introduction, then briefly gave my name. Since Wu Xing didn''t seem interested in my skills, I merely mentioned that I was from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and didn''t provide any more details than that. Wu Xing also didn''t inquire, unlike Tu Zi Yi.


    His arrogance was going to be his undoing. That I was certain of.


    "Then let''s begin!"

 95 Chapter 94: Esoteric Five Elements

    I was mistaken.


    "Hah!"


    Wu Xing threw out a hand and a stream of fire erupted. My eyes widened when I saw the ranged attack surging toward me and I twisted my feet in reflex to change the trajectory of my retreat. The stream of flames roared past, almost scalding my cheek and arm.


    "Phew!"


    Realizing there was nowhere I could truly be safe within the arena, I decided to close in and instead capitalize on what I believed to be my advantage in close combat. Using Jin, I dodged another burst of flames and closed in, swinging around for a roundhouse kick.


    Bam!


    Wu Xing parried the blow with both his arms, then followed up with a counterattack that threw me off my feet and sent me staggering away. I ducked his next punch and retaliated with a kick, but he jabbed his elbow down to block my foot and then threw a hook with his other arm. I dodged that one by dropping to the ground, then swung my leg out to knock him off his feet, but he jumped back before throwing his right arm down to hurl a fireball at me.


    Boom!


    I managed to deflect that one by freezing the space around me. A thick fog materialized as ice clashed against fire, the temperatures wildly swinging from one extreme end to another. I then stumbled out of the fog, coughing.


    "Hmph."


    "?!"


    Wu Xing was unfazed, and he threw a blazing punch that ripped through most of the fog, almost catching me in the face. I took a step back, just narrowly moving to a position just out of his reach, and then responded with a kick to his chest.


    "Kuh!"


    The leg was longer than the arm, and thus he was within my kicking reach even though I was out of his punching reach. The kick caught him by surprise and he staggered back. However, as my counterattack was hasty, it didn''t seem to do much damage.


    "You!"


    I dropped to the ground when my opponent swung his arm forward, blasting the space above my scalp and hair with a torrent of flames. I tried to sweep my opponent off his legs, but this time he was prepared, shifting his feet to block my kick.


    Wu Xing then slammed his foot down, hoping to stomp on me, but I managed to roll away. Hopping to my feet, I lashed out with a reflexive kick to lengthen the distance between us. Wu Xing, however, realized my intention and swiftly switched tactics, throwing out a hand to bath me in flames. I cursed as I was blasted backward, my body smoldering from the heat.


    "Oh, you survived that?"


    "Metal element now?"


    My eyes widened and I hastily threw up my arms to block Wu Xing''s punch in reflex. His fist struck my crossed arms and a vicious current of electricity instantly coursed through my body, electrocuting me.


    "Argh!"


    "Just get knocked out already!"


    Spinning about, Wu Xing threw another lightning punch that I managed to block, but just barely. This time, I gathered my inner qi to form a defense against the invasive lightning, but even then the punch still did a fair amount of damage to me.


    My body fuming, I used Tui to widen the distance between us. Wu Xing switched back to fire, throwing a fireball from long range, but I managed to freeze that projectile before it hit me.


    "Huff¡­"


    Breathing heavily, I wiped the blood from my mouth. That lightning punch didn''t just electrocute me, it also delivered quite a bit of internal damage. Nothing debilitating, though. As long as I could recover my breath, I was still ready to go.


    "Always freezing my fire, huh? How about this, then?"


    Scowling, Wu Xing threw another punch, but this time plants erupted in place of the flames. I ducked a whip from a particularly vicious vine, then used my footwork techniques to escape a sudden growth of a thorny thicket. Wooden branches coiled before lashing out violently, vines tried to ensnare me, and razor-sharp leaves tried to cut me.


    I had to continue moving, using consecutive footwork to dodge the wild, rampant growth of trees. Wu Xing was certainly displaying his mastery of the five elements here, using wood element now. Cursing, I froze an encroaching thicket of thorny plants and foliage with ice, but the rest of the wood seemed to absorb the moisture and grow more uncontrollably.


    This guy¡­!


    He was strong¡­much stronger than any opponent I had ever faced. His skills surpassed even Wu Hei Gui¡­no wonder Wu Hei Gui lost to him.


    However, it wasn''t as if I was completely helpless before him.


    Gathering qi into my hands, I executed Ghost Shadow Sword. Shadowy, icy blades materialized around me and cut the plants apart. With a yell, I dashed forward with Jin, carving a path through the thicket of brutal plants with multiple shadowy swords, and headed straight for the gloating, unmoving Wu Xing.


    I realized I could end this if I knocked out the controller.


    "Oh? That''s a technique I haven''t seen before."


    Wu Xing seemed more amused than alarm. Throwing a hand upward, he conjured a wall of flames to thwart my progress, but I merely froze it. Smashing through the glacial wall, I swung my ice shadow swords down on him.


    "Kuh!"


    Realizing that he could no longer afford to underestimate me, Wu Xing stomped on the ground. A wall of earth erupted from the floor this time, partially to block my attack, and partially as a form of offense. A few spiky rocks surged toward me, seeking to impale me.


    "Uwaaaaah!"


    Bellowing, I swung my ice shadow swords, seeking to either obliterate the ice wall or freeze it, but to my amazement the sturdy surface held strong. I did manage to shatter the rock spikes that were thrusting toward me, but after much effort and at the cost of several of my ice shadow swords. Heaving, I jumped back to get out of the spiky rocks'' range.


    Five elements principle¡­earth counters water.


    That must be why my ice attacks ¨C which was primarily based off the element of water ¨C were not as effective against Wu Xing''s earth barrier. Clicking my tongue, I decided to find a way around it. Making use of my footwork, I dodged the remaining spiky rocks and circled around to exploit an opening.


    Fortunately, while earth was strong, sturdy and unyielding, it was also cumbersome and slow. Unlike the fast, brutal and aggressive attacks of fire, or the flexible, nimble wood, earth relied on overwhelming power to compensate for its lack of speed and agility. Even so, I was certain there was an area of vulnerability.


    I just needed to find it.


    "Hah!" Wu Xing cried out, his voice muffled. The next moment, I saw a torrent of flames erupt toward me.


    As I suspected, Wu Xing had to lower part of his defenses to execute an attack of a different element, otherwise the contrasting qi would clash against each other. Seizing the opportunity, I advanced and closed in on his position, hurling an icy shadow sword through the opening. Wu Xing''s eyes widened and he quickly threw up a clod of earth to plug the gap in his defenses, which caused my sword to shatter upon impact.


    Twirling in midair, I kicked the stream of flames and immediately froze it. Sliding down on the frozen path I had just forged for myself, I ran a few meters before jumping up ¨C just as a row of spiky rocks obliterated the ice bridge ¨C and threw myself forward. Flipping in midair and weaving through a dozen rocky spikes trying to impale me, I landed right on top of the almost dome-shaped barrier of earth that Wu Xing had created to protect himself.


    Seismic Step.


    BOOM!


    "Ugh!"


    Within the earth barrier, Wu Xing felt a shockwave hit him like a truck, pinning him down to the ground and crushing him. A spurt of blood erupted from his mouth as he squirmed underneath the overwhelming pressure, his body almost ripped apart by the powerful strike.


    Fortunately for him, his earth barrer had absorbed most of the blow, so he only sustained "minimal" damage. Far from being incapacitated, he slowly climbed back to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth and glaring at me.


    "You¡­"


    I replied with a kick. Wu Xing dodged and then retaliated with a Lightning Punch, sure that his flaming attacks no longer had much of an effect. His eyes narrowed when he realized that he couldn''t afford to underestimate me.


    "Were you hiding your true strength all this while? I''ve never heard of anyone outside of the Four or Five Star Constitution cultivators being able to break through my defenses! Just who the hell are you? Aren''t you supposed to be a One Star Constitution cultivator?"


    "That''s the problem with you guys. You place too much stock and value in all these arbitrary measurement systems and view people according to talent, ranks, stages, levels or whatever. But something like a human''s potential can never be captured by anything as mundane as numbers¡­they can never be quantified properly!"


    With a yell, I executed another kick that forced Wu Xing to back off. Gritting his teeth, he threw his arm forward.


    "What bullshit¡­don''t underestimate me!"


    This time, he unleashed a forceful torrent of water that would have pierced a hole through me, had I not dodged it in time. Wu Xing then followed up with punches and kicks that swirled with massive waves of water, threatening to flood the room and sweep me away in their irresistible currents, washing everything away.


    "You''re the one who is underestimating me."


    Instead of going with the flow, I stomped on the ground and executed my Heaven and Earth Yuan Yin Frost technique, freezing the entire training room in one go. The waters and currents all turned into ice, frozen in place and unmoving.


    "Have you forgotten who you are facing?"


    "You¡­!"


    Evidently he had. Wu Xing backed off, his face pale. I didn''t care, smashing through the ice to kick him in the chest. Realizing that he was cornered, Wu Xing decided to confront this attack head-on. With a determined roar, he surged forward, lightning crackling around his fist as he met my kick. Our strikes and qi collided in a massive explosion that obliterated the ice all around us, sending the glacial crystals raining down around us like snow.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    The intense lightning had vaporized the ice around him into steam, wreathing the kneeling Wu Xing in a protective electric aura. As for me, I was forced to back off a few steps, and was trying to regain my balance and breathing.


    Both of us regarded each other warily, acknowledging the other''s strength grudgingly. Let down my guard, and I would be the one on the floor. Wu Xing realized the same went for him, and he wearily climbed to his feet.


    "I was hoping to save this for the finals, but it will be pointless if I don''t make it to the round of sixteen."


    I felt a prickle on the back of my neck, a premonition. Wu Xing was going all out now, not holding anything back. His qi had thickened and increased. I tensed, expecting an attack, only to read the flow of qi currents around Wu Xing''s body and realized that he was executing his advancement technique, not an offensive one.


    "Esoteric Five Elements Principle: the pinnacle of the universe."


    As he said that, Wu Xing retrieved something from his pocket. It looked like a crest of some sort, or a metallic badge. No¡­it resembled a breastplate. For some reason, it also looked extremely familiar, as if I had seen something like it before.


    "Huh?!"


    It took me a while to recall, but I suddenly remembered that it resembled the object that Ba Yun used when I fought him all those years ago. That thing Wu Xing was holding was a Spirit Armament, a type of transformable¡­


    "Five Elements Royal Armor."


    The breastplate glowed and expanded, spiritual qi extending out from its interior and enveloping Wu Xing in a protective frame. Unlike the Spirit Armor belonging to Ba Yun, this particular Five Elements Royal Armor was not creepy at all, seeming to exude a potent presence of protective qi and even having an air of royalty and dignity to it.


    Spirit weapons and armaments, after all, possessed "souls." They were almost like living things, and each one of them had their individual nature. If I were to describe the Five Elements Royal Armor, it would be princely, proud and dignified. It was completely different from the monstrous, definitely demonic spirit armor that Ba Yun used.


    The golden glow that suffused Wu Xing then solidified and materialized in the form of a full-body armor that clad him from head to toe. Even his helm covered most of his head, with only his face being exposed. That was far from being a weak point, however. From my Heaven and Earth qi sense, I could detect a thick aura of qi protecting his seemingly exposed face.


    This spirit armor¡­it was not to be underestimated.


    Wu Xing flexed his arm, as if testing out his armor, and then he disappeared from sight.


    "!!"


    I barely managed to evade his next punch. Wu Xing''s armored gautlet struck the ground where I was standing on, that simple punch leaving a crater. Even as I dove to the side, I was peppered with broken debris.


    What speed¡­what power! He''s on a completely different level from before!


    "Huh¡­I thought I would be able to end this with this one strike. Looks like you''ve a few tricks up your sleeve as well."


    Wu Xing turned toward me.


    "?!"


    Again, he had disappeared. The next thing I knew, he was right in front of me. I bent my back backward, just barely dodging his strike, but the shockwaves from his punch buffeted me, crushing me to the ground. I instinctively rolled away, avoiding his stomp. But his stomp was so powerful his armored boot actually broke the ground and caused an earthquake that hurled me off the ground and sent me flying a few meters away.


    "Kuh¡­"


    I managed to clumsily land on my feet and skidded a meter or so back. Raising my head, I saw Wu Xing disappear from the corner of my eye.


    "!"


    Boom!


    Another crater was carved into the ground. At this rate, the training room would be destroyed. Before that, I probably would run out of place to run.


    "You''re pretty good at running away."


    Wu Xing raised his armored fist and turned to stare at me in comtempt, his lips curling up in a mocking sneer.


    "Do you expect me to stand still and get hit by you?" I retorted, annoyed. What was it and my opponents thinking they were entitled a free shot?


    To my surprise, Wu Xing shook his head. "Oh, no. of course not. Do your best to dodge. After all, just one strike from me and you''ll be half dead. It''s only natural that you want to avoid a direct hit from me. I would do the same if I were you."


    My goodness. An opponent who was actually reasonable. I wanted to praise the heavens for allowing me to meet someone who actually made sense.


    "However¡­hittng you is only a matter of time. All you need is one small mistake, a single slip-up, and the match will end." Wu Xing''s derisive smile spread further across his face. "In contrast, you have no way of attacking me."


    As if to emphasize his point, he appeared in front of me but didn''t attack. I reacted on reflex ¨C just as he predicted ¨C and kicked him, but he merely stood there, completely unaffected. Instead, I was the one who recoiled and held my foot, grimacing at the pain.


    This guy was tough. His Five Elements Royal Armor was sturdier than even¡­


    ¡­even Wu Hei Gui''s Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell¡­


    Not only that, Wu Xing had a far more impressive array of offensive techniques than my classmate. No wonder Wu Hei Gui lost his match against this guy.


    However, I wasn''t going to give up that easily. I delivered another Shadow Kick that sent pain ringing through my leg, but I nullified it with a burst of qi. Intead, I increased the amount of qi wreathing my leg and delivered a barrage of kicks that drove Wu Xing back.


    "I''ve seen your match against Wu Hei Gui."


    Unfortunately for me, Wu Xing wasn''t going to just stand there and take my kicks like Wu Hei Gui. He raised his hand to catch my leg. My instincts shrieked and I quickly withdrew my kick, causing Wu Xing to grab empty air. I also immediately retreated, and just in time too, as Wu Xing''s lightning-wreathed gauntlet scorched the space where I had been standing on earlier, saturating the air with sparks and static electricity.


    "I would be a fool if I allowed you the chance to break through the armor. Though I doubt you''ll be capable of it¡­but I''m not taking any chances. Plus that Seismic Step of yours¡­I''ll admit that it''s among the most powerful attacks I''ve ever seen."


    "Why, thank you," I replied dryly as I kept my eye on him. My leg throbbed, despite the protective aura of qi swirling around it, and I realized I would break my own leg before I broke Wu Xing''s Five Elements Royal Armor. As expected, it wasn''t going to be easy to destroy a Spirit Armament of such divine quality.


    This Five Elements Royal Armor was on a completely different level from the demonic spirit armor that Ba Yun wore. I wouldn''t be surprised if it had been forged by a master from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. perhaps even by the Sect Leader Zi Shou De himself. The Kun Lun Sect was a major sect ¨C one of the eight most powerful and biggest ones ¨C and thus they had deep pockets and near infinite resources. Of course they wouldn''t spare any expense in purchasing the ultimate treasure spirit armament for the prodigy of their sect.


    "Any more tricks?" Wu Xing asked casually as he reared his arm back. A torrent of flames erupted and seared through the air, toward my position. Even as I froze the fiery attack, I realized that it was more potent and stronger than before.


    "Kuh¡­"


    Enveloped by mist, I stepped back, only for Wu Xing to cleave the mist apart with a single fiery punch. Stepping to the side, I kicked him in the abdomen, only for my foot to bounce off the thickly plated armor. In return, Wu Xing slammed his elbow down on me, but I managed to pull my leg away in time before he could break my knee.


    This guy¡­!


    Gritting my teeth and lengthening the distance between us while warding off a combined blast of fire and lightning, I tried to think of an idea. At this rate, I had no way of attacking him¡­


    I needed a weapon of my own¡­


    "What about this?"


    This time, a thicker growth of plants and trees materialized, the vines whipping out more viciously and faster than before. The branches unfurled and stretched toward me, and I found myself surrounded by a thicket of wood.


    I wouldn''t be able to dodge in time!


    No matter. I had my Ghost Shadow Sword. Unleashing all my qi into sharpened sword intent, I materialized them into shadowy blades and slashed at the incoming wood, attempting to slice them apart before they could engulf me.


    "Eh?!"


    Unfortunately, the wood was much thicker and stronger than before. Most likely Wu Xing''s powers had been amplified by his Five Elements Royal Armor. It was not unheard of. Most people use spirit weapons and spirit armaments to strengthen and enhance their base martial arts techniques. Even I did so.


    Wu Xing''s wood attacks right now were incomparable to the ones before, when he didn''t use his armor. I was unable to cut the sturdy wood, vines and thorns with my Ghost Shadow Sword!


    Krunch!


    Within moments, I was trapped and crushed by a ball of wood, vines and thorns, which writhed and coiled tightly all around me.


    "Hmph."


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    Wu Xing lowered his hand and regarded the squirming sphere of wood, his expression triumphant. Flames coated one gauntlet and lightning on the other. Leaving nothing to chance, he stepped forward to finish me off.


    However, from the lack of movement ¨C other than from his wood attacks ¨C it seemed that I had been subdued.


    "Looks like this match is over."


    Cocking his hand back and getting ready to deliver a blazing punch, Wu Xing smirked. He was obviously relishing his entry into the last sixteen.


    "?!"


    Then his eyes widened when he detected a surge of qi, and he stepped back in reflex.


    Slice, slice, slice!


    BOOM!


    Within seconds, the sphere of wood was cut apart. A maelstrom of azure qi swirled from the inside, ravaging and disintegrating the dying wood and erasing them from existence.


    Stepping out of the maelstrom, I swung down one of my swords to blow the angry currents of qi away.


    "You¡­" Wu Xing spluttered when he caught sight of my dual swords. I merely shrugged before smirking at him.

 96 Chapter 95: Blade against Armor

    Wu Xing stared at me for a few seconds, his brow raised. He studied my pair of swords for a few seconds, and then snorted in laughter.


    "Those are just low-grade spirit swords at best. Do you really intend to challenge me with those? You should just give up."


    "¡­"


    I couldn''t deny that my swords were low-grade spirit weapons. They were the cheapest weapons I could get, or rather I got them for free while in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. as rich and resourceful as they were, they weren''t going to hand out high quality spirit armaments to a mere outer sect disciple such as myself.


    However, the gap between Wu Xing and I was clear. Wu Xing was too strong. I had no choice but to use weapons, or I would be crushed one-sidedly. Weapons gave an overwhelming advantage to the wielder, and with Wu Xing armed as he was currently, I stood no chance of defeating him. That was the ironclad rule of combat ¨C no matter what, a weapon would always confer its wielder an advantage over an opponent who was unarmed. With a pair of swords, I could at least attempt to bridge the difference. It was only just slightly, but that was much better than nothing.


    Furthermore, I remembered the old rule of weapon combat. If I want to fight an armed martial artist while unarmed, I had to be at least three times stronger than him in order to at least be on par. While I had no idea what "three times stronger" meant exactly ¨C how do you calculate and measure someone''s strength and then multiply that by three? I always upheld the notion that a person''s skill or strength cannot be quantified ¨C I was at least aware of the fact that I couldn''t fight an armed person without weapon unless I was much more skilled than him.


    Unfortunately for me, Wu Xing was more skilled than I was in terms of martial arts. He was more talented, stronger and more intelligent. The only advantages I had over him was my superior speed ¨C because I wasn''t wearing cumbersome armor ¨C and experience. As talented as he was, Wu Xing most likely did not have as much combat experience as I did.


    "Hey! What''s the matter?"


    Wu Xing was glaring at me wondering why I stayed silent. He decided that it was pointless to provoke me and rushed forward to deliver a devastating punch.


    I immediately took a step back, dodging it. With the sheer power Wu Xing had, I would prefer to avoid parrying an attack unless necessary. Since I had an advantage in speed and agility, I might as well make full use of it and my footwork techniques to evade all of Wu Xing''s attacks.


    Sizzle!


    Fire on one hand, lightning on the other. Wu Xing was wielding dual elements right now, trying to connect with me. I dodged, ducked and evaded fleet-footedly, relying on my superior footwork technique to stay one step ahead.


    "You¡­!"


    There was finally a tinge of frustration in Wu Xing''s voice. He swung his fist, unleashing a torrent of flames, but I dispersed it by slashing it with one of my swords and freezing the flames. However, Wu Xing succeeded in throwing a punch with his other hand at a speed too fast for me to evade. I brought up my other sword in reflex and parried it.


    Blitz!


    Electricity crackled ferociously as metal collided against metal. I stumbled back, the force of Wu Xing''s punch momentarily throwing me off balance. Even as I tried to regain my footing, I mustered my inner qi defenses against the electricity attempting to flow down my blade. It was a good thing my sword had acted as a buffer, or I would be electrocuted instantly.


    This was why having a weapon of my own made a lot of difference. Furthermore, if I had been relying on freezing ice swords out of the air, they would have been smashed immediately and I would have gotten electrocuted anyway.


    "!"


    Wu Xing capitalized on my lack of balance to close in and deliver another punch. Putting his full strength into his fist this time, he stomped on the ground and created a little crater. Throwing his full weight behind his punch, he hammered against my swords, which I had crossed in reflex in order to parry his attack.


    Bam!


    I skidded backward, my feet almost leaving the ground. Struggling to regain my balance, I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the trembling in my hands. Wu Xing''s punch had been so powerful that my arms had gone numb just from trying to parry the blow. Right in front of my eyes, my pair of blades continued to vibrate violently, unable to shake off the kinetic energy.


    "Hah!"


    Before I could recover fully, Wu Xing threw himself forward, unleashing a second barrage of punches. Lightning and fire revolved intensely around his gauntlets, suffusing him and his full-body armor in a red-golden glow. He struck a regal, impressive figure that would have left anyone watching it in awe and envy.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t afford to bother with such nonsense right now.


    Even though I hadn''t totally regained my footing, I kicked off and partially executed a clumsy footwork technique. Even though it was hasty and not ideal, my Duo succeeded in ferrying me a few meters out of range of Wu Xing, and to his side.


    "!"


    Wu Xing spun around without even looking, his sharp intuition guessing accurately where I would dodge to. He swung with a backhanded blow that almost took me by surprise, but my reflexes saved me. Crossing my swords, I parried his blow again and was hurled off my feet and toward the wall. Flipping my body in midair, I slammed both feet into the reinforced material and inadvertently cracked it. Landing on the ground, I leaned against the slightly damaged wall to recover.


    "Phew¡­"


    My arms were still shaking horribly from that well-timed strike. If I hadn''t blocked Wu Xing''s backhanded blow with my swords, he would have broken my nose. Taking a deep breath, I then shot off the wall just as Wu Xing barreled into me.


    BOOM!


    Wu Xing''s flaming fist struck the wall, smashing a crater into the already cracked material. Small chunks of debris shook themselves loose and fell onto him, only to vaporize the moment they came into contact with his electric-fiery qi.


    "Whoa¡­"


    I swallowed as I regarded Wu Xing warily. He had only wielded two of his five elements so far, and already his attacks were so potent.


    Wu Xing swung his arm, firing a lightning bolt at me, but I dodged that successfully before whirling away from a torrent of flames. Wu Xing sought to close in on me, but I had grown wise to his tactics and used my footwork to escape out of his reach. With my swords, I could easily shut down any ranged attacks he threw at me.


    "Tch."


    Clicking his tongue when he realized that, Wu Xing glared at me before he dispersed the flames on one of his arms. He then smashed it on the ground and suddenly the training room was once again filled with plants.


    Growing wildly and rampantly, the berserk plants crept forward with flailing vines and curling wood, whipping in my direction and trying to ensnare me. I tried to dodge, but there was way too much foliage in the vicinity for me to properly evade. Left without a choice, I slashed the thicket apart with my swords, leaving a trail of ice in my wake.


    "!"


    While I fought to free myself, Wu Xing capitalized on his success in slowing me down by charging forward. I twisted around and parried his punch with my crossed swords while simultaneously trying to keep his lightning at bay. Once again, the weight behind his powerful punch carried me off my feet and sent me right into the awaiting vines of his wood technique.


    "Damn it¡­!"


    I stumbled and struggled, but the vines wrapped themselves around my limbs and firmly held me in place. While I fought against the wooden restraints, Wu Xing wasted no time charging forward and punching me.


    "Gah!"


    I felt as if a truck had hit me. Blood spurted out of my mmouth as I doubled over, the vines helpless to stop that as Wu Xing''s strength was too much for them to bear. I struggled to raise my head, and Wu Xing noticing that I was still conscious, punched me in the face, knocking my glasses askew and breaking them.


    Crack!


    I swear, he broke my nose or something. Either way, I heard the audible snap and pain exploded across my face in a red haze. I almost blacked out there.


    "Hmph."


    Wu Xing regarded me coolly, confident that he had won. I hung my head loosely, my mind still in a haze, but I continued to resist stubbornly.


    Compared to what I had been through in Ba Yun''s torture chamber, this amount of pain is nothing.


    Gritting my teeth, I gathered as much qi as I could in my body. Noticing that I was still conscious and still resisting, Wu Xing reared his arm back for another punch, but I beat him to it. With a yell, I released the qi I had accumulated inside me in a single burst, freezing the wood around me and even entombing Wu Xing in a huge block of ice.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I dropped to my knees and threw up another spurt of blood. Wiping my mouth and staggering to my feet, I turned to look at Wu Xing. Already he was breaking free of the ice, lightning and fire crackling all over him.


    I didn''t give him the chance to. Running forward, I smashed him out of the ice with a Shadow Kick, sending him tumbling outward in a shower of ice. While Wu Xing fumbled around and retaliated with a vicious hook, he suddenly realized that I had disappeared.


    "Fuck," he swore furiously as he glanced around. Smacking the ice in the air away with a huge sweep of his hand, he spun around with a thunderous holler. "Where did you go?!"


    I resisted the urge to tell him where I was and merely showed him by stepping on his helm. Wu Xing''s eyes widened, but before he could knock me away from his head, I unleashed a powerful Seismic Step.


    Boom!


    Wu Xing disappeared in an explosion that carved a crater into the ground and sent debris flying all over the place. Weaving through the shower of debris, I managed to land on a relatively safe spot free of rubble.


    "Curse you!"


    "!!!"


    I tried to evade, and only succeeded by a narrow margin, as Wu Xing burst out of the cloud of dust and debris. This time, he was executing water moves, with large torrents of water washing the dust and debris away and splashing toward me.


    Sidestepping the first punch, I then brought up my swords to block the other. Gritting my teeth as I was shoved back and struck by a wave of water, I then froze the violently swirling currents, surrounding us both in glacial walls. Unhindered, Wu Xing smashed the glacial walls aside with huge swings of his gauntlets, intent on hitting me.


    Water swirled around one gauntlet, taking the form of a whirlpool, while lightning crackled around his other. He hit me with both fists and sent me tumbling back despite my best efforts to freeze the water and parry the strike. Again, my swords shook violently, the blades almost unable to handle the impact and my arms ached from the blow.


    At least it''s not as bad as when I tried to kick him¡­


    Realizing that I couldn''t be on the defense all the time, I switched my stance and slashed at the incoming Wu Xing. He allowed the blades to strike him, confident in his armor as always. Other than my Seismic Step, he didn''t seem to have received any damage at all.


    There''s not even a crack in his armor¡­he repaired it with his qi, I see¡­


    This was going to be troublesome.


    Taking a deep breath, I thrust one of my swords at him, but it merely scraped past his breastplate. Wu Xing smirked and then countered with a punch that I barely blocked with my other sword. Sparks flew as electricity ran through the blade.


    "Kuh!"


    I jumped back to avoid getting electrocuted and discharged the electricity. While I did so, Wu Xing stepped forward to slam his fist into my chest. I managed to just barely block that one and freeze the water around it, but he suddenly switched the element to wood. Thorns and vines lashed out, absorbing the water and whipping straight at me.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Freezing the wood, I sliced it apart, only to bring up my other sword to block Wu Xing''s fist. His punch smashed my sword into my chest, causing me to cough and fly backward again. Already a new growth of plants had replaced the one I had cut down earlier, quickly ensnaring me and trying to pin me in place for their owner to punch me.


    "Kuh¡­"


    Even as blood dripped down my mouth, I gritted my teeth and executed my Heaven and Earth Yuan Yin Frost technique again. Wu Xing stopped just in time, remembering the last time he got over-zealous when trying to pummel me when he thought I was cornered.


    Smart guy.


    On the other hand, while I was still freezing the plants all around me, Wu Xing realized that he had a chance to execute another of his attacks.


    Withdrawing all of his wood, he then slammed his armored palm onto the ground. Dozens of earth spikes erupted from the ground and stabbed into me. Since I was busily trying to eradicate the entwining foliage, I wasn''t able to evade this new attack.


    "Argh!"


    Despite blocking a few of them with my swords, the rest slammed into me, impaling me in several parts of my body. I coughed out blood and writhed helplessly on the earth lances, momentarily incapacitated.


    Wu Xing clenched his fist and created two earth hammers that smashed me from opposite sides, crushing me between them and driving the earth spikes deeper into my body.


    "AARRGHH!!!"


    Howling in pain, I almost blacked out. The two gigantic earth hammers grinding on me on either side, trying to obliterate my existence¡­


    "You should just surrender," Wu Xing warned.


    Like hell¡­!


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"


    The earth hammers and earth spikes froze, turning into ice before shattering. Even as the icy fragments rained down on Wu Xing''s position, I was descending like a meteorite, azure qi blazing around my body.


    "!!!"


    Wu Xing almost didn''t react in time, raising both his gauntlets to block my slashes. I didn''t care. Even as blood dripped off my body, I relentlessly assaulted him with multiple swings and strikes of my swords, moving at a speed so fast that my movements were little more than azure blurs in the eyes of spectators.


    "Kuh!"


    Wu Xing actually found himself being pushed back. To his credit, he gave as much as he took, countering with precise punches and even adding several well-placed kicks on top of that, forcing me to jump. I retaliated with dual strikes that swung down from above, and he raised both arms to catch the blades, only for me to kick him in the chest.


    Wu Xing staggered back, but then threw out a torrent of flames that I dodged. I kicked his knee, exploiting the small gap in his armor to cause him to stumble, and then slashed at his chest. While his armor held, his face turned pale and I could sense the barely concealed pain underneath his shocked expression.


    "You¡­!"


    Roaring in rage, Wu Xing stepped up his attacks. Water, lightning and wood now flowed along his arms as he hammered away at me, switching elements on the fly and making full use of his versatility to stay ahead of me. I compensated for my lack of adaptability with single-minded determination and a cold ferocity that allowed me to trade blows with him, my swords clashing with his gauntlets and sending new sprays of sparks with every collision.


    We exchanged hundeds of blows, the shockwaves from the collisions of our spirit weapons hitting the room and shattering the reinforced ground. Wu Xing indulged in a myriad of elements, switching from fire to lightning to wood to water, often utilizing two simultaneously. Whatever he used, I merely froze with my overwhelming Heaven and Earth Yuan Yin Frost technique, turning the space within the room into a blizzard.


    "You¡­who the hell are you?!"


    Wu Xing could scarcely believe that a One Star Constitution cultivator such as myself was holding my own against him. I ignored him and continued to exchange another dozen of blows with swift, sharp strokes of my swords, forcing him back on the defensive. Gritting his teeth, Wu Xing countered with a vicious punch, but I blocked it with my sword and dismissed the pain that shot through my arm even as the blade vibrated fiercely.


    I was going to need to maintain and repair my weapons after this. It was a miracle that both my swords had lasted this long. Any more and they would both break.


    Just a little longer¡­


    "Your movements¡­why are they so different from before?" Wu Xing growled. Shaking his head, he mustered more of his qi. "Not only did you force me to use my trump card, you''re also cornering me into this¡­!"


    Whoosh!


    "!!!"


    A sudden wave of qi buffeted me and knocked me back, despite my aggressiveness. I skidded a few meters backward and raised my head to glare at my opponent. To my surprise, I could see an arcane diagram of the five elements materializing behind him.


    "Five Elements Esoteric technique: Metal-Fire Fusion!"


    Golden flames erupted around Wu Xing and he drove forward with his glowing gauntlets. Blending fire and lightning together, he amplified his strength by several times, and a single punch knocked me off my feet and hurled me against the wall.


    "This is¡­?!"


    Blood trailing down my lips, I bent down to catch my breath, and then glared at him. Wu Xing wasn''t waiting for me to recover. He was already charging forward, the esoteric golden flames blazing around him and basking him in an arcane illumination.


    This was completely different from before. Earlier, he was dual-wielding two different kinds of elements, but separating them on each arm. This was akin to me wielding two swords. Right now, he had combined two different elements to produce a much stronger effect, which was a lot more destructive and potent than before.


    If I were to describe it, it would be like me combining my two swords into a single, massive broadsword but still somehow able to wield it as effortlessly and weightlessly as before.


    Boom!


    Another metal-fire punch blasted me off my feet and knocked me across the room. I hit the ground, rolled and staggered back up with a curse. Trying not to fall, I raised both my swords up and kept my eyes on my opponent, who slowly turned around, still wreathed in those golden electric flames of his. Admittedly, he struck a terrifying sight.


    Looks like I don''t have a choice¡­


    Sighing, I shook my head and lowered my swords a fraction.


    "Man¡­I really don''t want to use this, but¡­you forced me into this."


    "What are you talking about?" Wu Xing growled. I ignored him.


    "I haven''t fully mastered or perfected these techniques yet, so I really don''t want to use them if possible. But if I don''t, my defeat is certain. I guess I might as well give it a shot, since I have nothing to lose."


    "I asked you what you''re talking about!!!!" Wu Xing bellowed as he charged forward, his metal-fire fist raised and ready to smash me into oblivion.


    I replied by swinging my swords at him before he could reach me. A powerful wave of qi struck him and stopped him in his tracks, causing him to stumble back.


    "That''s¡­"


    Wu Xing''s eyes widened when he saw the massive dragon materializing behind me. Rearing its head back, it roared silently before swooping down to coil its gigantic frame around both my swords and bestowing an azure glow on them.


    "Why¡­why is his qi increasing so exponentially? He should be injured¡­he should be exhausted, yet his qi is growing even more powerful¡­even more potent?"


    Wu Xing shook his head in disbelief. I couldn''t care less about his disbelief and merely advanced forward with Jin. The dragon growled silently as it wreathed around my blades and I appeared right in front of the shocked Wu Xing.


    "?!"


    Swinging both my swords down, I slashed at him. Wu Xing raised both arms up to defend himself on reflex.


    Boom!


    This time, it was Wu Xing''s turn to be blown back. His golden flames were extinguished in a second, his armored form hurtling through the air as if he had just been struck by a meteor. He slammed into the wall, almost demolishing it.


    "Kuh¡­! Ugh!"


    Coughing out blood, Wu Xing stumbled to his knees and raised his head to gape at me with wide eyes.


    "What¡­what the hell is that!? What the hell was that technique?!"


    "I have no obligation to tell you," I replied before I swung one of my swords at him. Wu Xing caught the slash with his arm, but the meteoric impact passed through his armor and slammed into his body with wanton violence.


    "Ugh!"


    Wu Xing was hurled off his feet and thrown into the other side of the room again. He managed to flip himself up and land somewhat elegantly, but the trail of blood ruined his mask of calm composure. He wiped his mouth and calmed down.


    "I see¡­so this must be the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword. I did hear that you were learning it, but no one has ever seen you use it until now."


    "You''re the one who forced me to." I was in no mood to converse and I was already advancing onto Wu Xing''s position. He merely smiled and shook his head.


    "I must apologize. I''ve truly underestimated you. Five Elements Esoteric technique: Earth-Water combination!"


    Walls of earth materialized to stop me from passing through. I smashed through them, only for them to bend fluidly and soften attacks like the flexible barriers they were. So this was the quality of a defense that bore both the sturdiness of earth and the fluidity of water. A terrifying protection almost equal to that of Wu Hei Gui''s Black Tortoise Unbreakable Shell.


    Unfortunately, it wouldn''t be enough.


    "!"


    I tore through all the barriers and reached the stunned Wu Xing, but to his credit, he splendidly deflected my attacks away with his gauntlets and even counterattacked with a punch that would have knocked my head off if I hadn''t parried it. We exchanged furious blows, meteoric slashes against unyielding strikes, the colossal shockwaves buffeting the training room and ruining the beleaguered structure.


    "Five Elements Esoteric Stratagem: Wood-Water Unification! Countering hard with soft!"


    The blue-brown aura surrounding Wu Xing changed into a verdant, bluish green. His defenses became more supple, his attacks flexible, and he managed to knock me back just when I was about to overwhelm him with sheer force.


    This Five Elements Esoteric Technique is really troublesome¡­!


    Wu Xing had proven himself to be one of the most formidable opponents I had ever dueled, and with my injuries I knew I couldn''t last long. Furthermore, Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship expended frightening amounts of qi, which was why I was reluctant to use it in the first place. If I wasn''t careful, I might collapse before I could overwhelm Wu Xing.


    Best to end this match as quickly as possible!


    Calling forth another dragon, I slashed down with another meteoric strike that pulverized Wu Xing''s supple defenses and almost cleaved his armor apart. Wu Xing coughed out some blood, clearly suffering heavy internal injuries from that strike, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on.


    "Five Elements Esoteric Stratagem: Metal-Earth Merger!"


    Golden barriers of electric rock erupted from the ground, spikes with the tenacity of earth and the speed of lightning. They lanced toward me, forcing me back, but I ruptured them with a swing from one of my swords.


    Draconic Meteor Strike.


    An azure dragon blasted off my sword and obliterated the incoming golden earth spikes, dissipating the electricity and disintegrating the rock. Bellowing, it charged right at Wu Xing, who gritted his teeth and punched it with his qi-wreathed gauntlet.


    Boom!


    The resulting explosion was so large and violent that it even threw me off. I tumbled helplessly in midair, and then rolled before landing on my feet and skidding on the broken ground. Huffing, I glanced up and squinted through the smoke. With my glasses broken and lying somewhere in all the rubble, I couldn''t see through the smoke.


    "Let''s finish this."


    His body smoldering, Wu Xing stepped out of the smoke. His face was charred and bloodstained, and he was clearly limping, but he was still standing strong and defiant, his armor unbroken despite the various cracks and damage now visible on its once pristine surface. Evidently he wasn''t going to last much longer either.


    I grinned. "I concur."


    Wu Xing grunted and then gathered as much qi as he could into his armor. Red and brown qi melded and mixed together, emanating a suffocating aura that saturated the entire space of the training room with heat and gravity.


    "Five Elements Esoteric Eradication: Fire-Earth Amalgamation!"


    A volcanic eruption. That was the only term I could use to describe the phenomenon that was occurring in the room. A gigantic mountain had emerged from the ground and was spewing molten lava down its sides. Everything it came into contact with spontaneously combusted and disintegrated into soot and ash instantly.


    "So this is your ultimate attack, huh?" I smiled quietly as perspiration ran down my face. Whether it was from the intense heat or because I was at a loss at what to do, I had no idea. "Pretty appropriate for the climax of this battle."


    Unfortunately, I didn''t know any cool techniques like that. I was just a bloody side character, not the protagonist of some whacky xianxia story where the main characters always conveniently had access to some flashy, uber-powerful martial art. Well, I had Heaven and Earth Formula, but it wasn''t as showy as say, Gang Ryong''s Pacheon skills or Yi Shi Woon''s Black Heaven and Earth martial arts that he learned from Han Chun Woo.


    So I just summoned everything I had into a single attack. The technique that I had learned from practicing Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship over the past few months, and which I had sort of used during my battle against the Void Whale and Ice Soul Python.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike.


    Again, the gargantuan dragon materialized around me before it coiled around my blade, suffusing my entire being with azure qi. It wasn''t just the dragon. Stars also appeared above me, igniting like supernovas and getting ready to descend as apocalyptic meteors.


    A dragon and his apocalyptic meteors versus the elemental force of a volcano. Who would win?


    With a yell, I charged forward, still wreathed by the azure dragon and accompanied by the meteors. Opposite me, the volcano that Wu Xing conjured erupted, the molten lava flowing mercilessly toward me.


    "UWOOOOOOOOOOH!"


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Both of us bellowed as we met each other in the middle of the volcanic eruption and meteor shower. Wu Xing riding the currents of the molten lava and me leading an army of shooting stars. Gauntlets clashed with swords, and the meteors collided with molten lava and volcanic earth.


    BOOM!


    The entire training room was ripped apart by the impact. The window actually blew out, the transparent but reinforced material shattering and showering the stunned spectators beyond, causing them to cry out. The walls bent and caved in, almost demolished by the shockwaves while the security camera was knocked off its perch and wrecked.


    "Waaaah!"


    "What the hell?!"


    "Ugh!?''


    At some point during our duel, a massive crowd of students had gathered to watch. I paid no attention to them, of course, having been so absorbed in my battle with Wu Xing. But apparently our match had piqued the curiosity of so many students, especially those who knew about Wu Xing''s esoteric five elements principle.


    I wasn''t aware of it at that time, but apparently the longer the battle went on, the more curious the spectators grew, and so the crowd grew larger and larger. Especially as the battle heated up and Wu Xing used his Five Elements Royal Armor, more spectators including teachers and staff had joined in to watch.


    Some would later tell me that this was a battle worthy of a final. Some would tell me that this match was on par with the one between Zhu Jiao and Yu Wen Tian. Some couldn''t wait to see me fight Zhu Jiao in the next round.


    This match had completely changed everyone''s perception of me. Apparently I had proven myself to them, confirmed that I was no longer a One Star Constitution trash who couldn''t absorb artificial qi and was thus left behind.


    Whatever the case, it didn''t matter what people thought of my match with Wu Xing. Right now I was more interested in the outcome of our duel.


    As the smoke cleared, both of us were still standing, my swords pressed against Wu Xing''s gauntlets. The both of us looked battered and severely wounded, with blood leaking out from dozens of wounds all over our bodies. Wu Xing''s armor concealed most of his injuries, but just from his face and agonized expression I could tell that he was in the same miserable state as I was.


    Then Wu Xing''s Five Elements Royal Armor cracked and disintegrated, reverting into the normal breastplate that he carried everywhere with him. My swords also cracked, and the blades shattered, finally unable to withstand the sheer power.


    "You¡­"


    Wu Xing raised his head slightly to stare at me. I stiffened, but he made no move to attack. He merely grasped my shoulder weakly, on the verge of collapse.


    "Promise me one thing."


    I stared at him blankly, resisting the urge to just drop down and black out. My mind was wandering now, almost shutting down from the pain and exhaustion. If I hadn''t gone through worse during the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect abduction, I would have lost consciousness long ago.


    "Promise me that you''ll win the tournament."


    "¡­I can''t make any promises, but I''ll do my best."


    Wu Xing smiled feebly. "That''s all I ask."


    Then he crashed onto the ground and passed out.

 97 Chapter 96: The Round of Sixteen

    "It was a tournament match," I replied dryly as I lay on the bed, helpless and unmoving. "We got a little¡­heated."


    "I can certainly see that," Teacher Yi Liao remarked with a disapproving shake of her head. "Try not to kill each other, all right? The academy has invested a lot in you students. To lose even one would be a huge loss."


    "I''ll try."


    Even as I said that, I was aware that my promise was hollow at best. It wasn''t that I really wanted to kill my opponents, but death was inevitable. Throughout the past month, there had been a few deaths when the combatants got a little too over-zealous and inadvertently killed their opponents. Of course, we all signed the indemnity form, so no one would be held responsible in the event of death, but the academy rules had stipulated that such incidents were best avoided at all costs. There were a few grievances and grudges, particularly from the friends, families and loved ones of the dead, but in general everyone in the martial world knew the risks and understood that death was always a hair''s breadth away. No one truly blamed the combatants.


    They knew that in another instance, it would have been the other way around. Kill or be killed. The moment you step into the ring, you had to be prepared for death.


    However, that didn''t stop Teacher Yi from being in a bad mood. She had been busy treating the injuries from morning till night, working nonstop during this month because of the tournament. This wasn''t the first time I had been to her office, but it was certainly the first time I had suffered such serious injuries during the tournament.


    Fortunately, she had help from healing experts and doctors from the Green Dragon Sect and various other sects and groups that focused on healing and medicine, otherwise she would be overworked, swamped by almost four hundred students everyday. Already the infirmary had been expanded into a hospital to accommodate the wounded.


    "Geez, you really ought to be careful," Teacher Yi repeated again with a scowl. "Don''t go too crazy out there. I know it''s a tournament, but your lives are more important than winning. It''s meaningless to win if you end up dead."


    "Well, I don''t think either of us would have died, to be honest. We''re too tough for that."


    Additionally, Wu Xing was wise enough to concede defeat at the end of the match instead of fighting to the death. Needless to say, I probably would have surrendered before it had gotten to that point. While I''d like to win, I wasn''t insane enough to achieve victory at the expense of my life. I had far more important things to throw away my life in a stupid tournament.


    I hope I didn''t give myself away, though.


    The whole reason why I stayed at level 6 without taking the other level tests, and kept a low profile despite finishing my assimilation of qi after two years of apparent inactivity, was so that I wouldn''t draw the attention from other students. They would underestimate me because they had no clue what my combat skills or techniques were like.


    That tactic worked surprisingly well against Wu Hei Gui and Wu Xing, and even Tu Zi Yi, because they didn''t know my true strength. So I managed to take them by surprise while their guard was down. Otherwise I would have a much more difficult time handling someone of Wu Xing''s caliber. Even so, he finally understood that I wasn''t someone to underestimate by the end of the battle, which was how we both ended u wounding each other so severely.


    Unfortunately, this strategy won''t work again. All the other participants in the tournament will know my true strength now, or at least have a grasp of my current level of power.


    On the other hand, the same worked in reverse as well. I had access to all of their replays and matches, so it would be easy for me to analyze their fighting style and exploit certain weaknesses that I could derive from their fighting patterns and techniques.


    Speaking of opponents¡­


    "How is Wu Xing doing?"


    "He''s doing slightly better than you. Hui Fu is tending to him right now. His injuries will heal in no time at all." Teacher Yi made a face. "Good thing his armor protected him, or he would have suffered worse damage."


    "That''s a relief."


    "Yeah." Teacher Yi stared at me, an expression of amazement flickering across her face. "What the heck did you use? Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, was it? That was one hell of a sword technique."


    I was shocked that Teacher Yi actually btohered to take note of what techniques I used, but then again, she was one of the teachers who were familiar with me. Particularly because I used to spend a lot of time in the infirmary after getting injured from fights or missions.


    Actually, that wasn''t the reason. I later found out that she knew about my techniques mostly because of her intimate relationship with Teacher Jiao, who had an invested interest in my development, and heard about me learning Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship from him. Not that I cared. Who the teachers wanted to fraternize with was none of my business. Rather, I would be the first to congratulate Teacher Jiao and Teacher Yi if they eventually get married.


    "Yeah. It''s one of those level five techniques that I had to spend gold to purchase from the academy."


    The damned scroll cost me a hundred gold. It had better be worth it. That said, I was pretty sure Wu Xing''s Esoteric Five Elements Principle was worth a lot more. Maybe? I wasn''t the one in charge of valuing the different martial arts techniques, after all.


    "Well, make sure you rest for today and take it easy." Teacher Yi finished up the healing process before slapping my shoulder and causing me to wince. Damn, but I was still sore from the punches I took from Wu Xing. "And congratulations for making it to the round of sixteen."


    "Thanks."


    That reminded me. It felt so surreal, but I had actually made it to the round of sixteen. I never expected to get this far, to be honest. But now that I had made it this far, I couldn''t help but be giddy with delight.


    "Let me know if you still have any problems." Teacher Yi stared at me and forced out a statement. I realized she was waiting for me to leave. Mumbling an apology and thanking her again, I quickly hurried out of the infirmary.


    Before I got through the door, I suddenly remembered something and immediately turned back to Teacher Yi, who looked a little annoyed.


    "Sorry! I forgot! Where''s my training equipment?"


    "Oh, over there." Teacher Yi frowned as she tilted her head. "Why were you wearing your training equipment during a match anyway? Granted, it did protect you from some of the blows, but wouldn''t it impede your movements?"


    "That''s the idea," I joked while I proceeded to grab my training equipment and strapped them around my body. I shuddered when I remembered Wu Xing''s brutal punch. If I hadn''t been wearing my super-heavy training equipment, I would have sustained a much worse injury from that and perhaps even lost consciousness.


    The match would have ended there and then.


    "Thank you."


    Bowing, I finally left the infirmary for good this time, not wanting to get in the way of Teacher Yi and her doctor duties, as well as her management of the other doctors and medical orderlies in her department. As I passed through the infirmary, I could see


    "Well, I guess I might as well go back to the dormitory¡­"


    As I did so, I was suddenly swamped in the corridor.


    "Fei Wu!"


    "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"


    I threw out a hand to plant my palm on Tong Xue''s forehead just before he tackled into me, holding him away at arm''s length. Frowning, I glared at him.


    "What''s the idea?"


    "You¡­you were hiding your true strength all along!"


    Busted. This was what I meant when I was worried about the strategy no longer working. Most of my opponents ¨C and they had to be competent and skillful if they were able to get into the round of sixteen ¨C would no longer lower their guard around me and underestimate me. I wouldn''t be able to catch them by surprise¡­


    At least not unless I use my other trump card¡­


    "You''re in the last 16! You''ve actually made it into the round of sixteen!"


    Tong Xue was babbling now. I nodded impatiently as I tried to keep him at arm''s bay.


    "Uh, yeah. I was lucky. That last match against Wu Xing of Kun Lun Sect was pretty close. Just one different move and I would be the one who had lost."


    I shuddered at that memory. Wu Xing had been among the strongest opponents I had faced. Stronger than even Ba Yun¡­then again, Wu Xing had the benefit of having about two and a half sexagenaries of qi, which surpassed the amount that Ba Yun had by a mile.


    The rest of the opponents could only get tougher, or be at least on par with Wu Xing. I was so not looking forward to that.


    But having gotten this far, I wasn''t going to give up. Hell, no. I was going to do my best and win with everything I had!


    "How about you?" I asked Tong Xue. He made a face.


    "I already lost to Shi Bai and Feng Tian Yong, remember? I won''t be able to get into the last 16. I''m about third place in my group."


    "Oh, right." I almost forgot, but now that Tong Xue mentioned it, I remembered him telling me that before. "What about the rest?"


    "I finished middle of my group." Lian Rou seemed to show up from nowhere, though in actuality she had been following Tong Xue all this while. "Not ideal, but better than nothing."


    "Nice!" I congratulated her. Lian Rou wasn''t interested in combat, despite being a martial artist, so that was still quite an accomplishment for her.


    "I finished fourth," Ban Zhang told us the moment he caught up. He had heard our conversation from a mile away, and was just joining in. He sighed. "I lost too many matches. If I had won against Ying Jia, I might be third."


    "Fourth is still a respectable finish," I assured him. He raised an eyebrow at me. Right. I was in no position to comfort him when I made it to the last 16. I bowed my head apologetically and then tried to change the subject. "That leaves¡­Qi Hong and Zhu Jiao."


    "I won my match!"


    Someone jumped on my back and wrapped her hands around my eyes, causing me to stumble. Giggling, Tang Qi Hong pressed her well-endowed chest against my back and leaned to whisper directly into my ear.


    "Guess who?"


    "Qi Hong! Congratulations!"


    Tang Qi Hong let go of my eyes and slid down. She seemed to be literally dancing in joy as she pranced around the corridor.


    "I won! I won! I''m at the top of my group! I''m in the round of 16! Ha ha ha ha!"


    "Congratulations!"


    "Great job, Qi Hong!"


    "Nice work!"


    Ban Zhang, Lian Rou and Tong Xue all added their praises. Tang Qi Hong seemed to preen as she basked in the glow of our congratulations.


    "So Fei Wu and Tang Qi Hong," Tong Xue was nodding as he took note of our progress in his tablet. "We''ve at least two people who made it to the last 16."


    "That leaves Zhu Jiao. Anyone knows what happened to him?" I glanced at the others. Zhu Jiao''s match should have finished long ago, given how it was already night and relatively late. I could easily check his progress online on my tablet but in the end, nothing beat having the person himself tell us directly.


    "You guys talking about me?"


    "Zhu Jiao!"


    We all turned, only to see Zhu Jiao striding toward us. He grinned and waved at us. Other than looking a little battered, he seemed perfectly fine. I wondered if he had refrained from seeking treatment in the infirmary, probably because it was so crowded.


    I didn''t have a choice because I had passed out. When I woke up, I was already in the infirmary. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have bothered Teacher Yi unless absolutely necessary.


    "I won my last match too! Now I''m top of my group! I''m also in the last 16!" he rubbed his hands in glee. "Now I''ve to make sure I win the next few matches so that I can keep my promise and meet Ning Xue in the finals."


    "Speaking of which, do you know who your opponents will be?" I asked Tang Qi Hong and Zhu Jiao. They both shook their heads.


    "The information will only be up tomorrow," Tong Xue informed me. As always, he was always the most up-to-date on current intelligence.


    "We should return early and rest then. We''ll have to check our matchups tomorrow." I noticed that Zhu Jiao wasn''t exactly in his peak condition. He smiled gratefully.


    "I''ll see you guys tomorrow then." He began limping away.


    "You guys too," I told the rest. "You''re probably all tired from your last match¡­and we still have the ranking matches over the next month."


    Even though the group stages were over, the other twenty-four members of the group had to face off against another fifteen opponents to decide their academy ranking. The second-placed people would face against other second-placed people, the third-ranked contestants against other third-ranked contestants, and so on and so forth.


    "Yeah. Ugh." Tong Xue shuddered at the prospect. "Don''t remind me."


    "Well, this is a martial arts academy. I guess it only makes sense that they emphasize on martial arts and rankings." I stretched and stifled a yawn. Looked like my time was up. I needed to rest, as per Teacher Yi''s recommendation.


    "Yeah, let''s go back." Tang Qi Hong had grabbed Lian Rou and the two girls headed in the direction of the girls'' dormitory. "Wu is right. We''ll need to prepare for the next phase of the tournament tomorrow."


    The guys decided to walk the girls back to their dorm before returning to their rooms. While normally Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou would return to Tushan City, the current couple of months were special. With the tournament going on, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect allowed us to stay in campus so that we would have more time to recuperate and rest, and to focus on the combat. I suspected that Lian Rou still used the bureau of spirit armament''s workshop to continue crafting and forging spirit equipment and other artifacts, though.


    Tang Qi Hong was also a skilled combatant, so she was more invested in winning the tournament and getting as far as possible than Lian Rou was. That didn''t stop her from occasionally accompanying Lian Rou in her frequent forays to the workshop. I guess Tang Qi Hong was still a blacksmith and Spirit Engraver at heart.


    "What will happen if you end up facing Tang Qi Hong in the next round?" Tong Xue asked suddenly.


    "Huh?"


    I turned to stare at him, surprised. We had just sent the girls back, and the two of them had disappeared into the building that served as the girls'' dorm. On our way back toward the guys'' dorm, Tong Xue popped the question out of nowhere.


    "Where did that come from?"


    I was aware that Tong Xue chose this moment to ask me, right after Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou had returned to their dormitories. It was a highly sensitive question, after all, and not one that Tang Qi Hong would appreciate hearing.


    Tong Xue shrugged. "Nowhere. Just wondering how much you want to win."


    He also knew that I liked Tang Qi Hong, but he probably didn''t know that she rejected me somewhat a couple of months ago, in favor of firmly establishing her position as the future sect leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "If I do draw Qi Hong in the next round, I''ll give it my best. It''s only common courtesy." I stared hard at Tong Xue. "I would be disrespecting her otherwise if I hold back and deliberately let her win. I''m sure she feels the same."


    "Yeah, that''s true." Tong Xue nodded. "You''re right about that. But after watching your fight against Wu Xing today, I''m just¡­a little worried."


    "Well, today was a brutal match. I''ll give you that. But it''s because of the kind of opponent Wu Xing was." I paused and stared up at the stars, my eyes taking a faraway look. "But I believe Qi Hong will be a different type of opponent."


    "True, their skillset and techniques are completely different," Tong Xue agreed.


    "What about Zhu Jiao?" Ban Zhang asked. The three of us glanced at each other for a moment, and then burst out laughing.


    "No need to even ask," Tong Xue chuckled. "Wu will definitely punch him until he knocks him out cold."


    "You mean kick him," I corrected with a snicker. The other two laughed.


    "Yeah, true. No need to worry about that."


    "I thought you said you weren''t going to hold back against Qi Hong either?" Ban Zhang inquired with a raised eyebrow.


    "Oh, I''m not. But given the nature of my opponent, I don''t think a direct approach and resorting to brute strength would be appropriate."


    "Ah." Ban Zhang nodded. "Fair enough. But make sure you don''t hold back. As you pointed out earlier, it''s disrespectful to pull your punches, even if the opponent is a girl. I''m sure Qi Hong would be mad if you do."


    I pushed my newly repaired glasses up. "Let''s hope I don''t meet her in a match then."


    *


    The next morning, the six of us gathered in the plaza before we headed for the gigantic holographic bulletin board right outside the main campus building.


    "Wow¡­how early¡­"


    Zhu Jiao stifled a yawn. As always, he was the latest. Most likely because he overslept. At least he appeared to be in a much better shape than yesterday. A good night''s sleep was all he needed to recover from his wounds and exhaustion.


    Truth be told, a night''s sleep benefited me tremendously as well. I was feeling a lot more refreshed and my body was no longer in pain.


    "Ready?" Tang Qi Hong asked brightly. I nodded and inhaled deeply, vaguely registering her sweet scent.


    "Yeah."


    Actually, I wasn''t, but I wasn''t going to tell her that. It was best to get this done and over with.


    We made our way through the plaza, which was already packed to the brim. I caught a glimpse of Bai Ning Xue, but she was so far away that she might as well not show up. Zhu Jiao caught sight of her too, and he grinned and waved.


    Bai Ning Xue acknowledged his greeting with the briefest of nods, then turned away and left. On the opposite side of the plaza, Qing Xin Xia bristled, but she disappeared from sight when Li Chun Long and her fellow Green Dragon Sect disciples shepherded her away. I vaguely recalled that both Li Chun Long and Qing Xin Xia had made it to the next round as well.


    They must have arrived early to check their next opponents. Well, unless they happened to be my next opponent, I couldn''t care less who they were facing. I wasn''t close to either of them. Apparently Zhu Jiao had some sort of friendship or connection to Qing Xin Xia, but I wasn''t sure. Again, it was none of my business who he befriended.


    The only thing that bothered me was that he might get caught up in some troublesome love triangle. If Qing Xin Xia turned out to be a bloody yandere or something, someone''s head was going to roll. Most likely it would be that of my good friend. I could almost imagine her carrying his head while riding on a boat, after she had carved Bai Ning Xue''s stomach open to confirm that she wasn''t pregnant with Zhu Jiao''s child.


    Just another instance of ordinary School Days at Wu Ling Academy.


    "Hmm, who is my next opponent¡­eh? Ling Hua?"


    Zhu Jiao stared at the name for a moment, baffled. He turned to stare at the rest of us.


    "Anyone heard of her?"


    "I have." As always, Tong Xue could be relied upon to provide the most information. "Ling Hua is from the Ling Huan Sect, and she''s known for her deviousness."


    Zhu Jiao tilted his head, still looking as bewildered as ever. Tong Xue sighed and shook his head in disbelief.


    "She''s going to be a troublesome opponent for you, Jiao. She relies on cheap tricks, underhanded tactics and cunning to overwhelm her opponent, and her Seven Spirit Swords Flower Array is a complex technique that possesses sharp, accurate and overwhelming firepower."


    "Oh!" Zhu Jiao struck his palm with a fist. "So she''s really strong!"


    Duh. Otherwise Ling Huan wouldn''t have made it to the round of sixteen. I couldn''t believe that was all the information Zhu Jiao got out of Tong Xue''s explanation.


    Tong Xue glared at Zhu Jiao sternly. "She''s the complete antithesis of you, who rely completely on direct, frontal attacks. I don''t mean to be rude, but honestly, you''re a little¡­simple-minded. Ling Hua will capitalize on that and confound you with guile and trickery."


    "Don''t worry." Zhu Jiao beamed. "I''ll just smash her with overwhelming power."


    Tong Xue sighed, while I shook my head. Where was this guy getting all his confidence from? I wished he could share some of it with me.


    "Qi Hong, who''s your next opponent?" I turned to Tang Qi Hong, who wasn''t paying Zhu Jiao any attention and was busily scanning the bulletin board for her next matchup. The moment she saw it, her eyes widened and she began trembling.


    "Qi Hong."


    Lian Rou must have seen it too, for she reached out and caught her hand. Tang Qi Hong bit her lip and shook her head.


    "It''s all right. I''ll be all right."


    "¡­yeah."


    "What is it?" I sensed that something was terribly wrong. A cold premonition ran down my spine, causing me to shudder. The way the two girls reacted, it couldn''t be¡­


    Tang Qi Hong turned to meet my gaze evenly.


    "My next opponent is¡­"


    "¡­Bai Ning Xue."


    I glanced at Tong Xue when he answered for Qi Hong, who had trailed off. She was clenching her fists and staring at the ground now, looking both frightened and determined.


    "¡­I see. Do your best."


    "This isn''t something Qi Hong can take care of by doing her best!" Tong Xue hissed. "Her next opponent is that Bai Ning Xue, you know?!"


    "Her chances of winning are¡­low," Ban Zhang muttered softly. He probably didn''t want Tang Qi Hong to hear that.


    "So what?" I turned back to Tang Qi Hong. "Bai Ning Xue is not a goddess. You can beat her. I believe in you."


    Tang Qi Hong smiled wryly. "I appreciate your confidence in me, but¡­" she sighed. "I don''t know. I just don''t know."


    "It is quite the insurmountable task," Lian Rou added, turning slightly paled as she squeezed Tang Qi Hong''s hand. She was seeking to comfort her best friend, and Tang Qi Hong smiled slightly as she returned the gesture.


    "The match hasn''t even begun yet, so let''s not give up before then."


    "Heh." Tang Qi Hong chuckled. "Wu is right. The match has yet to begin, so why am I already so afraid? I''ll just do my best. If my aim is to be the champion of the tournament, then Bai Ning Xue is someone I have to face sooner or later. Otherwise, it makes little difference if I lose to her now, or lose to her later."


    "That''s the spirit!" I encouraged her. "But I know you can defeat her!"


    Zhu Jiao remained silent, having a complicated expression on his face. He certainly didn''t believe me, and clearly wanted his beloved Bai Ning Xue to win, but he was not insensitive or tactless enough to voice that out.


    "Admittedly, it''ll be extremely difficult." Tang Qi Hong scratched her head and flicked a lock of blond hair away. "But¡­you''re right. I can''t give up! I''ve made it to the round of sixteen, after all! I''ll do my best and make the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect proud!"


    "Yeah!"


    I nodded and patted her shoulder. Beside her, Lian Rou also nodded and smiled somewhat uncertainly.


    "I''ll be rooting for you, Qi Hong."


    "Thank you, Lian Rou. I really appreciate it."


    "We all are." Tong Xue grinned and joined in. Then he turned toward me. "Speaking of which, Wu, who is your opponent?"


    I had almost forgotten. I quickly spun around to give the holographic board a quick scan.


    "Um¡­Kuang Hu?"


    Ban Zhang immediately turned pale. I glanced at him.


    "What is it, Ban Zhang?"


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    "Your opponent¡­is that bastard, Kuang Hu?"


    I immediately tensed at his tone. Ban Zhang swallowed and placed his hands on my shoulders.


    "Fei Wu, if you''re on the losing end, surrender immediately. Kuang Hu has killed at last two contestants in his group. He''s ruthless, merciless and brutal."


    "Yeah, he''s quite the dangerous opponent." Tong Xue looked shaken. "Of all the contestants in the tournament, he''s the one person I don''t want to run into. You really have pretty terrible luck, Wu."


    "Hmm¡­" I pushed my glasses up as I pondered. "It doesn''t matter. If he''s my next opponent, then I''ll fight him with everything I have."


    "That''s why I''m telling you," Ban Zhang growled. "If he has you cornered, surrender immediately. Kuang Hu is literally a mad tiger. He won''t stop until you''re dead. He won''t hold back until he tears you apart." He turned pale and stumbled back, perspiring profusely. "He wiped the floor with me in just under a minute."


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," I murmured, my eyes wide. Ban Zhang shook his head.


    "No. he utterly dominated my group. Most of his matches ended in minutes. The ones that took longer¡­well, as I said, he murdered his opponents viciously. He''s a difficult opponent to face."


    "He''s one of the fastest students in Wu Ling Academy." Tong Xue gulped as he consulted his tablet. "Perhaps even the fastest. Comparable to Feng Tian Yong. And like Zhang said, he''s ruthless and merciless. He''ll tear out your throat in a second if you give him the chance to, and has no hesitation to kill his opponent."


    "Scary." I couldn''t help but shudder as a chill ran down my spine. "Uh¡­well, I''ll do my best not to get killed then."


    Even though I said that, I wasn''t that fazed. I had experienced the worst that both Sen Lin Forest and the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect had thrown at me, and survived. A fucking brat without any morals was nothing to me.


    If anything, I was glad that I was his next opponent. Perhaps I could teach him a lesson.


    But I can''t afford to underestimate him.


    The fastest student in Wu Ling Academy, one of the most talented prodigies of the White Tiger Sect, and a strong, formidable foe who had no scruples in killing his opponent. If he made it to the last 16 while utterly dominating his group, he was definitely not ordinary. If Wu Xing was anything to go by, this match would be extremely interesting.

 98 Chapter 97: The strongest girl

    Ban Zhang was watching me worriedly as I stepped toward the changing room that served as the rest area or preparation zone for contestants. The round of 16, being the major event that it was, could only be hosted in the academy''s official coliseum. Several of the matches had already taken place and the results were out. Zhu Jiao, as expected, had won his match and progressed to the quarter-finals. There was never a doubt that he would.


    Our other classmates were also doing well. Feng Tian Yong and Li Chun Long had also won their matches and advanced to the next round. It seemed that our class was particularly blessed with talented martial artists.


    "If you can''t beat him, don''t force yourself. Make sure you surrender!" Ban Zhang reminded me firmly. "Don''t try to be a hero. Kuang Hu will not hesitate to kill you!"


    "I know, I know. Relax." I sighed, annoyed. "Besides, it''s not even my match yet. Why are you so worried?"


    That was right. It wasn''t my match yet. Right now I was heading to the changing room to offer Tang Qi Hong a few words of support. She was about to face Bai Ning Xue in a few minutes and she needed all the encouragement she could get.


    "Oh, right. We should go too."


    Ban Zhang nodded in agreement. The both of us entered the room, only to see that Tong Xue and Lian Rou were already ahead of us. Tang Qi Hong was seated in a chair, trying to put on a brave front despite fidgeting nervously.


    "Are you all right?" I asked. Tang Qi Hong nodded, forcing a smile.


    "Of course! Who do you think I am?"


    "Well¡­" I scratched my cheek, and then grinned encouragingly. "I''m sure you have this in your bag. You''re on a hot streak, after all!"


    "So is Bai Ning Xue," Tong Xue muttered. Lian Rou elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to double over.


    "In any case, the future isn''t set in stone. So do your best!" I reached out with a hand and grabbed Tang Qi Hong''s. "I remember Zhu Jiao mentioned that he promised Bai Ning Xue that he would meet her in the finals. Let''s do the same!"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    My grin broadened. "Let''s make a promise too. You and I¡­we''ll meet in the finals!"


    "Hmph." Tang Qi Hong closed her eyes for a second and smiled faintly. "You''re right. I can''t afford to be eliminated here." She then opened her eyes and stood up determinedly. "It doesn''t matter who my opponent is. If I want to be champion, I''ll have to defeat all of them!" She turned toward me with a mischievous wink. "And that includes you, of course."


    "That''s the spirit!"


    Clasping her hand with both of mine, I shook it and gave Tang Qi Hong a slight push. The blond girl nodded and then turned toward the door.


    "You can, Qi Hong!" Lian Rou assured her with a smile.


    "Go get them!" Tong Xue added.


    Ban Zhang also nodded encouragingly. Tang Qi Hong glanced across us, and tapped her chest with her fist.


    "All right, I should get going then. Wait for the good news!"


    "We''ll cheer for you from the stands!"


    "Thanks, I appreciate it!"


    With that, Tang Qi Hong was gone. The four of us glanced at each other before we headed out of the changing room and toward the spectator stands upstairs. Zhu Jiao was conspicuously missing, but we all knew his situation.


    The guy was madly in love with Bai Ning Xue. There was no way we could ask him to choose to support Tang Qi Hong over his beloved childhood friend. Not wanting to get into this whole mess, he decided to stay out of this.


    For now, anyway.


    When we reached upstairs, we saw that Zhu Jiao was already standing by the gigantic window overlooking the combatants in the coliseum. He waved at us, and we proceeded to join him. Even if we were on somewhat opposing teams, there were no hard feelings between us.


    "How''s Qi Hong?" he asked as we approached. "Is she ready for the match?"


    "Yup," I replied. "She''ll be appearing shortly."


    Turning toward the window, I saw that Bai Ning Xue was already present. She was standing in the middle of the coliseum, awaiting her opponent with a detached expression on her beautiful face. As always, she was unperturbed by anything.


    Now that I thought about it, Tang Qi Hong used to declare Bai Ning Xue as her rival. It was a one-sided competition, with Tang Qi Hong always trying to outdo Bai Ning Xue in everything and mostly failing. The enmity between the two was natural. They were the two most beautiful girls in Wu Ling Academy, as well as the two strongest and most talented girls. Tang Qi Hong resented being stuck at number two, and always strove to surpass Bai Ning Xue.


    For Bai Ning Xue, she probably didn''t view Tang Qi Hong as her rival. Actually, I doubted Bai Ning Xue took an interest in anybody except her beloved Zhu Jiao. And even toward Zhu Jiao, she displayed a cool attitude.


    But now, it was the time to determine who the strongest girl was, and Bai Ning Xue didn''t even seem like she thought much of the affair. Unlike the nervous and highly determined Tang Qi Hong, Bai Ning Xue looked as if she was just going out for a stroll.


    I scowled. Wasn''t Bai Ning Xue underestimating Tang Qi Hong too much? No matter how talented she was, even she had to take someone of Qi Hong''s caliber seriously, or she would end up getting caught off guard and sustaining serious injuries.


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    Please defeat her, Qi Hong, I prayed inwardly. Crack her infuriatingly calm fa?ade and provoke some sort of response!


    Bai Ning Xue appeared to be arrogant. Admittedly, that arrogance was well-deserved because she did stand at the pinnacle of the students of Wu Ling Academy. I heard from the crowd that she had defeated a level 7 martial artist in just seconds. She had blitzed to the top of her group by utterly dominating her opponents.


    Lian Rou looked very pale, but she clenched her fists.


    "Go, Qi Hong!" she shouted.


    Just as well. Tang Qi Hong had finally emerged from the changing room and strode toward the center of the coliseum. The two girls greeted each other formally, bowing their heads and cupping their hands.


    "Bai Ning Xue, White Tiger Sect. Class 1-4, high school division. I specialize in the Living Lightning, Divine Thunder Tiger Formula and Heavenly Thunder Strike techniques. Since birth, as the heir of the Bai Clan, I have undergone martial arts training so that I can succeed as the head of my next clan. My approximate inner qi level¡­is about thirty years."


    "¡­estimated qi level is at 30 years, huh?" Tong Xue mused when he heard that. "Looks like it''s true."


    "What''s true?" I asked, bewildered. Tong Xue glared at me, and then sighed.


    "The rumor that Bai Ning Xue hasn''t received any artificial qi since that day was true."


    "What day?"


    "¡­two years ago, when artificial qi was first created." Tong Xue pursed his lips. "I don''t know the details, and the incident has been covered up, but¡­something happened in the lab when Bai Ning Xue was supposed to receive inner qi."


    I wanted to ask what that was all about, but I didn''t have the chance to. Tang Qi Hong had taken her turn to introduce herself.


    "Tang Qi Hong from class 1-4. I''m from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and my skills are Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula, and the saintly Spirit Engraving arts. I have also learned the Nine Heavenly Armaments techniques. My inner qi level is three sexagenaries."


    The both of them bowed, and then prepared their stances. Teacher Cai Pan watched from his referee box somewhere outside the coliseum, and then nodded.


    "All right, both of you can begin!"


    Lightning crackled around Bai Ning Xue''s body whereas flames flared up around Tang Qi Hong''s. The two girls glared at each other from a distance, their elemental forces colliding against each other before either of them made a move.


    "Whoa¡­what terrifying pressure¡­"


    "Amazing¡­"


    Even though the spectators were separated from the duelists by a reinforced glass window, they found themselves suffocated by the tension in the atmosphere. The two girls'' qi was saturating the entire space ¨C not just the coliseum ¨C to the extent that the spectators were finding it increasingly difficult to even breathe.


    Flicker¡­zap¡­!


    Sparks flew as flames danced and tangled with lightning. The two elemental forces clashed against each other, imbuing the coliseum with a red-golden hue.


    "I see¡­"


    Despite a bead of perspiration running down her face, Tang Qi Hong smirked.


    "Your strength is on a completely different level."


    "..."


    Bai Ning Xue merely stared at her opponent silently, but didn''t say a word. Instead, she drew her sword, which crackled with intense electricity. Tang Qi Hong narrowed her eyes and mirrored the gesture, drawing her own blazing sword. Ruby flames wreathed her blade before unleashing a torrent of flames around the two combatants, only for an invisible electric barrier in front of Bai Ning Xue to slice the rampaging inferno in half.


    Everyone watched with bated breath.


    However, both Tang Qi Hong and Bai Ning Xue merely stood still, facing each other as they held their swords in an offensive stance. Neither of them made a move. In fact, other than the dancing flames and flickering lightning, the two duelists remained completely motionless.


    "What''s going on? Why aren''t they moving?"


    "The match has begun, right?"


    "Why aren''t they fighting?"


    Idiots.


    I suppressed a sigh as I shook my head. Obviously the two of them were waiting to see what the other was do. To be honest, they were already fighting. Not physically, but mentally. Tang Qi Hong and Bai Ning Xue were the two strongest girls in Wu Ling Academy, and they were conducting a high-level duel on the spiritual plane, analyzing and counter-analyzing each other''s stances, moves and techniques. They were aware that they couldn''t afford to be careless ¨C even a single mistake would spell the difference between victory and defeat.


    They were already battling each other in their minds, calculating their opponent''s next move and predicting their next step. Hundreds, if not thousands of speculative exchanges had crossed the space between them, their spirits colliding, clashing and then dispersing as one died or the other, only to be replaced by counterstrategies.


    Amazing.


    I calmly observed, knowing that I might have to eventually face one of the two one day. I could only hope we could keep our promise and I could meet Tang Qi Hong in the finals. Otherwise, I would have to avenge her defeat¡­


    No, don''t think about it. Believe in Qi Hong. She''ll surely win.


    The mental exchanges continued for another tense half a minute before one of them finally made her move.


    It was Bai Ning Xue who made the first move, having discovered an attack pattern that could overcome Tang Qi Hong''s defenses. The latter''s eyes widened, but she clamped down on her shock and reacted instantly, her divine reflexes allowing her to parry Bai Ning Xue''s sword. Lightning and fire detonated against each other and both girls were thrown apart.


    "Kuh!"


    Tang Qi Hong gritted her teeth as she skidded back, but she twisted around and dashed forward. Flames blew up behind her, propelling her forward at high speeds, and she swung her blazing blade down on Bai Ning Xue''s position. Her opponent whirled around and deflected the blade, and a golden blast of lightning surged forward.


    "!"


    Tang Qi Hong quickly dove to the side and rolled back to her feet, narrowly avoiding the devastating pillar of electricity that slammed into the ceiling.


    "¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue regarded her opponent for a second before she repeated her maneuver. Gripping her sword tightly, she dashed forward and slashed at Tang Qi Hong, forcing the latter back on the defensive. The two girls clashed and collided, exchanging several hundred blows in a matter of minutes, fire and lightning dancing and interweaving in a volatile tangle that scorched the ground. Electric metal struck blazing steel and detonated in large blasts of shockwaves that buffeted both combatants. Even so, neither gave ground, their movements growing faster and faster.


    Bai Ning Xue stabbed forward, a bolt of lightning arcing from her blade and slamming into Tang Qi Hong. The blond girl managed to defend against it, but the fierce lightning actually knocked her sword out of her hand and rendered her helpless.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    Tang Qi Hong uttered a cry of frustration and sought to recover her weapon. However, Bai Ning Xue wasn''t na?ve enough to allow her to reach for her sword. She was already surging forward, her crackling sword thrusting for Qi Hong''s chest.


    "Nine Heavenly Armaments¡­spear!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes narrowed, and she suddenly produced a flaming spear out of nowhere. Thrusting the long weapon forward, she broke apart Bai Ning Xue''s attacks. Twirling her spear, she slashed down heavily, making use of her greater reach and weight to knock Bai Ning Xue off her feet. However, the silver-haired girl was too skillful to fall into such a disadvantage. Flipping her body in midair, she widened the distance between the two and swiftly recovered her balance.


    "Aaaaah!"


    However, like Bai Ning Xue before her, Tang Qi Hong wasn''t about to give her opponent time to recover. She was already rushing forward, thrusting her spear forward.


    Bai Ning Xue met her blow for blow, using her sword to deflect Tang Qi Hong''s huge spear away. The two of them clashed viciously, fire and lightning clashing against each other in a violent maelstrom that threatened to tear apart the coliseum. The two of them fought, Tang Qi Hong slowly overpowering Bai Ning Xue.


    It was only natural. A spear had an overwhelming advantage over a sword, in terms of reach, weight and power. The only reason why Bai Ning Xue was able to hold her own so far was because of her peerless swordsmanship and impeccable defense. Even then, she was riding along a precarious slope. One mistake, one single slip, and she would lose.


    Her brow furrowed, the only sign that Bai Ning Xue was taken by surprise. However, she focused on warding away Tang Qi Hong''s barrage before counterattacking with a storm of lightning that forced Tang Qi Hong back.


    Boom!


    The ground sizzled as Bai Ning Xue bathed the area in devastating lightning. Tang Qi Hong responded by swinging her spear and unleashing a torrent of flames that scorched the space between them, but Bai Ning Xue defended against it by slicing the inferno apart with her lightning-wreathed sword. The two sprang apart, with Bai Ning Xue quickly widening the distance and focusing on long-ranged attacks. Raising her sword, she fired off quick but slightly weak lightning bolts in Tang Qi Hong''s direction. Qi Hong merely twirled her spear around like a shield and deflected every last electric projectile, rendering them ineffective.


    "Hu¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue took a deep breath as she studied her opponent. Tang Qi Hong took a step forward, but Bai Ning Xue instantly backed off, maintaining the distance between them. She didn''t just stay away ¨C while she waltzed around the coliseum, she hurled several swift bolts of lightning to force Tang Qi Hong back in the defensive.


    "Do you really think that will work againt me?"


    After repelling the latest bombardment, Tang Qi Hong snarled and stabbed her spear into the ground. Producing a bow, she fired off consecutive barrages of flaming arrows. Bai Ning Xue''s eyes widened briefly and she backed off while slashing with her sword to cut down approaching flaming arrows. Lightning crackled around her in a protective aura, disintegrating whatever arrows she couldn''t knock away with her sword.


    "¡­you are strong¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue whispered softly to herself, almost inaudible. Tang Qi Hong was too focused on taking out her opponent that she didn''t hear her words. Instead, she unleashed a second volley that saturated the area with her flaming arrows, leaving her opponent no space to evade.


    "¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue didn''t panic or flinch. Instead, she stood her ground and deflected all the attacks with a splendid display of her sword. Her arms disappearing into golden blurs, she slashed, cut and sliced down incoming arrows, preventing the fiery projectiles from ever reaching her.


    "Divine Thunder Tiger Formula: Thunder Tiger Crash."


    For a moment, it appeared as if thunderclouds had appeared above the two combatants, gathering at the top of the coliseum and blotting out the ceiling. Electricity crackled and flashed across the dark clouds before slamming down around Bai Ning Xue in a tangle of lightning, the golden bolts raining down and eradicating the barrage of flaming arrows.


    "That''s¡­!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened, but she didn''t have much time to be shocked. The lightning had directed its attention toward her, the ferocious bolts beginning to pelt her position. Dismissing her bow, she snatched up her spear as she ran, dodging and rolling away from the relentless bolts of lightning. Getting up, she spun her spear and deflected the fierce barrage of electricity, a halo of flames shimmering protectively over her.


    Realizing that an attack of this magnitude was unlikely to deal any damage to Tang Qi Hong, Bai Ning Xue closed in. Tang Qi Hong narrowed her eyes when she noticed Bai Ning Xue''s approach, and she swung around to face the new threat, her spear meeting her opponent''s blade in a shower of sparks and flames.


    The two of them sprang apart in a golden and red explosion, lightning and fire still weaving around each other in a destructive display of pyrotechnics. Even though Tang Qi Hong should possess the advantage with her longer weapon in close range, Bai Ning Xue seemed to be on the verge of overwhelming her.


    That can''t be right¡­


    Then again, common sense clearly didn''t apply to Bai Ning Xue. She was a peerless prodigy like no other, a genius who transcended all the other students in Wu Ling Academy. Like Zhu Jiao, she was a Five Star Constitution cultivator, a cut above the rest in terms of potential. Even with a supposedly inferior weapon, she could more than compensate for it with sheer skill.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    Tang Qi Hong realized that, and she desperately tried to force Bai Ning Xue away to maintain some distance. If I recalled, Tang Qi Hong''s strengths lay more in her ranged capability. She had terrific aim with her bow, able to hit a target over a hundred meters away with uncanny precision. That, combined with her overwhelming firepower, made Tang Qi Hong an unrivaled ranged fighter among our generation.


    Bai Ning Xue must have realized that, for she closed the gap and engaged Tang Qi Hong in close combat. Above her, the ominous clouds continued to hurl lightning bolts downward. The electric bolts took the shape of terrifying tigers that roared soundlessly as they mercilessly descended upon Tang Qi Hong''s position.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Tang Qi Hong decimated the tigers with huge swipes of her spear, but she was being forced back step by step. Weaving around the pack of tigers, she defiantly tore through them, cutting a bloody swathe through their electric forms and dispersing them.


    Whoosh!


    "!"


    Tang Qi Hong stumbled back to avoid Bai Ning Xue''s sword. Gritting her teeth, she countered with a slash, but Bai Ning Xue deflected it to the side before stepping in other her guard and ramming her elbow into Tang Qi Hong''s chest. The blond girl staggered, but she firmly stomped on the ground to prevent herself from sliding backward and refused to give her opponent any quarter. Swinging her spear fiercely, she finally succeeded in forcing Bai Ning Xue back.


    "Hah!"


    With a determined cry, Tang Qi Hong thrust her spear forward. Bai Ning Xue met her squarely in the middle of the coliseum, her sword colliding with Tang Qi Hong''s spear. Around the two girls, the pack of lightning tigers circled before growling silently and diving upon Tang Qi Hong, their electric claws outstretched to rip her apart.


    "Oh no, you don''t!"


    With a holler, Tang Qi Hong gathered fiery qi all around her body.


    Boom!


    A raging inferno exploded all around her, shrouding her in ruby flames. The devastating shockwave sent the normally cool Bai Ning Xue reeling backward, her snow-white skin now singed black from the heat. Several of the lightning tigers were obliterated by the blast, consumed by the voracious flames, but the survivors wisely kept their distance.


    Eyeing the inferno warily, the lightning tigers prowled cautiously and waited for a chance to attack. Bai Ning Xue pursed her lips and studied Tang Qi Hong''s blazing form for a second, and then the corner of her lips turned up just a bit.


    She was enjoying herself.


    Stepping forward, she slashed and simultaneously unleashed another Divine Thunder Tiger Crash upon her opponent. More bolts of lightning rained down on Tang Qi Hong, taking the shape of ferocious tigers that streaked forward to tear her opponent apart.


    They never reached her.


    "!"


    Bai Ning Xue jumped back in reflex, avoiding getting eviscerated and incinerated. Her lightning tigers, however, were not as lucky. The majority of them were decimated when Tang Qi Hong''s living inferno reared up and lashed out in several directions, ripping through them and engulfing them. The flames seemed to devour the electricity and glow even brighter.


    "Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula."


    Tang Qi Hong was glaring at Bai Ning Xue, who had skidded backward and held her sword in front of her defensively. Behind and above her, nine fiery tails writhed and waved around violently, striking mercilessly at the hapless lightning tigers that were forced to retreat with their golden tails between their legs.


    Narrowing her eyes, Tang Qi Hong pointed her spear at Bai Ning Xue and issued a challenge.

 99 Chapter 98: Fox against Tiger

    One of the tails whipped out and seized Tang Qi Hong''s fallen sword, while another wrapped around the bow. Tang Qi Hong continued to wield her spear personally, and she thrust it forward at Bai Ning Xue, who deflected it with her sword.


    The tail holding the bow curled up, and through some mystical maneuver I couldn''t decipher, fired off a volley of fiery arrows that forced Bai Ning Xue to retreat. However, the bow wouldn''t cease, firing off a second barrage of incendiary projectiles. The silver-haired girl narrowed her eyes, and swung her sword, unleashing a massive arc of electricity that decimated the bombardment of flaming arrows before they could reach her.


    Boom!


    Fire collided with lightning, resulting in a huge explosion that sent tremors across the coliseum. The spectators held their breaths as they squinted through the smoke, trying to make out the vicious conflict that was taking place within.


    They weren''t disappointed.


    A fiery tail lashed out of the smoke, curled downward and struck at an evading Bai Ning Xue, who jumped out to avoid getting eviscerated. She struck at another tail with her sword, lightning wreathing her blade, and parried it. A third tail emerged to stab at her with blazing fury, but a lightning tiger emerged out of nowhere and bit it, clawing at the fiery form. The tail recoiled, as if in pain, before it smashed the poor lightning tiger against the reinforced wall.


    "Hah!"


    Dashing out from the smoke, Tang Qi Hong thrust her spear at Bai Ning Xue, who barely deflected her attack in the nick of time. While the two girls engaged in brutal close combat, exchanging several dozen strikes in under ten seconds, the pack of lightning tigers and nine fiery tails clashed in the background, incinerating or clawing each other.


    "!"


    While Bai Ning Xue fought off Tang Qi Hong''s spear, one of the tails managed to escape the tigers and slashed at her with Tang Qi Hong''s sword. Bai Ning Xue succeeded in parrying it before she threw her head back to dodge a stab from the point of Tang Qi Hong''s spear. Tang Qi Hong then brought her spear down to smack Bai Ning Xue''s lowered form, but the latter managed to whirl away just as the spear slammed down onto the ground.


    Tang Qi Hong pressed on with her advantage. She stepped in to thrust her spear forward, but Bai Ning Xue fought it off. The two of them exchanged a couple more of furious exchanges before springing apart in a shower of sparks.


    Throwing a hand up, Bai Ning Xue proclaimed something in a cold, calm manner.


    A massive lightning bolt descended from the dark clouds that hung on the ceiling and streaked toward Tang Qi Hong. However, the blond girl merely remained calm. One of her nine fiery tails whipped forward and produce a huge shield. The sturdy spirit armament withstood the massive tiger-shaped lightning bolt, merely fuming after the collision.


    "Ho¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue''s lips curled up slightly when she saw that, but she did not break her composure. Instead, she went into the offensive and dashed forward with her sword. Escorted by a pack of her remaining lightning tigers, she weaved and dodged through the fiery curtain of nine tails to close in with her opponent.


    Two¡­three, no, four of her lightning tigers were obliterated as they sold their lives dearly to buy their mistress time to close the gap and evade the tails. Bai Ning Xue made full use of their sacrifice and slashed down on Tang Qi Hong.


    Clang!


    Having anticipated that, Tang Qi Hong blocked her swing with her spear. Twirling her spear, she exchanged several more blows with Bai Ning Xue. Putting her full weight behind her weapon, she momentarily succeeded in driving Bai Ning Xue back a few steps.


    But Bai Ning Xue was not to be stopped.


    She spun around, ducked under a swing from Tang Qi Hong, and then responded with a riposte that almost stabbed into Tang Qi Hong''s shoulder. The latter dropped slightly, then brought her spear up to deflect the blade, then whirled around to knock Bai Ning Xue back.


    The nine tails curled upward before smashing down onto Bai Ning Xue''s position, forcing her to jump away. The one holding the bow unleashed a relentless volley of flaming arrows, which Bai Ning Xue had to evade while contending with the eight other tails. She responded by throwing a pack of lightning tigers and lightning bolts into the mix, pressuring Tang Qi Hong into the defensive with her shield while the tails cut apart the decimated pack of lightning tigers.


    However, Bai Ning Xue was far from finished. She conjured a whole new pack of lightning tigers from the clouds, the lot of them bellowing silently as they descended down like thunderous angels with claws and fangs.


    Tang Qi Hong reacted by retracting her fiery tails and then launching them into the sky. The tails unfurled and extended, turning into blazing beams that incinerated the incoming pack of lightning tigers. Those that survived continued to bear down upon her, and Tang Qi Hong twirled her spear about before cutting them down.


    "!"


    While she was momentarily distracted by the tigers, Bai Ning Xue had crept in close to launch a sneak attack. Twisting around and avoiding a claw from one of the lightning tigers, which was promptly smacked into oblivion by a single fiery tail, Tang Qi Hong barely deflected the slash from Bai Ning Xue, who pressed on with her advantage.


    "You wanted to sneak up on me?" Tang Qi Hong sneered as she twirled her spear defensively. "It won''t be that easy!"


    "I know."


    Bai Ning Xue smiled slightly, and then her blade crackled with golden lightning and flared to life. The collision of energies exploded between them, hurling Tang Qi Hong away. The blond girl hit the ground and then quickly rolled back to her feet.


    "Huff¡­!"


    However, Tang Qi Hong wasn''t allowed even the briefest of respite. Bai Ning Xue was already in her face, swinging her sword at her.


    "!"


    Tang Qi Hong successfully parried the crackling blade with her spear, despite almost being taken by surprise. She narrowed her eyes.


    "Did you think this would work?"


    "No. but this will."


    "?!"


    A massive discharge of electricity leaped off Bai Ning Xue''s sword and struck Tang Qi Hong, even as she tried to raise her spear in reflex to deflect it. She cried out in pain as she staggered back, and was knocked off her feet despite parrying Bai Ning Xue''s strike. Electricity continued to run through her body, sending her into spasms.


    "This is¡­!"


    "A technique from the White Tiger Sect," Bai Ning Xue replied calmly. "Lightning Strike. The most basic of techniques, but often even the simplest attacks can be the most effective."


    Tang Qi Hong gritted her teeth as she writhed on the ground, but her body refused to respond to her. Paralyzed momentarily, she glanced up as Bai Ning Xue pointed her sword at her, golden lightning continuing to arc off her blade.


    "Do you surrender?"


    "Like hell!"


    Spitting in rage, Tang Qi Hong revolved the fiery qi inside her body, clashing the yang against the yin and forcibly discharging the electricity from her body. Blood dripped from her lips, but she paid no heed to the internal damage that she had just suffered and instead lunged at Bai Ning Xue.


    The silver-haired girl seemed to have anticipated that, deflecting Tang Qi Hong''s spear in a calm and calculated manner. Instead, she spun around and slashed at Tang Qi Hong, who stumbled back clumsily to parry the strike. Her earlier elegance gone, Tang Qi Hong desperately defended against Bai Ning Xue''s relentless barrage of sword strikes, sparks flying as metal kissed metal. She found herself pushed back despite having the more advantageous weapon.


    "Kuh!"


    "Is it my imagination, or has Qi Hong''s movements gotten slower?" Lian Rou asked, concerned. Tong Xue shook his head.


    "No you are correct. Qi Hong has definitely gotten a little slower."


    "It''s the effects of Bai Ning Xue''s Lightning Strike," I murmured. My Heaven and Earth qi sense was picking up the debilitating currents of electric qi that continued to run within Tang Qi Hong''s body. It seemed like she didn''t have time to completely discharge all of the invasive lightning. "It''s clogging up Qi Hong''s qi and inhibiting her movements."


    "Oh no!" Lian Rou covered her mouth, horrified. "Then what should she do?"


    "She needs more time to discharge all the electric qi in her body," I replied. "But Bai Ning Xue obviously isn''t going to give her the time to do it."


    Tong Xue swallowed. "The match¡­it has been decided, hasn''t it?"


    "Not yet," I snapped. My fingers turned white as I tightened my grip on the handrail just in front of the window. "I have faith in her."


    Unfortunately, Tang Qi Hong was currently pushed back. Even though she hadn''t given up, it was clear that she was at a distinct disadvantage. Bai Ning Xue''s blade streaked forward in blinding arcs, slashing her and cutting open her skin. Thin red lines of blood dripped across Tang Qi Hong''s snow-white skin, while the fabric of her uniform was getting cut apart by Bai Ning Xue''s precise attacks. Tang Qi Hong was dodging many of her opponent''s attacks by just a single thread, and those signs were evident on her diminishing uniform.


    "Ugh!"


    Trying not to let frustration get the better of her, Tang Qi Hong tried to rein it in and be more patient. However, as the battle progressed, it was clear that she would be at an increasing disadvantage the longer the match dragged on. Her movements were getting slower and more injuries were appearing, whereas Bai Ning Xue''s strikes seemed to be getting swifter and more accurate. Even if Tang Qi Hong survived for the moment, she would eventally succumb to a thousand shallow cuts.


    Knowing this, Tang Qi Hong realized that she had to gamble on an all or nothing strike.


    "Thunderous Descent."


    However, Bai Ning Xue was not one who would allow her opponent the chance to fight back. Aware of that, she suddenly delivered a powerful attack that almost knocked Tang Qi Hong''s spear out of her hands and sent her flying across the coliseum.


    "Ah!"


    Tang Qi Hong landed onto the ground, but managed to just barely roll to her feet. Leaning on her spear as she struggled to rise to her feet, she was forced to dive away when Bai Ning Xue unleashed a powerful lightning bolt that seared the place where she had occupied earlier.


    "Nine Fire Fox Tails!"


    Recognizing how bleak the situation had turned, Tang Qi Hong withdrew her nine fiery tails, disengaging them from combat with the lightning tigers. A volley of fiery arrows bombarded Bai Ning Xue''s position, but the silver-haired girl destroyed them with a single swing of her sword. Even so, she was forced to jump back when several torrents of flames streamed forth from the tails, incinerating huge swathes of the coliseum.


    "This won''t be enough to defeat me," Bai Ning Xue warned, her glacial eyes glaring coldly at the waving tails. Her lightning tigers gathered around her, resembling a golden entourage of honor guard. They growled silently, preparing themselves to defend their mistress from the nine tails.


    "I know. I never meant to defeat you with them." Tang Qi Hong smiled. "They were only meant to buy me time."


    "?!"


    Raising her spear and spinning it above her head, Tang Qi Hong conjured a gigantic fireball that was several times the size of her. Her nine tails had retracted to generate the flaming qi needed for the immense fireball before they launched it at Bai Ning Xue.


    So huge was the fireball that there was no space for Bai Ning Xue to dodge. Not that she intended to. The moment Tang Qi Hong had begun her attack, she had responded with a gigantic lightning bolt of her own.


    "Heavenly Lightning Void Strike."


    The clouds roiled about and another gigantic lightning bolt erupted from within, arcing forward to meet the immense fireball. Another devastating detonation rocked the entire coliseum, knocking most of the spectators off their feet and shattering the reinforced window again.


    Damn, there was no use reinforcing the viewing glass if they always got shattered so easily. I was getting tired of describing them as reinforced when that term was turning out to be utterly meaningless. Oh, well. Whatever.


    Even though the maelstrom of smoke still churned with electricity and sparks, the two girls dashed forward to attack each other again. Tang Qi Hong thrust her spear forward, maximizing her greater reach to attack her opponent first. Bai Ning Xue twisted her body in midair, just narrowly avoiding the spear, and then countered with a riposte that almost stabbed Tang Qi Hong in the gut if she hadn''t whirled away.


    Both girls literally waltzed past each other before they turned around to clash their weapons in a collision that sent shockwaves rippling throughout the wrecked coliseum. Without any hesitation, the two girls each took a step back and exchanged several blows that were almost too fast for the human eye to see.


    "Whoa¡­"


    "Incredible¡­"


    "They''re so fast that I can''t follow their movements at all!"


    "As expected¡­the two strongest girls in Wu Ling Academy¡­"


    "Shouldn''t this be the finals or semifinals instead of the last 16?"


    It was a pity, a pity indeed. But the same could be said of many matches. Many of the students stood out as prodigies in their own right, geniuses rivaled only by each other. The whole ranking thing was stupid to begin with. The tournament wasn''t a proper judge of our rankings, to be honest. Why was it that we had to rank some people higher and some people lower?


    Couldn''t we just accept that everyone had a fair chance of beating everyone else, and that we were all roughly equal? We all had different strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes luck had a hand in whether we could bring those strengths out in their full potential.


    Boom!


    Another explosion rocked the coliseum and the two combatants were forced apart. However, they threw fire and lightning at each other at the exact same time. The elements clashed in a volatile mix that ignited a blazing, crackling wall between them.


    Roaring, the lightning tigers charged through the shimmering wall, only to be met by the nine fiery fox tails that clubbed them to the ground. Several of the tails continued to wield weapons, slashing with a sword, defending with a shield, bombarding with fiery arrows¡­and even now, new weapons were being produced, such as an axe that cleaved lightning tigers into two, or a hammer that pulverized them into nothingness.


    The tails that remained unarmed were no less deadly, striking with unrestrained ferocity and uncanny precision. More lightning tigers dissipated or were incinerated as the tails slammed down on them, obliterating them from existence.


    Undaunted by the death and destruction taking place around them, the two girls clashed and traded blows in the center of the coliseum again, surrounded by blazing tails and crackling tigers that whipped or clawed at their enemies. Sparks flew, fire and lightning swirling around the two in a violent vortex that almost obscured them from the spectators'' sights. It wasn''t just their opponents'' weapons that they had to watch out for. The two girls had to keep a cautious eye on the fire and lightning that danced around them.


    I had no idea how many mental calculations they were doing in their minds to keep up their elemental battle, and they were expending copious amounts of qi at the same time. Granted, Tang Qi Hong had about three sexagenaries of qi, and Bai Ning Xue, despite not having received much artificial qi as well, still had a fair amount of it herself.


    As if embodying their will, the lightning tigers and the fiery fox tails continued to clash violently, wielding weapons either forged or innate to them to tear each other apart. The battle didn''t seem to have an end, as each fiery tail simply regenerated whenever they received damage, the flames expanding quickly to plug gaps, and new lightning tigers were being conjured by Bai Ning Xue whenever their numbers diminished severely.


    Yet even though the battle had dragged on for so long, neither of them appeared to be running out of qi. They both continued to go strong, throwing huge attacks and literally tearing the coliseum apart.


    On that note, they probably needed to redesign the coliseum''s structure, which were clearly meant to withstand martial artists of the past ¨C those who didn''t receive so much artificial qi ¨C and not those with absurd quantities of qi.


    "Heavenly Tiger Thunderbolt."


    "Heavenly Nine Fire Tails Strike!"


    The two girls launched their ultimate attacks, no longer holding anything back. A gigantic tiger erupted from the dark clouds, which dissipated immediately, bellowing as it descended upon Tang Qi Hong''s position. At the same time, the nine tails dropped whatever weapons they were holding and lunged forward, flaring more brightly than ever.


    The thunderbolt in the form of a tiger met the nine fiery tails and exploded. Again, the tremendous shockwaves that reverberated across the coliseum knocked people off their feet and even knocked several of them out. As spectators sprawled across the floor, a huge conflagration rolled out of the now open shattered window and engulfed the spectators.


    Or would have, if the teachers hadn''t stepped in to contain the breach. Teacher Jiao and Teacher Cai quickly conjured a qi barrier that halted the flames and lightning in their tracks, preventing them from expanding into the spectator box.


    "Is it¡­finally over?"


    Tong Xue noticed that there were no longer any more reverberations, and the qi signatures of both Tang Qi Hong and Bai Ning Xue had stabilized. No¡­they felt low, the lowest they had been ever since the battle began.


    Neither of them were attacking or defending. It appeared that the match was finally over. But we had no idea who had won.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Ban Zhang crawled to his feet, shaking his head. Beside him, Zhu Jiao stirred and slowly rose up, his expression grim.


    "Qi Hong! Is Qi Hong all right?"


    Lian Rou was concerned about her best friend, as always, and she was jumping up and striding toward the broken window as quickly as possible. Feeling similarly anxious, I also made my way across the shattered glass and peered into the arena below.


    Electrostatic and combustible smoke was still drifting across the coliseum, obscuring large swathes of our vision. Even so, we could barely make out two figures in the fumes, their weapons barely raised.


    "Qi Hong¡­"


    Lian Rou''s voice was a whisper. My shoulders slumped as I studied her.


    Tang Qi Hong was leaning against her spear, kneeling on the ground. Blood dribbled from her mouth, and she glared up at the standing Bai Ning Xue.


    "It''s over. You''ve lost."


    Bai Ning Xue issued a cold declaration as she stared cooly at her opponent. Tang Qi Hong gritted her teeth in frustration, and her grip tightened around her spear.


    "D¡­damn it¡­"


    Not even a retort or a rebuttal. Tang Qi Hong was aware that her opponent was right. She lowered her head and slammed a fist against the ground.


    "Damn it!"


    Bai Ning Xue then glanced up at a stunned Teacher Cai, as if expecting him to say something. He blinked, confused, and then nodded in sudden understanding.


    "The match has concluded. The winner is Bai Ning Xue."


    Bai Ning Xue then turned and departed, leaving Tang Qi Hong to gnash her teeth in frustration alone in the devastated arena.


    No one cheered. I didn''t know if it was from shock, or from awe. Most of the spectators had probably predicted a Bai Ning Xue victory, but they were undoubtedly impressed by Tang Qi Hong''s performance. It just didn''t feel right to¡­


    Clap, clap.


    Taking a deep breath, I began to clap my hands.


    "You did a great job, Qi Hong!" I shouted. "You fought her all the way to the very end, and cornered her!"


    My friends glanced at me, and then began to join in.


    "Yeah! Excellent work, Qi Hong!" Tong Xue yelled. "You taught her not to underestimate you!"


    "You''ve proven yourself!" Ban Zhang agreed. "You did well!"


    "You were amazing, Qi Hong!" Lian Rou called out as she clapped as hard as she could.


    I could see the tears in her eyes as she sought to encourage her best friend, but I didn''t mention it. I knew Tong Xue was aware of it too, especially when he subtly shifted to shield her from the view of the other spectators.


    Not that they noticed.


    The spectators, roused by our applause, began to join in. Standing, rising to their feet, or just sitting, everyone began to clap. Surprisingly enough, even the teachers joined in, with Teacher Jiao nodding his head in quiet approval.


    Tang Qi Hong couldn''t help but look up, her eyes brimming from tears. There was still frustration in them, yes, but there was also a hint of pride.


    Even if Tang Qi Hong hadn''t won the match, she had at least won the hearts of everyone here.


    *


    "Are you all right, Qi Hong?"


    Lian Rou hurried forward and helped her up as Tang Qi Hong limped into the changing room. She nodded and then slumped onto a chair.


    "We should get you to the infirmary," I suggested. Tang Qi Hong closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she allowed herself to be escorted to the infirmary.


    "There you are."


    When we stepped into the infirmary, Teacher Yi looked up from another student she was treating. While the round of 16 was going on, the other students from the group stages were having their ranking matches as well.


    Teacher Yi had Tang Qi Hong sit on a bed and examined her, before nodding in satisfaction.


    "I''ve to say, for a match that intense, I''m relieved to see that your injuries aren''t severe."


    She placed a hand on Tang Qi Hong''s shoulder and healed her up. Green qi flowed gently from her palm and into Tang Qi Hong''s body, and her injuries vanished from sight.


    "There you go. Take it easy for the rest of the night and you should be back to a hundred percent tomorrow."


    Teacher Yi patted Tang Qi Hong and gestured for her to leave. The blond girl nodded silently and sullenly rose. While she headed out of the infirmary, Teacher Yi beckoned for Lian Rou to come over and leaned in to whisper something into her ear.


    "Keep an eye on Student Tang, will you?"


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    "Eh? I thought you said she''ll be all right tomorrow."


    Teacher Yi nodded. "I mean physically. But mentally¡­"


    "Ah." Lian Rou nodded and swallowed. "I understand."


    I glanced at them from a distance, but I made sure to accompany Tang Qi Hong as she stepped out of the infirmary. Tong Xue and Ban Zhang exchanged glances, not knowing what to do. Neither did I, but sending the two of them a look for help brought no solutions.


    Of course, Zhu Jiao wasn''t present. He most likely went to look for Bai Ning Xue.


    It''s better this way.


    His presence would only have made the situation worse. Feeling a little apprehensive, I stepped to Tang Qi Hong''s side.


    "Are you all right?"


    "Yes." Physically, anyway. But she seemed down and frustrated. It was only natural, given what had just occurred.


    However, right now she was avoiding eye contact with me, turning her face slightly to keep it out of view from anyone. That was not a good sign. Understanding her current emotional state, I wisely kept my distance.


    "Let''s go back," I suggested."


    "Yes." Tang Qi Hong hesitated. Then she shook her head. "I''m sorry. I want to be alone for now, if you don''t mind."


    "Go." Lian Rou had appeared and quickly rejoined us. She waved us away. "I''ll make sure that Qi Hong returns to the infirmary safely."


    The three of us guys glanced at each other uncertainly, but knowing there was nothing more that we could do, we nodded. Feeling uneasy, we just stood there and watched as the two girls continued down the corridor.


    Looking at Tang Qi Hong''s back, something stirred my heart. I just couldn''t bear to see her looking so miserable.


    "Qi Hong!" I called out. She continued moving a couple of steps forward, but stopped. She didn''t turn back, though. But I knew she was listening, so I continued. "I''ll take revenge for you! If I meet Bai Ning Xue in the next round, I''ll definitely crush her!"


    "¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong didn''t seem to respond for a moment, and Lian Rou tightened her grip on her arm in concern. But then, without turning around, Tang Qi Hong nodded once in a slow manner.


    "I''ll be counting on you then, Wu."

 100 Chapter 99: Mad Tiger

    "Yeah, yeah, I know." I quickly interrupted Ban Zhang before he could finish his sentence. The guy had been repeating his reminder for what seemed like the hundredth time in two days. I appreciated his concern, but he was going overboard here.


    Sighing, I glanced in the direction of the coliseum and tilted my head from one side to the other to ease my stiff neck muscles. Perhaps I had been doing too much training and preparation the day before, but I was sure it would be worth it.


    After all, today was my match with Kuang Hu. Having fought him during the group stages, Ban Zhang was naturally worried about me. Fortunately, he had surrendered early when he realized he was hopelessly outmatched, but he knew I was a stubborn individual.


    Well, nobody could be perfect. I was highly aware of my own flaws, but I embraced them along with the other aspects of my personality. If people didn''t like who I was, they had to deal with it. I couldn''t be bothered to change my personality now.


    That said, Ban Zhang was still my friend and a little tact never hurt. So I smiled and nodded.


    "Don''t worry. If it gets too bad, I''ll surrender. Though¡­" I grinned. "I''ll do my best to defeat him before it ever reaches that stage."


    "My, confident, aren''t you?"


    Tong Xue shook his head as he joined us. He shared my grin and nodded excitedly.


    "Did you come up with some sort of plan last night?"


    "Honestly? No." I shrugged. "My only plan is to do my best. To be frank, I''m already amazed that I got this far. I didn''t think I would have beaten Wu Xing. Even if I lose in the round of 16, I think I''ve already achieved quite a feat by making it this far."


    At the very least, I had made it into the top 16 of the student rankings, which was an achievement anyone should be proud of. Of course, I had no complaints if I could go higher, but I wasn''t unrealistic enough to request for such a miracule.


    That said, it wasn''t as if I had given up. I intended to do my best and see how far I could go against the very best of Wu Ling Academy. If I could win, that would be even better. Honestly, it annoyed me a little that Ban Zhang already thought I would lose, and I had heard from murmurs from my schoolmates that my odds of winning this match were low. It was only natural. Kuang Hu breezed through the group stages while I struggled against most of my opponents. The difference between our strengths were visible.


    However, that only caused me to want to prove everyone wrong by defeating Kuang Hu. I would love to see their shocked expressions when I beat them. Just like a former Newcastle manager in the late 90s, I would love it if I beat him, love it.


    "Have you forgotten your promise?"


    "Uh¡­"


    "I won''t forgive you if you lose. You promised that you''ll take revenge for me and defeat Bai Ning Xue, didn''t you?" Tang Qi Hong drew closer, almost flaring up. "How are you going to do that if you can''t even defeat a small fry?"


    "Hey, you do realize Kuang Hu isn''t a small fry, right?" Tong Xue complained, but nobody was paying any attention to him.


    "Y¡­yeah," I told her. "I''ll do my best. I''ll definitely defeat Kuang Hu and get into the next round so that I can kick Bai Ning Xue''s ass."


    "Hmph. That''s better. I won''t forgive you if you lose."


    "Hey¡­" Ban Zhang cleared his throat. "Um, I know how you feel, but even then Kuang Hu isn''t someone you can take lightly. He''ll not hesitate to kill you. Even among the delinquents in Wu Ling Academy, he''s known for being utterly ruthless and merciless."


    "What else is new?" I muttered, remembering Qi Fu Ren. Funnily enough, he was also from the White Tiger Sect. with the exception of Bai Ning Xue (who was a girl), were the guys of the White Tiger Sect always brutal and violent?


    "Just don''t take any unnecessary risks, all right?" Ban Zhang reminded me. I sighed and nodded just to assure him.


    Then I turned to Tang Qi Hong in concern. She looked normal, but I could see signs of red around her eyes.


    "Are you all right?"


    "Of course. Why wouldn''t I be?"


    "Well¡­to be honest, I thought you would be¡­uh, resting in your room today."


    Tang Qi Hong looked annoyed. "It''s your match today. Why would I do that? No matter how emotionally down I am, there''s no way I would use that as an excuse to not come and support you, would I?"


    I hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. Even though it might sound awkward to voice it out, but I appreciated Tang Qi Hong putting on a brave front, pushing aside her depression and issues, just so she could come cheer for me.


    I was a really lucky guy.


    "Thank you," I responded instead. Tang Qi Hong colored a little, then gave me a little shove toward the direction of the coliseum.


    "I¡­it''s only natural! A¡­anyway, you should hurry up or you''ll be late for your match! It would be stupid if you got disqualified for being late!"


    Concealing a smile, I nodded and allowed her to push me toward the coliseum.


    *


    "So you came."


    Kuang Hu greeted me with what I could only describe as a feral smile when I stepped into the arena.


    I shrugged. "Would you have preferred if I didn''t come?"


    He snorted. "Would have saved yourself some pain, and me a lot of time if you didn''t."


    "Why?" I mocked, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Did you want an easy victory? I guess you''ll want the other opponents to forfeit as well, so that you can win the tournament without having to work for it, am I right?"


    Kuang Hu''s eyes narrowed as he glared at me. I couldn''t help but notice how predatory his gaze was. It reminded me of the Shadow Leopard I encountered in Sen Lin Forest all those years ago. He curled his claws¡­no, fingers, into a fist.


    "Watch what you say, trash."


    I couldn''t help but be a little astonished. I had thought that I had proven myself not to be trash so far, what with reaching the round of 16 in the tournament and receiving the acknowledgement of so many of my peers and teachers. I guess there would always be one or two outliers who would continue to be obsessed with my One Star Constitution or something.


    "You''re not fit to be my opponent." There was a crunching sound as Kuang Hu grounded his fingers against his palm. "I would have preferred to fight against someone like Zhu Jiao, or Feng Tian Yong."


    "Ah." I shrugged in what I hoped was a nonchalant manner. "You might get to fight them¡­if you succeed in defeating me first, that is. Otherwise¡­it sounds like you''re just making excuses for when you lose."


    "You¡­!" Kuang Hu growled as his qi exploded. Before he could lunge at me, however, Teacher Cai''s voice spoke out from the speaker embedded in the ceiling.


    "The match hasn''t begun yet, Kuang Hu," he warned. "Before I give the go-ahead, neither of you are allowed to attack each other. Is that understood?"


    Kuang Hu spat and turned away with a snarl.


    "I said, is that understood?"


    "Yes, sir," I replied. Kuang Hu turned to glare at me condescendingly before he raised his middle finger to the window.


    "Understood."


    "Good." Teacher Cai paused for a moment. "Then are both of you ready to begin?"


    "Right away!"


    I nodded after Kuang Hu ground out his reply through gritted teeth. The guy was obviously just biting at the bit, impatient to begin after I had offended him. Taking a deep breath and furthering infuriating him with my slow response, I finally spoke up.


    "Yeah."


    "Then you two may begin at any time."


    The moment Teacher Cai finished his sentence, Kuang Hu sprang at me. No formal introductions, no fancy ceremony. He was too eager to attack me as quickly as possible, to end this match in the first second.


    "!"


    I stepped back in reflex, sensing danger, but was unable to avoid. There was a silver flash, followed by a spurt of blood from my shoulder when Kuang Hu slashed me with something. Electric qi sparkled and flowed down my arm, trying to inhibit my movements, but I suppressed it with a surge of my pure qi.


    "Hah!" Kuang Hu sneered. "Not so tough, are you?"


    "¡­"


    I didn''t have time to muster a retort. I kept my eyes on Kuang Hu, warily tracking his movements. Kuang Hu spun around deftly before dashing forward to slash me again. Even though I could follow his movements, my body was too slow to react.


    Slash!


    Grunting, I staggered back as a fresh wound was scored on my arm. Blood dripped down my wounded limb, but I shook it off and suppressed the bleeding with qi. Turning around frantically, I tried to spot Kuang Hu, but he kicked me from behind before slashing my back.


    "?"


    Kuang Hu frowned when he noticed something odd, but he continued to attack me. When I tried to straighten up, he slashed at my face. I dodged his lightning claws, but he then bounced up at a terrifying speed and kicked me in the chest, sending me flying back even though I managed to cross my arms and blocked his foot in time.


    "Oof!"


    I skidded to a stop, the wind knocked out of me. Kuang Hu''s speed and power was truly terrifying. If this kept up¡­


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    Zap!


    Lightning scored the ground, trailing the claws that Kuang Hu wore. While I managed to evade the lightning bolts, I wasn''t able to dodge Kuang Hu''s physical attack. He was too fast. More blood spurted into the air as he tore into me.


    "Damn it¡­!"


    Gritting my teeth, I kicked at him, but Kuang Hu bounced off the ground and neatly escaped my attack. He countered with another slash, before dashing away. Adopting a hit-and-run strategy, he came in from unexpected angles, often taking me by surprise, before bolting away to avoid any retaliation. Over the next few minutes, he repeated his maneuvers, literally bouncing all over the arena and ripping me apart with unbounded ease.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha! So weak! So slow!"


    Kuang Hu guffawed as he bounced away from my kick, before tearing a new wound open on my thigh. I stumbled as blood leaked from the cut.


    Shallow¡­Kuang Hu''s attacks were shallow and didn''t have a lot of power behind them, but the volume of attacks he put out was astonishing. At this rate, even if I survived the current exchanges, I would evetually suffer from a death of a thousand paper cuts.


    And Kuang Hu¡­he was just toying with me.


    "Ha ha ha! What''s the matter? Didn''t you say you''ll provide a challenge? In the end, you''re just talk!"


    Kuang Hu looked down on me from the ceiling before disappearing into a blur and slashing me again. I staggered and kicked at him, but he was already gone.


    "Those weapons¡­"


    I eyed him cautiously, especially those claws that jutted out from the gauntlets he wore around his hands. They crackled with intense electricity, the sharp multiple blades wreathed in a shimmering power field. Every time I received an attack, I suffered a tingling numbness that further slowed and debilitated my movements.


    If I hadn''t used my purified qi to suppress those annoying effects, I might have been incapacitated by now.


    "Lightning Claws, aren''t they?"


    "What about them?" Kuang Hu sneered as he showed off his Lightning Claws. "Just saying, but you can''t have them."


    "Oh, I don''t want them. I have these." I gestured to my two swords, which I had yet to unsheathe. With Kuang Hu''s speed, wielding two swords would be too slow against him. I couldn''t afford to clumsily swing two extra weights about, not when he was already so much faster than I was. "I''m just curious about your Lightning Claws. If I''m not mistaken, they''re dependent on the user''s strength, and allows you to re-roll wound rolls."


    "Huh?" Kuang Hu gaped at me momentarily, lost by the last part of my final sentence. "What the fuck are you talking about?"


    I smiled thinly. "Sorry. Wrong timeline. This isn''t the 41st millennium, after all. And you''re not clad in power armor or terminator armor."


    "I asked you what the fuck you''re talking about?!"


    Kuang Hu slashed at me, a burst of electric discharge flaring between us and electrocuting me. While I jerked about in uncontrollable spasms, he whirled around and kicked me, hurling me across the coliseum. I crashed into a corner and lay there unmoving.


    "Hmph. Nothing but trash. Of course you''ll be spewing rubbish."


    "Sorry about that."


    I rose shakily to my feet and cracked my head from side to side. Kuang Hu stared at me, his jaw dropping from shock.


    "You''re still able to stand from that?!"


    "I seem to be pretty tenacious." I shrugged and then stared at him. "What''s the matter? You can''t be done already, can you?"


    "Fucker!"


    With an enaged howl, Kuang Hu charged at me, his Lightning Claws glowing brightly with silver electricity.


    I drew my swords and parried his Lightning Claws. Kuang Hu''s eyes widened, but he pressed on, his Lightning Claws disappearing into blur.


    Slash!


    "Kuh!"


    I coldn''t help but stumble back. As I suspected, the swords weren''t of much use, especially against an insanely quick opponent such as Kuang Hu. His lightning claws were weaving through my defenses, slashing past my comparatively unwieldy swords and opening up new wounds. My counter with my weapons felt clumsier and slower, so when Kuang Hu responded with a riposte to rip me apart, I finally dropped them.


    "Heh!"


    Kuang Hu tried to eviscerate me, but I managed to step just out of reach of his lightning claws. While I staggered to the side, he flipped his body about and kicked me in the chest. There was a dull thud before I was sent sprawling on the ground.


    "!"


    I rolled away when he tried to stab me with his Lightning Claws from above, just barely escaping with my life. His claws scratched against the concrete, sparks and electricity flying off from the relatively short blades and showering me.


    Damn it¡­!


    Gritting my teeth and ignoring the tingling numbness that ran through my face, I tried to roll to my feet while simultaneously dodging Kuang Hu''s next slash, but he kicked me from below. I doubled over and barely brought up my hands to shield myself from the next slash.


    Splatter!


    My blood splashed across the ground and I staggered back, unsure of the weird sensation that ran from my hands. It almost felt like pain, except that the high voltage of electricity was numbing my arms. I could smell scorched flesh, though, which was bad. The damage had been piling up and I was losing a lot of blood.


    "Just go down already!"


    I quickly snatched up my swords and desperately defended myself as best as I could as Kuang Hu went on a rampage, slashing and cutting me with his Lightning Claws. Blood continued to spurt out as he exploited the gaps in my defenses and overtook my relatively slower speed to slice me apart. I tried to retaliate, but he ducked, only to kick me in the gut.


    "Huff¡­"


    Even my footwork techniques are¡­!


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t as if I had forgotten my footwork. I had actually been using it the entire time, but Kuang Hu was just too fast. Even when I used Duo, I wasn''t able to completely evade. Kuang Hu''s speed was so swift that he actually caught up with me even when I used Tui or Duo, to the point where he rendered my footwork techniques meaningless.


    "!"


    Case in point. I was just using Tui to widen the distance between us, but Kuang Hu suddenly appeared in front of me and slashed me. Even though I raised my swords to parry the claws, I felt the blades open up the skin on my neck.


    "Gah¡­!"


    Feeling blood dribble into my uniform, I staggered back and tried to use Duo. However, Kuang Hu spun around and kicked me in the knee, causing me to stop and drop. I tried to bring my swords up again, but Kuang Hu''s claws grazed my face, cutting a line across my cheek. His other hand slashed open my temple, causing blood to spill into my eye and turning my vision red.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Squeezing my eyes shut in reflex, I was unable to block the next blow, which sent me sprawling across the floor. My swords clattered uselessly a few meters away.


    "Weak¡­so weak."


    Kuang Hu strolled over, rubbing his Lightning Claws against each other in gleeful anticipation. Sparks flew and danced around the air above me, filling the space with numbing static electricity. I gritted my teeth and tried to get up.


    "Wu!"


    "Don''t lose!"


    "Come on!"


    Even though the windows were soundproof, I could almost hear my friends screaming for me to get up and fight, or expressing concern for me. Crawling to my feet, I sighed in frustration, even as I spotted Kuang Hu''s feet nearby. He swung down his Lightning Claws, but I kicked off the ground and advanced forward.


    "Trying to get away? Not so easy."


    Kuang Hu overtook me while I was executing my footwork. Before I could stop myself, he spun around and slashed at me. I tried to duck, but he then kicked my legs out from under me and stabbed me in the gut.


    "WU!"


    I could almost hear my friends screaming through the supposedly soundproof window. Or perhaps it was my imagination.


    Not that it mattered.


    Thunk!


    "?!"


    Kuang Hu frowned when his Lightning Claws sank a little into my chest but seemed to stop. I grunted and staggered back. Dismissing his concern, Kuang Hu spun around and kicked me in the chest, sending me flying back.


    Coughing, I tried to execute Tui to make full use of the momentum to widen the distance between us as much as possible, but as usual Kuang Hu caught up with his unbelievable speed. He leered at me for a moment before slashing me.


    Despite raising both arms to defend myself, I couldn''t help but stagger back as more blood spurted from my arms and shoulders.


    "Hah!"


    With a sneer, Kuang Hu dropped down and kicked under my guard, his foot catching me in the abdomen and hurling me across the arena. I slammed into the wall and then slid down, my breathing ragged.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Blood dribbled from my mouth and I looked up weakly. Kuang Hu slowly approached me, the lightning intensifying around his Lightning Claws.


    Overwhelming defeat. There was no way I could match his speed. Perhaps his power, but what use was it if I couldn''t defend against his speed or land a hit on him?


    "Hah¡­"


    I expelled a sigh ass I glanced up at him. Kuang Hu glared down at me in a condescending manner and raised his Lightning Claws.


    The guy was evidently not going to ask me to surrender or offer me a chance to surrender. He swung his Lightning Claws down to cleave me open from head to groin.


    "!"


    Whoosh!


    I kicked his feet out from beneath him, but as expected, Kuang Hu''s reflexes were too fast. He jumped above to avoid my sneak attack, and then slashed down with his Lightning Claws. However, because they were too far away, he was forced to discharge a lightning bolt at me instead. I hit the ground and rolled away, narrowly avoiding being scorched black like the reinforced concrete behind me. Jumping to my feet, I used Tui.


    However, Kuang Hu had anticipated that. He must have footwork techniques of his own, for he caught up pretty quickly and slashed at me. I managed to just barely avoid the first strike, but the second Lightning Claws tore the front of my uniform jacket apart.


    "Hmph!"


    Kuang Hu then flipped around and kicked me while I was still trying to retreat. His movements were too swift for me to dodge and I found myself hurtling upward into the ceiling. My back collided with the ceiling, leaving a cobweb of cracks in the concrete.


    "Gah¡­ugh¡­"


    Coughing out blood, I crashed back toward the ground. My vision fading away, I closed my eyes even though I could sense Kuang Hu charging toward me and getting ready to finish me off with his lethal Lightning Claws.


    "It''s over!"


    I suddenly opened my eyes and my qi surged up.


    "!!!!"


    Kuang Hu veered off at the last moment and skidded back a few dozen meters away when the whole space suddenly froze. Ice congealed and solidified throughout the arena, turning the place into an indoor tundra.


    "You¡­!"


    Standing atop a glacial wall I had conjured, I rubbed my injuries and exhaled tiredly. Pushing up my glasses, I stared down at Kuang Hu. Around my body, my bleeding stopped as ice spread around them, forming some sort of makeshift plaster to seal the cuts.


    "I''ll admit that you''re strong. Right now, you''re too fast for me to follow. Even if I can follow your movements, my body can''t keep up. You really deserve your title of the fastest student in Wu Ling Academy."


    Kuang Hu snorted as he stared upward at me. His Lightning Claws flared to life again and he glared at me.


    "Get down here or I''ll drag you down if I have to."


    "Go ahead," I replied and beckoned him. "If you can."


    "You asked for it!"


    Kuang Hu kicked off the icy ground and disappeared into a blur. The next moment, he appeared right next to me, his Lightning Claws lashing out to sever my head from my shoulders.


    "!!"


    However, before his weapon could reach me, he was suddenly forced to evade when a new pillar of ice emerged to impale him. He vanished before reappearing on the ground, sliding across the ice while warily looking out for more attacks.


    "You¡­!"


    Kuang Hu glared furiously at me, lightning still wreathing his form. I merely shrugged and gestured for him to try again.


    "I thought you could drag me down?"


    "Fuck you! Come down here and fight like a man! Stop being a coward!"


    "Ha ha ha ha!"


    I couldn''t help but burst out laughing at that bullshit. Of course he would resort to such nonsense when he realized the tables were turned. He wanted to bring me down to a situation where he held the advantage. Never mind that I had no obligation to entertain him. Even so¡­


    "Fine. But first, let me even the odds."


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Kuang Hu spat. I shrugged and stretched almost leisurely atop my ice pillar.


    "Like I said, you''re too fast. Right now I''m too slow to catch up for you." I glanced at the window, where the spectators ¨C especially my friends ¨C were watching. "If I want to keep my promise, it seems like I can''t afford to hold back. I can''t afford to handicap myself any further."


    Given Kuang Hu''s strength, he would eventually find a way to overcome the current crisis and destroy all the ice pillars in the arena and force me to fight him on his terms. When that happened inevitably, I would find myself returning to the earlier position of being severely disadvantaged in terms of speed.


    Besides, I didn''t want to win this way. It would be more fun to crush Kuang Hu on his own terms, and utterly destroy him in a competition over the physical aspects and techniques he was most proud of.


    "Oh, well¡­I guess I have no choice then."


    Muttering to myself, I began to take off my uniform jacket.


    "W¡­what are you playing at?!" Kuang Hu demanded, his face ashen when he saw me. I smirked.


    "Seems like you''re misunderstanding something." Shrugging off my uniform jacket, I revealed the training gear I had been wearing the entire time. An inner jacket of metallic body weights. Pulling up my sleeves and trouser legs, I revealed similar weights bound to my limbs. "I''m just removing my training equipment."


    "No wonder it felt so weird when I slashed at you with my Lightning Claws." Kuang Hu narrowed his eyes. "You were wearing those things as makeshift armor."


    "Nope. Not as makeshift armor. Just to train myself."


    For the past two years, I had been unable to train my qi, having been in a situation where I could only assimilate the vast amounts of qi I had absorbed from the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect members I had slain. To make up for that shortcoming, I had continued to train my body physically, increasing the weights while running, moving and fighting.


    Thanks to that, I was a lot physically stronger than before.


    "But it''s precisely because I''m being weighed down by this training gear that I''m unable to fight you properly."


    "Ha ha ha ha!" Kuang Hu snorted in derisive laughter. "If you think just by removing a bunch of training weights, you can match me¡­"


    He never got to finish his sentence. I had finished unstrapping the weights to my limbs and taken off the weight jacket, then dropping them on the ground.


    BOOM!


    The weights smashed into the ground and pulverized both the ice and concrete, leaving a huge crater.


    "What the fuck?!"


    Kuang Hu''s jaw dropped open. Meanwhile, above, in the spectators'' box, my schoolmates went wild with shock.


    "Holy¡­!"


    "What the hell just happened?!"


    "What is with those weights?!"


    "Isn''t that overly excessive?!"

 101 Chapter 100: Three Thousand Lightning Movemen

    The guy was clearly trying to ignore the impression that my training gear had made on the ground, his eyes avoiding the scene of the smoking crater where the weights had buried themselves deeply into concrete.


    I shrugged, but didn''t bother with a verbal riposte. Instead, I disappeared from the top of the ice pillar.


    "!"


    Kuang Hu spun around on reflex and brought his arms up, only to barely block my kick in time. He grunted as he skidded across cracking ice, and tried to counter with a slash of his Lightning Claws, only for me to vanish from sight again.


    "What?!"


    Wham!


    My kick caught him by surprise, striking his temple and sending him tumbling into the ground in an undignified manner.


    "Kuh! You¡­!"


    I replied with a stomp that would have pulverized him if he hadn''t rolled away. He lashed out desperately with his Lightning Claws, probably hoping to sever my foot from my leg, but I had used Duo to evade and disappear.


    "Where did you go?"


    My answer was a kick from his back, lifting him off the ground and sending him flying. Kuang Hu demolished a few ice pillars before he slammed into the ground, fragments of frost showering him in a white fog.


    "Ugh¡­"


    He slowly rose to his feet, his eyes brimming with hatred and fury. I met his gaze evenly, not bearing any grudge. I mean, the guy was beating me up and toying with me all this while, but the moment I fought back on equal grounds, he got all pissy and angry? How was this fair?


    Not that I cared. It was time to kick this match into high gear.


    Pft.


    "!"


    I vanished from Kuang Hu''s view. He raised his Lightning Claws defensively, looking around for me, but couldn''t follow my movements. The next thing he knew, he was kicked from the side, my foot coming from his blind spot and striking his ribs. He cried out and staggered, but had the tenacity to slash down on me, but I ducked under his swinging claws and swept his feet out from under him.


    "Argh!"


    Kuang Hu threw his hands out to break his fall and fluidly bounced back to his feet, even delivering a counterattack while he did so. As I thought, he was really skilled. Even then, I was no longer where he thought I was, having used my footwork to disappear long ago.


    "How is this¡­possible?!" he spluttered, his eyes moving about as he tried to track my movements. "Just by removing those crazy weights¡­you''ve gotten so much faster?!"


    "Like I said, they were weighing me down."


    "Kuh!"


    "Too fast! I can''t catch up!"


    Cursing under his breath when his counterattack failed, he tried to jump back, only for my foot to smash into his face and send him sprawling onto the ground.


    "Gr¡­!"


    Growling under his breath, he gathered lightning qi about him. Noticing the danger, I suddenly halted my attacks and used Tui to retreat instead of slamming my foot onto his spine. A good thing I did, for a pillar of silver lightning burst forth from his body, scorching the area around him and rising all the way to the ceiling.


    "Thunder Crash!"


    With a howl, Kuang Hu sent a blast of lighting right at me.


    "¡­"


    Even if it was lightning, it was lightning wielded by a human. As long as I could see his attacks, I could time my retreat perfectly to evade his strike. Kuang Hu''s Thunder Crash obliterated the ground where I was standing a millisecond earlier, but I had already used Tui to retreat. Diving for my swords, I snatched them up.


    Heaven and Earth Yuan Yin Frost Strike!


    It was my turn to launch a ranged attack at him, a torrent of azure qi rippling toward Kuang Hu and freezing everything in its wake. Kuang Hu turned around and slashed at the incoming stream of freezing azure qi, smashing it apart before it could reach him.


    "Hu¡­"


    Exhaling, I studied my opponent. Electricity continued to crackle around him protectively as he turned to face him. He truly was from the same sect as Bai Ning Xue. And almost as formidable.


    Almost.


    "Guaaaah!"


    With a roar, Kuang Hu swung his Lightning Claws about, trying to launch another Thunder Crash on me, but I was gone. Weaving through his array of ranged attacks, I closed the distance and swung my swords at pointblank range.


    "!"


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    Kuang Hu barely parried my strike in time, but even when he did, ice began to expand over his Lightning Claws and arms. Bellowing, he allowed his electric qi to surge through his body, knocking me away with a shockwave and shattering the ice that encased his arm and weapons. He shook off the ice and turned toward me with a counterattack.


    By then, I had used Tui to widen the distance between us. Kuang Hu then sent another Thunder Crash crashing down on me, but I neutralized it with a Yuan Yin Frost Strike, freezing the silver lightning in azure ice.


    "Looks like I''ve no choice¡­"


    Kuang Hu was muttering to himself.


    "Oh really?" I smiled thinly. "You''re still holding back?"


    "Not anymore." Kuang Hu had a feral grin on his face. The Mad Tiger evidently decided to go all out. "It''s just that I haven''t totally mastered this technique yet, so I''m reluctant to use it. But if I don''t, I might lose. I might as well stake everything on it."


    "Go ahead." I beckoned him with one hand, which was still gripping one of my swords. "I wouldn''t want you to make any excuses if you lose."


    "I''m not going to lose!"


    Silver lightning flared up around Kuang Hu''s body, but this time it didn''t coalesce into an immense pillar of destruction. Instead, the silver electricity gathered around and wrapped around his body like some sort of qi armor.


    "Three Thousand Lightning Movement!"


    It was almost as if Kuang Hu had transformed into lightning itself. His body blurred and appeared to merge with the silver lightning and he disappeared from view.


    "!"


    I blocked his strike, sparks flying between us when his Lightning Claws collided with my swords. I delivered a riposte, but he ducked and slashed upward with his Lightning Claws, almost taking me by surprise. I blocked it with my other sword, and then traded a few dozen blows, our weapons clashing violently against each other.


    He''s caught up to my speed!


    Even as we exchanged attacks, the both of us were moving across the battlefield at a high speed. To the spectators'' eyes, we were disappearing and reappearing everywhere in different places in the arena, clashing and trading furious blows with each other. Kuang Hu with his Three Thousand Lightning Movement and me with my footwork.


    Even though I was using a combination of Jin, Tui, and Duo to the best of my ability, I still couldn''t fully shake off Kuang Hu. He relentlessly pressed on, slashing and striking with his Lightning Claws, closing in immediately to cut off any path of retreat.


    "Take this!"


    He swung his Lightning Claws to decapitate me, but I used Duo to evade and reappear behind him. I tried to counter by stabbing his back, but he spun around with unbelievable speed and knocked away my sword before it could reach it. He slashed upward with his other Lightning Claw in the hope of rupturing my jugular vein, but I blocked it with my remaining sword.


    "Amazing," Tong Xue murmured, thoroughly impressed. "They''re the two fastest students in Wu Ling Academy."


    "I can''t follow their movements!" Ban Zhang grumbled. "Kuang Hu is one thing, but I can''t believe Wu is keeping up with him!"


    "No," Tang Qi Hong corrected, a smile on her beautiful face. "Kuang Hu is the one keeping up with Wu."


    As much as I was flattered, that was slightly incorrect. Perhaps my friends would call me modest, but I was actually being pressured here. This was my fault for allowing Kuang Hu to execute his Three Thousand Lightning Movement instead of finishing him off before he could use it. Yeah, I shouldn''t have tried to be a show off.


    To be fair, it was inevitable. I highly doubted I would be able to defeat Kuang Hu before he used it, though. The guy''s defense was tough and he was really tenacious. I would have been blasted apart by his Thunder Crash if I tried to attack him.


    Even so, I''m not going to lose here!


    Narrowing my eyes, I delivered a barrage of strikes with both swords that pushed Kuang Hu back, but my opponent ¨C clad in silver lightning ¨C parried and blocked every one of them, and even responded with a ferocious retaliation that forced me back instead.


    "¡­"


    I closed my eyes briefly as I allowed Kuang Hu to overwhelm me. The longer the battle went on, the more I got used to his qi, and the better I could read his movements. Even before he struck, I could tell which direction he was going to attack from, the amount of power he was putting into his attack, and the timing of his next attack.


    "GUAAAAH!"


    Unaware that I was reading his movements, Kuang Hu intensified his attacks and bellowed fiercely. He had gone into a somewhat berserk mode, slashing, striking and slicing with his Lightning Claws. Electricity jumped off his claws to electrocute me, but I kept it at bay with a defensive screen of azure qi.


    "Just fall already!"


    I opened my eyes and smirked. "No, you fall."


    "Huh?!"


    Slipping myself into the trajectory of his attacks, I stopped his strike before he could deliver them and disrupted his movements. Caught off guard, Kuang Hu stumbled, his high speed becoming a weakness now.


    "What¡­?!"


    I responded with a kick that knocked him off his feet and sent him sprawling on the ground. He quickly slashed at my legs before I could stomp on him, but having read his movements, I had anticipated that and moved away. Kuang Hu quickly seized the chance to jump back to his feet, but I was already behind him.


    "?!"


    Hooking my foot around his leg, I tripped him up and sent him tumbling onto the ground again. To Kuang Hu''s credit, he didn''t go down easily. He countered with a kick aimed behind, but I stepped to the side and just barely avoided it.


    "Gr¡­!"


    Growling, Kuang Hu slashed back with his Lightning Claws, and I deflected them away with my swords before jumping back. Kuang Hu jumped to his feet and used his Three Thousand Lightning Movement to advance and close in, but I simultaneously appeared right where he intended to be, disrupting the flow of his attacks and halting his movement before he could finish it. Parrying his half-delivered strikes with his Lightning Claws, I sent a knee into his gut and caused him to double over, and then kicked him in the chest.


    "Gah!"


    Kuang Hu was sent hurtling back helplessly, crashing onto the ground and skidding a few meters away. Coughing, he slowly rose to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth before glaring at me in a predatory manner.


    "You¡­what the hell was that?!"


    "Oh¡­" I pushed my glasses up and smiled. "Whatever are you talking about?"


    Inwardly, I couldn''t help but be impressed with the power of Liu. I rarely used it because it was so complex, so difficult to use, but as I expected, practical combat experience was best in helping me master it. I could hardly believe that I was using it freely now.


    And it was all thanks to Kuang Hu.


    "Still, thank you."


    "What the fuck are you playing at?!"


    Kuang Hu snapped at me furiously, and then dashed forward when he realized that any further talk was pointless. I waited before selecting the precise moment to move forward as well, disrupting his movements and stopping his attacks before he could complete them. Deflecting his Lightning Claws with my swords, I brought my elbow to his chest and sent him off balance before kicking under his guard and sending him flying again.


    Liu was a really formidable technique.


    Teacher Jiao was right. He said that if I mastered these footwork techniques, then no one in my generation will be able to touch me!


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Kuang Hu seemed to have come to the same conclusion, with trepidation and hesitation filling his face. He glared at me, but this time there was some element of horror mixed with rage. Even so, he wasn''t going to give up.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    With a yell, he intensified the silver lightning that ran through his body, pushing himself to extreme limits. Kicking off the ground, he disappeared and dashed right toward me at a speed even I was unable to follow or read.


    Clang!


    I just barely managed to parry his Lightning Claws, but he unleashed a blast of silver electricity that electrocuted me, overwhelming my inner qi defenses and numbing my body. It was my turn to stagger back, and Kuang Hu seized the chance to kick at my head. I blocked it with my arm, but the silver lightning startled me and sent me crashing onto the ground.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    This guy¡­he was forcibly overwriting his limiters in order to maximize his speed! While he might be able to momentarily gain unsurpassed strength, the recoil from such a risky move would be severe. Was he that desperate to win?


    But I''m not going to lose here either!


    Gritting my teeth, I rolled away before Kuang Hu could rip me apart with his Lightning Claws. Using Tui, I threw myself off the ground and withdrew a good distance away. As I expected, Kuang Hu followed me, his Three Thousand Lightning Movement allowing him to close the gap in no time at all.


    Fortunately, I had anticipated his next attack.


    Using Liu, I succeeded in disrupting his next attack, but I still couldn''t nullify the devastating lightning that was streaming off his body. Feeling a shock of numbness, I stumbled backward, but ducked under Kuang Hu''s kick.


    Locking my swords with his Lightning Claws, I delivered a knee into his abdomen, causing him to double over. Wincing when the silver lightning sent a shocking tingle through my leg, I responded with a freezing kick that encased his torso in ice.


    "Argh!"


    With a roar, Kuang Hu shattered the ice with his lightning, and then lunged forward again. He launched his attacks in a berserk frenzy, his eyes rolling back and glowing silver with bloodlust. I traded blows with him evenly, my ice counteracting his lightning. The arena would be entombed in ice before the layer of frost would shatter into fragments under the destructive dance of silver electricity, only for the ground to be frozen over again.


    All this while, the spectators could barely follow our movements. All they could see were blurs and the alternate creation and destruction of ice and lightning.


    "Just go down already!"


    Bellowing, Kuang Hu knocked me backward with a vicious strike. I would have been sent sprawling across the ground if I hadn''t disrupted his movement earlier, but I managed to duck under his slash and responded with a riposte aimed at his throat. Kuang Hu deflected my blade with his other Lightning Claw and kicked out.


    However, I disappeared and slashed at his back. Kuang Hu twisted around to parry my sword with both Lightning Claws and then forced me back with brute strength.


    Silver lightning whipped around him in a frenzy and he kicked off the ground to dash at me again, delivering a ferocious barrage of strikes and slashes that would have ripped me apart to shreds if I wasn''t able to read his movements.


    Boom!


    One of his claws scraped across the ground and the electric qi around it detonated, carving a crater into the concrete.


    Not heeding the destruction he was wreaking, Kuang Hu continued to press on, slashing and slicing the air with his Lightning Claws and saturating the atmosphere with electricity. Being fully aware of the static charges that hung in the air, I attempted to nullify them with a blast of freezing qi that would hopefully stop my opponent in his tracks as well, but he was too fast and powerful.


    "Damn¡­"


    Even with Liu, I was being pressed into a disadvantage here. I could just barely hold out, but I knew that if I endured and survived the next exchange, it would be my victory. It was clear that Kuang Hu couldn''t hold out for next longer.


    His body was at its limits. I could see how his breathing had gotten ragged, how the circulation of qi in his body was clogging up, how damage was accumulating in his body. All thanks to my Heaven and Earth qi sense.


    But do I really want to win in such a manner?


    No. I wanted to defeat Kuang Hu at his strongest. I wanted to win against Kuang Hu at his best. Otherwise there was no meaning to my victory.


    Kuang Hu had shown his determination to win, no matter the cost. How could I belittle that? I wanted to express equal determination. I had survived the worst the world had to throw at me and prevailed.


    Defeating someone my age was nothing compared to the trials I had overcome thus far. It wasn''t as if Kuang Hu was some sort of monster. No, far from it. Compared to most of the enemies I had to survive against, he was but a child.


    Furthermore, it wasn''t as if I was out of cards to play.


    Boom!


    We sprang apart after a particularly nasty collision that sent sparks and ice flying across the coliseum. Kuang Hu staggered back and dropped to his knee, breathing heavily. The silver lightning continued to crackle around his body, but he refused to allow it to abate. He was determined to use it all the way until the very end, until either he or I went down.


    I closed my eyes briefly. There was only one possible outcome to such a battle. If possible, I would like to end this before he did irreversible damage to his own body. Granted, Teacher Yi could heal him with her skills, but that didn''t mean it was all right to take such immense risks.


    "Let''s finish this," I declared and dropped my swords.


    "You¡­!"


    Kuang Hu swore as he struggled to his feet. He must have thought that I was looking down on him. I merely cocked my head to the side.


    "Are you ready to go yet?"


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    Bellowing, Kuang Hu lunged forward and disappeared into a bolt of silver lightning, streaking toward me. It was almost as if there were three thousand afterimages of him, all dashing toward me from different angles and directions.


    This was the true Three Thousand Lightning Movement. Well, to be honest, it was no longer the Three Thousand Lightning Movement but the Three Thousand Lightning Illusionary Body, the next step of the Three Thousand Lightning Movement technique. In his rage, Kuang Hu had surpassed his limits and succeeded in attaining the advanced version.


    However, he wasn''t the only one who had an advanced version of his technique.


    "?!"


    The moment my feet moved, there was suddenly five copies of myself. Kuang Hu almost halted, taken by surprise when he saw the illusion. However, he had gone too far to stop now, and all three thousand images of himself slashed at the five shadows of myself.


    Ying, or "Shadow." The last and ultimate footwork technique.


    All my shadows rippled and burst apart into nothingness. Kuang Hu and his afterimages burned through them, silver lightning still crackling around them, but the afterimages were slowly disappearing. His mouth nearly frothing, Kuang Hu turned around.


    "Where are you?!" he screamed.


    "Right here."


    "?!"


    Kuang Hu glanced up, only for me to plant my foot on his face.


    Seismic Step.


    "GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    The entire coliseum rocked as a sudden crater appeared in the middle. Kuang Hu disappeared in a colossal explosion as the ground underneath him caved in and dust billowed into the air. A geyser of blood burst high into the air before being obscured from view by the immense debris.


    I landed on relatively undamaged ground and twisted around on my heels to watch the destruction. Even though I couldn''t see Kuang Hu, I could still sense his qi. It had dropped to dangerously low levels.


    The guy was most definitely unconscious.


    Striding over to where my swords were, I picked them up and sheathed them. Then I turned to watch the crater I had carved into the face of the coliseum.


    There was still no movement, but I couldn''t take anything for granted. As I thought, there was a ripple of qi¡­a reaction from Kuang Hu.


    "Isn''t it over?"


    "What is Teacher Cai waiting for?"


    "There''s no way Kuang Hu could have withstood that attack, could he?"


    "What''s going on?"


    The spectators didn''t share my opinion and were curiously peering through the glass window, trying to see what was going on. Hey, at least the reinforced glass window wasn''t destroyed this time, having endured all the qi that was flying around the arena.


    "Guh!"


    As I expected, a bloodied hand ¨C with the gauntlet of Lightning Claws still around it ¨C reached out of the crater and grabbed the edge of the crater. With visible effort, Kuang Hu pulled himself up and dragged himself out of the hole.


    "You¡­" he growled, gritting his teeth as he glared up at me. "What the hell are you?"


    I merely gazed down at him.


    "Hmph. Don''t think this is over yet."


    Kuang Hu slowly rose to his feet, but even as he stood his body continued to tremble violently. He must be suffering excrcuciating agony, but even then he refused to go down. I had to hand it to him, he was one of the most tenacious opponents I had ever faced.


    There were very few who could take a Seismic Step from me and still maintain consciousness after that, never mind stand.


    Silver lightning crackled around Kuang Hu''s body as he glared at me. Then he surged forward in one last attempt to finish me off, using his Three Thousand Lightning Movement one last time. His Lightning Claws slashed and cut me into shreds.


    "Got you¡­!"


    My torn body slowly turned to look at him, its physical form rippling and crumbling away like dust. Within seconds, that image of me had completely disappeared.


    "I see¡­"


    Exhausted and completely drained, Kuang Hu collapsed onto the ground, grinning defiantly. He stabbed his Lightning Claws onto the ground.


    "Even until the very end, you still want to be sneaky, don''t you?"


    "That''s how I''ve survived until now," I replied behind him. Kuang Hu didn''t even bother to turn back. He merely closed his eyes and leaned forward.


    "I''m not going to surrender. So if you want to win, you''re gonna have to finish me off."


    I would have done so, as a sign of respect. Raising my leg, I kicked him.


    Right at the moment of contact, silver lightning exploded from Kuang Hu''s body and incinerated me. I screamed as the electricity streamed over me, surging through my systems and shorting out my organs.


    "You''re not the only one who can be sneaky!"


    Using his last burst of strength, Kuang Hu whirled around and stabbed me in the heart with his Lightning Claws.


    "It''s my win!"


    His eyes glowing maliciously, Kuang Hu cackled triumphantly.


    I stopped screaming and stared at him. Even with the Lightning Claws embedded in my chest, I merely smiled. Kuang Hu blinked and then realized that there was no blood flowing from the wound in my chest.


    "You¡­!"


    "I expected that," my shadow replied. "Thanks to my friend, I did some research on you. So I know what kind of person you are."


    "Fuck you!"


    With a roar, Kuang Hu decapitated my shadow, only for the image to ripple and vanish from his eyes. He spun around, swinging his Lightning Claws around crazily.


    "Where are you!?"


    I wasn''t an idiot to tell him this time, so I instead responded by freezing him from a distance. Kuang Hu staggered back and glanced down at the ice creeping over his body.


    "Bastard! Stop hiding!"


    Enraged, he shattered the ice that threatened to entomb him, silver lightning blasting out from his body. However, the moment the silver lighting weakened, I appeared and kicked him right in the chest. Having expected me to come from behind, Kuang Hu wasn''t able to defend himself in time.


    "Gah!"


    He crashed onto the ground, coughing out more blood. Gritting his teeth, he unleashed another blast of silver lightning at me when I descended upon him to finish him off.


    "Like I''ll let you¡­!"


    The silver lightning seared through my form, only for me to shimmer and vanish from view. Kuang Hu''s eyes widened for a moment, and then he chuckled bitterly in resignation.


    "Fuck. I just never learn, do I?"

 102 Chapter 101: The Weight of Victory

    Teacher Cai was quick to make the announcement this time. Kuang Hu''s qi had gotten so faint that we could barely notice it. A master would have immediately realized that the poor guy had lost consciousness.


    Even so, I didn''t leave the arena. I remained where I was, even as the teachers and medical staff rushed into the coliseum to dig through the rubble. Only when they dug out Kuang Hu''s unconscious body and began rendering emergency first aid to him did I breathe a sigh of relief. Adjusting my glasses, I relaxed and turned to leave.


    "Student Fei Wu!" Teacher Cai called out to me. I glanced at him, gulping when I saw his stern gaze. He appraised me for a moment and then nodded. "Make sure you get your own injuries treated in the infirmary. Don''t try to be a hero and ignore them."


    "Yes, Teacher Cai."


    I bowed slightly, and then made haste to depart. So as not to get into trouble, I planned to at least show my face in the infirmary, perhaps get some medicine, then return to the dormitory to rest and recuperate.


    "Student Fei Wu."


    This time it was Teacher Jiao. I stopped and turned toward him curiously, and was relieved to see that he was smiling. He showed me a thumb''s up.


    "I see you''ve completely mastered the footwork techniques I taught you. Excellent job."


    I couldn''t help but smile back. "You were right. Now no one in my generation can touch me."


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!" Teacher Jiao burst out laughing. "That is true. Make sure you keep this up for the rest of the tournament!"


    "The rest of the tournament, huh¡­?"


    I watched as Teacher Jiao returned to check on Kuang Hu''s condition. The guy was battered, but would live. The worst damage he suffered was probably the nasty bruise to his ego. I doubted he would hold a grudge against me ¨C this wasn''t some stupid wuxia or xianxia story where random side characters hated the protagonist for no reason or because they were jealous of his achievements. From what I knew, most people in real life weren''t that petty.


    Even so, it was undeniable that I had progressed to the quarterfinals at his expense. If I didn''t put on a good show, he would feel that his defeat was unjustified. Nonetheless, the both of us had fought with everything we had, without holding anything back. Neither he nor I would have any regrets, regardless of the outcome.


    Bending over, I picked up the weights I had taken off during the match. Even though I had discarded them while fighting, they were still official training gear that belonged to Wu Ling Academy. I couldn''t just throw them away like this. Moreover, I would prefer to avoid paying compensation for lost equipment if I could help it.


    "Wu!"


    "You did it!"


    "Congratulations!"


    "Great job!"


    "Yeah." I sighed and shook my head. "It was a very close match. I was this close to losing." Raising two fingers, I spaced them a micrometer apart.


    "Ha ha ha, you certainly were cutting it close!" Tong Xue chuckled.


    "Man, I was worried for a moment." Ban Zhang shook his head. "I warned you that Kuang Hu would be ruthless and merciless."


    Tong Xue nudged him, smiling cheekily. "You thought that Wu would lose, didn''t you? You owe him an apology!"


    "Sorry¡­"


    "No need to apologize," I cut him off. "It was thanks to your warning that I didn''t underestimate him."


    "Still, it''s good that you''re all right," Lian Rou remarked as she studied me.


    Tang Qi Hong folded her arms and nodded proudly. "You did well! I knew you would win! You bring great honor to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    Right. I almost forgot that I was from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I had joined it on a whim, when Elder Zhao invited me, but to everyone, it seemed that my identity was irrevocably tied to that of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I wondered what would happen when I revealed that my parent sect was the Heaven and Earth Sect.


    "Now you had better keep your promise and defeat Bai Ning Xue!"


    "I''ll do my best," I assured her. Zhu Jiao tried not to snort.


    "Hey, Ning Xue is my opponent. I''ll be the one who defeats her."


    I shrugged. "We''ll leave that up to fate then."


    "Hey!" Tang Qi Hong complained. "You promised!"


    The rest of the group laughed at her mocked outrage, and then Lian Rou suddenly raised her pale hand.


    "We should get Fei Wu to the infirmary."


    Oh, right. I almost forgot about that. Teacher Cai had just ordered me to get my injuries treated. While I was still walking around like normal and felt fine, it was true that my injuries were severe. I had sustained some internal damage from the fight, and there were plenty of cuts on my bodies. Fortunately, I had frozen my wounds to stop the bleeding, so there wasn''t much to worry about other than the internal injury.


    "It''ll only take a second," I told the rest when I reached the infirmary. The shallow injuries could heal on their own, to be honest. It was the wounds I couldn''t see that worried me ¨C and the teachers the most. Best not to take them for granted. "But you guys should return to the dorm without me. There might be other patients and I''ll have to wait in line."


    "Are you sure?" Tang Qi Hong looked at me worriedly. I waved her concerns away dismissively and smiled.


    "Why wouldn''t I be sure? What''s the worst that could happen? This is Teacher Yi we''re talking about here. It''s not as if she''ll abuse me or anything, right?"


    "Wu has a point," Tong Xue conceded. "We don''t know how long it''ll take, and he''s fine. And we''ll just be in the way, standing outside the infirmary like this."


    The others in the group nodded, seeing the sense in his argument.


    "We''ll head back first, Wu," Zhu Jiao told me. the five of them then departed from the corridor.


    "Yeah." I waved goodbye and watched as they left. Then I took a deep breath and turned toward the door to the infirmary.


    "That was a good match," Teacher Yi told me when I entered the room. She was still tending to another student from one of the group matches for school ranking. Giving me the look-over, she then gestured for me to take a seat. "Your injuries don''t look so serious, so sit there and wait a bit." She smiled. "At least they aren''t as serious as Kuang Hu''s."


    "How is Kuang Hu?" I asked, remembering that they brought him in before me. The staff had rushed him to the infirmary after the match while I was still talking with my friends. Glancing around the infirmary, I saw no sign of him.


    "His condition has been stabilized. He''ll live. I''ll be treating him in an hour, after I finish all the minor cases¡­I''ll need to concentrate in order to restore him to full health." Teacher Yi wiped the perspiration from her forehead. "That brat actually did something so risky and ended up causing severe damage to himself."


    "Sorry. I didn''t hold back."


    "And you shouldn''t, so don''t apologize." Teacher Yi risked a glance at me before infusing her current patient with more of her green healing qi. "You were in a match with him, so you were well within your rights to fight back. Rather, Kuang Hu was the one who subjected his own body to tremendous stress by releasing his limiters." She snorted in disgust. "It''s only a tournament. There''s no need to risk your life for victory. One wrong move and he would have crippled himself¡­or worse, killed himself from demonic possession."


    "Demonic possession?" I asked, finding the term unfamiliar.


    Teacher Yi sighed.


    "There is a belief that if you mess up your inner qi training or the execution of your qi ¨C for example, if you forcibly use a technique that you had not fully mastered, the qi within your body will rebel against you, ultimately resulting in¡­your death."


    I shuddered, suddenly feeling a chill that had nothing to do with my ice techniques. Why hadn''t I heard about this before?


    "Well¡­" I scratched my head. "I don''t think my injuries are too serious, so I should be able to recover by myself. You might want to focus on treating Kuang Hu."


    "Are you a doctor?"


    "Eh?" I was caught off guard by Teacher Yu''s question. She was giving me a sharp look. I shook my head. "No."


    "Then don''t presume to tell me what to do. You should be the one listening to me. Don''t go anywhere. You''ve sustained internal damage, and that''s not something you can simply heal by yourself overnight."


    "Yes, Teacher Yi."


    I sighed and nodded. It was true that I possessed little medical knowledge. It wasn''t as if I was some guy who could seal the heavens or go against the gods, after all. Or even concoct spirit pills while I battle through the heavens.


    "Anyway, just sit there and wait. This shouldn''t take much time."


    Teacher Yi returned to treating her other patient. I obediently sat down in one of the plastic chairs provided and closed my eyes.


    "Okay, it''s your turn."


    I had most likely dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Teacher Yi was shaking me awake. Opening my eyes, I stood up groggily, momentarily forgetting where I was.


    "Come on, get to the treatment table. Don''t worry, it won''t take much time. Once we''re done, you can return to the dormitory and rest."


    "Right." I nodded absent-mindedly and obeyed. Teacher Yi placed her hands on my shoulders and began infusing me with gentle, green qi. Within moments, I felt the pain inside my body abate, and my strength fully restorted.


    "That should do it." Teacher Yi removed her hands, satisfied. I got up and bowed.


    "Thanks!"


    "No problem." Teacher Yi sent me a strict look. "Don''t do anything reckless now, got it? Go straight to the dormitory and rest. Your next match will be in a couple of days, after all. So make sure you''re fully recovered by then. Come back if you feel there''s anything wrong with your body. Don''t take any unnecessary risks."


    "Yeah, I understand."


    Gosh, but Teacher Yi could be a nag sometimes. Still, I appreciated her concern, so I maintained a polite response before taking my leave.


    By this time, most of the students had finished their classes or ranking matches, so the academy was deserted. It seemed that I had dozed off for quite some time ¨C the sky outside was now dark. Night had fallen before I knew it. I was glad I had asked my friends to return to the dormitory ahead of me, or they would be waiting outside the infirmary like fools.


    Plodding through the dark, empty corridors, which were still shrouded in shadows despite the fluorescent lights having automatically come on, I made my way back toward the dormitory. Not wanting to spend more time than necessary in the creepy corridor, I hastened my pace.


    "!"


    The lights at the end of the corridor were flickering for a while, concealing a significant part in shadow. When they came back on, a familiar figure appeared, leaning against the wall with her arms folded.


    "¡­Bai Ning Xue."


    I recognized the silver-haired beauty, the ice princess of Wu Ling Academy. Even though she was the "ice" queen, she wielded lightning, so it was a bit of a misnomer, but I wasn''t one to quibble over trivial details like that. Nonetheless, I was surprised to find her waiting there. I wondered if she was waiting for Zhu Jiao.


    That couldn''t be right. Zhu Jiao had returned to the dorm long ago, after my match¡­after I told him to go ahead with the rest before I went into the infirmary to receive medical treatment from Teacher Yi. Bai Ning Xue couldn''t possibly be waiting for him.


    Well, whatever she planned on doing here was none of my business. I nodded at her politely as a form of greeting, and then made to move past her.


    "Why do you fight like that?"


    Her question caused me to freeze. I knew she was talking to me. There was no one else present, no one whose presence I can sense anyway. And with my Heaven and Earth qi sense, there was almost nobody who could conceal their presence from me.


    "Fight like what?" I asked, scratching my head sheepishly. Bai Ning Xue rose from the wall to stare at me coldly.


    "Holding yourself back. Putting on those training gear and weights. Not using those techniques you used¡­"


    "You promised to keep that a secret," I interrupted. Bai Ning Xue glared at me, but she didn''t protest. I sighed. "And I won''t use the training gear for the rest of the tournament matches. If the other opponents are on par with Kuang Hu, I can''t afford to weigh myself down."


    "Is this your idea of concealing your strength and deceiving everyone else?" Bai Ning Xue snapped. "Are you trying to get everyone to underestimate you so that they will lower their guard when fighting against you?"


    "Maybe."


    "With your strength, you don''t need to resort to cheap tricks!"


    "I am not as strong as you think I am."


    "Hmph." Bai Ning Xue snorted frostily. "There''s no point lying to me. I saw for myself what kind of strength you possessed that night¡­"


    This time the level of frostiness in my glare surpassed hers and she fell silent. Defiant, yes, but at least she didn''t continue speaking.


    "Neither of us are to speak of that night," I told her icily and then walked off.


    "What if you lose?" Bai Ning Xue demanded as she tried to hurry after me. "Wouldn''t you regret not using all your power?"


    "Those techniques are not something I want to use against my schoolmates," I replied. "It would be too unfair. I do not want to win in such a manner. Besides, if I use them during a tournament right in front of everyone, then what''s the point of asking you to keep them a secret in the first place?"


    "That''s¡­" Bai Ning Xue was at a loss for words. Particularly because she realized that she could not fault my logic.


    "There will be no further discussion of this," I told her firmly. "Now, if there''s nothing else, I wish to return to the dormitory."


    "There is one last thing." Bai Ning Xue paused for a moment. "Since I owe you a favor, I might as well warn you about this. The student council¡­they are up to something."


    I raised an eyebrow at that, finding the whole thing odd. "Aren''t you the student council president? Shouldn''t you keep them in check?"


    Bai Ning Xue lowered her head in frustration. "I want to, but I don''t have proof. They are doing things behind my back, and they are covering their tracks flawlessly. Even though I am aware that they''re doing something, I don''t know what exactly they are doing. I''m sure even you have heard the rumors, haven''t you?"


    "No, I have not," I admitted. Bai Ning Xue sighed exaggeratedly.


    "I''ve told Jiao this, but I''ll extend it to you as well, since I owe you." she narrowed her eyes. "If any of the student council members approach you, threatening you or attacking you secretly, inform me right away."


    I rolled my eyes. "Sure¡­but wouldn''t it be too late by the time you arrive?"


    "Not if you contact me the moment they start behaving suspiciously." Bai Ning Xue clenched her fists. "I won''t forgive them if they make a move against Jiao¡­and since I owe you, please treat this as me repaying the favor."


    "I don''t need you to repay me," I pointed out wearily. Bai Ning Xue shook her head and turned away to leave.


    "Perhaps not, but it at least makes me feel better. The women of the Bai Clan will never forget a favor they owe."


    And with that, she was gone, the shadows covering her withdrawal. I stared in the direction she disappeared in, and then shook my head. A smile crept over my face.


    "If the student council members want to come threaten me, they''re more than welcome to do so."


    Fortunately for them, they had more pressing matters to worry about than me.


    *


    "Hey, Wu! The arrangement for the quarterfinals are up!"


    I was heading to class a few days later when Tong Xue called out to me. Turning around, I caught sight of him hopping toward my position.


    "Look!"


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    He gestured toward the huge crowd of students gathering in front of the gigantic bulletin board in front of the main campus building. I joined him and we made our way to the plaza. Along the way, we ran into Ban Zhang, Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong.


    As usual, Zhu Jiao wasn''t there because he was late. He probably overslept again, like always. We had given up on him being punctual.


    "Oh¡­! Our class is putting on a strong performance!"


    Ban Zhang sounded impressed as he glanced through the quarterfinals postings. He turned back and beamed proudly.


    "Fei Wu, Zhu Jiao, Bai Ning Xue, Feng Tian Yong and Li Chun Long. Out of the eight quarterfinalists, five of them are from our class!"


    "That''s over half!" Lian Rou murmured, amazed.


    "The matchups have been pretty kind to our class," Tang Qi Hong pointed out. "But even then, for so many of our classmates to reach the top of their respective groups, and make it to the quarterfinals is still quite a feat."


    "So who will be Wu''s next opponent?" Tong Xue asked, and then he stopped. "Ah, Feng Tian Yong!"


    I had caught sight of my assigned opponent just a second before he could, and felt my stomach sink. Looked like I was matched against Feng Tian Yong in the quarterfinals. I hated to fight a classmate, but just like when I fought against Tu Zi Yi and Wu Hei Gui, I had no plans of holding back. I would do my best to defeat them.


    "You''ve got to be careful," Ban Zhang warned me. "Feng Tian Yong might not be as ruthless and merciless as Kuang Hu, but he''s no pushover. In fact, he might even be stronger than that mad tiger from the White Tiger Sect."


    "He has to be, if he can reach the quarterfinals," I pointed out dryly.


    "That''s not all. He''s also in the student council." Tong Xue turned to me with a gulp. "And you know the student council only accepts the strongest members in the academy."


    "Then why am I not part of it?" Tang Qi Hong snorted.


    Everyone turned to stare at her.


    "Uh¡­you are," Lian Rou pointed out. Tang Qi Hong blinked.


    "Huh?!"


    "You''re officially listed as one of the student council members," Tong Xue confirmed. Tang Qi Hong''s jaw dropped.


    "You''re kidding?! Why didn''t anyone tell me about this!?"


    "Because¡­you didn''t ask?"


    "What the hell!? That''s not right!"


    "Who else is in the student council?" I asked. Having been in isolation training for almost two years, and then keeping myself busy in the matters of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I hadn''t kept abreast of the political situation in Wu Ling Academy. As I said, such trivial matters didn''t concern me. But I hoped I wasn''t in the student council without realizing it, like poor Tang Q Hong.


    That would be disastrous.


    "Hmm, Zhu Jiao is one of them. So is Feng Tian Yong, as I said earlier, and Li Chun Long and Qing Xin Xia." Tong Xue counted them off. "That''s all from our class. Six students from our class, out of the eleven student council seat members."


    "Do you know the others?" Tang Qi Hong asked, looking a little perturbed. She was still dismayed that she was part of the student council without knowing. As for me, I could breathe a sigh of relief when I realized I wasn''t part of them.


    "Gu Chun Song, Yuan Mei, Li Guo Qiang, Xin Lai, and Ding Yan."


    The names were unfamiliar to me, but I was pretty sure I knew them. I met them on that fateful night about a month ago, after all. Well, Gu Chun Song, Yuan Mei, Li Guo Qiang and Xin Lai anyway. But I wasn''t aware that they belonged to the student council.


    So that was why they were with Bai Ning Xue that night.


    All right, the readers would probably be confused, but I would most likely reveal everything in a flashback later. For now, the details of our meeting and that night were not important, and I bet it would bore the hell out of everyone who wanted some tournament action.


    Speaking of tournament¡­

 103 Chapter 102: Descent of the Phoenix

    I couldn''t help but feel some hesitation as I headed toward the arena. Tong Xue nodded fervently as he accompanied me.


    "Of course I am! Why would I lie to you?"


    "No, I have no doubts about your honesty," I assured him. "But¡­just that¡­are you sure the information is accurate?"


    Tong Xue shrugged. "As accurate as any intelligence can be. I did the best I could, but you know how difficult it is to break into the student council."


    "What? Student council stuff? You can rely on me!"


    Tang Qi Hong showed up and surprised the both of us. As always, Lian Rou was beside her, looking a little chagrined at her best friend''s behavior.


    "We would love to, but weren''t you ostracized from the student council because of your antagonistic attitude toward Bai Ning Xue?"


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Tang Qi Hong found herself unable to rebut Tong Xue''s matter-of-fact statement. Over the last couple of days, we did some investigation of the student council and learned from our classmates that Tang Qi Hong had been deliberately excluded from the student council because whenever she appeared, she would provoke Bai Ning Xue needlessly, challenging the latter to a duel or emphasizing her role as her rival.


    After a while, the other student council members found her behavior disruptive to the running of school matters and from henceforth excluded her from meetings. Hell, they didn''t even tell her that she was officially a member.


    To be honest, I didn''t blame them. If Tang Qi Hong knew that she was a student council member, she would have challenged Bai Ning Xue for the position of president and upset all sort of balance, or at least caused no small amount of disturbance to the student council duties.


    "Hey! You''re thinking something rude about me, aren''t you?!" Tang Qi Hong flared up as she glared at me. I shrugged innocently.


    "Whatever are you talking about?"


    "Gr¡­!" Tang Qi Hong bristled, but without any evidence she couldn''t argue her case. She merely pouted and turned away cutely. As expected of my girl¡­except that she wasn''t my girl because she was stubborn about her duties.


    Come to think of it, if Tang Qi Hong was so serious about the duties that Sect Leader Zi Shou De and Elder Hai Mo placed on her, wouldn''t she be able to put aside her personal feelings and work properly for the student council?


    Damn, those bastards should have given her a chance. I was going to give them a piece of my mind after this.


    "Don''t forget your match," Tong Xue told me, his tone strict. It was as if he had read my mind or something. "Focus on your match."


    "Yeah, yeah."


    Of course I wanted to win if possible, but the constant combat was gradually wearing me down. I was human, after all.


    "Feng Tian Yong is going to be a tough opponent."


    I groaned when I remembered who I was supposed to face later today. Tong Xue patted me sympathetically.


    "Don''t worry. That''s why I compiled the data on him for you. You''ve read them, right?"


    "I did. But just because I know his techniques and watched recordings of his previous matches doesn''t mean I''ll be able to win." I rubbed my temples tiredly. "Intelligence might be key, but no battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy. Furthermore, Feng Tian Yong''s attacks are difficult to counter. He''s just full of brute strength and overwhelming firepower."


    Watching the replays had driven home that point. I had seen Feng Tian Yong literally incinerate his opponents with overwhelming firepower, engulfing them in immense infernos that scorched the arena.


    Well, at least they didn''t die, so I didn''t have to worry about Feng Tian Yong killing me. Unlike Kuang Hu, Feng Tian Yong was a little "softer." That didn''t mean he would go easy on me, though. Feng Tian Yong was infamous for knocking out his opponents in one shot. Most of his duels lasted under half a minute.


    "All right¡­" I took a deep breath and stepped toward the coliseum. "Let''s get this done and over with."


    Of all the people to lose to, Feng Tian Yong wasn''t the worst. He was a popular, charismatic and handsome guy who had girls fawning over him all the time. Already I could see his fanclub of girls gathering in the spectator box, pressing their faces against the window and screaming for their idol ¨C or the guy they were in love with.


    Okay, maybe I really didn''t want to lose to that bastard¡­


    That said, Feng Tian Yong was not a bad guy. I mean, there was a reason why he was so popular with the girls. He was good looking, and got along with everybody, guy or girl. He didn''t look down on me or bully others. Granted, he didn''t really interfere when I got bullied by Qi Fu Ren, but he didn''t join in either. We had had a few conversations and he was really easy to get along with. It was difficult to hate him.


    Unless you were a single guy who was forced to watch him being fawned on by dozens of girls, of course¡­


    "What are you doing here?" Tang Qi Hong was giving me a strange look. "You should be going down for your match."


    "Oh¡­right." I had completely forgotten that I was the combatant for the next match. Swallowing, I turned and headed toward the stairs.


    "Good luck!" Ban Zhang called out and flashed me a thumb''s up. I nodded.


    "Beat his ass!" Tong Xue added, obviously feeling the same way as I did when he saw Feng Tian Yong''s fanclub of girls. Lian Rou elbowed him, and then smiled at me sweetly.


    "Do your best!"


    "Remember! I won''t forgive you if you lose!" Tang Qi Hong jabbed a finger at me. I smiled wryly and waved.


    "I''ll do my best, but I can''t gurantee anything."


    "Hah! You''re being too modest!"


    "Eh? Zhu Jiao?"


    I spun around, only to see my good friend showing up near the entrance to the spectator box. He grinned and clapped a hand on my shoulder. For my part, I was a little surprised to see Zhu Jiao actually on time.


    The guy was rarely punctual, after all.


    "I kow you can do it. I''m looking forward to having a match with you!" he tightened his fingers encouragingly. "I won''t forgive you if you lose this early!"


    "Ugh¡­" I could feel the pressure mounting. To be honest, it was a miracle that I had made it this far. "Easier said than done."


    As I made my way down the stairs, I felt someone staring at me coldly from a distance. Without even glancing back I knew who it was.


    Bai Ning Xue. She''s still wondering why I refuse to reveal my hand, huh?


    Someone like her, who felt the compulsive need to stand at the top, would never understand. Martial arts were not meant to dominate others. They were techniques for protection ¨C self-defense and protecting others.


    Certain techniques should never be used in a friendly tournament. They should only be reserved for life-and-death situations¡­such as that night¡­


    Shaking my head and snapping out of my stupor, I took a deep breath and stepped into the changing room. After making whatever preparations I needed, such as discarding training gear or ensuring I was in a proper physical condition, I stabilized my breathing and walked into the arena where Feng Tian Yong was waiting for me.


    "So you didn''t run away," he joked. "I''m impressed."


    "Someone has to beat your handsome face in," I replied humorously. "Otherwise you''ll steal all the girls away."


    Feng Tian Yong merely laughed, aware that this was banter. We were on too friendly terms to be truly hostile to each other.


    However, that didn''t mean he would hesitate to hit me. Same here ¨C as a martial artist, my competitive spirit had been roused and I didn''t intend to hold back against him. As long as what I did wouldn''t kill him, of course.


    "Well, let''s begin then." I could hear the cheers from his fanclub of girls behind the supposedly soundproof window. That was evidence of the racket they were making when they saw Feng Tian Yong subconsciously strike a cool pose. "I''ll begin. Feng Tian Yong, class 1-4, high school division of Wu Ling Academy. Next successor of the Red Phoenix Sect. My specialities are Sacred Phoenix Flame Body Formula, Crimson Phoenix Fire Strike, Mystical Crimson Flame technique, and Fiery Yang Sacred Sword technique. I have approximately three sexagenaries of qi."


    The cheers from his female fanclub grew louder. I grimaced and sympathized with the other spectators, knowing that they were trapped in the spectator box with such a raucous bunch. Seeing that Feng Tian Yong was waiting, I bowed.


    "Fei Wu, also class 1-4 from the high school division of Wu Ling Academy. Uh, I''m from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. my specialities are Shadow Steps, kicking techniques and Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship."


    Feng Tian Yong raised an eyebrow at that. "You haven''t learned any techniques from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    I was tempted to complain here about the capitalistic system of the various sects and how they expected you to learn everything by yourself, and how you had to purchase techniques and skills from them despite supposedly being a member of the sects. But I didn''t. Instead, I plastered a smle across my face.


    "I joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to learn blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving. Thus far those are what I have learned from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Ah." Feng Tian Yong nodded in understanding. Or at least he thought he understood. "Same as many of their members. What''s your parent sect then?"


    The Heaven and Earth Sect, but obviously I couldn''t tell him that. I merely smiled and shrugged somewhat nonchalantly.


    "Um¡­I guess I''m somewhat of an Experimentalist?"


    "Makes sense." Feng Tian Yong tilted his head to the side, but didn''t question me further. Instead, he glanced at the window. "Teacher Cai, we''re both ready, it seems."


    "You can begin the match now."


    Teacher Cai''s voice boomed through the speaker. Feng Tian Yong then grinned at me.


    "Shall we begin then?"


    I nodded.


    Boom!


    Feng Tian Yong wasted no time kicking off the ground and launching his signature Crimson Phoenix Fire Strike. A torrent of flames washed over my position, engulfing the arena and incinerating everything in its wake.


    "You sure don''t waste any time," I muttered as I tried to shield myself from the overwhelming flames. The intense heat was scalding my skin and vaporizing whatever qi defense I could muster, so I had no choice but to neutralize it with an attack of my own. Taking a deep breath, I gathered the icy qi within me and unleashed it in a single burst.


    Crack!


    The entire coliseum froze over, the flames metamorphizing into ice.


    "!!"


    Realizing the danger, Feng Tian Yong leaped back, retreating to a corner of the arena while bringing his blazing hands up to shield himself from the overwhelming cold. The ice vaporized into a fine mist upon contact with his flames, and Feng Tian Yong then hurled a stream of crimson flames at me. However, the flames froze into ice long before they reached me.


    "What the hell is that skill?!" Feng Tian Yong demanded. Then he shook his head, remembering that I had used ice techniques in my previous matches. Frowning, he stared at me in bewilderement. "You forgot to introduce your ice techniques."


    "They are self-created techniques," I replied as I dodged his fireball. "Ghost Shadow Sword. Absolute Zero. Techniques I created on my own from experimenting. Since they weren''t learned from other martial arts, I saw no need to mention them."


    "Heh¡­that''s pretty impressive."


    Feng Tian Yong remarked as he launched a hail of fiery feathers on my position. Using my footwork techniques, I evaded them by weaving through the melting tundra that our opposing elements had created in the coliseum.


    "Phoenix Fire Arrows!"


    Feng Tian Yong continued his relentless barrage, forcing me to zigzag across the ground at high speeds. Behind me, the fiery feather arrows thudded into the ground with explosive force, throwing up scorched debris high into the air.


    I needed to find a way to overcome my current disadvantage and close in on my opponent. Diving to the side as a particularly huge flaming arrow slammed into the ground and detonated with immense force, I quickly rolled to my feet and drew my sword.


    "Huff¡­!"


    Breathing heavily, I swung my sword and counterattacked with a Yuan Yin Frost Strike that arced across the air and toward my opponent.


    "Hmph."


    Dismissing his flaming phoenix bow, Feng Tian Yong drew his sword and slashed the azure arc apart, dissipating the frosty qi. He then glanced down at me, his expression unreadable for a moment, before lunging at me.


    "!"


    I instinctively kicked off the ground and used Tui to widen the distance between us. And not a moment too soon. Feng Tian Yong''s sword carved a crater into the ground, sending a shower of burning debris flying up. I hit the ground and rolled to safety even as flaming rubble flew above my head. If I hadn''t ducked down, I might have been decapitated¡­or at the very least, knocked unconscious by all that flying, flaming debris.


    I couldn''t afford to lose my head, especially not during a battle with one of the top students of Wu Ling Academy.


    "?!"


    I barely managed to stumble away as Feng Tian Yong swung his sword where my neck was a millisecond ago. I brought up both my swords to parry his next strike, but flames combusted between us and exploded, sending me hurtling off my feet and crashng onto the ground, smoldering. Coughing, I tried to get up, but Feng Tian Yong was already upon me.


    He wasn''t going to give me a chance to recover!


    Rolling away, I barely avoided the flaming sword that sank deeply into the ground. Jumping back to my feet, I desperately swung my left sword and unleashed an azure blast of freezing qi in Feng Tiang Yong''s direction.


    "Hu¡­ugh!?"


    It was a good thing I held my dominant hand back for defense. When Feng Tian Yong struck from an unexpected angle, I managed to parry his blade with my right sword. Locking his blazing blade with both my swords, I countered with a kick that sent him sprawing back.


    "You really are fast, aren''t you?"


    Feng Tian Yong panted as he bent over, trying to catch his breath. He looked up at me in grudging admiration.


    "I was hoping to catch you by surprise, but your reflexes and reactions are too fast. No wonder you were able to match Kuang Hu in speed."


    Given that Kuang Hu was widely recognized as the fastest martial artist of our generation in Wu Ling Academy, that was high praise indeed. However¡­


    "You''re no slouch yourself."


    I wasn''t flattering Feng Tian Yong. Even though I had ditched the weights and training gear before the match and was moving at full speed, I was barely able to keep one step ahead of the red-haired dude.


    "Hu¡­"


    Wiping the perspiration from my forehead, I took a deep breath and got ready for the next attack. As I expected, Feng Tian Yong didn''t disappoint.


    He initially launched a ferocious bombardment of my position with a hail of his fiery feather arrows and forced me into evasive maneuvers. I barely stayed ahead of his flaming projectiles, relying on my footwork techniques to carry me to safety.


    No, not just safety.


    I''m not going to be forced into the defensive for the whole match!


    Using Jin, I surged ahead, taking Feng Tian Yong by surprise. He raised his bow to parry my sword strikes, but I dropped down and kicked him in the abdomen, causing him to double over, as he swore under his breath, I whirled around and delivered a second kick that hurled him across the coliseum and into the opposite wall.


    Bang!


    "Ugh!"


    Feng Tian Yong cried out as he slammed into the wall, cracking it. He slid down helplessly, his eyes shut for a few seconds.


    "No!"


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    "Tian Yong!"


    "You bastard!"


    I could hear the muffled shrieks of his fangirls, the crowd of them raging behind the window when they saw me take down their idol.


    "Don''t lose, Tian Yong!"


    "You can do it!"


    "Heh."


    Feng Tian Yong stirred and slowly rose to his feet, glancing at the window and smiling. He evidently could hear the cheers of his fans even through the soundproof window. He raised his phoenix bow to acknowledge them.


    "With all of you cheering for me, how can I lose?"


    "..."


    I wasn''t sure how to respond to this ridiculous situation, but I wasn''t a fool to discount the psychological impact that cheering and encouragement could bring to an individual. Feng Tian Yong appeared to be drawing strength from his supporters.


    "Sorry, but I can''t fall here. I can''t let my girls down."


    "They are ''your'' girls now?" I groaned in exasperation. "Are you trying to build a harem in school or something?"


    "Of course not!" Feng Tian Yong reprimanded me. "What gave you that idea?"


    "You do realize those girls'' feelings for you, don''t you?" I asked cautiously. Feng Tian Yong hesitated, and then nodded.


    "So what?"


    "One day, you''ll have to make a choice. You''ll have to choose one of them. Can you do that?" I stared at him seriously.


    Feng Tian Yong gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.


    "I¡­I can''t."


    "So you''re going to just let things continue the way they are?" I shook my head in disapproval. Well, it was none of my business. They could do whatever the want. Feng Tian Yong could have his harem for all I care.


    "What''s wrong with that?!" Feng Tian Yong hollered. "They all love me, and agree to share me. This way, I don''t belong to anyone!"


    "Uh¡­okay."


    I held both my hands up in surrender, with the swords still clenched in my fists. I had no intention of arguing with him over such a ridiculous situation.


    "I''ll show you the power of having support from so many girls who love me! This is the power of everyone!"


    "Are you seriously spouting those cheesy lines?" I complained, but any other retort I conceived died in my throat when I saw the gigantic fireball that Feng Tian Yong was conjuring.


    No, the colossal fireball was an illusion. All of that fiery qi was being drawn into a single arrow that was so dense with qi that it was glowing almost as bright as the sun. Blazing feathers flared out from its back and Feng Tian Yong held it in his hand before fitting it into his bow. With my Heaven and Earth qi sense, I could detect the enormous amount of qi packed into that tiny size. It was almost as dense as a neutron star.


    If I got hit by that thing, I would be completely obliterated!


    "Mystical Crimson Fire Phoenix Arrow, level 9!"


    What was it with all these martial artists shouting out the names of their attacks?!


    Nonetheless, I couldn''t afford to complain about such trivial things. Feng Tian Yong notched his arrow before he released the arcane bowstring. I had the impression of a phoenix soaring toward me before I dove for cover.


    BOOM!


    The arrow seared past me, with me just barely avoiding it. However, I was unable to escape the massive shockwaves that resulted from the enormous explosion when the arrow obliterated the wall behind me.


    "Gah!"


    Buffeted by the huge shockwaves, I was thrown about and hurled carelessly into the ground with such force that I almost lsot consciousness when my head struck concrete. Shaking my head to clear the stars, I saw a cloud of blazing fire sweep forward to engulf me in burning destruction.


    Even with my icy qi aura protecting me, my skin was scorched by the intense flames and my lungs scalded when I breathed in the superheated air. Clutching my chest, I toppled over, suffocating from the sheer heat and suffering excruciating agony.


    "It doesn''t matter how fast you are. You won''t be able to escape."


    "!!"


    I managed to block the flaming sword that Feng Tian Yong drew after he dismissed his phoenix bow, but I was too weak to defend myself. The power behind Feng Tian Yong''s blow lifted me off my feet and sent me tumbling several meters away.


    "It''s over."


    Feng Tian Yong strolled toward my fallen form. I raised my head to glare defiantly at him, tightening my grip on my swords.


    "Who said so?"


    Feng Tian Yong nodded. "I knew you would say that. I''ve seen your previous matches, and I know how stubborn you are. If I really want to end this match, I have no choice but to use this."


    "?!"


    The next instant, the arena was filled with a blinding light. The gargantuan, fiery form of a phoenix floated above us, dwarfing both of us as it spread its thirty-meter wide wingspan across the arena. It glanced down on me condescendingly with eyes made entirely out of fire.

 104 Chapter 103: The Dragon and the Phoenix

    There was no way I could escape the gargantuan phoenix that was descending upon my position.


    So massive was the fiery form of the phoenix that it covered every inch of the space within the coliseum. There was literally no place to run. If I went upward, I would meet a fiery death sooner. Well, to be honest, this attack wouldn''t kill me, but it would severely injure me and incapacitate me. Even if the odds of me winning were pathetically tiny, I wasn''t about to do something as stupid as throw them away. I was going to struggle to the bitter end.


    "Hu¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and gathered as much pure qi as I could. The area around me began to fog up as the temperature plummeted, and both my swords glowed brightly as I infused them with azure qi.


    "That''s¡­!"


    Feng Tian Yong''s eyes widened when he saw the qi aura around me condense into that of an enormous azure dragon that coiled around my figure. Snarling silently, it raised its head and bellowed soundlessly yet defiantly at the approaching phoenix.


    I then opened my eyes and swung both my swords, unleashing the dragon and sending it to meet the descending phoenix. Both divine spiritual creatures collided in the middle of the coliseum before vanishing in an enormous explosion that buffeted both me and Feng Tian Yong, hurling us off our feet and into opposite ends of the arena.


    "Kuh!"


    "Ugh!"


    Not wanting to lose to the other, we both quickly jumped back to our feet. Before Feng Tian Yong could execute another massive technique like that or fire off another flaming phoenix arrow, I used Jin and dashed forward to slash at him.


    "!!!"


    Feng Tian Yong just barely managed to draw his fiery sword in time to parry my attack. Without pausing, I executed another series of sword strikes that banged against him with meteoric force, causing Feng Tian Yong to stagger backward from the tremendous impacts. He gritted his teeth as he struggled to deflect my attacks, his flaming blade vibrating violently from each blow.


    However, his weapon wasn''t the one taking damage. My swords ¨C which were of a far more inferior quality than his treasure weapon that had obviously been gifted to him from the masters of his sect ¨C would probably break long before his did. Not that I cared. They were disposable, and in any case I gambled on defeating Feng Tian Yong long before they ran out of endurance.


    Boom! Boom!


    Even so, the tip of my blade cut into his uniform jacket and cleaved the fabric apart. Realizing how close he was to danger, Feng Tian Yong hastily withdrew and maximized the distance between us, heaving heavily.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Wiping the perspiration from his head, Feng Tian Yong then increased the intensity of the flames on his sword before charging at me. Realizing that he couldn''t afford to go on the defensive, he sought to steal the initiative and crush me with a heated offense that would burn away whatever defenses I might put up.


    Na?ve.


    I crossed both swords to parry his strike, then ducked down under his next slash before kicking him in the midriff. Feng Tian Yong doubled over as he staggered back, but he wasn''t without teeth of his own. He unleashed a torrent of flames at pointblank range, forcing me to dive to the ground and roll away. Even then, I found the left side of my body singed from the superheated inferno. Wincing at the pain, I crawled to my feet.


    "Hah!"


    Feng Tian Yong didn''t wait for me to get up before he struck me, knocking me down again.


    "Kuh!"


    I rolled away, trying to escape Feng Tian Yong''s relentless attack. The ground felt hot beneath me, a result of my opponent''s conjuration of countless infernos. The guy was literally heating the arena up with his fires.


    Even so, I can''t afford to stop¡­!


    Jumping to my feet, I swung my two swords to release a double blast of azure qi that froze the space between us. Feng Tian Yong effortlessly shattered the ice with a flaming slash, his crimson sword burning a swathe through the fragile frost.


    "It''s my turn!" he hollered as he closed in on me, his sword swinging down to cleave me in half. I gritted my teeth and tightened the grip on my swords as I crossed them to parry his heavy blow, my legs buckling underneath my body as I absorbed the impact.


    "No, it''s not."


    Inhaling deeply, I fought him off as best as I could, drawing strength from my qi pool and infusing my attacks with frost effects. The both of us exchanged ferocious blows in the next few minutes, with the qi around us transforming into dragons and phoenixes that tore at each other mercilessly. Flaming phoenixes clawed and pecked at meteoric dragons, which retaliated with colossal tail strikes and lethal jaws that bit them into shreds.


    Bang! Boom! Whoosh!


    Fire clashed against ice, the embers turning into frost before vaporizing into flames again. The temperature flunctuated from one extreme end to the other, neither of us willing to give an inch. Feng Tian Yong smashed me to the side, only for me to use my footwork technique to disappear and reappeare behind him with a fatal backstab that would have ended the match if my opponent didn''t dodge on reflex.


    Clang!


    Our swords bounced off against each other, sparks decorating the space between us. Feng Tian Yong whirled around and struck me with a powerful blow that almost knocked me off my feet. I allowed the momentum to throw me to the ground and counterattacked with a kick that went under Feng Tian Yong''s guard and connected with his midriff powerfully enough to lift him off the ground and send him hurtling backward.


    "Kuh!"


    Feng Tian Yong wasn''t done, however. Swinging his sword frantically, he hosed me with a torrent of superheated flames that I was barely able to block with my two swords. However, the flames washed over me, scalding my skin and causing me to drop to my knees from the pain.


    "Gr¡­"


    Gritting my teeth, I growled incoherently and struggled to stand again despite the excruciating agony that flared through my body. Having just recovered, Feng Tian Yong swung back and spun around before slashing my position with a strong blow that seared a scorched ravine into the ground. Even as I stumbled away, the ravine solidified as ice filled its gaps, rapidly expanding across the arena to entomb my opponent.


    "Ugh!"


    Feng Tian Yong was far from helpless, however. He gathered whatever qi he could before allowing it to explode, his body shimmering underneath a gigantic conflagration that vaporized the approaching ice.


    "You¡­!"


    Dropping his sword, Feng Tian Yong summoned his phoenix bow again and unleashed a volley of fiery phoenix arrows in my direction. I deflected a few of them, but there were so many of them that several of them succeeded in slipping through my defenses and tearing through my armss, shoulders and legs to leave cauterized cuts and scorched blisters.


    "Kuh¡­"


    Stifling a groan of pain, I defiantly wove through the fiery bombardment, using my deft footwork to evade the most direct projectiles and cut a path toward my opponent. Feng Tian Yong continued to fire off a relentless hail of fiery feather arrows, refusing to believe that I would be able to escape all of them. Equally stubborn to prove him wrong, I advanced fearlessly, disappearing from in front of him so that I could attack from his blind spot.


    Clang!


    "Argh!"


    Feng Tian Yong let out a muffled cry as he barely blocked my strike with his opulent phoenix bow. Knocked off his feet, he flipped his body around, discarded his bow and recalled his sword. Switching to a close combat stance, he slashed at me, forcing me back.


    This guy¡­


    Clenching my teeth as I warded off Feng Tian Yong''s blows, I dropped and kicked out at him to buy me some time and distance.


    He''s good at both close range and long range combat!


    It would be extremely difficult to defeat him. At least for me right now.


    "Hmph!"


    Feng Tian Yong allowed me to kick him back. As he hurtled backward, I suddenly realized that I had just made a horrible mistake.


    "Oh no!"


    "Too late!"


    Feng Tian Yong switched from sword to bow and unleash a few fiery arrows from mid-range. I dove to the side, using my footwork to its fullest and evading whatever I could. Despite my speed, a few of the arrows still singed me.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    "It''s not over yet!"


    "!!"


    I glanced up and saw Feng Tian Yong descending upon my position. Gritting my teeth, I brought both swords up to counterattack, our blades meeting in a fiery explosion that scorched the ground and carved a smoking crater into the concrete.


    "Gah!"


    Unable to withstand the blow, I was sent crashing a few meters away. Similarly, Feng Tian Yong sprang back, unable to control his momentum. However, he managed to flip his body in midair and land on the ground more elegantly.


    "Huff¡­you''re so tenacious."


    Wiping the blood off his mouth, Feng Tian Yong glared at me. Then he swapped his sword for bow and aimed several arrows at me.


    "Damn!"


    Jumping to my feet, I raised both my swords just in time to deflect the volley of fiery arrows that Feng Tian Yong directed at me. Swinging both my swords frantically, I cut down arrow after arrow, but even then I couldn''t emerge unscathed as the fiery projectiles scorched through my arms, legs and sides. Dropping to my knee, I hacked away at a particularly huge arrow that was aimed right for my head, only for it to detonate forcibly upon contact.


    "?!"


    Boom!


    The inferno consumed me while the shockwaves batted me aside like a giant swatting a fly. I tumbled through the flames, my body smoldering and blood leaking from my mouth and various other wounds. The heat was so intense that any cuts I suffered were immediately cauterized, and my skin blackened and burned despite the aura of frosty protection.


    "Ugh¡­argh¡­!"


    Groaning in pain, I tried to climb to my feet, but Feng Tian Yong kicked me. I blocked his foot with both arms, but I was too weak to withstand the blow and was sent crashing a few meters away. Rolling away as he stomped on my prone form, I slashed out to force him back. His body disappearing into a crimson blur as he retreated, Feng Tian Yong unleashed another bombardment that blasted my position into smithereens.


    "?"


    Feng Tian Yong suddenly realized something was amiss. As he halted his volley of flaming arrows, he became aware of a huge, shimmering wall of azure ice between him and his target. The ice was melting rapidly from the heat, but most of his arrows remained harmlessly embedded within the glacial surface.


    "You just won''t go down, would you?"


    "Why should I? You''re not entitled a free win." Dusting myself off, I winced from the pain but forced myself to stand up shakily.


    "That''s true," Feng Tian Yong conceded. "But what will you do? It''s clear that you''re outmatched."


    "Really?" I stepped toward the ice barrier that I had conjured. Feng Tian Yong narrowed his eyes and unleashed another bombardment of fiery feather arrows, this time with more power than the last volley. I smiled when they struck my glacial wall, causing it to shatter into thousands of icy fragments. "Long-range projectiles, huh? I can do that too!"


    "What?!"


    Feng Tian Yong glared at me, but didn''t cease his bombardment. That was all right. I didn''t need him to.


    While I was in the midst of the scattering and falling fragments of ice, I swung both swords and gathered all of them up in my azure qi before blasting them in Feng Tian Yong''s direction. My opponent''s eyes widened when he saw the makeshift icicle missiles sailing toward him, overwhelming his fiery arrows and peppering his position.


    "Kuh!"


    Falling back as many of the icicles pierced through his body, Feng Tian Yong dropped to the ground and rolled, leaving a slick trail of blood. He cursed as he tried to get to his feet, only to be showered by another hail of icicles.


    "Thanks for destroying my glacial wall," I told him gleefully. Okay, perhaps I was being childish, but I couldn''t help it. After being on the defense for so long, it felt good to attack back. "You gave me the ammunition I need!"


    "You¡­!" Feng Tian Yong growled, only for his speech to be cut off when more icicles struck him. He was forced to drop his bow and draw his flaming sword to defend himself before he could get shredded into pieces.


    With a howl, he incinerated the final bombardment with a raging inferno that vaporized the ice into steam and scorched the ground of the once-frozen arena. Waving his sword about, he directed the torrent of flames toward me.


    But I had already anticipated that.


    Azure Dragon Blast.


    Swinging my swords, I unelashed a stream of qi that took the shape of an azure dragon that roared soundlessly as it charged forward and met the torrent of flames. The fire froze almost instantly, the azure dragon seeming to consume it as it ate its way toward a stunned Feng Tian Yong. The red-haired guy snapped out of it and tried to dive out of the way, but he was too late. The dragon struck him and carried him into the air, the destructive qi searing his body. Feng Tian Yong screamed before an azure explosion engulfed him.


    Boom!


    I watched as his smoldering body crashed back to the ground, landing heavily and sending debris flying into the air from the impact.


    "Phew¡­"


    No sooner than I sighed a breath of relief when Feng Tian Yong climbed back to his feet, incensed. Trembling, he glared at me.


    "You¡­you¡­!"


    "And you called me tenacious," I muttered with a shake of my head.


    "NOOOO!!!!!"


    "Tian Yong!"


    "You can''t lose!"


    "You can win!"


    "Don''t lose to a loser like that bastard!"


    "Don''t give up!"


    While I watched Feng Tian Yong stand, mired in disbelief, I could just barely make out the screams and cheers from his female fanclub. The girls were hammering on the reinforced window, which hadn''t broken ¨C I guess the repairs must have done their job, after all ¨C shouting and shrieking their encouragement and support.


    "Heh." Feng Tian Yong smiled. "How can I lose? I won''t let you girls down."


    A vein twitched in my temple. Was this guy trying to show off or something? Sure, go ahead and tell us single guys how popular you are with girls. I''m sure that would go down well with the majority of guys.


    As I expected, the guys'' boisterous yells began to drown out the girls. I could hear the guys howling and bellowing at me from behind the glass.


    "Don''t lose to that fucker, Fei Wu!"


    "Get revenge for us!"


    "I won''t accept a playboy winning this match!"


    "Show him the power of us single virgins!"


    "I won''t forgive you if you lost to a bastard like Feng Tian Yong!"


    I couldn''t help but smile wryly. Well, at least it meant that I had a lot of support, which was more than I could say for other protagonists. Shaking my head wearily, I dropped one sword momentarily to show them a thumb''s up before snatching up that sword before it could hit the ground.


    Don''t worry, comrades. I won''t let you guys down. We''ll show them the power of us single virgins! Wait, what?


    Well, there was no shame in admitting that I was a single virgin. I was only in my first year of high school, after all. I wasn''t even eighteen. Why would I need to be in a hurry with regards to my virgin status?


    Feng Tian Yong was grinning at me, half in amusement and half in sympathy. That bastard! Was he looking down on me for being single and a virgin? I would have him know, this was a moral decision! At least I wasn''t irresponsible to the extent where I would sleep around and lead dozens of girls on!


    Channeling my rage into my qi, I infused both my swords with draconic meteor energy. Lowering my stance, I then used Jin and advanced toward the leering Feng Tian Yong, who was almost caught by surprise while he was still recovering.


    "!"


    Clang!


    Our swords collided forcefully and I made use of my somewhat greater physical strength to push him back and knock him off balance. While Feng Tian Yong flailed from the abrupt impact, I dropped down under his desperate riposte and kicked him in the chest.


    "Guh!"


    "NOOO! Tian Yong!"


    "Ha ha ha ha! Get him, Fei Wu!"


    Even through the soundproof window, I could still hear the mixed responses of my schoolmates cheering and jeering. While I appreciated the guys supporting me, I wasn''t sure how I felt about all the girls cheering for Feng Tian Yong. Well, at least Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou should be on my side. I hope.


    "GAAAAAH!"


    With a roar, Feng Tian Yong''s body exploded into flames. Two gigantic wings of fire unfolded from his back and swept across the arena, blowing superheated air across the space. I choked on the combusted air and staggered back, and was almost unable to parry a strike from my opponent as he swung a massive blade of fire.


    Bam!


    I was almost knocked off my feet, but I gritted my teeth and dug in, skidding across the coliseum through sheer grit and determination. Feng Tian Yong ignored me and jumped up, soaring high into the air with his newly summoned wings.


    "The Phoenix Spreads its Wings!"


    With a shout, Feng Tian Yong blasted me with an overwhelming torrent of golden flames that engulfed the whole room in an unforgiving inferno. I screamed as the conflagration incinerated me, overwhelming my inner qi defenses and burning me alive. Dropping to my knees, I leaned on both my swords, my breathing growing ragged.


    "Descent of the Phoenix!"


    Feng Tian Yong unleashed his ultimate skill again, conjuring the gigantic phoenix of fire and bringing it down on me.


    Knowing that I wouldn''t be able to survive this next attack if I let it hit me directly, I forced myself unsteadily to my feet and drew qi from my reserves. Channeling whatever qi I had left into both my swords, I swung them and unleashed another Azure Dragon Blast.


    The two legendary monsters collided in midair before culminating in an explosion that sent tremors reverberating throughout the coliseum. Cheers turned to shrieks as the girls found themselves knocked off their feet from the merciless shockwaves while the guys swore and cursed when they were buffeted by the aftershocks.


    "Bloody hell!"


    "They''re going too far!"


    "Well, not exactly¡­haven''t you seen the other matches?"


    "..."


    Yup, they had. This exchange was nothing compared to the other matches. At least the window hadn''t shattered yet, so that was a plus!


    "Uwaaaah!"


    Yelling in determination, Feng Tian Yong dove at me, his fiery wings spread. Hurtling forward at a terrifying velocity, he slashed at me with his blazing sword. I stood my ground firmly and met his attack with both of my swords.


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    KABOOM!


    Refusing to yield even a centimeter, I ferociously traded blows with him, dragons coiling around my sword and delivering blasts with meteoric impact. Feng Tian Yong would normally have been blown away, but those fiery phoenix wings of his provided him much-needed power and mobility, allowing him to match me blow with blow.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Even so, Feng Tian Yong was flinching every time he was forced to parry a strike. A phoenix that had materialized around his sword would burst, obliterated by a meteoric dragon that was curled around one of my swords.


    "My arms are getting numb¡­I can''t hold out for much longer¡­!"


    Muttering under his breath and totally unaware that I could hear him just fine, Feng Tian Yong tried to retreat. I wasn''t stupid enough to discard my advantage and relentlessly pressed on, swinging my swords with meteoric force.


    "Don''t get too ahead of yourself!"


    Snapping, Feng Tian Yong flapped one of his fiery wings forward to bat me away, but I met it with cold steel and meteoric, draconic force. Feng Tian Yong stumbled back when my counterattack actually ripped a hole through his fiery wing, but the flaming feathers rapidly regenerated. Even so, he had been thrown off balance and I capitalized on it.


    Draconic Meteor Strike!


    "Ugh¡­?!"


    Feng Tian Yong tried his best to block, but even with both wings aiding him, he was blown away by my attack. Having unleashed it at pointblank range, I wasn''t able to exert its full strength, but it was more than enough.


    For now.


    "The Phoenix Spread its Wings!"


    Hollering as he fell back, Feng Tian Yong threw one last desperate attack at me. I held my ground and dug in, raising both my swords to deflect the torrent of golden flames that rained down on me. A dragon rose from behind in a silent snarl and charged straight at the ferocious stream of fire, freezing it into ice.


    "Impossible!"


    Feng Tian Yong''s eyes widened at the unbelievable sight. Swearing under his breath, he threw his sword at the dragon, cleaving it apart. I stepped to the side, allowing the weapon to spin past me before it embedded itself in the wall behind.


    "Taste this! My ultimate attack!"


    While I evaded his sword, Feng Tian Yong had retrieved his phoenix bow again. He was drawing what remained of his qi into a single fiery projectile.


    "The Ultimate Phoenix Arrow!"


    Notching the beautifully crafted arrow into his elegant phoenix bow, Feng Tian Yong stretched it back and aimed it at me.


    Aware that this wasn''t something I could simply evade, and also knowing that if I overcame his ultimate attack, it would be my victory, I dropped one of my swords and held the other with both hands. While the fiery form of a gigantic phoenix behind Feng Tian Yong spread its wings and emitted a soundless cry toward the heavens, the gargantuan shape of an icy dragon uncoiled and rose ferociously behind me, freezing my side of the coliseum.


    I might not know any fancy tricks, but I was going to answer Feng Tian Yong''s Ultimate Phoenix Arrow with my most powerful Draconic Meteor Strike.


    "Take this!"


    Feng Tian Yong let go of the arrow. The gigantic golden phoenix seemed to follow the arrow as it streaked toward me at near light speed, blasting the coliseum apart and leaving a trail of fiery destruction in its wake.


    It was hurtling forward too quickly. There was no way I could evade it, even if I used my footwork techniques.


    No. Even if I could evade it, I wouldn''t. There was no meaning to evading an ultimate attack that my opponent poured all his soul and energy into. This was the very embodiment of my opponent''s will. Therefore I was going to crush it head-on!


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    With a determined yell, I swung my sword down with both hands, unleashing my moost powerful Draconic Meteor Strike. The enormous dragon behind me flowed into the azure arc of qi that blasted off from my blade and plunged toward the screeching phoenix.


    The two divine monsters collided in the center of the coliseum and exploded. For a brief second I stood still, mesmerized by the expanding conflagration of qi, the tremendous explosion consuming everything in its wake.

 105 Chapter 104: Outcome of the match

    As I thought, the coliseum had been totally wrecked. Debris lay all over the place, the majority buried within the gigantic crater in the middle. The reinforced walls had been cracked, pockmarked like the surface of the moon after suffering eons of bombardment from meteorites. Well, given that I had just unleashed my most powerful Draconic Meteor Strike ever, I guess that made sense.


    Where''s Feng Tian Yong?


    I scanned through the rubble while simultaneously relying on my Heaven and Earth qi sense to pick out his presence. Having expended almost all of my qi in the last attack, my qi sense had severely weakened and I could only rely on my physical senses.


    Staggering through the fumes and dust, while cautiously making my way through the rubble, I approached the last position where I saw Feng Tian Yong. Even if the guy was still conscious, he wasn''t the type to launch a sneak attack. And if he did, I was confident that I would be able to react in time. Nonetheless, I had to finish this once and for all or the match wouldn''t end.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I could hear my own ragged breathing through the din the spectators were making, over the seemingly deafening footsteps as my feet crunched against the debris. I didn''t know if the breathing was my own or Feng Tian Yong''s.


    "!!!"


    A movement somewhere across the other side of the crater. A blur of crimson. And a bright flare of fiery qi.


    "Go down already!"


    Feng Tian Yong roared as he swung his blazing sword at me. I parried his flaming blade with my swords and skidded backward, much of my strength having left me earlier. Unlike me, Feng Tian Yong still appeared to possess large amounts of strength¡­


    No. His reserves were just as depleted as mine. He was burning every ounce of qi he had left in the hopes of defeating me before he exhausted himself.


    In other words, if I can hold out and survive his next attack, it would be my victory.


    But there was no meaning to winning like that. I wanted to overcome Feng Tian Yong''s attacks with everything I had on the line. I wanted to win "honorably" and prove that I was superior to him. This wasn''t a life-and-death battle. It was a tournament. It wasn''t as if my life was at stake or I needed to resort to such underhanded methods to survive. No, in a tournament, it was my pride that was at stake here. If Feng Tian Yong was an enemy from a demonic sect who was trying to kill me, then I wouldn''t think twice about letting his reserves run out and then killing him from behind.


    But this was a competition between students, a tournament to determine one''s rankings. It wasn''t a battle for survival.


    I wasn''t that guy, after all.


    "Uwoooooh!"


    With a bellow, I dug my heels in and halted my slide backward, drawing whatever qi I had left and infusing my swords with it. For a moment it seemed that I was overpowering Feng Tian Yong, my azure qi freezing the flames on his sword and turning them into ice.


    "Like I''ll let you!!!!!"


    Feng Tian Yong roared back and exerted more physical strength into his blow, shattering the ice and revitalizing the flames.


    "Go, Tian Yong!" the girls screamed from above.


    "Take him out, Fei Wu!" the guys yelled behind them.


    "Wu!" one single voice drowned out everyone else''s, to the point where I raised my head to glance at the window in surprise. It was Tang Qi Hong. She was pressing her fists against the reinforced glass and yelling at me. "Don''t you dare lose to that jerk? Kick his ass!"


    "I''m not a jerk!" Feng Tian Yong protested, chagrined. He was so used to being fawned over by the girls that he didn''t expect one to be cheering me on. I chuckled, ignoring my opponent, and nodded toward Tang Qi Hong''s direction.


    "I''ll do my best."


    "Is she your girlfriend or something?" Feng Tian Yong growled. My mouth curled upward a little, though whether it was from joy or bitterness, even I myself couldn''t tell.


    "I wish she is."


    "Heh." Feng Tian Yong snorted. "Lucky bastard."


    "I don''t want to hear that from you!"


    We sprang apart in a shower of sparks, our swords still tremnling from the violent encounter. Without hesitation, we both kicked off the ground and closed the gap between us within a single bound, our swords swinging toward each other.


    "AAAAAAH!"


    "UWOOOOOH!"


    Both of us bellowed as we clashed against each other, the remnants of our qi actually intensifying and swelling around us despite us being drained. Fire and ice collided, burned and froze, appeared and vanished, before culminating in an explosion.


    We continued to exchange several ferocious blows for four more minutes, our strength and energy not diminishing at all. The devastated ground around us crumbled further, sending more debris into the air as our swirling qi levitated them, but with so much damage dealt to them during the course of the match, there wasn''t much of a difference on the surface.


    "Gr¡­!"


    Gritting his teeth, Feng Tian Yong stepped forward and struck at me. Instinctively, I used Liu, having gotten used to the pattern of his attacks after the ferocious exchange over the last few minutes, and slipped through his defenses.


    "¡­!!!!"


    Feng Tian Yong''s eyes widened in disbelief when I halted his sword by moving my arm into the trajectory of his sword, stopping him before he could carry out his attack. Before he could respond, I rammed the pommel of my sword into his chest, causing him to stagger.


    "You bastard!"


    Bellowing in rage, Feng Tian Yong slashed downward, but having executed Liu, I could anticipate the movements of my opponent and move accordingly. Instead, I spun to the side and kicked him in his midriff, causing him to double over. Before he could raise his head, I pressed the cold steel of my right sword against the back of his neck.


    He froze.


    "It''s over," I told him. "Surrender now."


    For a few seconds, I could hear Feng Tian Yong grinding his teeth in frustration as he chewed on the bleak possibilities open to him, but he eventually relented and dropped his sword onto the ground before raising both his hands.


    "I give up."


    "¡­winner: Fei Wu!"


    Teacher Cai wasted no time announcing my victory. His voice was followed by groans of dismay from the girls, which were then drowned out by the rugged cheers of the guys. Withdrawing my right sword, I raised it to the air and did a mock salute.


    The guys'' cheers grew louder.


    *


    "You really know how to pander to an audience, don''t you?" Tong Xue snickered when he saw me. I waved at him and the rest of my friends when I caught sight of their approach.


    "Great job, Wu!" Tang Qi Hong said in delight. Evidently she was one of the only girls who didn''t cheer for Feng Tian Yong and encouraged me instead. Recalling her shout near the end of my fight, I smiled.


    "Thanks."


    "Not bad. Not bad at all."


    Lian Rou was nodding in approval as she strolled beside Tong Xue, while winking mischievously.


    "Impressive!" Zhu Jiao exclaimed and smacked my shoulder. "You''ve made it to the semifinals as well!"


    "There was never any doubt he would," Ban Zhang declared proudly. Oi, what were you so proud of? I was the one who got into the semifinals, not you. It wasn''t as if you were my manager or something! That role would probably belong to Tong Xue.


    "Well, I''m glad it is over," I muttered before staggering unsteadily. Tang Qi Hong quickly stepped forward to support me.


    "You have best go to the infirmary and get your injuries treated!"


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    I didn''t argue. The injuries I sustained during the match against Feng Tian Yong were much more severe than the ones I received when fighting Kuang Hu. While Kuang Hu was certainly more ruthless and much faster, Feng Tian Yong was a lot more formidable and powerful. Kuang Hu could only leave superficial cuts on my skin, but Feng Tian Yong literally incinerated me. If I didn''t have inner qi to protect myself, I would have turn to ash long ago.


    "Yeah, thanks."


    Leaning on Tang Qi Hong and Tong Xue, I allowed them to support me toward the infirmary. Feng Tian Yong was probably ferried there by his female fanclub way ahead of me, so we didn''t have to worry about him.


    Even though we fought so ferociously against each other, it wasn''t as if we held any ill will or grudge. Like I said, Feng Tian Yong was a classmate and friend who treated me decently. Okay, he didn''t really step in when I was being bullied, but he didn''t participate in abusing me either. Or maybe he did help me out once or twice, and I helped him in return. I wasn''t calculative enough to keep track of all these little things.


    "You''re finally here."


    Teacher Yi folded her arms and stared at me as I limped into her infirmary. Behind her, another student groaned as he lay on the bed.


    "Ah, Zhu Jiao!"


    Qing Xin Xia was one of Teacher Yi''s assistants, tending to another patient who had just finished his duel. She finished up her treatment and stood up to greet him. Zhu Jiao returned the wave, and then Qing Xin Xia turned to nod at the rest of us in acknowledgement. Evidently she only had eyes for Zhu Jiao.


    I briefly wondered if she knew about Zhu Jiao''s affection for Bai Ning Xue. She had to, right? The whole school was aware of the special relationship between the two of them.


    Obviously I wasn''t tactless enough to ask her about it directly, though.


    "Xin Xia, can you take care of Sheng Bing for me?"


    "Right away!"


    Qing Xin Xia snapped out of her lovestruck stupor and hurried toward another patient who was moaning softly in a nearby bed. Teacher Yi turned toward me and shook her head. Apparently she could tell what kind of injuries I suffered from just a single glance.


    "Wow¡­both of you really didn''t hold back, did you?"


    "Have you already treated Feng Tian Yong?" I asked. Teacher Yi gave me a sharp look before she sighed and nodded.


    "Yeah. His injuries were marginally better than yours¡­marginally." She shook her head again in disapproval. "Look, I understand that this is a prestigious competition, and that you''re all fighting to achieve the highest ranks you can, but show a little restraint, all right? Try not to kill each other. You''re all classmates."


    "Trust me," I muttered. "If I really wanted to kill my opponent, he would already be dead."


    "I don''t doubt that," Teacher Yi replied wearily. "But you''ll make my job ¨C and that of Teacher Jiao''s ¨C a lot more difficult."


    "Sorry." I wasn''t able to muster a retort to that.


    "All right. Go lie down over there." Teacher Yi gestured toward an empty bed. "Wait for your turn. As for the rest of you¡­" she turned to my friends. "The queue is long and the treatment will take some time, so I suggest you all return to your dorm. Student Zhu Jiao, don''t you have your quarterfinal match tomorrow? Make sure you have enough rest."


    "Uh, Teacher Yi¡­I already finished my match yesterday." Zhu Jiao scratched his head and laughed a little sheepishly. "I didn''t drop by the infirmary because I was completely uninjured. I''m not lying, honestly!"


    Teacher Yi regarded him for a few seconds, and then nodded. "I believe you. You guys should leave first. The treatment will take a while."


    There was a faint undercurrent of don''t get in the way of my job. My friends weren''t dense enough to miss it, so they nodded and complied.


    "I''ll see you later, Wu," Tang Qi Hong told me as she waved.


    "Yeah! I''ll see you in the dorm later!" Tong Xue added. He grinned cheekily. "Don''t go anywhere else! We''re going to throw you and Zhu Jiao a party!"


    "Isn''t it too premature to be celebrating?" Ban Zhang asked with a raised eyebrow. "It''s not as if they won the tournament yet."


    "Oh come on, don''t be such a spoilsport!" Tong Xue threw an arm over Ban Zhang''s neck and playfully dragged him out of the infirmary. "Let us have some fun!"


    "Yeah." Zhu Jiao nodded as he followed them, his expression thoughtful. "It might a while before we can enjoy ourselves like this."


    I wasn''t sure I liked the ominous tone of his words.


    "You both made it to the semifinals!" Tong Xue told Zhu Jiao, unaware of the premonition I felt. "You, Wu, Bai Ning Xue and Li Chun Long. All four semifinalists are from our class! This is a cause for celebration!"


    "Hmm, it seems likely that you''ll be able to keep your promise and meet Bai Ning Xue in the finals if you clear the seminfinals." Ban Zhang nodded, careful with his words.


    "Yeah." Zhu Jiao held up his hand and clenched it to a fist. "I''ll defeat her, and then I''ll confess to her."


    "How romantic¡­" Lian Rou''s eyes were shining. In contrast, Tang Qi Hong looked grim as she placed her hands on her hips.


    "Do you have any chance of winning against Bai Ning Xue? She''s quite the monster, you know. She has been completely unbeaten throughout all her years in the academy."


    "What are you talking about?" Tong Xue scoffed. "Zhu Jiao could pull Bai Ning Xue''s long winning streak to a halt. He has made it this far without injury."


    "I was only lucky with the matches," Zhu Jiao replied modestly. Tong Xue snorted at that.


    "Yeah, right! You faced three student council members in a row and defeated all of them! Before that you emerged the unbeaten winner of the group of death during the prelimary rounds! And you''re telling me you got lucky with the matches?!"


    "Ah¡­ha ha ha ha¡­"


    Zhu Jiao scratched the back of his head as he laughed sheepishly.


    "Hey, are you guys finished with your conversation? If you want to talk, go somewhere else. You''re disturbing the patients."


    "Ah¡­sorry!"


    My friends bowed apologetically when Teacher Yi repriemanded them, and they quickly left. Heaving a sigh, I proceeded toward the bed that Teacher Yi directed me to and plopped down on it.


    "Oh, hey!"


    "Hey!"


    I was slightly surprised to see Feng Tian Yong on the neighboring bed. Apparently he was required to wait in line like me. Teacher Yi wasn''t one to play favorites, after all. And she wouldn''t be attracted to someone as young as Feng Tian Yong.


    Her heart was most likely set on Teacher Jiao.


    "Sorry about earlier."


    "What? No, no, no!" Feng Tian Yong was astonished by my apology, and he waved his hands frantically. "It was a great match! I''m proud to have fought against you!"


    I smiled. "I''m glad you think that way."


    Feng Tian Yong laughed. "How else am I supposed to think? You were a formidable foe. And you''ve earned my respect all over again." he leaned in close. "Hey¡­how did you grow so strong? I thought you were only a One Star Constitution cultivator. Do you have some sort of secret you''ve been keeping from the rest of us?"


    "No." Actually, I might. I thought back to my experiences back in Sen Lin Forest, of my physical transformation upon consuming magical beasts and demonic monsters'' meat in the abyss. Then I recalled how I absorbed the qi from a hundred demonic martial artists in the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect''s hideout a couple of years ago.


    "Hmm¡­" If Feng Tian Yong was skeptical, he didn''t show it. Instead, he leaned back on the soft pillow, grimacing as he did so, and then glanced up at the ceiling. "My goodness. This means the semifinals are all our class. You, Zhu Jiao, Li Chun Long and Bai Ning Xue. Wow, our class 1-4 is totally dominating the tournament."


    "No doubt some people are going to suspect our class of cheating or something," I muttered under my breath.


    "Ha ha! Even if they do, they don''t have any proof! Besides, how are we supposed to cheat? Do they think we can rig the matches or bribe the referees or something? And¡­" Feng Tian Yong narrowed his eyes. "If they can''t believe we won through the virtue of our superior strength alone, then they''re welcome to challenge us to an official match."


    "That sounds troublesome," I complained. It was already tiring to put up with these almost daily tournament matches, and now they wanted us to accept challenges from dissatisfied schoolmates who couldn''t believe that we had progressed this far?


    "That''s just how it is," Feng Tian Yong replied breezily. Easy for him to say. He didn''t have to fight in the semifinals. "I''ll welcome any challenge."


    Of course you would. Feng Tian Yong would never throw away any chance for him to show off in front of the girls. As if to emphasize my point, Feng Tian Yong whistled when Qing Xin Xia walked past and waved at her in a friendly manner.


    "Doing a great job as always, Xin Xia!"


    "Yes." Qing Xin Xia smiled politely, but moved on to tend to the other students. I glanced at Feng Tian Yong and was surprised to see that he wasn''t disappointed. He merely leaned back against his bed and relaxed.


    "I see Xin Xia is still pining for Zhu Jiao, eh?"


    "Eh?"


    "What, you didn''t notice?" Feng Tian Yong sat up to stare at me. I shook my head.


    "No, I mean I knew about Qing Xin Xia''s feelings for Zhu Jiao all this while, but I just didn''t expect you to¡­say it so bluntly."


    "Oh. Well, it''s none of my business, but even so¡­it''s kind of tough to see her pine one-sidedly for an unrequited love. Zhu Jiao''s attention is completely on Bai Ning Xue, after all. That''s one hell of a love rival."


    "¡­right."


    "Well, there''s the harem option." Feng Tian Yong grinned. "Zhu Jiao could learn from me and choose all of the girls. Have both Bai Ning Xue and Qing Xin Xia. I''m sure they''ll learn to accept each other. Bai Ning Xue will surely be the official wife, but Xin Xia probably wouldn''t mind being the mistress. All Zhu Jiao needs is to embrace and love all the girls equally¡­like me!"


    "Uh¡­"


    There was so many things wrong with what Feng Tian Yong said that I didn''t know where to begin. Too tired to argue, I merely sank into silence. Feng Tian Yong refused to give up, however, and opened an eye to peer at me.


    "Speaking of which¡­how about you, Fei Wu? How''s your relationship going with Tang Qi Hong?"


    I smiled at him. "That''s¡­none of your business."


    *


    Teacher Yi wasn''t kidding when she said that the treatment would take a while. By the time she was done with me, it was already late evening. Fortunately, Feng Tian Yong had gone in before me and he had left long ago, so I didn''t have to listen to him bragging about conquering a harem of girls while returning to the dormitory.


    "¡­eh? Isn''t that¡­Qing Xin Xia?"


    While I was walking down the corridor, I caught sight of a familiar figure. Qing Xin Xia was several paces ahead of me, hurriedly striding down the length of the corridor and turning around a corner. Since we were going the same way, I hastened my pace to catch up with her.


    I didn''t have any ulterior motives. I only intended to accompany her on her way back to the dormitory, especially when it was this late at night.


    However, Qing Xin Xia wasn''t proceeding in the direction of the dormitory. I was astonished to see her turn round a corner and head for the second level.


    "That''s¡­"


    Intrigued, and having nothing better to do, I ended up giving in to my curiosity and following her. Okay, I knew what I was doing was stalking, but I just couldn''t help it. I wanted to know where Qing Xin Xia was going this late at night, if it wasn''t the girls'' dorm.


    How suspicious, I thought, the irony completely flying over my head as usual. Or maybe I enjoyed being a hypocrite while I pathetically tried to justify my stalkerish behavior. Whatever the case, I needed to follow her for the plot to move along. It sounded contrived, but then let''s be serious. Which guy didn''t follow a beautiful girl around when she''s all alone?


    Don''t tell Tang Qi Hong I said that or she would absolutely murder me.


    Using Shadow Steps, I kept my presence concealed and succeeded in tailing Qing Xin Xia without her knowing. I suddenly realized that Shadow Steps were perfect for stalking, but reminded myself not to pull something like this again.


    I mean, jokes aside, there was something amiss with Qing Xin Xia''s movements. I wasn''t stalking her because I was a pervert. The more I studied her, the more I understood that my curiosity was piqued by her body language.


    Qing Xin Xia was looking around, as if watching for someone. She looked all nervous, perspiring despite the chill of the night. Her frantic glancing and jumping at shadows only served to harden my suspicions and magnified my curiosity.


    "Isn''t that¡­?"


    I frowned when Qing Xin Xia finally stopped in front of a room. She glanced around one last time, as if making sure no one was following her, and then knocked on the door.


    "It''s me."


    There was a muffled response from behind the door, and then it swung open. Qing Xin Xia looked around cautiously one last time before she disappeared into the room. The door then shut and clicked, signaling that it was locked.


    "Huh¡­"


    Frowning, I wondered what had gotten Qing Xin Xia into such a high state of alert. Once I was sure no one would notice, I stealthily made my way toward the door. Stopping in front of it, I gaped at the words stenciled into the front.


    "The student council¡­?"


    "Ugh¡­"


    I heard Yuan Mei grinding her teeth as she bit on her finger. Even if I couldn''t see her, I could somewhat sense her foul mood and her actions through my Heaven and Earth qi sense. She was clearly frustrated over something.


    "How could this happen!?" Ding Yan exclaimed angrily. "We paid such careful attention to the matchups!"


    "I can''t believe Zhu Jiao advanced to the semifinals without much difficulty! Even though he was assigned to the group of death and had to face three of us¡­!"


    This time it sounded like Gu Chun Song.


    "It''s because of that Fei Wu bastard!" Li Guo Qiang snarled. "We thought Feng Tian Yong would be able to defeat him, but he somehow beat even Tian Yong! He didn''t seem to be anything special up until this point!"


    "Thanks to him, all the matchups are ruined," Xin Lai sighed. "What are we supposed to do now? The plan''s¡­"


    Plan¡­? What plan?


    Scowling, I leaned closer to pay more attention to the student council members'' conversation. I could sense the rough positions of all the student council members. The majority of them were seated on the luxurious couches that surrounded the huge mahogany table where their notes and documents were scattered on.


    Only one person stood aloof, right next to the windows. Folding his arms, he gazed outside, his expression grim.


    "Chun Long?" Qing Xin Xia asked, concerned. Li Chun Long finally turned his head back to look at the rest of the student council.


    "I''ll take care of Fei Wu."


    "Chun Long, you''re the only one left among us," Xin Lai told him. "So we''re counting on you. Will you really be able to defeat Fei Wu?"


    "He''s just trash," Li Guo Qiang growled dismissively. "He got lucky, that''s all."


    "Even luck wouldn''t allow him to defeat Wu Xing from Kun Lun Sect, Wu Hei Gui, Kuang Hu and Feng Tian Yong in consecutive matches," Gu Chun Song warned. Technically, he was mistaken. I didn''t face them in consecutive matches. I fought Wu Hei Gui early on during the preliminary rounds, and not before I fought Wu Xing.


    "In other words, we can''t afford to underestimate him," Ding Yan remarked.


    "I won''t," Li Chun Long promised. "But he''s in my class. I know how to deal with him. He''s still a One Star Constitution cultivator who can''t absorb artificial qi. He should be of no threat. I''m more worried about Zhu Jiao."


    "No threat? Are you serious? I mean, I see what you mean, but¡­"


    "I''ll stake my life on it. I promise." Li Chun Long cut off Yuan Mei before she could finish her sentence. "I¡­will stop Fei Wu by any means necessary."


    He then turned to walk out of the door. Realizing that he was heading out of the room ¨C and I was right outside ¨C I quickly used my Shadow Steps to dive into the shadows and continue hiding my presence as he left.


    As Li Chun Long walked out of the door, he paused for a second and gave his comrades in the student council one last glance.


    "So¡­" he said grimly. "You guys make sure to take care of Zhu Jiao."


    "Chun Long¡­" Qing Xin Xia murmured softly.


    This isn''t good!


    Scrambling away from the student council office, I struggled to process what I had just heard. If I hadn''t misheard them, then I had just stumbled upon some sort of conspiracy. Feng Tian Yong''s words came back to haunt me.


    The tournament¡­it had really been rigged! By none other than the student council!


    I''ve to tell Teacher Jiao!

 106 Chapter 105: Conspiracy

    "¡­proof?"


    Oh, damn. I realized that I didn''t have any evidence to back up my claim. To be fair, what exactly did he expect me to do when I overheard the student council members'' conversation? To have a recording device out? I was too busily trying to eavesdrop that it had completely slipped my mind. Not to mention, the recording device wouldn''t be capture the muffled voices from behind the door.


    Seriously, it wasn''t as if we all walked around with our recording devices switched on 24/7. That was just impractical.


    "Uh, how am I supposed to collect proof? I just overheard their conversation¡­"


    "How do you expect me to act based off just that?" Teacher Jiao looked a little frustrated. "Look, it''s not that I don''t trust you, but consider my point of view. These guys are the student council. They have earned the trust of everyone. Now a single person comes up with what sounds like an absurd accusation ¨C you''ll need more than ''I overheard them talking about this'' to convince me that you''re telling the truth. Even if I approach them now, they''ll just deny it, and it''ll be your word against theirs. And surely you know who the other teachers and Principal Xiao Zhang will believe, right?"


    He was right. I didn''t think things through. Did I really think I could just show up, tell the teachers what I overheard, and expect them to believe me? This was the student council I was talking about here, students supposedly selected because they were responsible, upright and exmplars of good behavior, as well as supposedly being role models.


    If it came down to my word against theirs, there was never any doubt who everyone would believe.


    Furthermore, now that I thought about it, even if I was fast enough to record the rest of their conversation after they admitted to rigging the matches, they didn''t really talk much about it other than taking care of me and Zhu Jiao by any means possible. Which was ambiguous enough to the point where nobody could accuse them of anything.


    At least not "legally" anyway.


    Even so, I couldn''t afford to give up.


    "But if what I said is true, then it would be too late the moment they attack Zhu Jiao," I protested. Right now I was more worried about my friend''s wellbeing than getting into trouble over "false" accusations. "Isn''t it possible to protect him before his match against Bai Ning Xue?"


    Teacher Jiao sighed. "I can''t promise anything, but I''ll try to keep an eye on Zhu Jiao. If they try anything, I''ll act. But if they don''t¡­" He glared at me. "You''ll be punished."


    "¡­"


    Teacher Jiao studied me and sighed. He obviously could tell that I wasn''t lying, but he wasn''t very keen on suspecting the student council either. He probably knew them enough to believe they weren''t the type to resort to such despicable measures.


    "Anything else?"


    "No." I shook my head and replied honestly.


    Teacher Jiao grunted and dismissed me with a wave. I bowed politely and left. I could feel his gaze on me before I stepped out of the door.


    "Oh, one more thing."


    I paused and glanced back at Teacher Jiao quizzically. He still seemed skeptical of what I told him, but he could at least tell that I wasn''t lying. He stared at me sternly.


    "If what you say is true, you should watch out for yourself as well."


    "Well¡­" I considered his words for a moment. "I don''t know. Like I said, it seems that Li Chun Long plans to beat me in a match, so there''s very little that he could do. At least not in front of Teacher Cai."


    "¡­yeah." Teacher Jiao exhaled as he leaned back on his chair. "Even so, be careful. I''ll believe you for now, but remember. If you''re making this up¡­"


    "I understand."


    "For now, I''ll keep an eye on Zhu Jiao. I don''t think Principal Xiao or the other teachers will believe me if I tell them, but I''ll write up a report just in case." He grimaced at the thought of more paperwork. "Hmm, maybe I should tell Teacher Cai, just in case."


    "I''ll be counting on you."


    "Sure, sure." Teacher Jiao waved impatiently. "You be careful yourself."


    I bowed one last time before leaving the room. With that done, I decided to implement some countermeasures of my own.


    *


    "Ning Xue''s match is tomorrow, isn''t it?" Yuan Mei asked as she walked into the student council office.


    Inside, Gu Chun Song sat on a couch with his hands clasped and his chin lowered in deep thought.


    "Yeah, that''s right," he replied distractedly as Yuan Mei approached. He glanced at the mask on the table. "So we have to take care of Zhu Jiao before the match, right, Yuan Mei?"


    "Hmm," Yuan Mei affirmed. "There''s still the matter with Fei Wu, but Chun Long promised to take care of him in the tournament match. I don''t think Fei Wu can defeat Chun Long, especially since Chun Long has mastered the twelfth level of the Solar Celestial Dragon Formula. There isn''t anyone in the academy, other than Ning Xue¡­and probably Zhu Jiao, who can beat him."


    "So you think we can leave Fei Wu to Chun Long?"


    "Yes. Even if Fei Wu defeats Chun Long by some miracle, we can still take care of him before the final."


    "Good point."


    Whoa. These guys. They probably didn''t know I was eavesdropping on them, and I was seething with every word I heard. I would have attacked them, but I would get into trouble for that, and again, I had no proof. It was their word against mine.


    Well, actually, I had the sense to record their conversation right now, so there was that. Now all I needed to do was get this recorded dialogue to Teacher Jiao and he would accept it as evidence. I was so glad I decided to spend my evening camping outside the student council office instead of returning to the dormitory.


    I had waited long hours fruitlessly, but achieved nothing¡­it was only after dinner when I finally spotted Gu Chun Song entering the room. Feeling a bit of hope flare up, I waited for a bit before Yuan Mei finally showed up. Not wanting to repeat the mistake yesterday of not possessing proof, I had taken out my cellphone and used the recording function.


    As I expected, the voices were muffled, but thankfully Yuan Mei had left the door open. That slight fortune allowed me to record their every word clearly. Now I had best leave before they noticed that I was here¡­


    "Let''s take care of Zhu Jiao right now."


    Gu Chun Song''s words caused me to freeze. Halting my withdrawal within the shadows, I paused and strained my ears to listen further.


    "With the exception of Tian Yong, call the others. Contact Xin Lai, Guo Qiang, Ding Yan, Chun Long and Xin Xia and get them to assemble."


    "We''re leaving Tian Yong out of this?" Yuan Mei asked uncertainly. Gu Chun Song nodded.


    "He''s too close to Zhu Jiao and Fei Wu. They''re in the same class, and pretty good friends. He won''t agree to this. I trust him, but it''s best not to let him know or he might stop us. Or inform his friends about this."


    "Chun Song."


    There was a tinge of anxiety in Yuan Mei''s voice now. Idiot. It was too late to regret anything. She was already deep into this shit as everyone else. I even had the evidence.


    "I don''t know how you plan to take care of Zhu Jiao, but the semifinal between him and Ning Xue is tomorrow. If something major occurs tonight, then the other students and even the teachers will suspect something¡­"


    "Don''t worry about it," Gu Chun Song cut her off. "Zhu Jiao is na?ve and trusting. He''s pretty gullible. He has always seen me as a real older brother. He trusts me completely."


    What the fuck?! No? I don''t remember Zhu Jiao ever thinking of this guy as an older brother?!


    "If I call him, he will definitely come." Gu Chun Song put on his mask, concealing his features for the rest of the story. "We can settle this quietly."


    Fuck you, no! I was pretty sure Zhu Jiao didn''t even know who Gu Chun Song was! Why the hell would he trust you and come out alone at night?! I had never heard Zhu Jiao mention anything about knowing Gu Chun Song or having brotherly relations with him throughout our long friendship! Hell, neither of us even knew who Gu Chun Song was until this late into the story, during the tournament arc! He was just a random character who showed up out of nowhere for the story to enter into a new arc and have new dramatic developments!


    However, this was no time to complain against logic. If Gu Chun Song was telling the truth and had some sort of relationship with Zhu Jiao that I didn''t know of, then my good friend would be in serious trouble if he agreed to meet with him!


    And I still had to deliver the proof to Teacher Jiao. But if Teacher Jiao wouldn''t be in his office right now, having gone home for the day (most likely with Teacher Yi). So much for keeping an eye on Zhu Jiao. Not that I could blame him, though ¨C what was he supposed to do? Act as a bodyguard? That would have been too blatant and reeked of favoritism and paranoia.


    No, I had best contact Zhu Jiao.


    "?! I can''t get through!?"


    Despite calling him with my cellphone, I found the line engaged. No doubt Gu Chun Song was calling Zhu Jiao and calling him. Why would Gu Chun Song have Zhu Jiao''s number? Was he telling the truth, after all?


    Come to think of it, Zhu Jiao had no obligation to tell me everyone he befriended or had a relationship with. And we sort of drifted apart over the last two years when I was trying to assimilate all that demonic qi from the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect.


    "Ugh!"


    Feeling a sense of frustration, I hurried toward the dormitory, hoping to catch him before he could leave. Using my footwork techniques, I literally flew across the campus grounds and reached the male dormitory in no time at all. Twisting around the entrance, I began running up the winding stairs and toward the level where Zhu Jiao stayed at.


    Please let me make it in time!


    Praying fervently, I bounded up the stairs three at a time, hurling myself forward. And then I heard the sounds of footsteps as someone descended from above.


    Is that¡­?!


    "Oh? Wu, you''ve just come back?"


    Zhu Jiao peered down on me from above, looking puzzled. I understood why ¨C it was fairly late at night, almost eleven now. Camping outside the student council office had taken up a lot more time than I anticipated.


    "You¡­where are you going?"


    Panting after using so many footwork techniques, I leaned on the railing and stared up at him. Zhu Jiao scratched his head sheepishly.


    "Oh, I got a call, a senior asking me to meet him right now. Probably offering me advice for tomorrow''s semifinal match against Ning Xue."


    "Is it from Gu Chun Song?" I asked. Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened.


    "How did you know?"


    "Don''t go!" I told him firmly. "It''s a trap!"


    "Hmm?" Zhu Jiao stared at me in bewilderment. "What are you talking about, Wu?"


    I tightened my grip on the railing and gritted my teeth, not sure how to break this to him. "The student council is planning to eliminate you right now. The fact that you advanced to the semifinals after beating three student council members in a row and graduating top of the group of death that they put you in has disturbed them."


    "What?"


    Zhu Jiao''s mouth was hanging open. He shook his head dismissively and scoffed.


    "What are you talking about? That''s impossible. I''m going out because Senior Chun Song called me."


    "Yeah, and that Gu Chun Song is the mastermind who''s scheming your elimination." I held up my cellphone.


    "No way," Zhu Jiao snapped. "That''s impossible."


    "Listen to this!" I urged him as I hit the play button. Zhu Jiao listened to Gu Chun Song''s conversation with Yuan Mei and turned pale.


    "No way¡­" He repeated, his face ashen. "I know that Senior Chun Song is part of the student council, but we''ve known each other before we entered the academy."


    "Huh? You did?" I was completely unaware of that fact. Zhu Jiao shrugged, as if saying that it wasn''t something he thought was worth mentioning. It was true, though. Given that Gu Chun Song was a couple of years older than us, the rest of the class had completely no interaction with him. There was no reason for Zhu Jiao to introduce us to him or inform us of his relationship, even if I had been friends with him for over three years.


    "Why¡­? Why, Senior Chun Song?"


    Right now, Zhu Jiao was in complete denial, shaking his head in disbelief. He held his temples, on the verge of tears. He evidently did not hear my question or was in no mental state to answer it. I felt bad when I saw his dismay.


    "Do you think he will value you more than Bai Ning Xue?"


    "What does Ning Xue have to do with anything?" Zhu Jiao snapped. "This is just an inter-school tournament. I know Senior Chun Song has a crush on Ning Xue, but so does ninety percent of the male population in school. Du Lang too¡­"


    "I want to know too," I grumbled. "Why the fuck are they going so far? This makes no sense. I hope it''s not some bullshit reason like, even if this was just a friendly tournament match, Bai Ning Xue''s reputation and authority in the student council can never be allowed to be challenged. That''s just fucking bullshit and outright corruption."


    "Corruption." Zhu Jiao snorted. "Wherever we go, there will always be corruption. Even if Ning Xue wants to win, she will never go this far¡­"


    "I don''t think Bai Ning Xue has anything to do with this." I sighed. "It''s the people who are having faith in her who are plotting behind her back and going around carrying out such underhanded tactics to eliminate all opposition."


    The very definition of corruption.


    That said, I found it highly ironic. If they had so much faith in Bai Ning Xue, then they surely didn''t have to resort to this. Not unless it had something to do with that night a month ago, when¡­


    Right. I told Bai Ning Xue to keep it a secret, so these guys don''t know about that. Is that why they think¡­?


    Nah, that couldn''t be right.


    "Even so¡­Senior Chun Song¡­why!?"


    My thoughts were interrupted by Zhu Jiao''s anguished cry. It was clear that Zhu Jiao trusted Gu Chun Song dearly and felt terribly betrayed by this revelation. He was clenching his fists and trembling violently. This time, he couldn''t stop the tears from leaking from his eyes.


    "No, there must be some mistake!"


    I held my cellphone up to play the conversation again, but Zhu Jiao shook his head and waved me away.


    "There must be some mistake!" he repeated vehemently. "We''re misunderstanding something! Surely Senior Chun Song couldn''t possibly be planning anything against me! Just let me talk to him! I''m sure everything''s a misunderstanding!"


    "Wait!"


    I panicked when Zhu Jiao walked past me and descended the stairs. Eeven though I reached out for him, he brushed me off.


    "Sorry, Wu. It''s not that I don''t trust you, but¡­I''ve known Senior Chun Song for a long time now. There''s no way he''ll do this to me. Surely he meant no harm even when he said he''ll take care of me. He has watched out for me ever since we were children and helped me out a lot even after that debacle with the Bai Clan."


    "What debacle?" I asked, confused, but Zhu Jiao dismissed me with a wave of his hand. He clearly didn''t want to talk about it right now.


    "Anyway, Senior Chun Song was the one who picked me up when I was lying in the dirt and taught me the basics of combat. It was thanks to him that I knew about Wu Ling Academy in the first place. He wouldn''t help me this far, only to destroy me over Ning Xue. I know he shares the same type of feelings as me, but we''re practically brothers!"


    "Yeah, but¡­"


    "Enough. I don''t want to hear it." Zhu Jiao glared at me. "I''ll talk to Senior Chun Song and figure this out. You''ll see. It''s all a misunderstanding."


    I had no idea what relationship Zhu Jiao had with Gu Chun Song, and that turned out to be my one fatal mistake. I had utterly underestimated the unassailable trust and faith that Zhu Jiao had in his adopted brother.


    "I''ll come with you, just in case."


    "Don''t follow me!" Zhu Jiao snapped. "You''ll only make things worse!"


    Ouch. That hurt. But even so, I couldn''t just let my friend walk into a trap by himself. While Zhu Jiao''s loyalty to Gu Chun Song would be commendable under any other circumstances, for me who knew the truth, my conscience wouldn''t allow me to let him go.


    However, I didn''t have a choice. Taking a deep breath, I took a step back and nodded. Feigning defeat, I slumped against the wall.


    "Suit yourself."


    "¡­sorry. I don''t mean anything by it. It''s just that¡­Senior Chun Song and I go way back. You know?" Zhu Jiao turned to look at me. "If someone comes up to me telling me that you''re betraying me, I wouldn''t believe him either, even if he''s Senior Chun Song."


    "¡­I know."


    And that was exactly why I couldn''t let my friend walk to his death like this. However, I was highly aware of how stubborn Zhu Jiao was, so stalling him here was no solution. Closing my eyes briefly, I prayed that Teacher Jiao had received the email with the attached recording that I sent before I rushed to the dormitory.


    If he wasn''t the type to check his email at night, then we were doomed. Damn, but I didn''t have Teacher Jiao''s number. And there wouldn''t be any teachers in the campus grounds this time at night. Who could I approach for help?


    Sighing, I let Zhu Jiao go. While he descended the stairs, I quietly melted into the shadows and trailed him without him ever noticing my presence.


    Unsurprisingly, Zhu Jiao went to the plaza, far from the male and female dormitories. It wasn''t far away from the main campus building that housed the student council office and the classrooms for the high school division.


    "Senior Chun Song, I got your call." Zhu Jiao waved as he walked up to the waiting masked high school third year. "What''s up, calling me so late at night?"


    "Nothing. Like I said, I heard you made it to the semifinals. You''ve a match against Ning Xue tomorrow, right?"


    "Yeah! You said something about advice?"


    "I did indeed." Beneath his mask, which covered only the top half of his face, Gu Chun Song smiled ominously. Behind him, the rest of the student council members emerged, almost as if from nowhere.


    Yuan Mei. Li Guo Qiang. Xin Lai. Ding Yan. Even Li Chun Long and Qing Xin Xia, our classmates, were there.


    "Senior Chun Song?" Zhu Jiao blinked rapidly, suddenly realizing that I might have been right all this time and this was no misunderstanding. He swallowed nervously and subconsciously took a step back. "What''s going on?"


    "About tomorrow''s match¡­would you be so kind as to forfeit?"


    Zhu Jiao laughed timidly. "You know that''s not possible, Senior Chun Song. I''ve been looking forward to this match with Ning Xue for a long time now. We made a promise¡­"


    "I''m well aware of your promise." Gu Chun Song leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "But I''m afraid I can''t allow you to prioritize your personal feelings over the academy."


    "Prioritize my personal feelings over the academy? What do you mean?" Zhu Jiao was looking very uncertain.


    "You know how Ning Xue is the student council president by virtue of her overwhelming strength, right?"


    "Yes, but¡­"


    "Now¡­what do you think will happen if she loses? Do you think the student body will continue to respect her authority or strength if they know that their leader is not invincible? Won''t everyone''s faith in her get shaken?"


    "That''s¡­even then, this is still¡­"


    ¡­complete bullshit. So you''re justifying your corruption and intimidation by claiming that it was all for the academy''s sake. Wasn''t this all about your personal feelings and biasness too? Bai Ning Xue had no God-given right to be the student council president. If she wanted the position, she had to earn it like everyone else. What made these student council members think Bai Ning Xue deserved the position by virtue of her being her? This was clearly biasness based off personal feelings and attachment, wasn''t it?


    And I was pretty sure it was precisely because Gu Chun Song knew about Zhu Jiao''s promise with Bai Ning Xue ¨C that she would accept him as her lover if he defeated her ¨C he was going through such lengths to ensure Zhu Jiao forfeited.


    Zhu Jiao was aware of this too, but he realized that Gu Chun Song had no intention of listening to reason. He was going to twist his words to suit his side of the argument like the self-centered hypocrite that he was.


    "I''m sorry, but even so¡­I can''t do it. I won''t."


    "I see."


    Gu Chun Song sighed and shook his head while shrugging in resignation.


    "I was hoping that we could settle this quietly and painlessly, but it seems that we have no choice but to do this the hard way."


    "What do you mean by that, Senior Chun Song?" Zhu Jiao demanded, a bead of cold perspiration dripping down his face. "What do you mean by hard way?"


    "We''ve to stop you by force."


    Zhu Jiao swallowed and adopted a defensive stance, watching the student council members warily. Seeing his reaction, Gu Chun Song chuckled.


    "Surely you don''t think you can win against seven student council members by yourself, do you?"


    "You don''t really plan on attacking me here, right now, do you?" Zhu Jiao retorted, but his face had turned pale. "If word of this gets out¡­"


    "And who are they going to believe? Just one guy? Or the entire student council? It''s your word against ours."


    "You¡­!"


    "Wait!"


    Unexpectedly, it was Qing Xin Xia. She stepped in front of the others and placed herself firmly between Zhu Jiao and the rest of the student council, staring defiantly at Gu Chun Song. Spreading her hands to stop them from getting near Zhu Jiao, she glared at them.


    "You said you weren''t going to hurt Zhu Jiao!"


    "I wasn''t planning to," Gu Chun Song replied. What a liar he was. "But he has forced our hand, as you can clearly see."


    "No! Even then, I won''t let you¡­!"


    Qing Xin Xia never got to finish her sentence. Li Chun Long appeared behind her before she realized it and struck the back of her neck, knocking her out. She collapsed into his arms and he gently lay her down on the ground.


    "You¡­!" Zhu Jiao spluttered, but Li Chun Long ignored him. Instead, he turned to Gu Chun Song apologetically.


    "Sorry about that."


    "No, that was my fault. I miscalculated. I didn''t think Xin Xia would be opposed to the plan this vehemently."


    Gu Chun Song shook his head and rubbed his scalp. Xin Lai made a face as she stared at the masked ringleader.


    "You guys are so dense," she complained. "Did none of you know that Xin Xia was in love with Zhu Jiao? Really?"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Li Chun Long''s expression darkened when he heard that, but he said nothing. Gu Chun Song looked surprised, but it was hard to tell, with half his face behind concealed behind a mask. Why the hell was he wearing a mask, anyway? Was he trying to copy some character from an abandoned Korean martial arts manhwa whose part 2 would never come because the writer and the artist had some sort of falling out?


    "I was completely unaware," Gu Chun Song admitted. "As I said, I completely miscalculated. I thought only Feng Tian Yong would object to this."


    "Object to what?" Zhu Jiao demanded, his voice shaking. Li Chun Ling turned to him with a grim grin, the Green Dragon Sect successor clearly relishing his fear.


    "We can''t just defeat him," he remarked. "We''ve to cripple him¡­destroy his qi channels so that he wouldn''t be able to fight for at least half a year."


    "Hang on. We can''t do that." Gu Chun Song shook his head. "We need to¡­uh, persuade him to do that on his own. Otherwise, even Ning Xue can''t save us."


    "If Ning Xue finds out, she''ll never let you get away with this!" Zhu Jiao snarled. Gu Chun Song''s smile spread across the unconcealed lower half of his face.


    "That''s exactly why you need to do it out of your own volition."


    "Are you stupid? Why would I¡­?"


    "Because if you don''t, we''ll make you wish you were dead."


    "Yeah!" Li Chun Long agreed, a little too gleefully, but he was the only one other than Gu Chun Song who seemed eager about this. The rest of the student council members were avoiding their gazes and looking extremely uncomfortable with the situation. Unlike, Qing Xin Xia, none of them raised any protest, so that still made them as complicit.


    However, it was still Li Chun Long who made the first move. His green, fiery qi exploding around him, he drew his sword and lunged at Zhu Jiao. Zhu Jiao glanced up, too shocked to move. He was still rooted to the ground in disbelief and could only watch helplessly as the blazing blade descended upon him¡­


    Clang!


    The fiery sword never reached him. Instead, it was parried by a pair of shorter swords that emanated a cool, azure qi of frost.


    "You¡­!" Li Chun Long''s eyes widened.

 107 Chapter 106: Dark Figh

    Li Chun Long must really have been looking forward to beating Zhu Jiao up, for his expression turned furious. With a great deal of force, he shoved me back and swung his sword to slash me. I easily deflected his strike to one side and responded with a riposte that would have torn his throat out if he didn''t spin out of the way in time.


    "You¡­!"


    Li Chun Long gripped his sword with both hands and swung his green dragon sword downward, unleashing a mighty blow that blew me several steps back. Green, fiery qi blazed around him and his sword, scorching the earth.


    "Scary," I muttered sarcastically. Pushing up my glasses with my right hand, which was still holding a sword, I stared at his weapon.


    "You should be honored to be able to see my Sacred Dragon Sword," Li Chun Long sneered as he brandished his elegantly crafted spirit sword. The green blade gleamed like an emerald jewel, and I couldn''t help but think that it was a complete waste of money. Probably going to be one hell of a sword to maintain and polish, from the looks of it.


    "Oh, I''m so honored."


    "Quit wasting time! Let''s take them out!"


    "!!"


    I jumped away right before Li Guo Qiang smashed the ground where I was standing on with a metallic fist, carving a crater into the dirt. As I retreated, I noticed that his skin had taken on a silvery sheen, as if it had hardened into steel.


    "Iron Soul technique," I muttered.


    "At the eleventh level!" Li Guo Qiang proudly proclaimed, banging his chest so hard that I could hear the loud clang even from this distance. "I''ll have you know, I''m even stronger than Wu Hei Gui, who you had difficulties against when trying to break his defenses. You won''t be able to hurt me!"


    "Then how did you get eliminated from the tournament?" I asked.


    "I was the one who defeated him," Zhu Jiao replied behind me. He had finally risen to his feet and was recovering his senses. He lowered his head. "I''m sorry, Wu. I should have believed you. I never would have thought¡­"


    He then turned to glare at Gu Chun Song.


    "Senior Chun Song! Why?! Why are you doing this!?"


    "I believe I already told you," Gu Chun Song replied coolly. "For the sake of the academy¡­and for Ning Xue."


    "Bullshit!"


    "No point arguing with them," I told him. "They''ve already made up their minds. And be careful ¨C they''re coming!"


    Li Chun Long and Li Guo Qiang were rushing forward from two directions, getting ready to attack. They split off and came at us from opposite sides.


    "Chun Long, you take care of Zhu Jiao. I''ll defeat that trash Fei Wu quickly, then I''ll assist you. Lai! Offer long-ranged support!"


    "Got it!"


    I see¡­because Jiao has defeated him in the past, Li Guo Qiang decides to leave him to Li Chun Long instead and chooses to take me out.


    But¡­wasn''t he underestimating me a little too much?


    Twisting away from Xin Lai''s fireball, I spun around and kicked Li Guo Qiang in the chest just when he closed in on me. It was a flawlessly executed Shadow Kick that would have blown a hole through an iron wall, but Li Guo Qiang merely endured it without flinching. He grinned at me as he tried to grab my leg.


    "I told you that you wouldn''t be able to break my defenses!"


    "¡­"


    I jumped back and ducked under a fireball from Xin Lai. Whirling around, I threw my swords at her, forcing her to dodge.


    "Lai!" Li Guo Qiang. However, before he could get to her, I was in front of him.


    "Your opponent is me. You want to get to her, you''ve to get past me first."


    Okay, that sounded weird. It sounded almost as if I was trying to protect Xin Lai from Li Guo Qiang when reality was the direct opposite.


    "Iron Soul."


    Li Guo Qiang strengthened his defenses, the silvery qi around his body thickening and solidifying. Not caring, I kicked him with enough force to demolish a house. The ground around him shattered from the tremendous impact.


    "!"


    However, Li Guo Qiang remained unmoved.


    "What''s with this toughness?" I cursed under my breath before jumping back to avoid a devastating punch from Li Guo Qiang.


    "I already told you! My Iron Soul makes me impervious to all physical and elemental attacks! You will never be able to break through my invincible defense!"


    "Just go down already!" Xin Lai shouted from behind as she launched another fireball in my direction. I effortlessly dodged it, ignoring her for now. She wouldn''t be a threat ¨C the main opponent I had to worry about right now was Li Guo Qiang¡­


    Boom!


    "?!"


    I almost got hit by another fireball, barely ducking and rolling away in time. To my complete surprise, the fireball struck Li Guo Qiang and detonated.


    That Xin Lai¡­she doesn''t care if she hits her comrade?!


    However, as the smoke cleared, I understood why. Li Guo Qiang remained completely unscathed in the flames, his body fuming but undamaged. He merely grinned as he emerged from the smoke to grab my throat.


    "Kuh!"


    I kicked his hands away before he could grab hold of me, and then struck his chest with a Shadow Kick. Like before, I didn''t manage to damage him, but that wasn''t my intention. Instead, I used Li Guo Qiang''s body as a platform to propel myself away and widen the distance between us.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    My path of retreat was abruptly cut off by Xin Lai, who threw another fireball at me. While I hastily skidded to a stop, Li Guo Qiang attacked me from behind, his iron fist smashing through the flames and descending for my skull.


    I did a cartwheel, kicking out at Li Guo Qiang before his fist ould connect, and then flipping myself back. When Li Guo Qiang clumsily stumbled and fell to his knee, I seized the chance to launch myself into the air.


    "Okay¡­let''s try this then!"


    I began spinning myself rapidly, almost turning myself into a whirlwind.


    "Oh no you don''t!" Xin Lai hollered and hurled another fireball at me. However, the wind raging around me as I spun around was so violent that it blew the fiery projectile back. Xin Lai''s jaw dropped. "How is that possible?!"


    I didn''t reply. Instead, I used the centrifugal force that I had created to generate as much kinetic energy as possible and swung my leg at Li Guo Qiang. He maximized the protection his Level 11 Iron Soul afforded him by condensing the metal qi around him into a protective aura and physically hardened his body.


    Wham!


    "!!!!?"


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Li Guo Qiang actually felt that one, recoiling as pain showed up in his otherwise scornful features. He actually staggered backward from the tremendous blow.


    "Impossible!" Xin Lai''s hands flew to her mouth. "That was an incredibly powerful kick! it nearly broke through Guo Qiang''s impenetrable Iron Soul!"


    "Guo Qiang! Don''t let him make a fool out of you!"


    Gu Chun Song shouted from the back. He was teaming up with Yuan Mei and Li Chun Long to fight Zhu Jiao, but had witnessed the battle. Zhu Jiao wasn''t able to hold out for much longer, having to fight three student council members off on his own.


    At least it wasn''t six.


    "That trash isn''t even part of the student council! He''s only level 6! How can you and Xin Lai lose to him?!"


    "Why don''t you try and take him on then?!" Xin Lai snapped, irritated. Oh, how mature. Let''s resort to shifting blame.


    "I''ll take care of him once I knock out Jiao," Gu Chun Song replied. "So the both of you hold out until then."


    "That''s not necessarily. We''ll take him out." Li Guo Qiang glanced at Xin Lai. "Lai, keep bombarding him. Don''t give this trash the chance to recover!"


    "Seems like you''re the one who needs to recover," I replied as I kicked him with another powerful whirlwind strike. Li Guo Qiang grunted and staggered back, pain flashing across his features again. He might be extremely strong and resilient, but his unnatural sturdiness came at the expense of speed. He couldn''t keep up with me.


    On the other hand, I wold probably die to a stiff breeze. Even though I could take a few hits, the power behind Li Guo Qiang''s blows were devastating. I couldn''t afford to get hit¡­


    Bam!


    "Stay still, you bastard!"


    Li Guo Qiang had tried to punch me again, but I managed to dodge him. However, I walked straight into Xin Lai''s trap.


    Boom!


    "Ugh¡­!"


    The fireball caught me in the face and detonated, throwing me to the ground. I tried to roll away, but Li Guo Qiang landed right next to me and slammed his knee into my ribs.


    "Gah!"


    I coughed out some blood, but before I could use a footwork technique to escape, Li Guo Qiang smashed my face with a fist, knocking my glasses askew.


    My vision exploded in pain and blood, a red haze settling over my eyes. I desperately tried to stumble back, but Li Guo Qiang pressed his advantage, pummeling me with his fists. Despite doing my best to block the majority of them, I felt as if my bones were going to break.


    "Die!"


    With a shout, Li Guo Qiang punched me so hard he set me flying. Blood dribbling from my lips and various wounds around my body, I crashed onto the ground heavily. My qi circulation had clogged up from the accumulated damage and I couldn''t stand without wavering.


    Damn it¡­if this was a one-against-one, I might have stood a chance¡­


    However, two against one was still beyond me. I rose shakily to my feet, only to be caught by a fireball and knocked over again.


    "Time to finish you off!"


    Li Guo Qiang sounded gleeful despite resorting to despicable measures to bring me down. Two student council members ganging up on an ordinary student¡­if word got out, they would be shamed. Similarly, it took four student council members to beat up Zhu Jiao. They were really disgracing their own name.


    "Damn¡­"


    I looked up as Li Guo Qiang descended upon my position, swinging his leg down in an axe kick that would have caved my skull in if he landed.


    Boom!


    A thunderous explosion rang across the courtyard.


    "Guo Qiang?!"


    Xin Lai watched in disbelief. Li Guo Qiang''s kick had gone wide and smashed into the ground next to me, obliterating it with a crater. However, he had clearly missed me entirely. The reason didn''t seem clear at first, but I was raising a hand with faint wisps of qi trailing ominously from my fingers.


    Li Guo Qiang glared at me sullenly, feeling a chill when I opened my eyes to stare at him.


    "You impress me, Li Guo Qiang," I told him despite still being on my knees. "Why didn''t you come attack me?"


    "What''s with that stare?" Li Guo Qiang growled. "¡­I see! You''re bluffing, aren''t you?"


    "Would you care to test that?" I asked.


    "Don''t listen to him, Guo Qiang!" Xin Lai shouted from the side before throwing a fireball at me. "He''s trying to trick you!"


    Her fireball never reached me. It froze meters away before it could hit its target, turning into a solid block of ice and crashing onto the ground.


    "That''s¡­!"


    "What''s the matter, Li Guo Qiang?" I asked as I slowly rose to my feet. "Didn''t you say I was bluffing? Come attack me then."


    "Prattling on and on¡­I see¡­so you''re trying to buy yourself time?" Li Guo Qiang chuckled viciously. "But time isn''t the only thing you need, is it? Fei Wu!"


    I shrugged nonchalantly. "You''re the one who''s wasting time here. Come at me or don''t. It''s your choice."


    "Iron Fist!"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.


    Metallic qi bloomed and coalesced around Li Guo Qiang''s fist as he charged at me. A punch powerful to level the whole courtyard, the qi wrapped around his fist was as dense as a neutron star, and would probably obliterate me if it landed.


    If it landed.


    I stepped to the side, using Liu to synch myself with my opponent''s movements and evade his blow. As I did so, I slammed my palm into his side, right under his guard and almost threw him off balance.


    "Heh¡­"


    Li Guo Qiang looked surprised at first, but his shock turned into amusement when he realized there wasn''t much force behind the blow. He had probably thought I was going to kick him or something, and was half-relieved that I didn''t.


    "Ha ha ha ha! Have you finally given up?"


    "No?"


    "You should! I told you that my Iron Soul is impervious to all physical and elemental attacks! Nothing you do will ever work against me!"


    "Is that so?" I replied as I calmly strolled away, leaving Li Guo Qiang to continue bragging where he stood.


    "It''s my turn!"


    Spinning around, Li Guo Qiang made to approach me, but I raised my hand and shook my head.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you."


    "Hah!" Li Guo Qiang scoffed. "Another attempt at bluffing? It won''t work!"


    He took one step forward, only to suddenly topple over. Clutching his chest, he writhed and coughed out blood, which seemed to gleam like crystals. Going into violent spasms, he swore and glared up at me.


    "You¡­you bastard! What did you do to me?!"


    "Impossible!" Xin Lai exclaimed as she backed off, fear overwriting her pretty features. "That trash actually broke through Guo Qiang''s indestructible defenses!?"


    "Fucker! What did you do to me?! Answer me!"


    I couldn''t help but feel sorry for him, so I smiled and offered an explanation.


    "Do you know that over two-thirds of the human body is made out of water?"


    "What the fuck are you talking about?! What the hell does that have to do with anything!?" Li Guo Qiang bellowed. I sighed dramatically and shook my head.


    "You really are too stupid to make the connection, aren''t you?"


    "Don''t tell me¡­"


    On the other hand, Xin Lai had turned pale because she realized what I was getting at. I smiled and nodded toward her direction.


    "That''s right. What do you think will happen if I freeze all that water in your body?"


    The look of horror on Li Guo Qiang''s face told me that I had finally gotten through that thick skull of his.


    "You¡­!"


    Xin Lai snarled and hurled a fireball at me. I didn''t even bother to freeze it this time, instead disappearing and reappearing right next to her.


    Wham!


    "Ugh!"


    Even if she was a girl, I didn''t hold back and kicked her as hard as I could. Xin Lai went down, doubling over as she clutched her gut.


    "You¡­!"


    "It''s over. On your own, you''re no match for me."


    I stomped on her, knocking her out.


    "Lai!" Li Guo Qiang shrieked and thrashed about, but with his blood and bodily fluids frozen in his body, he was in no condition to move, never mind attack.


    "Well then¡­I guess I''ll go help Jiao¡­"


    Picking up my swords, I turned to keep track of Zhu Jiao''s battle with his opponents, only to bring them up in reflex.


    "Celestial Dragon Thunder Flame!"


    Li Chun Long descended upon my position, green flames wreathing his sword as he swung it down. I parried it by crossing my swords, but was driven back.


    "Ding Yan! Help me!"


    "R¡­roger that!"


    Ding Yan, who hadn''t been an active participant in the battle before ¨C keeping his distance because there were too many people attacking and he didn''t want to get in the way ¨C joined in at Li Chun Long''s order.


    "We''ll settle our match right here, right now!" Li Chun Long growled as he slashed at me, almost knocking the swords out of my hands. I struggled to keep up, exchanging several blows with him and trying to match his pace.


    "Two of the student council members¡­"


    I shook my head and spared a glance at the unconscious Xin Lai and the writhing Li Guo Qiang, then smirked.


    "Weren''t you supposed to be the strongest students in Wu Ling Academy? I hope you won''t let me down like those other two."


    "You¡­!"


    Li Chun Long flared up and his qi surged exponentially. The ground around him became scorched as his fiery qi expanded violently and took the form of a gargantuan dragon that roared before diving at me.


    "Solar Celestial Dragon!"


    Swinging his sword, Li Chun Long unleashed the qi dragon on me. The serpentine monster lunged at me, its fiery jaws wide open to swallow me whole. I simply stood my ground and waited for it to approach before countering with a technique of my own.


    Azure Dragon Blast.


    Unlike Li Chun Long and the others, I wasn''t in the habit of shouting out the names of my techniques. I merely swung my swords and unleashed an azure qi dragon of my own. Snarling ferociously, the divine beast leaped out of my swords and collided with the fiery green dragon, the both of them tangling in midair and detonating.


    "Gah!"


    "Kuh!"


    "Ugh!"


    Ding Yan, Li Chun Long and I were thrown in opposite directions, the shockwaves buffeting us. I rolled to my feet, only for Ding Yan to smash his palm down on my position. The stylish, long-haired martial artist had recovered quicker than either me or Li Chun Long and was assaulting me as quickly as he could.


    "!"


    I stepped back, just barely dodging his fist, and then retaliated with a slash that would have taken his hands off at the wrists if he hadn''t pulled them back in time. Ding Yan dodged my next sword strike and whirled around to deliver a roundhouse kick that just barely scraped my midriff when I withdrew just in time to avoid damage.


    While fighting off Ding Yan, I was almost caught off guard by Li Chun Long''s backstabbing actions. The Green Dragon Sect main disciple had thrust my sword toward my back, but I managed to sense his strike and parried it with both my swords.


    "Hu¡­"


    I ducked under Ding Yan''s palm strike next, and slashed at his midriff, forcing him back. At the same time, I used my other sword to deflect Li Chun Long''s flaming blade. Undeterred, Li Chun Long unleashed another flaming dragon strike that devastated the courtyard and forced both me and Ding Yan into evasive maneuvers.


    "Hey! Watch it!" Ding Yan complained. "I''m on your side!"


    "Surely you''re competent enough to evade on your own, right?" Li Chun Long retorted, unconcerned. Ding Yan scowled.


    "Then you can take care of Fei Wu on your own!"


    "Hey!" Li Chun Long shouted, but Ding Yan had already retreated. Now I understood why he kept his distance. He didn''t get along well with Li Chun Long.


    Then again, most people didn''t get along with Li Chun Long. The bastard''s condescending and arrogant attitude didn''t help matters. I didn''t blame Ding Yan. Never mind putting up with the fucker''s abuse, I had to watch out from attacks coming from my so-called ally who didn''t care if I ended up as collateral damage.


    Yeah, Ding Yan made the right decision.


    "Get back here!"


    Li Chun Long was shamelessly screaming at Ding Yan, but I cut in front of him and slashed out with one of my swords, forcing him back. Li Chun Long cursed and fought back, trading several blows that reverberated throughout the courtyard.


    Despite my best efforts, I found myself drawn into a stalemate. Li Chun Long was a lot stronger than both Li Guo Qiang and Xin Lai put together, and he was actually overwhelming me for the moment. I had to struggle just to match him boow for blow. Every fiery strike was intense and fatally hot, scalding my skin and causing my arms to go numb from the tremendous impacts. I found myself being cornered by his physical strength and superior qi.


    "Hah! You''re no big deal! I can defeat you in twenty moves!"


    Realizing his advantage, Li Chun Long pressed on further, driving me back. I stumbled as I tried to parry and deflect his blows, but he was slowly but surely breaking through my defenses. His fiery qi continued to burn me and I could feel the damage gradually accumulating. At this rate, I would be taken out before I could help Zhu Jiao!


    Even so, I did my best to hang on. Despite being forced into the defensive, I managed to hold out for as long as I could, matching Li Chun Long blow for blow. Aware that I couldn''t win in a contest of strength, I compromised and gave way whenever I could, allowing him to knock me back or rode the momentum of his attacks whenever possible. Instead of trying to react against him with an equal and opposing force, I integrated myself into the flow of his attacks.


    This was the essence of Liu, the footwork technique that Teacher Jiao taught me. He was right. As long as I mastered this, nobody in my generation could touch me!


    Unfortunately, what I needed right now wasn''t to escape. I needed to defeat Li Chun Long, and then go help Zhu Jiao before he was overwhelmed by Gu Chun Song, Yuan Mei and Ding Yan. I could see from the corner of my eye that he was no longer able to hang on, blood flowing from multiple wounds on his body. Blood dribbled from his mouth and he coughed out a huge amount as Gu Chun Song''s palm struck him moments after he freed himself from Yuan Mei''s grappling technique. As he tried to stagger away, Ding Yan struck him in the back, causing him to throw up more blood.


    "Jiao!"


    "Hey, hey, hey! Don''t go getting distracted in the middle of a battle!"


    "!!!"


    I managed to deflect a strike from Li Chun Long and staggered backward from the impact. However, I smiled.


    "Twenty moves? It has been two hundred moves and you still have yet to defeat me. Looks like you''re full of hot air."


    Li Chun Long''s face darkened and he intensified his attacks, blasting the courtyard with his fiery green qi and solar celestial dragons.


    Some distance away, Zhu Jiao had finally collapsed under the combined attacks of Gu Chun Song, Yuan Mei and Ding Yan. He crawled to his feet, staring miserably at the older student who he thought of as a brother prior to this.


    "Why¡­?"


    "Give up, Jiao," Gu Chun Song told him gently. "We only want you to do a couple of things. First, forfeit the match."


    "You¡­" Zhu Jiao spat through his bloodied lips, gritting his teeth in frustration as he tried to remain on his knees and hands. "Don''t even joke about it¡­!"


    "Secondly, you are to destroy your qi channels. Of your own volition. After all, even if we defeat you here, Teacher Yi Liao could just completely heal you in a few days. We need something more drastic. We need to cripple you for at least a few months, until the tournament ends."


    "Do you think Ning Xue will let you get away with this?!" Zhu Jiao growled defiantly. Gu Chun Song stared at him, his expression hidden behind that half-mask. Only his mouth was showing, and it was set in a thin grim line.


    "What Ning Xue wants is not important. She''ll have to accept the result. I''m ready to bear the consequences as long as she wins the tournament and remains the student council president¡­and the leader of all the students in Wu Ling Academy."


    "Bullshit!"


    "I thought you might listen to reason." Gu Chun Song sighed and shook his head dramatically. "Looks like there''s no other way."


    Zhu Jiao glanced up at him, his heart skipping a beat. He evidently seemed like he was wondering if Gu Chun Song might let him go after all.


    "You''ll have to die in an ''accident''. I''m very sorry, Jiao. I hoped that it wouldn''t come to this, but you left me no choice."


    "Senior Chun Song¡­!" Zhu Jiao pleaded as he tried to rise to his feet, only to collapse. "Please! You can''t do this¡­!"


    Gu Chun Song''s only reply was to raise his hand and saturate it with qi.


    "Stop!" I yelled and tried to use Jin to dash toward my friend, to cut in between Zhu Jiao and Gu Chun Song before the latter could hit him.


    "Your opponent is me."


    However, Li Chun Long matched my speed momentarily, his green dragon exploding and striking me while I was rushing forward. Blood spurted out of my mouth as I crashed heavily onto the ground, completely caught off guard.


    "Farewell, Jiao."


    Gu Chun Song''s hand descended upon the hapless Zhu Jiao. The latter squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the inevitable.


    Bang!


    "?!"


    Gu Chun Song recoiled when something struck his hand and his attack went wide, the destructive qi spiraling to the side and gouging a chunk out of the road beside Zhu Jiao, but otherwise missing his target entirely.

 108 Chapter 107: Conspiracy Crushed

    Yuan Mei cried out and backed away immediately, her face turning pale. Ding Yan also retreated quickly, looking dismayed. Li Chun Long blanched and withdrew his sword from cutting my head off (not that he would be able to).


    Only Gu Chun Song''s expression remained veiled behind that half-mask of his, but his lips were pressed into a thin line.


    "What are you doing?" Teacher Jiao demanded, but was only greeted with silence as the student council members hung their heads in shame. I sent him an I told you so look, but as usual, I was ignored. That didn''t matter. Teacher Jiao had arrived as promised, ensuring that the student council members wouldn''t harm Zhu Jiao.


    "This is blatant disregard for the academy rules," Teacher Cai declared as he arrived. Clearly he hadn''t been very far behind Teacher Jiao. The latter must have forwarded my email to him after he received it, especially since the former was officially in charge of handling the tournament. Teacher Cai''s authority would be needed here. "You''re supposed to be student council members! You''re supposed to set an example for other students! Yet here you are, breaking the rules and seceretly attacking the tournament participants in the middle of the night!"


    "Right before the day of the semifinals too." Teacher Jiao shook his head at the sheer stupidity of things. "What were you thinking? Did you really think you wouldn''t get caught?"


    "Well, they almost got away with it, and would have if I didn''t inform you about this," I pointed out dryly. Teacher Jiao sent me a sharp glance.


    "I mean, it would be hard not to launch an investigation if the tournament participants were found injured and crippled the next day, right before the semifinals. Even an idiot would find the whole thing suspicious."


    There was that, I suppose, but it would be too late for Zhu Jiao if they waited until the next day to start being suspicious and investigating.


    "But sorry for taking so long." Teacher Jiao lowered his head slightly. "And thanks for watching out for Student Zhu Jiao."


    "Yeah, well¡­" I scratched my head in embarrassment. The student council members stared at me, not comprehending what was happening.


    "I told you I trust you," Teacher Jiao said simply and cocked his head at Teacher Cai, who nodded.


    "You will all be following me to the office," Teacher Cai told the student council members strictly. Then he turned to me. "Student Fei Wu, we''ll count on you to bring Student Zhu Jiao to the infirmary. Seems like you''ll have to bring Student Qing Xin Xia, Student Li Guo Qiang and Student Xin Lai as well."


    "The infirmary?" I asked as I glanced at the four injured students. "But, at this time of the night, would there be anyone?"


    "I see." I nodded, stunned by his foresight. I had been so worried about Zhu Jiao that it didn''t occur to me that we might need Teacher Yi.


    "I figured someone would get injured one way or another," Teacher Jiao explained humorlessly. "I was hoping that I wouldn''t be right, but I had to assume the worst-case scenario."


    "You did the right thing," Teacher Cai told him and then turned to me. "Student Fei Wu, you should hurry. Zhu Jiao especially looks like he''s in critical condition."


    I nodded as I made my way toward my friend. "What about the others? I can''t carry all of them on my own."


    "That''s a good point," Teacher Cai admitted as he glanced at the other three students. "You''ll need some help."


    At that moment, Xin Lai stirred and rose. She looked utterly shocked when she opened her eyes and saw the two teachers, yelping and falling over.


    "W¡­why are the teachers here?!"


    "Because Fei Wu told them about our plans." Gu Chun Song remained unmoved as ever, his lips pressed tightly into a thin line as he turned to me. "Tell me, how did you learn of our plans? Was there a traitor in our group?"


    "Are you an idiot?" to be honest, he wasn''t, but I couldn''t tell him that I eavesdropped on the student council members'' conversation last night. "Anyone would have suspected something when you called Jiao out in the middle of the night right before the semifinal."


    "I see. I didn''t think Jiao would run into his friends in the middle of the night. Looks like I miscalculated."


    "Ding Yan. Bring Li Guo Qiang to the infirmary and report straight to the office afterward. Don''t try to run away, we''ll track you down."


    Ding Yan gulped and nodded. Among the student council members, he was the more cowardly of the bunch, and so was the least likely to run away. That was why Teacher Cai chose him to carry Li Guo Qiang to the infirmary instead.


    Xin Lai, on the other hand, was pretty unlucky. She woke up at the most inopportune moment and was now expected to report to the office along with the rest of her comrades. Qing Xin Xia, on the other hand, was still unconscious. I made a mental note to inform Teacher Jiao and Teacher Cai later of her actions before she was knocked out.


    Out of the student council, Qing Xin Xia was the most innocent, and she didn''t deserve to be punished. Not when she protested against the assault of Zhu Jiao and was knocked out for it. Fortunately, judging from Li Chun Long''s expression, I knew that he would certainly take care of her and tell the teachers about her lack of involvement in the attack.


    There clearly was some sort of complex of love triangle or love rectangle going around here. Qing Xin Xia was in love with Zhu Jiao, who was clearly smitten with his childhood sweetheart, Bai Ning Xue. Li Chun Long always had feelings for Qing Xin Xia, which was why he was so hostile toward Zhu Jiao. Bai Ning Xue, while usually cool and aloof, seemed to harbor affections for Zhu Jiao, but she was never very open with them so it was difficult to tell.


    I was so glad I wasn''t involved in all this romantic bullshit that plagued protagonists. Being a realistic side character, I would be lucky if even one girl looked at me, never mind two or more. And even the one girl I thought I might have a chance with was too busily focused on succeeding the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect that she had chosen to discard romance.


    Being a protagonist was great, wasn''t it? Too bad I didn''t have the same sort of fortune as Zhu Jiao, or I might be able to get a harem.


    "Are you all right?"


    However, this wasn''t the time to be indulging in my jealousy. Placing Zhu Jiao''s arm over my shoulders, I helped him up and supported him toward the infirmary. Zhu Jiao might be the typical enviable dense harem protagonist, but he was still my friend and as such, I had to help him. Behind me, Ding Yan carried Li Guo Qiang on his back and hurried after us. Qing Xin Xia seemed fine, not in any critical condition at all, so Teacher Cai eventually allowed Li Chun Long to carry her to the office along with everyone else.


    That meant only the four of us would be heading to the infirmary.


    "Remember to get your injuries treated as well!" Teacher Jiao told me sternly. "I know the priority is Student Zhu Jiao and Student Li Guo Qiang, but you''re not exactly unscathed yourself. Get yourself healed up too."


    "Yes, sir."


    I waved a hand at him to show that I heard him before I proceeded to bring Zhu Jiao to the infirmary. As we limped along, Zhu Jiao sagged visibly.


    "Ugh¡­you knew about this all along?"


    "I warned you," I grumbled under my breath. Zhu Jiao sighed and hung his head in shame.


    "Yes, you did. I''m sorry I didn''t believe you."


    I said nothing to that. I wasn''t the kind to gloat over being right or whatever. Okay, maybe I was, but Zhu Jiao was a good friend and I wasn''t stupid enough to do something that would lose me my friends.


    "Let''s get you healed up," I told him instead as I half-carried the nearly crippled Zhu Jiao into the infirmary.


    As promised, Teacher Yi was waiting in the infirmary for us. She looked dismayed when she saw the state of Zhu Jiao. Rounding on Li Guo Qiang and Ding Yan, she glared at them furiously. I swallowed in surprise. This was the first time I had seen Teacher Yi so angry.


    "What were you thinking?" she snarled at them. "You''re student council members! How could you beat up a fellow student to this condition?"


    "Uh, we¡­"


    "To be fair, it wasn''t them who beat up Jiao," I told Teacher Yi. "It was Gu Chun Song who was the main perpetuator. Li Guo Qiang was injured by me."


    Teacher Yi studied me with a quick glance, and then nodded. "Good thing you were there to watch out for Student Zhu Jiao. You don''t look like you''re in good shape yourself. Take a seat. I''ll take care of Student Zhu Jiao and Student Li Guo Qiang first before I take a look at you." her expression hardened. "Don''t go running away now. Your condition is serious as well, even if it''s not as critical as these two."


    Well, Zhu Jiao basically took hits from at least three student council members while Li Guo Qiang had his bodily fluids frozen by me, so they were definitely in worse shape than I was. That said, I wasn''t stupid enough to antagonize Teacher Yi, so I obeyed. Damn it, I was really spending too much time in the infirmary lately.


    "And you, Ding Yan, report to the office. I''m letting Teacher Jiao know that I''ve sent you back, so don''t try to run away."


    "I won''t," Ding Yan mumbled quietly before he took his leave. I watched him leave before I leaned back on the bed.


    "This has really been one hell of a night," I muttered before I ended up dozing off.


    *


    "So that''s basically what happened," I finished and bowed slightly before taking a step back. Principal Xiao Zhang watched me for a moment and then nodded. He seemed to consider my side of the story for a few moments.


    "Yeah, I can roughly guess the situation now," he said and turned toward the student council members who were standing trial in a different section of the room. They looked away guiltily, unable to meet his gaze. "To think that I trusted you with governing the school body. If you guys fall into corruption, then how can we have hope for the rest of the students? For the future of this academy? If word of this gets out¡­"


    "It won''t, sir," Gu Chun Song interrupted softly, only to shirk when Xiao Zhang visited upon him the full gaze of his wrath.


    "Whether outsiders know of this or not isn''t the problem. The problem is that you''ve abused the authority I had bestowed upon you and betrayed the trust of not just the teachers, but also all the students. You''ve let the academy down with your actions."


    "Sorry," Yuan Mei murmured, looking ashamed. Then she took a deep breath, and tried to hold back her tears as she pleaded. "Please, Principal Xiao, Bai Ning Xue has nothing to do with this. We did all of this on our own, without her knowledge. She shouldn''t be punished for our actions. We''ve already provided proof of her lack of involvement."


    "I know," Xiao Zhang cut her off. "I have no intention of punishing Bai Ning Xue. But the rest of you, on the other hand¡­"


    He glanced at the row of teachers lined up as jury, and they nodded, as if agreeing with whatever he had planned.


    "All of you here will be stripped of your student council positions and demoted back to ordinary students. You''ll also have your resources appropriate to your level withheld, and with the exception of Qing Xin Xia, you will be sentenced to six months in isolation training. Xin Xia, you will only get three because you tried to stop the assault, but I cannot let go of your involvement in the match-fixing of the tournament."


    "That''s fair," Qing Xin Xia replied softly. She had accepted her fate long ago, and thanks to my intercession ¨C as well as Zhu Jiao and Li Chun Long''s ¨C she was spared the same lengthy punishment that the other student council members suffered.


    This meant that the student council will be made out of Feng Tian Yong, Zhu Jiao and Tang Qi Hong, with Bai Ning Xue retaining her seat as the student council president. There was a great need to recruit and replace the seven now vacant spots.


    Well, that was none of my business. They could choose whoever they want as replacements while I returned to my life of normalcy, which would hopefully be free of such backstabbing and conspiracies.


    "What about the tournament?"


    Teacher Cai raised a hand.


    "If I''m not mistaken, this means that Li Chun Long will be disqualified and the other semifinal match will be held tomorrow?"


    The seminfinals had been postponed indefinitely after the student council''s actions had come to light. Apparently the academy had to sentence them first before deciding what to do with the tournament. Since Bai Ning Xue wasn''t involved in the entire fiasco, there was no reason to punish her. On the other hand, Li Chun Long would clearly be disqualified because of his role in matchfixing as well as being part of the group who attacked Zhu Jiao just before the original day of the semifinal match. That meant I had automatically won.


    But I didn''t like that. Not a single bit.


    "Yes. The student council members will be given several days to prepare and set their affairs in order before they enter isolation training."


    Isolation training was a little harsh, especially as it meant that you spent a specific amount of time locked up inside a highly fortified chamber ¨C which was little better than a prison cell ¨C and you were expected to invest all that time into cultivating and developing your martial arts. Just like ascetics of old, where they imposed a self-exile on themselves and cultivated alone in remote mountains and other deserted places bereft of human life and civilizations, they were forbidden to make any contact with any other person as they developed their skills.


    That might not sound like much of a punishment, but it was precisely because they were isolated from any human contact that they were deprived of resources. Well, mostly. Technically, teachers and masters were allowed to deliver scrolls and techniques to them through the fortified steel door that separated the inmates from the outside world, but without access to the Internet, phone service or any of the modern amneities that allowed communication, the people on the outside rarely had any way of knowing which scrolls or techniques they needed. Spirit pills, artificial qi, equipment, spirit armaments and other non-scoll or non-technique resources were banned, however. So no test dummy or battle puppet to practice your skills on while you were locked up.


    In a sense, the isolation training was good for martial artists desperate to make a breakthrough and develop their martial arts further, but the complete lack of human contact and socialization might drive the prisoners crazy.


    I didn''t envy them.


    "There shouldn''t be any problems with that," Xiao Zhang continued when no one objected. He glared at the now former student council members. "We''ll send you the official notice by tomorrow. For now, return to your dorm and get your affairs in order before you enter isolation training. Make sure to use your sentence to reflect on your own actions, hone your skills, and develop not just as a martial artist but also as a person."


    Since martial arts were strongly linked with character, justice and righteousness, it was thought that isolation training would help imprisoned martial artists develop their character if they totally dedicated their time into training in martial arts. I didn''t buy it, of course ¨C why would demonic martial arts and sects exist otherwise? ¨C but I wasn''t the authority here. So I didn''t say anything.


    Well, that wasn''t completely true. There was something I wanted.


    "Before they enter isolation training, do you mind if I challenge Li Chun Long to an official match?" I asked as I raised my hand.


    Everyone turned to stare at me.


    "It''s not against the rules," Xiao Zhang replied. "But Student Li Chun Long has been disqualified from the tournament. Surely you no longer have a reason to fight him?"


    "Reconsider your request," Teacher Cai added. "I don''t mind officiating your match, but this will bring needless risk to your well-being."


    He was aware of how I was getting pummeled by Li Chun Long and destroyed one-sidedly before he and Teacher Jiao arrived to haul both my and Zhu Jiao''s asses out of the fire, so to speak. Of course I remembered that too, but¡­


    "Begging your pardon, but I don''t want to automatically qualify for the finals like this. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and will invite rumors from the rest of the student body." I paused and raised my head up high. "I can already hear them saying about how lucky I am to get to the finals¡­like how fortune has favored me, or the academy is biased against the student council, or how I would have lost to Li Chun Long if this didn''t happen."


    "Those are just talk, you can disregard them," Xiao Zhang pointed out dismissively.


    "Perhaps so, but as a martial artist, I want to prove all that wrong not through talk and speculation, not through questions of "what if?". I want to prove them with my very own actions." I took a deep breath. "If I lose this official match against Li Chun Long, then I will forfeit the final."


    There was a stir in the room as the teachers began discussing with each other in low whispers on how to deal with my response. I didn''t react and merely continued standing up straight, refusing to slacken my spine as I waited.


    "Very well. You indeed raise a good point. The ways of a martial artist should definitely be proven through actions rather than words. Thank you for reminding everyone of that. Permission granted." Xiao Zhang turned to an astonished Li Chun Long. "Consider this as one of the affairs you need to sort out before you enter isolation training."


    "Understood."


    Li Chun Long cupped his hands and bowed. He then turned toward me, his lips curling into a sneer.


    I knew what that meant. He was laughing at me inwardly and swearing that I would regret this. No doubt he harbored resentment against me for ruining the student council''s plans and getting in his way of crippling Zhu Jiao.


    "Then we will hold the official match tomorrow," Teacher Jiao said as he glanced from me to Li Chun Long. "Best to get it done and over with so that Student Li Chun Long can get into isolation training as soon as possible."


    "Thank you very much." I bowed formally as I thanked the staff.


    "If there''s nothing else, then this sessions is adjourned." Xiao Zhang stuck the table with his fist to dismiss everyone. The students and teachers filed out of the pseudo court room, the student council members heading toward the dorm to prepare for the long isolation training ahead of them. As for me, I headed toward the training facility to train for tomorrow''s official match. Even though it wasn''t technically a tournament match, I couldn''t afford to lose.


    It wasn''t just because of the promise I made in front of everyone. My pride wouldn''t allow it. Plus I wanted to get a few hits in as revenge for the student council attacking Zhu Jiao to deny him the semifinal. They wanted to cripple him? They wanted to force him to forfeit the match against Bai Ning Xue, a match he had been looking forward to for so long?


    Not a chance!


    Furthermore, I rememebered how outfought I was a few days earlier when Li Chun Long singlehandedly defeated me with his Green Dragon Sect martial arts. I couldn''t let it end like this. I wanted to defeat him.


    That was the sole motivation right now.


    "Hey! Wu, wait!"


    Zhu Jiao hurried after me. As the main victim in this whole mess, he had also been called to stand witness at court and had been the first to give his account. The student council members had testified and pleaded guilty after him, and I had hammered the truth home with my own account, providing the evidence with my cellphone recording.


    Not that my testimony was necessary, especially when the student council members had already pleaded guilty, but it was a matter of formality and so that the school scribes had a job to do ¨C recording every word the defendants, the victims and the eyewitnesses said. To be honest, they probably recorded everything using qi devices, but they still had to replay the entire session and transcribe every word into written text.


    I didn''t envy them their job.


    "Jiao, are you all right?"


    I slowed down a little to allow him to catch up. Teacher Yi had done an amazing job, healing him fully in just a night. She was exhausted after that, and would probably be just as weary as the rest of the tournament ran its course. Even more so, now that she would be deprived of Qing Xin Xia''s help when the latter went into isolation training.


    Unless, of course, Qing Xin Xia counted her healing duties during the tournament as affairs to handle, and went into isolation training after the tournament ended. With only three months of imprisonment when compared to the rest of her comrades, she could go in later and still be released way earlier than the others.


    "Yeah, I am¡­but more importantly!" Zhu Jiao stared at me in concern, no doubt having heard my challenge. "Are you sure that''s wise?"


    "Wise? No. Necessary? Yes."


    "How the hell was that necessary?!" Zhu Jiao demanded. Before I could reply, we both turned around as another voice called out to us.


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    "Wu, Jiao! Are you guys all right? How did the court session go?"


    Our friends had arrived, looking concerned. They had been anxiously waiting outside the courtroom for the results, and now that we had finally emerged, they quickly swarmed over us. Tong Xue, in particular, was extremely curious.


    "They wouldn''t tell us anything!" Tang Qi Hong complained, adding onto Tong Xue''s question as she followed him.


    "Seems like the student council members have been punished," Ban Zhang remarked thoughtfully as he glanced in the direction where they were headed.


    "You''re right," I informed him. He nodded in satisfaction.


    "Well, it serves them right. They were supposed to be student council members, yet they went and did something like this."


    Ban Zhang certainly had the sense of duty and responsibility to be a student council member, but unfortunately they selected members based purely on strength and not leadership capabilities. Otherwise Ban Zhang would have become a student council member long ago. However, in terms of strength, he was unable to match any of them.


    This was stupid. They should be selecting student council members based on leadership ability and charisma, not strength. Fortunately, Bai Ning Xue was completely impartial, fair and charismatic, to the point where her student council officers would be willing to break the rules just to preserve her position. While I couldn''t say anything about the other student council members, I had to admit that it was testament to her personality and character that she could command such total respect from her subordinates and the rest of the student body.


    "They were sentenced to six months of isolation training," Zhu Jiao added, a bit of venom in his voice. He then softened. "Xin Xia got three months because she tried to help me. All of them were removed from the student council."


    "Considering what they did, I say that was quite a light punishment." Tong Xue folded his arms. When he caught Zhu Jiao''s darkening expression, he quickly added, "Well, not for Xin Xia, though. She clearly doesn''t deserve to be punished this much."


    "Yeah¡­but they can''t really let her off either. It''s quite the dilemma." Zhu Jiao sighed in frustration.


    "I can''t believe Xin Xia and Chun Long would do something like this." Lian Rou shook her head in disbelief as she tried to digest the facts. She turned to Zhu Jiao and me. "As long as you guys are all right, that''s the most important thing."


    "By the way, what are you guys talking about?" Tang Qi Hong stared at me suspicious. "What''s not wise but necessary?"


    "This guy¡­" Zhu Jiao groaned and jabbed a finger at me. "Even though Li Chun Long has been disqualified from the tournament and he can just automatically advance to the final, he decides to go challenge Li Chun Long to an official match and promised that he would forfeit the final if he loses. What kind of idiot does that?!"


    "That¡­certainly isn''t wise¡­"


    Tong Xue stared at me as if he had just saw an alien for the first time.


    "But¡­I understand how Wu feels."


    Not surprisingly, it was Tang Qi Hong who backed me up. She came to my side and faced the others.


    "If I were him, I wouldn''t want to win like this. Not like this. I want to defeat my opponent fair and square, not through a technicality or disqualification."


    "That''s true." Zhu Jiao sighed. "I guess I wouldn''t want to win like this either. It''ll leave a bitter taste in my mouth."


    "Not to mention, everyone would be talking about how Wu got it easy," Tong Xue added, having realized my intentions. "They''ll accuse the teachers of playing favorites, or claim that Wu only won because his opponent was disqualified. This is the only way to convince them that he deserves to progress to the final on his own merit."


    "Wait, why does Fei Wu even need to convince anyone in the first place?" Lian Rou asked, bewildered.


    I shrugged. "Why do I even aim to win the tournament in the first place?"


    "That''s¡­" Lian Rou trailed off. "The resources. The winner gets more resources than the others. The higher your ranking, the higher you finish in the tournament, the more resources you will be rewarded with."


    "True, but Wu can''t receive artificial qi, so that''s a big chunk of resources cut off for him. I don''t think they''ll compensate him for that even if he somehow wins the tournament."


    "It''s not for the rewards or resources," I added after Ban Zhang''s sobering reminder. "It''s mostly for pride and prestige. That''s why I don''t want to win like this. There''s no honor in automatically winning a match by disqualification."


    "Honor, huh?" Lian Rou murmured, and then nodded. "I guess I see what you mean."


    "Yeah," Tong Xue agreed. "And it''s also to deflect criticism, since there will surely be people complaining that you won by default and don''t deserve to advance to the finals. If you defeat Li Chun Long in front of everyone, in an official match, you''ll silence all those criticisms."


    "That is indeed the plan," I assured him.


    I had no idea how I bought into this whole beliefs about honor and pride. Readers might find it highly impractical and stupid, but I guess I was influenced by the ideas of sportsmanship. Even back in my original timeline, we had something called sportsmanship in tournaments and competitions. Of course, the stakes had been raised to insane levels, especially when money and sponsors were involved, but there was still talk of ideals and sportsmanship among the competitors. I would like to believe that those continue to exist.


    "Okay. But do you have a way to defeat Li Chun Long? He''s pretty strong, you know."


    Zhu Jiao was staring at me now, obviously remembering how I got blasted away by one of Li Chun Long''s attakcks when I was trying to save him from Gu Chun Song and the others. I took a deep breath and sighed.


    "No, I don''t. Not yet, anyway. Besides¡­" I smiled as I returned Zhu Jiao''s gaze. "You should worry more about yourself, Jiao. Do you have a way to defeat Bai Ning Xue?"


    "Hmph." Zhu Jiao grinned. "I plan to just show up and do my best. Whoever wins, I won''t hold any resentment."


    "Then I shall do the same."


    "The problem, though¡­" Tang Qi Hong looked thoughtful as she glanced in the direction where the student council members had disappeared to. "¡­is whether Li Chun Long has the same attitude. I''m sure he''ll be focused on getting revenge on you for exposing the student council''s schemes and causing them to get punished."


    "Even though they fully deserve it," Ban Zhang muttered under his breath.

 109 Chapter 108: Two Dragons

    "Yeah, Li Chun Long got disqualified."


    "Doesn''t that mean Fei Wu automatically progresses to the final?"


    "Aw¡­how disappointing."


    "Yeah, if Li Chun Long didn''t get disqualified, there''s no way Fei Wu would get to the final."


    "He''s too weak."


    "He doesn''t deserve it."


    As I expected, those were the words floating on everyone''s lips as they conversed animatedly on the day before the semifinal between Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue. As Bai Ning Xue was proven to not have a hand in the matchfixing or assault on Zhu Jiao, she wasn''t disqualified. Everyone was eagerly anticipating that match.


    In fact, most people thought that should be the true final. I was just a side character, an insignificant and unimportant participant who should have been eliminated long ago. I clearly wasn''t as strong as Li Chun Long.


    "That Fei Wu¡­he only got into the final because of luck."


    "Man! I wish I was as lucky as him!"


    Bloody bastards. They seemed to have completely forgotten that I had defeated Wu Hei Gui and Wu Xing to graduate top of my group, and beat both Kuang Hu and Feng Tian Yong on my way to the semifinal. Evidently their envy had clouded their rational thinking, otherwise they wouldn''t be spouting such nonsense.


    Fortunately, I had already expected that, which was why I had challenged Li Chun Long to an official match. Unfortunately, news of that challenge seemed to have filtered slower than Li Chun Long''s disqualification and the student council''s scandal. No one seemed to be talking about it yet. And obviously I wasn''t thick-skinned enough to go telling everyone about it.


    Luckily, I had friends who could do that to me.


    "Hey, Wu!"


    Tong Xue showed up and smacked me across the back. I almost fell forward, but thanks to my footwork mastery, I kept my balance somehow. Wincing and rubbing my back, I turned to give my cheerful classmate a glare.


    "What''s up?"


    "How is your preparation? Are you ready to take on Li Chun Long today? Even though you said you don''t have a concrete plan in mind¡­"


    "I just plan to show up and do my best," I replied, echoing Zhu Jiao yesterday with a straight face. Tong Xue tried not to laugh.


    "Well, good luck!"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Eh? Wasn''t Li Chun Long automatically disqualified?"


    "Why are they still fighting?"


    The students in the vicinity couldn''t help but be curious when they overheard my conversation with Tong Xue.


    "Oh, you guys didn''t hear?"


    Finally, those with a little more information ¨C no doubt those who patrolled the online forums and school social media to scrounge up on news ¨C showed up and began chatting excitedly as they joined their ignorant friends.


    "Oh¡­so he does have some backbone after all."


    "I thought he was pretty shameless, showing up for class after all that, but I was wrong¡­"


    Hey! Who the hell was shameless!? What was with these bastards, going off and thinking whatever nonsense they liked?!


    Suppressing my annoyance, I ignored the pointless chatter and continued toward the classroom. Even though the official match was today, and there were other ranking matches for those students who were already eliminated from the tournament, classes continued as usual. Nothing short of a Minnesota blizzard was going to stop the academy from operating as usual.


    "Are you sure about this, Wu?" Tang Qi Hong asked, concerned, when she and Lian Rou met us on our way to the classroom. "You know you don''t have to do this, right? You aren''t obligated to prove anything."


    I smiled at her. "Oh, but I do. I want to prove to myself that I can fight on par with a member of the student council. I want to prove not just to everyone, but to myself that I''m not inferior to those elites on the student council."


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    "You''ve already defeated Feng Tian Yong," Ban Zhang pointed out when he showed up from nowhere. Apparently he had been listening in on our conversation from the beginning. "You''ve already proven that you''re on par with a member of the student council."


    "Li Chun Long is stronger than Feng Tian Yong, isn''t he?" I pointed out. "Tian Yong is faster, though. But one victory can be considered a fluke. However, if I beat two student council members, then no one can claim it''s solely my luck."


    "I don''t think it''s solely your luck," Tang Qi Hong insisted. I smiled gratefully at her.


    "Yeah, and I''m thankful for that. However, I want to prove to myself that it''s not luck. Think of it as something necessary for me to build on my self-esteem and confidence. That I can pull off such an achievement not once but twice."


    She hesitated, and then sighed.


    "Well, you had better win then. I won''t forgive you if you lose to a bastard like Li Chun Long."


    "Yeah. I don''t want to lose to him either." I nodded firmly and clenched my fists, recalling our last exchange. Back then, Li Chun Long surely held the upper hand, and it infuriated me. I needed to exorcize that specter of defeat still lingering over my head. The match hadn''t ended yet, and I was a little tired out from fighting Li Guo Qiang and Xin Lai.


    Speaking of which, I actually defeated both Li Guo Qiang and Xin Lai, so technically I had already proven to myself that I was at least on par, if not stronger than a few members on the student council. But I kept that truth from my friends. It wasn''t because I was afraid that they would disapprove of my decision if my motivation was revenge rather than building self-confidence. I just couldn''t be bothered to deliver a complex, lengthy explanation of what really happened back then, during that night. It would take too much time and effort.


    "Hmph."


    Li Chun Long was already in class when we entered. He glanced at me, a sneer curling his lips. At least he wasn''t throwing the usual, clich¨¦ lines of "you''re a hundred years too early to fight me" or calling me trash who didn''t know my place. That would be cheesy and plain ridiculous. As arrogant as Li Chun Long was, he wasn''t an evil guy at heart. He was just a little misguided and allowed his feelings for Qing Xin Xia to cloud his judgement.


    The aforementioned Qing Xin Xia was squirming visibly in her seat, especially when her senior had come over, presumably to talk to her. She glanced up at us, and looked a little disappointed when she saw that Zhu Jiao wasn''t with us.


    That guy would only be here at the last minute. He was perpetually late. I could hardly recall a time when he was early. That wasn''t to say he was never early, but the few times he was marked those moments as unusual.


    I tore my glance away from the Green Dragon Sect disciples ¨C a couple of others having gathered around Qing Xin Xia''s desk as well. They were most likely discussing the match with me later. I doubted they would try anything funny, and from what I heard, they were mostly encouraging Li Chun Long to teach me a lesson and destroy me.


    There was one of them, however, who didn''t sound very approving.


    "You''ve disgraced our sect, First Senior," he told Li Chun Long gravely. "Master is pretty upset with what you did."


    "I did it for Ning Xue''s sake!"


    That sounded hollow. I was skeptical of that reason. Knowing Li Chun Long, he probably did it because he resented Zhu Jiao for being the target of Qing Xin Xia''s affections, and not because he really wanted Bai Ning Xue to preserve her position as the student council president. Whatever his motivations, however, it still didn''t justify what he did.


    The second senior, Er Shi Xiong probably knew that as well, for he was shaking his head with a sigh.


    "Don''t let your personal feelings cloud your judgement. And besides, Bai Ning Xue is not a member of our sect. Why do you bother going so far for her?"


    "That''s¡­"


    Li Chun Long spluttered, looking furious, but unable to muster a retort. He swore and turned away with a scowl on his face.


    I wasn''t one to indulge in gossip and stare, so I paid no attention to any further exchange they might have carried out and focused on the lesson ahead.


    *


    After class ended, we headed for the coliseum almost immediately. Readers probably wouldn''t be interested in the material we covered in class anyway, so I wasn''t going to elaborate too much on that. I was sure they wanted to skip straight to the fight scene.


    I guess that was the main point of a martial arts story. The combat, huh? Besides, my match with Li Chun Long was a long time coming.


    "I see that you didn''t run away, after all."


    Li Chun Long was already waiting in the coliseum. The guy was even more eager than I was to begin the match. I suspected it was mostly because he couldn''t wait for the chance to take revenge and beat me up for getting in the way of his grudge against Zhu Jiao and interfering with the well laid-out plans of the student council.


    Considering I easily broke them just by eavesdropping and informing the teachers, I wouldn''t say they were well laid out, to be honest. But whatever.


    I glanced at the window, where my friends had taken up position to watch the match. Not far away, Qing Xin Xia and the rest of the Green Dragon Sect disciples stood, poised as spectators and supporting their first senior. Behind them were crowds of students, excited over the prospect of watching a battle between two dragons.


    Or enthusiastic over the prospect of watching a dragon thrash a trash. I wasn''t unaware of the main student body''s low opinion of me, and thus far my victories over Feng Tian Yong and the rest had been credited as "flukes". Not to mention, Kuang Hu and Wu Xing weren''t very highly regarded when compared to the student council.


    The student council members were supposed to be on a completely different level from the other students, after all.


    "Shall we get started then?" Li Chun Long turned toward the speaker without waiting for an answer and called out. "Teacher Cai, can we begin?"


    "Anytime when you''re ready," was the response. Smirking, Li Chun Long turned back to me and bowed mockingly.


    "Li Chun Long, Class 1-4. I''m of the Green Dragon Sect, and I''ve mastered all twelve levels of the Solar Celestial Dragon Formula." He drew his sword. "This is my Spirit Sword, Sacred Dragon Sword. I''ve also mastered the seven sword styles of the Green Dragon Sect! And I have three sexagenaries of qi."


    A green fiery aura blazed about his elegantly crafted blade, a tiny qi dragon coiling around it as it exuded a ferocious atmosphere.


    I showed no sign of being intimidated and merely returned the bow formally.


    "Fei Wu, also from Class 1-4. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    I didn''t bother to give away my skills. The readers would be sick of hearing them for the umpteenth time, and I knew Li Chun Long had no interest in hearing about them anyway. To him, I was nothing more than an annoying pebble on the road that he wanted to kick about to vent his anger before he went into isolation training.


    Little did he know that I was planning to rock his world and cause him to be stoned from this battle.


    Drawing my swords, I bowed humbly. "I look forward to sparring with someone from one of the esteemed Celestial Creature Sects."


    The Green Dragon Sect was one of the four Celestial Creatures, along with Red Phoenix Sect, White Tiger Sect and Black Tortoise Sect. even among the eight major sects, the four Celestial Creature Sects were a power unto their own.


    "You may begin."


    The moment Teacher Cai''s voice revebrated from the speakers, Li Chun Long lunged forward, his sword igniting with ferocious green flames. In the face of his fearsome charge, I raised both my swords and got ready to block his blow.


    ROAR!


    A green dragon erupted from his sword, coiling around his body and enhancing his strength several times over. With a bellow, Li Chun Long swung his sword down on my position. I brought both swords up and crossed them in order to parry his blow.


    Boom!


    The ground beneath us shattered from the tremendous impact. I managed to force Li Chun Long back by sweeping both my swords forward, countering his furious charge with an equally enraged retaliation.


    Li Chun Long flipped his body in midair and skidded back after landing on his feet. Trying to steady his trembling hands, which held his vibrating sword, he gritted his teeth and admitted to himself grudgingly.


    "Argh¡­what amazing spiritual strength! No wonder the Nine-tailed Fox Sect''s Tushan City remains impregnable even today."


    As for me, I enthusiastlcally stepped forward to press my advantage.


    "As expected of the first disciple of the Green Dragon Sect, you''re really powerful. A perfect opponent for me to test out my newly learned skills."


    Executing Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, I swung my sword viciously at the still balancing Li Chun Long, forcing him to parry my blow.


    Clang!


    As I anticipated, Li Chun Long''s reflexes were impressive. He managed to match my speed and warded my attacks off almost effortlessly. Undaunted, I contined to attack him, launching a hail of sword strikes that forced Li Chun Long into the defensive and pushed him back almost one-sidedly.


    My recklessness was rewarded when I succeeded in opening up a huge gash in Li Chun Long''s shoulder, causing him to stagger back from the impact as blood spurted from his wound. However, my reckless charge proved to be a double-edged sword when his riposte tore open an injury in my side, causing me to retreat momentarily.


    However, I would not be stopped. Taking only a millisecond to recover, I surged forward once more, my assault intensifying and almost taking Li Chun Long by surprise. We both exchanged several hundred swift and lethal blows, and credit to Li Chun Long, he managed to deliver precise counterattacks that would have killed me had I not parried them in time.


    "!"


    I could see the green flames burning brightly around his blaze, and even without direct contact, being in such close proximity caused my skin to be scaled by the intense, mystical heat.


    On the other hand, I wasn''t the only one taking damage. While I was being burned by Li Chun Long''s fiery qi, he was also suffering from the icy qi that circulated around his arms. Every exchange with my sword caused him to retreat with his arms encased in ice, and he had to repeatedly expend qi to shatter the ice with brute force and sheer heat.


    "Uwooooh!"


    "AAAAAAAAAH!"


    Both of us yelled as we clashed again in the center of the coliseum, both of us putting as much strength behind our blows as we could.


    Boom!


    We sprang apart as shockwaves buffeted us, the ground beneath our feet giving way and imploding into a crater.


    Screech!


    Both of us skidded to a halt several dozen meters away from each other, flung away to such a great distance from the sheer power of our exchange.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I straightened up, even as I struggled to catch my breath. Gripping my two swords tightly, I took a deep breath and recovered my stance, refusing to show even a single sign of weakness. Opposite me, amidst the waving smoke, my opponent was also straightening as he fought to recover even more quickly than I did after the ferocious exchange.


    "Phew¡­"


    A bead of perspiration rolled off Li Chun Long''s face and dripped onto the ground. He glared at me, ignoring the sweat that now poured profusely down his face, grimacing when he realized that he had vastly underestimated me.


    "His spiritual strength is impressive. And he''s different from when I fought him a few days ago. I''m not sure how¡­but¡­I think he''s more¡­ruthless somehow. What sort of training did he do over the last few days to achieve such improvement? Or was he holding back his skills that night? That can''t be possible."


    I watched him and smiled.


    "Hmm, this match is better than a few nights ago. Even though the fight has been a lot longer than back then, I still have not lost. Hmm¡­it seems that my prowess has improved!"


    Even though I had been bloodied and wounded, Li Chun Long was in the same condition, having suffered injuries of his own. Frowning in determination, I gripped both of my swords and raised them in an attacking stance.


    "I''m not going to lose this match! I''ll prove that I''m not inferior to any of the student council members, and not inferior to anyone from the eight major sects!"


    Well, considering that I was technically from one of the eight major sects if you remembered my secondary membership in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, that was kind of redundant, but it was precisely because of that status as an outer disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect that I didn''t want to lose to any disciple from the other seven major sects. Never mind that Li Chun Long was an inner sect disciple who was poised to be the next leader of the Green Dragon Sect.


    Aware of his position, Li Chun Long scowled.


    "Hmph. Why should I be afraid of a nobody like Fei Wu? He''s only a One Star Constitution cultivator who can''t receive artificial qi at best."


    Oh really? Then it was up to me to change his opinion. But as I said, I was the type to prove my point with actions and not words, so I just jumped forward.


    "Come on!" I hollered as I surged forward, azure qi coalescing around me. Pouring as much qi as I could into my two swords, I executed Draconic Meteor Strike. Blobs of azure qi seemed to fly about and follow behind me like meteors.


    "Kuh!"


    Li Chun Long tried to move, but he suddenly found his feet frozen to the floor. All around the coliseum, ice was creeping and expanding, turning the whole place into a howling blizzard. Within seconds, Li Chun Long found the majority of his body encased in ice. He gritted his teeth and struggled, but was unable to break free of the ice in time.


    "Argh! What an impressive ice technique! I''m completely frozen in place!"


    Making use of the opportunity, I closed in on him, swinging both my swords with meteoric force. Snowy winds howled behind me as gusts of azure qi trailed my blades, the meteors lending my blows absurd destructive power.


    "!!!"


    Realizing that it would all be over if he got hit directly by my Draconic Meteor Strike, Li Chun Long desperately channeled his qi into his Sacred Dragon Sword.


    "Celestial Dragon!" he shouted, his fiery green qi taking the shape of a dragon and swirling about his sword.


    In that single move, he broke free of the ice, vaporizing it with intense green flames and then channeling all of those flames into his blade.


    "Celestial Dragon Thunder Flame!"


    Blazing green qi trailed his sword as he swung it upward to deflect my strikes. We both clashed with incredible impact in the middle of the arena, reducing the crater-marked ground into rubble as even the reinforced material was unable to withstand the power of our blows.


    I met Li Chun Long''s thunderous, fiery attacks with meteoric force, the collision of our blades wreaking great destruction.


    Neither of us were able to get away from this exchange unscathed. Blood sprayed from our shoulders and arms as we furiously matched each other blow for blow, our weapons nicking or grazing whatever openings we could find.


    Clang!


    Boom!


    In one final, thunderous exchange, the both of us were forced to spring away from each other, explosions reverberating across the beleaguered arena.


    However, I was far from finished.


    "Not bad!"


    Even as blood leaked from my mouth, I kicked off the ground and charged at Li Chun Long again, refusing to let my momentum die down.


    I would have shouted something like, "Li Chun Long of Green Dragon Sect! Receive another attack of mine!" but that would sound incredibly cheesy. Not to mention, it was a mouthful to say, especially in the middle of a match where the both of us were fighting for our lives and pride on the line. I wasn''t going to bother.


    As I said, actions mattered more than words.


    "Ugh!"


    I wasn''t the only one seriously injured. I could see the blood dribbling out of Li Chun Long''s mouth, my opponent stunned by my fierce attacks. He was clearly taken aback by how I was able to match him blow for blow, and even momentarily overpower him this time. It had only been a few days, but already the flow of this match had shifted in my favor.


    However, unwilling to admit defeat, Li Chun Long allowed the fiery qi from his Solar Celestial Dragon Formula to surge throughout his body to empower himself and partially protect him by enveloping him within a blazing aura of thick, yang qi. Steeling himself, he straightened and raised his sword to meet my blow.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike!


    A much more powerful attack than the normal Draconic Meteor Strike, I rarely used this technique because it used up a lot of my qi. However, right now I didn''t care how much qi I had to expend. As long as I could defeat Li Chun Long¡­


    It wasn''t that I was being reckless and utterly lacked caution. Against another opponent, I might have withheld my attacks and saved my strength just in case he or she was planning something. However, I knew Li Chun Long relatively well. He was a direct and straightforward person who wasn''t the type to scheme. He would come at me with all his strength, to utterly dominate his opponent with brute force alone.


    He wasn''t the type to sneakily conceal his true strength. As I anticipated, he was coming at me with all his might, trying to defeat me with everything he had.


    The both of us clashed again, with Li Chun Long meeting my blow head-on and refusing to back off. Blood spurted from his mouth and he stumbled back, unable to withstand the tremendous power from my strike. However, credit to him, he countered with a wild swing of his sword that forced me to duck. Dropping to my knees, I then whirled around and kicked him in the gut.


    "Ugh!"


    Li Chun Long reeled back from my kick and swung his sword down to sever my leg, but I had already pulled it back. Spinning around and getting back to my feet, I firmly met his next strike with both my swords.


    Clang!


    Shoving him back, I kicked him in the chest and drove him back, causing him to cough out more blood. In return, he lashed out with a riposte that cut through my eblow, the fiery qi burning the surrounding skin. The sheer heat cauterized the cut, but the pain was agonizing enough for me to momentarily lose my focus.


    There was no way Li Chun Long wouldn''t capitalize on that.


    "Celestial Dragon Strike!"


    Roaring in fury, Li Chun Long swung his sword at me, his green qi blazing and covering his blade. I parried it by crossing both my swords, but the force was almost too much for me to endure. I found myself flung back, hurtling across the arena.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    Gritting my teeth in frustration, but refusing to yield, I flipped myself in midair and slammed both my feet into the coliseum wall. Without pausing, I propelled myself off the wall and launched myself at an astonished Li Chun Long.


    "What?!"


    I replied with a meteoric strike that almost knocked Li Chun Long''s sword out of his hand, but he managed to recover quickly.


    "Solar Celestial Dragon Formula, level 12!"


    "!?"


    I almost couldn''t react in time. Green flames erupted from Li Chun Long''s body like a supernova and scorched me, flinging me across the coliseum and sending me crashing onto the ground.


    "Gah! Ugh!"


    Coughing out blood, I tried to crawl to my feet, but Li Chun Long wouldn''t give me the chance. He descended upon my position with a huge swing of his sword. Noticing his movements, I quickly hit the deck and rolled away.


    Boom!


    Behind me, Li Chun Long carved a crater into the earth, destroying the already wrecked coliseum floor. As he tried to yank his Sacred Dragon Sword out of the broken ground, I quickly seized the chance to roll to my feet and readjust my stance.


    "Kuh¡­"


    As blood dribbled from my mouth, I stared at the halo of intense green fire that shimmered around Li Chun Long''s body. A gargantuan green dragon uncoiled and reared up behind and above the Green Dragon Sect head disciple, roaring silently.


    No doubt Li Chun Long struck an imposing figure. I found the current atmosphere suffocating, my breath oppressed by the fiery presence of the dragon. Even so, I was aware that the green dragon was an illusion, created by the immense force of his qi alone.


    "Phew¡­"


    However, I refused to be intimidated. Holding up both my swords, I glared at Li Chun Long determinedly. I was not going to yield to the likes of him.


    Not that he expected me to. In fact, Li Chun Long seemed like he was savoring my defiance, all the more so that he could crush me in a way that satisfied him the most. Grinning savagely, he held up his hand.


    "Eleven moves," he declared.


    "Uh, what?" I raised an eyebrow and stared at him in disbelief.

 110 Chapter 109: Shadow Dragon

    I couldn''t help but roll my eyes at the highly clich¨¦ line. That sounded exactly like what a wuxia or xianxia protagonist would say ¨C especially that arrogant Li Fu Chen, who often told his opponents that he could defeat them in three moves or something, and then went and did it.


    Fortunately for me, Li Chun Long was not a God Mode Mary Sue protagonist like Li Fu Chen, otherwise he would really destroy me in just eleven moves just so the author could jack off to his self-insert wish-fulfilment main character.


    "Who?!"


    Li Chun Long bellowed angrily and dove at me, swinging his sword. I dodged to the side and deflected his blade before kicking him in the gut. However, Li Chun Long''s reflexes saved him and he twisted to the side to avoid the full impact of my kick before counterattacking with a vicious slash that scorched both the air and ground.


    "!"


    I jumped back to avoid his strike and then skidded across the ground after parrying his next riposte, which sent me hurtling back. Digging in my feet into the crumbling ground, I gritted my teeth and force myself to a halt.


    "My turn."


    Taking a deep breath, I infused both my swords with heavenly draconic meteor qi and charged at the calmly standing Li Chun Long, who observed me with great interest. He must have picked up something odd about my techniques, for he was mumbling to himself.


    "Hmm, his qi definitely has some draconic qualities to it. However, within his sturdy yang qi, I can detect a huge amount of frosty yin qi. Is this the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, or has it been modified by his learning of other unorthodox techniques and merging them together? It looks like I have to be careful!"


    He activated his Solar Celestial Dragon Formula at the twelfth level and infused his Sacred Dragon Sword with fiery green qi.


    "Whoa¡­"


    "Amazing¡­"


    "I didn''t expect this¡­"


    Up in the spectator box, the audience were watching in awe. To them, they saw two gigantic dragons clashing in the coliseum, one azure dragon uncoiling to lash out, and one green dragon that reared up defiantly to answer its enemy''s challenge.


    "Hmph. Even if you use a similar draconic martial arts technique to my Solar Celestial Dragon Formula, you''ll still be unable to prevail over me!"


    Using my footwork technique, I executed Duo and avoided a counterattack from Li Chun Long while dashing to his back. Li Chun Long quickly spun around to deflect a strike from the back, and he finally moved forward, pressing me back with a series of furious blows that I struggled hard to keep up with by deflecting them with both of my swords.


    This guy¡­he''s effortlessly fending off every one of my attacks!


    Even though I knew I had to be patient and rein in any reckless streak I might have, I was growing a little frustrated at how Li Chun Long nullified each and every of my strikes. My opponent was clearly above me in terms of swordsmanship.


    Aware of this, Li Chun Long swung his Sacred Dragon Sword powerfully and knocked me back, flinging me several meters toward the wall. Panting, I made use of the momentum to widen the distance between us and take a breather.


    Li Chun Long is strong! I thought. I knew that long ago, but having personally fought him, I could testify right now his incredible strength. His swordsmanship was flawless, his qi overwhelming and his spiritual strength sturdy beyond measure.


    It would be extremely difficult to overcome him.


    "What''s the matter?" Li Chun Long mocked me as he swung his sword, unleashing a faint wisp of green qi and beckoning me to approach. "Don''t tell me you''re already out of breath? Did you use up all of your strength earlier?"


    That bastard was still looking down on me. Admittedly, he had every reason to be confident, having one-sidedly oppressed me so far. I couldn''t find a way to break through his defenses and land a decisive blow, and he was almost toying with me.


    As I thought, even a few days'' training wasn''t enough for me to make up the difference between our skills.


    So what?


    However, that didn''t mean I would definitely lose. I didn''t buy into this whole power levels bullshit. I didn''t care what "level" or what "realm" or "stage" Li Chun Long was at, and if they were higher than mine. Hell, I didn''t even know what level or realm I was at. A weaker person still had a chance of beating a stronger person. I just needed to compensate for my lack of strength with tactics and creativity. That was all.


    Taking a deep breath, I channeled my qi into my swords and lunged forward again. Li Chun Long grinned, confident that he could block my attack.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike!


    "!"


    That proved to be Li Chun Long''s undoing. When I suddenly unleashed my technique, he was overwhelmed by the immense qi pressure and forced back. I exploited the opening and knocked away his Sacred Dragon Sword with my left sword while slashing him with my right sword. Blood spurted from his chest and he staggered backward.


    "You¡­!"


    Snarling in fury, Li Chun Long lashed back in retaliation, forcing me to evade. Ducking under his next swing, I then slashed him from below, blocking his sword with one of mine and lashing out with the other, the meteoric strike cutting through my beleaguered opponent''s defenses and landing a grievous injury.


    "Ugh! His strength has increased by bounds! Is this the true Heavenly Draconic Meteoric Strike?!"


    Li Chun Long was struggling just to keep up with me, desperately flailing about with his sword to ward off my merciless strikes. Using my deft footwork, I outmaneuvered him and sliced into his flank, causing him to stagger.


    "Argh!"


    Crying out, Li Chun Long struggled to keep his balance. Meanwhile, I twisted around to face him once again. My qi surged once more and I swung both my swords at Li Chun Long, knocking him several paces back. He coughed out some blood and clutched at his injuries with his free hand, glaring at me hatefully as he wisely retreated.


    Drip. Drip.


    As he limped backward, he left a trail of blood on the broken arena floor. I didn''t wait for him to recover, though. I swung my swords at him, forcing him to deflect them. This time, Li Chun Long was the one who used the momentum to flip himself back and hurtle through the air to land quite some distance away from me.


    "Huff¡­"


    He wiped the blood from his mouth and glared at me spitefully.


    I shrugged. It was his fault for beckoning me to attack in the first place, and underestimating me. Even if I was weaker than him, it didn''t mean I would be totally unable to hurt him.


    "Impressive," Li Chun Long admitted grudgingly as he watched me warily. "I''m amazed that your current strength has surpassed even the pinnacle of the original Solar Celestial Dragon Formula! I can''t believe it!"


    "Better start believing," I retorted as I met his gaze evenly.


    "Hmph." Li Chun Long scowled. "Seems like you''ve really worked hard in order to make such a breakthrough. It''s a pity, though, that the likes of you will never be able to surpass me. Not with only a One Star Constitution."


    His fiery qi surged upward and wreathed him in a terrifying halo, shining so brightly it was almost as if he had turned into a miniature sun.


    "Ugh!"


    "That''s¡­!"


    "Whoa!"


    Above, in the spectator box, the spectators were forced to shield their eyes at the sudden flaring brightness. Thankfully, my glasses were sophisticated enough to react, the lenses automatically darkening to protect my eyes.


    "I''m going to defeat you and teach you your place! Be honored, for you''ve forced me to use this power!"


    Raising his Sacred Dragon Sword high into the air, Li Chun Long bellowed, his qi increasing exponentially as he did so.


    "Solar Celestial Shock Formula!"


    "What the hell?" I murmured as I watched the fiery supernova coalesce around him in a blazing halo. "Isn''t that¡­?"


    From some Singaporean wuxia comic I read when I was a kid, but I decided not to voice that out. Not that anyone would get the reference anyway.


    Instead, I sighed and shook my head.


    "So another one of your Green Dragon Sect techniques?"


    "Hah!"


    Li Chun Long brandished his sword. I pursed my lips as I watched him increase his qi tremendously. If I was any other opponent, I would be frightened out of my mind, but I had read way too many manhua to know where this was going.


    "Regretting it now? Surrender and forfeit the final! Ning Xue will be the champion anyway! Stop struggling meaninglessly!"


    "Oh, so powerful," I taunted with a roll of my eyes. "I''m so scared. Look! I''m quaking in my shoes right now!"


    "Are you mocking me?!" with a swing of his sword, Li Chun Long unleashed a fiery blast of qi at me. I casually sliced it apart with my two swords. "I''m sure you''re aware that the twelfth level of the Solar Celestial Dragon Formula is its highest level, right?"


    "Yeah, so what?"


    Li Chun Long looked dismayed. It was as if he was expecting me to act all shock and demand to know how he could attain a strength above that of Solar Celestial Dragon Formula''s peak. Did the dude think I was an idiot?


    Pushing my glasses up with my clenched fingers (I was still holding my sword, after all), I shook my head and sighed.


    "I know the Green Dragon Sect has several techniques. The Solar Celestial Dragon Formula, while the most famous technique, isn''t the only one. And it''s far from being the most powerful one. In fact it''s just the basic foundation technique for the Green Dragon Sect, a prerequisite to learning the other more advanced techniques. Such as the Solar Celestial Shock Formula you''re executing right now. Am I mistaken?"


    "H¡­how do you know?!"


    Apparently these were closely guarded secrets of the Green Dragon Sect or something, because Li Chun Long was astonished by my knowledge of them.


    "¡­"


    Wait a second, if they were closely guarded secrets of his sect, why the hell was he trying to show off and tell me about them? Okay, maybe it was possible he just wanted to mock me by showing off his power but he never intended to tell me from the beginning. He would just laugh at me and deny me the answers if I asked him, keeping me in suspense. It sounded like the kind of thing he would do, but the joke ended up being on him.


    "Where did you learn that from?!" Li Chun Long roared. Clearly he was appalled that I knew about the secret Green Dragon Sect techniques and sought to stop the leak, wherever it might be coming from. I tilted my head and considered for a moment.


    "I read a lot."


    "No way!" Li Chun Long''s face was ashen. "There''s no way our sect''s great secret techniques can be found in books! They shouldn''t be published for public knowledge! You''re definitely lying! Tell me! Where did you learn that from?"


    "If you don''t believe me, you can go to the library to check," I replied before pondering. "Hmm, if I''m not mistaken, it''s the book titled The History of the Green Dragon Sect."


    "No way! That''s impossible!"


    I sighed, getting tired of his shouting. This was supposed to be a tournament match, yet he still got distracted by such a stupid thing. Shaking my head, I pointed my swords at him and conjured up my azure dragon.


    "Whatever. Let''s settle this. Let''s see if your Solar Celestial Dragon Formula and Solar Celestial Shock Formula are superior to my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword."


    Taking a deep breath, I channeled my qi throughout my body, forcibly increasing my strength and speed. Using Jin, I dashed forward and slashed at the awaiting Li Chun Long with both swords. Even though he was momentarily distracted by my revelation, his reflexes were still godlike. He managed to execute his technique.


    "Solar Celestial Shock Formula, level 2!" he hollered as he raised his Sacred Dragon Sword to parry my strike.


    Again, an azure dragon soared behind and above me as I charged straight at Li Chun Long, who was flanked by an overlooking green dragon. Both of us met in the middle of the arena, the clashing of our swords sending violent shockwaves reverberating throughout the structure. Despite taking the initiative, my swords were almost torn out of my grip.


    "Ugh!"


    I retreated, both my arms trembling from the violent clash. The shockwaves from the collision of our blades had numbed my arms. Cursing, I jumped away just as Li Chun Long swung his sword down to cleave me in half.


    He''s certainly a lot stronger than before! Even with my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, I''m barely a match for him!


    Gritting my teeth, I used my footwork techniques to evade his next hail of blows, parrying and deflecting whatever strikes I wasn''t able to avoid. Again and again, as I blocked his sword, I almost felt my weapons yanked from my grip. Tightening my fingers over the hilts of both my swords, I desperately fought him off and disengaged, using Duo or Tui to strategically withdraw.


    With such overwhelming strength, I can''t win in a head-on duel. I''ve no choice but to rely on my superior speed and footwork!


    Perspiration dripping down my face, I ducked under another slash from Li Chun Long before thrusting a riposte forward. Li Chun Long rammed his elbow down to deflect my blade and slammed my head with the pommel of his sword. Fortunately, I had sensed his intentions somewhat and I was able to yank my head away in time.


    "¡­kuh!"


    Despite my evasive maneuver, the pommel of Li Chun Long''s Sacred Dragon Sword grazed my temple, causing blood to spray. I felt my head rock backward from the blow, my mind suddenly going blank from a haze of pain, and I staggered back.


    "It''s over!"


    Crowing triumphantly, Li Chun Long slashed me with his sword. I crossed both of my swords and parried his blow, grinding my teeth as my knees buckled from the immense force. With a determined yell, I deflected Li Chun Long''s strike and counterattacked with all of my might.


    "Heh! You fell for it!"


    Li Chun Long smirked as he struck me away. I staggered back, but managed to react just in time to block another of his strike.


    "Did you think you can win a contest of strength with me? Hah! Na?ve! You''re mistaken if you think my power is only of this level!"


    "!!!"


    The aura of fiery qi surrounding Li Chun Long suddenly blazed more fiercely and brighter than before, and his strength increased several folds.


    "Solar Celestial Shock Formula, level 3!"


    Do you honestly think I care about all these stupid levels? I thought, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. Thankfully, I was forced to pay more attention to Li Chun Long''s current attacks, so I couldn''t muster a retort.


    The sudden surge in his fiery strength almost caught me off guard. Li Chun Long broke through my defenses, knocking both of my swords out of my grip. While I was reeling from the sudden strike, my opponent seized the advantage and struck with his palm.


    "!"


    "Dragon Palm!"


    With his free hand, Li Chun Long slammed his palm into me. Red and green fire exploded, searing through my body and throwing me back. I was sent hurtling across the arena, blood spewing from my mouth.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Crashing onto the ground and rolling helplessly to a stop, I could only raise my head and watch as Li Chun Long dashed toward me. With a triumphant yell, he swung his sword down to cleave me in half.


    "It''s over!"


    BOOM!


    His sword eviscerated a huge chunk of the coliseum, his fiery blade carving a crater into the reinforced concrete and scorching it black. However, his grin vanished when he saw no sign of his intended victim.


    "!"


    Glancing around, he let out a bellow.


    "Where the hell are you?!"


    I replied with a kick, my foot grazing the back of his head when his reflexes saved him again. Snarling, he spun around with a swing of his sword, but I had already ducked down under his vicious blade. Twisting my body in midair, I delivered another Shadow Kick, this time to his gut. Fortunately, my second kick landed true.


    "Kuh?!"


    This time, it was Li Chun Long who was sent hurtling across the coliseum before he slammed into the wall behind him, cracking the concrete. He swore as he slid down the crumbling wall, raising his sword vengefully.


    "You''re still able to move?!"


    "A little," I confessed as I swayed unsteadily and winced. Clutching my chest, I coughed out a wad of blood. Damn, but that blow did quite a significant amount of internal damage. My lungs and stomach still felt as if they were rattling against my bones. Not to mention the various other injuries that I had accumulated over the battle.


    Even so, Li Chun Long was still able to stand despite taking my kick. Well, I didn''t expect him to go down from just that.


    "Surely even you can see the differences between our strengths," Li Chun Long sneered as he pointed his sword at me. I shrugged.


    "Yeah, but superior strength is not necessarily the decisive factor in winning a fight," I replied as I bent down to retrieve my two swords.


    Li Chun Long sneered. "Spoken like a sore loser."


    "I haven''t lost yet," I reminded him. "If you want to win, you''re gonna have to earn it, not demand it. You''re not entitled to a free win. Besides¡­" I grinned. "I might surprise you and win."


    "Fucker!"


    The green dragon reared up behind Li Chun Long again as he executed level 3 of his Solar Celestial Shock Formula. I watched him quietly, and then beckoned for him to attack. Even though Li Chun Long stayed still, the giant green dragon above him writhed and roared soundlessly, responding to its owner''s will.


    Li Chun Long''s lip curled.


    "I''ll show you the difference between our strengths," he declared before raising his Sacred Dragon Sword and getting ready to thrust it forward.


    "I''m sure you''ve demonstrated that plenty of times throughout the match," I assured him cynically. Then I smiled. "And I''ll be demonstrating to you and everyone how it''s possible for someone weaker to win against a stronger opponent."


    Then I fell silent. Whatever came next, I was going to prove it with my actions, not words.


    "Loser who doesn''t know his place!"


    Bellowing, Li Chun Long surged forward and stabbed me with his sword, his blazing blade smashing through both my swords bfore sinking deeply into my chest and unleashing a scorching wave of fiery yang qi that incinerated my body.


    "Hah! So much for demonstrating that you can win! You deserved it! If only you''ve wisely chosen to surrender, you wouldn''t have to die!"


    I merely smiled at him, then my form rippled and disappeared right before his astonished eyes. Startled by the unexpected outcome, Li Chun Long stumbled back and pulled his sword out from the fading figure.


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    "What the hell is this?!"


    I merely replied with a counterattack from behind. Li Chun Long, sensing it with his incredible battle sense, dodged on reflex and retaliated with a riposte that tore through me¡­only for my figure to shimmer and disappear again.


    "What the fuck is this?!"


    Howling, Li Chun Long allowed his fiery qi to surge and detonate, blowing up the area around him. Waving his sword around frantically, he slashed everywhere.


    What a complete waste of qi and energy. Well, it was his qi and energy, so I wasn''t going to complain. Especially since this was advantageous to me.


    "Come out, you coward!"


    "Naw," I taunted. "I''m weaker, remember? I can''t beat you in a straight-up fight. Of course we who are weak have our own way of fighting¡­and winning."


    "Coward!"


    "Hey," I snapped. "We''re not obligated to fight your way. If everything can be resolved by brute force and superior strength, then there''s no need for us to learn martial arts. We learn martial arts because combat is a lot more complex than the simple ''the stronger martial artist wins.'' Isn''t that right, successor of the Green Dragon Sect?"


    "Shut up and come out and face me!"


    Screaming, Li Chun Long swung his Sacred Dragon Sword and unleashed another destructive blast of yang qi that rippled across the coliseum and destroyed the ground. Several of my shadows jumped away, not stupid enough to stand still and get obliterated by his strikes. As if realizing it for the first time, Li Chun Long paused and stared at me.


    No, at us.


    "You¡­how¡­?!"


    "What?" One of us asked. It wasn''t as if I didn''t understand his confusion, though. I might be stunned speechless if I saw that my opponent had multiplied himself.


    As it was, there were about twelve of me standing around in different positions, adopting various stances or indulging in different postures. His mouth gaping open like a goldfish, Li Chun Long stared from one of me to another of me, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.


    "What is this demonic trickery?! This is definitely some sort of demonic martial arts! An illusion technique!"


    "You''re not wrong. It is an illusion technique. But it''s an orthodox sect technique, unless you''re suddenly the authority who can decide whether Shadow Steps is a demonic martial art."


    I shrugged nonchalantly. Or at least several of me did. Li Chu Long blanched and shook uncontrollably.


    With a frustrated bellow, he swung his sword and unleashed another fiery wave of destruction. All my shadows moved quickly, using footwork techniques to evade. Unfortunately, one of us got caught in the blast and evaporated, the qi that made up his body returning to nothingness.


    But there was still eleven of us left.


    "What the hell is this?! Shadow Steps? I don''t remember Shadow Steps having such a move?! No, it''s¡­a footwork technique?!"


    "Correct. It''s Ying." Several of us clapped our hands gleefully. "But what do you think will happen if we combine Ying of Shadow Steps and Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship?"


    A swarm of dragons appeared all around us. However, instead of being an azure dragon, all the dragons this time were black.


    "T¡­this isn''t Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship!" Li Chun Long spluttered, as even his green dragon shrank back at the multiple black dragons.


    "Correct. Iike I said, this is the result of me combining Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship with Shadow Steps. Hmm...I guess I''ll call it Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike Formula or something like that?"


    "Y¡­you¡­!"


    Li Chun Long attacked recklessly, but again, he only succeeded in destroying one of the shadows, and accordingly one of the black dragons vanished along with the crumbling form of me.


    But there were still ten of me left.


    "Huff¡­huf¡­huff¡­"


    Li Chun Long felt perspiration drip off his face. Even though he was clearly superior to me in strength, all of that greater power was of no use if he couldn''t find the right target to hit. As it was, he was chasing¡­uh, shadows.


    "Well, it''s my turn to attack."


    Smiling, I took a step forward. All ten of me, anyway. And our corresponding black dragons followed, striking an intimidating pose as they challenged the flickering green dragon that shrouded the trembling Li Chun Long.


    "I wonder, will you be able to tell which of us is real, and which of us are fake?"


    Melding reality with illusion, all ten of my shadows rippled and vanished, attacking Li Chun Long from multiple directions. For an instant, it seemed that there were more than ten of us ¨C no, there were almost a hundred of my shadows appearing, disappearing and reappearing, slashing and cutting Li Chun Long from many different directions with blows that packed the power of a meteor.


    Even with his superhuman reflexes, Li Chun Long couldn''t keep up with so many attacks from so many directions. Blood spurted as he spun about, his body reeling and jerking from countless meteoric strikes.


    "Guh¡­"


    Falling to his knees, Li Chun Long''s eyes rolled up in his sockets and he dropped his Sacred Dragon Sword.


    "So¡­"


    I stood in front of him, my shadows all fading and merging with me until there was only one of me left. With a smile, I laid my right sword on his shoulder.

 111 Chapter 110: The Green Dragon’s True Nature

    "Do you surrender?"


    Li Chun Long glared at me defiantly, but realizing that he was at my complete mercy, he didn''t do anything stupid.


    "¡­I surrender," he snarled resentfully. I watched cautiously as he eyed his Sacred Dragon Sword, but when he did nothing to pick it up I relaxed a fraction. Not totally, of course. Just a tiny fraction. Obviously I kept my sword near his neck.


    "The match is over!" Teacher Cai declared, his voice booming over the speakers. "The winner is Fei Wu!"


    There was muffled applause from behind the soundproof window. Unlike the time with Feng Tian Yong, there weren''t many girls cheering for Li Chun Long. That was understandable ¨C he had a crush on Qing Xin Xia, and probably wasn''t as handsome as Feng Tian Yong, so it would be difficult for a female fan club to form around him.


    At least we both had friends or sect mates who would cheer for us. Now that Teacher Cai had declared the match my victory, I could finally relax. Withdrawing my sword, I sheathed both of them and turned away.


    "Hmph!"


    "!!!!"


    Before I could react, Li Chun Long snatched up his Sacred Dragon Sword and stabbed me from behind. It was only my instincts that saved me, but even so I was not able to completely dodge his attack. His blade pierced my lung and exited through my chest, causing me to stagger as excruciating pain overwhelmed me. I clutched at my chest, blood dribbling down my mouth and pouring profusely from the wound.


    "Kuh!"


    Falling to my knees, I just barely managed to duck under a swing from Li Chun Long''s Sacred Dragon Sword. However, he didn''t plan on letting it end there. Grounding his foot against the floor, he halted the momentum of his sword before mercilessly slashing it downward.


    I tried to roll away, but knew I wouldn''t be able to get away in time. Knew I wouldn''t be able to draw my swords in time. I had made a terrible mistake, thinking that Li Chun Long would abide by the rules and stay true to the code of honor ingrained into the students by the teachers and principal of Wu Ling Academy.


    Thankfully, with my footwork techniques, I should be just able to avoid a fatal blow. That wouldn''t change the fact that I would inevitably receive a severe injury, but even so it was much better than losing my life¡­


    Clang!


    "!"


    "!!"


    Both of us froze in shock when we saw Teacher Cai standing between us. He had caught Li Chun Long''s Sacred Dragon Sword with nothing more than two fingers. Unarmored fingers, unequipped with anything, and he caught Li Chun Long''s blade cleanly.


    "So what?" Li Chun Long sneered, defiant again after a few seconds of getting used to Teacher Cai''s intimidating presence. "I''m going into isolation training after this anyway. Getting my punishment lengthened is no big deal."


    So that was why he was so bold. Li Chun Long had already resigned himself to facing six months of isolation training. He wanted to deliver a final cheap shot before his imprisonment, because he knew the worst that could happen was an extension of his already detemined punishment. A sentence that was imposed upon him because of me ratting him out. That was why he was so determined to have his revenge before he went into the isolation chamber.


    "You''ll regret letting me leave," he growled at me. I merely stared at him while clutching my chest.


    "No," I replied with a faint smile. "But I''ll be prepared next time."


    That wasn''t to say I would let him live. Now that Teacher Cai had intervened, I had lost any justification to kill him. However, the next time he attacked me, I would counterattack and slay him without mercy.


    I was sick and tired of having to watch my back and be wary around all these bullies and murderers. Whether it was Qi Fu Ren, Ba Yun or Li Chun Long¡­if they attacked me, I would kill them. As simple as that.


    I had no intention of suffering under the hands of a psychotic bully again.


    "You had better watch out when I get out of isolation training!" Li Chun Long was yelling as he was hauled away by the school authorities. He fought against their grip and jabbed a finger in my direction. "I''ll kill you once I get out! I swear! I''ll definitely kill you once I get out of isolation training!"


    "Keep that up and you''ll be in isolation training forever," Teacher Cai told him coldly. He then turned to the two staff who were restraining the Green Dragon Sect successor. "Take him away. And make sure he doesn''t have his sword."


    "Yes, sir!"


    I watched quietly as Li Chun Long was hauled away, screaming and kicking. That guy was someone I had to watch out for, and if I didn''t take care of him, he might kill me first. I wasn''t going to allow that to happen.


    Withdrawing to my own thoughts, I began formulating a plan that covered several contingencies to deal with what Li Chun Long might pull when he got out.


    *


    "Wu! Are you all right?"


    The first people I saw when l limped outside the coliseum were my friends. Tang Qi Hong, Tong Xue, Lian Rou, Ban Zhang and Zhu Jiao were all running toward me. I waved weakly at them before staggering to a stop.


    "You''re hurt! Badly!"


    "No shit," I replied bitterly as I clutched my chest. The bleeding had stopped after I temporarily froze my wounds, but that was no solution. I needed to seek treatment from Teacher Yi as soon as possible.


    Damn, but I was really going to the infirmary too often. I was getting sick of going there whenever I got injured¡­though to be fair, the only reason why I would ever need to go to the infirmary in the first place was when I was injured. That said, it had been happening a lot more frequently, so I needed to find a way to fight without getting injured.


    This was where being a God Mode Mary Sue protagonist like Li Fu Chen or Lin Feng would have helped a lot. They never got injured, they defeated every single opponent in just a single move (or in less than five moves), they were invincible and unbeatable, and¡­okay, the arrogant and overbearing parts were completely unnecessary. Never mind.


    Needless to say, I envied them for the ability to never get injured in a tournament or battle. Unlike them I had to frequent the infirmary every time I fought someone, because I didn''t have some cheat code that allowed me to neutralize all damage from my opponents. If only I could use Power Overwhelming or a similar cheat, but alas, this was real life.


    "You should be more careful."


    Tang Qi Hong took one of my arms and supported me while Tong Xue took the other. I leaned on them gratefully and sighed.


    "Yeah, I''ll try."


    "Do or do not! There is no try!"


    Zhu Jiao did his best impression of Master Yoda and failed terribly. Probably because no one here watched Star Wars in my original timeline and hence didn''t catch the reference.


    Wait a minute¡­then how did Zhu Jiao know about that line?! Was he from my original timeline too? or was this merely a coincidence?


    As we strolled toward the infirmary, I glanced at Zhu Jiao. Not caring about whether he was from my original timeline or not (it made no difference if he was, and really, given that he was supposed to be the protagonist, I wouldn''t be surprised if he was), I shot straight to the main topic.


    "How are your preparations for the match against Bai Ning Xue tomorrow?"


    "Hmm¡­good, I guess?"


    "You guess?" I repeated incredulously. "Seriously?"


    "What did you expect?" Zhu Jiao replied. "There''s nothing more I can do other than show up for the match tomorrow and do my best."


    "¡­that''s true."


    I sighed as I continued to limp forward with the help of Tong Xue and Tang Qi Hong. Before we could reach the infirmary, however¡­


    "Wait!"


    "??"


    All of us turned around when we heard the familiar voice. Behind us, Qing Xin Xia ran up to our position, pausing and bending over to catch her breath as she did so. Straightening up, she clasped her hands imploringly.


    "Please allow me to heal you!"


    "Are you talking to me?" I asked, puzzled. Well, duh. I was the only one injured here. As I expected, Qing Xin Xia nodded.


    "I apologize deeply for what First Senior Chun Long did to you." She hesitated for a moment. "Please know that it wasn''t the will of the Green Dragon Sect. the other seniors disapprove of his actions, and I''m sure Master will punish him when he hears of this."


    "N¡­no need for that." I was getting embarrassed when I heard this was turning into a big deal. I honestly didn''t care. In fact, I was looking forward to Li Chun Long attempting his revenge after he got out of jail¡­I mean isolation training. It would give me a perfectly valid excuse to slaughter him and end his existence once and for all.


    There were way too many characters in this story and I should start trimming down the roster before even I begin to forget who was who.


    "A¡­anyway, as a sign of apology please allow me to treat your injuries." Qing Xin Xia bowed sincerely.


    Tang Qi Hong regarded her suspiciously. "How do we know this isn''t a trap?"


    "I trust her," Zhu Jiao spoke up. Qing Xin Xia smiled slightly at that, her ears going a little red. Seeing her reaction, I sighed.


    "If Jiao believes Qing Xin Xia, then I will too."


    "Thank you! I swear, I won''t do anything suspicious!" she took a deep breath and sent a glare in the direction where Teacher Cai and the other staff had taken Li Chun Long. "The true nature of the Green Dragon Sect is healing! The reason why we wield the benevolent wood element is because we are healers! We do not seek to slaughter, we seek to rejuvenate! That is what Master has taught us, but First Senior Chun Long''s actions have blemished our name!"


    "¡­yeah, a lot of the other schoolmates are condemning Li Chun Long''s postmatch sneak attack." Tong Xue nodded thoughtfully. "And I also heard them criticizing the Green Dragon Sect. you guys are taking a lot of flak because of one guy''s actions."


    "That''s not fair," I grumbled.


    "Nothing is fair in this world," Ban Zhang replied sagely. Everyone had to suppress the urge to roll their eyes at his statement. Fortunately, he had a less cringe-worthy follow-up. "We can only work with the hand that Heaven dealt us."


    "For now, let''s find a place for Xin Xia to do her work," Zhu Jiao suggested when he noticed that she was still waiting. Tang Qi Hong nodded, but she was still skeptical.


    "I''ll be keeping my eye on you."


    "Qi Hong," Lian Hou reprimanded. Her tone wasn''t very harsh, but she wasn''t approving her best friend''s lack of tact either.


    "I''ll be fine," I assured Tang Qi Hong. Plastering a smile across my face, I added, "I have you to watch over me, after all."


    "I¡­I''m glad you know that!" Trang Qi Hong turned around, flustered, and folded her arms. I could imagine her pouting as she went, "hmph!"


    Why the fuck was she behaving like some clich¨¦ tsundere from a Japanese anime? This was the wrong genre to begin with.


    We settled down in a nearby, empty classroom. Qing Xin Xia directed me to sit at a desk before she stood in front of me and began her treatment. As before ¨C I still recalled the day when she healed me after I fought the Spirit Tiger almost three years ago ¨C she raised her hand and conjured a green glow of qi. Muttering an incantation under her breath, she closed her eyes and focused, channeling her innate qi into her hand and placing it on my chest.


    I felt the warm qi suffuse gently into my wound, closing it up. The blood remained ¨C unlike animation where healing was indicated by blood disappearing, such convenient things did not occur in reality. My uniform remained bloodstained, and traces of blood remained on my chest, which would only be washed away when I took a shower later. However, the torn flesh knitted together, and within seconds there was no trace of any injury, not even a scar, save for the bloodstains that colored my otherwise pale flesh red.


    It wasn''t just the injury that Li Chun Long dealt me in his sneak attack after the match had ended. Qing Xin Xia proceeded to heal every injury on my body, both internal and external. The numerous cuts I sustained while exchanging blows with Li Chun Long, the damage I sustained to my internal organs after we both hurled massive waves of qi at each other, even slight bruises that I received when I desperately dodged about during combat. All of them were gone in an instant.


    Whatever pain I experienced earlier vanished immediately, replaced by a warm, comfortable feeling that ran soothingly across my body.


    "Thanks."


    I tried to conceal my astonishment and bowed my head gratefully.


    Qing Xin Xia might not be as experienced as Teacher Yi, but her healing skills were close. I dare say she was second after Teacher Yi. None of the other Green Dragon Sect disciples were as adept as her at healing.


    "No, not at all," Qing Xin Xia assured me with a faint smile. She almost collapsed from the exhaustion, something Teacher Yi wouldn''t have problem with. Fortunately, Zhu Jiao was on hand to catch her. "It''s only to be expected¡­after all, First Senior Chun Long was the one who did this to you in the first place."


    "Even so, you''re not obliged to heal me." I bowed my head deeper. "Thank you very much."


    I made a mental ntoe to remember this favor. Qing Xin Xia had healed me not once but twice. I ought to return her compassion in future. If this was a typical wuxia or xianxia story, I would have assmed that Qing Xin Xia was somehow in love with me. Fortunately, I wasn''t deluded enough to think reality would conveniently work out in the same way. For one thing, Qing Xin Xia was in love with my friend, Zhu Jiao ¨C the real protagonist of any wuxia or xianxia story. And for another, she was just feeling guilty for what her senior did. Furthermore, I knew from years of being her classmate what kind of person Qing Xin Xia was.


    She was among the kindest, most gentle and nicest girls in class¡­no, even in Wu Ling Academy. She would not hesitate to help anyone, not only me.


    "Are you all right?" Zhu Jiao asked, concerned, as he helped her up.


    Qing Xin Xia staggered for a moment before she straightened up and nodded.


    "Yeah, I''m all right. I just need a bit of rest."


    "Xin Xia used most of her qi to heal Wu," Tang Qi Hong explained, her tone somewhat grudging. No doubt she wished she could have done more, and she felt a little guilty for doubting Qing Xin Xia. "She''s exhausted. We should take her back to the dormitory to rest."


    "Yeah, let''s do that," Lian Rou agreed.


    "Thanks again," I told Qing Xin Xia, who smiled weakly.


    "I''m just glad that you''re all right."


    "Yeah."


    I wasn''t sure what else to say.


    "All right," Tang Qi Hong cut in before we could prolong the conversation pointlessly. "Xin Xia needs to rest, so Lian Rou and I will bring her back."


    "I''ll count on you two then," Zhu Jiao said as he relinquished his support of Qing Xin Xia to the other two girls.


    "We should return to the dormitory too," Ban Zhang proposed. "Wu still needs to rest, and I think Jiao should want to prepare for his match against Bai Ning Xue tomorrow."


    "Good point!" Tong Xue agreed.


    "Then we''ll see you tomorrow!" Lian Rou waved with one hand while using the other to support a tired Qing Xin Xia.


    "Make sure you win tomorrow!" Tang Qi Hong told Zhu Jiao, who smiled in reply. She glanced at me, and I suddenly understood her gaze.


    I had promised Tang Qi Hong that I would take revenge for her against Bai Ning Xue. But if Zhu Jiao got to fight Bai Ning Xue first, then of course, it would be best if he defeated her. Zhu Jiao was our friend, and we both hoped for his victory.


    Tang Qi Hong probably didn''t mind who won against Bai Ning Xue as long as the latter was defeated. Even though I made that promise, it wasn''t necessary that I had to absolutely fight against Bai Ning Xue.


    Of course, if Zhu Jiao lost tomorrow, then it would be up to me to take revenge for both Tang Qi Hong and Zhu Jiao. However, I hoped he won. He was one of my best friends, after all. And he had his own promise that he made to Bai Ning Xue.


    If he won, Bai Ning Xue would become his lover.


    Of course I would be rooting for Zhu Jiao. Wasn''t that romantic? Defeating your crush in a tournament final (or semifinal in this case) and winning not just the match but her heart as well. Okay, some people might find it problematic that Zhu Jiao had to prove that he was worthy of Bai Ning Xue by defeating her in a duel and proving his strength (like "why does the guy have to be stronger? Is it a problem if the girl is stronger?" or something like that). But that was the resolve and decision both Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue came to, and I was in no position to criticize them.


    Against that kind of romantic promise between childhood sweethearts, my promise to Tang Qi Hong about revenge seemed tiny. I didn''t care if that promise was broken as long as Zhu Jiao could fulfil his promise without getting his heart broken.


    I didn''t want to end up in a situation where I had to get revenge for him as well.


    Tang Qi Hong seemed to share that sentiment too, but she obviously couldn''t voice that out. Neither of us could. We didn''t want to jinx Zhu Jiao. Hell, the moment I thought about all this, I was already raising a revenge flag for myself and a defeat flag for Zhu Jiao. Then again, Zhu Jiao was the protagonist, so perhaps he could overturn fate and defeat Bai Ning Xue against all odds. I really hoped that was the case.


    For now, Tang Qi Hong and I exchanged glances and nodded. She then turned away to escort the exhausted Qing Xin Xia along with Lian Rou, apologizing to the gentle, black-haired girl as she did so. She must have felt bad for doubting the Green Dragon Sect disciple, especially when the latter really intended well.


    "Let''s go."


    I nodded as I turned toward my friends. We began our long, arduous journey back home. Or so I thought¡­but it was only a short journey back to the dormitory. However, never mind that, because I noticed something was amiss.


    *


    Bai Ning Xue pursed her lips as she watched her beloved Zhu Jiao stroll toward the dormitory with his friends. Of interest was¡­me, for some reason. I didn''t know why, but she was staring intently at me.


    Okay, I did know why. It had something to do with "that night" one month ago, when Lightning Tiger¡­I mean Lei Yong Chun attacked Wu Ling Academy. Of course you have no idea what I was talking about. I haven''t narrated that part of the story yet. It''ll come in the form of a flashback after the tournament arc, I promise.


    "Why are you mumbling to yourself?" Tong Xue asked me with a frown. I waved my hands hastily, embarrassed at being caught.


    "No, I wasn''t talking to myself."


    "Huh? Were you talking to us then?" Zhu Jiao asked. I shook my head.


    "No. I was talking to those existences beyond the fourth wall."


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Ban Zhang demanded, annoyed. "Fourth wall? What existences?"


    "You know¡­if this is a story, there will be people beyond this universe reading about our adventures."


    Everyone stared at me as if I had gone insane. I sighed and shook my head. Of course they wouldn''t believe me.


    "Even if that''s the case, why are you talking to people beyond the fourt wall?" Tong Xue inquired, thoroughly amused.


    "The fourth wall exists to be broken," I explained.


    "Uh¡­okay¡­"


    Zhu Jiao didn''t know how to respnd to that. He exchanged a glance with the other two, and they seemed to silently agree to stop talking about this. Evidently they assumed I was in some chuunibyou phase.


    They might be right, actually. Except that I knew that you guys were real. Okay, okay. You guuys are probably getting irritated by now. Anyway, back to the main point, I could sense Bai Ning Xue watching us from far away, and so I glanced back.


    "!"


    Bai Ning Xue retreated out of sight, stunned that I noticed her presence. Cursing, she slid down the verdana she was perched on and slumped against the wall, blocked from my view.


    Of course, that was referring only to my visual sight. In terms of my Heaven and Earth qi sense, I could continue to keep track of her presence.


    "Wu? Are you all right? What are you looking at?" Zhu Jiao caught my gaze and turned his eyes toward Bai Ning Xue''s position. But as well hidden as she was, he couldn''t see anything. My friend then turned to grin at me mischievously. "Don''t tell me you''re looking at those existences beyond the fourth wall that you were talking about earlier."


    "No, I''m looking at your girl. She''s been staring at us for a while now."


    "My girl?" Zhu Jiao''s grin faded away, replaced by a perplexed frown. I sighed, wondering just how dense he could be.


    "Bai Ning Xue."


    "Huh? Why would she be staring at us?" Zhu Jiao asked, confused. I suppressed another sigh, wondering why I put up with this.


    "Maybe she got concerned when Qing Xin Xia got too close to you?"


    "Why would she be concerned about Xin Xia?"


    "Dude, are you honestly asking us that?" Tong Xue blurted out in disbelief. Zhu Jiao cocked his head to the side as he stared at him.


    "Um¡­yeah? Do you guys know something that I don''t?"


    "Give up, you two. He''s a lost cause." Ban Zhang placed a hand on both my and Tong Xue''s shoulders and led us away. He glanced at Zhu Jiao. "It''s getting late, so we should just go back to the dormitory for now."


    "Hey! Wait! You haven''t answered my question yet! What''s going on between Ning Xue and Xin Xia?"


    We ignored him and walked toward the dormitory. Zhu Jiao blustered and blubbered, but none of us caved in. eventually we reached the dormitory and parted ways at the lobby. Our rooms were located in separate segments of the dormitory, so it only made sense for us to split up in the lobby. Waving goodbye, I watched as my three friends headed in their separate directions, and then I made a 180 degree turn and exited the dormitory.


    "I know you''re there."


    "¡­I can''t escape your notice, can I?" Bai Ning Xue signed in resignation as she slid out from the trees and landed gracefully on the ground. Folding her arms, she glared at me. Not at all intimidated, I met her gaze evenly.


    "So? What does the rich little mistress of the Bai Clan want with me?"


    "You¡­when will you fight seriously?"


    "I have always been fighting seriously," I replied with an upward push of my glasses. "I don''t care if you believe me or not, but I''ve never been holding back."


    "Don''t lie! I saw you use that technique against¡­"


    "That is not a technique I can use against my schoolmates," I interrupted her. "This is a tournament, not a life-and-death battle. There is no reason for me to kill my opponents¡­not unless I''m cornered to the point of death."


    "You were driven to that point a few times," Bai Ning Xue pointed out acidly. I merely smiled.


    "No. I was never in any danger of being killed. Severely injured, yes. Losing a battle, yeah. But not to the point where I would die."


    Even Li Chun Long''s sneak attack wouldn''t have killed me. It would have injured me seriously, but I would have survived. I had endured worse attacks and lived through them. A mere inconvenience, but not absolute termination.


    "There''s no point using a missile to blow an enemy up when a pistol will suffice," I added coolly. Bai Ning Xue stared at me blankly.


    "Missile? Pistol?"


    Oh, right. In this timeline, there was no need to develop firearms and projectiles because people could shoot qi out of their hands.


    "Never mind. Anyway, unless you want me to call Zhu Jiao for you, then I''ll be returning to my room."


    Bai Ning Xue blushed faintly at that. "There is no need to. If I want to speak with Jiao, I will contact him directly myself."


    "Ah, I see."


    Actually, I didn''t, but I didn''t care. Bai Ning Xue''s relationship with Zhu Jiao was none of my business. Of course, I''ll support my friend in pursuing his romance with his childhood sweetheart, but that was as far as my interference went. Anything else, Zhu Jiao had to deal with it himself. I could be his wingman, but he had to pilot his own plane himself.


    I was about to leave when something caused me to freeze. A faint rustling in the trees, a monstrous presence that seemed to permeate the atmosphere and suffocate me.


    "!!!"


    Bai Ning Xue seemed to have noticed it too. Whirling around, lightning ignited in both her hands and she threw a bolt of lightning at one of the trees, incinerating it. An inhuman howl screeched across the courtyard and a charred corpse tumbled out of the disintegrated tree.


    "That''s¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue never got to finish her sentence. Five more of the hideous things leaped out, screeching as they slashed their claws at her. Bai Ning Xue threw both of her hands out and electrocuted another two of them, but the remaining three pounced on her.


    Shing!


    They never reached her. Instead, all three of them were encased in blocks of ice, suspended in space with their grotesque expressions frozen in place.


    "What the fuck are those?" I murmured as I studied them. They looked like dragons, yet¡­they didn''t seem like dragons at all. It was as if some child had tried to carve a dragon out of wood, and ended up with a monstrous puppet with claws, teeth and a semblance of a tail. Half tree and half dragon, the hybrid creatures were ugly abominations seemingly drawn from the most nightmarish imaginations of a psychotic individual.


    "Treegons," Bai Ning Xue replied as she studied them. With a swing of her hand, she shattered the frozen Treegons, erasing them from existence.


    "Hey!" I protested.


    "You didn''t need to save me. I could have handled them fine." Bai Ning Xue paused for a moment but before I could retort, she continued. "All the same, thank you for your assistance."


    "No¡­I mean¡­"


    Caught off guard, I stammered. However, Bai Ning Xue was no longer paying any attention to me. She was studying the charred remains of the monsters she had just obliterated, a frown crinkling her pretty face.


    "You should be careful."


    "Huh?" I uttered, bewildered by her sudden change in topic. She nodded and straightened up, her expression more certain now.


    "They were aiming for you. In fact, they would have attacked you¡­but I triggred a response when I attacked one of them and they shifted their target to me momentarily." She almost smirked, the first time I saw such a human expression on the ice princess. "That was the worst mistake they made in their lives. No¡­" she turned to me, a hint of a smile spreading across her face. "The second-worst mistake."


    "What''s the worst?" I just had to ask.


    "Attacking you."


    I guess I should feel flattered, but at the moment I was more disturbed by the possibility that these Treegons were sent to attack me. Bai Ning Xue had a point. Prior to this, I sensed that their killing intent was directed at me, not her. As she pointed out, their killing intent only shifted to her when she slew one of them.


    Just who would¡­?


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    However, before I got to that¡­


    "How did they even get inside the academy in the first place? Shouldn''t there be a barrier keeping them out?"


    "They didn''t come from outside," Bai Ning Xue replied as she nudged the pile of ash with the toe of her shoe. I stared at her for a moment, horror dawning on me when I realized what she meant.


    "They came from inside the academy?" I blinked, trying to absorb the information. "How the hell¡­?"


    "Treegons are a special type of familiar that can only be controlled and employed by the Green Dragon Sect leader and his successor." Bai Ning Xue looked at me gravely. "I know because the White Tiger Sect has something similar."


    "The successor to the Green Dragon Sect leader¡­" even as I uttered those words, a figure was already appearing in my mind.

 112 Chapter 111: Semfinal

    Fortunately, what we couldn''t provide with physical evidence, we compensated with Bai Ning Xue being an eyewitness. Being the student council president, Bai Ning Xue''s testimony was invaluable and considered credible. Of course, it irked me to see the double standards and clear unfairness at play here, but since it worked in my favor for now, I wasn''t going to complain.


    After reporting the event to Teacher Jiao, who promised to lengthen Li Chun Long''s isolation training to a year, I returned to the dormitory to have a good sleep. Little did I know, it turned out that the Treegons were also after Zhu Jiao. While I was the priority, Li Chun Long had also directed his Treegons to assassinate Zhu Jiao right before the semifinal.


    As it turned out, Bai Ning Xue had suspected that to be the case, which was why she was stalking us. I realized that I was being overly self-conscious all this while. Bai Ning Xue wasn''t looking at me and wondering why I chose to not use my Heaven and Earth Formula. She was primarily concerned with what sort of stunt Li Chun Long and the disgraced, ex-student council members would pull. And it turned out that her intuition was spot on.


    I felt extremely embarrassed when I learned about that, but fortunately I hadn''t voice out my delusional opinions, or I would be digging a hole to hide myself in right now. Ugh. Well, rather than tell, I might as well show.


    "The Treegons were after Jiao as well," Bai Ning Xue told me. It was shortly after we cleaned up the Treegons and I had just sent a text message to Teacher Jiao. She was poking the ashes of the incinerated Treegon with the toe of her shoe.


    "Huh?" I uttered, astonished. I was still engrossed in figuring out how I should kill Li Chun Long without getting caught. I mean, it all fell into place. The bastard obviously resented his defeat by me, and sought revenge. I was responsible for foiling his plans and causing him to get imprisoned for isolation training. Of course Li Chun Long wanted to assassinate me.


    However, Bai Ning Xue was staring at me, mystified.


    "Their primary target is Jiao. You were just second on their list."


    "¡­eh?"


    That was all I could make out. The possibility that the Treegons were targeting Zhu Jiao didn''t even cross my mind to begin with. As ashamed as I was to admit it, I was being awfully self-centered here, only thinking about myself.


    Damn, I was ashamed of myself.


    "But why¡­?"


    "Oh¡­yeah. He still hasn''t given up on that yet?"


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if Gu Chun Song was the one who requested him to do so. And Li Chun Long was only happy to agree. He always had a grudge against Jiao for some reason."


    I almost rolled my eyes at that. Did Bai Ning Xue seriously not realize that Li Chun Long had a crush on her, and thus resented Zhu Jiao for hogging all of her affections? Suppressing the urge to tell her ¨C for I didn''t have the right to do so ¨C I merely nodded.


    "I see."


    "That''s why I was following Jiao. I had a feeling Chun Long or Chun Song would pull a stunt like this, and I wanted to be in position to stop it. I knew they would launch an attack!" Bai Ning Xue kicked the ashes viciously.


    "Uh¡­okay." I wanted to bury my head in the sand. So Bai Ning Xue wasn''t staring at me or following us because of me. She had no interest in why I didn''t use Heaven and Earth Formula. Damn, but I was being overly self-conscious. I was so glad I didn''t voice that out to anyone, especially Bai Ning Xue herself.


    I would have died from the embarrassment. Well, I was dying now when I remembered my first question to her.


    "What does the rich little misstress of the Bai Clan want with me?"


    Nothing. The one she had business with was none other than the protagonist Zhu Jiao. I was just a side character, a minor irrelevance at best, an irritance at worst.


    At least she seemed to have forgotten all about that. And she wasn''t rude enough to shut me down and focus completely on Zhu Jiao, even asking me about why I "held back." I didn''t hold back, I just didn''t want to murder people for no good reason, and reveal my trump card that easily. If the whole academy knew about my secrets, then I would be in trouble.


    Heaven and Earth Formula wasn''t something I could afford to let people know about. Not after the Martial Arts Alliance murdered my master. I wasn''t stupid enough to announce to the whole world, especially one where the killers of my master held hegemonic rule, that I had learned the legendary Heaven and Earth Formula. The same demonic martial arts technique that my master and his sect were persecuted for.


    Only an idiot would show it off in an official tournament that was being broadcasted around the continent.


    "Well, I''ll go check on Zhu Jiao before I report to Teacher Jiao."


    "I already checked on Jiao." Bai Ning Xue was staring up at a window before she glanced at her cellphone. I gulped. Did she bug his room or something? Wow, that was some dedication, going as far as to stalk her childhood sweetheart. I didn''t know whether I should be impressed or disturbed. "He''s all right. No point causing him to worry about this."


    "¡­if you say so."


    Not wanting to argue, I complied. With that, I went to report this case to Teacher Jiao, and the rest, as you know, was history.


    As an addendum, Li Chun Long had his isolation training extended to ten months. Two months for attacking me after the match had ended, and another two months for the attempted assassination. It was far too little, in my personal opinion, anyway, but without any physical evidence it was tough to prolong his isolation training. Moreover, he failed. If he had succeeded and either Zhu Jiao or I died, the punishment would have been more severe. Apparently.


    I had an inkling that the only reason why Li Chun Long wasn''t executed or sentenced to death (though he would most likely have been if he had succeeded in murdering either me or Zhu Jiao ¨C according to the martial artists'' way, a life must be repaid by a life), was because the Green Dragon Sect had intervened. Furthermore, there was no such thing as life sentences. In this timeline, no organization or nation-state would be merciful enough to keep you alive for a lifetime in prison. They would much prefer to either kill you off and save resources, or put you to work. Why should they feed someone who was doomed to rot inside prison for the rest of his life?


    In contrast, isolation training was meant to force the guy to reflect on his actions, meditate, cultivate and grow stronger, so that he could once again contribute to society when he was released. Of course, if he was too dangerous, he would be executed instead of being imprisoned. However, as much as I held a grudge against Li Chun Long for all the things he had done, he technically wasn''t that evil to the point where he deserved to have his life terminated. Not from the point of view of the academy or the Green Dragon Sect, anyway.


    From their perspective, if Li Chun Long emerged and killed me, then I was too weak. Of course, he would get punished, but only with a slap on the wrist and another few months of isolation training. As long as he didn''t go around massacring large numbers of students and indulged in ****, he shouldn''t get executed. He would, however, increases the chances of a death sentence if he became a repeat offender and killed a few more, like Zhu Jiao for example.


    The guy had to be very careful and toe the line, or even his sect wouldn''t be able to protect him in the future.


    With that, Li Chun Long and the other student council members went into isolation training, with the exception of Qing Xin Xia, who would only go in after the tournament ended. Right now, even the group stages were all but done, with only a few matches left.


    And one of those matches was the long-awaited semifinal between the clich¨¦ protagonist Zhu Jiao and the ice princess Bai Ning Xue.


    *


    "You okay, Jiao?"


    I was patting him on the back as he nervously made his way to the coliseum.


    "Yeah," he replied with a nod. However, he was visibly perspiring and I could even see a slight tremor pass through his body. "I''ll be okay. I''ll definitely win this!"


    "You had better!" Tang Qi Hong said encouragingly, and winked. Lian Rou giggled and waved to spur him on as well.


    "We believe in you!"


    "Do your best," Tong Xue added as he gripped Zhu Jiao''s arm assuringly. The protagonist-if-this-was-another-story laughed.


    "Why the hell are you all sending me off as if I''m going to war or something? Stop that, it''s creepy."


    "Well, this will be the biggest match in your life," Ban Zhang pointed out. "You have so much at stake here it''s not even funny."


    "Yeah. Make sure you don''t get dumped. Win the match, and win her heart."


    Everyone stared at me.


    "Dude¡­" Tong Xue moaned.


    "Can''t you have a little more tact?" Tang Qi Hong snapped. I blinked, confused, as I glanced from one person to the next.


    "What? What did I say?"


    "It''s okay!" Zhu Jiao chuckled. "I needed that anyway. Thanks!"


    He turned away and proceeded toward the preparation room, waving his hand.


    "I''ll do my best, guys. You just watch!"


    As he disappeared, the rest of us nodded and began to make our way up to the spectator box above. Unsurprisingly, there were already many people gathered in the spectator box, eagerly pressing against the window to watch the match of the year. The five of us had to squeeze through the crowd to find relatively good spots.


    "Ah, Bai Ning Xue is already there!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes narrowed. As always, she had a vendetta against Bai Ning Xue. She constantly sought a way to one-up her self-proclaimed rival, even though the latter never took her seriously. To make matters worse, she almost always lost. And even the ones she won were insignificant non-battle matches that Bai Ning Xue couldn''t be bothered with (like fashion or something as relatively "unimportant" as that).


    "You had better win, Jiao," Tang Qi Hong muttered under her breath. I smiled and patted her shoulder.


    "Let''s believe in him."


    Otherwise I would have to take revenge for him, but honestly, I didn''t know if I could defeat Bai Ning Xue. At least not as I was right now.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting!"


    Zhu Jiao burst into the arena, heaving for a moment before he straightened himself. He then smiled and raised his hands to a fighting stance.


    "Sorry for being late."


    "No, it''s all right. I''m used to it¡­I mean, you''re just on time."


    A ghost of a smile flickered over Bai Ning Xue''s pretty face, and she quickly corrected herself. Unfortunately, her slip (I suspected she did that on purpose) had reached the ears of many students, and all those guys who were chasing her couldn''t help but perk up at that.


    I thought back to Li Chun Long and Gu Chun Song, who were in isolation training. Even though they were barred from all kinds of media and contact from the outside world, the teachers would most likely send them videos of the tournament seminfinals and final as "resources" for them to watch and learn. So they would know about this even before they were released. It was a pity we wouldn''t be able to see their expressions, though.


    It would be hilarious if they emerge from isolation training months later, only to find out that Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue were officially a couple. That would be the ultimate sweet irony. And it would totally serve them right.


    "Let''s begin," Bai Ning Xue said. Zhu Jiao nodded in agreement. Seeing no objection, Bai Ning Xue then turned her head up to the speaker. "Teacher Cai, we''re ready to begin the match."


    "Sure." Teacher Cai''s voice boomed out of the speaker. "The both of you may begin whenever you''re ready."


    The spectators collectively held their breaths as they waited.


    "Hu¡­"


    The surrounding atmosphere was so thick that you could cut the tension with a knife. The two contestants faced off against each other, and Bai Ning Xue stepped forward to introduce herself as part of the formal ceremony before a duel.


    "I am Bai Ning Xue of the White Tiger Sect. My class is 1-4 in the high school division. My specialties are the Living Lightning, Divine Thunder Tiger Formula and Heavenly Thunder Strike techniques. My approximate inner qi level is thirty years."


    By now, everyone was already familiar with Bai Ning Xue. She didn''t need to introduce herself, but she did so as a matter of formality. Similarly, everyone knew who Zhu Jiao was, but he stepped forward as part of the ceremony before a duel.


    "I''m Zhu Jiao, class 1-4 in the high school division. I''m trying to revitalize the Golden Kirin Sect. My killer move is the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique¡­at least I''m doing my best to restore it under Wu Ling Academy''s guidance. My inner qi level is about three sexagenaries."


    Oh? This was a change. Well, it wasn''t, to be honest. Throughout the tournament, Zhu Jiao had been using a similar introduction. It appeared that his master had finally allowed him to reveal that he was the successor of the Golden Kirin Sect, with the caveat that he didn''t mention the ghostly existence of Qi Lin. Currently, Zhu Jiao was going with a fabricated story about how he was trying to restore the lost martial arts techniques of the Golden Kirin Sect, same as how I was trying to restore the lost techniques of the Heaven and Earth Sect.


    The only difference was that I was not ready to reveal my Heaven and Earth Formula to the world. Qi Lin was killed over two hundred years ago, and the Golden Kirin Sect had been lost in time, consigned to history books. In contrast, Master was slain less than three years ago, and the Heaven and Earth Sect destroyed not much longer than that. The people in the Martial Arts Alliance who murdered my master were still alive and around. Therefore I couldn''t afford to be careless. Whereas the people who razed the Golden Kirin Sect had been dead for centuries, and nobody cared if Zhu Jiao claimed that it was an orthodox sect.


    "All right, let''s begin!"


    Teacher Cai''s voice rang across the arena, and in the next second, both Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao disappeared.


    "?!"


    "Where did they go?!"


    "Fast!"


    The spectators gasped and marveled at their superhuman speed. As for me, I had to rely on my glasses to track their movements. I could barely follow them, but I caught sight of a silver blur and a golden blur before they clashed in the middle of the arena. Lightning exploded against golden, fiery qi that was sturdy and unyielding.


    At some point, both Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue had drawn their weapons. Zhu Jiao had donned his armored gauntlets whereas Bai Ning Xue had unsheathed her elegant sword. The couple were striking each other fiercely, Zhu Jiao''s armored fists deflected by Bai Ning Xue''s sleek blade before they could smash into her.


    Clang!


    Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue exchanged several blows in the middle of the arena, the impact from their clash reverberating across the ground. Electricity and golden qi danced around, tangling, intertwining and conflicting ferociously, neither yielding a centimeter. As Bai Ning Xue slapped away one of Zhu Jiao''s gauntlets with her sword, she threw out her other hand and unleashed a lightning bolt right at his chest. Zhu Jiao blocked the lightning bolt with his other hand and then threw it out to fire off a golden blast of earth qi that would have impaled her if Bai Ning Xue didn''t flip her body about in midair and dodge it. Widening the distance between them, she landed a few paces away.


    The both of them eyed each other warily. The opening clash had merely been a prelude, a strenuous warmup before the actual fight. They were both testing the waters, feeling out each other''s strength before deciding to commit.


    Taking a deep breath, Bai Ning Xue lowered her sword before thrusting it forward. Zhu Jiao caught it with one of his gauntlets, but his opponent had expected it, twisting her body around to deliver a kick to his chest. Zhu Jiao parried her foot with his other hand, but her blow was strong enough to drive him backward.


    Silver lightning crackled around her leg as Bai Ning Xue withdrew, raising it for emphasis.


    "Hu¡­"


    Zhu Jiao exhaled, realizing that there was electricity running around his arm. Without hesitation, he plunged it into the ground and discharged it, then straightened up. Golden qi flared up around him, forming what seemed like a protective sphere.


    Bai Ning Xue frowned, but then she lunged forward. Silver lightning wreathed her body as she struck, almost disappearing iinto a blur. Zhu Jiao blocked her first sword strike, and then ducked under her kick. His counterattack almost caught Bai Ning Xue off guard, his free gauntlet zooming up and slamming into her. Bai Ning Xue was able to cross her arms and block the blow, but the sheer power behind Zhu Jiao''s attack sent her flying several meters back.


    "Kuh!"


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    Flipping in midair, Bai Ning Xue deftly landed on her feet, but her momentum continued to carry her backward. She shook her arms to disguise the trembling, but it was clear that she felt the punch. She grimaced and shook her head.


    "What a powerful blow¡­my arms have gone totally numb from that."


    Unfortunately, Zhu Jiao wasn''t going to give her time to recover.


    "!"


    Bai Ning Xue was forced to jump away when Zhu Jiao barged in, smashing his fist into the ground where she was standing on and carving a crater into the reinforced concrete. Bai Ning Xue kicked out in reflex, hoping to land a counterattack, but Zhu Jiao merely knocked her leg away and rammed her with his other fist.


    "Kuh!"


    Fortunately, Bai Ning Xue managed to deflect his punch with her sword, but she was hurled across the arena again and crashed into the wall.


    "Argh!"


    A bit of blood dribbled from her mouth as she slid down the cracked wall, but she wiped it away calmly and coolly assessed her opponent.


    "I see. He''s stronger than me, but I should have the edge in speed."


    As she said that, silver lightning blasted out and danced around her, engulfing her in a shimmering aura that was almost too bright for the spectators to see directly. Fortunately for me, my glasses automatically darkened to protect my eyes.


    "This is¡­Living Lightning?"


    Tong Xue cried out in shock. I rolled my eyes at the clich¨¦ reaction.


    "Dude, what are you so surprised about? It''s not as if this is the first time Bai Xue Ning has used Living Lightning in front of us."


    "Oh¡­right."


    Admittedly, her Living Lightning had improved by leaps and bounds since the last time she used it. The last opponent she used it against, Tang Qi Hong, was chewing her lip in frustration. No doubt she wouldn''t be pleased that her perpetual rival had surged ahead of her, even so soon after she was defeated less than two weeks ago.


    "The distance between us has grown again," she muttered as she clenched her fists. I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.


    "There are things that you will always be better than her at, like Spirit Engraving and smithing weapons."


    "¡­thank you."


    Tang Qi Hong gritted her teeth, but she knew I meant well, so she didn''t snap at me. She tightened her grip around the railing and stared through the window.


    Bai Ning Xue was launching a deadly combination of sword strikes and kicks from all directions, silver lightning trailing and wreathing her attacks. Zhu Jiao held strong, the golden sphere of yang qi around him sturdily enduring whatever his opponent threw at him. He almost couldn''t catch up, slowly raising his gauntlets to deflect whatever he could.


    Which wasn''t a lot.


    "Ugh!"


    A bead of perspiration ran down his face. On the other hand, Bai Ning Xue''s impassive expression cracked a little when she realized that she had done little to penetrate that impervious barrier of her childhood sweetheart.


    "He''s tough," she murmured to herself.


    "¡­"


    "!"


    While Bai Ning Xue constantly rained down attacks on the almost unmoving Zhu Jiao, he suddenly lashed out with an armored gauntlet and nearly caught her by surprise. Bouncing away, she put as much distance between herself and Zhu Jiao as she could.


    "Hu¡­"


    Zhu Jiao exhaled as he kept his eyes on his beloved. He seemed to be thinking seriously, which was unusual for him.


    "Ning Xue is too fast. I can''t keep up with her movements. I have no choice but to counter speed with stillness and look for a chance to counterattack. With the amount of power behind my strikes, I only need one clean hit and she''ll be down, or at least severely injured."


    "What a dense aura of yang qi!"


    Bai Ning Xue was also evaluating her opponent as she plotted her next move. Even though she did not show any frustration on her face, she was no doubt finding this a stiff challenge. Taking a deep breath, she rejuvenated the silver lightning around her.


    "It''ll be difficult to break through his sturdy, unyielding defense. I''ll have to wear it down with multiple, repeated attacks and chip away at his defensive aura until I force it open." her brow creased slightly. "I don''t believe I can''t break through his defense."


    The two of them stood off for a few more seconds, and then Bai Ning Xue vanished once again. A silver blur streaked across the arena before she materialized in front of Zhu Jiao, baiting him into defending against her kick. However, even as he parried her foot, Bai Ning Xue disappeared and then slashed at his back.


    Clang!


    Her blade bounced harmlessly off the golden defensive sphere of yang qi. As Zhu Jiao whirled around to counterattack, Bai Ning Xue quickly moved away and attacked from a different direction, this time thrusting her sword from his blind spot.


    Clang!


    Zhu Jiao''s impressive reflexes saved him and he batted her blade away with the bottom of his gauntlet. Not that he needed to. I doubted that Bai Ning Xue''s attack would have pierced through his defenses.


    Still, it was a good habit not to let one''s guard down.


    Bai Ning Xue zomed and streaked across the coliseum, raining down attacks on Zhu Jiao from multiple directions, seeking for a way to smash through his defense, but he was equal to her challenge. Despite remaining static, he defended against her attacks flawlessly, either with his impenetrable golden sphere or his reflexes.


    "Isn''t his defense even stronger than that of Wu Hei Gui or Li Guo Qiang?"


    Someone in the spectators voiced out in amazement. I wondered about that. Certainly, Bai Ning Xue had yet to break through Zhu Jiao''s defenses, but it wasn''t because Zhu Jiao''s golden sphere of yang qi was denser and sturdier than Wu Hei Gui''s Unbreakable Shell or Li Guo Qiang''s Iron Soul technique. Zhu Jiao hadn''t given her the chance to crack open his Golden Kirin Yang Sphere because he parried many of her attacks with his gauntlets.


    Realizing that she was getting nowhere at this rate, Bai Ning Xue launched one final lightning-wreathed kick, which Zhu Jiao blocked, and then rapidly withdrew to a safe distance. She seemed a little out of breath, which was only natural. All this time she had been moving nonstop and expending a lot of lightning qi to maintain her movements and relentless assault. I was actually amazed that she could keep it up for so long.


    "Seems like this strategy won''t work. I''ll need a stronger attack."


    "Stronger attack?" Zhu Jiao tilted his head and frowned in disapproval. "Stop holding back, Ning Xue. If you still have any moves, bring them on. I''ll take on every one of them."


    "Oh, I still have plenty of moves," Bai Ning Xue assured him, a smile flickering over her beautiful face. "I was just hoping to save them for later¡­but you''re right. This is no time for me to continue holding back."


    Lightning crashed down onto her and the aura of a white tiger materialized behind and above her, roaring silently.


    "Thunderous Tiger Crash."


    "?!"


    The lightning tiger slammed into Zhu Jiao, actually knocking him off his feet. Zhu Jiao writhed and flailed about, only for the tiger to bite him before exploding in a silver blast of electricity that filled the entire space of the coliseum.


    "Whoa!"


    "Ugh!"


    "I can''t see!"


    Blinded, the spectators raised their hands to shield their eyes. Only I managed to continue watching, my lenses darkening again to protect my eyes. Even so, I couldn''t help but curse when I saw what happened to Zhu Jiao.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao was still grappling with the tiger, which actually managed to tear holes in his golden sphere. He obliterated it with a single punch of his gauntlet, fiery golden qi engulfing his armored fist and detonating against the lightning entity.


    "Thunderous Descent."


    However, Bai Ning Xue wasn''t going to wait for her opponent to counterattack. The moment Zhu Jiao vanquished her lightning tiger, she immediately launcher her next attack. A tremendous lightning bolt crashed from above and slammed into Zhu Jiao before exploding.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Zhu Jiao was hurled across the arena, his body smoldering. Blood dripping from his mouth, he crouched on all fours and coughed as his body went into spasms. Desperately pressing his hands against the ground, he quickly discharged the lightning.


    "As expected from an earth element martial artist. You''re able to discharge the electricity from your body quickly."


    Bai Ning Xue kicked Zhu Jiao before he could get up, the silver lighthing on her leg detonating as she made physical contact. Zhu Jiao was flung across the arena before he slammed into the ground, sliding a few meters away.


    "Jiao!" Tang Qi Hong cried out, pressing her hands against the window.


    "No way!" Lian Rou gasped.


    "Can no one defeat that ice princess?" Tong Xue demanded, his face ashen. "She''s just too powerful."


    Bai Ning Xue studied Zhu Jiao''s unmoving body for a moment before she turned to glance up at the speaker expectantly.


    However, Teacher Cai didn''t say anything. Frowning, Bai Ning Xue opened her mouth to speak, but she froze when she heard a scraping sound behind her.


    "Not yet¡­"


    Zhu Jiao was forcing himself back to his feet, his body smoking. He was grinning fiercely despite his injuries and the blood dripping from his mouth.


    "I''m not down yet, Ning Xue."


    "I see." Bai Ning Xue regarded him coolly. "I''ve to say, I''m impressed by how tenacious you are. But even so, you should know the difference between our strengths."


    "Really?" Zhu Jiao wiped the blood from his mouth. His golden qi flared up and coalesced around him, taking the form of a golden Kirin.


    In that instance, everyone froze as they received the full force of the golden Kirin''s intimidating presence. It was almost as if we were plunged into an ocean all of a sudden, suffocating and drowning in its immense power.

 113 Chapter 112: Golden Kirin Sacred Beast Technique

    "Then bring out your best technique, and we''ll settle this once and for all."


    "Oh, don''t be impatient. I''ll get it done immediately." Zhu Jiao took a deep breath and dropped into a somewhat relaxed stance. Raising both his hands in front of his chest, he gathered a huge amount of qi into himself.


    "!!!"


    Bai Ning Xue instinctively jumped back when dense, golden qi swirled around Zhu Jiao in a violent maelstrom. I could see the golden qi coalesce into a gargantuan golden Kirin around him, solidifying into a terrifying, armored creature that bellowed silently. Even though there was no sound, the spectators all ducked in reflex as a pseudo shockwave hit us, almost knocking us off our feet. A few of the students actually lost conscious.


    "W¡­what the hell is this?!"


    Tong Xue was shaking his head as he tried to clear it after suffering the impact from the powerful qi blast that had reverberated throughout the coliseum. He helped up Lian Rou, who looked dazed. I glanced around and saw that she wasn''t alone.


    This much effect from just the sheer presence of the Golden Kirin alone?


    "Zhu Jiao mentioned that he was trying to restore the lost martial arts of the ancient Golden Kirin Sect," Ban Zhang said as he steadied himself against the railing behind the window. "This must be one of those!"


    "The Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique."


    Everyone turned to stare at me.


    "Say again?" Tong Xue repeated incredulously.


    "The Golden Kirin Sacred¡­"


    "No, no, we heard you the first time. How did you know?"


    "Eh? Didn''t Zhu Jiao mention it before?" suddenly I realized I might have made a terrible mistake. Zhu Jiao was instructed to keep his master''s existence a secret. Even though his master might have finally allowed him to reveal his sect after two years of realizing that the people who wanted to exterminate the sect were long dead, he might not have said the same for the Golden Kirin Sect''s martial arts techniques.


    Swallowing and hoping I didn''t make a mistake, I quickly shook my head.


    "Never mind, I must have remembered wrongly."


    "Well, it is one of the most famous techniques of the Golden Kirin Sect," Tang Qi Hong pointed out. Evidently she had read up a bit on the Golden Kirin Sect''s history. "Their signature technique, actually. Most people who know the Golden Kirin Sect will know about it."


    Turning my attention back to Zhu Jiao, I saw a somewhat startling transformation. While Zhu Jiao didn''t actually turn into a monstrous Kirin-like warrior like a certain Golden Nymph and his Sacred Creature Morph from a certain Singaporean manhua, the Golden Kirin aura settled over him protectively like some kind of armor.


    "Is that it?"


    Bai Ning Xue sounded almost disappointed. However, far from being discouraged, Zhu Jiao merely smiled.


    "Care to test my skills then?"


    Bai Ning Xue didn''t say anything. Instead, she disappeared, turning into a sliver streak that blurred across the arena and kicked Zhu Jiao. However, Zhu Jiao responded by punching her lightning-wreathed foot with such immense force that she was physically repelled. Cartwheeling in the air, Bai Ning Xue crashed onto the ground heavily, and despite landing on her feet, she dropped to her knees and clutched her leg.


    Perspiration dripped down her pale face as she held her foot and glared at Zhu Jiao.


    "You¡­!"


    But Zhu Jiao had no intenton of waiting for her.


    "!!!"


    With a roar, he lunged forward and punched Bai Ning Xue. Even though she managed to block his gauntlet with her sword, the sheer force of his strike sent her sword hurtling away and his fist slammed directly into her solar plexus.


    Bam!


    Unable to withstand the blow, Bai Ning Xue was sent hurtling across the coliseum, blood spurting from her mouth as she soared uncontrollably across the vast space. She slammed into the wall behind her, cracking the concrete and almost causing the structure to cave in from the tremendous impact. Blood splattered onto the ground in front of her as she finally came to a stop.


    Coughing, Bai Ning Xue landed on the ground and sprawled on all fours. Raising her head, she glared at the rock-solid Zhu Jiao. Blood dripped profusely from her mouth and she winced from severe internal damage.


    "What monstrous strength!" she murmured to herself. "After executing this technique, his speed and power have increased by several dozen times!"


    "Uwooooh!"


    Zhu Jiao wasn''t going to give her time to recover, however. He was already charging at her, the golden aura around him blazing spectacularly.


    "Hah!"


    With a defiant shout, Bai Ning Xue hauled herself off from the ground and dashed forward. Silver lightning surrounded her body once more and she disappeared into a blur. Swinging her sword, she delivered another lethal combination of sword strikes and kicks that would have obliterated anyone else with the sheer force of lightning streaming from her blade and body.


    However, Zhu Jiao was not just anybody.


    He met her blow for blow, meeting her kicks and slashes with his armored gauntlets. Despite being visibly slower, he held his ground firmly and parried every attack Bai Ning Xue threw at him, his arms lashing out so quickly they also turned into golden blurs.


    "Haaaah!"


    With a yell, Zhu Jiao swung his right fist so fiercely that he managed to send Bai Ning Xue flying back despite her best attempts to defend herself with her sword. Spiraling helplessly in the air, she flipped her body around and landed somewhat elegantly on her feet.


    Unfortunately, despite the graceful display, it was clear that she hadn''t come out of that exchange unscathed.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Both of her legs were trembling violently, to the extent where she almost fell over. Credit to her, she stood her ground bravely, refusing to buckle. Gritting her teeth and wiping the perspiration from her pale face, she scrutinized her opponent.


    "Jiao''s strength has truly turned monstrous. What terrifying power! Both of my legs have gotten numb just from clashing with his fists!"


    Zhu Jiao charged forward again, cocking back his armored gauntlets for another vicious strike. This time, Bai Ning Xue was more prepared, using her sword to parry his fist. However, Zhu Jiao''s brute strength forced her backward, the two of them hurtling toward the wall behind Bai Ning Xue as she struggled to resist her opponent''s momentum.


    "AAAAH!"


    Thunderous Descent!


    It was a huge risk executing such a powerful and qi-consuming move at close range, but it paid off. Blasting Zhu Jiao with a massive bolt of lightning that descended from the heavens, Bai Ning Xue was able to momentarily repel him and hold his ferocious assault off.


    "Heavenly Lightning Void Strike!"


    Swinging her sword, Bai Ning Xue unleashed yet another massive lightning bolt from the ceiling, the jagged blast of qi streaking through the air with a thunderous howl and striking Zhu Jiao. The would-be protagonist caught the lightning bolt with both of his glowing gauntlets, stopping it from searing through his body and electrocuting him.


    "AAAAARGH!"


    With a determined bellow, he hurled the lightning bolt away with sheer force, blasting a huge chunk of concrete out of the unfortunate ground and leaving a scorched crater.


    "!"


    As he did so, his guard was down. Making use of her superior speed, Bai Ning Xue kicked him in the face, her foot detonating with silver lightning the moment it made physical contact and flinging Zhu Jiao back.


    Or so it seemed.


    Zhu Jiao merely took one step back and counterattacked with a heavy blow, his fist slamming into her back. Unlike Zhu Jiao, who seemed to take no damage from her kick, Bai Ning Xue gagged and blood burst out of her mouth before she crashed several dozen meters away, her momentum causing her to slide across the ground.


    Throwing out a hand and halting her momentum, Bai Ning Xue coughed out more blood before she eventually rose shakily to her feet. Determined and defiant to the bitter end, she wiped the blood off her mouth and met Zhu Jiao''s gaze evenly.


    "What a monster. It seems like I''ve underestimated you, Jiao. No¡­I always expected highly of you, so I''m not surprised. But you''ve surpassed my expectations completely." she smiled slightly. "I can''t help but feel proud."


    "Thank you," Zhu Jiao responded as he steadied himself. Even though he didn''t take as much damage, Bai Ning Xue''s kick to his face had swayed him a bit. He cracked a grin. "I couldn''t afford to lose to you, after all."


    "I should say the same." Bai Ning Xue closed her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. "After taking that huge blow from you earlier, it seems that my speed and strength have been drastically reduced. I''ll acknowledge it now¡­you''re the strongest opponent I''ve ever faced. On par or above even Tang Qi Hong."


    "Bai Ning Xue acknowledged me?"


    Beside me, Tang Qi Hong blinked in surprise. I smiled and patted her.


    "Yeah, isn''t that great?"


    "Ugh¡­" Tang Qi Hong frowned. "I guess so¡­but somehow, I don''t feel very satisfied about the way she said that¡­"


    Neither of us could afford to pay much attention to that, especially since the duel seemed to be heating up.


    "You''re extremely strong," Bai Ning Xue repeated with a nod. "If I want to defeat you, I can only increase my power."


    "I thought you were no longer holding back?" Zhu Jiao asked, trying to conceal his annoyance. Bai Ning Xue shrugged.


    "You''ve forced me to use my trump card. So take pride in that."


    "Trump card¡­?"


    By way of replying, Bai Ning Xue gathered all the silver lightning into her body and her spiritual qi surged exponentially. A silver sphere of qi coalesced around her, almost solidifying, and the symbol of a White Tiger materialized in her forehead.


    "That''s¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened in shock. He was not the only one. All around the coliseum, spectators were murmuring in disbelief.


    "Impossible!"


    "Isn''t that¡­!?"


    "That Bai Ning Xue was still hiding such a trump card!?"


    "I don''t believe this!"


    "Isn''t that the ultimate¡­?"


    "Man and Sword as One: The Ultimate Power."


    Bai Ning Xue declared, silencing everyone. Within seconds, an intimidating qi flooded the entire area, suffocating everyone because of its sheer potency.


    "How the hell did she master Man and Sword as One?!"


    "At her age, no less?!"


    "Amazing¡­!"


    "This is incredible!"


    "She really is a genius!"


    It wasn''t just the students. Even the teachers and staff were shouting out from astonishment, utterly impressed by the sequence of events unfolding before their very eyes. They had never imagined that a student of Bai Ning Xue''s age could have already mastered the pinnacle of martial arts.


    Raising her hand, Bai Ning Xue recalled her sword with just her will alone, the refined weapon flying from the ground and gently landing in her outstretched hand.


    "Now that''s a surprise."


    Despite the bead of perspiration dripping down his face, Zhu Jiao smiled. He wasn''t the type to fear a challenge. No, rather, he embraced it.


    "I didn''t think you would have mastered Man and Sword as One. You never cease to amaze me, Ning Xue."


    "I should say the same for you. I''m impressed by how strong you''ve grown. To corner me and force me to using my ultimate technique¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue shook her head faintly, and then raised her sword to point it at Zhu Jiao.


    "Let''s settle this."


    Zhu Jiao chuckled. "You know me too well. Yup, I''m not going to give up just because you''ve mastered Man and Sword as One!"


    With that, he charged forward. Bai Ning Xue''s brow furrowed by the slightest of margins, probably her disapproval at his recklessness, and then she disappeared into a silver blur.


    The two of them met in the middle in a violent collision that carved a crater into the ground, their silver and gold qi clashing violently and expanding into an uncontrollable storm. The tempest of arcane energies lashed out and struck the ground, destroying whatever solid material that they came in contact with.


    This time, Bai Ning Xue was able to fight Zhu Jiao more evenly, her kicks and sword strikes zooming forward with incredible power ¨C much stronger than previously. Even with her increased power, she was still unable to overpower Zhu Jiao. The armored guy met her blow for blow, trading punches with kicks and blade without yielding ground. The vibrations from the exchange between the two martial artists sent tremors across the beleaguered coliseum.


    "Awesome!"


    "What the hell is this fight?!"


    "Both of them are amazing!"


    "Oh, heavens¡­!"


    "I never thought we''ll be able to witness such a fight!"


    The spectators gasped, awestruck, as they watched the intense battle. Unable to peel their eyes away, they gaped at the relentless couple, who were hitting each other with the intent to kill.


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    That might sound inaccurate, as their attacks were devoid of hatred. No, the intent to kill was the ultimate form of respect. The two of them trusted and believed in each other''s belief to the point where they knew their opponent would definitely survive any sort of attack they threw at each other even if they didn''t hold back.


    They believed in each other''s strengths to the point where they acknowledged that if they held back, they wouldn''t be able to defeat the other. And they trusted that their significant other would be able to survive whatever attack they delivered.


    Boom, boom, boom!


    The poundings grew louder and more violent as both Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue intensified their attacks.


    "Thunder Tiger Crash!"


    Countless lightning tigers descended from the ceiling, roaring silently as they sought to tear their mistress''s opponent apart.


    However, Zhu Jiao was far from helpless and alone. With a yell, he stomped on the ground, emanating a golden shockwave that obliterated the approaching tigers before they could reach him. Without breaking a sweat, he punched Bai Ning Xue in the next instant, almost taking her by surprise ad throwing her off her pattern of her attacks.


    Bai Ning Xue was not deterred, though. Raising her sword, she swung it down and directed another lightning bolt at him.


    "Heavenly Tiger Thunderbolt!"


    This time, the lightning bolt took the shape of a humongous tiger that descended ferociously upon Zhu Jiao''s position. Zhu Jiao held his ground, however, his aura growing rapidly into a snarling Golden Kirin.


    The two celestial creatures met in the center of the arena and detonated upon impact. The resulting explosion caused an earthquake that almost caused the coliseum to topple in itself.


    "What power?!"


    Tang Qi Hong gasped as she tried to steady herself on the railing. Beside her, Lian Rou cried out as she fell, but Tong Xue was on hand to grab her.


    "What''s going on?"


    We peered through the window, trying to squint past the smoke and cloud of dust that permeated the arena.


    We didn''t have to look for long.


    The smoke immediately cleared as both Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao burst out of it, the shockwaves from their movements blasting the thick fog apart. Silver and gold qi clashed and ignited, setting off secondary explosions that littered the coliseum, sending debris raining down from damaged walls or smashing craters into the ground.


    So much for reinforced concrete. Then again, if the material wasn''t reinforced, the coliseum would have been destroyed long ago. Good thing the staff was capable of repairing and restoring the coliseum near immediately after each duel by using some qi, otherwise no insurance agency was going to cover the costs of repairs.


    The expenses would be astronomical if they always had to repair the coliseum properly after every duel.


    "Hah!"


    "Ah!"


    Zhu Jiao punched while Bai Ning Xue swung her sword down. Gauntlet met blade and the physical clash detonated yet again, sending both of them reeling backward. Stomping on the ground to halt his slide, Zhu Jiao threw his other fist, but Bai Ning Xue made use of her incredible agilty to flip her body in midair and meet his punch with a lightning kick.


    Crack!


    The two sprang apart after another ignition of mystical energies that lit up the air. Skidding away, they dug in their heels and stopped before lunging at each other again. Bai Ning Xue, swinging her sword determinedly, and Zhu Jiao unyielding and firm.


    "UWOOOOH!!"


    "HAAAAAAH!"


    Another collision, and the two swung past each other. Spinning around, almost in concert, they then lashed out and traded a few dozen blows. The ground around them was slowly being reduced to rubble.


    "Lightning Flash!"


    Electricity exploded out of Bai Ning Xue''s sword and blasted Zhu Jiao at pointblank range, scorching him despite his thick, protective aura. Gritting his teeth, despite being seared by lightning and writhing in the grip of excruciating agony, Zhu Jiao unleashed a golden pillar of qi from his gauntlet that struck Bai Ning Xue in the chest and sent her spinning.


    "Kuh!"


    Bai Ning Xue did a cartwheel, throwing out her hands and flipping over to land on her feet. She then pointed her sword at Zhu Jiao.


    "Focus on the point between a void and a void."


    "¡­what the hell?!"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened.


    "Assimilate your qi with the surroundings and balance the yin and yang around the point."


    "That''s¡­!"


    "Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style."


    A lightning bolt crashed down on Zhu Jiao, electrocuting him. Even though he maximized the sturdiness of his Golden Kirin protective aura, the lightning penetrated the golden sphere and slammed into him directly, electrocuting him.


    "UGH!"


    Zhu Jiao collapsed onto the ground, his body going into uncontrollable spasms. He writhed and squirmed, shrieking in unimaginable agony.


    "AAAAAAAAAAARGH!"


    Clutching his shoulders and curling into a fetal position, he howled in pain. Tears leaked out of his eyes as he looked up at the heaving Bai Ning Xue, not comprehending. His childhood sweetheart watched him, her own breathing ragged.


    "It''s useless. Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style is an attack that bypasses any kind of defense. There is no way for you to block it." She sighed. "To be honest, it''s not something that I wanted to use, but you forced my hand."


    "Ugh¡­"


    Zhu Jiao gritted his teeth as he tried to crawl onto all fours, his body racked by the relentless electricity.


    "It''s a move that consumes too much qi," Bai Ning Xue continued as she strolled up to Zhu Jiao, raising her sword. "But in exchange, it incapacitates the opponent in one strike." She paused to study the writhing Zhu Jiao. "This is really a terrifying move."


    "¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao panted as he tried to raise his head, but his body refused to obey.


    "Honestly, I''m surprised that you''re still conscious." Bai Ning Xue shook her head, and then slashed downward with her sword. "But it''s over."


    Clang!


    "!?"


    Bai Ning Xue''s sword was harmlessly deflected away by one of Zhu Jiao''s gauntlets. The ice princess was unable to conceal the look of surprise on her face, but before she could react, Zhu Jiao reached out and grabbed her arm.


    "! You¡­!"


    "I''ve got you!"


    Despite the electricity that continued to surge and wreak havoc and agony on his body, Zhu Jiao was grinning. His complexion was pale and he was visibly perspiring from the sheer effort of maintaining his consciousness, but he clamped down hard on Bai Ning Xue''s arm, refusing to let go. His beloved desperately unleashed a Lightning Flash at pointblank range, but Zhu Jiao intercepted her attack with his other gauntlet.


    "There is no way¡­! You took a hit from Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style! You shouldn''t be able to block it¡­!"


    "You''re right," Zhu Jiao agreed with a grin. "I failed to block it. But what you didn''t realize is that I''m a lot more tenacious than you think."


    "Kuh!"


    Bai Ning Xue struggled, but her resistance was futile. Zhu Jiao kept a tight grip on both her arms, denying her the chance to either strike with her sword or escape. At such a close distance, she was also unable to bring her legs up to kick him effectively.


    Zhu Jiao possessed superior strength, which meant that Bai Ning Xue wouldn''t be able to break out of his grip. Furthermore, the moment he had her in his clutches, it meant that he had nullified her greatest advantage ¨C her speed.


    "Let go of me!"


    Lightning flowed and blasted from Bai Ning Xue''s hands, but even though the gauntlets were metallic, they seemed to stem the electricity and insulate Zhu Jiao from the terrifying currents. As if he didn''t even notice them, Zhu Jiao smiled and drew Bai Ning Xue closer to him.


    "I''m never letting you go ever again."


    "!!!"


    Obviously, Bai Ning Xue realized the true, intended meaning that lay deep within those words, and she actually blushed a little.


    Then Zhu Jiao spoiled that romantic moment by cocking his head back and head-butting Bai Ning Xue in the forehead. She cried out as she reeled back, only for Zhu Jiao to continue holding onto her. Jerked back into position, she was unable to dodge Zhu Jiao''s fist when he let go of one of her arms and punched her.


    "Oooh¡­"


    Even I flinched at the snapping sound that echoed throughout the arena when Bai Ning Xue recoiled from the blow. The dude didn''t have any mercy even though his opponent was his beloved and a girl, hitting her in the face.


    Bai Ning Xue staggered, but she didn''t give up. Clenching her teeth, she whipped around with her now free hand and struck Zhu Jiao with her Lightning Flash. Electricity imploded against his chest, but the golden protective aura around Zhu Jiao flared, guarding him from the worst of its effects. With a roar, he punched her in the chest.


    Crack!


    Blood spurted from Bai Ning Xue''s mouth as she jerked back. However, Zhu Jiao wasn''t going to make the same mistake she did and pummeled her mercilessly. Despite her best attempts to resist, Bai Ning Xue was slowly succumbing to the much more powerful blows, the damage accumulating at a horrifying rate.


    "Whoa¡­Jiao is actually turning this into a dogfight?!"


    Tong Xue was gaping at the unbelievable sight in disbelief. All around, the spectators were half-amazed and half-horrified, unable to digest what they were witnessing. What they had thought was a battle of the year had eventually devolved into a slugfest where Zhu Jiao was overwhelming Bai Ning Xue with brute force.


    "Kuh¡­gah¡­!"


    Bai Ning Xue, to her credit, managed to maintain her consciousness for a while longer. Gritting her teeth even as blood sprayed from her mouth, she lashed out with a hand and struck Zhu Jiao in the chest for one last act of defiance.


    "Heavenly Roaring Thunder!"


    A tiger erupted from her palm and smashed Zhu Jiao away, forcing him to release his grip on her sword arm. Bai Ning Xue seized the advantage to slash Zhu Jiao, and even with his protective aura, he was unable to prevent a thin, long line of blood from surfacing across his torso. Fortunately, it seemed that the injury was superficial.


    "Huff¡­"


    The force from Bai Ning Xue''s final, desperate attack had sent him whirling away. Bai Ning Xue quickly retreated to a safe distance.


    "Hu¡­"


    She sucked in a deep breath, and then stumbled. Realizing she didn''t have long before she collapsed, she resolved to finish the battle quickly, before her body could give out. Grinding her foot against the ground, she called upon what remained of her qi and coalesced it around her blade.


    "Heavenly White Tiger Thunder Blade!"


    A silver pillar of lightning lanced out of her blade, tearing into the coliseum ceiling and blasting beyond into the heavens. With a shout, she swung it and slashed the gradually recovering Zhu Jiao, who barely lifted his gauntlets in time to guard himself.


    Boom!


    The entire space vanished in a massive, catastrophic conflagration that expanded across the arena and scorched the walls and ground. So blinding was the blast that everyone were momentarily blinded. Even me, despite the protection that my darkened lenses afforded.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    "What''s going on!?"


    "Ugh?!"


    Cries and shouts surfaced around the spectator box as they struggled to come to terms with the explosion. Squeezing my watery eyes shut and shaking my head, I forced them open and tried to peer through the smoke and dust.


    "Golden Kirin Divine Claws!"


    His body smoking and blood splashed all over his uniform, Zhu Jiao nonetheless burst out of the smoke with unimpeded ferocity and slammed his fist into a stunned Bai Ning Xue''s midriff. Five golden claws streaked out of the gauntlet and punched huge holes through her body, sending geysers of blood sprouting outward.


    "Gah¡­!"


    Bai Ning Xue shook, her mouth open both from shock and in a cry of pain, and her eyes rolled over in their sockets. She staggered one last time, and then fell to her knees.


    "¡­kuh¡­"


    She looked up at Zhu Jiao, or tried to, but her eyes were no longer open. The White Tiger symbol on her forehead had also vanished, and the imposing presence that her Man and Sword as One exerted on the surrounding atmosphere was finally lifted, allowing everyone to breathe large sighs of relief.


    Then Bai Ning Xue fell over, unconscious.


    "¡­"


    Heaving heavily, Zhu Jiao stared at his opponent''s fallen body, but made no move to attack her. Instead, he waited patiently.


    "¡­"


    It took a while, but Teacher Cai was finally able to open his mouth and announce the victor.


    "The match is over. The winner is Zhu Jiao!"


    "Heh."


    Zhu Jiao grinned as he raised a triumphant, armored fist to the sutnned audience. The majority of them were still rooted in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened.


    "YEAH!"


    On the other hand, I was cheering and clapping fiercely, pressing against the window and shouting at the top of my lungs. Tong Xue and the rest followed my example, yelling and waving excitedly.


    "You did it, Jiao!"


    "That was awesome!"


    "Amazing! Utterly amazing!"


    "Impressive!"


    "Great job!"


    "Congratulations!"


    It wasn''t just us. The majority of the class had also joined in, whooping and screaming. Several of the girls were hugging each other. Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou were uncharacteristically squealing as they held each other''s hands and jumped up and down. Ban Zhang was smiling. Tong Xue was doing some sort of weird dance.


    Zhu Jiao caught my eye, and despite staggering dangerously and teetering on the verge of collapse, he managed to return my thumb''s up. I shared his grin and nodded.

 114 Chapter 113: Day before the Final

    "Who do you think will win?"


    "I dunno, man. Both Wu and Jiao are our friends. We can''t support one and not the other. I guess we''ll be rooting for them both?"


    "Yeah, let''s cheer for both of them," Lian Rou agreed as she broke into Tong Xue and Ban Zhang''s conversation. I pretended not to hear them, and focused on speaking to Zhu Jiao, who had just emerged from the infirmary.


    "How are you feeling, man?"


    "I''ve felt worse." Zhu Jiao considered his next words for a moment, and then shrugged. "But I''ve felt better as well."


    I grinned back. "If you''re able to complain, then it means you''re fine."


    "Of course. Who do you think I am?" Zhu Jiao slapped his chest for emphasis. "I''ll definitely be ready for the final in two days'' time."


    Right. I couldn''t forget about that. It still felt surreal, and I could hardly believe what was happening. I didn''t expect to make it all the way to the final, but now that I was here, I wanted to win. I had come this far, after all. There was a slight hope building in my chest, and I couldn''t help but desire that feeling of becoming a champion.


    However, my opponent was none other than one of my best friends, Zhu Jiao. There could only be one winner. I doubted the outcome of the final would affect our friendship, but for one of us to prevail, the other had to fall. And having come this far as well, I doubted Zhu Jiao would take well to losing. I definitely didn''t.


    "Thanks for defeating Bai Ning Xue and taking revenge for me."


    Tang Qi Hong wasn''t thinking that far ahead. She was beaming cheerfully, happy that her nemesis and self-proclaimed rival had finally been defeated. No doubt Bai Ning Xue''s pride had been taken down a peg, and she would be less¡­cold and unemotional in future. The myth of her invincibility had also been shattered.


    Additionally, there was another cause for celebration.


    "Congratulations," I told an embarrassed Zhu Jiao, who laughed and scratched his head. "You''re finally officially dating Bai Ning Xue, aren''t you?"


    "Uh, yeah." Zhu Jiao glanced down, his face red. "I still can''t believe it. It doesn''t feel real, you know? I mean, I''ve been working toward this goal for so long, and now¡­she''s finally my girlfriend. After all this time¡­!"


    He clenched his trembling fist and bowed over, his face scrunched up.


    "I¡­I can''t contain my excitement any longer! I want to run around the campus shouting in joy and celebrate! WOOHOO!"


    "OI!" Ban Zhang snapped at him. "I understand that you''re delighted and I know how you feel, but we''re still in school! And close to the infirmary! Get your feelings under control!"


    "Sorry, sorry."


    "You deserve it, man. Heavens know you''ve worked the hardest."


    "Yeah. And now¡­" he turned to face me seriously, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We''ve one final match, don''t we? Don''t hold back, bro. we''re going all out against each other ¨C promise me that. I don''t want you restraining yourself just because we''re friends."


    "You know me," I replied with a grin. "I''m not going to hold back just because we''re friends. I respect you too much for that."


    "Good." Zhu Jiao nodded and his grip tightened. "I''ve always wanted to fight you at your true strength. Whoever wins, no hard feelings for the other party, all right? We''ll congratulate the winner, no matter who it is. And no ditching the celebration party afterward, okay?"


    "Yeah. If there''s free food, I''ll definitely be there."


    Zhu Jiao laughed. "Yeah, you''re as stingy as ever. It''s a promise then!"


    "Now that you mention it¡­" Tong Xue was looking thoughtful and he turned to the rest. "Jiao is right. We ought to organize a celebration party after the final. No matter who wins, he''s one of us, so that calls for a party!"


    "Yeah!"


    "I''m in!"


    "Good idea."


    Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou and Ban Zhang agreed without hesitation. Zhu Jiao and I exchanged smiles, and then turned away.


    "Well, we had best start getting ready for the final then."


    "Yeah. I don''t want any regrets." Zhu Jiao held up a fist, and I bumped it after staring at it for a few seconds. Sorry, but I wasn''t familiar with these sort of hand gestures. It seemed the sort of thing that only popular kids did. And I was old.


    Mentally, anyway.


    After a few words, we parted and did whatever we could.


    *


    "Hmm, I wonder if this will be relevant."


    Instead of returning to the dormitory, I had headed to the library to do some research on the Golden Kirin Sect. Tang Qi Hong had mentioned reading about the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique somewhere as well as the history of the Golden Kirin Sect, and I believed her. Mostly because I read a book that talked about them as well.


    Yeah, it was shortly after Jiao met his master, Qi Lin. I was curious about what sort of sect the Golden Kirin Sect was, and so I went to look for information regarding them. Not to mention, I overheard their conversation¡­


    However, he was my final opponent in the tournament, and especially after watching his match against Bai Ning Xue, I knew just how tough he would be. If even Bai Ning Xue couldn''t defeat him with her Man and Sword as One technique, which was said to be the ultimate power, then I wondered how I was going to beat him.


    Hell, no. I''m definitely not going to use Heaven and Earth Formula.


    Even though we promised not to hold back, the Heaven and Earth Formula didn''t count. For one thing, it wasn''t a technique I learned for the competition. It was a technique for killing, and unless it was a life-and-death emergency, there was no way I would use it against my friend. It was precisely because Zhu Jiao was my friend that I would take extra measures not to kill him.


    I wasn''t some bloodthirsty villain who killed everyone who got in my way, after all.


    Still, this feels strange.


    Normally, protagonists of a wuxia or xianxia story would encounter villainous, psychotic characters in the tournament so that they had a justifiable excuse to beat the opponent up and humiliate him in front of everyone. Just like in Eternal Reverence or Peerless Martial God. Tournament arc? Yeah, let''s just throw in a list of random characters the readers couldn''t even remember the names of, and line them up so that the protagonist could beat them up one by one and boost his ego. Oh, and let''s make these random characters as arrogant, unlikeable and annoying as possible, so that the readers could cheer the protagonist on as he beat them up and humiliated them in front of everyone while basking in the praise of the audience.


    That was why Li Fu Chen just breezed through every tournament he participated in and always got first place without fail. Who were his rivals or supporting characters? Can''t remember them? That was because there were none. If they weren''t heroines who would fall in love with Li Fu Chen and become part of his harem, they were just poor bastards who exist solely so that Li Fu Chen could crush them one-sidedly and get praised for stomping supposedly "talented" and "genius" opponents. And¡­they cease to matter after the tournament arc.


    And you know what the best part was? After they got stomped by Li Fu Chen in a tournament, after they got hyped and made out to be some five star bone frame or unprecedented geniuses or prodigies or talents that everyone praised to heaven, it turned out that after the tournament they were merely small fries in the world outside their sect. and they ended up having to depend on Li Fu Chen to protect them, after realizing how they were weak and trash when compared to the talents and prodigies of other sects.


    Of course, that didn''t apply to Li Fu Chen, who ended up crushing these poor "geniuses" of other sects with little more effort than it took to lift his finger. Honestly, the power levels in that story were utterly ridiculous.


    "Sh!"


    The librarian glared at me, and I suddenly realized that I had been ranting and rambling under my breath the whole time I was in the library. Sorry.


    Well, it''s not as if I can write a better story.


    Most readers would prefer to read Peerless Martial God, Against the Gods, Eternal Reference, Martial God Asura and I Shall Seal The Heavens than this trashy martial arts story that featured a weak, underpowered protagonist like me, who was unable to crush my opponents convincingly and one-sidedly. I heard that most readers prefer God Mode Mary Sue protagonists.


    Too bad, I guess? I''m sorry for not being talented or powerful enough. I mean, if you really wanted to read those, then please go ahead and read the list of stories I mentioned above. I''m sure there were even more than in that list. The better ones tended to be Tian Can Tu Dou''s stories like Battle Through the Heavens, Wu Dong Qian Kun and The Great Ruler. Or maybe even Spirit Realm. I mean, I just went through an entire arc that seemed completely ripped off Spirit Realm. The one where I entered the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "¡­"


    The librarian was glaring at me intently now, and I quickly ducked behind a bookshelf. Exhaling wearily, I scanned through the books in hopes of finding the text regarding the Golden Kirin Sect and its history. As the Golden Kirin Sect had been exterminated a couple of centuries ago, there wasn''t much contemporary material on them.


    If I wanted to read up on them, I had to go through the historical archives. That was fine with me. I love history.


    "Let''s see¡­here it is!"


    Moving my fingers through the row of books, I paused and smiled when I finally found the book I was looking for. A History of the lost Golden Kirin Sect. pulling the book out, I then brought it to the disgruntled librarian and borrowed it.


    "Ah, it''s been a while."


    The librarian jumped when a familiar voice spoke up behind her. An old man strolled out from the office and waved at me.


    "Oh¡­! Good evening, Uncle Du Shu Guan."


    I bowed my head politely, recognizing him as the old librarian I met when I first stepped into the library to borrow the Shadow Steps martial arts scroll all those years ago. I had seen him quite a few times over the years, but after purchasing the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship and the whole debacle with the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I had been going to the library a lot less. It couldn''t be helped ¨C I had to learn some spirit armament smithing techniques in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and I no longer stayed in the academy''s dormitory.


    "Good to see that you''re doing well." He caught sight of the book on the Golden Kirin Sect that I borrowed and then smiled in approval. "I see that you''re researching on your opponent in the final."


    "Eh?" I was startled at his accurate guess. "How did you know?"


    Uncle Du Shu Guan laughed. "Even though I''m just a librarian, it doesn''t mean I don''t keep up on current affairs¡­especially those that directly occur in the academy. Of course I''ll be keeping tabs on the school tournament. It''s my job."


    "I see." I nodded, not sure if I should be amazed. Now that I thought about it, it was only natural that a librarian continued to read up on current affairs.


    "This will be a tough match," Uncle Du Shu Guan mused as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "The Golden Kirin Sect''s martial arts have been thought to be lost for almost two centuries. Your opponent may be trying to restore them, and I heard he has attained great success in doing so. However, so much of it remains unknown¡­"


    "Zhu Jiao is an intelliegent and talented person," I declared, somewhat proudly. Uncle Du Shu Guan chuckled, as if bemused by why I was praising my opponent.


    "Ah, yes¡­the two of you are friends, if I recall correctly¡­"


    He nodded, his eyes taking on a faraway gaze behind those large-rimmed glasses of his.


    "Youth¡­I so envy you guys." his smile spread across his ancient face. "I still remember when the both of you came together to borrow martial arts scrolls from this library. When you were only just beginning to learn martial arts, after just enrolling in the middle school section. It has been a really long time, and you both have come so far. I never thought those two kids would have become the finalists in the school tournament in such a short time."


    If Uncle Du Shu Guan noticed my slip, he gave no sign of it and instead nodded. He seemed to be completely taken in by the nostalgia.


    "A long time indeed. I''ve been here for decades, and I''ve seen many students come and go. Most of them have faded away from my memoy, but for some reason, when I saw the two of you, I thought you were a peculiar pair."


    "Eh?" I tilted my head to the left as I stared at Uncle Du Shu Guan. He chuckled and raised a wizened hand.


    "Oh, don''t misunderstand me. I was just curious. I had heard about your circumstances, that the both of you were categorized as One Star Constitution cultivators. Zhu Jiao''s case was mysterious, having been someone who was a former Five Star Constitution cultivator who lost his talent. Nonetheless, I was intrigued. Despite such a debilitating setback and even being rejected by all the sects who came to recruit from the academy, both of you refused to give up and stubbornly remained in the academy, and even strove to learn martial arts on your own, relying only on the academy resources and yourselves. And it was the both of you who have come the furthest. Truly, your fates have exceeded beyond even my wildest imagination."


    I bowed my head slightly, not sure how to respond to that.


    "I remember cheering for the both of you, moved by your indomitable spirit and wanting to help you in any way I can."


    "You helped us a lot," I assured him, recalling that very first day. "Your advice regarding the martial arts manuals saved me."


    "Nah." Uncle Du Shu Guan waved his hand. "I give that standard warning to everyone, regardless of who they are. It wouldn''t do if a promising student gets swallowed up by the martial arts scrolls even before they begin to embark on their journey to be a martial artist."


    I grinned, remembering that he said the exact same thing back then as well.


    "That wasn''t all. You helped me a lot by recommending all the different encyclopedias and history books."


    "Ah, yes. I''ve never met a more avid student of history than you. You might have made a fine scholar." Uncle Du Shu Guan nodded as he pushed up his large-rimmed glasses, which were beginning to slide down.


    "I probably would," I agreed, remembering my previous life. I had been a graduate student before the accident, having majored in history and literature. And if I didn''t get mowed down by the infamous Truck-kun, I would probably have graduated with a PhD in Asian history and literature by now. Alas, the Heavens had a different fate planned for me.


    That doesn''t mean I''m going to obediently go along with whatever they have planned for me, I thought defiantly. One day, I''ll overturn my fate and challenge the heavens themselves!


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t Meng Hao, and I didn''t have a magic mirror. Speaking of which, he never sealed the heavens in the end, did he?


    "Anyway, thanks again! It was nice seeing you"


    "Same, same." Uncle Du Shu Guan nodded fondly. "I''ll cheer for both of you. The both of you have done well to come this far, and whatever the result of the match, I can say for sure that both of you deserve to win."


    "Thank you."


    I hesitated, and then bowed. There was no point pointing out the irony that in the end, the both of us got stronger not because of the resources in the library, but because of fateful encounters. From my knowledge, unlike me, Zhu Jiao had stopped coming to the library after meeting his master. He was able to restore the Golden Kirin Sect martial arts not by piecing together the meager resources the academy possessed, but because he directly received lessons from the last sect leader and master of the Golden Kirin Sect.


    As for me, I benefited a lot from the library resources. Sure, I might have been taught for a couple of weeks from Master, but those lessons were limited and the period of time I spent learning under him was too short for me to actually master anything of significance. I had to rely on the library a lot more to piece together the lost arts of Heaven and Earth Formula. Not to mention, in order to develop my own fighting style, I had to borrow martial arts manual like Shadow Steps or purchase a scroll like Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship in order to come up with proper combat techniques to apply Heaven and Earth Formula to.


    That would have been impossible without the library or academy resources.


    Not to mention, reading all the encyclopedias and history books in the library allowed me to survive this long in this new world. Without reading the encyclopedias on magical beasts and demonic creatures, I might not have been able to assess the strength and weaknesses of the magical beasts I had encounted in Sen Lin Forest during my first year and survived.


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    That was why, to me, the library was an indispensable place. Without the library, I would never have been able to survive and progress this far.


    Uncle Du Shu Guan seemed to understand my feelings even though I was unable to say them out loud. He placed a wrinkled land on my shoulder and gave a slight, encouraging squeeze.


    "It''s getting late, and you have a final match coming in two days. You should rest early and start reading that book as soon as possible."


    "Understood."


    I nodded. The new, younger female librarian, had to chip in.


    "The library will be closing in ten minutes," she informed me coolly. But having seen the way Uncle Du Shu Guan treated me, she had let go of her hostility. That didn''t mean she was willing to stay overtime, though.


    "I''m about to leave," I assured her. Then bowing and cupping my hands formally, I bade Uncle Du Shu Guan farewell and departed from the library.


    Returning to my dormitory room, I began to read the book. The history of the Golden Kirin Sect, while fascinating, was irrelevant at the moment and I had read it before anyway. Rather, I flipped past them and got to the important portion of the book.


    The techniques of the Golden Kirin Sect.


    "Yup, this is the one I read before. I cursorily flipped through it before because I have no intention of learning the Golden Kirin Sect martial arts and had no way of learning anyway. But this is the signature technique of the Golden Kirin Sect, which has been thought to be lost for centuries after the old Martial Arts Alliance exterminated the sect for supposedly going rogue. The legendary Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique¡­"


    Unable to help myself, I flipped back to the historical chronicles of the Golden Kirin Sect and scanned through the text as quickly as I could.


    "According to ancient Middle Kiingdom history, before the Martial Arts Alliance''s betrayal, the Golden Kirin Sect was considered one of the twelve powers, and one of the five Celestial Guardian Sects. However, following the accusations from the Heavenly Way Sect, they were thought to have descended down the path of the demonic ways and were persecuted. Cornered by the orthodox sects, the survivors of the Golden Kirin Sect were forced to ally with the demonic sects in order to survive. But they were eventually destroyed with a large amount of demonic sects during the Battle of the Crimson Cliff, which also resulted in huge losses in the Martial Arts Alliance and saw the twelve powers reduced to the Eight we have today."


    Flipping back to the techniques and cross-referencing the historical details with the martial arts, I connected the dots.


    "The Golden Kirin Sect was known for their 5 legendary Golden Kirin martial arts, which was based off the earth element as the center. It was supposed to give them one of the greatest defenses, second only to the Xuan Wu/Black Tortoise Sect. four of these techniques have been catalogued, and while they were incomplete, there are still written records and portions of them semi-created by Wu Ling Academy."


    If I wasn''t mistaken, Zhu Jiao must have made use of those resources to restore a complete version of the Golden Kirin Sect martial arts. Or at least he put on the appearance of borrowing those resources to conceal the fact that he was learning the original four techniques under Qi Lin, his master who was for all intents and purposes, a vengeful ghost.


    "However, the final martial arts technique, the Sacred Beast technique, was completely lost."


    Unlike the other four, there were no traces left behind regarding the Sacred Beast technique. All that remained were mentions or eyewitnesses'' accounts of watching the technique in action, but nothing approaching the way it was used. With nothing to go on, the technique was classified as lost and couldn''t even be semi-created, despite Wu Ling Academy''s vast resources and inexhaustible records. That was why they gave up on restoring it.


    Until Zhu Jiao appeared and displayed his success in restoring the first four. From then on, he took advantage of the academy''s system and pilfered resources from them so that he could strengthen himself as much as possible.


    Given Zhu Jiao''s straightforward and honest character, I doubted it was something he conceived. His master must have been the one who instructed him to game the system and milk the academy for as much as he could while enticing them with slow and steady but unmistakable results.


    "With his master teaching him, and his talent restored after the old ghost stopped sucking qi from him, it would only be a simple matter for someone of Jiao''s talent to master the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique and ''restore'' it in the academy''s eyes."


    My grip tightened on the book.


    "But even after witnessing the technique firsthand, I still have no idea how to counter a martial art as powerful as that."


    Without using Heaven and Earth Formula, anyway.


    "Can my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship measure up to that? Unlike Bai Ning Xue, I haven''t even reached the stage of Man and Sword as One."


    Sighing wearily, I stared at the book and hoped I could find something that would help me.


    Otherwise the final match would be pretty short and anticlimactic. Even if I didn''t care about what everyone thought about me, I didn''t want to disappoint Zhu Jiao. I wanted to give him a run for his money and push him all the way.


    No¡­that wasn''t true.


    I wanted to win.

 115 Chapter 114: The Final

    "No. You?"


    "To be honest¡­" Zhu Jiao grinned. "I''m looking forward to it. It''s rare that I get to cross blades with you."


    "You don''t wield a sword," I pointed out, and Zhu Jiao blanched.


    "You know what I mean!"


    I did, but that didn''t mean I could resist teasing him. Of course, this wasn''t some sort of stupid mind game to unsettle my friend from the match. I wasn''t that desperate to win. Furthermore, he would have forgotten about the joke by the time we were both in the coliseum.


    And that time was fast approaching.


    "Phew¡­"


    I wasn''t lying when I told Zhu Jiao I wasn''t ready. I honestly wasn''t. I still couldn''t wrap my mind around the fact that I had made it this far. Furthermore, despite my desire to win, I was highly aware of how formidable an opponent Zhu Jiao was. I couldn''t take him lightly at all. Hell, even without underestimating him, I might still lose.


    But I want to win.


    After coming this far, there was only victory. It would suck to come this far, reach the final, only to fall short of the eventual goal and succumb to defeat. Most likely Zhu Jiao felt the same, but I was slightly self-centered. All that mattered to me was that I won. Well, not to the extent where I would resort to mind games and cheating, but you know what I mean.


    Honestly, if I hadn''t made it this far, if the opponent was someone else, I would definitely be cheering for Zhu Jiao and hoping that he won the tournament. But I ended up being his opponent, and needless to say, I wanted to win. That was all.


    But how?


    That was the real question. Nonetheless, it was one that I could only answer when I actually fought with Zhu Jiao. It was useless standing around thinking of an answer that would never materialize if I didn''t actually step into the arena.


    So I followed Zhu Jiao downstairs into the preparation room.


    "Wu!"


    I turned around and saw our friends approaching us. Waving, I stopped momentarily to converse with them one last time before the match.


    "Hey, guys."


    "Don''t hey us!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. She calmed down and glanced from me to Zhu Jiao. "How are your preparations for the match?"


    "As best as I can make them be," Zhu Jiao replied cheerfully. In contrast, I groaned and shook my head nervously.


    "I¡­dunno. I''m going to just do my best."


    "Me too!" Zhu Jiao laughed. "I mean, what other strategy is there?"


    Tang Qi Hong placed her hands on her hips disapprovingly and glared at the both of us. "The two of you should take this more seriously! This is the final of the school tournament, you know?"


    Zhu Jiao had not only won and emerged the top of the Group of Death, he had also defeated powerful opponents such as Du Lang and Bai Ning Xue on his way to the final. Surprisingly, Du Lang ¨C Zhu Jiao''s opponent in the quarterfinal (when I was fighting Feng Tian Yong) ¨C had also shown up to watch. That was strange. Our aloof classmate usually eschewed events such as this. Come to think of it, he was also here to watch Zhu Jiao''s match against Bai Ning Xue during the semifinal, but that was the only match he came to spectate.


    I couldn''t recall him attending any of the other matches that our other classmates participated in. he certainly never showed up for any of mine, except the final.


    Bai Ning Xue was also present. Zhu Jiao split up to talked to his new girlfriend.


    "Wow, I''m so jealous," Tong Xue remarked as he watched him go. Annoyed, Lian Rou shoved her elbow into his ribs and caused him to double over. "Hey!"


    "Nothing." Lian Rou turned away with a "hmph!"


    "O¡­oh, don''t misunderstand. I think you''re the best, Lian Rou!" Tong Xue quickly began to whisper sweet words into her ear, causing her to blush and squirm away.


    "Ugh, so embarrassing! Okay, I get it!"


    "Anyway, good luck," Ban Zhang told me pointedly, blatantly ignoring the antics of the idiot couple. I smiled and nodded.


    "Thanks."


    I then turned away and headed into the preparation room, followed shortly by Zhu Jiao. Since neither of us had much to do in way of preparations, we headed straight into the coliseum. At least I did, but given how Zhu Jiao showed up in the arena shortly after I did, it was clear that he didn''t spend much time in the preparation room.


    "Heh." I couldn''t help but grin. "At least you''re not late today."


    "I was never late for any of my tournament matches," Zhu Jiao protested, but he grinned too, recognizing my jab as friendly banter.


    "That''s true," I conceded humorously. "If only you would be as punctual for class as you are for tournament matches¡­"


    "Well, this is a martial arts academy," Zhu Jiao pointed out. "Combat is more important than theory lessons!"


    I winced at that, not at all in agreement. After all, I was the type who preferred theory over practical. I loved reading over actually doing anything.


    "Well, shall we get started?"


    "Of course!" Zhu Jiao turned toward the speaker mounted at the top corner of the coliseum. "Teacher Jiao, we''re ready!"


    "You may begin anytime."


    I honestly didn''t want to put the existences beyond the fourth wall through yet another redundant introduction. By now the readers were familiar with who we were, and would probably be sick of reading yet another formal introduction, so we skipped it. Instead, I went straight to the scene where Zhu Jiao was grinning.


    "I''ve always looked forward to having a match with you!"


    "Same," I agreed.


    "You may begin!" Teacher Cai''s disembodied voice called out over the speaker.


    Before I could react, Zhu Jiao was already lunging forward. I used a footwork technique and disappeared from my position, causing Zhu Jiao''s fist to slam into the ground. Despite missing me, the shockwaves from the punch buffeted me even as I retreated.


    "Kuh!"


    I staggered back, trying to regain my balance, but Zhu Jiao wasn''t going to let such an opportunity slip. He was already spinning on his heels and pouncing on me once again. I had only just recovered my footing when he slammed his fist into my chest.


    "Guh!"


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    I grabbed his fist, perspiration pouring down my face. My feet skidded backward despite my best attempts to dig my heels in, my physically inferior stature unable to halt Zhu Jiao''s momentum. Gritting my teeth, I slowly yanked Zhu Jiao''s fist away from my chest and ground both my feet into the ground, making use of the surrounding qi to hurl him bodily into the air.


    "!!!"


    Completely taken by surprise by my maneuver, Zhu Jiao did a flip in midair and landed on his feet, dropping to a knee and hand as he did so. He lifted his head and stared at me, impressed. Apparently he didn''t expect me to take his blow directly.


    I was known more for my speed than my endurance, after all. After all, I was the guy who ran around with my Shadow Steps and footwork techniques. The problem was that Zhu Jiao didn''t give me a chance to utilize my speed and struck me when I was off balance. Even so, he was still amazed.


    "He''s strong!"


    No, I wasn''t. I was too weak. Just ask the readers if you don''t believe me. They were whining about how I wasn''t the typical overpowered protagonist. In the first place, Zhu Jiao was the protagonist, not me. I was just a side character.


    Heaving, I shook my head, clutched at my chest and winced. Perspiration ran down my temple as I studied my foe.


    This must be one of the five Golden Kirin Sect''s martial arts, Golden Kirin Divine Fist.


    I took a deep breath to regain my composure.


    "What a powerful blow, I almost wasn''t able to withstand it¡­"


    Pushing up my glasses, I steadied myself just as Zhu Jiao charged at me again. I stepped to the side, just narrowly dodging his armored gauntlet with a beautifully executed footwork technique (if I may say so myself). Whirling around, I kicked him in the gut, just below his guard, and almost sent him stumbling in the opposite direction.


    "Kuh!"


    For a moment, I thought I had succeeded, my opponent almost falling over and landing flat on his face.


    However, Zhu Jiao struck his foot deep into the ground, pivoted himself before he spun around and punched his gauntlet at me again. I quickly dodged back and prepared to counterattack with another kick, but¡­


    "!!!"


    "Golden Kirin Divine Claws!"


    The second of the Golden Kirin Sect''s five martial arts. Five short-ranged spikes of golden qi lanced out of Zhu Jiao''s right gauntlet and almost punched several holes through my relatively fragile body. It was only because of my reflexes that I managed to barely react in time and executed Tui to retreat to a safe distance.


    "?!"


    Unfortunately for me, Zhu Jiao was far from done. Having anticipated that ¨C his battle sense being as excellent as ever ¨C he punched his left gauntlet forward and unleashed a tremendous wave of golden qi.


    "Golden Kirin Holy Blast!"


    The third of the Golden Kirin Sect''s five martial arts. I dove to the side as the massive blast of destructive qi swooshed overheard, scorching the air and smashing the wall opposite Zhu Jiao into a cratered structure.


    "Hu¡­"


    Hitting the ground, I rolled up. Zhu Jiao was preparing a second Golden Kirin Holy Blast, but I refused to give him the chance to fire off anither shot. Kicking off the ground, I used Jin and advanced forward, swinging down my leg to strike the crown of his head.


    "!!"


    Zhu Jiao glanced up, realizing that he wouldn''t be able to dodge in time. Abandoning his attempt to fire off another Golden Kirin Holy Blast, he coalesced all his golden yang qi around him and solidified a golden, defensive sphere around him.


    "Golden Kirin Sacred Armor!"


    The fourth technique of the Golden Kirin Sect, and the one Zhu Jiao used to nullify everything Bai Ning Xue threw at him during the semifinal. My foot struck the shimmering golden aura and bounced off, causing me to crash backward, completely off balance. I gritted my teeth and held my foot momentarily, the tremendous impact of hitting such a sturdy barrier causing my leg to tremble violently. Damn, but my foot was already going numb.


    Yeah, Bai Ning Xue mentioned that when fighting Zhu Jiao¡­


    However, I wasn''t going to give up. Jumping up and retreating when Zhu Jiao punched the ground where I was sitting on, I flipped myself high and above his head, taking advantage of my superior speed to evade his punches. Dodging another barrage of Golden Kirin Divine Fists and Golden Kirin Divine Claws and not straying too far away, lest he used another Golden Kirin Holy Blast, I wove through his attacks and flipped myself over to his blind spot.


    "!"


    Zhu Jiao spun around, but I was no longer there. Instead, I was soaring high above his head. Landing on top of him, and despite Zhu Jiao having activated his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor, I stepped on top of his head and unleashed my Seismic Step.


    BOOM!


    "Ugh!"


    The entire ground caved in as an explosion rang through the arena, muffling Zhu Jiao''s cry.


    "Phew."


    I landed a few meters away and watched the rapid expansion of dust and debris, which obscured my view of my opponent. Nonetheless, I could sense his qi brimming strongly from within the center of the blast, and knew Zhu Jiao was far from being knocked out.


    "!"


    Even though I was cautiously on guard, I was still unable to completely evade the golden beam of qi that ripped through the smoke and dust, striking me. Fortunately, I was able to cross my arms to block the blow, but it was so powerful that it flung me across the air upon contact, causing blood to spurt from my mouth as I helplessly tumbled to the ground.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Even though I was looking out for that, I still ended up getting hit by that Holy Blast! What power, what speed¡­!


    "Huff¡­"


    Zhu Jiao emerged from the cloud of dust and smoke, blood streaming down his head. He wiped some of it off his eyes and stared at me determinedly. Rising shakily to my feet, I met his gaze evenly, understanding what was coming next.


    I''ll only be able to defeat him if I increase my power.


    This was no time to be holding back and testing the waters. Zhu Jiao realized it too. The time for exchanging pleasantries was over. It was time to get serious.


    Whoosh.


    The air between us thickened as the atmosphere within the arena began to get heavily saturated with qi.


    Golden qi permeated Zhu Jiao''s form, forming a thick field of dense, yang qi that blazed like a golden inferno. A Golden Kirin reared up, its intangible form seeming almost to watch over its master protectively.


    I merely cocked my head to the side and drew both my swords. Azure qi gathered around me, swirling into my blades, and twin azure dragons appeared on either side of me, almost as if they represented each of my swords. More azure qi seemed to drift around me like constellations, hovering in the air and waiting to be unleashed as meteors.


    "Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique!"


    "¡­"


    Dude, did you really have to shout out the name of your technique? I sure as hell wasn''t going to tell him that this was my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword technique. Readers should already know this by now.


    "Hey, do you know what kind of skill the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique is?" I asked, surprising Zhu Jiao. He narrowed his eyes.


    "Uh, well, considering that I''m the one using it, I do?"


    "Then I hope you don''t mind if I make a conjecture and tell me whether I''m right."


    I began walking along the walls of the coliseum, while keeping my eyes on Zhu Jiao''s glowing figure. My swords were lowered, not raised for any attack, but nonetheless I gripped them tightly so that I would be ready for any attack that Zhu Jiao would launch while I was speaking.


    Not that he would. I knew Zhu Jiao too well. My friend was an honest and straightforward person who wouldn''t resort to such despicable tricks and sneak attacks. Even though I normally wouldn''t hesitate ¨C against such an upright person, even I was loathe to sink to that level. After all, this was a tournament battle with my honor and pride on the line. Not a life-and-death battle where I had to fight for my very survival.


    "It''s not just the 5th technique of the Golden Kirin Sect''s martial arts. It''s a passive skill, am I right? A technique that can be applied to the other four techniques of the Golden Kirin Sect. such as your Golden Kirin Sacred Armor¡­in your match against Bai Ning Xue, you upgraded your Golden Kirin Sacred Armor with the Sacred Beast technique to a ridiculous extent, which boosted your strength and power tremendously. Hence, not just your Sacred Armor, but even your Divine Fist and Divine Claws were powered up exponentially."


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened.


    "You¡­how did you know?"


    "I take it that I guessed right then." I shrugged. "It was worth spending the last day and the night before yesterday reading up on the Golden Kirin Sect and analyzing your techniques."


    "Heh." Zhu Jiao shook his head, completely impressed. "I guess I should have expected you to be able to figure it out. You were always the smartest among us."


    "In terms of theory," I replied heavily. "It''s too bad I was unable to apply my theoretical knowledge to practical use."


    Even though Zhu Jiao said that, being the top in the theoretical exams and classes wasn''t a very big deal. Most students in Wu Ling Academy couldn''t care less about the theory aspect or academic lessons. They focused more on practical combat and learning actual martial arts instead of the theory behind it. moreover, I was mentally a thirty-year-old (well, thirty-three if I include the last three years I spent in my new teenage body), who had graduated from high school and university and even studied in graduate school in hopes of getting a PhD. It would be embarrassing if I couldn''t even beat the teenage students here in terms of theoretical knowledge.


    Unfortunately, actual martial arts and practical combat were a whole other matter entirely. Aware of this, Zhu Jiao smiled.


    "Well, you might have figured my Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique out, but were you able to come up with a counter?"


    I sighed and shook my head. "Unfortunately, no. It seems like, from this point forward, victory will depend on which of us is stronger."


    To be honest, Zhu Jiao was physically stronger. I might be faster, but as I saw in Zhu Jiao''s match against Bai Ning Xue, posessing the superior speed was not going to guarantee me victory. And it appeared that Zhu Jiao was used to fighting enemies who were much faster than him. (I later found out that his master had been sending him against swift foes as part of his training, which was why he was so good against them)


    "Uwaaah!"


    "Guaaah!"


    Both of us bellowed fiercely as we charged at each other. I used Jin to dash forward at the approaching Zhu Jiao, whose potent aura made him seem to tower over me. The intimidating Golden Kirin snarled above him, its blazing eyes glaring at me.


    In response, the twin azure dragons coiled around my swords lashed out to growl back defiantly at the imposing Golden Kirin.


    "Hah!"


    Zhu Jiao punched me. I whirled away deftly, my feet literally dancing across the ground as I evaded his armored fists. With that upgrade in strength from the Sacred Beast technique, I wouldn''t be able to receive any of his attacks directly without suffering significant damage. Just like Bai Ning Xue, I dodged and weaved through his attacks while trying to attack with my swords. My blades slammed into Zhu Jiao''s souped up Sacred Armor with meteoric force, but other than a grunt and staggering backward, they seemed to have little effect.


    Well, given the sturdiness of the dense, thick field of yang qi enveloping him in protective armor, I guessed I should be happy that I could even faze him slightly with my attacks. Dodging under a swinging gauntlet, I slashed with one of my swords but didn''t manage to penetrate Zhu Jiao''s defense. I was forced to jump back as he punched with his other gauntlet, then parried another punch from his first armored fist. The impact was so great that I was sent skidding back.


    "Huff¡­!"


    I allowed my momentum to carry me away to a safe distance. Zhu Jiao didn''t hesitate in throwing out an arm to send a Holy Blast streaking in my direction, and I used Duo to evade. Appearing behind him, I swung both my swords with meteoric force. However, Zhu Jiao''s great battle sense allowed him to whirl around and intercept my strikes in time, swinging his gauntlet to parry both of my blades with a thunderous bang.


    The ground beneath our feet split apart and shattered from the sheer force of our collision, our raging qi devouring the arena and wrecking it.


    Knowing that my speed wasn''t going to be of much help, I stood my ground and began exchanging ferocious blows with Zhu Jiao. Deflecting his fists with my swords, I countered with thrusts and ripostes that clanged off his Sacred Armor, but caused him to stagger from the repeated meteoric force. Even with the Sacred Beast technique enhancing his Sacred Armor, his defense was second when compared to the likes of Wu Hei Gui¡­or even Li Guo Qiang.


    But this was a dangerous game I was playing. All Zhu Jiao needed was one hit, and he would deal significant damage to me. I had to do my best to avoid every single one of his attacks.


    Bam!


    We sprang apart in a shower of sparks, the ground giving way beneath our feet again.


    "Hu¡­"


    I exhaled, perspiration pouring down my face. With his greater physical strength and stature, Zhu Jiao had been pushing me back all this while. Glancing down at the broken trail of rubble that I had left in my wake, I realized that I had been cornered and forced into a retreat all this while. Gathering whatever qi I could, I launched another attack, but Zhu Jiao cleverly countered it with a block from one of his gauntlet before he smacked me into the wall.


    "Gah!"


    I was able to flip my body and crunched my feet against the wall to propel myself back toward my opponent again. Hoping to deliver a counterattack, I conjured an Azure Dragon Strike and unleashed it at Zhu Jiao.


    However, he wasn''t going to wait for me to release the dragon that was now coiled around my right sword.


    "!!"


    I almost didn''t see his elbow coming. Blinking when I saw a golden blur flash toward my face, I instinctively crossed my swords to parry the strike, but Zhu Jiao''s assault was so vicious, so powerful that even my block wasn''t effective. While I was knocked off balance, Zhu Jiao followed up with a ferocious punch that I barely managed to deflect with my swords. His gauntleted fist smashed through my crossed blades and slammed into my chest. I was sent hurtling several dozen meters away, crashing heavily onto the ground in an undignified heap.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    After coughing out a glob of blood, I hurriedly rolled to my feet before Zhu Jiao could stomp on my position. He then kicked me before I could fully recover, and despite parrying his foot with my swords again, I was flung across the coliseum and slammed into the wall. I almost blacked out for a second, the pain overriding my senses and clouding my vision in darkness.


    "Ugh¡­ah¡­"


    Sliding down the wall, I coughed out another spurt of blood before sinking to my knees. Heaving, I tried to crawl to my feet.


    "Damn it¡­even though I blocked his attacks, they''re still so powerful¡­my body''s going numb. And he''s completely suppressing my Heavenly Draconic Meteor sword techniques."


    Wiping the blood from my mouth, I took a deep breath and corrected my breathing. Zhu Jiao, who was slowly but surely advancing toward me suddenly paused when he realized that something had changed.


    "!"


    The azure aura around me had darkened, turning to black.


    "This is¡­?!"


    "You have a point," I declared ass I registered the shock on Zhu Jiao''s face. "It''s meaningless to continue testing the waters. Let''s not waste time and use our strongest techniques against each other!"


    Zhu Jiao scowled. "You were holding back all this while? I was already using my most powerful technique, you know?!"


    "Ah, my apologies." I bowed my head. "I wasn''t deliberately holding back. It''s just that I''m not able to use this technique for so long. It''s a double-edged sword. While it temporarily increases my power, it expends a lot of qi. So if I fail to finish you off with my Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike, I would suffer heavy consequences. Furthermore, it''s not complete yet. I still have to polish it. But¡­" I sighed. "If I don''t use it, it''s clear that I''ll definitely lose."


    "You''re not the only one," Zhu Jiao assured me. "My Sacred Beast technique is also incomplete. I have yet to fully master it."


    My jaw dropped as I stared at him in disbelief. "You''re kidding, right? Even though it''s already this powerful, it''s still incomplete?"


    "Apparently there should be visible physical changes," Zhu Jiao explained as he glanced over his body. "But I have yet to reach that stage, so¡­"


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    "Well, as you said, your move consumes large amounts of qi¡­it''s the same for me too. So let''s not waste any more time and settle this once and for all!"


    I was in total agreement, so I dashed forward at the same time Zhu Jiao charged t me.


    Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike!


    Swinging both my swords, I crushed Zhu Jiao''s Sacred Armor within a few seconds, causing the golden sphere around him to buckle and crack. Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened and his stunned expression was the last thing I saw before my attack flung him away with meteoric force.


    Like a fiery comet streaking across the atmosphere, Zhu Jiao''s blazing body slammed into the ground with apocalyptic force, disappearing into a crater as the reinforced concrete instantly disintegrated from the impact.


    They really need to reinforce the reinforced concrete, I thought. Then again, in a world where martial arts trumped over everything, I doubted there would be much materials capable of withstanding the attacks of martial artists.


    "Guaaah!"


    Zhu Jiao dug himself out of the crater, his body smoldering. The golden aura around his body intensified, the Golden Kirin roaring furiously in vengeance. I steadied myself and the twin black dragons coiling around my swords reared up and snarled beckoningly in challenge.


    "Uwaaaah!"


    With a roar, Zhu Jiao threw himself at me. I determinedly faced his charge, raising both of my swords to attack.


    "All right¡­again!"


    Standing my ground firmly even as Zhu Jiao towered over me imposingly, I made use of my superior speed to launch the first attack.


    He who strikes first gets the advantage!


    At least that was what I thought. For a moment, I thought my tactic worked, with my blades cleaving through Zhu Jiao''s protective golden aura and drawing blood in his midriff.


    "!!"


    Then I realized that Zhu Jiao had let me hit him on purpose.


    "Now!"


    With a triumphant shout, he smacked me across the chest with his gauntlet, hurling me away and causing me to throw up a wave of blood. Thankfully, I had my aura of black qi protecting me, so I was able to negate most of that blow. Flipping my body in midair, I landed on one of my hands (and sword), and was able to cartwheel safely to my feet.


    "Guh¡­"


    Despite avoiding a heavy and potentially damaging crash onto the ground, I still felt the tremendous effects of that blow. The strike had shaken my internal organs and perhaps even broken a few ribs. My breathing was getting more ragged.


    "I finally got a hit in," Zhu Jiao grinned. Even though blood incessantly dripped from his side, he seemed relatively uninjured, especially when compared to me.


    That was only natural. For martial artists, internal injuries were a lot more damaging than external wounds. The cuts on Zhu Jiao''s midriff would heal in no time at all. As for me, without any medical treatment, it would take me a lot longer to recover from the internal damage I had sustained during this vicious match.


    "Hu¡­"


    Exhaling again, I wiped the blood from my mouth as I struggled to my feet. Even so, I refused to admit defeat here.


    Instead, I smiled.


    "No wonder you were able to make it all the way to the final. Beating Yu Wen Tian, Long Sheng, Xiong Lao Hu, and Hu Bei Yue in the Group of Death, then defeating both Du Lang and Bai Ning Xue during the finals¡­yeah, you''re really powerful."


    "Same." Zhu Jiao grinned. "I''m really glad I''m dueling you in the final. You''re a worthy opponent, Wu."


    I laughed. "Spare me the flattery. You know I got all the way here through luck alone. If I was the one fighting against Bai Ning Xue in the semifinal, I would have lost. Hell, your match against Bai Ning Xue would have been more suitable as the final."


    "You give yourself far too little credit, Wu." Zhu Jiao shook his head. "You deserve your position in the final. You made it this far through your efforts alone, triumphing against all odds. You didn''t even need to challenge Li Chun Long to convince the academy that you would have progressed to the final even if he didn''t get disqualified, yet you did."


    "That doesn''t change the fact that I would never have been able to defeat Bai Ning Xue if I was unlucky enough to face her."


    "How would you know if you don''t even try fighting her?"


    I grimaced. "To be honest, I was actually relieved that I wouldn''t meet her in the finals. My chances of losing to her are astronomical, and that''s the most optimistic estimate I can make."


    "Have you already forgotten your promise to Qi Hong?" Zhu Jiao asked, his eyes narrowing. "Stop looking down on yourself. If she hears that, she''ll be angry."


    "¡­yeah, you''re right." I sighed. "Sorry."


    "For what it''s worth, I think you might find a way to win against Ning Xue. You''re fairly intelligent and you read a lot."


    Actually, only the latter was correct. I did read a lot. Unfortunately I was not intelligent. I was pretty sure those existences beyond the fourth wall could go on a tirade on how I was the most stupid protagonist ever and complain about how the main character only did stupid things. I haven''t actually done anything intelligent throughout the entire story, truth be told.


    "Well, thanks," I replied instead, appreciating Zhu Jiao''s high appraisal of my abilities, even if I didn''t believe it.


    "Unfortunately, you can''t defeat me." Zhu Jiao grinned. Now I smiled.


    "Let''s see if I can prove that statement of yours wrong."

 116 Chapter 115: Breakthrough

    Blood splattered the air, minor cuts scratched across Zhu Jiao''s body as I penetrated his defenses over and over again. in return, while Zhu Jiao was unable to hit me as many times as I struck him, the few blows that landed dealt severe damage, rattling my internal organs against my skeleton and causing me to spew blood. even so, I firmly held my ground and continued to trade blows with him, ducking under his fists as best as I could and using my footwork to confuse him. Faster and faster, both my footwork and sword strikes increased rapidly in speed as my body finally emerged from its dormant state after such a heated warmup.


    Unfortunately, the same could be said for Zhu Jiao. As the battle progressed, his movements were becoming sharper, more precise and stronger.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    I fell back, faltering a little after a particularly powerful punch from Zhu Jiao knocked me off balance. Zhu Jiao pressed in, capitalizing on my slip to punch through my gut, but my figure vanished, turning into nothing more than a shadow. Reappearing behind Zhu Jiao, I brought my sword down with as much force as I could, but his Sacrer Armor held strong.


    Boom!


    Even so, my meteoric strike cleaved through the dense field of yang qi and opened up a huge wound on his back, sending blood spraying into the air. Despite wincing in pain, Zhu Jiao counterattacked without a pause, forcing me to parry his backhanded strike with both my swords. Even though I avoided a potentially fatal hit, I was sent hurtling across the arena. Landing on the ground, I continued to skid backward until I finally managed to dig my heels in. My shoes glowed red-hot from the friction, but I couldn''t afford to pay attention to their current state.


    Zhu Jiao was already bearing down on me.


    I parried his punch by crossing both my swords above me, but the impact caused my legs to buckle. At least my body could withstand the tremendous force. The immense impact shattered the ground beneath my knees and toes, throwing up debris and rocks that disintegrated as they came into contact with Zhu Jiao''s golden qi and my black aura.


    "Huff¡­"


    Pressing my knees and feet against the ground, I surged upward as I channeled more qi into my counterattack and successfully drove Zhu Jiao away. The relatively big guy hopped a few steps before regaining his balance.


    "!!"


    Zhu Jiao parried both swords with both his arms, only for me to unleash a Black Dragon Blast at pointblank range. A two-headed dragon made entirely from destructive black qi uncoiled rapidly from my blades and detonated against Zhu Jiao''s sturdy body with such force that even I was thrown several meters back.


    "Whoa¡­"


    Flipping myself over so that I would land on my feet, I skidded backward for another few meters, unable to halt my momentum. Looking up, I watched the raging inferno in hopes of catching sight of Zhu Jiao''s figure within.


    "Not bad¡­not bad at all."


    Zhu Jiao strolled out of the conflagration, his body still shrouded in shadow momentarily. My eyes widened when more of his figure came into view, especially a gleam from what seemed like a golden breastplate that now covered his chest.


    "You''re the first person, other than Bai Ning Xue, to have pushed me to this extent."


    "¡­!"


    I couldn''t help but take a step back when Zhu Jiao finally came into full view.


    Unlike before, Zhu Jiao was no longer just wearing gauntlets. Instead, he was clad in a full-body armor that shone brightly admist the dark flames that burned ominously behind him. Other than the minimal portion of his face, he was completely covered in golden armor bearing the sacred symbol of the Golden Kirin. Protected from head to toe by armor, he appeared to be impervious to any physical or qi attack.


    "Hmm¡­"


    He lifted an arm and studied it, then gave the rest of his body an once-over. Then he looked up at and smiled.


    "Thanks to you pushing me beyond my limits, it seems that I was able to further advance my technique and finally master it. This is the true form and application of the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique when used to upgrade the Golden Kirin Sacred Armor technique."


    He glanced down at his armor, his smile turning wry for a moment.


    "It''s a pity that I was only able to fully master the application of the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique to the Golden Kirin Sacred Armor and not the other techniques, but still, I''m grateful to you. Without you as my opponent, I would never have been able to take this first step and make such a breakthrough."


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    I groaned and shook my head in disbelief.


    "Why?! Why, Heavens?! Why are you resorting to such clich¨¦s?!"


    "Clich¨¦s?" Zhu Jiao frowned at me, bewildered. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    "Are you serious? Do you really not know?" then again, Zhu Jiao didn''t read as much as I did, so I supposed it only make sense. "Haven''t you watched enough anime or read enough wuxia/xianxia novels to recognize a bullshit plot device when you see one? This deus ex machina? The whole protagonist suddenly makes a breakthrough in his martial arts when fighting and losing? Didn''t Xiao Yan pull this bullshit off in Battle Through the Heavens? Li Fu Chen, who claimed that combat experience was necessary in Eternal Reverence? How about Luo Zheng from Apotheosis, who randomly sits down in the middle of a duel to cultivate and make a breakthrough? Hell, even Chen Chang Sheng from Ze Tian Ji ¨C which is one of the better wuxia/xianxia novels out there ¨C is guilty of this bullshit trope. What is it with protagonists and deus ex machina breakthroughs in their martial arts when they are in the middle of a fucking battle!?"


    "Dude, you need to chill. Those are only stories."


    "YET IT''S HAPPENING IN REALITY, RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES?!" I yelled. "Isn''t this too bloody unfair!?"


    Zhu Jiao shrugged. Since he was benefiting from this bullshit plot device, he had no complaints. I groaned and buried my face in my palms (while still holding my swords, so that was probably not a good idea).


    "What is it with protagonists pulling out breakthroughs in cultivation and power levels out of their asses in the middle of a fucking battle!?"


    "Um¡­sorry?" Zhu Jiao shrugged again, sounding not at all apologetic. He then smiled. "Sorry, but I''m shameless enough to make use of this ''unfair'' advantage. Especially against you. I hope you won''t hold it against me."


    "!!"


    Zhu Jiao almost disappeared before reappearing in front of me. Even when clad in full-body armor that looked extremely heavy and thick, his speed seemed to have increased tremendously. It made no sense, but then xianxia never made sense in the first place. There were a few hundred laws of physics broken whenever someone engaged in that fantasy world.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    I ducked under Zhu Jiao''s first punch, bending my back backward and narrowly avoiding getting my face smashed in. Using my footwork, I managed to widen the distance between us, but Zhu Jiao refused to be shaken off my tail. Just when I thought I was safe, he was suddenly in front of me again, swinging his fist in.


    "Argh!"


    As one would expect, the power behind his attack had multiplied exponentially. Even though I succeeded in crossing my swords and parrying his armored gauntlet in time, I still felt like I was hit by a truck. Blood spurted from my mouth as I was hurled across the air and slammed into the wall behind me. Coughing, I slid down helplessly, almost unable to stand.


    Fuck! That single blow almost knocked me out!


    Gritting my teeth, I rose shakily to my feet, defiant to the last despite this implausible turn of events unique only to protagonists.


    "WHY?! GODAMMIT!" I raged as I tried to recoup what remained of my qi for one last, desperate retaliation. "Pulling bullshit powerups from your ass and resorting to deus ex machina plot devices¡­are you really that desperate for your protagonist to win?!"


    "That''s enough yelling, dude," Zhu Jiao told me as he delivered another punch that literally blew a hole through the wall behind me. It was fortunate that I ducked on reflex, or the hole would have been me instead.


    Granted, it wasn''t that Zhu Jiao intended to kill me. He wasn''t holding back because he knew that I would be able to dodge his punch or successfully block it.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I realized that he was right. As much as I hated to admit it, whining about the fact after it occurred was useless and only annoyed both the spectators, my opponent and the existences beyond the fourth wall. Either I pull off a similarly dirty move (which was obviously unrealistic and impossible) or I started thinking of a strategy to deal with this bullshit but predictable turn of event.


    This was partially my fault, after all. I should have seen this coming. Despite claiming to have read so many martial arts novels and being aware of all the tropes, clich¨¦s and formula they used, I was stupid not to have anticipated this. To be fair, I had just gone through almost thirty battles without encountering such a blatant deus ex machina, so obviously I had let my guard down and the thought had never crossed my mind.


    I was stupid for forgetting that Zhu Jiao was the typical protagonist of a standard, clich¨¦, formulaic wuxia/xianxia novel found all over the Internet. What was I expecting? A fair fight? Come on, there was a reason why people called the protagonists of wuxia/xianxia novels and light novels "cheats." They possessed almost every unfair advantage the writer could throw at them.


    Well, too late to whine about that. Is there still a way for me to win?


    Despite the nonsense occurring in reality, I was still determined to win this and overcome all this protagonist power bullshit and slap the author in the face. I was going to defy fate and steal from the Heavens.


    You wanted to help your fucking protagonist cheat and win? Fine then. I''ll defy you. I''ll slap your laughing face and overturn the ending you have planned for this story. I would love to see you lose your smug expression when I smashed your protagonist to bits despite your blatant biasness toward him. I''ll overturn this stupid fate and steal the role of protagonist from the "real" protagonist.


    "UWAAAAH!"


    With a determined roar, I surged forward and met the charging Zhu Jiao in the middle of the arena. Zhu Jiao swung his armored fist at me and I dodged under him before slashing him. However, my blade merely scratched his golden, gleaming armor and left little more than a shallow mark. Stomping his foot on the ground and pivoting himself to face me, Zhu Jiao swung his other hand to punch me, but I read the flow of his movements and dodged that.


    The only recourse I had was to read and master the flow of his movements. Liu, with a combination of my Heaven and Earth senses. I had to calculate Zhu Jiao''s attacks with everything I had, predict his movements, his next step, his next move, and his next attack, integrate myself with his breathing methods and combat style, and learn his pattern of attacks. Only then would I be able to overcome him and evade every single strike he threw at me.


    "!"


    I jumped away as he kicked at me, his leg now armored in metallic boots. He stomped it back on the ground, carving a small crater into it. I gulped as I retreated. If I got hit by that, I would definitely suffer heavy injuries.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I glared at Zhu Jiao and took a deep breath. I wanted to win so badly that I had broken my self-imposed taboo and used Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. No more holding back. Bai Ning Xue was right. I was going to regret it if I restrained myself and refused to use Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. And I had faith that Zhu Jiao would survive everything I threw at him, just as he believed I could withstand his attacks.


    As it was, he was attacking me with all his might. Even though each strike could potentially kill me, he didn''t worry about that. He knew I would find a way to survive.


    I''m going to give him the same respect.


    Gritting my teeth, I dashed forward and struck him, my blades bouncing off his armor ineffectually. Zhu Jiao retaliated with a swing of his arms, and I ducked under them before trying to pierce through a weak spot. Relying on my Heaven and Earth sense, I detected the portions where the concentrations of qi were the weakest and struck with uncanny precision.


    Or tried to, but unfortunately I wasn''t a Mary Sue protagonist with impeccable aim. My thrusts were a little off, and as if sensing the danger intuitively, Zhu Jiao quickly batted my swords away and forced me back with well-taken punches.


    The guy was definitely not pulling his punches.


    "!!"


    I spun away and narrowly avoided Zhu Jiao''s fist, then used Tui to widen the distance between us.


    Undeterred, Zhu Jiao threw out a punch that did not physically connect, but instead unleashed a broad beam of destructive golden qi.


    "Golden Kirin Holy Blast!"


    I narrowly avoided the blast, flipping my body in midair and landed almost clumsily. Stumbling for a second, I righted myself just in time to catch sight of Zhu Jiao''s next move.


    Instead of aiming a punch at me or dashing forward to close in, he was rearing his fist upward and plunging it into the ground. With that single punch, he shattered the concrete and sent all the rubble flying upward from the sheer force.


    "?!"


    I frowned as I intuitively retreated, unsure of what he was trying to do. Behind the shower of debris and half-obscured from view, Zhu Jiao smirked.


    "Golden Kirin Holy Blast isn''t the only ranged attack I have, you know!"


    "No, I don''t know," I muttered sarcastically, sure that I would be seeing his other ranged attack any time now.


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    Zhu Jiao reared back and began delivering a barrage of punches. At first, I was wondering if he was going to lanch some sort of Gatling blast attack, firing off a pseudo machine gun hail of golden beams, but he surprised me by punching the debris that were floating in the air around him.


    That wasn''t all.


    "!!!"


    The rubble were all fired in my direction, traveling at incredible supersonic speeds, with sonic booms crashing in their wake. They turned red-hot from the friction, but even as they crumbled from being abraded by the atmosphere, they were traveling at such velocities that even a single hit would prove to be fatal.


    After all force equaled mass times acceleration. And their acceleration was terrifying.


    Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. As I predicted, the debris were flying at me at velocities too fast for my eyes to follow. I wouldn''t be able to see them coming.


    On the other hand, if I relied on my Heaven and Earth sense, I could better detect their trajectories and predict their movements. Without any time to waste, I began to move, slipping into the very essence of Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps.


    Water does not go through the rocks through sheer force. Water gently goes around the rocks. Counter hard with soft. Don''t meet your enemies head-on, especially if they have superior strength. Be pliable. Be flexible. Go along with the flow of your opponents. Flow like water.


    "!!"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened when he noticed what I was trying to accomplish. I was slowly but surely evading every single debris and rubble that he was flinging in my way. Using the minimal of movements, I subtly shifted and gently weaved through the storm of rocks, avoiding direct hits.


    Even so, my evasion wasn''t perfect. I wasn''t a Mary Sue protagonist who could suddenly master perfectly a new technique or skill in the middle of a battle. I was bound to make mistakes. They were very little errors, but mistakes nonetheless. Sometimes I miscalculated my movements or misjudged the trajectories of the debris and ended up being grazed by the lethal rocks. Blood dripped from the grazes and scratches as I braved the hail of rubble and gradually closed the distance between us.


    Be like water¡­


    "No."


    My eyes widened when I heard Master''s voice. No, Master was dead. How could he¡­?


    "Imagine a waterfall."


    A¡­waterfall?


    I shook my head, still dazed as I tried to walk past the incoming storm of debris. Ah, yes. It did resemble a waterfall.


    "You''re not the water. You''re the rock. The rock within the waterfall."


    That''s¡­


    "Does the rock feel any fear? Does the rock evade? No¡­the only thing the rock does is allow the water to flow around it."


    The azure and black qi began to whirl around me, despite my movements slowing down. I strolled through the rampant storm of debris, avoiding them with the minimal movements, ducking my head under a particularly large rock, and then kicking up another piece of rubble to deflect an incoming debris. I only countered the debris directly flying at me.


    All the rest, I could safely ignored. I only needed to focus on the ones that posed the greatest danger to my wellbeing.


    "What the hell is that?!" Zhu Jiao demanded as he finally halted his barrage. The rain of rubble slowed to a trickle before finally stopping totally. He backed away, seeing the look in my eyes behind my thick lenses. "What the hell is that technique?!"


    I smiled briefly. This panic coming from a guy who just pulled a breakthrough from his ass and depended on deus ex machina and pure protagonist power to win everything through sheer bullshit plot devices?


    "Did you end up learning a technique you previously couldn''t when I cornered you?" Zhu Jiao seemed to think that I was the same type of protagonist as he was.


    Cocking my head to the side momentarily, I paused and thought for a moment, and then shook my head.


    "No. I''ve learned it long ago, and used it before. But it''s not something I can use at will. It consumes too much mental strength and willpower. And I need to fight with my opponent for a long period of time before I can finally get used to his flow and attack patterns." I bowed my head slightly. "Sorry, but it''s not the case that I was deliberately holding back and hiding this move from you. I really can''t use it until I''ve traded quite a few blows with you and learned your combat style through physically experiencing your attacks."


    "I see. Well¡­I''ve to admit that I''m impressed¡­but even so, I''m going to do my best and win this match."


    Zhu Jiao kicked off the ground and lunged at me, throwing his heavily armored fist at my face. I merely stood still, waiting until the last moment before I dodged his fist by a hair''s breadth. Despite being so close, his metallic gauntlet failed to even graze my cheek.


    "!!?"


    Zhu Jiao narrowed his eyes when I successfully dodged his punch with the bare minimum of movements. Taking a deep breath, he lashed out with his leg and swung it down in a devastating axe kick.


    "Ha!"


    It missed.


    "!!"


    Even as his heavy boot smashed a crater onto the ground, leaving me untouched, Zhu Jiao didn''t pause. Bellowing, he moved in and continued throwing a ferocious barrage of punches and kicks, but I dodged every single one of them. those that I could not fully evade, I deflected by striking his gauntlet or boot with the flat of my swords, pushing them toward a different direction in a subtle manner that Zhu Jiao didn''t even realize.


    My opponent''s strength, power, amount of qi, endurance and explosive acceleration are all above mine. Even so, I can''t afford to panic. I can''t afford to give in and fall to despair.


    Back in Sen Lin Forest, I had faced magical beasts and demonic creatures much stronger than me, and survived. They were inimaginably powerful, like the Hydra, able to kill me with a single blow. Or the Ghost Bear, which despite succumbing to my attacks, was powerful enough to incapacitate me with a hit from its paws. Without the Green Dragon Spring water, I would have died from the injuries it dealt me those years ago.


    Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. Even if my opponent was much stronger and faster, then I shouldn''t rely on my physical senses. I should shrink my qi perception to the thinnest layer possible.


    Rely on the flow of qi and read my opponent''s movements. Predict the trajectories of his attacks. Use the minimum amount of effort to evade.


    That was the true essence of Liu, which I had combined with my Heaven and Earth senses from the Heaven and Earth Formula.


    By reducing my movements, I can save time and effort and dodge my enemy''s attacks, no matter how fast they are.


    I narrowed my eyes as I dodged another of Zhu Jiao''s punches.


    As I thought, I still can''t see the flow of Jiao''s movements¡­but I can feel them. I can read the flow of his qi and predict the direction where his next attack will come from!


    "!!!"


    Zhu Jiao had noticed something was irregular, for he suddenly changed his attack pattern. His fist came flying from an unexpected angle, and instead of evading, I was forced to cross my blades and parry his strike. As before, the immense power from his punch lifted me off my feet and threw me a few steps back.


    "Huff¡­"


    Can''t let my guard down, huh¡­


    Taking a deep breath, I calmed my breathing and grinned to myself.


    Now that I''ve broken my own self-imposed taboo and used Heavenly Sense and Earthly Steps, I have no choice but to win this match!


    Refusing to yield an inch, I looked up and perceived Zhu Jiao''s next attack calmly. Due to the earlier success, he had resorted to using the same pattern as before, thinking that it might work again. Even though I didn''t have time to get used to this new variation, I forced myself to calm down and analyze it coolly.


    "Hu¡­"


    Exhaling, I reasserted my sense of self. Once again, I was little more than a rock in the river, allowing every attack to go around it. Sensing the current and going along with the flow. The very essence of Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps.


    While, by minimizing my movements and using the least amount of time and effort possible to dodge, I drastically increased the chances of success for my evasion, on the other hand, the risk of the technique backfiring on me had also rose considerably. If my opponent was able to take me by surprise with a new pattern, I wouldn''t be able to adjust my movements and avoid his attacks in time. That was what happened earlier, when Zhu Jiao suddenly altered his attack pattern.


    This was the single weakness of Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. It was by no means an invincible technique, but a double-edged sword that carried just as many risks as success. Of course, that was mostly because I had yet to perfectly master it. My Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, which was forged for use against foes significantly stronger and more formidable than me, was incomplete. I had yet to reach a stage that would mitigate those risks and raise the success by several more notches.


    Even so, I refused to give up. This was my ultimate technique, and the only one that afforded me any chance of victory against an opponent as talented and powerful as Zhu Jiao.


    Suddenly, Zhu Jiao withdrew his punches and laughed.


    "Ha ha ha ha!"


    "?!"


    I stared at him, not comprehending his sudden outburst. Zhu Jiao merely shook his head and smiled at me.


    "As I thought, Wu¡­you''re the best opponent ever! I didn''t think you could surprise me any further, and now you pulled this off! Only by fighting someone of your caliber will I be able to progress further with my own martial arts! Thank you!"


    "You overestimate me," I told him flatly. Zhu Jiao snorted.


    "You underestimate yourself," he replied. Then he grinned again as he studied me. "I see¡­so you''re predicting the movements and the flow of my attacks. Impressive! This is really impressive! Even though you''re not as fast as Ning Xue, you''re evading my attacks much better than she ever did! You''re really amazing!"


    "!!"


    I frowned at his statement. Even though this was the first time he was fighting against me like this, he actually managed to see through the essence of my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps! Zhu Jiao was really a frightening genius.


    Can''t he get any more Mary Sue-ish?!


    Zhu Jiao rubbed his chin as he considered my strange movements.


    "To be able to elevate your five physical senses to their peak, and even achieve a sixth sense ¨C the qi sense and spiritual perception ¨C I think you''re the only one in our generation able to do this. Not only that, your movements are precise to the millimeter, and you''re literally avoiding all of my attacks by little more than a hair''s breadth! Truly impressive!"


    I frowned, but then thrust my sword forward.


    "It''s useless," Zhu Jiao told me and chuckled as he batted my sword away. I staggered for a moment, then spun away to avoid his next punch. "You might be able to evade all of my attacks, but if you''re unable to attack me effectively, it''s useless."


    My lip curled. "Unable to attack you effectively, eh?"


    "Hah!"


    Zhu Jiao punched at me again, but I dodged his fist. Whirling around, I dropped my sword and slammed my right palm into his side before unleashing a wave of frosty yin qi into his body. As Zhu Jiao retaliated with a backhanded blow, I ducked under it, then kicked my falling sword upward toward his seemingly exposed face.


    "Hmph."


    Zhu Jiao lazily cocked his head to the side, and the tip of my blade scratched the side of his armored helm with little impact. He then rammed his elbow into my chest, but I had already stepped to the side in reflex while grabbing my sword at the same time and slashing him.


    Clang!


    Zhu Jiao warded my blow off effortlessly and his counter almost knocked me off my feet. Sensing danger, I quickly used Tui and widened the distance between us.


    Did it work?


    I watched Zhu Jiao carefully, but he only strolled forward. Glancing down with a frown, he swept his gauntlet across the spot of armor where I slammed my palm against earlier. Frost coated both his armored fingers and chainmail, and he flicked them away.


    "That was quite the interesting attack," he remarked with a smile. "Would have work too, if all I focused on was physical attacks. Fortunately, my Golden Kirin Sacred Armor protects me from qi and inner attacks too, especially when boosted by my Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique."


    "What the fuck is that, literal plot armor or something?!" I growled, infuriated. Zhu Jiao smiled wryly and shrugged.


    "It is what it is."


    I gritted my teeth, vowing to wipe the smug smirk off my friend''s face. Even though we were friends, I couldn''t help but be annoyed by his seemingly cavalier attitude.


    I''m going to break through that damned armor of his no matter what!


    Channeling my azure and black qi into both my swords, I dropped into an aggressive stance and allowed my qi to surge upward recklessly. Even though this was risky, Zhu Jiao had a valid point. I wasn''t going to win if I focused solely on evasion.


    I had to attack and find a way to break through his sturdy defenses as well. Not to mention wipe off that cocky grin.


    "AAAAH!"


    With a shout, I charged forward and swung both my swords downward with everything I had, twin black dragons wreathing my blades and imbuing them with ferocious power. I was confident that I had enough strength to cleave even a titanium wall in half.


    Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike!


    However, Zhu Jiao caught my blades with his gauntlets. Grinning, he kicked at me when I struggled to pry my weapons out of his grasp. Having detected the flow of his attacks, I quickly released my swords and flipped myself backward, avoiding his heavily armored foot by millimeters. Landing a few meters away, I immediately stepped to the side and dodged another punch, only to manage to relinquish one of my swords when he let go of it to punch me.


    Grabbing my sword with both hands, I spun around in the air and slashed at him with another Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike.


    "Gah!"


    This time, Zhu Jiao was actually forced back, his golden sphere weakening. A thin line appeared on his gleaming, golden armor, but he managed to hold his ground firmly.


    Not for long.


    I smashed my foot into his helm and unleashed another Seismic Step.


    "AAAAAAARGH!"


    The entire ground caved in under him, enveloping him in a cloud of dust and explosive qi. My second sword came flying out of the detonation and I snatched it out of the air before landing a safe distance away.


    "Huff¡­"


    Skidding across the ground and dropping to a crouch, I raised my head and watched the cloud of dust billow outward. Even so, from my Heaven and Earth sense, I could detect Zhu Jiao''s presence emanating a more powerful qi than before.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­" I muttered.


    Zhu Jiao burst out of the dust and debris, his gleaming armor cracked and blood pouring out of his mouth. However, with a clench of his fists, he restored his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor in an instant, making it appear as if it was new.


    "Regenerative armor? Now I''ve seen everything."


    "Sorry about that," Zhu Jiao retorted with a shrug. Even though he regenerated his armor in a second, blood was still dribbling from his mouth. Clearly the damage I dealt directly to his body hadn''t healed. He raised a fist and got ready to fire off a Golden Kirin Holy Blast at me. "But if you can''t find a way to break my armor and deal a decisive blow, you won''t be able to win."


    "Hu¡­" I exhaled wearily, no longer bothering to mask my exhaustion. Closing my eyes briefly, I quickly studied the flow of qi around Zhu Jiao''s body.


    Then I smiled.

 117 Chapter 116: Champion

    "I''m not, to be honest," I admitted. "But I have nothing to lose!"


    Zhu Jiao laughed. "That''s the spirit! I''m sure you''ll be able to surprise me again! Come on, Wu! Let''s settle this once and for all!"


    We both surged forward, meeting in the middle of the coliseum. I wasn''t stupid enough to parry his punches directly, so once again I utilized Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps to evade his attacks by the bare minimum, stepping back and avoiding his punches and kicks. Even as I evaded his assault, I kept my eyes ¨C or rather, my qi senses peeled for an opening.


    Visually, there was no gaps in Zhu Jiao''s defenses. Other than his face, which was covered by a golden aura of qi, his body was completely covered by golden armor. The metallic plates seemed impenetrable and impervious to anything I could throw at him.


    Even my tactic of trying to bypass his defenses and freezing his blood didn''t work¡­


    It might have worked against Li Guo Qiang, but that moron only focused on defending against physical attacks and completely neglecting defenses against inner attacks and qi. Zhu Jiao was smart enough not to make the same mistake.


    Then how am I going to¡­?


    That was where Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps came in. one could be forgiven for mistaking it to be a purely defensive (or evasive) technique, but when used in the right way, it could prove to be one of the deadliest techniques.


    That was why I was reluctant to use it against the other students during the tournament. It felt very unfair.


    Fortunately, Zhu Jiao has his own fair share of cheats and Deus ex machina.


    That was why I had no compunctions using this against him. If anything, he deserved to have this used against him.


    Even without sight, I could "see" Zhu Jiao''s flow of qi. To be more accurate, I could "sense" rather than see the flow of qi in my opponent''s body. They were like streams of light, swirling around and melding with each other, coded in different colors and merging into different froms of qi. Picking out the difference threads of qi, I could see where the concentrations of qi were the densest, and the segments where they were the thinnest.


    "Hah!"


    Zhu Jiao didn''t realize what I was doing, for he was continuing his attacks unimpeded and trying to switch around the patterns of his attacks. I dodged his next few strikes and waited for an opportunity to present itself. For now, all I did was move back, step to the side, duck my head backward, spin away and retreated as he punched and kicked, avoiding all of his strikes by the smallest margins. As he closed in, his movements getting faster and more ferocious, I finally found the opening I wanted.


    "!!"


    "Uwaaah!"


    "How!?"


    I replied with a riposte that almost cut through the thin layer of qi protecting his side and drawing a slight trickle of blood. Intuitively sensing danger, Zhu Jiao countered with a punch that forced me to snap my head backward, and quickly withdrew. Jumping back to a safe distance, he studied me keenly with a mystified expression.


    "How did you cut through my Sacred Armor that was enhanced by my Sacred Beast technique?!"


    "Do you think I''ll tell you while we''re still in the middle of a match?" I retorted.


    Zhu Jiao relaxed a fraction and shook his head with a smile. "No, I''m not that na?ve. Sorry, that was just a rhetorical question."


    I doubted it was, given how most characters in wuxia and xianxia novels and light novels loved to explain their attacks and skills, but decided to let it go. Dropping to another offensive stance, I got ready to advance.


    Seeing my aggressive stance, Zhu Jiao nodded. "Well, even if I don''t know how you did it, I''ll just have to be more careful!"


    We both clashed again, sparks flying as my blades slid against his gauntlets. I ducked under another of his punch and thrust my right sword forward.


    "!!"


    Zhu Jiao quickly whirled away with a speed that was belied by his heavily armored form, and my strike that was aimed for his ribs merely slid through the gap and left a shallow cut. Zhu Jiao winced and then smashed his elbow down on my outstretched arm, but I was quick to let go of my sword and withdraw it, allowing his gauntlet to swing through empty space. I then lashed out with my foot and kicked my sword back upward right at his face, and despite Zhu Jiao turning away, the tip of my blade grazed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood before I snatched it.


    "Uwoooh!"


    With a roar, I then slashed with my other sword, seeking yet another weak spot. By now Zhu Jiao had grown wise to my attacks ¨C even if he didn''t realize how my attacks were penetrating his previously impervious defense, he was smart enough not to underestimate me. He caught my blade with his elbow and knee, halting the blade mere centimeters away from his side.


    "!!!"


    I was forced to let go of the sword again as he countered with a vicious hook that would have broken my nose had it landed. Gripping my remaining sword with both hands, I unleashed a powerful Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike that was off by several centimeters, missing the weak spot that my Heaven and Earth sense had picked out.


    "Hmm¡­?"


    Zhu Jiao had expected to suffer a grievous blow from my hastily executed attack, but his thick armor and dense qi protected him from the worst of my strike. Not going to waste the chance, he quickly retaliated with a riposte, his gauntleted fist literally tearing the space apart as he launched another punch at my head.


    "Damn it¡­!"


    I cursed under my breath as I slid away, retreating to a safe distance. My other sword spun uncontrollably in midair before landing on the ground, its blade sticking deeply into the ground before vibrating ominously.


    I had wasted a perfect chance to take out Zhu Jiao when his guard was down. Unfortunately, that was reality for you. No battle plan ever survived contact with an enemy, and I wasn''t some God Mode Mary Sue who could perfectly execute every attack with flawless precision. I was bound to miss quite a lot of strikes, especially when under pressure and overwhelmed by the heat of battle.


    "I see¡­it''s not as if all your attacks can penetrate my armor¡­but those previous strikes didn''t feel like luck or a fluke¡­?"


    Zhu Jiao was studying me, not sure what to make of the earlier exchange. But him being him, he decided not to dwell on the matter for too long and instead focused on finishing the battle. Dropping to a crouch, he raised both his hands and clenched them into fists.


    This was definitely going to be a big attack.


    "Haaaah~"


    I let out a sigh and readied myself for yet another blow. Zhu Jiao kicked off the ground and launched himself at me.


    Counter aggression with stillness. Like a rock in the waterfall¡­allow the water to flow around me. Don''t rush toward my opponent head-on.


    It was almost the opposite of the match between Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue. This time I was the one who remained stationary while Zhu Jiao sprang forward to attack. Closing my eyes, I allowed my qi perception to track Zhu Jiao''s trajectory before I moved slightly to the side. Twisting my sword in a backhanded blow, I slashed at the gap between the armor at Zhu Jiao''s stomach, hoping that my calculations were spot on.


    They were, but just barely. My sword went a few millimeters than I intended, but I still managed to find the space between Zhu Jiao''s armor and gouged his skin. If Zhu Jiao didn''t have his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor and Sacred Beast technique, he would have been eviscerated by that fatal blow.


    "Kuh!"


    Zhu Jiao grunted and swung his gauntlet back, hoping to take my head off, but I ducked under his huge fist and reversed the grip in my sword, yanking it out along with a fresh spray of blood. Zhu Jiao stumbled, the flow of his qi slightly disturbed for a moment.


    I was definitely not going to let this chance slip through my fingers.


    Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike!


    I held my sword with both hands as I whirled around and unleashed a huge black dragon from my sword, which struck the off-balance Zhu Jiao with meteoric force. Despite his Sacred Armor and Sacred Beast technique, Zhu Jiao was thrown off his feet and sent hurtling across the arena. He yelped as he crashed onto the ground, but credit where it was due, he quickly recovered and rolled to his feet. Wincing, he clutched at his wound, then stared at the blood staining his metallic glove.


    "Hmm¡­as I thought, it was not a fluke."


    "Ugh¡­"


    I was a little disappointed that I wasn''t able to deal a decisive blow. Despite drawing blood and knocking Zhu Jiao down, the injury I left on his gut was still too shallow. Zhu Jiao could still stand and continue fighting.


    "You continue to amaze me, Wu."


    He shok his head as he studied me. His fingers curled as he clenched his fists and his blazing golden aura surged once again.


    "I still have no idea how you''re cutting through my defenses." He frowned as he stared at my sword. While he remained still, I slowly strolled over and picked up my other sword. As I expected, I preferred fighting with two swords.


    "Secret," I replied, my voice tinged with slight humor. Zhu Jiao laughed good-naturedly and nodded.


    "Of course, of course. I don''t expect you to tell me." Of course you did. You thought I was one of those arrogant antagonists in the typical wuxia/xianxia novels or light novels, who enjoyed bragging about my techniques or skills to the protagonist, didn''t you? Of course such things wer done so that the readers could appreciate the workings behind those techniques, but if you thought about it, no sane combatant would do that in real life.


    Zhu Jiao then shifted his gaze to my swords and studied them for a few moments. I shifted them uncomfortably under his stare, wondering what he intended to do.


    "No¡­those are just normal swords."


    "??"


    I stared at him, not comprehending. Zhu Jiao sighed.


    "Initially, I thought it was possible that you''re cutting through my armor because of your swords. You know how most martial artists, especially those from the major sects, possess high quality spirit armaments and weapons. I suspected that you were using one of those¡­but now that I see them clearly, no matter how I look at them, they''re just normal swords. Even if they are spirit swords, they are of the lowest quality."


    I glanced down at my swords and saw that they were chipped and heavily damaged. Honestly, I was actually surprised they lasted this long in the tournament. It was a miracle they hadn''t snapped or broken already.


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    "You''re right," I conceded. There was no use concealing that fact from Zhu Jiao. He could clearly see the swords for himself. "These are just normal swords. The lowest quality spirit weapons I can get for free from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. There really is nothing special about them except that they belong to me."


    Zhu Jiao chuckled. "You were always quite the sentimental person."


    "Maybe." I raised both my swords. "But they''re more than enough to defeat you."


    Cocking his head, Zhu Jiao studied me in disbelief, then his hands and eyes went to the gouges I left in his armor. The bleeding had stopped, but there were still bloodstains on the gleaming armor and his gauntlets.


    "Normally I would think you''re joking, but after taking those strikes from you, I can''t afford to dismiss that claim lightly."


    Dropping to a crouch, he got ready to launch himself at me in a predatory pounce.


    Not willing to allow Zhu Jiao to dictate the flow of battle, I also used Jin and advanced toward him. Slipping into his flow of qi, I predicted his movements and evaded his attacks while leaving another few cuts on his armor, slicing through the places where his defenses were the thinnest and drawing more blood. Undeterred, Zhu Jiao continued his relentless assault, forcing me back. I hopped back as his fist carved a destructive path toward me while deflecting his other fist. Then I jumped over his kick before slashing at his shoulder. Zhu Jiao shifted imperceptibly to absorb the blow, and this time I was unable to cut through his defenses.


    "Hah!"


    "!!"


    I sprang back, flipping my body in midair as his fist seared through the space where my head had been. Stumbling back, I hastily executed another Black Dragon Blast that slammed into Zhu Jiao and drove him back, causing him to stagger.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao braced himself and waved away the smoke. Swinging his arm out to swat at me, I ducked under his gauntlet and opened up another fresh cut on his forearm, causing him to flinch and withdraw it from instinct.


    "Huff¡­"


    Even as I left more damage across Zhu Jiao''s body, I felt myself slowly tiring. I couldn''t keep this up for much longer¡­


    Zhu Jiao seemed to be aware of this too. His attacks intensified and he seemed to get more powerful and faster.


    "I''m sorry¡­but I can''t afford to lose here!"


    I couldn''t help but grin back, despite my rapidly deteriorating situation. "Neither can I."


    Parrying a few strikes and being pushed back, I then dodged under his next punch and slashed him right under his guard, causing him to stagger back as blood dripped from the rents in his armor. Growling, he threw a hook at me, which I dodged.


    "Golden Kirin Divine Claws!"


    "!!!"


    I just barely managed to evade the five beams of light that stabbed out of his gauntlet and sought to pierce me. Kicking out with a Lunar Rabbit kick, I managed to throw Zhu Jiao off balance and slashed him across his chest.


    Black Dragon Blast!


    "Kuh!"


    Stumbling back as the huge explosion rattled him inside his armor, Zhu Jiao desperately threw his arm out.


    "Golden Kirin Holy Blast!"


    I flipped myself back and rolled away as the golden beam of destructive qi tore the air above me into shreds, almost replacing it with a vacuum. The shockwaves buffeted me, knocking me off my feet and sending me tumbling away.


    Fortunately, I could make use of the momentum to distance myself away from my opponent. And not a moment too soon ¨C Zhu Jiao''s foot stomped onto the ground where I was sprawled on a few seconds earlier, causing an earthquake.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I struggled to my feet, still roughly imbalanced, only to sway to the side to avoid Zhu Jiao''s Golden Kirin Divine Fist by the narrowest of margins. Gritting my teeth, I dug my heels in and struck with my swords at the gaps in his qi defense, drawing another spray of blood.


    "Ugh!"


    Swearing, Zhu Jiao stumbled back, but he managed to retaliate with a kick that I barely blocked with my crossed swords and sent me flying a few meters away. Fortunately, this time I was more prepared and was able to land elegantly on my feet.


    "Hu¡­"


    Breathing out, I straightened myself and glared at my opponent. Zhu Jiao had also recovered, stemming the bleeding with sheer force and reared back to meet my gaze. He smiled slightly, then propelled himself forward.


    Pushing my glasses up, I then took another deep breath before using Jin to meet him in mid-clash. We both collided in the middle of the arena, though I spent most of the exchange evading rather than directly blocking and parrying while leaving as many injuries as I could. Zhu Jiao remained calm despite seemingly being at a disadvantage.


    "!!!"


    His fist came dangerously close to scraping my cheek and I retreated a step. Damn, but Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps was mentally demanding and exhausting. I could feel my concentration gradually slipping. It wouldn''t be long before my mental stamina ran out and I would no longer be able to keep up my evasive maneuvers.


    I had to deliver a decisive blow soon.


    Forcing myself to calm down, I picked out the holes in Zhu Jiao''s defenses, the places where the qi was thinnest, so that I could exploit those vulnerabilities as much as possible. While death by a thousand cut was a valid strategy, I knew I wouldn''t be able to hold out for that long. I didn''t possess the same endurance and stamina that Zhu Jiao did.


    Even now, I could feel my focus fading. It took every ounce of effort I had to keep my mental state together, to continue fighting until the bitter end¡­


    ¡­until I defeated my opponent.


    "UGH!"


    And finally I saw it. A huge opening. In his overzealous attempt to deliver a decisive blow himself, Zhu Jiao left himself wide open to a counterattack. Stepping to the side to avoid his powerful punch, I whirled within his guard.


    "!!!"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened when he realized his fatal mistake. Not giving him a chance to correct it, I stabbed him with one of my swords, slipping it through the cracks in his qi armor and ramming the blade into his chest.


    "Gaaah!"


    Blood spurted from Zhu Jiao''s lips as he staggered backward. However, despite his injury, he actually smiled.


    "!?"


    I realized something was amiss and tried to pull away. As I expected, Zhu Jiao delivered a backhand that would have swept my head off my shoulders if I didn''t dodge it.


    Damn it! I cursed when realization dawned on me. Zhu Jiao left himself open on purpose! He let me attack him with what I thought was a decisive blow so that he could counterattack!


    And I had played right into it!


    Fortunately, I had dodged his¡­


    "¡­AAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Agony shot through my foot and I stumbled, only to find myself held in place. Glancing down, I saw that Zhu Jiao''s boot had slammed and stomped onto my foot, pinning me to the ground. Gritting my teeth, I tried to wrench my foot away, but his other leg came in ¨C causing more pain to surge through my leg as his entire weight crushed my foot ¨C and smacked into my knee.


    A red haze of excruciating pain exploded through my leg and flooded my mind and I heard the deafening crack. Howling in pain as my leg gave way, the bone snapping cleanly and fracturing from the blow, I fell to my knee.


    "Guh¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao mercilessly snapped the blade I had stabbed into his chest by ramming his elbow into it, breaking my sword. The upper half of my body snapped back from the sudden blow, but I was still held in place by my broken leg. Realizing what Zhu Jiao wanted to do, I tried to bring my other sword to bear, but I was too slow.


    Zhu Jiao struck me with his Golden Kirin Divine Fist. I managed to bring my right arm ¨C which was no longer holding the sword ¨C to parry the blow, but his powerful punch shattered the bones in that arm, rendering it useless. I almost blacked out from the pain, tears streaming from my eyes and an agonized howl erupting from my mouth.


    Swinging my remaining sword desperately, I executed Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike at pointblank range. Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened but he managed to deflect the blow with both of his gauntlets. Fortunately, my defiant attack had driven him back.


    For only a second.


    His fist burst out of the smoke and slammed into my chest. Blood spurted from my lips and my ribs caved in as they broke, puncturing my lungs. Tumbling head over heels, I helplessly cartwheeled across the arena before crashing helplessly on the ground.


    Shin¡­


    For a moment, the spectator box fell silent. Obviously I hadn''t been paying much attention to them since I couldn''t make out the muffled voices from behind the soundproof window, but for the first time I was aware of the ominous silence.


    No¡­that was wrong. I was no longer aware of the voices, the cheers, the outrage or the jeers because I had lost consciousness.


    Damn it¡­I want to win¡­! I want to win! I can''t lose like this¡­!


    Clenching my teeth in frustration, I forced myself to stand on my remaining, unbroken leg. As long as I still had one leg, one arm and one sword, I could still make a comeback.


    I wasn''t going to¡­!


    "¡­kuh¡­"


    Unfortunately, my body refused to listen and I found myself sinking into the oblivion of unconsciousness.


    *


    Everyone had went silent as they watched the two combatants in the coliseum.


    The match had been decided long ago. It should have. The winner was clearly Zhu Jiao. He was still standing upright, and despite the numerous wounds he had sustained, he was at least still conscious and capable of combat.


    The other person was in a sorry state. With a broken arm and leg, he had difficulty standing even if he somehow managed to preserve his consciousness. His eyes were glazed over, and it was clear that he had blacked out.


    Even so¡­no one declared the outcome of the match. Zhu Jiao was still watching his opponent, his shoulders sagging.


    "Wu, you¡­"


    His voice was weak. Probably because he was heavily injured, despite his armored appearance. Or perhaps he was exhausted after such a grueling fight.


    "¡­you still haven''t given up?"


    The other boy was still standing on his unbroken leg. He was holding his remaining sword in his left hand and pointing it at Zhu Jiao, a vortex of black qi swirling dangerously around it. Even though he had clearly lost consciousness, he refused to admit defeat¡­to the point where his body continued to resist even though his mind was gone.


    Zhu Jiao closed his eyes and shook his head bitterly.


    "Man¡­in terms of spirit and determination, I''ve lost to you."


    However, his eyes turned steely and he stared at the other boy firmly.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t afford to lose here. I''m sorry, but this will be my win. As one final act of respect, I will¡­"


    Golden qi began coalescing in his hands as he prepared to launch one final attack to seal the result of the match. As if reacting to the sudden surge in qi, Zhu Jiao''s opponent''s body jerked and pointed the glowing sword at him, as if getting ready to meet his attack.


    "That''s enough."


    Teacher Cai dropped down next to the unconscious but defiant boy. He placed a hand on the struggling teenager''s shoulder.


    "Student Fei Wu, it''s over. You can stop fighting now."


    He lowered his head and shook it.


    "You''ve done your best. You''ve already proven yourself to everyone. There is no longer any need for you to continue fighting."


    "Allow me."


    Teacher Jiao had entered the coliseum as well. At Teacher Cai''s nod, he proceeded toward the boy, reached out and gently pushed the unbroken left hand down. At the movement, the black qi swirling around the intact sword slowly dispersed.


    "Excellent work Student Fei Wu. You can rest now."


    As if a puppet whose strings were cut, the boy finally allowed himself to fall. Fortunately, Teacher Jiao managed to catch his body before he hit the ground. He then turned and nodded at Teacher Cai.


    Raising his head, Teacher Cai announced the outcome of the match.


    "The match is over. The winner is Zhu Jiao."


    To the side, Teacher Jiao smiled slightly and placed the boy gently on the ground while waiting for the medics to arrive and tend to his wounds.


    "They''re both winners," he murmured softly.

 118 Chapter 117: After the tournamen

    I glanced up as Teacher Yi tossed that question casually at me, still lying on the bed in the infirmary.


    "I''m all right." Physically, anyway, given how Teacher Yi healed me completely. Mentally, however, was a whole different matter entirely.


    As if she sensed my dark mood, Teacher Yi glanced at me. "You did well, you know. You should hold your head proud."


    That still doesn''t change the fact that I lost, I thought darkly. However, I appreciated her concern, so I merely nodded.


    "Thank you."


    Teacher Yi watched me for a few more moments, and then sighed.


    "Go rest in your room tonight and sleep it off. But make sure you attend classes tomorrow or I''ll ask your classmates to drag you out of bed if I have to. Understand?"


    "Yeah."


    As depressed as I was, I wasn''t pathetic enough to mope about and skip classes. That was something only angsty, self-centered and irresponsible teenagers did. I might have the body of a sixteen-year-old, but I was mentally thirty (or thirty-three). The world hadn''t ended, and I still had responsibilities to fulfill as a student.


    Besides, I had a promise to keep. And I couldn''t allow my depression to affect my friends. Zhu Jiao, one of my best friends, had won. He deserved to savor his victory and be happy about it. Me being bitter and sulking about my defeat wasn''t just poor sportsmanship. It would ruin Zhu Jiao''s mood and made him feel guilt.


    That was why I had to do my best and put on an appearance of being fine. No, I was fine. Yeah, I lost.Yeah, losing hurts. But it wasn''t the end of the world. I was used to losing. This wasn''t the first time I had been defeated.


    Why then does it hurt so much?


    Most probably because I was so close to victory. I had made it all the way to the final, reached such great heights. However, it was precisely because the greater the heights, the greater the fall. It really wasn''t a pleasant feeling crashing back down to earth again.


    But it was a good fight.


    I had to admit that, at least. It was one of the most difficult battle I had ever engaged in. even though I went all out and even went to the extent of breaking my self-imposed taboo of using Heaven and Earth Formula, I still lost convincingly.


    If I was cynical, I might have complained that Zhu Jiao had too much plot armor, that the story was working for him, that the whole thing was unfair to begin with. I was fighting against a protagonist who had all the luck in the world, was an unprecedented genius whose role was to win every battle and impress the mob charaacters and get praised to high heaven. My victory was impossible to begin with.


    Yeah. It was precisely because this world was unfair that I wanted to rebel against Heaven and the gods. Whoever was writing this and dictating the events of this world¡­fuck you. I wanted to show him the middle finger and do what I could.


    The problem is that¡­since I failed to win the tournament and the would-be protagonist still ended up being the champion as anticipated¡­it means I''m still too weak to change my fate. I still need a lot more power if I want to defy destiny and steal the heavens.


    "Student Fei Wu? Are you feeling all right?"


    I realized that I must have been completey lost in thought. Teacher Yi was staring at me worriedly while I blanked out, and I shook my head to clear my mind of unnecessary thoughts. Nodding, I hopped off the bed.


    "Yeah, just thinking of stuff. I''ll be returning to my room now."


    The celebration party that Tong Xue promised to throw wouldn''t be held until tomorrow at the earliest. He was considerate enough to take note that both Zhu Jiao and I would need some time to receive treatment and recover from our injuries.


    "How is Zhu Jiao?" I asked, remembering my friend. Even though I hadn''t seen him ever since I lost consciousness, I was certain I at least did quite a substantial amount of damage to him. Despite that sturdy Golden Kirin Sacred Armor protecting him, I had delivered quite a few devastating blows that were powerful enough to demolish an entire building. There was no way he emerged out of our match unscathed.


    "Student Zhu Jiao is fine," Teacher Yi replied with a smile. "He''s doing better than you, actually. I patched him up and sent him back to his room. To be honest, he actually wanted to wait for you to wake up, but I advised him and your other friends against it."


    So it wasn''t just Zhu Jiao, but Tang Qi Hong, Tong Xue and the rest of the gang had been here as well. I had half-expected to see them earlier when I woke up, and was a little disappointed to see that they were absent. Now I understood it was because Teacher Yi shooed the away. I raised an eyebrow at that, but Teacher Yi continued, unimpeded.


    "I''m sure you would like some time alone, wouldn''t you?"


    "That''s true," I conceded with a nod. "Thank you."


    I did appreciate being left on my own for now. The last thing I needed was sympathy from my friends, telling me that I did my best, etc. Furthermore, this was Zhu Jiao''s moment. They should be congratulating him, not spending their time worrying about me.


    I could handle this. I was mentally an adult, after all. This wasn''t the first time I failed. I was used to losing.


    But damn it¡­why does it hurt so much?


    Probably because this was the first time I had come so far¡­only to fall short of the goal when it was right within my reach.


    Fuck!


    I gritted my teeth and resisted the urge to hit something. Not when I was still in the infirmary and Teacher Yi was watching me. It was a good thing she sent everyone home. I needed some time alone to clear my head and calm down.


    "Thank you," I told her again and rose from the bed. As I staggered on my feet, I winced from a faint soreness that throbbed throughout my body.


    "Careful," Teacher Yi warned as she strode over to help me steady myself. "I might have healed all of your injuries, but you still need rest. Don''t force yourself unnecessarily."


    "Yeah. I understand."


    Sighing, I stretched my right hand and anxiously tested my right leg. It seemed that the broken bones in both limbs had been mended. There was a slight pain when I moved them, but nothing too debilitating.


    Compared to before, when I was desperately fighting against Zhu Jiao, the tiny sting was nothing. I was happy that I could walk without falling over.


    "Make sure you go back straight to the dormitory without detouring anywhere else."


    Teacher Yi was beginning to sound like a fussy mom right now, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at me sternly. I nodded. In the first place, I had no intention of going anywhere else unless I got abducted by someone along the way. After Li Chun Long''s Treegons failed to assassinate me or Zhu Jiao, the staff had swept the academy clean to make sure there weren''t any illegal familiars or monsters or magical beasts dwelling within campus grounds.


    In other words, I should be safe as long as I remained within the academy''s territory.


    "I have my hands full treating all the injured students from the tournament. I don''t have time to look for you if you go missing."


    Despite Teacher Yi''s reprimand, I knew she was only looking out for me. She was actually more concerned about my mental state than worried about getting more work dumped on her. I raised a hand and saluted her to show that I would obey, and then left the infirmary without wasting any more time. I didn''t want to disturb Teacher Yi when she was already so busy.


    Rather anticlimactically, nothing happened on my journey back to my dormitory room. It had gotten pretty late, and the sun had clearly set long ago. Glancing at the huge clock in the huge academy tower that stood several blocks away from the main campus building, I saw that it was a little after ten. Unsurprisingly, there were almost no students lingering in the main campus grounds, and what little students remained ¨C particularly those crazy enough to continue training at this hour, or absorbing yin qi from the night air ¨C I was able to easily avoid.


    I was the guy most well known for mastering Shadow Steps, after all.


    Too exhausted and sore to do anything else, I went straight to bed and collapsed on the mattress. Relieved that I didn''t have to face anyone, even my best friends, I buried my face into my pillow and tried to go to sleep.


    ¡­


    Instead of sleep, what came were bitter tears.


    Squeezing my eyes shut and pressing my face deeper into my pillow, I quietly wept.


    *


    "Congratulations to our champion for the 28th annual tournament of Wu Ling Academy! Student Zhu Jiao!"


    Everyone clapped as Zhu Jiao went up the stage. Xiao Zhang beamed as he welcomed this year''s champion up on stage and shook his hand. Turning around, he received a trophy from Teacher Shu Xue, and then turned around to pass it to Zhu Jiao. The spiky-haired protagonist accepted it and then turned toward the student body and raised it high.


    "WOOO!"


    "WAAAAH!"


    The students went wild, clapping and cheering thunderously. What, did you think this was some sort of wuxia or xianxia story where the other competitors only knew how to be jealous over their losses and behave like spoilt brats, whining like arrogant young masters with totally no sense of sportsmanship? Even if Zhu Jiao was the main character of some wuxia/xianxia story, the people around him were real students.


    Of course, it was natural to feel a bit of envy, but everyone had been convinced by Zhu Jiao''s performance. He had defeated strong opponents, emerged top of the Group of Death, defeated major heavyweights including the strongest girl and current student council president in Wu Ling Academy. He had proved not with words, but with actions, and persuaded everyone beyond a doubt that he was presently the strongest student in Wu Ling Academy.


    Anyone who wasn''t convinced was welcome to challenge him.


    Let''s be honest. The whole "the protagonist is trash" and nobody believing that he could have won a tournament was a contrived manner of forcing the mob characters to praise the so-called "underdog" that the protagonist was, and a convenient way for the protagonist to perform the stupid "face-slapping" that was so popular in Chinese novels. Honestly, it was downright disgusting and forced how practically everyone would trash-talk the protagonist before the tournament, and in each round constantly preach about how he would lose to this genius, or that genius, only to receive slaps in the face when the protagonist proved them wrong each time. You would think they would have learned their lesson, but no, they continued to look down and underestimate the protagonist because the authors for some reason couldn''t get it around their heads that real characters don''t behave so one-dimensionally, and so that the protagonist could continue slapping their faces and get praised to high heaven later.


    It was sickening, really.


    "As a reward for winning the tournament, you will receive a thousand gold coins, and you may select a level five martial arts manual from the library, free of charge."


    "Thank you very much, Principal."


    Zhu Jiao bowed gratefully.


    Xiao Zhang then turned to sweep his gaze across the rest of the students and smiled. Stroking his long mustache, he continued.


    "Of course, the finalists will also receive appropriate rewards for wherever they finish in the tournaments. Those who end up in the group stages¡­while your rewards may not be as much as those who make it to the finals, you nonetheless will receive some resources, which will be dependent on your final ranking."


    By now, all the group matches and final rankings had been established. Hell, they were done before my final against Zhu Jiao.


    Xiao Zhang''s gaze swept over me, and my heart skipped a beat. As tradition demanded, only the champion had the right to go up the stage and receive the trophy. There were no silver medals, no bronze medals. Just a trophy for the champion.


    However, for us finalists who had made it this far, we received rewards in the form of gold coins, the currency for this timeline.


    That''s enough for me.


    I wasn''t a greedy person, and I never intended to win the tournament for money. Just pride and prestige alone.


    How much is second place going to get me again¡­?


    Racking my brain, I tried to remember. It was definitely not a thousand gold coins. Hmm, if I wasn''t mistaken, it was eight hundred gold coins. Close to the amount that the champion received, to be honest, so it wasn''t that big a loss. The academy understood the value of talent, and they never put all their eggs in one basket. They weren''t stupid enough to invest all their resources nurturing only one talent and ignoring the other students.


    Third and fourth place ¨C which was Bai Ning Xue and Li Chun Long respectively ¨C would normally receive seven hundred gold coins. However, after the student council scandal and Li Chun Long''s disqualification, he would be denied the seven hundred gold coins as punishment. A thoroughly deserved one at that, if I might say so myself.


    I still hadn''t forgiven him for his attempted assassination and assault on both me and Zhu Jiao. If he tried that again when he finished his isolation training, I would definitely be ready for him. And I would make sure not to leave him alive this time.


    The fifth to eighth place ¨C which included Feng Tian Yong and Du Lang ¨C would receive five hundred gold coins. Nineth to sixteenth place ¨C which were the last of the finalists and included Tang Qi Hong and Kuang Hu ¨C would receive three hundred gold coins. And depending on their ranking, those in the group stages would receive around one hundred gold coins or less.


    Obviously I wasn''t going to start detailing which rank received how many gold coins. I couldn''t be bothered to remember, and by now the attention span of those existences beyond the fourth wall should probably start tapering off at the amount of info dump I was throwing at them. More importantly, I focused on clapping as Zhu Jiao walked off the stage.


    "What martial art would you be picking?" Tong Xue asked when Zhu Jiao rejoined us. He scratched his head and laughed in embarrassment.


    "To be honest¡­I don''t know. I haven''t really thought about it. I only wanted the money to purchase more spirit pills and training resources to boost my cultivation."


    "You shouldn''t be relying on drugs," I warned disapprovingly. "Doping has terrible side effects." Then I caught sight of everyone staring at me. "Eh? What?"


    "What''s doping?" Ban Zhang asked.


    Seriously? The people in this timeline had no conception of what doping was? What sort of messed up world was this where everyone pay exorbitant prices for drugs and become overly reliant on them?


    Oh, right. A cultivation world.


    "I''ve never heard of spirit pills having side effects before," Lian Rou remarked with a frown.


    "That''s because it''s not studied that much, and people take it for granted," I explained with a sigh. "And it''s a cheap plot device for authors to fall back on when they need their characters to experience a growth boost. They claim that these spirit pills are hard to obtain, but honestly the way capitalism works in their stories doesn''t make sense. Demand and supply. Sure, the higher quality the spirit pill, the more expensive it would be, but that would entail an entire industry working to produce these pills and having surplus in stock¡­"


    I trailed off when I caught the blank stares. Obviously it would be a terrible idea to attempt to explain Marxism, Capitalism, mode of production, industries, consumption and political economy to my friends.


    "Never mind. To sum it up, don''t rely too heavily on spirit pills."


    "If you say so," Zhu Jiao responded uncertainly, but I could tell that he didn''t believe me. Everyone had been doing this for years and no one had complained about side effects. I was probably just applying my previous timeline knowledge to this one and making a terrible mistake. How embarrassing.


    "Anyway, you''ll probably borrow a martial art that''s close to your Golden Kirin Sect martial arts, right?" Tang Qi Hong asked, returning to the topic at hand. "Something that will help you completely restore your Golden Kirin Sect techniques."


    "That''s right." Zhu Jiao nodded, though his guilty expression revealed that the thought had never occurred to him. He frowned as he pondered, staring at the trophy in his hand for a few seconds. "But just what kind of martial arts techniques would be close to the Golden Kirin Sect''s?"


    "If I may suggest something."


    We almost jumped at Bai Ning Xue''s voice. To be fair, Bai Ning Xue had been joining us more lately, having officially become Zhu Jiao''s girlfriend. That meant she had to socialize with us, whether she liked it or not.


    Fortunately, she seemed to have a thick skin, and she spoke so little that we almost never noticed her presence at all. None of us had gotten used to Bai Ning Xue being around. Not yet, anyway. To be fair, it had only been a few days at most.


    Plenty of time for her to integrate herself into our clique¡­or for us to get used to her hanging out silently with us.


    "What is it?" Tang Qi Hong asked as she clung to me. Out of all of us, Tang Qi Hong was the one most not used to Bai Ning Xue becoming part of our little circle. She wasn''t outright hostile toward Bai Ning Xue, but after declaring herself to be the latter''s rival and trying to compete against her on everything, she wasn''t very comfortable with shaking hands and become best friends with the cold school beauty.


    "I believe he should redeem the True Inferno technique."


    What the fuck?!


    "Are you sure you haven''t confused Zhu Jiao with Li Fu Chen?" I asked skeptically.


    "Yeah, why the True Inferno technique?" Tong Xue added, bewildered. "Jiao''s Golden Kirin Sect techniques have nothing to do with fire."


    "Then the Three Thousand Lightning Movement."


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    "That''s just your preference for lightning techniques, isn''t it?!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. Actually, this time I suspected Bai Ning Xue was mixing Zhu Jiao up with Xiao Yan.


    "Nine Heavens Destruction."


    "Does such a technique even exist?" Lian Rou demanded, her eyes wide. I sighed and shook my head.


    "Zhu Jiao is not Meng Hao. And where are we supposed to find a Demon Immortal Pagoda?"


    "Um¡­the Great Way of the Buddha¡­?"


    "Say what?" Ban Zhang repeated incredulously.


    "Are you asking Jiao to go against the gods now?" I grumbled. "He''s far from being Yun Che, and he''s not going to **** a girl to ''save her life'' unlike that bastard."


    "How about Heavenly Thunder Eradication?"


    "Now I know you''re screwing around with me," Zhu Jiao growled. "We just watched Spirit Realm together recently. I''m not Qin Lie! Are you trying to be Song Ting Yu or something?"


    "I''m actually based off Mu Ning Xue from Quan Zhi Fa Shi," Bai Ning Xue corrected with a straight face. "And you¡­hmm¡­you don''t seem similar to Mo Fan at all¡­"


    "Why do you sound so disappointed?!"


    "I was thinking that you could perhaps master fire and lightning magic¡­ahem, I mean martial arts techniques¡­"


    "My element is mainly earth! I''m from the Golden Kirin Sect!"


    The rest of us watched the exchange, astonished. For my part, I was actually amused that Bai Ning Xue seemed to have read so many different wuxia and xianxia novels. That was totally unexpected, coming from her. No wonder she was so aloof and spent so little time socializing. The time she spent not cultivating and training her martial arts was all invested into reading all these different Chinese webnovels. I didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.


    On the other hand, speaking of Chinese webnovels¡­


    "If that''s the case, shouldn''t we copy Linley from Coiling Dragon and get Jiao to learn Essence of the Earth or an earth-type magic¡­I mean martial art instead?" I voiced out, getting tired of this whole farce.


    "That''s it!" Bai Ning Xue snapped her fingers. "That''s a brilliant idea!"


    I couldn''t help but gape at her. I was pretty sure such a technique didn''t exist.


    "There''s a martial arts technique in the library called Mystical Earth Essence Formula. It should help you strengthen your current Golden Kirin Sect martial arts."


    I sighed a breath of relief. At least it didn''t have the same name as Linley''s fused magic thingy, otherwise we would be in trouble regarding copyright and all that stuff. Good thing I had the fanfiction label tacked on.


    "Okay¡­I guess I''ll swing by the library and ask for it."


    Zhu Jiao was already consulting his tablet to make sure that the academy possessed such a technique within its archives.


    "I''ll accompany you."


    Even though Bai Ning Xue didn''t raise her voice, it was clear what her intention was. She wanted to go on a date with Zhu Jiao and was hinting for us to leave them so that she could have him to herself for today.


    Tong Xue, always the person most capable of reading the mood, quickly picked up on her goal. He clapped his hands with a smile.


    "All right¡­we''ll meet at the gate later at 5pm today. Don''t forget, we''re having a celebration party today! To congratulate Jiao on winning the tournament!"


    "Yay!"


    All of us threw our fists into the air and cheered. I, for one, was looking forward to a hearty dinner tonight. Tong Xue had reserved a table at a fancy barbeque restaurant and I was just drooling when I thought of the menu.


    Therefore we went our separate ways, or would have, but Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou and Tong Xue stuck close to me when we parted from Ban Zhang, Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue. Tang Qi Hong quickly raised her hand.


    "Right¡­one thing before we go."


    "What is it?"


    We turned to her, puzzled. Bai Ning Xue frowned.


    "Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten. The tournament is over. We''re supposed to return to Tushan and resume training."


    "Oh, right." Tong Xue looked sheepish. "I probably should return to the Smart Shadow Sect as well to see what they need from me."


    "Yes, you should." Lian Rou looked at him sternly. "The Blood Blades selection is near. Don''t miss it."


    "I won''t," he promised.


    "Speaking of which¡­" Tang Qi Hong turned to me. "Wu, Elder Zhao wishes to speak to you regarding the Blood Blades."


    "Eh? Me?" I blinked, surprised. Tang Qi Hong smiled.

 119 Chapter 118: Party

    "Uh, what? How?!"


    "You''re a mage, aren''t you? Shoot a spell!"


    "Right." I fumbled around with my staff and aimed it at the massive dragon that reared over us with a roar. Flames combusted around its mouth as it prepared to unleash an area of effect attack upon us.


    Looked like I was too late.


    "Everyone, stay behind me!" Ban Zhang shouted as he waded forward in his heavy Paladin armor. Hoisting up his shield, he slammed it onto the ground and erected a massive barrier that shimmered around us.


    Whoosh!


    The flames washed around us, directed away by the gleaming forcefield that Ban Zhang had created.


    "Nice job!" Tong Xue shouted. The moment the flames died down, Ban Zhang slumped down and the barrier vanished. "You can leave it to me!"


    Tong Xue darted out, his figure almost invisible because of his black garb, and he slashed down with his dagger. Thanks to his assassin class, he was able to deal bonus damage and deliver a critical strike.


    "RUOOOOR!"


    The dragon flailed about as it staggered back, blood spurting from its wounds. It lashed out with its tail and struck poor Tong Xue before he could evade, sending him crashing onto the ground.


    "Gah!"


    Tong Xue writhed about, and I watched in dismay as his health dropped into the red.


    "Xue!"


    Lian Rou rushed toward him, her priestly robes rustling. Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands in prayer and began whispering something under her breath. A golden glow suffused Tong Xue and his health bar began shooting back up, turning green once again.


    "Thanks, Rou!"


    Wiping the blood from his mouth, Tong Xue climbed back to his feet again. Glaring at the dragon he shook his dagger at it.


    "Damn, we''ve been chipping away at its HP for so long, but we still can''t bring it down!?"


    "Well, keep trying!"


    Tang Qi Hong stepped forward and swept her mage cloak to the side. Pointing her scepter at the dragon, she unleashed a hail of fireballs that crashed down from the heavens and denoated against the dragon''s armored scales.


    The final boss shrieked and flailed about, but swung its claws out to eviscerate us. Again, Ban Zhang was up to the task, rushing forward to tank the hit with his shield.


    "Ugh¡­!" he moaned as he dug his heels in, and I saw the HP bar above his figure dip a little.


    "Don''t worry! I''ll heal you!"


    Lian Rou quickly stepped forward and began casting another prayer-based healing spell, allowing Ban Zhang to recover his HP.


    "Hey, Wu! Why are you just standing around there for? Help me attack the damned dragon!"


    "Oh¡­right!"


    "No, don''t attack!" Tang Qi Hong shouted at me. "You''re using the wrong spell!"


    I stared at her dumbly. "What spell am I supposed to use then?"


    The dragon cut in, roaring before she could say anything and unleashing its own flaming attacks that forced Ban Zhang to create another shield again. The flames washed around us, but ate away at poor Ban Zhang''s HP and MP. Fortunately, we had Lian Rou around to heal him, but I saw the blue bar indicating her MP falling.


    We couldn''t keep this up.


    "Wu, you''re supposed to paralyze and entrap the dragon," Tong Xue explained patiently.


    "Oh¡­sorry."


    I thought the fastet way would be to bring the dragon''s HP down to zero, but evidently I wasn''t doing it right. Taking a deep breath, I raised my hand and conjured the menu screen, scrolling through it to see what repertoire of ice spells I had.


    "Must be this one!"


    The moment the dragon ceased its attack and the perspiring Ban Zhang lowered his shield, I threw my staff out and launched a freezing attack.


    Millennial Ice Tomb!


    "RUOOR!?"


    The dragon was suddenly shrouded in ice, its limbs encased in glacial tombs. The ice rapidly spread over its massive body, locking its movements. The dragon tensed and struggled, but found itself held fast, even as the ice raced toward its neck.


    "Excellent!"


    Tong Xue leapt out and slashed the dragon''s neck a couple of times before he was forced to jump back to the ground.


    "And now for the finishing move! Hellish Armageddon!"


    All of us glanced up when the enormous fireball materialized above the dragon. Tang Qi Hong was chuckling maniacally now as she raised both hands, getting ready to smash it on the dragon. Even our enemy was taken aback by the terrifying sight, its eyes going wide and its draconic jaws dropping. I actually felt sorry for the great beast.


    "DIE!"


    Tang Qi Hong swung both of her hands down, cackling like the witch she appeared to be. The dragon squealed uncharacteristically before it vanished underneath the enormous fireball, incinerated instantly.


    "That had better do it," I muttered as I glanced at my empty MP bar. Similarly, Tang Qi Hong had just burned all of her MP using that ultimate attack, so she would need several turns of drinking potions before she could recover her MP to use such large spells again.


    We wouldn''t last that many turns¡­


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Ban Zhang, despite being at full health, was also out of MP and SP. Similarly, Lian Rou''s MP bar was almost empty. She only had enough left for two healing spells at most. When that happened, we would be sitting ducks.


    Only Tong Xue still had the SP to fight, but it was getting dangerously low after he executed two of his most powerful assassination attacks.


    "Guoo¡­"


    "!!!"


    We all stared anxiously at the smoke, unable to believe that we had failed to slay the dragon. The majestic beast dragged its charred body out of the inferno, snarling defiantly¡­


    ¡­and then fell over. Glancing up, I saw that its HP bar had now reached zero.


    "¡­phew¡­"


    The moment I exhaled, the dragon exploded into countless golden pixels, and coins and items began raining down on us, along with a notification that screamed "VICTORY!" the triumphant music blared out all around us, but I was too weary to pay attention.


    "We did it! We got the Dark Dragon Dagger!" Tong Xue crowed as he grabbed one of the drop items, weeping with joy.


    "Nice¡­this will boost my fire magic," Tang Qi Hong was remaking as she held up a great, ruby encrusted bracelet to inspect it.


    Everyone was gathering whatever loot they want, except me, who was standing there dumbly. Tang Qi Hong caught sight of me looking around blankly and sighed exaggeratedly.


    "What are you doing?!" she reached out and shoved a gemstone into my hand. The menu immediately indicated that it was a Draconic Sapphire Gemstone that enhanced ice magic. "You should take this."


    "Right¡­thanks." I glanced around and shook my head. "I''m not used to this. I only play shooter games and strategy games, after all."


    "No one else plays shooter games," Tang Qi Hong pointed out, annoyed. "We''ll all get mowed down in a second, except you."


    "Actually, I would probably get shot first," I chuckled. "I''m not a very good player."


    "This is the only way we can all get into the same party and play together," Tong Xue reminded us. Then he tilted his head. "Speaking of party¡­we should log off and get ready for it."


    "Yeah."


    "Let''s go."


    All around me, my party members raised their hands and conjured up their menus before clicking on the log off button. They then vanished from the virtual reality space, and I followed suit. Except that when I conjured my own menu, I didn''t see the Log Off button.


    My heart skipped a beat. You''re kidding, right?


    Oh, God¡­don''t tell me this is going to suddenly turn into a story where I''m trapped in a virtual reality death game, and have to climb up one hundred levels to beat the game in order to survive. And I hope I don''t end up gaining a harem along the way despite claiming that my one true love is the vice-captain of the most powerful guild¡­


    "Why are you still online, Wu?"


    Tang Qi Hong''s voice came from somewhere. I glanced up, but other than a speaker icon that appeared in front of me, I couldn''t see her.


    "Um¡­there''s a bug. I can''t log out."


    "It should be at the bottom of your menu screen."


    "I know, I''ve been trying to look for it, but it''s missing. I think it''s a bug."


    "Oh, for the love of¡­" I suddenly felt a premonition. Before I could protest, I felt a sudden jerk, and the virtual reality environment was suddenly replaced by my booth. Tang Qi Hong was standing in front of me, holding the helmet-visor thing.


    "Whoa!"


    I gaped at her in disbelief.


    "See? You''re offline now."


    "B¡­but¡­" I spluttered. "What if that ended up killing me?!"


    Tang Qi Hong gave me a strange look. "Why would that kill you?"


    ¡­never mind. It appeared that I had been reading way too much Sword Art Online. Of course such things didn''t happen in the real world. Why would the helmet-visor thing fry my brain, and what reason would the creator of the game Fantasy Party Online have for trapping gamers in the game for years?


    "Anyway, hurry up. The party is getting started."


    "¡­right."


    I followed Tang Qi Hong out of the net caf¨¦. The rest of our party were waiting near the counter, having exited their booths quite some time ago.


    "This is really your first time playing a VRMMORPG in a net caf¨¦, huh?" Tong Xue grinned, amused. I scratched my head.


    "Yeah¡­I''m more used to playing shooter games in a net caf¨¦."


    "Aren''t they still virtual reality games, though?" Ban Zhang frowned. "You shouldn''t have any problems handling the interface."


    "There was a bug and I couldn''t log off."


    "I helped him take off the visor and forced a shutdown," Tang Qi Hong explained. She then turned to the counter. "We should inform them of that booth."


    After that was done, we proceeded to the barbeque restaurant where Tong Xue had reserved a table for us.


    "That was fun!" Tong Xue stretched himself. "I haven''t had that much fun a long time!"


    "Same," Ban Zhang agreed. "When was the last time I played a game?"


    I didn''t voice my complaint that it had to be a role-playing game of all things. That genre really wasn''t my kind of thing, but I wasn''t antisocial enough to not read the mood and protest against the majority. Sometimes we should just go with the flow instead of being stubborn and self-centered and ruining the fun for others.


    How did we end up playing a game in a net caf¨¦, though? I wondered. Apparently we had some time before the celebration party, and we still had to wait for Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue, who were unexpectedly taking more time that we anticipated. While waiting, we decided to hang out, and Tong Xue spotted the net caf¨¦ just two blocks away from the barbeque restaurant that he resereved a table in. With nothing else to do, we decided to have a quick game before the meal.


    As it turned out, the game was a lot longer than quick, but fortunately, neither Zhu Jiao nor Bai Ning Xue had arrived yet. Still, the time was drawing close, so we had to end the session.


    "Paying together or separately?" The cashier asked.


    "Separately," we chorused. The cashier nodded, and proceeded to take our student cards one by one to register the fee deduction from our online accounts.


    Once we completed the transactions, we then exited the net caf¨¦ and proceeded toward the barbeque restaurant. On the way there, we ran into Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue, who were approaching from the direction of the academy.


    "Jiao! Ning Xue! Over here!"


    Lian Rou called out to them and waved them over. The couple spotted us and hastened their pace. Zhu Jiao grinned and waved back.


    "You guys done with whatever you needed to do?" Ban Zhang asked. Zhu Jiao nodded and retrieved a martial arts manual. We could see the characters "Mystical Earth Essence Formula" emblazoned across its cover in gold lettering.


    "We also ran into Xin Xia on our way out." Zhu Jiao''s expression turned a little sad. "She was just about to enter isolation training."


    "Xin Xia was against the attack on you, so she received the lightest punishment," Bai Ning Xue assured him. "We''ve done our best to consider the circumstances and will try to help her."


    As the student council president, Bai Ning Xue had some influence and she put in a good word or two for Qing Xin Xia. She wasn''t able to absolve her completely of the match-rigging during the tournament, and Qing Xin Xia''s sentence remained at one month, but she was somehow able to restore the Green Dragon Sect disciple''s place in the student council.


    She did not plan to do so for Li Chun Long, Gu Chun Song or any of the other condemned student council members.


    "Thanks."


    Zhu Jiao nodded. Bai Ning Xue smiled briefly, and then turned to the rest of us.


    "Speaking of which, thanks to the actions of those who would degrade the prestige of the academy, I''ll need people to step up and replace them." her eyes settled on Tang Qi Hong. "Especially you, Qi Hong."


    "Eh¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong grimaced at the thought of responsibility.


    "I apologize for the way the rest of the student council members treated you and Feng Tian Yong, but this time I''ll make sure neither of you are left out." Bai Ning Xue frowned. "I have no idea how they did it. They told me that you both rejected the posts¡­"


    "That was partly my fault." Tang Qi Hong looked a little embarrassed. "I made the declaration that I refuse to serve in the same student council as you, and they took that literally."


    "I hope you''ll change your mind. I''ll need you." Bai Ning Xue sighed. "I''ve managed to convince Tian Yong to come back, and I still have Jiao to help me, but with Xin Xia in isolation training, we''re short on numbers."


    "We also asked Du Lang to join as a student council member," Zhu Jiao reminded her, and then he glanced at me. "You too, Wu."


    "Don''t wanna."


    I sure as hell didn''t want to have a massive load of responsibilities dumped onto my shoulders. I wanted to do my own things, and I already had precious few free time as it was. Sighing, I scratched my head and turned away.


    "I''m not cut out for the post."


    "At least consider it for a few days. The offer still stands." Bai Ning Xue stared at me intently. I grimaced.


    "I still have the Blood Blades thing to worry about¡­"


    "W¡­well¡­" Tong Xue jumped in, trying to change the subject. "For now, let''s have fun! We''re here to celebrate Jiao''s victory and his winning the tournament! No talk of work or school or student council is allowed! Tonight, we dine in paradise!"


    We all tramped into the restaurant and after clarifying his identity, a waitress brought us to a table. Before long, we were all roasting meat over a grille and enjoying ourselves.


    "We need more meat!"


    "Chicken¡­I prefer chicken."


    "Nah, beef is where it is at!"


    "Why can''t you have both?" I interrupted when Tong Xue bickered with Zhu Jiao. They both stared at me, then glanced at each other.


    "Good point!"


    "Let''s have both!"


    "Ugh¡­this is too much meat. I hope I don''t get fat¡­"


    "You''re way too thin, Qi Hong!" Lian Rou reprimanded her before dropping a bunch of meat on her best friend''s plate. "Here! Have more!"


    "Hey, shouldn''t you be more worried about yourself?!" Tang Qi Hong countered by dropping a spoonful of meat on her godsister''s plate. The two girls then giggled.


    "Hmm, this is some good quality meat," Ban Zhang remarked as he savored a juicy piece after barbequing it to perfection.


    "It has to go with this honey sauce!" I told him as I dipped my piece of meat into one of the bowls they offered, then plunged a spoonful of it into my mouth. Gosh, but this was just heavenly. If the restaurant wasn''t so expensive, I didn''t mind eating here everyday.


    "How do you find the food here?" Zhu Jiao asked Bai Ning Xue, who had stayed silent thus far and ate beside him in a dignified manner. What the hell was she supposd to be, some high-class rich ojou-sama? Wait¡­that was exactly what she was. Never mind.


    "Good," she replied with a nod. Though she must be used to more delicious and high-quality food than here, belonging to a rich household and major clan. They had professional chefs preparing her every meal at home.


    "You should try this barbeque sauce!" Zhu Jiao told her, pushing one of the cups toward her. "It has quite a tangy taste."


    "Sure."


    Bai Ning Xue didn''t object and dipped her piece of meat slightly into the cup and ate it with small bites. I had to say, her way of eating was different from Tang Qi Hong''s, or Lian Rou''s. The two best friends were eating normally, though I had to admit that they were a damned sight more pleasant than the guys devouring and scarfing down their meat after plunging their pieces into sauces and bathing them with thick fluids.


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    I was one of those guys, to be honest, and I felt a little embarrassed and awkward doing that in front of the girls. But since the other guys, including Zhu Jiao, didn''t restrain themselves, I saw no reason to hold back either.


    While we relaxed and sat back, enjoying the meal and conversing happily, a sudden crash suddenly broke through the casual atmosphere. Within a few seconds, all the customers in the restaurant fell silent.


    Then the silence was immediately broken by a shout.


    "What kind of fucking meat did you serve me!?"


    One guy, dressed in a gaudy white jacket and pants, with a pink shirt underneath and yellow-shaded glasses, was shouting. Despite his age, he was wearing golden rings on his fingers and displaying his opulent wealth openly. Around him were similarly dressed teenagers, all clad in flashy suits (that spoke volumes of their horrible fashion sense), jeweled chains hanging from pockets, golden buttons, and all those clich¨¦ stuff.


    "I''m sorry!"


    A waitress was bowing her head humbly, her hands trembling as she clutched her now empty tray. Evidently, the white suited guy had swiped the plate of meat from her tray.


    "Is this the best quality meat you can get? What kind of low class restaurant is this?!" the guy continued to bawl.


    "No¡­I''m sorry¡­I¡­"


    "What''s the matter?"


    The manager appeared and stared quizzically at the customers. He glanced at the waitress, and she quickly nodded when she got the hint. Bowing, she backed off to allow her manager to handle this.


    However¡­


    "Who says you can go?!"


    The guy''s hand shot out and seized her wrist, causing the waitress to shriek in shock.


    "Please, Mr. Customer¡­if you have any complaints, you can give them to me. I hope you will not give trouble to my staff."


    The manager was handling this with the air of an experienced man who had dealt with such cases several times before. I had to admire his patience and politeness.


    "In the meantime, I ask you to release my staff¡­"


    "Eh? Do you not know who I am?" the guy sneered as he rose to his foot, while pulling the poor waitress toward him.


    "The eldest son of the Mu Clan," Tong Xue muttered darkly as he watched from his seat. Most of us had stopped eating, having lost our appetite at the disgraceful scene.


    "The Mu Clan?" I asked.


    "Do you seriously not know who the Mu Clan is?" Tong Xue responded with a scowl. "You''ve been in Martial City for three years now! Surely you''ve heard of them!"


    "They''re a major clan, one of the more influential ones in Martial City," Tang Qi Hong replied softly as she shot a glare in the Mu son''s direction. "That person is Mu Jiao Ao. His father is the police superintendent of the city."


    "That''s why he thinks he can get away with anything." Ban Zhang shook his head, his expression dark. "This isn''t the first time¡­I think he''s trying to extort a free meal from this restaurant."


    "I also heard that his mother runs a restaurant, so he''s using his father''s authority to back up his actions while shaming the other restaurants and damaging their reputation." Lian Rou''s shoulders slumped as she was unable to look at them.


    Meanwhile, the manager was handling the situation fine. He seemed aware of Mu Jiao Ao''s reputation, and knew how to respond.


    "I apologize if you think our meat isn''t up to your expectations. I''ll just refund you for this meal then and ask that you leave quietly."


    "Hmph. What a terrible restaurant. One of the best barbeque restaurants in Martial City? You''re noehere near my mom''s cooking!"


    The manager seemed to be resisting the urge to say, "Why don''t you eat at your mom''s fucking restaurant then?" but he was more professional than that. Instead, he lowered his head apologetically.


    "Again, I apologize¡­"


    "You shouldn''t be the one apologizing!"


    Everyone turned to see Zhu Jiao approaching the group of rich, gaudy guys and the manager (as well as the poor waitress). He jabbed a finger at Mu Jiao Ao.


    "Let go of her."


    "Huh?" Mu Jiao Ao stared at him in disbelief, and tightened his grip on the hapless waitress as rage filled his eyes. "Do you know who you''re talking to, punk?"


    "The son of the police superintendent?" Zhu Jiao shrugged. "So what? You think I''ll be afraid of you because your dad is a policeman? That doesn''t change the fact that what you''re doing is wrong! You''re abusing your authority!"


    "Huh?" Mu Jiao Ao sneered. Letting go of the waitress, who fell forward ¨C fortunately, the manager was on hand to catch her before she hit the ground with her face, he stomped toward Zhu Jiao. "Who do you think you are, trash?"


    Did that idiot seriously just call the champion of this year''s Wu Ling Academy tournament trash? Oh, gosh¡­the irony.


    "Since you want to die so much, let''s get him!"


    Mu Jiao Ao gestured for his friends and they all stood up.


    "If you want to fight, can you please take it outside?" the manager began to ask, only for Mu Jiao Ao to suddenly lash out and cause him to stumble. Fortunately, Zhu Jiao was on hand to block his fist. The collision of qi blasted out and shattered the glass on the surrounding tables, causing customers to cry out.


    "Shut the fuck up, old bastard," Mu Jiao Ao snapped.


    "Hey!" Zhu Jiao growled. "There''s no need to drag innocent people into this¡­"


    "Do I look like I care?!"


    With a roar, Mu Jiao Ao flipped the table up, and his friends all pounced when he attacked, the lot of them seeking to overwhelm Zhu Jiao with sheer numbers.


    "!!!"


    Zhu Jiao managed to activate his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor in time, and he managed to deflect the first few attacks, but¡­


    "Whoa!"


    "Argh!"


    Several of Mu Jiao Ao''s comrades were repelled, skidding backward when they found their strikes blocked.


    "Geez, Jiao, you¡­"


    Tong Xue was shaking his head as he stepped forward, a cynical smile spreading over his face. He stepped to the side.


    "¡­you just can''t help sticking your nose into other people''s businesses, can you?"


    "That''s why we''re friends, to be honest," I replied as I came up at Zhu Jiao''s right side, shaking my sizzling hands. Those rich kids might be arrogant punks, but they certainly had the power to back up their attitude and boasting.


    "You guys¡­" Zhu Jiao glanced at me, Tong Xue and even Ban Zhang, who had also helped to ward off several of these attacks.


    "You bastards!" Mu Jiao Ao roared. "I''ll get my father to arrest all of you! I''ll make sure you all get thrown into jail for this! You''ll regret this¡­!"


    "I''m sorry for dragging you guys into this mess," Zhu Jiao remarked, blatantly ignoring Mu Jiao Ao''s raving and ranting. "I should have handled this better¡­"


    "Nah, one for all and all for one, right?" Tong Xue grinned.


    "Besides, like Wu said, we''re friends," Ban Zhang agreed. "We can''t just abandon you."


    "And it was high time an arrogant young master appeared in this story," I added. Everyone turned to stare at me.


    "Arrogant young master?"


    "What?"


    "The hell you''re talking about?"


    "Um¡­I mean, isn''t an arrogant young master a staple in these sort of stories?" I asked with a tilt of my head. "The guy boasting about his clan and father, and abusing his authority to bully others? I was finding it weird that we haven''t run into an actual one this late into the story¡­"


    "What the fuck are you guys blabbering about?! Get them!"


    Mu Jiao Ao ordered, and his cronies all sprang forward once again¡­


    ¡­only for them to retreat when a wall of lightning burst into being.


    "This¡­!"


    "What the hell is this?!"


    The electric barrier was so potent that the rich kids realized they couldn''t just carelessly approach it. They studied it warily and exchanged puzzled glances. Upon realizing that none of us four guys had created the lightning barrier, their confusion increased.


    "Who¡­?"


    "You''re all interrupting our meal. Leave."


    Bai Ning Xue stepped out from our table and glared at Mu Jiao Ao and his posse. At first, the superintendent''s son''s face darkened in rage and his eyes bulged in fury when he turned to glare at the person with the audacity to order him about, but the moment he saw who she was, he turned frightfully pale, his mouth flapping open like a goldfish''s.


    "You¡­you¡­you¡­!"


    "What are you waiting for?" Bai Ning Xue asked icily.


    "N¡­nothing! I''m very sorry for interrupting your meal, Miss Bai!"


    Mu Jiao Ao was comically falling over now, unable to withstand her glacial gaze. He quickly spun around, gesturing to his comrades.


    "Go! Let''s go!"


    "¡­right!"


    "Hurry!"


    Clearly Mu Jiao Ao''s friends recognized Bai Ning Xue as well, for they were also hastily running out of the restaurant.


    "One more thing," Bai Ning Xue added, causing the entire group to freeze in the middle of their retreat.


    "W¡­what is it?" Mu Jiao Ao gulped, not daring to turn around to look at her.


    "I don''t mind if you tell your father about this," she declared. "But I''ll be giving my own version of the events."


    "N¡­no, I wouldn''t dare mention this to anybody!"


    Bowing profusely, Mu Jiao Ao then beat it out of the restaurant, his entourage trailing him as closely as they could.


    "Whoa¡­"


    That was unexpected, I thought. Normally we guys would be teaching the arrogant young master through violence, only to have him and his father come to take revenge, but Zhu Jiao would somehow defeat even the father himself, and then the entire Mu Clan would come and try all sorts of nonsensical methods to kill him. It was unrealistic that a major, rich clan would waste all that time, effort and money to kill a kid who was still in high school and wasn''t really a threat economically or socially, but wuxia and xianxia antagonists never operated on logic.


    On the other hand, Bai Ning Xue solved that problem without resorting to any kind of violence and even forestalled any motive Mu Jiao Ao might have to get his father and entire clan involved in some sort of absurd revenge plot that revolved killing the protagonist (Zhu Jiao) for no reason other than because he was the protagonist and needed a bunch of antagonists to kill.


    I couldn''t help but admit that I was impressed. Not just me. All the other guys were amazed too. Even the other two girls, Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou, were staring at Bai Ning Xue in disbelief. The four of us exchanged glances, not knowing what to make of this unexpected situation.


    We all turned to stare at Bai Ning Xue, who was returning to her seat in that usual cool, elegant manner of hers.

 120 Chapter 119: Blood Blades

    Tong Xue groaned as he flopped over in his seat, his eyes glazed. I raised an eyebrow as I studied him.


    "Why are you acting as if you''re suffering from a hangover? You didn''t drink any alcohol last night."


    The reason for that was because we were underaged and not because Tong Xue had any semblance of self-restraint.


    "What the hell are you two talking about back there?" Tang Qi Hong turned around from her seat in front to glare at us. "We''re going back to Tushan, so you should start being serious!"


    "What makes you think we''re not?" I asked, though I regretted it when Tang Qi Hong''s glare intensified.


    "Hangovers and something about interesting openings? What does that have anything to do with martial arts?"


    "Nothing," both of us chorused.


    "You two¡­!"


    Fortunately, before Tang Qi Hong could lunge at us, Lian Rou caught her around the waist and held her back.


    "Relax, Qi Hong," she told her best friend. "That''s their way of dealing with stress. The moment they return to Tushan City, they''ve to report to Elder Zhao immediately and begin the Blood Blades trial. They''re trying to relieve some of the tension."


    "Thank you for understanding, Rou''er!" Tong Xue called out. "You really are the best!"


    "S¡­shut up!" Lian Rou blushed and she sank against her seat, refusing to look back at him. "You had better pass the test!"


    "We will," Tong Xue assured her. He turned to me with a wink. "Right, Wu?"


    "I''ll actually be surprised if Elder Zhao doesn''t skip the test and automatically gives Fei Wu a place in the Blood Blades," Lian Rou remarked thoughtfully. "He is the finalist in this year''s tournament, after all, having finished the highest among all Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples in the academy rankings. I''m more worried about Tong Xue."


    "Aw¡­have some faith in me, Rou''er!"


    "You make it difficult for her to believe you," I muttered. Tong Xue grasped his chest in mock outrage at my supposed betrayal.


    "Well, we''ll see," Tang Qi Hong said as the Phoenix Express began to move and take off. "Good luck, the two of you!"


    *


    Back in Tushan City¡­


    Within one of the private residences belonging to the inner sect disciples, one of them stood out, particularly because it was a small but luxurious and opulent house belonging to one of the core disciples. Ranked above even the inner sect disciples, recognized by the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, Liang Shao Yang wasn''t just an inner sect disciple.


    Housed within that luxurious residence was an expansive chamber, the room being vast enough to be considered a hall in its own right. At the far end, there was a bed with rich, silky furnishings, the kind of bed only affordable to the rich and nobles. The room was dimly lit, with only a single tablelamp switched on, casting a meager amount of illumination on the long curtains that shrouded all sides of the bed.


    "¡­ah¡­"


    On top of that bed, the form of two silhouettes were visible, the two dark shapes behind the curtains moving restlessly and urgently as they merged into a single silhouette, creating one long shadow across the bed and room.


    Zooming into the bed and getting past the curtains, it became clear to whom these silhouettes belonged to. Naked and locked in embrace, their bodies tangled together, Liang Shao Yang and Hu Mei Er moved with extreme passion and fervor. Sitting on the bed, Liang Shao Yang cradled Hu Mei Er''s plump bottom and he continued to thrust into her from below, causing her to place one hand on his shoulder and wrap the other around her neck as she pressed her bulging breasts against his solid chest. Moaning, Hu Mei Er rammed down on him, taking his whole length into her in one stroke, and Liang Shao Yang shuddered with pleasure at the action.


    "More," Hu Mei Her groaned, her hips moving restlessly as she straddled Liang Shao Yang and continued moving up and down along his thick length. Their lovemaking juices mingled together, and they clasped each other in a heated embrace.


    The qi around them swirled and thickened, their yin and yang essences merging together and solidifying.


    This was the so-called dual cultivation (Shuang Xiu). While the main goal was obviously to enjoy intimate pleasure and deepen their bond, it also helped them both cultivate and reach new heights in their strengths. If I cared what realms and levels they were in, I could certainly tell you where they were previously, and where they were now, but all I knew was they were much stronger than before. Maybe they rose three levels?


    Honestly, I didn''t know, and I didn''t care. All I knew was that I would be envious of them if I saw this scene. While I was stuck being a virgin (and I was a virgin for all thirty years of my life during my previous timeline), this bastard got to enjoy himself and have sex with a girl. It was enough to make any guy insane with rage and jealousy.


    Fortunately, being an adult, I wasn''t that petty, and I had gotten used to the idea that whatever happened would happen. If it was not meant to be, then it was not meant to be. I wasn''t a horny, hormonal teenager desperate for sex and trying to throw away my virginity. Right now I had goals in my life that I wanted to focus on, whether it was this timeline or the previous one.


    Anyway¡­


    "Ah¡­"


    Hu Mei Er convulsed as a new wave of pleasure struck her, reaching her climax. She tightened her grip on Liang Shao Yang''s shoulders, clinging as close to him as possible. Liang Shao Yang grunted as he buried his face into her neck and rammed his penis upward, thrusting it as deep into Hu Mei Er''s vagina as he could before he too surrendered to his climax and ejaculated. Around their bodies, which were tightly locked in embrace, the qi coalesced and shimmered more violently before as the two different types of qi merged and circulated through their joint bodies. Particularly at the place where their two nether regions were joined, the flow of qi was the most potent, swirling and raging violently to fill both man and woman with immeasurable power.


    "That was amazing."


    Hu Mei Er purred as she leaned against Liang Shao Yang. The latter remained silent, but he lay down instead, bringing his lover with him. The two of them lay on the bed, their naked bodies still tangled and Hu Mei Er''s leg rising to rub against Liang Shao Yang''s hip. They were still connected at that place, with Liang Shao Yang''s penis throbbing inside Hu Mei Er''s vagina.


    Even though the climax had been reached, the both of them needed to remain merged in order to allow the qi to flow and circulate around both bodies evenly, in order for them to maximize the effects of their dual cultivation.


    "I hear that Tang Qi Hong and Fei Wu are returning to Tushan City¡­it seems that their school''s tournament has just ended?"


    Liang Shao Yang stirred at Hu Mei Er''s provocative statement and slowly raised his head to gaze into her hypnotic jade eyes.


    "¡­yes, I''ve heard about that too."


    "What do you plan to do?" Hu Mei Er prodded him. Liang Shao Yang scowled.


    "What do you mean, what do I plan to do? Is there anything I can do?"


    "Do you think I''m stupid?" Hu Mei Er snorted as she curled against Liang Shao Yang''s body. She peered into his eyes, her smile curling sinisterly across her beautiful face. "I know what you''re planning. And I know what you''ve already done. Everyone knows you tried to kill Fei Wu."


    "Hmph¡­" Liang Shao Yang closed his eyes and lay his head back on the pillow. "There is no longer any need to kill him. He''s no longer a threat to me."


    "¡­threat?"


    Hu Mei Er turned to look at him quizzically.


    "That''s right," Liang Shao Yang nodded. "I originally targeted him because he was getting too close to Tang Qi Hong, and I needed to get close to her in order to have a higher chance of becoming the next sect leader."


    "I''m glad you didn''t," Hu Mei Er nuzzled her face against his neck, humming happily. "And now you have a higher chance than Junior Qi Hong to be the next sect leader. Everyone has high expectations of you now, my dear."


    "Hmm¡­" Liang Shao Yang didn''t reply to that. He knew that Hu Mei Er was only clinging to him because of his current favored position. If he failed and was sent crashing out of the race, he wondered if she would still stay by his side.


    Most likely not. If there were no benefits to allying with him, why would she? With her beauty, she could find another man to smooch off on. Not that she necessarily needed to. Given her own intellect and talent, she could more than stand on her own.


    "Even so, Junior Qi Hong remains a great threat to you, Shao Yang." Hu Mei Er''s whisper had grown conspiratorial now. "If she is not eliminated, she might continue to pose a challenge to your position as the next sect leader."


    "¡­you are right. But currently she''s now protected by her master, Sect Lady Da Ji." Liang Shao Yang sighed. "Sect Lady Da Ji won''t let me out of her sight. Even though she abides by what her husband says, she is still cautious of me." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "I believe Senior Qi Hong must have convinced her that I''m a threat."


    "Well, your own actions haven''t ingratiated yourself with the sect." Hu Mei Er pointed out. "Even Sect Leader isn''t convinced by you, especially after your assassination attempts and murder of Hao Ying. Only the elders have stayed his hand from punishing you."


    "Sect Leader listens too much to his wife," Liang Shao Yang replied with a snort. "Sect Lady Da Ji is too powerful¡­frighteningly so. If I can sway the elders to act against her¡­"


    "But that will take a lot of preparations." Hu Mei Er nodded in understanding, as if she had read his mind. "I see. That''s why you''ve decided not to strike yet."


    "That''s right." For the first time, Liang Shao Yang smiled, and it was a frightening expression that made even Hu Mei Er ¨C who had an intimiate relationship with him ¨C shudder. "To ensure that I achieve the optimal results, I must be patient."


    "I see."


    "And about Fei Wu¡­it''s not that I''ve given up on killing him. He''s just not worth the trouble now. Sect Lady Da Ji and Elder Zhao have their eyes on him, especially after his achievements in the tournament. They will want to recruit him into the Blood Blades."


    Hu Mei Er gasped, and her hand, which had been lazily stroking Liang Shao Yang''s chest, stopped.


    "Isn''t that bad? Given the relationship between Fei Wu and Junior Qi Hong¡­if Fei Wu gets into the Blood Blades, the two of them might become just like the current Sect Leader and Sect Lady! The most talented spirit engraver and strongest warrior! They might not individually seem like a threat, but when combined together¡­Sect Leader and Sect Lady might be more convinced of what they can achieve together rather than what you achieve by yourself!"


    Liang Shao Yang clenched his fists and his eyes darkened.


    "I''m aware of that," he hissed through gritted teeth. "But I''m also aware that Sect Lady is watching over them¡­and keeping track of my movements. It''ll be difficult right now¡­"


    Then he smiled.


    "That''s why I said you should have patience, my dear," he said soothingly as he ran his fingers through Hu Mei Er''s pink hair. "There is more than one way to assassinate someone. I can''t do it now, but that doesn''t mean I won''t have a chance to do so in future. After all, when Fei Wu becomes one of the Blood Blades¡­"


    "You mean¡­" Hu Mei Er''s eyes widened. Liang Shao Yang nodded with a grin.


    "That''s right. As one of the Blood Blades, he''ll be sent out on missions¡­far from the watchful eyes of Sect Lady¡­beyond even Elder Zhao''s protection. That will be the time when he''s most vulnerable and most exposed to danger¡­in fact, it would be far easier to cover that up¡­"


    "Yeah¡­no one can trace it back to you if Fei Wu dies in an accident or is killed by a monster or criminal outside of Tushan City¡­"


    Hu Mei Er nodded fervently, her eyes glowing hungrily.


    "Perfect."


    "I''ve to execute the plan first," Liang Shao Yang replied dryly. "Fei Wu has proven to be a much more formidable foe than I had anticipated. The people telling me that he was trash are complete morons. Even if he has a One Star Constitution, he has something that helped him compensate for his complete lack of talent."


    Yeah. I had plot armor, deus ex machina and protagonist-level cheats¡­wait, I only had plot armor, now that I thought about it. Where were my golden amulet, ghostly master, essence flames, alternate dimension/space, fated encounter and other forms of cheats?!


    Well, I did meet and train under Master for two weeks, so maybe that was my protagonist-level encounter? But two weeks weren''t enough to learn anything. That said, I couldn''t deny that I had plot armor, having survived so many ridiculous situations that it had reached the level of BS.


    "Don''t worry¡­I''m sure you''ll succeed."


    Hu Mei Er rose up and straddled Liang Shao Yang again. Placing both her palms against his chest, she began moving her hips and swaying gently. Riding Liang Shao Yang, Hu Mei Er moaned as her pace quickened, feeling his thick length move in and out of her. Liang Shao Yang reached out and cupped her bottom, thrusting powerfully from below.


    Once again, the two moved in tandem as the thick aura of qi swirled around them, their male and female esscences flowing and melding together for the umpteenth time¡­


    *


    The Phoenix Express touched down in the interior of Tushan City, and the passengers filed out. Tong Xue and I followed Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong, making our way toward the inner districts of the city where only the inner sect disciples were allowed entry.


    "Elder Zhao! We''re here¡­eh?"


    Tang Qi Hong suddenly stopped, and the rest of us had to come to a stop to prevent ourselves from colliding with her.


    "What''s the matter, Qi Hong¡­ah?!"


    Lian Rou froze when she saw the reason her best friend halted. In front of us was not just the familiar figure of Elder Zhao Shi, but someone was accompanying him as well.


    "M¡­Master."


    Tang Qi Hong lowered her head. Sect Lady Su Da Ji¡­or rather, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji raised her hand and dismissed the formalties.


    "How many times has it been now? I told you to address me as Mother."


    "Yes, Mother."


    Tong Xue gulped audibly and I stood rock-still, unable to figure out what was going on. My mind was in a frozen blank, unable to process what had just transpired.


    "W¡­what¡­what''s going on?" Tong Xue spluttered, his voice a whisper. I shook my head and shrugged.


    "I don''t know."


    "I''ve heard about your exploits in the tournament. Making it to the final and finishing second-place, huh?" Lady Zi Da Ji observed me for a moment before nodding in approval. She then turned to Tong Xue. "And you¡­top fifty, making it to thirty-eighth rank eventually. Not bad at all."


    For a moment I actually thought Tong Xue made it to thirty-sixth, but he didn''t quite make it there. A pity, otherwise I could start calling him Tong Thirty-six.


    "Um¡­thank you!" Tong Xue tried to conceal his joy at being praised and bowed. Similarly, I bowed my head gratefully.


    "Thank you for the praise."


    "No, you both deserve it." she turned to look at Elder Zhao. "I believe they''ll be accepted into the Blood Blades, no problem?"


    "Yeah¡­no objections."


    "Eh, Master¡­Mother, you''re just going to let them into the Blood Blades?" Tang Qi Hong asked in surprise. Lady Zi Da Ji smiled.


    "I thought you would be happy."


    "I¡­I mean, I am, but¡­!"


    "Then it is fine, isn''t it?" Lady Zi Da Ji turned to Elder Zhao. "I suppose you''ll be responsible for their training?"


    "That''s right, Lady Da Ji." Elder Zhao cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. "This old man will do his utmost best to raise them."


    "I don''t doubt that. But I''m here today because I hope to reward them for their achievements." Lady Zi Da Ji glanced to look at the two of us proudly. "They ranked highly in their school tournament and did our sect proud. I''m sure they deserve a little something for that."


    "You mean¡­?" Elder Zhao''s eyes widened.


    "Yes. I''m sure you intend to teach them a bit of the Blood Spirit Arts. But I believe they deserve a bit more than that." Lady Zi Da Ji retrieved a key from her robes. "I''m going to give each of them a martial art manual that our sect possesses."


    "Ah¡­" Elder Zhao nodded. "I understand." He turned back to the both of us. "Both of you, when learning those martial arts, feel free to approach me for help. Concerning the martial arts of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I might be able to impart some knowledge and advice."


    "Thank you, Elder Zhao." I raised my cupped hands and thanked him. Tong Xue followed suit quickly.


    "Why can''t you teach them the Nine-Tailed Fire Fox and Nine Heavenly Armaments techniques?" Tang Qi Hong inquired, puzzled.


    "I''ll be teaching them a little of the Nine Heavenly Armaments technique," Elder Zhao assured her.


    "Not everything. Just the weapons they''re most compatible with." Lady Zi Da Ji swept her eyes from me to Tong Xue. "And they''re not compatible with the Fire Fox Formula." Her eyes rested on me. "You seem to be using ice technniques, correct?"


    "Uh, yeah." I was disturbed at how she could tell with just a single glance. Then again, she was most definitely a martial arts master. There was no mistaking it. Even though I didn''t believe in all those bullshit levels and realms, I could definitely believe that she was much stronger than me.


    Compared to her, I was just an ant standing in front of a goddess.


    "For you, the Frost Fox technique might be a better fit." She glanced at Elder Zhao and nodded. "We should have a copy in the library."


    "We do," he agreed. "And I''ll get a new copy made tomorrow."


    "Very good. And you¡­" Lady Zi Da Ji turned to a surprised Tong Xue. "I believe you''ll benefit from the Shadow Fox technique."


    "I¡­I see¡­thank you for the advice!"


    Both of us bowed profusely. Then remembering something, I glanced at Tang Qi Hong.


    "Wait, what abut Qi Hong? Is she going to get a technique too?"


    "Eh?" Tang Qi Hong looked taken aback. Lady Zi Da Ji turned to her with a warm smile and nodded delightful.


    "Of course I haven''t forgotten about you, my dear daughter. You''ve also performed extremely well in your school tournament, achieving ninth place. We already have your reward prepared." Lady Zi Da Ji''s smile grew wider. "And thank you for proving that our faith in you isn''t misplaced. This way, we can continue to convince those patriarchal elders that you''re more suitable to succeed the position of sect leader over Liang Shao Yang."


    I had heard that Lady Zi Da Ji didn''t like Liang Shao Yang very much, and it seemed that the rumor was true after all.


    "Thanks, Mother, but I don''t need a new martial arts manual." Tang Qi Hong was sulking despite the praise. Lady Zi Da Ji laughed at her reaction.


    "Don''t worry. We already anticipated that. Your reward is a new Spirit Engraving, which your father will personally pass down to you."


    "Eh? Sect Leader will teach me a new Spirit Engraving?" Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened in delight as she was unable to conceal her excitement.


    "Your father will teach you a new Spirit Engraving," Lady Zi Da Ji corrected. She then gestured in the direction of the main temple built into the side of the Flame Volcano. "Don''t keep him waiting. He''s pretty happy about your achievements and wants to congratulate you personally. Your sister too, but I''m not sure if she''s around."


    Right. Zi Xiao Ji should be pleased with her adopted sister''s achievements and knowing her, would want to throw a celebration party for Tang Qi Hong.


    "I''ll go see Sect Leader¡­Father now!" Tang Qi Hong could barely contain her joy. She bowed politely and excused herself, Lian Rou following her closely. The two girls left in the direction of the main temple.


    "Well then," Lady Zi Da Ji said as she watched the two girls disappear into the distance, then turned to look at both of us guys. "Shall we go then?"


    Tong Xue and I followed Lady Zi Da Ji and Elder Zhao to the library at the foot of the Flame Volcano. When they saw her, the two Blood Blades guards immediately lowered their spears and allowed her to access. She spoke to the armored sentries, and they made way for both me and Tong Xue to enter the vast chamber.


    "T¡­this is¡­"


    "The library of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," Lady Zi Da Ji replied with a smile. Tong Xue turned pale as he glanced around. I was also awestruck by what I saw, but I didn''t see any shelves with books. Instead, there was nothing but a huge metallic door in front of us. A vast vault, completely shielded from the outside world and guarded zealously.


    It was only natural. Inside here were the secret and most highly prized techniques of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. of course they would guard it as securely as they could.


    Lady Zi Da Ji opened up a pad next to the door and began punching a code inward. Tong Xue craned his neck to stare at her.


    "The passcode is¡­jc192209." He frowned. "Why such a weird passcode?"


    "I don''t know," I replied, and then it hit me. "Because one of the existences beyond the fourth wall requested for it."


    "Huh? What are you talking about?!"


    "It''s useless to memorize the passcode."


    Lady Zi Da Ji turned around with a bright smile. Tong Xue turned extremely pale and raised both his hands in panic.


    "Uh, I didn''t mean to¡­"


    "That''s fine. I know your Smart Shadow Sect expects you to collect information and intelligence on other sects." Her smiled turned predatory. "You would be remiss in your mission to gather information for them. It''s just that¡­"


    She giggled, and Tong Xue gulped again.


    "¡­we change the passcode every time we assess the vault, and we have other countermeasures in place. So it''s useless to memorize it."


    "I¡­will keep that in mind," Tong Xue managed, visibly perspiring.


    Lady Zi Da Ji merely chuckled before stepping back. She lowered her head and allowed a red laser to sweep over her eye for a retinal scan, and then the light above the pad turned green. With a thunderous click, the vault door swung open.


    "In you go, the both of you. Take whatever martial arts manual you want¡­but you are only entitled to one each." She then placed a snow-white finger on her delicate-looking chin. "But if you''ve no idea what to choose, you can remember my suggestions."


    To be honest, the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula that Lady Zi Da Ji mentioned sounded extremely appealing to me. I doubted I would be able to find any other martial arts more suitable than me. Right now, the only traditional martial arts I had learned were Shadow Steps and Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, with Heaven and Earth Formula being more of a mystical cultivation technique than an actual combat technique. My ice techniques were all self-taught and unrefined. If I could find a proper ice technique and merge that with my experiences and other techniques ¨C especially Heaven and Earth Formula, I could come up with a much better Yuan Yin Frost technique than the one I haphazardly created by merging my raw ice techniques with Heaven and Earth Formula.


    Even so, now that I had the opportunity to enter the secret vault of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I couldn''t help but look around. There were so many manuals, and I even caught sight of the Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula that Tang Qi Hong learned directly from her master, Lady Zi Da Ji.


    That wasn''t all.


    There were so many fox techniques. Like the Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox technique that Lady Zi Da Ji recommended Tong Xue. Like me, Tong Xue was also curious about the various techniques in the vault, and he was peering at them keenly.


    Mystical Heavenly Fox Formula. The Tailed Sacred Beasts Formula, which seemed more suited for ninjas, especially those housing Tailed Beasts within their bodies. Gumiho''s Terran Mech Stratagem. Nine Tailed Inferno Technique. Nine Heavenly Armaments technique. Nine Blades Swordsmanship. And more.


    In the end, I guess this is the most suitable¡­


    Eventually I picked the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. As appealing as the others were, they weren''t really suitable for me, and I really wanted a proper ice technique that I could merge my current raw frost skills with. Furthermore, I would be learning a bit of the Nine Heavenly Armaments technique from Elder Zhao, so¡­


    Strange¡­ I realized something was amiss. Where''s the Blood Spirit Arts that Lady Zi Da Ji was talking about?


    She said that Elder Zhao would be teaching us that, and it sounded just like the sort of techniques the infamous Blood Blades would be known for, but its manual was conspicuously absent from the vault. I wondered why that was.


    "Have you made your decision yet?" Elder Zhao called out from the entrance. I realized that we didn''t have unlimited time in here, so I hastily reached out for the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula manual.


    The moment my fingers touched the scroll, however, everything vanished. I staggered back as a hellishly cold blast of wind whipped against my face. Despite believing myself used to the cold after creating my own frost techniques, I found myself shivering violently. In just a few seconds, my fingers and toes went numb and I fell to my knees, my teeth chattering.


    "C¡­cold¡­"


    It was freezing. Furthermore, despite pulling my qi around myself to protect myself from the cold, I wasn''t able to prevent the glacial temperatures from piercing my aura and stabbing into my body. My skin was already turning blue from the extreme temperatures.


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    "Ugh¡­!"


    Even though I wasn''t wearing the proper cold gear, with my current level of cultivation (and no, I wasn''t referring to the quantification or exact numbers), I should be able to at least resist the cold. Yet I found myself at the mercy of the relentless elements, which threatened to consume me. At this rate, I would suffer from frostbite, and eventually die from hypothermia!


    "Damn it¡­!"


    The cold was sapping my qi at an alarming rate. Never mind that, I was still unable to prevent the ice from freezing over my body. As my qi was depleted, I could only watch in horror as the ice began spreading over my body, encasing me in a frozen tomb.


    You''ve got to be kidding me!


    Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes and struggled to weather the cold. This reminded me of the time I first borrowed my first ever martial arts technique from the library. Back then, Uncle Du Shu Guan had warned me to beware of the shadows or they would consumed me. All martial arts manuals had a "spirit" or "soul" of their own, the techniques inscribed within them a form of Spirit Engraving that gifted them a kind of life. They were not just inert texts describing the martial arts techniques. They were actual living things akin to spirits, with desires and appetites of their own. They were powerful enough to consume martial artists who weren''t strong enough to resist the spiritual power imbued within the mystical texts.


    I had almost forgotten it since those three and a half years or so. The Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, while powerful, didn''t have the same effect because I was already strong enough to resist it with my current level of cultivation.


    A cold shudder that had nothing to do with the extremely low temperatures ran through me. If that was the case, then this Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula must be an even higher level of martial arts than the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship!


    Lady Zi Da Ji must have known this, yet she recommended this technique to me?! Is she doing this on purpose?!


    Yeah, she definitely was. There was no reason why she didn''t intend for this to happen. She must either be testing me or she had faith that I would be able to resist this top-level technique after my supposedly impressive performance during the academy tournament.


    If that was the case, then I couldn''t afford to disappoint her!


    "Uwaaah!"


    KRACK!


    With a roar, I allowed my qi to surge upward and broke out of the ice. Staggering to my feet, I waded through the deep snow, gritting my teeth and trying to find the source of all this cold.


    I didn''t have to look for long. After just a few steps, I found myself completely covered by a massive shadow that could only be cast by something the size of a skyscraper. Swallowing, I forced myself to lift my head and glanced up.


    A gigantic nine-tailed fox towered over me, its azure shape still and seemingly frozen, but its glowing eyes alive and full of malice. Its claws stirred and left massive rents in the snowy ground, creating ravines with just a single lazy swipe.


    "W¡­what the hell is that¡­?"


    Yeah, a nine-tailed fox. But that wasn''t what I meant.


    No, I did understand. In this hellish landscape of terrifying blizzards and merciless ice, this place was the metaphorical of Cocytus, the lowest and deepest level of Hell itself. And the nine-tailed fox looming over me, several hundred meters tall, was its guardian, the last and final Titan that devoured all others in order to survive in Cocytus.


    "Hu¡­"


    My breath turned into a fog, clouding my glasses as I stared up at the awesome figure. The enormous nine-tailed fox sect stared at me, as if I was nothing more than an ant, and then raised a building-sized paw to crush me.


    Gulping, I gathered whatever qi I had. Even though I knew this was nothing more than an illusion, the effects were real. I couldn''t afford to die here, or I would also die in reality. No, I had to conquer and dominate this nine-tailed fox. Only then would it submit to me and allow me to learn the techniques inscribed within it pages¡­!


    Reaching to my belt, I found my remaining sword sheathed there. So my weapon also came with me to this illusory environment. Fine with me. I was going to need every advantage I could get. Taking a deep breath, I drew my sword and infused it with every ounce of qi in my body. Black qi swirled around me, vaporizing the snow and disintegrating the ground upon which I stood on.


    The nine-tailed fox''s gargantuan paw neared. With a defiant yell, I swung my sword and unleashed my most powerful attack ever.


    Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike.


    A sort of variant of the Heaven and Earth Strike that I still had yet to fully master, it combined the concept of Heaven and Earth Strike with Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike. It was the only attack I had that could potentially wound this gigantic nine-tailed fox.


    Boom!


    Clouds of fog misted across the hellish environment and Cocytus shook. I blinked, half-expecting the nine-tailed fox''s paw to descend through the blizzard and crush me to a pulp, but it never came. Taking another breath, I surged forward and saw the nine-tailed fox actually staggering back, its impassive expression now replaced with a surprised snarl.


    That wasn''t all.


    Swinging my sword, I unleashed what I believed was finally Heaven and Earth Strike. Even though I wasn''t completely confident of pulling it off, I had relied on the clashing clouds of qi left behind by my Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike and the sheer potent aura that the titanic nine-tailed fox emanated. The collision between the two giant clouds of qi produced a golden spark that was almost blinding, and I instinctively swung my sword at that stormy vortex.


    A golden blast of destructive qi surged out of my sword and slammed into the nine-tailed fox, which finally shrieked for the first time. Its screech was almost like thunder, slamming into my eardrums and almost breaking them, while the violent vibrations triggred countless avalanches. Even as large sloughs of snow swept down on me like a tsunami, I firmly held my ground.


    The nine-tailed fox, while flailing desperately as the golden blast of qi continued to obliterate it, finally turned to look at me, recognition amidst all that pain and fury.


    Then everything vanished.


    "Guh?"


    I found myself sprawled on the ground, my knees and palms pressing against the cool, metallic ground. Right next to me lay the martial arts manual for the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, but the menacing aura it exuded was less hostile than before.


    "Congratulations."


    "??"


    I glanced up and blinked in confusion as Lady Zi Da Ji approached me, her hands clasped. She smiled warmly.


    "You did well. I knew I had not misjudged you. You succeeded in subduing the demonic spirit dwelling within the manual of the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. You''ve become its new master."


    "T¡­thanks¡­"


    I gasped, still shivering. My fingers and hands were still pale, and I could still feel the hellish cold that permeated Cocytus. Picking up the martial arts manual and slowly rising to my feet, I glanced around for Tong Xue.


    "Tong Xue?"


    He was lying on the ground, motionless. For a moment, my heart skipped and I rushed forward, but then I realized he was still breathing and clutching the Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox Formula manual. The shadows that were writhing out of the scroll were slowly being withdrawn, and a few seconds later, Tong Xue moaned and opened his eyes.


    "Ugh¡­I sure as hell don''t want to go through that again."


    I sighed in relief when I saw that he was all right. Tong Xue shook his head to clear it and sat up, rubbing his eyes.


    "Not bad. You also survived the process and subdued the demonic spirit in that manual. No wonder Rou''er is so taken with you."


    Lady Zi Da Ji nodded in approval. She then turned to Elder Zhao, who was looking pretty anxious. He quickly stepped forward and smiled, his expression filled with both relief and joy.

 121 Chapter 120: Flashback

    "I know, right?"


    Both Tong Xue and I trudged toward the Phoenix Express, sore and grumpy. Rubbing my arms, I groaned in pain.


    "Ow¡­Elder Zhao sure as hell didn''t hold back, did he?"


    "Yeah¡­I didn''t expect him to be so severe during training. He literally beat the Nine Heavenly Armaments into our bodies."


    I shuddered at the memory from yesterday night. "You know wha the worst thing was? That was only one of the Nine Heavenly Armaments. He only taught me the sword version."


    "Yeah, and he taught me the dagger version." Tong Xue sighed. "Said it was pointless for me to learn any other weapons."


    "He does have a point," I conceded. "Telling me to learn how to use other weapons this late into my training would be countereffective."


    That said, I remembered crafting an ice spear and an ice axe when fighting the Ghost Bear. Elder Zhao told me that he would be teaching me several sword styles as well as how to use a spear, but no more than that. Apparently I wasn''t going to need to learn how to use a bow, a whip or other weapons. That suited me fine.


    I prefer a gun anyway, and I don''t think I can handle all that training¡­


    Speaking of which, I wondered how Tang Qi Hong managed to learn all those. It felt pathetic, losing to a girl, but if she was more talented than me, then so be it. I wasn''t sexist enough to complain about that.


    Girls could be better than guys at fighting. There was no shame admitting that.


    "Are you guys all right?"


    Lian Rou looked concerned when she caught sight of the both of us limping toward the luxurious bus that was the Phoenix Express. It seemed that most of the Wu Ling Academy students from our sect had already boarded.


    Tong Xue and I found our seats beind Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou, and proceeded to plop down on the cushioned chairs like puppets with their strings cut. Damn, but I felt as if I could fall asleep right there and then.


    Tang Qi Hong looked at us pitifully and nodded in sympathy.


    "Elder Zhao really put you two through the wringer, didn''t he? I don''t envy you both. I heard that he is an even stricter teacher than Master¡­Mother."


    She was still not used to addressing her master as her mother. I wondered about her relationship with Zi Xiao Ji, who thought of her as an older sister. Speaking of which, I hadn''t seen Zi Xiao Ji or her bodyguards despite returning to Tushan City yesterday. The three of them were most likely out on a mission.


    "Oh boy¡­" I muttered under my breath. On the other hand, I sort of understood how Tang Qi Hong was able to learn the Nine Heavenly Armaments under her master. Lady Zi Da Ji might be more powerful, but she probably was a more¡­patient master than Elder Zhao.


    "Well, you were the one who wanted to join the Blood Blades. You asked for it."


    "I''m kind of regretting it now¡­"


    "So you want to go back to Spirit Engraving and smithing?"


    Tong Xue suddenly sat up straight at that.


    "No, I''ll endure the combat training under Elder Zhao."


    "Hmm?"


    I couldn''t help but stare at him. Just what was he so afraid of that he would brave even Elder Zhao''s hellish training to avoid smithing under Lian Rou? I mean, Lian Rou was definitely a talented Spirit Engraver and blacksmith who was just under Tang Qi Hong, Hu Mei Er, Liang Shao Yang and Zi Xiao Ji, but she didn''t seem that fierce, did she?


    Oh, but at that time I had no idea. And I was probably lucky that I didn''t have to experience her teaching for myself.


    "Well, on the bright side, if you survive the training, you''ll be among the strongest in the sect!"


    Tang Qi Hong was beaming cheerfully. I grimaced and shook my head.


    "If we survive the training, that is."


    "Don''t be such a wimp," Tang Qi Hong replied, annoyed. "You''re a guy, aren''t you?"


    *


    As we alighted from the Phoenix Express and proceeded toward the main campus building, an unexpected person showed up.


    "Fei Wu, do you have a moment?"


    We turned around in surprise, catching sight of Bai Ning Xue as she strode toward us. Zhu Jiao followed hastily, and I was astonished to see him awake this early. Normally he would rush into the classroom at the very last minute, just seconds before the bell for the first class rang. Today, however, he was actually accompanying the ever-early student council president.


    No doubt Bai Ning Xue woke him up and forced him to follow her, especially now that they were officially dating. She couldn''t allow him to ruin her image.


    "What business do you have with Wu?" Tang Qi Hong asked, the hostility barely veiled in her voice. Bai Ning Xue took no offense, registering the presence of her "rival" calmly as she did everything else.


    "Student council business. I''m here to ask you to reconsider."


    "Nope," I replied immediately. Bai Ning Xue''s expression hardened slightly, an almost imperceptible creasing of her brow.


    "It would be a waste. We could really use someone like you."


    "You don''t need me," I scoffed. "And I''m too busy with¡­stuff. I''m sorry, but I will not be able to juggle student council duties and my own personal affairs at the same time."


    "Come on, man¡­" Zhu Jiao had joined in, and I wondered if Bai Ning Xue had put him up to it. "You finished second in the tournament. It would be weird if you didn''t join the student council."


    "No, what''s weird is that the student council members are selected based on their strengths and power rather than their leadership capabilities." I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "Why? I mean, just because you''re strong in battle doesn''t mean you are necessarily a good leader. You should be looking for someone with good administrative abilities, or a strong grasp of finances, statistics and mathematics for someone handling the treasury position, or someone with good social skills and management abilities for the general manager post. Not the strongest students."


    "That''s a good question." Tong Xue tilted his head inquisitively. "Why do battle academies always select their student leaders and student council based on combat ability instead of leadership capabilities? They are not the same thing."


    "Because that''s how it has always been," Bai Ning Xue replied seriously. In other words, we were doing this because every other battle academy novel and magic/martial arts high school stories did it. I couldn''t help but bury my face in my palm.


    "Then change it!"


    "There is no reason for change."


    "Are you kidding me?! There is every reason for change! This just doesn''t make any sense! If you just pick people based on their strengths, the student council will be prone to corruption and incompetence! You want a repeat of Gu Chun Song, Li Chun Long and the rest?!"


    "If you''re not happy with the current student council members, you can always challenge them, defeat them and take their place. In the world of martial arts, strength is what matters. The strong devour the weak."


    "No, no, no, no." I shook my head. "In the first place, it''s wrong to classify people into strong and weak. Everyone has different strengths and talents. Just because you can''t do martial arts doesn''t mean you''re useless. Soldiers rely on the food that farmers produce. Without farmers, even martial artists will starve to death. Without doctors, even the strongest martial artist would succumb to illness and injury. And where would we buy clothes and necessities without merchants, storeowners and supermarkets? You need cashiers and managers to run those supermarkets too. What is with this stupid obsession with strength? I think all those wuxia and xianxia writers have an unrealistic belief and have no true understanding of the way the real world works, and just subscribe to the ''survival of the fittest'' and ''strong eat the weak'' nonsense without critically thinking of how impractical that would be if you attempt to apply it to the real world!"


    "I don''t care about any of that," Bai Ning Xue interrupted, not paying any attention to my monologue. "All I care is that you reconsider not joining the student council. We need someone of your prowess."


    Bloody hell. If she refused to listen to anything I said, then why should I listen to anything she said? Heaving a large sigh, I shook my head.


    "No. And besides, I''m not as strong as you seem to think I am. I only made it this far into the tournament out of luck."


    "That was not luck," Bai Ning Xue disagreed. "And I''ve personally seen you fight. Especially that night, against First Senior¡­"


    "Huh? What is this about?" Tang Qi Hong scrunched up her face in disbelief. "Since when did Wu fight against your senior?"


    "About two months ago," Bai Ning Xue replied. "Just before the tournament¡­"


    I sighed again when everyone turned to glance at me. "It''s a long story."


    *


    "Student Fei Wu. I would like to ask a favor from you."


    Two months ago, when I left Tushan City to return to Wu Ling Academy and stayed in the dormitory there, partially to catch up on my studies after missing a couple weeks of classes (thanks to my Moby Dick adventures that involved me hunting a Void Whale), and partially because the tournament was going to begin, I was approached by none other than Principal Xiao Zhang.


    "Sir." I saluted, only to receive a strange stare from the principal. Evidently I had played too much Warhammer 40,000.


    "A great deal of staff will be leaving with me in the afternoon to attend a conference in the city hall." Xiao Zhang grimaced. "Apparently they want to discuss this year''s budget, so it''s not something I can miss. So there won''t be a lot of staff left in the campus tonight."


    I knew that. The teachers weren''t stay-on staff. Teacher Jiao, for example, returned home every evening after his office hours were over. The dormitories were only meant to house students, and other than a couple of elderly who served as managers, there were no adults left in the campus at night. In fact, I was pretty Xiao Zhang wouldn''t be present at night even if he didn''t have the conference.


    "So if any emergency happens, it might not reach me until after the conference is over."


    Oh, so that was why he was approaching me today in particular. Usually he would be able to "teleport" over immediately if something happened in the academy.


    "What kind of emergency?" I asked. In all of my years here, I couldn''t recall any significant "emergency" that would require Principal Xiao Zhang to rush over to the campus grounds in the dead of the night.


    "I don''t know. Something like¡­hmm, a raid on the academy, for example? A rogue martial artist attacking the students living in the dormitories, or sabotaging the facilities?"


    "¡­"


    I stared at Xiao Zhang, wondering where this was going, yet having an inkling of what he was asking of me.


    "So¡­if there appears an enemy that even the student council can''t handle, I want you to assist them."


    "Uh, what?" I scowled at that. "If even the student council can''t handle that person, what makes you think I can?"


    "Of course you can." Xiao Zhang placed a hand on my shoulder confidently. He lowered his voice into a whisper. "You''re the successor to the Heaven and Earth Sect, after all."


    I felt a chill run down my spine at that. Did the principal know about my connection to Tian Mo and the Heaven and Earth Sect?


    "So I''ll be counting on you."


    "R¡­right."


    I watched numbly as he turned to leave. There was a hoverjet waiting for him and the staff, and there was a great deal of fanfare as they boarded and the arcane vehicle lifted off and soared into the sky, leaving contrails of qi in the air. I stood there, staring blankly as the hoverjet disappeared into the distance.


    "¡­well, time to get back to training¡­"


    As usual, my training took place all the way until night. I was preparing for the tournament during that time, so it wasn''t weird for me to train longer than usual. After spending so much time out on the sea, I felt that I needed to catch up on my training and hone my martial arts more than ever. So engrossed was I in my training that I actually lost track of time. Before I knew it, the sun had set long ago and the sky had turned dark.


    "Oh gosh, it''s already this late?!"


    I quickly packed up my training gear and began jogging back to the dormitory. As I did so, I heard a loud ruckus near the vast courtyard right in front of the main campus building. Amongst the noise, I could make out the ominous, mechanical clicking of the battle puppets that we used for training and sparring.


    That''s a lot of battle puppets, I thought when I realized that the racket was only possible if there was an army of battle puppets marching across the school grounds.


    "I really¡­like Veritas."


    Someone spoke up, his tone filled with swagger and absolute confidence. I frowned at the unfamiliar voice and began to proceed toward the source, my curiosity piqued. If the situation turned out to be dangerous, I could always run away. On the other hand, I did make the promise to Principal Xiao Zhang, so it was best to keep an eye on what was going on in the academy.


    Did Principal Xiao Zhang already anticipate this? He knew that someone would attack the academy at night?!


    I couldn''t help but be skeptical. How convenient.


    "It was an amazing Korean manhwa from a few years ago¡­had an epic ending but left a lot of loose ends. I was so looking forward to the sequel, but the writer and the artist appeared to have a falling-out and they ended up never drawing the second part. A pity¡­a real pity."


    A handsome guy with stylish hair almost to his shoulders, and dressed in a fashionable shirt and jeans, was raising a hand as he indulged in his soliloquy.


    "But the protagonist of that manhwa and his master, they had really cool lightning moves. Very appropriate for me to copy from, since I''m from the White Tiger Sect."


    That good-looking guy was from the White Tiger Sect? Why was he here?


    "Don''t fuck with us, Lei Yong Chun!"


    Li Guo Qiang was shouting. From my hiding place, I glanced out and caught sight of a small group of students behind the large army of mechanical battle puppets. They must be the student council, but not having any interactions with them, other than my classmates, I had no idea who they were. At that time, anyway.


    "You can''t escape from here!"


    "Well, it''s been almost 10 years, so your generation might not have heard of it. Well, you can always find it online on any manga reader website. It was such an awesome manhwa¡­"


    The fuck? Lei Yong Chun read Veritas online as well? On manga reader websites? He was unexpectedly similar to me, or at least had similar hobbies.


    "Well, their moves were also inspired by anime¡­what was it, Marzinger or something?" Lei Yong Chun crouched down. "I can''t remember¡­I don''t think that anime was from this timeline. Anyway, that doesn''t matter¡­what matters is their cool attacks."


    He grinned, his eyes glinting sinisterly.


    Raising his fist, he gathered as much qi as he could into it. Silver lightning flowed and crackled around his arm as he punched it down onto the ground.


    "Thunder Break!"


    Yelling, he smashed his fist against the ground, and the massive torrent of electricity flowed out of his hand and into the ground. In a single instant, the wave of lightning spread across the courtyard and electrocuted every single battle puppet present, causing them to sizzle and convulse from the intense voltage.


    And then they exploded, the cluster of battle puppets vanishing in a colossal conflagration that consumed everything in front of the main campus building.


    BOOM!


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "W¡­what?!"


    "All of them blew up!"


    No shit. Why state the obvious?


    Even from this distance, I could feel myself buffeted by the shockwaves.


    "What the fuck?!" Li Guo Qiang couldn''t believe his eyes as he gaped at the unbelievable scene. There was nothing remaining of the battle puppets except incinerated ash and broken parts, smoldering and jerking as electricity continued to flow through them.


    "He destroyed over a hundred level 5 battle puppets so easily?!" Xin Lai gasped, taking a step back in disbelief.


    "Where''s Lei Yong Chun?!" Gu Chun Song demanded, looking around angrily.


    "You kids are na?ve."


    A voice spoke out from within the smoke. I could barely make out the dark silhouette of Lei Yong Chun as he stood at the epicenter of the flames and fumes, his hands stuck in his pocket as he struck some sort of cool pose.


    "Did you really think these battle puppets would be enough to fight someone like me? Well, I hope you enjoyed the show."


    He strolled out of the smoke, a smirk curling across his handsome face.


    "Or were you so busy hiding that you weren''t able to see my awesome move?"


    "Damn it!" Li Guo Qiang cursed. "Everyone, run!"


    "It''s too late!" Xin Lai protested. She was right. Lei Yong Chun was not an expert they could run away from. If he wanted to catch them, he would.


    "Fine!"


    Li Guo Qiang took a step forward, and for some stupid reason, he took of his shirt. The hell, man? Why were you taking off your uniform shirt in the middle of a battle? To look cool or something? To show off your muscles?


    "I will hold him back and buy you guys time! While I do that, you guys should use the time to attack him!"


    He began gathering as much metallic qi into his body, strengthening it with his signature Iron Soul technique. Swallowing, he steeled himself.


    "I should be able to withstand at least one hit!"


    "Guo Qiang!" Xin Lai protested, but he wasn''t paying his girlfriend any attention. Instead, he raised his arm after turning his whole body into steel.


    "HAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Yelling determinedly, he glared at Lei Yong Chun before he charged forward recklessly. The latter merely smiled as he slowly strolled forward, not at all intimidated by Li Guo Qiang''s reckless charge. Instead, he seemed amused.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "Really? Are you going to tackle me or something? Are we on a wrestling program now? You wanna join the World Westling Entertainment?"


    He raised a hand casually, which crackled with intense electricity. Li Guo Qiang continued, undeterred. Lei Yong Chun shook his head.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?"


    Li Guo Qiang replied with a roar and threw his entire body weight against Lei Yong Chun. The latter merely swung his hand flippantly.


    Bam!


    Lightning seared through Li Guo Qiang, completely bypassing his Iron Soul defenses and blowing a black hole through his arm. The poor guy howled in agony, tears actually leaking from his eyes as he shuddered from the impact.


    Lei Yong Chun merely flicked his arm, and Li Guo Qiang found himself hurled bodily into the air, his mouth still open in a terrified and painful scream. He spun helplessly in the air before he crashed heavily onto the ground a few meters away from the amused Lei Yong Chun, who shook his arm and massaged it as if he had just finished a warmup.


    "Guo Qiang!"


    The rest of the student council members were yelling in panic now. Lei Yong Chun grinned as he beckoned them.


    "Who''s next?"


    "Lei Yong Chun¡­you¡­!"


    "Yeah, yeah." Lei Yong Chun suppressed a yawn, as if he was bored. "Let''s not waste any time. All of you, come at me."


    And they did.


    "The Phoenix Spreads its Wings!" Xin Lai shouted as she soared into the air, unleashing a blast of flames at Lei Yong Chun. The latter stepped to the side, evading the crimson and golden flames entirely.


    "Golden Kirin Divine Fist!" Throwing his gauntleted fist forward, Zhu Jiao tried to take advantage of the moment and land a hit, but Lei Yong Chun deftly spun away before punching the former in the gut. Zhu Jiao grunted before an explosion of electricity penetrated even his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor and sent him flying.


    "Spinning Top!"


    "Whoa there."


    Lei Yong Chun moved his head slightly as a spinning orb of lethal qi sliced past his cheek, but didn''t even leave a single line of blood. Gu Chun Song cursed when he saw his technique missed, but he stubbornly dashed forward.


    "Head of Lightning!"


    "You kids just don''t learn, do you?" Lei Yong Chun sighed as Gu Chun Song rushed forward, and gestured to Li Guo Qiang''s prone body. "Always recklessly charging at your enemy¡­you really ought to be more careful."


    "!!!"


    Gu Chun Song froze when he realized Lei Yong Chun''s hands was on his face. There was a blast of lightning and Gu Chun Song was sent hurtling several meters away.


    At that moment, Yuan Mei and Ding Yan attacked from two directions. Ding Yan from the left, slightly behind, while Yuan Mei swept up from Lei Yong Chun''s blind spot to grab hold of his hand. Above, Xin Lai continued to distract Lei Yong Chun by firing a volley of flaming arrows.


    "Phoenix Feather Arrows!"


    "Whoa¡­impressive. You kids have finally done something smart."


    Lei Yong Chun nodded in approval before he slightly stepped away from the fiery projectiles. He didn''t respond when Yuan Mei grabbed hold of his hand, probably because he didn''t know what her martial art was.


    Flowing Spirit¡­a type of martial arts very similar to jujitsu. Yuan Mei specialized in grappling and throwing. Once she caught someone in her grasp, he would never be able to escape.


    Unless he was Lei Yong Chun, that is.


    "ARGH!"


    "Oi, oi¡­don''t just grab my hand like that. Have you forgotten what my ability is? Hmm¡­if I recall, aren''t you my junior''s best friend, Yuan Mei?"


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    Yuan Mei was unable to reply, her body going into spasms as Lei Yong Chun electrocuted her endlessly. She slumped onto the ground, her body sizzling.


    That''s¡­Magnetic Force of Lightning Space?!


    I somehow recognized that White Tiger Sect technique, but only because I had read it before in a manhwa.


    "You¡­!"


    Ding Yan struck from behind, vengeance on his mind, but Lei Yong Chun merely dodged it with the minimal of moments. Ding Yan''s fist sailed through empty space before Lei Yong Chun reached out and caught hold of his arm.


    "Your turn."


    "Kuuuk!"


    Ding Yan shuddered as he was electrocuted. However, he gritted his teeth and clamped down on Lei Yong Chun''s arm with his other hand.


    "Hmm?"


    "Good job, Yan! Hold him there!"


    With a thunderous roar, Li Chun Long descended from above, swinging his sword. Green and golden flames erupted and wreathed his blade.


    "Celestial Dragon Thunder Flame!"


    "Oh, so this is your plan? Not bad. Not bad at all."


    Lei Yong Chun seemed more amused than concerned, however. He reached out with his free hand and caught Li Chun Long''s blade with nothing more than his bare fingers.


    "That was a good tactic¡­however, you kids are still too na?ve."


    "AAAAARGH!"


    "GAAAAAAH!"


    Another silver blast of lightning, and the smoldering bodies of Ding Yan and Li Chun Long fell to the ground, the former no longer able to hold on to Lei Yong Chun''s arm.


    "Why, you¡­!"


    Xin Lai continued to keep her distance and fire her flaming arrows from afar. Making use of her speed, she bombarded him with her arrows.


    "Do you really think you''re safe just because you''re fighting from range?" Lei Yong Chun smirked. Raising a hand, his snapped his fingers.


    A lightning bolt descended from the sky and slammed into the soaring Xin Lai. She shrieked and flailed about helplessly, the powerful currents searing through her body, and she finally crashed down onto the ground, unconscious.


    "Now then¡­"


    Lei Yong Chun stretched his arms. He then turned to Qing Xin Xia, who was trying to treat Li Guo Qiang with her healing magic.


    "I don''t really like doing this because you didn''t attack me, but I can''t afford to let you heal your friends. Otherwise this fight will never end."


    "!!!"


    Qing Xin Xia stumbled back, only for Lei Yong Chun to vanish from her sight. She looked around worriedly, but she didn''t expect him to reappear behind her and chop at the back of her neck. There might be several electric currents, but the effect was all the same. Qing Xin Xia went down, knocked out.


    "Holy f¡­" I murmured as I watched the entire scene unfold before my eyes.


    It didn''t even take five minutes.


    In less than five minutes, the student council members ¨C Li Guo Qiang, Xin Lai, Zhu Jiao, Gu Chun Song, Li Chun Long, Qing Xin Xia, Yuan Mei, and Ding Yan ¨C all eight of them were lying on the ground, unconscious. Lightning continued to dance around them, electrocuting them and keeping them incapacitated.


    "Wow.


    In the center of the sprawled bodies, Lei Yong Chun straightened and studied his unconscious opponents, looking thoroughly impressed.


    "Not bad¡­they actually made me work out quite a bit. Seems like I can''t underestimate these kids anymore."


    He then turned around with a smile, tilting his head mischievously to the side.


    "Oh¡­after seeing all your friends beaten up like this, you''ve finally decided to show yourself, my little junior?"


    I felt a chill when he turned toward my direction. Did he sense my presence? No, that couldn''t be. I was too far away¡­


    Then I realized he wasn''t looking at me. Instead, he was staring at someone else who emerged from the shadows.

 122 Chapter 121: White Tiger Sec

    Lei Yong Chun smiled as Bai Ning Xue strode forward. Ignoring her first senior, Bai Ning Xue quickly knelt down by Zhu Jiao''s side and touched his neck. When she felt his pulse, she sighed in relief. Then she straightened up and glared at Lei Yong Chun.


    "How scary," he mocked her, and glanced at Zhu Jiao. "I see¡­if I recall, that boy must be your childhood sweetheart. He has a lot of potential. If I got hit by him, I would have been badly injured."


    "You''ll regret hurting Zhu Jiao," Bai Ning Xue promised, her expression ominous. Clenching her fists, she drew her sword, raising it in a fighting stance. "Tell me, First Senior. Why did you betray the White Tiger Sect?"


    "I didn''t betray the White Tiger Sect. You know as well as I do that many of the elders support me. Father might disagree, but I have the backing of Grandfather."


    "Even so, why? Why are you attacking Wu Ling Academy?"


    "Do you really not know?" Lei Yong Chun laughed at what he thought was Bai Ning Xue''s naivety. "It''s not just the White Tiger Sect, you know? Many members of the other sects have also gathered to discuss the elimination of Wu Ling Academy. They think artificial qi is an abomination, and they fear that Xiao Zhang is getting way too ahead of himself. If left unchecked, his ambition might grow and he''ll cause a massive upheaval in the Great Zhou Empire."


    "What are you talking about?" Bai Ning Xue demanded, her expression remaining impassive as ever.


    "You''ll see what I mean. The Martial Arts Alliance has begun moving against Wu Ling Academy and the so-called Experimentalists. It''s a pity¡­but you kids will end up as a sacrifice." Lei Yong Chun was shaking his head theatrically.


    "I asked what you are talking about?!" Bai Ning Xue snapped.


    "Ah¡­I might have said a bit too much. Forget what I just said."


    Lei Yong Chun chuckled. Bai Ning Xue gave him a cold, murderous stare, but she didn''t probe further, knowing that it would be useless. Instead, she rose to her feet and stood protectively in front of Zhu Jiao''s prone body.


    "Don''t throw away your position as the next successor of the White Tiger Sect," she told her first senior calmly. "You still have a bright future ahead of you. If you''re willing to walk away now, I will convince Master that you were not involved in this."


    "My dear junior¡­" Lei Yong Chun sighed. "You really don''t know anything, do you?"


    Bai Ning Xue tensed, but her first senior continued.


    "Doing this won''t cause me my position as the next sect leader. In fact, I''ll gain support from the majority of elders and masters."


    "¡­what?"


    Bai Ning Xue stared at Lei Yong Chun in disbelief. He chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly.


    "Why?" Bai Ning Xue asked dumbly, doubt surfacing on her pretty face.


    "Blame your school principal for monopolizing and hoarding the secrets of artificial qi. No, scratch that. We don''t want his filthy artificial qi. It''s an abomination." The smile widened on Lei Yong Chun''s handsome face. "Blame him for creating such a monstrous thing in the first place."


    "W¡­what?" Bai Ning Xue was numb. I didn''t blame her. I was having trouble believing what I was hearing either.


    And having seen the way Lei Yong Chun dispatched the student council members so easily, I realized that it would be foolish to jump out of my hiding place and challenge him. I would just get knocked out immediately. For now, it was best to leave the situation to Bai Ning Xue and see if she could get it sorted.


    "A storm is coming, and I fear Wu Ling Academy and its forbidden technology and research won''t stand for much longer. You guys have pissed off a lot of grumpy ancient people who value tradition more than progress."


    "What about you, First Senior?" Bai Ning Xue asked evenly, her glacial eyes still hard and skeptical.


    "Me? Well¡­I don''t believe in artificial qi. I believe we can still fight without artificial qi ¨C look at your friends. Even though they have so much artificial qi, they couldn''t even beat me despite ganging up on me." Lei Yong Chun waved his hand dismissively. "How pathetic. You guys have become so reliant on artificial qi that you''ve allowed it to cripple you. You''re too obsessed with all these levels and quantity of qi that you forget about quality and purity."


    "I didn''t receive artificial qi either¡­not much, anyway."


    "And I admire you for it," Lei Yong Chun raised a hand toward his junior. "Join me, Ning Xue. And together we''ll reform the White Tiger Sect and make it stronger than ever. But first, we will need to crush Wu Ling Academy."


    "Dream on." Bai Ning Xue snorted. "Wu Ling Academy is my school. I won''t allow anyone to hurt it, even if it''s you, First Senior."


    "Ah¡­how romantic and sentimental. Well, I guess I understand. You were a Wu Ling Academy student first before you''re a White Tiger Sect disciple. And your childhood sweetheart is part of this school as well. It can''t be helped." Lei Yong Chun shook his head in mock resignation. "I really loathe to bully my cute junior, but¡­well, orders are orders."


    "You were ordered?" Bai Ning Xue asked with an incredulous expression. Lei Yong Chun cocked an eyebrow.


    "Weren''t you listening?"


    "Yes, but¡­" Bai Ning Xue seemed a little pale now. She clenched both her fists. "If you''re telling the truth¡­"


    "I assure you, I most definitely am."


    "!!"


    Bai Ning Xue stared at Lei Yong Chun for a moment, and then she lowered her head, grief and hurt in her eyes.


    "It can''t be. The elders¡­"


    "¡­have made their choice. And while I don''t always agree with them, I personally think Xiao Zhang must be stopped. And while I am impressed with the abilities of your friends ¨C no doubt inflated because of their artificial qi ¨C I can''t afford to go easy on them. The true enemy is Wu Ling Academy. Especially your principal and the staff running it. I''m going to stop them." Lei Yong Chun''s voice hardened for the first time. "No one has the right to play God. And if he continues his research at this rate, he''ll tear apart the laws Nature has set for us."


    "Do you really believe that?"


    "Yes." Lei Yong Chun turned to look at Bai Ning Xue seriously. "Are you sure you don''t want to join me?"


    "This is my school," Bai Ning Xue repeated firmly. "And progress is necessary. If you and the elders are so intent on living in the past, then it''s my job to drag you guys to the present and force you to look at the future."


    "Then why haven''t you accepted any artificial qi?" Lei Yong Chun asked, a knowing smile spreading across his good-looking features. "Do you really think I don''t know? You''re just as uncomfortable with using artificial qi as we are."


    For the first time, Bai Ning Xue smiled, amused by her senior''s assumption. "You don''t know anything about me, First Senior. Or my reasons."


    "Why, then? Why would you refuse such a gift if you think it''s the future?"


    "I don''t necessarily agree with the methods, and I have my own way of cultivating which is similar to yours¡­that''s why we''re from the same sect. however, that does not mean I will selfishly deprive others of the chance to develop and benefit from this."


    "How generous," Lei Yong Chun sneered. "We''ll see if you will be saying the same thing after your friends leave you far behind while they grow unimaginably strong."


    "Ah¡­" Bai Ning Xue actually giggled. "So that''s what you''re afraid of. You don''t care about tradition. You fear change because you think we will threaten you. You''re scared of us because of the rapid pace of our growth. The elders are jealous that the students of Wu Ling Academy will achieve in a few years what they took decades to attain."


    "¡­"


    Lei Yong Chun was silent for a moment, and I could tell that Bai Ning Xue had clearly hit the nail on the head. He eventually took a step forward, gesturing dismissively.


    "I guess this means we can''t come to an agreement then?"


    "There was never any room for negotiation to begin with," Bai Ning Xue replied firmly. "This is the territory of Wu Ling Academy. You''re trespassing on our premises, entering our grounds without permission. You will leave or I''ll kick you out myself."


    "Can you?" Lei Yong Chun grinned. "I would like to see you try. I wonder how much you''ve grown over the last year, my dear junior."


    "More so than you imagine."


    At least Bai Ning Xue doesn''t have an elder sister who looks exactly like her or we would be ripping off a certain martial arts manhwa¡­


    To be honest, I was surprised that the entire conversation took a different turn. I had somewhat expected a complete copy of Veritas, but it seemed that Lei Yong Chun wasn''t in any mood to play the role of Lightning Tiger Yoo Chun, and Bai Ning Xue clearly was no Vera Linus. She was more concerned with Zhu Jiao''s wellbeing than in engaging in any sort of flirtatious behavior with her first senior, who she obviously didn''t have a crush on.


    Lei Yong Chun stepped away from her friends, rubbing the back of his head.


    "Well, this was just a greeting because I heard that your principal is away on a conference today. But I really ought to get back before he finds out about this and rushes back. Still, even if he found out long ago, it''ll take him hours to return¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue gripped her sword tightly as a bead of perspiration ran down her cheek. For all of her earlier bluster, she didn''t seem very confident when her first senior bore down on her. She raised her sword and pointed at him, her arm trembling faintly.


    "What? Are you getting tense?" Lei Yong Chun looked down on her with a mischievous smirk. "Don''t worry. As long as you don''t make the first move, I won''t attack you. I''m not the type to raise my hand on kids unless absolutely necessary."


    Seeing that she made no move, Lei Yong Chun stepped past her and waved dismissively. He didn''t even spare her wavering blade a single glance.


    "Your friends are not that injured either. They''ll recover after some rest. Like I said, I don''t feel comfortable hurting children. I''m just here to disrupt your school."


    "Wait, First Senior."


    Despite being so pale and nervous, Bai Ning Xue refused to back down.


    "You trespassed on Wu Ling Academy territory, destroyed school property and hurt my friends." Dspite the faint trembling in her voice, Bai Ning Xue was firm and resolute. "Do you think you can just walk away?"


    The next second, she flashed forward, swinging her sword. Lei Yong Chun barely intercepted it, catching the blade with her fingers, but a silver blast of lightning streaked forward, causing him to skid backward.


    "Wow¡­you really haven''t changed, even after three years. I thought your role as the student council president would have tempered you somewhat, but you''re still as feisty as ever!"


    Gritting her teeth, Bai Ning Xue swung her sword again, unleashing a second bolt of lightning that scorched the ground.


    "Oh, you seem pretty confident," Lei Yong Chun marveled as he stepped to the side, completely evading Bai Ning Xue''s attack. "Are you perhaps thinking that you''ve finally caught up to me? Hmm, when was the last time we sparred?"


    "A year ago," Bai Ning Xue replied before striking out with a riposte. When Lei Yong Chun dodged that, she followed up with a vicious kick that almost caught him the face, only for the first disciple of the White Tiger Sect to slightly move his head to the side and avoid it.


    Flipping her body upward, Bai Ning Xue thrust her sword and slashed almost wildly, but Lei Yong Chun casually dodged every one of her strikes, moving with the practiced ease of a seasoned veteran used to life-and-death combat.


    "Haaah!"


    With her other hand, Bai Ning Xue struck, forcing Lei Yong Chun to parry her hand with his forearm. However, Bai Ning Xue suddenly smirked and channeled her electric qi in a single, enormous blast.


    "Lightning Fist!"


    "!"


    Boom!


    Lei Yong Chun was sent skidding backward from the tremendous force, his arms raised.


    "Are you seriously using Lightning Fist against me?" Lei Yong Chun scoffed as he lowered his guard. His arms didn''t even smoke despite the electricity crackling around them. No, he was actually incorporating Bai Ning Xue''s lightning into his own qi. "Have you forgotten who taught you the basics of that technique?"


    He then shook his hand and grinned.


    "Still, I''ve to admit, you''re better than me when I was your age. You''ll eventually surpass me, if given enough time. As expected of someone with a Five Star Constitution, I suppose."


    "Is that why you''re doing this?" Bai Ning Xue growled as she charged forward. "To eliminate any threats to your position as the next sect leader?"


    "No, not really. I would be happy if you can succeed me as the next leader, actually. But you''ll have to agree to help me eliminate Xiao Zhang and his Wu Ling Academy."


    "Do you really think I''ll help you with such an absurd crime?!" Bai Ning Xue swung her sword as hard as she could, only for Lei Yong Chun to deftly dodge it. "I''ll stop you before you can destroy the academy!"


    "Ah¡­while I did praise you for your talent, to be honest, you still aren''t quite there yet." Lei Yong Chun reached out and flicked Bai Ning Xue in the forehead, causing her to recoil in shock. "Don''t get too ahead of yourself, my cute junior. Do you really think you can stop me?"


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    Bai Ning Xue jumped up, shaking her head to clear then blow, and then gripped her sword with both hands before swinging it down to execute a Lightning Tiger Sword Strike.


    "There is no point in dragging this out." Lei Yong Chun sighed as he glanced up at her. Raising a lightning wreathed fist, he smiled. "Let''s finish this."


    He struck her sword with a Lightning Fist, halting her in midair. Bai Ning Xue''s eyes widened when she saw that.


    "This is how you use Lightning Fist," Lei Yong Chun smirked. Before Bai Ning Xue could react in time, he swung his other fist and struck her unguarded side.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Lightning exploded upon physical contact, silver electricity surging through Bai Ning Xue and causing her to convulse violently. She shuddered uncontrollably and collapsed onto the ground, smoke rising as her body went into spasms, electricity dancing across her clothes and skin. She tried to get up, only for the lightning to flare up and sent her toppling over once again.


    "Ugh¡­ugh!"


    "You can''t use your qi for a while, but don''t worry about it. You''ve learned Thunder Break, so you probably know the effects. Master should have taught you. It''s only temporary, just like with your friends. So just obediently stay down for now."


    He then turned away, his left hand inside his pockets. Cupping his chin with his right hand, he glanced around the academy grounds.


    "Now then¡­let''s head to the laboratory. I''ve got to destroy the stock of artificial qi they keep in there."


    "Do you think I''ll let you¡­?" Bai Ning Xue growled.


    "Do you think you have a choice?" Lei Yong Chun retorted. Glancing at her, he then grinned. "I don''t suppose you''ll tell me where the lab is?"


    "Dream on!"


    "Just as I thought." Shaking his head in mock disappointment, Lei Yong Chun proceeded to stroll away in a relaxed manner.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Bai Ning Xue forced herself to sit up and glared at her first senior venomously. She clenched her fists and raised her sword, pointing it at the departing Lei Yong Chun. It was clear that she thought this match far from over.


    "Focus on the point between a void and a void."


    "Hmm?"


    Lei Yong Chun noticed that she was chanting something.


    "Sense the type of elemental energy the point belongs to, and adjust accordingly. Move the surrounding qi not belonging to me to collide with the qi in that point."


    Raising to her feet, Bai Ning Xue continued muttering her incantation, her voice steadily growing stronger and her sword pointed unwavering at Lei Yong Chun.


    "Then ignite the combustible elements between the point and its surrounding and create a spark¡­"


    Silver lightning qi surged to life all around her, cladding her in some sort of divine aura. Her features fierce and beautiful, Bai Ning Xue glared at Lei Yong Chun.


    "You know this technique, don''t you, First Senior?"


    "That''s¡­!" Lei Yong Chun''s complexion had turned ghastly pale when he recognized the incantation.


    "Then you know you won''t be able to defend against this attack."


    A lightning bolt blasted out of her sword and arced toward Lei Yong Chun before he could react, striking him cleanly on the chest.


    "This is the Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style!"


    "ARRRRRGH!"


    Blood spurted from Lei Yong Chun''s mouth as he fell to a knee. He swayed and panted, blood dripping from his chin, and stared at Bai Ning Xue incredulously, as if he couldn''t believe what had just happened.


    "When did you learn that?!" he demanded.


    "Surprised, First Senior?" A smile crept across Bai Ning Xue''s pretty face. "I''ve just recently learned it from Master. A highly advanced technique that took you years to master, I learned it in a few months."


    She kept her sword pointed at Lei Yong Chun.


    "And I''ve somewhat predicted your pattern of attacks. Lightning Fist and Thunder Break¡­you''ve only used these two techniques against my friends. I thought you would do the same against me, so I waited for you to let down your guard. You were becoming somewhat predictable, First Senior. You might be powerful, but as long as your fighting style is within anticipation, I can come up with any number of countermeasures."


    Her smile widened.


    "This is something that you taught me well, First Senior."


    "Damn it!" perspiration soaked Lei Yong Chun''s good looking features, blood dribbling from his mouth. "You''ve grown beyond my expectations! As I thought, you really are¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue unleashed a few more blasts from her sword, the lightning bolts striking the now injured Lei Yong Chun and sending him crashing back helplessly. He landed on his back, seemingly unconscious.


    "I have you now¡­"


    She glanced back.


    "Teacher Lian, you guys can take him into custody."


    Our alchemy teacher, Teacher Lian Jin Shu, emerged from the shadows, accompanied by a large posse of men in suits and sunglasses. I gaped at them. Where the fuck did they come from?


    "You took an unnecessary risk. You should have allowed us to fight him instead of taking him on a one-on-one duel."


    Teacher Lian was looking at Bai Ning Xue in disapproval.


    "Teacher Lian, I know that combat is not your speciality. And none of the staff here is a match for First Senior. I told you, didn''t I? That I am the one most familiar with First Senior''s fighting style and attacks. I will stand the highest chance of winning against him."


    "That you did," Teacher Lian conceded.


    Bai Ning Xue then staggered and stumbled, falling over and dropping her sword. Teacher Lian quickly caught hold of her before she could hit the ground.


    "You really are too reckless."


    Bai Ning Xue smiled, exhausted. "But like I told you, I won. The rest is up to you."


    "We should get you treated¡­"


    "I''m fine. I''m not hurt. More importantly, the rest of the student council members¡­"


    Sweat was pouring down her face as she glanced at Zhu Jiao and the rest, concern visibly written across her features.


    "I''ll detail some of our men to bring them to Teacher Yi shortly after we apprehend Lei Yong Chun," Teacher Lian promised. "But are you sure you don''t need to go to the infirmary?"


    "I''m just¡­unable to use qi for a while after First Senior hit me. Even though I was prepared for it, I guess I reached my limit. But thanks to that, First Senior is now in our hands¡­"


    As usual, she spoke too soon. Why does everyone love to tempt fate so much?


    A silver flash of light burst from the courtyard, illuminating the school grounds and almost temporarily turning night into day.


    "Thunder Break!"


    With a yell, Lei Yong Chun smashed his fist into the ground, sending tremendous torrents of thunder and electricity spiraling out and electrocuting every suited guy in the vicinity. Dozens of them were thrown into the air, singed and convulsing as lightning crackled around their smoldering bodies. The air began to stink of ozone.


    "You''ve gone and done it now," Lei Yong Chun snarled as he forced himself to his feet amidst the smoke and lightning. "Pissing me off like this¡­should I teach you what happens if you corner a wounded tiger?"


    "Impossible!" Bai Ning Xue shook her head in denial. "I hit him directly in the heart, bypassing his defenses and even his skin! How is he¡­?"


    She couldn''t help but falter.


    "How is he still able to stand?"


    Gritting his teeth, Teacher Lian rose to his feet and planted himself protectively between Bai Ning Xue and Lei Yong Chun (damn, I almost called him Lightning Tiger. I must have been reading way too much manhwa).


    "Don''t let Lei Yong Chun approach the students! Protect them at all costs!"


    The remaining men in suits quickly spread out and placed themselves between Lei Yong Chun and the unconscious student council members. To be honest, I doubed that was necessary. Lei Yong Chun had shown no sign of wanting to hurt them.


    "Don''t falter! Don''t fear him! Lei Yong Chun is injured! Keep your distance and wear him down!"


    Lei Yong Chun stood up and reared up to his full height, smiling despite his injuries.


    "You really have surpassed my expectations, Ning Xue. To be honest, I am really proud of you. To have learned Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style at such a young age. As you said, I took years to learn that, so you''re definitely more talented than me in terms of mastering new skills."


    "We have to retreat!" Teacher Lian growled as he helped Bai Ning Xue up and escorted her away. "This way!"


    "A pity, though¡­"


    Lei Yong Chun shook his head.


    "¡­you''re using Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style wrong."


    That caught Bai Ning Xue''s attention and she spun around to stare at him in shock.


    "What do you mean?" she spluttered.


    "You see¡­Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style isn''t supposed to be a lightning bolt you just fire off your sword. Otherwise it''s no different from Thunder Crash or Heavenly Thunderbolt. Yes, you partially got it right, which is why you managed to penetrate my defenses."


    "That''s¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue swallowed. Lei Yong Chun''s smile widened.


    "Shall I teach you the correct way of using Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style?"


    Bai Ning Xue''s eyes widened. Teacher Lian and the men in suits misinterpreted her panic, all of them crowding around in a mass to block Lei Yong Chun''s view of her. However, he merely chuckled and shook his head.


    "Do you think you''ll be able to protect her by blocking my line of sight?"


    "So is this Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style a barrage weapon or something?" I muttered under my breath.


    "Focus on the point between a void and a void."


    Bai Ning Xue''s already widened eyes widened further and she stopped to turn around and stare in the direction of her first senior in fear. Then she tilted her head in confusion.


    "How is that different?"


    Lei Yong Chun replied by continuing.


    "Assimilate your qi with the surroundings and balance the yin and yang around the point."


    "That''s¡­"


    Your answer, lady. You asked how it was different. It certainly sounded different to me, even though I was an outsider.


    "Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style."


    Raising his hand, Lei Yong Chun swung it down. A lightning bolt blasted not from his hand but from above, crashing down from the heavens and striking Bai Ning Xue with pinpoint accuracy.


    "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"


    Screaming, Bai Ning Xue went into spasms, the electricity surging through her body and electrocuting her mercilessly.


    "Ning Xue!"


    Teacher Lian tried to step forward, but he was blasted back by the sheer force of the lightning descending upon the helpless Bai Ning Xue.


    Stumbling on the ground, he spun around to glare at the remaining men in suits.


    "What are you waiting for!?" he bellowed. "Kill that bastard!"


    "You can all come at me at once." Lei Yong Chun beckoned all of them with a hand. "I don''t have time to waste on fighting you guys one at a time."


    As one, the crowd of men in suits sprinted toward the waiting Lei Yong Chun, who dropped to his knees again.


    A second Thunder Break blasted all of them into oblivion or unconsciousness. Even Teacher Lian, who had joined the reckless charge, was thrown across the courtyard, smacking the wall of the main campus building with an audible thud and sliding downward.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue struggled to her feet. Her body smoldering and wracked in pain, she was barely able to sit up, never mind stand. Gritting her teeth and wiping the blood from her mouth, she tried to forcibly discharge the lightning flowing through her system by pressing her hand against the ground. Heaving and wheezing, she glanced up¡­


    ¡­only to see Lei Yong Chun standing right in front of her.


    "You''re right, though. Your growth is so frightening fast that I can''t help but shudder at imagining what kind of monster you would become in future. You will certainly pose a big threat to the Martial Arts Alliance if I don''t eliminate you here and now."


    "Martial Arts Alliance? But¡­"


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    "Oh, you might be part of the Martial Arts Alliance for now, but if you continue to stand by Wu Ling Academy''s side, I can''t guarantee that state of affairs will continue." Lei Yong Chun paused. "What say you? Want to change your mind now?"


    Bai Ning Xue gritted her teeth and glared at her senior defiantly. "Like hell I''ll join someone who hurt my friends and attack my school!"


    "A pity, then." Lightning ignited to life around his fist and Lei Yong Chun raised it to punch a hole in Bai Ning Xue''s face. "Them I have no choice but to eliminate you."


    Holy¡­how the fuck did things develop this way!? I thought Lei Yong Chun had no intention of harming the kids!?


    Lei Yong Chun drove his fist forward. Bai Ning Xue closed her eyes and recoiled, partially resigned to her fate.


    The White Tiger Lightning Fist never reached her.


    "??"


    Opening her eyes slightly, Bai Ning Xue glanced up and caught sight of Lei Yong Chun''s astonished expression.


    "You¡­" he began.

 123 Chapter 122: Prodigy

    And now I might die in Bai Ning Xue''s place. Way to go. Why the fuck did I decide to be a hero?


    Then the memories of Hu Shi and Her son, Hu Hai, hit me. my failure to protect them, back when I was so weak, when I could only watch Ba Yun kill them right in front of my eyes. Back then, I had made a vow.


    That never again would I allow anyone to die if I can help it.


    "Fei Wu!"


    On the other hand, Bai Ning Xue recognized me. She stared at me, her eyes wide in shock and disbelief.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Uh, well¡­Principal Xiao Zhang asked me for a favor."


    Technically, that was the truth. Earlier that day, Principal Xiao Zhang did request me to help the student council in case of an attack on the school. It seemed that he really had foresight. I honestly did not expect Lei Yong Chun to show up and assault the academy. Additionally, the truth was that I couldn''t even be bothered, and it was a massive coincidence that I was out here training when the incident happened at all.


    Otherwise I wouldn''t have bothered to step in and would have remained in my dormitory room the entire time.


    Regardless, Bai Ning Xue was sure to include this in her report, so I might as well make myself look good. There was no harm in trying to improve my reputation, especially where Principal Xiao Zhang was involved. If anything, it would benefit me greatly, even if I didn''t deserve it.


    Pushing my glasses up, I turned back to stare at Lei Yong Chun, who was scowling in annoyance at the interruption. Tilting my head to the side, I grinned. "Sorry, but you''ll have to go past me if you want to hurt Bai Ning Xue."


    "You''re no match for him!" Bai Ning Xue cried out. "Hurry up and go! I''ll handle this! He is my first senior, so¡­"


    Did you really believe that? The bastard was trying to kill you less than a minute ago.


    "I see." Lei Yong Chun straightened up and watched me. "So you''re another of Ning Xue''s friends, huh?"


    "No, wait¡­" Bai Ning Xue protested, but Lei Yong Chun cut her off.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t kill him either. I''ll just finish this quickly and knock him out¡­"


    Before he even finished his sentence, Lei Yong Chun was already moving forward and slamming his elbow into my face. Lightning crackled fiercely around his arm, and even though it was not as potent as before, I recognized the danger it posed.


    "!!!"


    Lei Yong Chun spun around and stared at me, stunned, after his electric elbow passed through thin air. I had dodged at the last moment, just narrowly escaping having my nose caved in by the otherwise deadly elbow strike.


    "How did you dodge that?!"


    "You guys talk too much," I retorted as I straightened myself and withdrew with a footwork technique. Around Lei Yong Chun''s figure, I could see the different flows and streams of silver, electric qi. Making use of my qi sense, and using Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, anticipating Lei Yong Chun''s attacks and movements, and evading accordingly.


    Even then, Lei Yong Chun''s attacks were so fast and furious that I barely stayed one step ahead, often dodging only by the most minimal of distances. Literally by a hair''s breadth.


    "You have good reflexes," Lei Yong Chun complimented me as he delivered a Lightning Fist to my face, only for me to duck. Feeling his fist breeze through the air above, the shockwave rustling my hair, I then spiraled away before he could kick me. Just in time too. His foot sailed just millimeters away from my chest.


    "Amazing¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue was gaping at me, unable to believe what she was seeing. Unlike herself, and the rest of our schoolmates, who were taken out almost immediately, I was dodging like a pro, evading every single one of Lei Yong Chun''s attacks (albeit narrowly).


    Unfortunately, this wasn''t anything to be impressed about. Certainly, I had accomplished what no other student my age had done, escaping Lei Yong Chun''s relentless assalt, but I had done so at the cost of offense. Simply put, I couldn''t fight back. I couldn''t even muster a single counterattack or retaliation. I had poured everything into evasion and evasion alone. As a result, I could dodge Lei Yong Chun''s barrage, but only just, having traded away any chance of fighting back to focus solely on escaping his fists, kicks and lightning.


    And even then, I was just barely staying one step ahead of me. There were so many close shaves that were way too close for comfort. I was already relying on my footwork techniques to weave, dance and duck away from Lei Ying Chun, but he was using pure spirit and power to overcome my evasive maneuvers.


    "Ugh!"


    Lei Yong Chun''s fist swerved past the front of my face, almost scorching my skin and leaving a slight burn. I could feel my flesh numbing as the lightning slapped me lightly, but fortunately my footwork had pulled me just out of lethal range. Normally I would use this chance to counterattack, but I was forced to duck under a second swinging fist. Before I could recover my breath, Lei Yong Chun was already swinging his leg out to hook my feet out from under me, and I hastily jumped back. Using Tui to widen the distance between us, I quickly used the opportunity to recover my breath.


    "What, out of breath already?"


    "!!!"


    I had hardly just inhaled a lungful of air deeply when Lei Yong Chun was already in front of me, rearing his fist back for a ppowerful punch. I swayed to the side, inviting him to attack me, and he fell for it, punching instantly. I allowed my momentum to swing me out of his reach, and his fist stopped just a millimeter short.


    All right! I can do this!


    Relieved, I was about to kick him when my instincts suddenly screamed out danger to me. Obeying them in reflex, I dropped to the ground as a Lightning Fist swung at me from behind, blazing through the space where my head had been. Relying on my spiritual sense rather than sight to detect Lei Yong Chun''s position, I saw that he was already following up with another attack.


    "Kuh!"


    If I didn''t do something fast, I would run out of stamina and fall to his relentless assault sooner or later. But it wasn''t a matter of whether I wanted to attack of not. Lei Yong Chun was completely giving me no chance to retaliate.


    Hell, he wasn''t even giving me a chance to breathe.


    "That was a nice feint. On top of that, you saw through my feint as well. You''re really impressive. Which sect are you from?"


    I smiled in reply, offering no answer. I had no obligation to tell him my sect. That would give him an advantage.


    "And this technique¡­" Lei Yong Chun frowned as he studied me, aware that I refused to tell him about my origins like some clich¨¦ protagonist (should I give a long soliloquy as my self-introduction and show off a super-long list of the skills I had learn? Fuck that. Only idiots would do something like that). "Where did you learn it from?"


    While I maintained my silence, inwardly I was a little worried. The way Lei Yong Chun spoke, it was almost as if he recognized my technique as Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. No doubt he recognized my Shadow Steps, but everyone knew that the Stealth Shadow Sect had been destroyed centuries ago, and only now did we attempt to restore their techniques through Wu Ling Academy''s near inexhaustible resources.


    But Lei Yong Chun seemed aware that Shadow Steps were never meant to be a primary martial arts and that I wasn''t a disciple of the Stealth Shadow Sect nor someone trying to restore it.


    Unfortunately, I was mistaken. Lei Yong Chun wasn''t concerned about my Shadow Steps. No, he was more interested in my¡­


    "Those evasive techniques. They go beyond footwork and the basic Shadow Steps. It doesn''t feel like an evolved or new form of Shadow Steps. No, this technique feels familiar, as if I''ve fought it somewhere before, not long ago¡­"


    I narrowed my eyes, not sure what he was rambling about. I did know one thing for sure, though. He seemd to recognize the martial art I was using.


    "Where did you learn this from?"


    Lei Yong Chun narrowed his eyes. Striking at me with a Lighnting Fist, he then spun around with a kick, forcing me to drop my head back to avoid it.


    I had no reason to tell him, and was actually unable to answer because I was too busily dodging his next series of attacks.


    "!!"


    Lei Yong Chun was tired of not being able to hit me, and he suddenly unleashed a lightning bolt at close range. Having noticed a spike in his qi and the subtle shift in his attack patterns, I quickly pulled myself away and dove for cover.


    Boom!


    "Wow, you even saw that coming too?" Lei Yong Chun scowled as he watched me roll to my feet, his hand crackling with silver lightning as he got ready to hurl another thunderbolt. "I knew it. You really are¡­"


    I used Jin and advanced forward, kicking at him before he could finish his sentence. Lei Yong Chun stumbled back, and then counterattacked with a Thunder Break. Knowing that it would be unwise for me to block it directly, I dropped to the ground, narrowly escaping his fist, and threw myself off to retreat.


    "!!!"


    "Thunder Crash!"


    Lei Yong Chun suddenly switched his attack and swung his hand down, unleashing yet another lightning bolt. Having seen his qi surge and transformed, I had predicted his long-range attack a millisecond before he pulled it off, and jumped to my feet, using Tui and Duo to weave around and evade the massive lightning strike.


    "I knew it¡­man, it''s been a while since I''ve seen someone use that." Lei Yong Chun was looking impressed now. "I never thought that martial art would be revived. It seemed that I''ve underestimated Wu Ling Academy."


    His eyes narrowed and he casually threw another distance lightning attack. This time, it took the form of a tiger and roared silently before it pursued me.


    "You guys are way too dangerous to be left alone."


    I would have made a retort, something along the lines of "you''re the one who''s too dangerous!" but I was too busily running away from the lightning tiger that mercilessly chased me. Cursing, I lashed out and disintegrated its form.


    "Not bad. As I thought, you really are¡­"


    Lei Yong Chun smiled broadly before he struck me, only for me to dodge his Lightning Fist again. He twisted around and blasted me at pointblank range.


    "Thunderous Descent!"


    "Kuh!"


    The attack was way too large for me to dodge, and I was blasted off my feet, my body jerking about as I crashed onto the ground. Gritting my teeth as the electricity surged through my body, I pressed my hand against the ground to discharge it.


    "!!"


    While I was heaving, Lei Yong Chun suddenly kicked me, sending me flying. I hit the ground and rolled away, my body throbbing from the blow.


    "Even if you can read the flow of my qi, you won''t be able to evade attacks that are too massive or too fast."


    Lei Yong Chun chuckled as he approached me. He glanced down at me, and nodded quietly.


    "You''re actually still conscious¡­and to be able to discharge all the electricity into the ground. Amazing."


    "I learn that from reading a manhwa," I replied dryly.


    "I''m sure you did," Lei Yong Chun replied wryly. "What about your Heaven and Earth Formula? Did you learn that from a manhwa too?"


    "No, I got it from looking at a brand of green tea."


    Lei Yong Chun scowled and then attacked me, forcing me to dodge. As I used Tui to retreat to a safe distance, I wondered why he didn''t use the Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style. Then I realized that it was a time-consuming technique. He was aware that if he tried to use it, I would close in and attack him, interrupting him before he could complete it.


    "How did you learn Heaven and Earth Formula?" he demanded, not buying my filmsy excuse for a minute.


    "Fei Wu is an Expermentalist," Bai Ning Xue explained. "He''s been trying to restore Heaven and Earth Formula for years now."


    "There''s no way he could have restored it this perfectly. It''s exactly the same as the technique that bastard Tian Mo used all those years ago." Lei Yong Chun cast a sharp and disbelieving glare in her direction. However, Bai Ning Xue could only respond with a bewildered expression. Having never personally fought anyone from the Heaven and Earth Sect, she wouldn''t be able to tell. Furthermore, she didn''t know the truth.


    "You can believe whatever you want," I snapped as I dodged another Lightning Punch. "I don''t care if you don''t believe us."


    "Hmph." Lei Yong Chun threw another Lightning Punch, and then he winced. Evidently, the injury he received earlier from Bai Ning Xue was hindering his movements. It was also the reason why he failed to knock me out. His strength was reduced drastically. Otherwise, even with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I would never be able to match his speed. Lei Yong Chun seemed to have realized this as well, ahd he scowled. "I''ll have to finish this quickly then."


    I felt a sudden chill. My instincts screamed at me to flee, and I was only too happy to oblige.


    Unfortunately, Lei Yong Chun wasn''t going to let me run away. He dashed forward, actually overtaking me despite my using a footwork technique, and threw his hand forward.


    "See if you can dodge this! Lightning Flash!"


    Even though I was able to avoid direct physical contact, the shockwaves from the tremendous blast of lightning struck me with almost full force. There was an immense explosion and my smoldering body was sent hurtling across the courtyard.


    "Fei Wu!"


    Bai Ning Xue cried out, but I was in no shape to reply. Hitting the dirt, I skidded across the surface, leaving a blackened trail. Coughing, I tried to roll to my feet and spun around to catch sight of where Lei Yong Chun was.


    However, I spotted something in my peripheral vision. Turning, I saw the sword that Bai Ning Xue dropped earlier after she used her premature version of Heaven''s Void, Lightning Style. Diving for it and simultaneously dodging another Thunder Crash from Lei Yong Chun, I grabbed hold of the sword and quickly rolled to my feet.


    "Oh, so you''re a swordsman?"


    Lei Yong Chun sneered as he advanced, getting ready to use another Lightning Flash. Against such terrifying power, I could only stand my ground and respond with everything I had. Gathering all my qi and infusing it into the sword, I sucked in a deep breath and swung it, unleashing my most powerful attack.


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    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike!


    "?!"


    Lei Yong Chun tried to stop when he realized the danger, but he was too late. The black wave of qi engulfed him in an instant and he bellowed in pain. The next instant, his fuming body crashed out of the darj blast, and he staggered to his feet. Blood dripped from several places around his body and he coughed out more from his mouth.


    "Fuck!" he snarled, glaring at me. "I can''t believe I got beaten this badly by a kid! I haven''t been this humiliated or injured in a while!"


    I exhaled, daring to hope that I might just stand a chance of winning this. However, all hopes of that were dashed when Lei Yong Chun raised his hand. To my horror, a massive influx of electric qi surged from his body. Even my Heaven and Earth senses were telling me that this was not an attack I could dodge or withstand.


    "Heavenly Tiger Thunder Crash!"


    The gigantic tiger slammed into me from above, despite me doing my best to parry it with a sword. Coughing out blood, I crashed onto the ground, convulsing and shuddering as electricity scorched my body from the inside out.


    "Idiotic kid. I was only going easy on you. But damn¡­fuck! I can''t believe you actually managed to seriously injure me. You and Ning Xue both!"


    "This¡­this can''t be¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue was staring at her first senior in horror, unable to believe what she was seeing. Even after taking successive attacks that would have proven fatal to any other martial artist, Lei Yong Chun was not only still standing, but he was radiating such power.


    "Sorry, kid. But I have to eliminate Ning Xue. I might even have to crush you too¡­you''re both too dangerous. There''s no telling what sort of monsters you''ll grow to if I leave you two like this."


    Lei Yong Chun was staring at us, his body crackling with power. He shook his head ruefully and began approaching a stunned Bai Ning Xue.


    "I''ll have to hand it to you kids, though. This is probably the first time since the fight with the Heaven and Earth Sect that I''ve been hurt this badly. But¡­" he grinned. "You''ve got to be deluded if you thought you could win."


    "My objective was never to win," I whispered before coughing out some blood.


    Lei Yong Chun froze and turned his eyes toward me.


    "What was that?"


    I grinned weakly. "I told you. I never intended to win. My role was only to buy as much time as possible."


    Lei Yong Chun''s expression darkened. "You bastard¡­!"


    I shrugged and lay on the ground, using the chance to recover my breath. I had been injured severely, but it wasn''t as bad as I had failed. All I needed was a little rest and I would be back up on my feet in a minute.


    Not that I needed to.


    "Reinforcements are here."


    "Damn you!"


    Lei Yong Chun glanced up and saw a new group approaching. Teacher Jiao Shi and the other staff had finally arrived. There was no sign of Principal Xiao Zhang¡­yet. Most likely he was still tied up in the whatever conference where he had to discuss budget plans for his school, but more likely he trusted his teachers to get the job done.


    "Surrender, Yong Chun." Teacher Jiao stepped forward, almost disappearing like a ghost and reappearing in front of him. "You can''t escape."


    Lei Yong Chun laughed at that, despite the blood dribbling from his mouth.


    "You think you''ve caught me just because you have me surrounded and because you outnumber me? Have you forgotten who I am?"


    "No. that''s why we''re taking extra precautions."


    Lei Yong Chun chuckled weakly as he glanced around at the huge number of staff. It wasn''t just the teachers. Teacher Cai, Teacher Shu, and many of the teachers I learned under had approached, but they were reinforced by dozens of men in suits and sunglasses.


    Why they were wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night, I had no idea. Probably to look cool, and also probably because it was part of their clich¨¦ uniform. Also most likely because the artist couldn''t be bothered to draw their eyes.


    "Well then¡­" Lei Yong Chun cracked his neck, and then stretched his hands. He beckoned for them to come. "Let''s get this done and over with."


    *


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Lei Yong Chun heaved and puffed as he ran through the forest. Clutching his chest, he suddenly stopped to bend over and throw up a pile of blood.


    "Ugh! Kuh!"


    Slumping against a tree, he glanced up at the moon, which was barely visible through the canopy of the densely clustered trees.


    "Fucking bastards¡­even after running this far, I almost wasn''t able to lose them."


    He closed his eyes, and then smirked.


    "Well¡­even though I''m seriously hurt, it doesn''t mean I don''t have enough strength to take care of a single kid."


    "¡­"


    "Come out, kid. I know you''re there."


    I emerged from the trees and watched the slumped Lei Yong Chun warily. He didn''t even bother to sit up straight, just opening his eyes and glancing at me.


    "Why are you following me, kid? You have a suicide wish or something?"


    "Earlier, you identified my martial arts as Heaven and Earth Formula," I began. "How did you know?"


    "Ah¡­I knew it." Lei Yong Chun clambered to his feet and stared at me. "I should be the one asking you. How did you learn it?"


    "That''s none of your business."


    No sooner were the words out of my mouth when Lei Yong Chun struck me with his arm. I just barely managed to parry it and block his lightning, but his other fist came, and despite anticipating it with my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I couldn''t dodge in time. Instead, I was forced to parry it, and Lei Yong Chun effortlessly blasted me with Thunder Break, undoing my defense.


    "Ugh!"


    I staggered back, and Lei Yong Chun kicked me to the ground. I managed to duck that, but the edge of his foot grazed my temple and blood flew. I crashed to the ground, feeling winded, and Lei Chun Long stomped on me to prevent me from getting up.


    "I''ll ask you again. How did you learn Heaven and Earth Formula?"


    "I learned it from studying the resources that Wu Ling Academy provided. I managed to piece them together and come up with a workable version."


    "Cut that bullshit." Lei Yong Chun exerted more force on my head as he shifted the weight to his foot. "You know as well as I do that your Heaven and Earth Formula wasn''t pieced together from anything Wu Ling Academy managed to retrieve. Your techniques are far too perfect."


    "They''re not," I muttered bitterly. Lei Yong Chun laughed.


    "Sure, you''ve some way to go before you can consider yourself as having mastered them, but nonetheless, the form and techniques are otherwise excellent copies of the original. Which can''t be possible unless you learn the original from somewhere."


    "You won''t believe me if I told you," I grumbled.


    "Try me." the weight increased again. I gritted my teeth.


    "I was taught by a ghost."


    "¡­"


    "I told you that you wouldn''t believe me."


    "No, actually, I do."


    "¡­huh?"


    I blinked and struggled to turn my head to glance up at Lei Yong Chun. He was looking pretty thoughtful.


    "I mean, Nascent Soul Stage practitioners have the ability to preserve their spirits even if their physical bodies are destroyed. Tian Mo was certainly powerful enough to do so, and leave a lingering trace that existed long enough for him to impart the basics to you."


    He then grinned.


    "Besides, it''s a standard clich¨¦ in all xianxia stories. Whether it''s Coiling Dragon, Against the Gods, or Battle Through the Heavens, Douluo Dalu II: Jue Shi Tang Men or even Wu Dong Qian Kun, the protagonists always gets taught by the ghost of his master. In fact, I''m an idiot for not realizing that!"


    He slapped his forehead and chuckled.


    "¡­"


    I couldn''t help but feel like an idiot.


    "Seeing that you didn''t deny it, then you''re most definitely a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect." he lifted his foot. I blinked in surprise, and then slowly crawled to my feet, staring at him in astonishment.


    "You¡­"


    "Ah, don''t worry. If you''re a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect, you''ll eventually join my side, sooner or later."


    "Huh?" I scowled incredulously. Lei Yong Chun shrugged.


    "You do know how your sect was destroyed and how your master was killed, right?" he jabbed a thumb back at the direction where the academy was. "The Martial Arts Alliance is responsible for everything."


    "I thought you''re working for the Martial Arts Alliance," I grumbled, puzzled. Wasn''t he helping the Martial Arts Alliance rein in or eliminate Wu Ling Academy altogether because of the artificial qi? Then why was he talking as if we were having a common cause against the Martial Arts Alliance.


    "Don''t be na?ve. You think the Martial Arts Alliance will stop at eliminating Wu Ling Academy?" Lei Yong Chun snorted. "While I agree with them that artificial qi is an abomination, and that we have to stop Xiao Zhang''s attempts to become a god at all costs, I''m not blind to their corruption. The Martial Arts Alliance will stop at nothing to secure their power. After they exterminate Wu Ling Academy, they will turn toward the other sects who are trying to be independent from them."


    "¡­"


    I wasn''t sure I believed him, but Lei Yong Chun continued.


    "For example, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect¡­"


    "What?!"


    "Why? Why are you so shocked? The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has always been autonomous, relying on their reputation in high-quality spirit armaments to increase their wealth. The Alliance has begun to feel uncomfortable about them increasing their power and influence, yet maintaining their independence."


    He then caught my pale expression and somewhat understood.


    "Ah¡­perhaps you''re one of those secondary disciples¡­who joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect as a second sect to learn their Spirit Engraving and smithing techniques?" he nodded in approval. "That will be a good way of covering up your secret as a Heaven and Earth Sect disciple."


    That was never my intention, but there was no point convincing Lei Yong Chun the truth. I merely stared at him.


    "As a sign of goodwill, let me give you a small hint." Lowering his voice, Lei Yong Chun placed a hand on my shoulder and grinned. "If you want to advance your Heaven and Earth Formula further, you would do well to check out the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    "What do you mean?" I gaped at Lei Yong Chun incredulously. "What does the Spirit Engraved Pillars have to do with Heaven and Earth Formula?"

 124 Chapter 123: Back to the presen

    That was the first question Bai Ning Xue asked me when I returned to the academy grounds after that meeting with Lighting Tiger¡­I mean Lei Yong Chun.


    I resisted the urge to tell her that it was none of her business and instead smiled politely. Gesturing toward the direction of the forest outside Wu Ling Academy, I dropped my head and shook it in feigned disappointment.


    "I tried to pursue Lei Yong Chun along with the rest, but¡­I failed. He managed to get away."


    Bai Ning Xue''s expression softened. "That isn''t your job. You don''t have to worry about it. Leave First Senior to Teacher Jiao and the rest."


    "Yeah." I glanced back at where I came from. Even though Lei Yong Chun was the enemy, I couldn''t help but be thoroughly impressed. The guy single-handedly fought off Teacher Jiao, the other teachers and a group of men in suits and sunglasses (again, I have no idea why the hell they were wearing shades in the middle of the night) while badly injured, and he still managed to elude their capture. If he hadn''t beaten me up, I might even have asked him to teach me martial arts. Even now, I grudgingly admired him.


    He''s going to be one hell of an enemy, I thought. He might have named me and Bai Ning Xue threats, but he was quite the monster himelf. I wondered if he could defeat the teachers if he wasn''t injured.


    As expected of the one the White Tiger Sect heralds as their next leader, huh¡­?


    "By the way¡­"


    "??"


    I turned to Bai Ning Xue, who was slowly getting to her feet. She had been taking care of her friends, detailing several of the men in suits to help bring them to the infirmary. Refusing all assistance until all the other student council members were safe and receiving treatment, she was essentially the only one left.


    "What were those skills? I don''t remember you being this strong. And First Senior said something about the Heaven and Earth Formula?"


    "I thought you knew I was an Experimentalist trying to restore the Heaven and Earth Formula?" I riposted, recalling what she told her first senior.


    "Yeah, that''s right, but¡­even then, how did you reach such an advanced stage? You spent two years assimilating qi, unable to use martial arts, didn''t you? And suddenly, you''re much stronger than all the other students, including the student council members."


    "You overestimate me," I replied with a dry laugh. "I''m not stronger than any of the student council members."


    "Do you really expect me to believe that?" Bai Ning Xue snapped. "After what I saw happen earlier? You fought on par with First Senior, who defeated all the student council members in less than five minutes!"


    That was the truth, and also why I didn''t step out to intervene until so late in the game. Having witnessed his ferocity and power firsthand, I was aware that any attempts on my part to intercede would end in instant disaster. I would get knocked out like Zhu Jiao and the rest.


    On the other hand, after Bai Ning Xue unexpectedly landed that attack and badly injured Lei Yong Chun, I saw an opportunity. With a strike directly at his heart, even someone as strong as Lei Yong Chun would weaken a little. That was more than enough for me to somehow make a difference, no matter how slight. And I never thought I would win. As I said earlier, my only intention was to buy as much time as possible.


    After all, I had contacted Teacher Jiao the moment I saw Lei Yong Chun fighting the student council members. I didn''t think he would be up, checking his email at the time of the night, but fortunately he had already been notified earlier by the student council members (being requested by Principal Xiao Zhang to stay on alert for this night, at least), and his instant response was for me to standby and hide. Apparently he didn''t think I would make much of a difference if I joined the student council members and would just end up as an unnecessary casualty.


    "¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue studied me for a moment, as if she didn''t believe me. Then she sighed and lowered her head, realizing that there was no point arguing with me.


    "Thank you."


    "Huh?"


    I was taken aback by her abrupt expression of gratitude. This was the Ice Princess we were talking about here. Where did that come from?


    "No matter the reasons behind your motive, you still saved my life. I will definitely repay this someday."


    "Motives?" I repeated incredulously. Outrage welled up inside me. "Come on, lady. I have no other motives than to help you. Do you think I want to put you in my debt or want something in return or something?"


    "Forgive me, that''s not what I meant." Bai Ning Xue raised her head to look at me with her glacial eyes. "I mean, whatever motives you possess for hiding your strength until now."


    "I wasn''t exactly hiding my strength. I just didn''t have a chance to show it off until now." Sarcasm dripped from my words.


    "Nonetheless, you saved me. I owe you."


    "No, you don''t."


    "Yes, I do."


    "No you don''t."


    "I most certainly do."


    I sighed, giving up, when an idea suddenly came into my head. Then I smiled and stared at her before nodding.


    "All right, then I''lll have to ask you a favor."


    Bai Ning Xue regarded me suspiciously, despite all the words she uttered earlier. Just how two-faced can she get?


    "What is it? If it''s something within my ability, I''ll do everything within my power to help you, but I won''t do anything unscrupulous¡­"


    "Why do you think I''ll ask you to do something unscrupulous?" I demanded, irritated. Bai Ning Xue hesitated, and lowered her head in embarrassment.


    I had no idea at that time, but Zhu Jiao would later tell me the sort of shameless requests that Gu Chun Song often made of her, which usually involved her body or some sort of physical contact. The guy was an unsaveable creepy stalker.


    And here I was, thinking that I was bad and socially awkward. Well, given that I actually had friends and had no problem socializing, I wasn''t that bad.


    Anyway, I snorted.


    "The only request I have is that you keep what you saw regarding me tonight a secret. Don''t tell your friends or the student council members that I was present tonight. Don''t tell them that I tried to fight your first senior. That''s all I ask of you. We cool?"


    "¡­that''s it?"


    Bai Ning Xue stared at me in disbelief. She then glanced at the staff still milling around, and returning after their failed pursuit.


    "Even if I agree to this, wouldn''t the teachers and staff know about this? They saw you fighting against First Senior."


    "They only saw the last part of battle, where I got stomped by his Heavenly Tiger Thunder Crash," I replied. "They didn''t actually see me use my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship or Heaven and Earth Formula against him."


    "¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue continued to look at me for a few more seconds before she finally took a deep breath and held up her hands.


    "Fine. I promise not to tell anyone about this." she raised her head and glared at me. "I don''t know why you''re so adamant on keeping this a secret, but wouldn''t it benefit you more to reveal your true power and climb the rankings?"


    "That''s what the tournament is for, isn''t it?"


    Bai Ning Xue fell silent, suddenly understanding. She then nodded, more color in her expression.


    "I understand. I won''t say anything then. I''ll look forward to your performance."


    There was nothing to look forward to. I had no intention of using Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps during the tournament. Heaven and Earth Formula wasn''t much of a combat technique in the first place. It was a cultivation technique to boost my growth and enhance my qi, but that wasn''t something that I would tell Bai Ning Xue.


    Besides, it would be unfair to use Heaven and Earth Formula on people from my generation. It was known as the strongest cultivation-type martial art. I would end up bullying them (though I didn''t expect that I would end up losing to Zhu Jiao even though I still used it in the end ¨C goes to show how overpowered protagonists were).


    "By the way, do you know what your first senior''s goals are?" I asked Bai Ning Xue. She pondered for a moment, and then shook her head.


    "I have no idea what he''s thinking. I don''t know if he''s telling the truth about the Martial Arts Alliance and their desire to destroy Wu Ling Academy, but no matter what, I have no intention of allowing him to succeed!"


    "Aye," I agreed, though I couldn''t help but think back to what happened a few minutes ago, before Lei Yong Chun and I went our separate ways.


    "I''ve decided," Lei Yong Chun had told me. "I won''t kill you."


    "Why, thank you," I had replied sarcastically. I''m so grateful."


    He had ignored me and continued on as if I hadn''t said anything.


    "In the years to come, you''ll become a valuable asset. It doesn''t seem like you''re that loyal to Wu Ling Academy, and you''re probably aware of Xiao Zhang only wanting to make use of you to restore your martial art and steal it from you."


    I wasn''t surprised, having heard the conversation between Xiao Zhang and Teacher Jiao a couple of years ago. When he saw my lack of astonishment or reaction, Lei Yong Chun smiled triumphantly.


    "As I thought. Unlike my cute junior, Ning Xue, you have no desire to protect Wu Ling Academy."


    "That doesn''t mean I won''t protect my friends if you attack them in Wu Ling Academy," I had responded with a steely expression. Lei Yong Chun had laughed at that.


    "Don''t worry. As you''ve seen, I''ve no intention of harming them. Permanently, anyway. My true enemy is Xiao Zhang and the system of the academy. As long as I stop him from becoming a god, and destroy the technology that produces artificial qi, I''ll be happy."


    He then paused and his smile grew sinister.


    "However, I can''t say the same about the Martial Arts Alliance."


    A chill of premonition ran down my spine.


    "What do you mean by that?" I had demanded.


    "Well¡­the Martial Arts Alliance won''t stop at executing Xiao Zhang or the destruction of the technology. To them¡­the students of Wu Ling Academy, the beneficiaries who have received and benefited from artificial qi, are as much of a monstrous abomination as the wicked technology themselves. At least that''s their reasoning, but obviously they fear the growth of the children in Wu Ling Academy, and how they''ll surpass their martial arts in a few short years¡­they fear that you kids will take over the hegemony and rule over the martial arts world in a relatively short time, if they leave your growth and progress unchecked."


    "In the end, all they care about is themselves," I had muttered darkly, having gotten tired of their hypocritical justifications and corruption.


    "That''s right." Lei Yong Chun was growing more and more satisfied with my responses. I realized that he was manipulating me, but I decided to just play along with it for now, and nodded with an outraged expression.


    It was so fun leading people on and tricking them with my Oscar Award-winning performance.


    "We have to stop them," I had declared with a straight face. Lei Yong Chun''s grin then widened.


    "Of course we do. That''s why I''m going to let you live. I want you to continue keeping a low profile. And when the Martial Arts Alliance finally betrays us¡­you''ll be a valuable ally in destroying those corrupted old fools and exposing their hypocrisy."


    "I can''t wait," I had remarked dryly.


    "I''ll be relying on you then."


    That was the last thing Lei Yong Chun said before he waved and strode away. I had watched him disappear into the depths of the forest, but knowing that I didn''t have the strength to stop him, turned around in the opposite direction and returned to the academy.


    Why did I follow him in the first place? I wanted to confirm what he knew about the Heaven and Earth Formula. Initially, I had thought he might have learned something about it, and wanted some information that could help me with my cultivation and martial arts, but it seemed that he had "only" fought against martial artists from the Heaven and Earth Sect.


    Nonetheless, he had provided me a vital piece of intelligence. Investigate the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, huh?


    The problem was that, there was a monstrous entity living below the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, sealed by mystical energies and arcane formations. There was no way I would approach the Spirit Engraved Pillars of my own volition, not while that thing continued to exist beneath it. Every time I was near it, it felt as if my very soul was in peril.


    That thing wanted to consume my soul, devour my spirit and take over my body. I couldn''t afford to carelessly wander near the Spirit Engraved Pillars, at least not without a massive amount of preparation and spiritual defenses in place.


    But with the new information Lei Yong Chun provided me, I couldn''t help but wonder.


    Does that demonic entity sealed beneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars have anything to do with the Heaven and Earth Sect?


    *


    And with that, the flashback came to an end.


    Obviously, during that monologue, I said nothing the entire time. I wasn''t stupid enough to tell Bai Ning Xue that I had a secret exchange with Lei Yong Chun, nor did I tell them anything about Wu Ling Academy or the Martial Arts Alliance. Of course I didn''t mention the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars and its possible link to the Heaven and Earth Sect.


    Instead, I only glared at Bai Ning Xue accusingly. "You promised not to tell anyone."


    Bai Ning Xue''s eyes widened and she covered her mouth, but it was too late. The words had slipped out, and she had no way of taking them back. She could only lower her head in embarrassment and apologize.


    "I''m sorry. I spoke without thinking. That was my mistake. It appears that I owe you a favor once again."


    "Honestly, you don''t need to owe me anything."


    "Uh, can someone please explain what you guys are talking about?" Tang Qi Hong asked. Zhu Jiao raised a hand.


    "Hmm, is it that time when your First Senior attacked the academy, Ning Xue?"


    "Yeah¡­"


    "Hmm, I don''t remember much of it, but I don''t remember seeing Wu there. Granted, I was knocked out almost immediately."


    "Well¡­" Bai Ning Xue sighed and quickly filled in the rest on what had transpired during the moments when the rest of the student council members were knocked out, with Zhu Jiao adding and filling in some gaps.


    They were brief, and they didn''t mention my meeting with Lei Yong Chun in the forest. Obviously ¨C they weren''t there and they had no knowledge of me catching up and speaking with Lei Yong Chun and learning all those predictable stuff. To be honest, just as Lei Yong Chun said, I wasn''t shocked by any of these revelations. I had already anticipated them.


    After reading enough wuxia and xianxia novels, I was self-aware enough to know what was going to happen further down the line. The problem was how I could deal with it. And I wasn''t cruel enough to dump the details of an ominous future on my friends. Firstly, they wouldn''t believe me, and secondly, if they did believe me and started acting nervous and whatever around the Martial Arts Alliance, they would give themselves away.


    Ignorance was bliss. I was the only one who needed to know about that, and I should be able to find a solution before long. The Martial Arts Alliance was way too big for a small group of students to do anything about it, but as the protagonist, I knew I would go through a series of fateful encounters and big events before eventually finding the power to do something about my situation. Another thing I had learned from wuxia and xianxia novels.


    There was no use worrying about resistance against a large organization. Everything would fall into place soon enough.


    "Why didn''t you tell any of us?" Tang Qi Hong complained, turning back to me with her hands on her hips.


    "Do you tell me every single detail of what happens in your life?" I responded. Tang Qi Hong stammered, taken aback.


    "Uh¡­well¡­"


    "But this isn''t just a simple matter. It''s pretty major!" Zhu Jiao was looking at me disapprovingly. He glanced at Bai Ning Xue, as if a little disappointed that she didn''t confide in him. But he understood that I had sworn her to secrecy, so he didn''t say anything.


    "Why would he? Wu will have an advantage if he keeps his martial arts a secret. That''s why he did it, especially when so close to the tournament."


    Fortunately, Tong Xue was on my side.


    "Even so, he could have told us," Zhu Jiao argued.


    "Then what happens if you meet him in the tournament? Did Wu go and ask you for your martial arts before the final?"


    Ban Zhang countered, and then Zhu Jiao faltered.


    "Uh, well¡­"


    "The main reason is because I wanted to maintain a low profile and I didn''t think it was anything major enough to tell you. After all, I wasn''t hurt badly, and you and the other student council members were recovering in the infirmary. Plus I was too busily training afterward that the entire incident slipped my mind. Sorry."


    My reverse psychology actually worked. The moment I lowered my head and apologized, Zhu Jiao quickly waved his hands and apologized.


    "Uh, no. sorry. It''s my fault for being pushy. Of course you would have your own reasons."


    "Thanks for understanding."


    "Anyway, we shouldn''t waste too much time standing around. Let''s get back to our seats."


    At Ban Zhang''s reminded, I glanced at the clock. Sometime during our conversation, we had reached the classroom and had gathered around Bai Ning Xue''s desk to discuss the incident. The lesson was about to begin in a minute, so we hastily dispersed and returned to our desks.


    *


    With no other major events, and now that the tournament had ended, there wasn''t much for me to say. We did what we could, training and cultivating as per our sect''s instructions.


    Having joined the Blood Blades, our training regimen had become a lot stricter. Elder Zhao sure didn''t go easy on Tong Xue and me, mercilessly beating us up in each training session and drilling the techniques of the Nine Heavenly Armaments into our bodies. He wasn''t satisfied with just teaching me the sword and Tong Xue the dagger. He also made sure we had secondary armament training, teaching me the finer uses of wielding a spear and a staff, while also coaching Tong Xue on using a normal sword but other than that, my classmate was let off from other stuff.


    "That''s not how you do it! Put more back into it!"


    "Ugh¡­"


    I struggled to swing the spear with more force, as Elder Zhao directed. He looked at me sternly, circling as I performed the movements he demonstrated earlier.


    "Using a spear is different from using a sword! Keep that in mind!''


    He then paused and shook his head.


    "That said, even the way you use a sword is a mess! Did your primary master not teach you how to properly use a sword?!"


    "I don''t have a primary master," I reminded him. Or even if I did, Master did not teach me how to use a sword. He only taught me the most basic cultivation and breathing methods and the core principles of the other techniques, such as Heavenly Flow and Earthly Path and Heaven and Earth Strike. And I still had yet to fully grasp the latter. I had been making do by combining my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike with the basic principles to come up with Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike, but obviously it didn''t come close to the original Heaven and Earth Strike. I was a long way from mastering that. "My sword skills are all self-learned."


    "Did I give permission for you to talk back?!" Elder Zhao snapped as he smacked my head, almost sending me sprawling on the ground.


    Well, dude, you asked. Then again, he would probably also smack me if I had stayed silent and not answer the question. That was probably the point of the training, so I decided not to retort, so that I could escape unnecessary pain.


    Crawling to my feet, I picked up my spear against and spun it before slashing and swinging it. With more force this time, as per Elder Zhao''s instructions.


    I began regretting asking him to teach me how to use a spear. The idea had occurred to me during training, and I had requested Elder Zhao to show me how to use a spear. Remembering how I used one to kill the Ghost Bear all those years ago, I thought it might help me a little if I had some faint idea of how to actually wield it.


    Besides, Lord Xue Ying used a spear as well, and he was a badass. And at least he didn''t fall into the same Mary Sue trap (or at least the manhua version didn''t) that all other wuxia and xianxia protagonists did, like *cough* Li Fu Chen *cough*.


    So if there was one protagonist I would like to emulate, it would be Lord Xue Ying (the manhua version). As for the novel version, I had only read up to where he fought the Shadow Leopard or whatever in the forest. I should pick it up again when I had the time.


    "Hey! Your thoughts are wandering! Concentrate!"


    Another smack to my head, but I dodged it this time, and continued whirling my spear before slashing at the air. Elder Zhao nodded in approval when he saw my movements. At least he wasn''t petty enough to resent me for ducking his physical punishment.


    "I notice that you seem to have a strange technique that allows you to evade smoothly." He frowned as he studied my movements with the spear, probably trying to mask his irritation at my clumsy attempts at trying to wield it smoothly. "Why would you want to learn the spear? I think short swords suit your fighting style better."


    "Oh, I just want to grasp the basics, just in case I need to use a spear."


    "I would prefer if you concentrate on just the sword, but I guess it''s better to know more fighting styles," Elder Zhao conceded. "Your swordsmanship might be better, but it''s not that¡­competent. I guess you really did learn it all by yourself."


    I tried not to flinch from the criticism. Wow, but that was a huge blow to my confidence. I didn''t even know I had confidence in my swordsmanship in the first place, but it still stung to hear that I wasn''t that competent even though I was aware of the harsh truth.


    "I don''t suppose you can teach me how to use Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship properly," I grumbled. Elder Zhao shrugged.


    "Nope. I haven''t learned that one before, and it''s rude to learn martial arts not belonging to your own sect."


    Was he trying to say something about me?


    "What sect did the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship belong to, anyway?" I asked, trying to mask my hurt.


    "Heavenly Meteor Sect," Elder Zhao replied. "Destroyed years ago by the Martial Arts Alliance because they were spreading their influence far too aggressively. A pity¡­they used to be one of the most powerful orthodox martial arts sects, but their rate of growth and recruitment essentially turned them into a nation unto itself. Alarmed, the Martial Arts Alliance was forced to make its move."


    The scowl on Elder Zhao''s face told me what he thought of that. However, he swallowed his bitterness and continued.


    "Many of the sects, fearing the size and power of the Heavenly Meteor Sect, united under the leadership of the Martial Arts Alliance and assaulted the stronghold of the Heavenly Meteor Sect, laying siege to them for years. It took a decade or so, but they finally broke through when a few of the core elders betrayed the Heavenly Meteor Sect, having been promised by the Martial Arts Alliance to spare their lives and even allow them to found their own sects."


    "What¡­?"


    I gaped at Elder Zhao, and he slapped at my hand.


    "Don''t stop moving!"


    I quickly resumed striking and parrying with my spear, trying to go through with the familiar movements. After making sure I wouldn''t be slacking off, Elder Zhao continued.


    "At that time, the Heavenly Meteor Sect was under the leadership of their sect leader, Tian Liu Xing. He was extremely powerful and charismatic, which accounted for the enormous growth rate and strength of his sect, and thousands flocked to follow him and learn under him."


    I listened, feeling like there was something more to this so-called popular sect leader, and as I suspected, I already knew what was going to happen.


    "However, many of the core elders began to get jealous of how he was dominating and ruling the sect by himself, and they began to desire power of their own. Furthermore, with the constant attacks from the Martial Arts Alliance, and the way the Heavenly Meteor Sect was making enemies of the world, they began to grow disillusioned with his decisions. Especially when he opened the doors to refugees whose sects have been destroyed by the Martial Arts Alliance on the grounds of suspicions of being demonic sects¡­"


    Why did I feel like I had heard this before? Right¡­Lei Yong Chun said something similar. That the Martial Arts Alliance would attempt to destroy any sect independent from their rule, because they feared their power and influence.


    Elder Zhao laughed. "The irony was that, after the Alliance of masters and sect leaders finally overwhelmed and defeated Tian Liu Xing through sheer numbers and attrition, the Martial Arts Alliance turned around and executed those core elders for treason."


    "Going back on their words, huh?"


    "Of course." Elder Zhao shrugged. "They fabricated accusations of those core elders practicing the demonic arts of the Heavenly Meteor Sect, put them on trial, and promptly executed them by beheading."


    Goes to show that karma was a bitch. And hopefully the Martial Arts Alliance would receive theirs one day.


    "Um, so¡­I shouldn''t be learning the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship?" I asked, not sure what the morale of the story was supposed to be.


    "It''s been centuries, and I don''t think the Martial Arts Alliance care. As long as you don''t found an entire sect and break away from them to be independent, as long as you continue to swear your loyalty to the Alliance, they won''t touch you. And besides, you''re primarily an Experimentalist, so I don''t care what you learn outside of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "¡­right."


    I took a deep breath and continued twirling my spear.


    "Besides, the basics of swordsmanship are all the same everywhere. Once you''re familiar with the sword branch of the Nine Heavenly Armaments, you should be able to apply the core principles to your Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship and other sword techniques. Only then would you be able to perfect your mastery of those other sword techniques."


    Elder Zhao grinned.


    "So don''t worry, you''re not wasting your time by learning either of them. If anything, you should have done it the other way around¡­learn the basics of the Nine Heavenly Armaments first, then move on to learn other swordsmanship."


    "Yes, Elder Zhao."


    I wiped the perspiration from my brow before continuing.


    Elder Zhao watched me practice for a few moments before he sat down at a nearby table and sipped some tea. He drummed his fingers on the table, his gaze taking on a faraway look as he stared up at the heavens.


    "We''re going to need all of you kids to grow stronger."


    "Huh?"


    I stopped and stared at him, and when his gaze sharpened, I quickly resumed my training before he could throw his cup at my head.


    Taking a deep breath, Elder Zhao sighed. His expression troubled, he narrowed his eyes as he spoke.


    "Sect Leader has made his decision."


    "What decision?" I demanded, but was careful to keep my tone polite and submissive. I needn''t had bothered. Elder Zhao didn''t seem to notice the barely concealed panic in my voice. He drank another sip of tea and set his cup on the table.


    "The Martial Arts Alliance has been pressuring us for years to become part of them, to enter their fold. All this time, we''ve remained in a cooperative relationship, but we didn''t exactly swear loyalty to the Alliance. That said, whenever they needed help, we sent assistance, especially with that war against the Heaven and Earth Sect and the demonic sects years ago. Back then, the Alliance was embroiled in wars, so they couldn''t afford to antagonize us."


    "And now that those wars have been over for years¡­" I began. Elder Zhao nodded ominously.


    "They''ve begun to increase the pressure on us, badgering us to become part of the Alliance. We''ve always maintained our neutrality, doing business with whoever wants to buy our weapons and engaging in free trace, but if we join the Alliance, we have to pay them taxes and ''protection fees''. Not to mention, we''ll be restricted in who we can trade with. Obviously the Martial Arts Alliance would only allow us to trade and sell our weapons with members within the Alliance. We wouldn''t be able to do business with third parties, neutral sects and non-member sects."


    His lip curled.


    "The Alliance is making use of this to accuse us of doing businesses with the demonic sects, and are no doubt fabricating evidence to bring these charges against us."


    ¡­the fuck? Why?!


    "Sect Leader is getting tired of all their bullshit, and has decided to make his stand once and for all. Moreover, just recently, at the national conference for budgeting and other public matters, he also announced his support for Wu Ling Academy, and their plan to advance research with artificial qi. The royal government is on their side for now, but there are ripples throughout the Martial Arts Alliance. They don''t agree with the Emperor''s decision, and they have marked us as enemies for siding with Wu Ling Academy over them."


    "That''s not good." I gulped.


    "Don''t worry." Elder Zhao smiled at me reassuringly. "Their hands are tied at the moment. With the royal family and government on our side, they shouldn''t be able to make a move. No doubt they''re scheming something in the shadows, but they can''t just declare war on Wu Ling Academy or attack an orthodox sect¡­not if they don''t want to incur the wrath of the imperial family. Even the Martial Arts Alliance isn''t foolish enough to fight the Imperial Guard."


    I was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Elder Zhao continued.

 125 Chapter 124: A year later

    I wasn''t Li Fu Chen, after all.


    Furthermore, ever since the demise of Qi Fu Ren, I didn''t have any enemies. Well, Liang Shao Yang was probably the only one other than Qi Fu Ren who was antagonistic toward me, but ever since he became an inner sect disciple learning directly under the sect leader and elders, he no longer had any reason to provoke me. Additionally, when I entered the Blood Blades, we never encountered each other again. He was too busily learning Spirit Engraving and smithing techniques to leave his little pavilion in the Flame Volcano, while I was occupied with Elder Zhao''s Spartan training regimen. Our paths had little reason to cross.


    Even as a Blood Blade, I continued to learn Spirit Engraving methods and other techniques from one of the elders. It would be great if I could learn directly from Elder Hai Mo, but unlike Qing Lie, I didn''t have much experience or talent in Spirit Engraving and smithing, so why would the venerable First Elder take me under his wing? Even if Tang Qi Hong tried to help me, he was a fair and impartial person who wouldn''t just go along with her whims for no good reason.


    And by now, everyone in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect knew that I was more of a combat specialist than a blacksmith anyway.


    Even so, I endeavored to learn smithing techniques from Elder Tie Jiang. I was trying to build a spirit weapon with the Ice Soul Python scales and Void Whale stuff that I had collected about a year ago, to no avail. Despite learning advanced techniques of Spirit Engraving and remembering their patterns fairly well (it helped that I had reference books to refer to, so I didn''t need an excellent memory), I found myself a very average blacksmith.


    Hey, at least I could forge the bare minimum of a sword without screwing up or blowing up my forge, so it was not a total disaster!


    "Hmm, that''s an interesting project you''re working on."


    "Elder Tie Jiang!"


    It was one such morning, right after my brutal training under Elder Zhao''s hands when Elder Tie walked into my room and saw the weapon I was attempting to forge. He frowned when he saw what I was hammering.


    "That doesn''t look like a sword¡­I thought you were a swordsman."


    "Well, ha ha¡­it can be used as a sword if I forge it right¡­"


    For my spirit weapon, obviously, but I couldn''t say that out loud. Instead, I merely smiled and gestured toward my half-forged armament.


    "I wanted to maximize its defense."


    "Ah¡­so it''s a defensive armament." Elder Tie nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. You seem to be forging a shield?"


    "Yeah," I admitted as I stared at the flat, broad shape that I had hammered out. The once-azure material glowed red-hot as the fires of the Flame Volcano continued to stoke it, allowing its shape to be more malleable. Wiping the perspiration from my forehead, I turned off the furnace and allowed it to cool. It was unfortunate, but there was no point in continuing. "I kind of hit a problem while trying to craft it. It''s not turning out the way I wanted."


    "Hmm? That''s strange. Is it not durable enough?" Elder Tie sounded skeptical. "That can''t be right. The Ice Soul Python scale is one of the toughest materials out there."


    "No, the durability is fine. The problem is the integration of the different materials. I''m trying to merge the Ice Soul Python scale with the Void Whale''s lining, but it seems that they are rejecting each other. They don''t seem to be compatible, despite me following the book and doing what you told me regarding combining materials from different magical beasts."


    "Ah, I see."


    Elder Tie nodded briefly for a moment, and then his eyes widened.


    "Void Whale lining? Why are you trying to combine Void Whale lining with an Ice Soul Python scale? I thought you were trying to forge a shield?"


    "Yeah, but I''m planning on making a special shield. One that can double as a storage device." I grinned. "You said earlier that I''m a swordsman, right? I plan to stuff my shield full of swords so that I can draw one every time I break one."


    Honestly, it seemed that my current strength had outgrown that of the free low-quality swords that the sect had provided. Since I was still saving up for a high-quality sword (which cost thousands of gold coins ¨C meaning that the five hundred gold coins I earned as runner-up in last year''s tournament wasn''t enough), I refused to spend any on a mediocre or even a medium-quality sword in the meantime. Even a decent, medium-quality sword cost several hundred gold coins, and would set me back heavily in my saving plans.


    "You might as well buy a sword or forge a sword instead." Elder Tie naturally did not approve of my foolishness.


    "Yeah, but it would be a waste of an Ice Soul Python if I used it to forge a sword," I pointed out. Elder Tie snorted.


    "No, it wouldn''t. What''s wrong with a sword that has high defensive qualities? I''m sure I''ve taught you the appropriate Spirit Engraving to improve its defense higher. You can use that sword to project a qi barrier around yourself and those you want to protect."


    "That defensive quality would be higher if I forge it as a shield," I pointed out.


    "That''s true," Elder Tie conceded reluctantly. "But you''re not a shield hero, are you? Are you going to save demi-humans and incur the wrath of the Church of the Three Heroes?"


    "No, I''m going to rise, buy a demi-human slave, have her grow into a beautiful woman to be my future wife, and then turn into a god eventually after defeating the numerous waves," I replied with a straight face.


    Elder Tie sighed. "Can''t you take this matter seriously?"


    "Hey, you''re the one who started it!"


    "Fine, fine." Elder Tie waved his hand impatiently and stepped forward. I made way for him as he approached my unfinished product. "Let me take a look."


    "All yours."


    "Hmm¡­" Elder Tie observed my attempt at forging a shield closely, his eyes gleaming behind those thick lenses of his glasses. Like me, he had modified his glasses and I could see countless lights illuminate the lenses, throwing up diagrams, analyses, numbers and charts. The Armament¡­I mean the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had gone a long way in advancing their technology. Many of the Elders could program what passed off as sophisticated Artificial Intelligences in my original timeline with Spirit Engravings (they seemed to work by imbuing the device with spiritual intelligence and redesigning the partial soul housed within the materials), and apparently they had been doing for a long time. That was how we had Battle Puppets and Test Dummies to begin with.


    I read somewhere that we had a Dark Age of Technology a few thousand years ago, but that was top secret, highly classified material, not meant for us students to read. As I didn''t want to draw the intention of the Holy Inquisition, I tended not to pursue these fascinating histories that I would otherwise devour if I was in my original timeline.


    "Ah¡­I see what the problem is now."


    "Huh?" I gaped at Elder Tie, who was raising his head and grinning knowingly in that annoying manner at me. I waited for him to elaborate, but that old bastard was fond of his melodramatic behavior and stayed quiet. He obviously wanted me to ask him. Clamping down on my irritation because I really needed to know, I gave in. "What''s the problem?"


    "You''re missing one ingredient. A special type of material that can help these two originally incompatible materials bond together. A¡­glue, so to speak, an intermediary that can integrate all of them into one armament."


    "Heh¡­what sort of material is that?" I briefly wondered if I had to hunt a specific magical beast for that.


    They couldn''t be more mistaken.


    It was unfortunate, but eating magical beasts only worked the first time. Subsequently, devouring more magical beasts wouldn''t have any effect, other than satiating my hunger. I had found that out when eating the Silverback Wolves. Even though I somewhat gained the ability to use ice after eating them, my ice powers, physical strength and amount of qi did not increase when I ate more of them. My current physical constitution was closer to that of a magical beast than a human, after having already undergone an agonizing transformation after eating their meat. Once you had eaten one of them, subsequent meals of magical beasts wouldn''t increase your qi or strength. It wasn''t as if my body was going to transform again, not when it already was closer to a magical beast than a human''s constitution.


    Only if I ate something much more powerful would I be able to somewhat increase my amount of qi, but it was an extremely painful process, and I no longer had the Green Dragon Spring water in case I needed it to heal myself. having learned from devouring the Ghost Bear about four years ago, I knew I needed that sort of contingency before risking the chance to eat a much more powerful magical beast, or I might end up killing myself in my greed to grow stronger.


    Another misconception was that of "demonic" qi. Even though I naively believed what I read or what the Martial Arts Alliance told me when I first started out in this timeline, over time and countless experiences, I realized there was absolutely no difference between "orthodox" and "demonic" qi. Having exchanged blows with exponents from both sides, I couldn''t tell any difference between their qi. This lack of difference was especially pronounced after I attained my Heaven and Earth Sense and learned how to read the flow of qi around people and in the environment.


    Most likely the Martial Arts Alliance arbitrarily distinguished "demonic" qi from "orthodox" qi so as to justify their attacks on sects they deemed a danger to their authority. It also helped that most of those so-called demonic sects practiced techniques that relied on a lot of yin qi, and the orthodox sects tended to use martial arts that were largely yang-based. While there were many exceptions, and no martial art could ever be purely one type of qi, it made it easy for the Martial Arts Alliance to draw a line and forced people to be with them or against them.


    Unfortunately, at that time I was still unaware of the politics surrounding the different types of qi, but I did realize that something was amiss.


    "What kind of material do I need?" I asked again, mentally doing the preparations for yet another expedition. As a Blood Blade, it was easy for me to take missions and I could conveniently swing by to hunt whatever I needed.


    "Oh, no, it''s not from a magical beast. You can''t get it by going into the forest and looking for it."


    As if he had read my mind, Elder Tie shook his head and flatly smashed my plans to bits. He pondered for a moment, and sighed.


    "I was thinking more of a specific item¡­an artifact said to be from the Dark Age of Technology. Whoops, forget what I told you." Elder Tie cleared his throat. "An object from the ancient past. It is yin in nature, so you should be able to identify it at a glance."


    "Can''t I just hunt a magical beast that is yin in nature and use its material?" I asked, finding this whole thing weird.


    "No, like I said, it''s not something you can just get from the wild. It''s a human-created artifact¡­to be honest, any yin-based artificial artifact is fine. Of course, the higher quality it is, then the more powerful your shield will be. And since you''re using the Ice Soul Python, it would be best if you can find an ice-type artifact."


    Elder Tie was nodding, getting carried away. I groaned, realizing that if I wanted to find one, I would have to pay for it.


    "That''s going to cost me a lot of money¡­"


    "Indeed." Elder Tie looked at me sympathetically, and then he suddenly beamed as if he had just remembered something. "That''s it!"


    "Huh? I stared at him, bewildered. Elder Tie seemed like he was practically prancing up and down from his recollection.


    "Disciple Fei Wu, haven''t you heard about the major event that had recently occurred in the Tian Du region?"


    "No?"


    I was so busy with training, both in terms of martial arts and smithing, that I had no time to pay any attention to the news. In the first place, what the hell was the Tian Du region? Heavenly Poison region or something?


    Then I suddenly recalled that Tushan City was suddenly receiving more visitors from other provinces over the last month, and my mind made the link.


    Does it have something to do with the influx of outsiders?


    For the life of me, I couldn''t imagine what it might be, so in the end I opened my mouth and asked sourly.


    "What happened?"


    Elder Tie grinned mischievously, as if he had just lured me into a trap from which I couldn''t escape. Despite my annoyance, I couldn''t risk offending him, so I gritted my teeth and tried to be patient. It wasn''t easy, especially when I had to watch his gloating face.


    "You do know the mountain range just west of Tushan City, right?"


    "Uh¡­if I remember correctly¡­the mountain range to the west of here is¡­the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range? Why? What happened there?"


    I tried to suppress my surprise, so as not to give Elder Tie the satisfaction. He observed my reaction for a bit, and then grinned conspiratorially.


    "Someone has found a tomb in the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range."


    "Tomb? Whose tomb?" I repeated blankly. In this timeline, the discovery of a tomb was pretty common, particularly the identity of the person who the tomb belonged to. Depending on the status of the poor dude lying within the tomb, it could contain countless treasures (and traps), or it could contain just a little bit of wealth.


    Not to mention, the more ancient the tomb was, the more valuable the artifacts and weapons found inside the tomb. Not for the first time I wondered if it had something to do with the Dark Age of Technology, but most information regarding that missing era had been redacted by the Holy Inquisition of the Emperor.


    "That tomb came from a very ancient period¡­"


    I rolled my eyes at the answer. "That''s pretty vague. Which ancient period? The Shang Dynasty? The Shi Dynasty?"


    "About four thousand years ago, so before even the Shi Dynasty." Elder Tie held up a finger. "But that''s not important here."


    Like hell it wasn''t! As a historian (at least during my previous timeline), I wasn''t going to let that slide!


    But before I could teach Elder Tie the importance of history, he continued.


    "The person who the tomb belonged to¡­is a practitioner who had reached the Nascent Soul Stage."


    Elder Tie''s wrinkled eyes swept around the room dramatically as he spoke softly. Dude, it''s a little too late to be worrying about eavesdroppers now, don''t you think?


    Unfortunately, Elder Tie was right about one thing. If the owner of the tomb was indeed a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner, then it didn''t matter which time period he came from. For it meant that his tomb was definitely stocked full of highly valuable treasures, advanced artifacts and extremely powerful weapons.


    Without a doubt, everyone would want to go there and raid the tomb for those things.


    "No wonder so many people have been showing up in Tushan City recently," I muttered as I recalled the increasing presence of outsiders.


    "That''s right. As you observed, almost every young practitioner from all over the Middle Continent have come here because of the tomb. Not to mention the disciples of the other seven major sects." Elder Tie nodded gravely.


    "The other seven major sects, huh?" I muttered. Well, that made sense. Of course the strongest sects would be first to all dibs on the tomb and pillage all the precious artifiacts, weapons and treasures housed within its vaults. But even they wouldn''t be able to prevent practitioners from all the other sects from flooding its interiors.


    "You should check it out too, as a disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. naturally Sect Leader has already assigned the inner sect disciples to take part in the expedition. The Blood Blades are of course more than welcome to join, given the danger present."


    Tombs were always full of traps, with the dead wanting to protect all his treasures and hoard them for himself even after his death. Consequently, exploring a tomb was a risky venture, and one could lose his life if he was not careful.


    "Disciple Fei Wu¡­who knows, if you''re lucky, you might find the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s martial arts and inherit his legacy. If you do, you''ll definitely find yourself promoted into the Blood Blades'' inner circle, second only to Elder Zhao and Sect Lady Da Ji."


    "Um, as much as I would love to, it sounds too competitive for me. A Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb? Yeah¡­that''s gong to be very difficult."


    While I probably could hold my own in a fight, tomb exploration was a different beast altogether. Without a good sense of direction like Ciaphas Cain''s hiver instincts, I would only get lost in the endless maze and labyrinthine corridors that made up its interior, and if I wasn''t careful, I might spend an eternity trapped within, never to escape. Even if I do, all the elite practitioners across the Great Zhou Empire and even the Middle Continent would have snatched the treasures before I could reach them, rendering the trip a complete waste of time.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to participate? You do want that yin-based ice artifact, don''t you? There''s definitely one in the tomb."


    Elder Tie was grinning now, as if he had hooked me by the nose or something.


    "Please don''t tell me it''s Extreme Yin Dragon Saliva or I''m going to kick you out of my room," I muttered. Elder Tie blinked, baffled.


    "Extreme Yin Dragon¡­what?"


    "Never mind," I quickly said. If he didn''t know what that meant, he definitely wouldn''t pull a Wu Dong Qian Kun on me.


    "Then what are you referring to?"


    "How would I know? Do I look like I''ve been to the tomb? Isn''t it the job of you younglings to explore the tomb and report its contents back to us? I''m only mentioning the possibility. Hell, since it''s a tomb from before the Shi Dynasty, there definitely is an item¡­no, several items of such nature. You can have your pick¡­"


    "¡­if the other elite practitioners haven''t taken them away by then¡­"


    Elder Tie chuckled. "What? You have no confidence? You''re one of the fearsome Blood Blades. There aren''t many people in your generation who can beat you in a fight."


    "It''s not combat I''m worried about," I told him. "I can probably defeat them in a fight if everything goes south, but my combat capability isn''t going to help me if I get lost in the tomb and become unable to find whatever I want. Given my terrible luck, I can see that just happening."


    "You won''t know if you don''t try. If you don''t go, nothing is going to change, and you''ll have to fork out a fortune to buy the artifact you need. If you go, even if the possibility is low, it''s not going to be zero like now."


    "You''re right," I conceded. Bowing, I sent the laughing Elder Tie off. "Thank you very much, Elder Tie."


    "No, no. I''m only too happy that another rone of our disciples will be participating in the mission." Elder Tie clenched his fists. "We can''t let the other seven major sects hog the glory! We need to beat them as well!"


    "I''ll remember to do that while looking for treasures," I replied dryly. Of course, I had no intention of getting into a fight if I could help it. My objective was finding the treasure I needed and then beating the hell out of there. There was no point getting into meaningless conflicts with prodigies and geniuses from the other sects.


    After that exchange, I headed toward the courtyard where I expected to train under Elder Zhao. As usual, he was waiting for me, but there was something different about his posture today.


    "Elder Zhao?"


    I approached him uncertainly. He caught sight of me and waved me over.


    "Oh, Fei Wu. Training is canceled today."


    I did a double take. Elder Zhao rarely cancelled training, unless he had an urgent mission, or it was the holidays like the New Year holidays. This time, Tang Qi Hong hadn''t joined me to visit my relatives because her adopted parents were back, and she could spend time with them and her adopted sister, Zi Xiao Ji.


    "Eh? What? Huh?"


    "Don''t ''huh'' me. Cancelled means cancelled." Elder Zhao smiled cynically. "I didn''t know you were looking forward to my training, though. Seems like I wasn''t tough enough."


    "No, it''s tough enough! I''m happy that you cancelled it! Thank you!"


    "Heh¡­" Elder Zhao''s expression darkened. "As punishment for revealing your honest feelings, I''m going to double the intensity."


    "WHAT!?"


    Which is it, you fucking bastard?!


    "For now, though¡­" Elder Zhao. I grew pale when I realized that he wasn''t joking. "A tomb has just been discovered in the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range. I am assigning you to an exploration mission within that tomb."


    "¡­"


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    Just after Elder Tie told me about this, Elder Zhao now directly ordered me to explore the tomb. If this wasn''t fate fucking around with me, I didn''t know what was.


    "You don''t seem surprised?" Elder Zhao looked at me suspiciously. I was too tired to respond to all these nonsense.


    "Elder Tie already told me about it," I explained wearily. "And he also suggested that I go."


    "I''m making it an official mission. Anything you find there, you get to keep. So off you go!"


    I sighed and scratched my head. Despite Elder Tie''s encouragement and Elder Zhao''s order, I still didn''t feel comfortable with this. It was my first time exploring a tomb and I wasn''t prepared. It would be a whole different experience from surviving Sen Lin Forest and an abyss, where my only goal was to stay alive and not to look for treasures.


    Especially given the countless practitioners who were sure to be flocking to the tomb and emptying its vaults of treasures, weapons and artifacts before I could even reach it¡­the possibility of me getting anything of value seemed bleak indeed.


    "Why are you looking so down for?" Elder Zhao smacked me across the head. Fortunately, I read the spike in his qi and pulled my head back before he could hit me, and his fingers only grazed several strands of my hair. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Don''t give up so easily!"


    "I don''t intend to give up," I assured him. Imagining myself inside a Space Construction Vehicle and being given an order to move, I began walking briskly as if Elder Zhao had just run out of Marines. "I''m going!"


    "Wait, wait!"


    I stopped and glanced back at Elder Zhao quizzically. He looked at me seriously.


    "Look here, Fei Wu. Even Tong Xue had more enthusiasm than you, and you''re supposed to be the hardworking one."


    "Oh, I work hard, but I know when something''s going to be a waste of time."


    Elder Zhao sighed and shook his head. He gestured for me to approach.


    "When a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner dies, all the spiritual qi inside his body will not dissipate that easily. Instead, as time goes on, it will gradually coalesce once again and condense into a dense cloud of qi. This will result in the formation of the essence of the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s lifetime of cultivation, and is known as the Nascent Heart."


    "The what heart now?" I repeated, stupefied.


    "If an ordinary person can get hold of a Nascent Heart, as long as he''s somewhat capable, he will have the potential to reach the Pure Spirit Stage. However, for a talented person, as long as he can withstand that fiery essence, he will have a chance to jump all the way to the Nascent Soul Stage."


    I just nodded, while thinking to myself, whatever. All these bullshit stages and realms were meaningless to me. Furthermore, with the advent of artificial qi, the realms and stages had all become obsolete. How did you gauge someone''s realm? By the amount of qi they had? If that was the case, then all those students at Wu Ling Academy with several sexagenaries of qi were easily at the Qi Fusion or Pure Spirit Stage, were they not?


    So what was the whole point of having all these stages? How were the Wu Ling Academy students different from traditional Pure Spirit Stage practitioners? Their years of cultivation? Experience? Age? Some obscure determinant we weren''t aware of?


    Elder Zhao wasn''t paying any attention to my rambling thoughts. He was nodding with what he hoped was a persuasive smile.


    "If you''re able to obtain such a treasure, you''ll definitely encounter a miracle!"


    "Hah!" I snorted. "As if such things would conveniently happen! I''m not some protagonist from a clich¨¦ wuxia/xianxia novel. It''s not as if I''ll just happen to run into the place where the Nascent Heart is stored!"


    "Well¡­it''s true that I can''t guarantee that there will definitely be a Nascent Heart inside the old tomb, it is still worth a try. You might find other valuable treasures in there. Aren''t you learning Spirit Engraving and smithing too?" Elder Zhao coughed, as if to say "unlike that lazy Tong Xue." He turned to look at me seriously. "You''ll find great materials for your smithing and Spirit Engraving. As you already know, tombs are full of amazing wonders."


    Well, the rewards commensurated with the risks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Of course, with such great danger and extreme competition from all the elite practitioners, there had to be treasure and artifacts worth all that trouble.


    "Yeah, I''ll definitely give it a shot."


    I took a deep breath. Even though I didn''t feel very confident, I had nothing to lose (other than my time). If anything, I could take this as a learning experience, and improve my skills while contesting other elite practitioners. Even if I came out of it empty-handed, I was confident that I would be inevitably drawn into a conflict sooner or later.


    Might as well challenge several of these so-called elite practitioners from the major sects and see how I measured up to them. I might be second-placed in Wu Ling Academy, but I could just be a frog in the well or a big fish in a small pond. If I wanted to improve myself, I had to take risks and look for other big fishes to challenge.


    And perhaps, just like a poor carp, I might eventually evolve into a dragon like everyone else. Yeah, apparently there were legends about carps evolving into dragons. Where did you think they got the idea for Magikarp and Gyarados, Feebas and Milotic from? Chinese and Japanese mythologies, of course.


    "First, I''ll have to look for Tong Xue and the rest¡­"


    Obviously, there were safety in numbers, and if I could join a group, I would be safer. We could work together and watch each other''s backs. I would also feel a lot more comfortable with Tong Xue around. Knowing the sneaky scoundrel, he most likely had already gathered at least some form of intelligence regarding the tomb.

 126 Chapter 125: Family

    Dad was gaping at me from the other side of the screen. I had contacted him through an online video cam software and was speaking with my family in real time.


    "Um, I''m going to explore a tomb. So I might be gone for a couple of weeks¡­maybe a month, if something happens."


    Usually I would contact my parents every weekend through video cam. So when I was out on a mission for weeks, like that time with the Void Whale, I would notify my parents beforehand that I might not be able to talk to them online. It was only common courtesy, after all. And of course I wouldn''t have any Internet connection out on the field.


    "Eh¡­I thought you would be going home¡­"


    In contrast, Mum looked a little upset. I felt a little sorry, but I couldn''t back down. Not when I had an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented to me.


    "Normally I would, but I have been assigned to conduct an expedition. It would be remiss of me to abandon my duties."


    Mom frowned, not buying my bullshit for a second. Obviously I wasn''t doing this out of duty but out of personal benefit. After all, if I found any treasures, artifacts or spirit weapons, I could stake my claim on them.


    Seeing her expression, I sighed.


    "What did you expect me to do? Return home, and then wait for the clan members from the main family to come over and mock me for being a martial arts instructor despite being so young, and then I beat them up? And it''s not as if I have a sick sister waiting at home for me or something."


    "We don''t have a sister," my younger brother Fei Ji pointed out, puzzled. I nodded vehemently.


    "Exactly!"


    "Uh¡­"


    My family glanced at each other, not sure what was going on. Evidently none of them had read Wu Dong Qian Kun.


    Sighing, I continued. "I''ll have to go to the tomb and conduct an exploratory expedition tomorrow, so I won''t be around for the next few weeks. I have no idea how long it''ll take."


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    "I see. Be careful." Dad grinned. "Make sure you bring something back!"


    If there was even a 0.0001% chance, then I should try it. It wasn''t as if I had anything to lose other than my time and efforts, which I could have invested in training. Even then, I could make the argument that going out into the field would earn me invaluable combat experience that was worth much more than any number of years of training.


    "Tomb exploration?!" Mom cried out in dismay. As always, she was worried about my safety. "Isn''t that dangerous?"


    "I''m a martial artist, Mom," I pointed out. "Danger comes with the role."


    Mom looked at me disapprovingly. "That''s why I said you shouldn''t be a martial artist. You should just attend a normal academy and learn safer skills¡­like being a lawyer or a doctor."


    Fuck. Even in this timeline, all Asian mothers cared about was having their sons get a "bright" future by being a lawyer or a doctor. It was always lawyers and doctors. I was getting sick of hearing that. not only did I suck at healing (I wasn''t Yun Che and I certainly didn''t spend an entire lifetime learning under the most famous doctor, and I doubted Doctor Gui Yi would ever take me as a disciple), I was a little queasy around blood (unless I was spilling it ¨C but treating wounds and performing first aid made me uncomfortable).


    As for lawyers, it was an utterly boring and dull job. I hated having to memorize legal codes and all that crap. Furthermore, unlike the stereotype that lawyers were rich and successful, if I remembered correctly, back in my timeline, there was an oversaturation of lawyers. Not every lawyer could work in huge firms, and those who did faced a great deal of stress. As there were too many lawyers, many of those who graduated with a law degree had to confront the very real threat of unemployment. Unfortunately, it was the same in this timeline as well.


    "Wu''er is strong. He''ll overcome this and do well. I can''t wait to see what he brings back!"


    As always, Dad was encouraging. He tried to hold back Mom and give me the freedom to do what a man had to do.


    However, Mom looked unconvinced. She pressed her fingers against the table nervously, her skin turning pale.


    "Don''t force yourself, don''t be too reckless, take care of yourself, make sure you''re in a group where there are others who will look after you¡­"


    She was rattling off a list of what I should do, to the point I was blanking off and just nodding to go through the motions.


    "What sort of treasure do you plan on finding, Brother?" Fei Ji asked. I shrugged.


    "I wouldn''t know. I''ll only find out when I actually get there and explore."


    "That''s my boy!" Father guffawed proudly. Mom shot him a sharp gaze, but didn''t say anything because she knew it would be pointless.


    "Weren''t you trying to learn smithing or something? Or was it Spirit Engraving? Shouldn''t you be searching for materials that would be useful for your smithing?" Fei Ji pointed out. I grimaced and shook my head.


    "Do you think the materials I''m looking for would conveniently appear in front of me? Moreover, there''s intense competition coming from all the other sects. All the elite young cultivators are coming for this expedition. I might actually return empty-handed."


    "Don''t worry about that," Dad assured me. "Just do your best. At least you''ll gain invaluable experience out of this."


    "Yeah." So that was where I learned that logic from. Like father, like son.


    "Speaking of which, how is your progress with smithing going?" Fei Ji was curious. Unlike me, he intended to go to a technical school and learning engineering. One day he was going to build a faster-than-light spacecraft. Or so I wanted to believe. "I remember your academy is the one who pioneered artificial qi, right? Any new developments on that front?"


    "A few, but not much."


    When artificial qi first came out, researchers saw it as an exotic material, a revolutionary substance that could change the understanding of the way Nature worked. Prior to the invention of artificial qi, everything ran off natural qi. Cars, electric equipment, televisions, computers, the Internet, even satellites ¨C these were all powered by qi.


    Drawing natural qi from the surroundings and converting them into electricity within sophisticated devices within the equipment, such devices could theoretically run off unlimited amounts of energy from the environment and persist forever. Of course, the components still suffered wear and tear, but we didn''t have to worry about running out of qi.


    The invention of artificial qi had altered that somewhat, and people talked about creating much more powerful, more advanced devices using artificial qi. For example, faster than light travel for spacecraft, more powerful and sophisticated artificial intelligences that run on quantum technology, and even powerful robots. From what I heard, the battle puppets and test dummies were being powered by artificial qi.


    But as a new technology, artificial qi had its limits. For one thing, it was "impure". Just like uranium, if there were mixed isotopes within the raw material, it couldn''t be used to power nuclear reactors. Compared to pure, natural qi (which was often in a purified form), unrefined artificial qi was horribly inefficient.


    In other words, the current technology where devices processed and ran on natural qi drawn from the surroundings was still vastly superior to artificial qi technology. That wasn''t to say artificial qi was entirely useless. It was still widely used to boost the Wu Ling Academy students'' strength, medical treatments (transfusion of artificial qi to sustain a severely injured cultivator''s life), and other cultivation procedures, but in terms of mechanical technology, it was still far behind. Well, they seemed to have used it to great effect for powering battle-automata and mechanical puppets, so I had to give them that, though. Though I couldn''t see a greater use for that in the broader aspects of society other than purely military application.


    And even then, natural qi was more efficient. It was just that these battle-automata ran on vast amounts of qi that they couldn''t operate long on just surrounding natural qi alone. While artificial qi was very inefficient, the sheer bulk of it readily available and accessible meant that we could pump the battle puppets with vast quantities and had them run. Not smoothly or perfectly, but at least for extended periods of time beyond tnose that operated solely on natural qi from the surroundings. I was sure they would continue to improve the technology in future.


    "Yeah, that''s true." Fei Ji considered for a while after I ranted and rambled about the inefficiency and flaws of artificial qi. He frowned. "Is that why you refuse to absorb artificial qi?"


    "Not by choice, I assure you. My body rejected artificial qi." Leaning back in my chair, I sighed. "I''m not stupid enough to refuse something that''s free and beneficial if the academy is willing to give it to me."


    "Isn''t that bad?" Mom asked, concerned. I smiled and flexed my arm to reassure her that everything was fine.


    "No. I found a way around it, and I think it''s actually much better not to have artificial qi. The more quantity of qi, the more impure it is, and the more difficult it is to purify it. Besides, my martial arts doesn''t rely on brute concepts like ''more equals strength''. It''s all about technique."


    "Are there any known side effects of artificial qi?" Fei Ji asked. I shook my head.


    "Absolutely none. Everyone''s doing fine. There isn''t much difference between artificial qi and natural qi other than the impurity level. Artificial qi is a lot more impure, but that''s about it. Otherwise they''re pretty much the same."


    "Well, I''m glad you overcame that hurdle. And you did us proud by finishing second in your academy tournament. Congratulations again." Dad puffed up, looking pretty pleased. I scratched my head, looking a little embarrassed.


    "W¡­well, anyway, I should get off soon. I need to do some preparations."


    "All right. See you then."


    With that, I switched off the webcam program and shut down my computer. Rising to my feet, I stretched myself before I embarked on my preparation journey.


    *


    On my way to the store, I caught sight of a familiar figure.


    "¡­Zhu Jiao?"


    I waved at his direction, but he didn''t see me, so I hurriedly jogged over to catch his attention he seemed to be leaving a supermarket, with a bunch of groceries in his hand. He almost dropped the plastic bag (or synthetic fiber bag, since there were no fossil fuels and no such thing as plastic in this timeline, so we used a substitute in the form of synthetic fibers).


    "Whoa! Fei Wu! You surprised me!"


    I snorted. "I doubt that. Nothing surprises you."


    "You''ll be surprised."


    I noted the heavy use of irony, but said nothing. Instead, I moved on to the more important topic.


    "What are you doing here? Buying gorceries?"


    "Yeah¡­sort of."


    For some reason, Zhu Jiao looked down. I hurried to catch up with him, noticing that most of the contents in his bag seemed medicinal. He had gathered quite a lot of herbs and ingredients for nourishing soup, such as wolfberry.


    But the herbs were what caught my eye. Wasn''t that big red one the Snow Azure Penguin Fruit? And another was a Frost Berry that was rich in yin qi. In fact, many of the herbs looked as if they were designed to supplement someone''s yin qi.


    "By the way, have you heard?"


    Zhu Jiao was asking me. I shook my head.


    "Heard what?"


    "About the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb in the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range. It seems like everyone is flocking to explore it."


    "Oh, I''ve heard of it," I replied honestly. "I''m planning to participate as well. How about you? Do you intend to join the fun?"


    "Yeah." Zhu Jiao chuckled, but I noticed his laughter was hollow. "I plan to. There''s something I need to find at all costs."


    "What happened?" I asked, aware of his worried tone. "Did something happen?"


    "Oh, no¡­it''s just my sister."


    "Huh?! You have a sister?!"


    I almost yelled. Why didn''t anyone know of that?! I had been friends with Zhu Jiao for five years now, and this was the first time I heard that he had a sister. I resisted the urge to grab his collar and shake him wildly, instead just forcing myself to shouting.


    "Since when did you have a sister?!"


    "Since about¡­ten to twelve years ago, I guess?!"


    Zhu Jiao looked nonplussed, as if he didn''t think informing his friends that he had a sister was anything worth mentioning. Then again, even if we were friends, we never really asked about his family. That was partially my fault.


    "You¡­guess?" I repeated incredulously. "How can you not know your sister''s age? She''s either ten years old or she''s twelve."


    "Um, actually, she''s seventeen, the same age as us."


    My jaw dropped at the revelation. I wasn''t sure I was hearing the bastard correctly.


    "Wait, what? Then how the heck is she your sister only ten to twelve years ago?" then it struck me. "Ah¡­a stepsister? One of your parents remarried?"


    "No, no. my parents never remarried. She''s not a stepsister¡­she''s more of an adopted sister. I ran into her in the fields about ten years ago, and she had been abandoned and left to fend for herself. She was on the verge of starving to death, so I brought her home and fed her. My parents were only too happy to adopt her, and we got all the paperwork done, so she''s officially my sister and a part of our family."


    Holy fuck! What sort of protagonist development was this!? Clearly this was the sister route, where the sister character was not a biological sister, which opened up possibilities for her to be Zhu Jiao''s love interest. No doubt Zhu Jiao doted on her, and most likely this sister was deeply in love with him for saving her. She definitely was one of his harem candidates, next to Bai Ning Xue and Qing Xin Xia.


    Zhu Jiao''s harem seemed to be growing. No, it was already large to begin with, that fucking bastard. And he didn''t even seem to realize.


    Suppressing the urge to rage and scream at him, I instead put on an expression of concern. Convenient plot progression and harem candidate aside, for Zhu Jiao to be purchasing these must mean only one thing.


    "What happened to your sister?"


    "She has a special¡­constitution." Zhu Jiao looked at me helplessly. "Have you ever heard of the Terminus Demonic Body?"


    "No," I replied truthfully, though that sounded awfully familiar. "I''m guessing that it has something to do with yin qi."


    "As expected, you''re well-read." Dude, I just said I hadn''t heard of it, never mind read about it. Nonetheless Zhu Jiao continued with his misunderstanding before I could correct him. "It''s a type of constitution that is purely yin-based. No yang qi is able to exist within her body because of the highly domineering yin qi that circulates in her system."


    "That sounds tough," I murmured. For most cultivators, cultivating meant absorbing and refining both yin and yang qi, and then fusing the both into yuan qi, or at least having both yin and yang qi exist and circulate around their bodies in a harmonious manner. For someone to only possess a single type of qi, that sort of situation was exceedingly rare.


    And often very deadly.


    "I learned from Mas¡­I mean I learned from someone that the only way to treat this condition is for her to absorb various kinds of yin qi. The more potent the yin qi, the better." Zhu Jiao clenched his fist. I noticed his slip, but didn''t say anything. Evidently Qi Lin, Zhu Jiao''s ghostly master, wanted him to keep his spectral existence a secret. I had no intention of exposing it either. Zhu Jiao had to stay as a special snowflake protagonist with a ghostly master guiding him, after all.


    "So that''s why you bought so many yin-based herbs," I observed. Zhu Jiao nodded.


    "That''s right. It is impossible for Qing Tan to absorb yang qi. The yin qi would merely consume whatever yang qi she absorbed, so no matter how much yang qi is provided, it will never be able to neutralize the demonic yin qi in her Terminus Demonic Body. She''ll never be able to properly cultivate like normal people."


    "Ah¡­" I suddenly remembered a passage from a book I had read a couple of years ago. "But she can still cultivate¡­it''s just that she will be purely yin qi-based. This sort of yin-based cultivation can be extremely powerful."


    "That''s right¡­but she has to survive it first."


    Zhu Jiao looked grim. I couldn''t help but feel sorry for him, and I nodded.


    "Don''t worry. She will definitely survived." My smile widened. "Those who with such special constitutions ¨C who are either pure yin based or pure yang based ¨C will be slightly stronger than ordinary yuan cultivations. Depending on the martial arts she learns, she can easily shoot up to the top in our generation."


    Heaven and Earth Formula was yuan-based, meaning it involved fusing the yin and yang qi during cultivation to produce a vast amount of energy. Sort of like nuclear fusion. On the other hand, it also involved endlessly refining and purifying one''s qi, so as to better produce that nuclear fusion (or qi fusion) effect.


    However, for someone who was pure yin or pure yang based, he or she would already have reached that purification stage and could already unleash massive amounts of energy. They already benefited naturally from having such a pure qi and could, similar to me, trigger volatile reactions between their pure qi and the surrounding qi to produce vast destructive power.


    On the other hand, they would never be able to benefit from something as impure as artificial qi, which was produced as a mixture of yin and yang qi.


    I see¡­so that''s why I can''t absorb artificial qi¡­


    Over the years, I was under the impression that my body was "demonic" ¨C that having devoured the magical beasts and demonic creatures in Sen Lin Forst, I had undergone drastic physical changes and my qi had turned "demonic" somehow. That was far fom the truth, especially when I learned that there was absolutely no difference between "orthodox" or "demonic" qi. But the reason why I couldn''t absorb artificial qi was because the moment I began learning Heaven and Earth Formula, my constitution had changed somewhat¡­


    ¡­no, perhaps I already had a constitution similar to Zhu Jiao''s sister. Obviously it wasn''t the Terminus Demonic Body, but it was probably something aligned toward a specific type of qi, meaning impure qi such as artificial qi would not be of any use to me.


    At least I''m not the only one in the world who won''t be able to receive artificial qi. All the people with unique constitutions such as Terminus Demonic Body are also unable to benefit from it. I wonder what kind of constitution I have¡­?


    Well, it wasn''t important.


    "The only advice I received for now is for Qing Tan to only absorb yin qi, and have her totally avoid absorbing yang qi. Given her constitution, to be honest, she needs a specific type of cultivation method and martial arts, but neither Mas¡­I mean, neither the person who told me about this nor I have any idea regarding yin-based martial arts and cultivation methods. There should be those among the bigger sects who have them, and they would just love to have pure yin or yang based constitution practitioners because of their potential."


    "The problem is that you don''t know which sect," I finished for him. Zhu Jiao nodded.


    "That''s right."


    "Well, I can tell you for sure that the Snow Valley Sect will have such cultivation methods and martial arts. You probably want to ask someone from there." Even as I said that, I realized that none of our classmates were from that sect. this was going to be difficult. Perhaps I should ask Yin Jing Jing, who was a fellow disciple in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. her primary sect was the Snow Valley Sect, and she had joined us just to hone her smithing and Spirit Engraving skills.


    "Ah¡­! I see! Thanks!"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes brightened. But after a while, he sank into brooding silence.


    "For now, though¡­I have to find sources of yin qi for Qing Tan to absorb. That''s why I intend to go to the tomb. I hope I can find something of use¡­!"


    Our goals were similar. I was also in search of a yin-based artifact to forge my weapon. Zhu Jiao was also looking for one to help his sister. Realizing that our chances of success would be higher if we worked together, especially since we were looking for the same thing, I decided to offer a hand.


    "I''ll help you. I also need a yin-based artifact, anyway, and they should be stored together in the tomb. Let''s get them!"


    "Thank you!"


    We continued together for a few more paces, and then Zhu Jiao glanced at me, his expression mystified.


    "Er¡­why are you following me?"


    "Aren''t we going to the tomb together?"


    "Yeah, but I''m going home first. I''ve to brew some soup for my sister and take care of her. Why don''t we meet up later?"


    I shrugged shamelessly. "Do you mind if I visit your sister? I want to see what I can do to help."


    "Thanks, but there''s no need to." Zhu Jiao was strangely over-protective of his sister. "I really appreciate it, but there''s nothing you can do¡­"


    "Are you sure?" I asked. He hesitated, and glanced down.


    "It''s hopeless," he helplessly admitted. "You''ll see what I mean when you arrive."


    So he finally gave me permission. Feeling a bit curious, I followed him home. No, I wasn''t being a stalker. I was being a busybody. There was a huge difference.


    "Jiao''er! You''re back! Come quickly! Qing Tan has¡­!"


    The moment we reached Zhu Jiao''s home, however, a voice rang out through the manor. A middle-aged woman who seemed to be Zhu Jiao''s mother came rushing out to call to him. Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened and we rushed into the house quickly, the former almost dropping the bag of yin-based herbs in the process.


    "Qing Tan! Are you all right?!"


    I stopped right behind him, catching sight of an extremely beautiful girl (of course Zhu Jiao''s sister had to be exceedingly beautiful, as she was one of his harem candidates ¨C roll eyes) shivering on her bed. Her skin was pale, even whiter than snow (don''t ask me how). Wisps of cold air condensed into fog and swirled around her, the surrounding temperature plummeting drastically as frosty yin qi seeped out of her body.


    The room had grown so cold that frost actually began to form on the ground and walls.


    "Oh no! The chilling cold has flared up again!"


    As he felt waves of chilling cold emanate from Qing Tan''s body, Zhu Jiao forcibly suppressed his shivering and approached her.


    "Brother¡­Jiao¡­"


    Qing Tan managed to whisper his name through gritted teeth. She forced a smile as she looked up, despite her delicate body trembling violently from the cold. Agony was clearly etched on her pretty face, but she endured it to assure him.


    "You¡­are back¡­"


    "Yes, I''m back!"


    "This is¡­" I murmured, not sure what to make of it. Zhu Jiao turned toward me, his face stricken.


    "This is my sister, Qing Tan. Ever since young, she has frequently suffered from bouts of cold like this. Every once in a while, very dense cold air will burst from inside her body, and under the effects of this demonic chill, she will suffer from a lot of pain. Over the last ten years, Qing Tan has suffered a lot because of this cold. But even Father isn''t able to do anything about her condition. He once tried to use his qi to expel the cold qi from her body, but he ended up bedridden for two weeks just to remove the frosty yin qi that entered his own body."


    "In other words¡­" I tried not to say "too long; didn''t read" and maintained neutrality. "You have no way of relieving her pain."


    Zhu Jiao nodded shamefully. "That''s right."


    "Why didn''t you tell any of us?" I demanded. "We''re friends. We could have figured something out, help you with your sister''s condition."


    "What use would that be?" Zhu Jiao snapped bitterly. "Do you think you can do something about it? Most of our classmates never even heard of Terminus Demonic Body before, never mind know how to deal with it. I would just cause unnecessary worry."


    "Always worth a try," I replied with a shrug.


    "Brother Jiao¡­is that your¡­friend?"


    Even when incapacitated by immense agony, Qing Tan did not forget her decorum. Instead, she forced a smile.


    "I''m sorry for showing such an unsightly side of myself¡­I would have greeted you properly¡­if I wasn''t¡­like this¡­"


    "Don''t worry about it."


    I watched as Qing Tan curled up in her bed, terrifying cold qi surging ceaselessly from her body. She smiled, her face pale, but I could tell that she was going through excruciating agony. It was utterly heart-breaking.


    "Qing Tan¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao was rushing forward to embrace his sister, despite the numbing cold that spread from her body. Most likely he was trying to warm her up with his own body and qi, but to no avail. It was only a few seconds before his own complexion turned blue.


    "Brother Jiao¡­I am¡­fine¡­"


    Qing Tan''s body trembled with effort and pain as she reached up and slightly pushed Zhu Jiao away. Even in this condition, she still didn''t want her brother to worry.


    "So¡­don''t worry¡­"


    Zhu Jiao was silent as he caressed her hair with his numb fingers. Clenching his teeth, he made a vow.


    "I swear I''ll find a way to completely relieve you of this suffering."


    Qing Tan nodded softly and closed her eyes, no longer able to speak.


    "Um¡­if I may¡­?"


    Both siblings turned to look at me in shock when I raised my hand. I took a step forward.


    "I might be able to help your sister alleviate some of her suffering, if you don''t mind."


    "How do you intend to do that?" Zhu Jiao snapped. "Are you some sort of doctor or physician? I know you''ve read a lot, but even you wouldn''t¡­"


    "What I''m doing isn''t strictly medicine or healing¡­it''s a bit more¡­unorthodox than that." I had to struggle to find the words. I gazed at Zhu Jiao with steely eyes. "Whatever happens, promise me that you won''t intervene. Trust me."


    Zhu Jiao watched me for a moment, and then he finally nodded.


    "I trust you, Wu. You''re a good friend. I know you won''t do anything to hurt Qing Tan. If you can help her, please¡­!"


    I took a deep breath and stepped forward. Approaching the shivering Qing Tan, I reached out and seized her hand. As I thought, it was cold to the touch, and even though I technically used ice element techniques, I was almost unable to withstand the cold.


    Qing Tan''s eyes widened, as if she understood and sensed that a kindred spirit ¨C someone who shared the same type of tyrannical demonic yin qi ¨C had come. Breathing deeply, I tightened my grip on her wrist began using Heaven and Earth Absorption.


    "That''s¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao''s jaw dropped when he saw Qing Tan''s frosty yin qi began to flow into me. Fortunately, because of the vow I made him take, he was honorbound not to intervene. Actually, I would like to think that he trusted me enough to leave the matter to me.


    "Eh¡­?"


    Qing Tan''s complexion got a lot better and rosier. She blinked in surprise as the pain fled from her body along with the demonic cold yin qi that was devouring her. Now, I was the one consuming that demonic yin qi, drinking in the cold energy like a man dying of thirst gorging himself on a cool spring of natural water.


    "Thank you¡­I feel better now!"


    I nodded briefly, but the procedure was still not over yet. I continued absorbing every last drop of the demonic cold yin qi that was wracking Qing Tan''s body, making sure there wasn''t even a vestige of it left.


    What''s with this qi? It''s so monstrous¡­and so¡­pure¡­


    It was as if I had just hit upon a motherlode of pure uranium, drawing the extremely volatile and domineering qi into my body. If I didn''t fight to suppress and assimilate the cold, demonic yin qi quickly, I might find myself overwhelmed by it. As it was, right now my body was a ticking time bomb, the cold demonic qi ready to flare up and erupt, consuming me in an agony not inferior to the one that Qing Tan suffered all these years.


    She was able to endure all this for over ten years? I marveled, impressed. Despite her delicate appearance, Qing Tan certainly had the strength of steel, a lovely lotus blossom that defiantly bloomed even during winter.


    And with that, I was done.


    "Phew¡­"


    Letting go of Qing Tan''s hand, I crashed back, drained. My pallor must have looked a little bad, for both Zhu Jiao and Qing Tan were staring at me in concern. I quickly smiled and waved a hand to dismiss their worries.


    "I''m fine. I just need some time to assimilate the qi."


    As it turned out, as with the case with Ba Yun, because Qing Tan''s elemental affinity and type of yin qi was exactly the same as mine, it took me no less than a minute to assimilate all that demonic frosty qi and merge it with my own. In fact, it could be said that I was the one who beenfited the most from this encounter.


    "Amazing¡­I no longer feel any pain!"


    Qing Tan looked overjoyed and relieved. Crying, Zhu Jiao rushed over and wrapped his precious sister in his embrace.


    "Qing Tan! Qing Tan!"


    "I''m okay, Brother Jiao. Your friend¡­"


    "Don''t worry about me."


    Sitting cross-legged as I attempted to assimilate all the final traces of the demonic cold qi, I waved my hand.


    "I''m all right now."


    "How did you do that?" Zhu Jiao asked, on the verge of tears. "Something that not even my father could do¡­how did you pull it off? And you absorbed Qing Tan''s demonic cold qi¡­are you all right? Even Father wasn''t able to withstand it!"


    "That''s because your father most probably isn''t an ice-type martial artist and cultivator. I think."


    I shrugged nonchalantly. To be honest, even if I was an ice-type martial artist and cultivator, without Heaven and Earth Formula, I wouldn''t be able to withstand the demonic frosty yin qi. So potent and monstrous was the qi that it threatened to rip my insides apart if I hadn''t rapidly suppressed it and forcibly integrated it.


    If it was any other type of qi, like fire, metal, wood or earth, I most probably would be bedridden by now, fighting to assimilate the terrible qi and integrate the incompatible energies with my own. It wasn''t impossible, but it would be several magnitudes more difficult and would have taken a much longer time. Perhaps days.


    Zhu Jiao shook his head in wonder as he stared at me.


    "Next time, whenever Qing Tan experiences this again, I''m going to have to trouble you."


    Dude, she''s your sister, not mine. I can''t come running every time she needs help.


    Obviously I didn''t say that out loud, so I merely smiled and nodded. Cheerfully patting my chest, I declared, "Leave it to me!"

 127 Chapter 126: Heavenly Fire Mountain Range

    Zhu Jiiao was thanking me so profusely that I couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. I tried to wave his gratitude away.


    "It''s nothing, really."


    "But are you sure you''re all right, though? That icy qi was enough to make my father bedridden for a couple of weeks! And you absorbed all of it too! Are there any ill effects?"


    "Nope, none." On the contrary, the frosty demonic yin qi actually strengthened my constitution and qi reserves. I actually benefited from this rather than suffered from it, which was great. I was going to need all the qi I could get.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Sure as sure," I replied impatiently. Zhu Jiao took the hint and stopped pressing. Instead, he grinned after glancing me over.


    "You should just marry Qing Tan and come live in our household. Or bring her home. That way you can take care of her whenever she suffers from one of those bouts of chill attacks."


    "Make sure Qi Hong never hears you say that, or both you and I will be dead," I warned. Zhu Jiao chuckled.


    "Wasn''t she the one who rejected you? Getting on her high horse and spouting all that bullshit about needing to focus on becoming the next sect leader, and therefore cannot spare any time or expense for romance? She doesn''t have any right to say anything if you find a girlfriend or wife, not when she was the one who dumped you."


    "Firstly, she didn''t dump me," I corrected. "Yes, she''s totally focused on becoming the next sect leader, but we were never officially dating nor did I properly confess to her or anything." Well, I did, sort of, but to save some measure of dignity I pretended that it was a hypothetical confession rather than a sincere one. "And another, isn''t the whole point of venturing into the tomb, exploring it and finding the yin-nature artifact to permanently cure your sister so that she''ll never suffer from these bouts of chill attacks again?"


    "Yeah, but you can still marry her. Of all my friends, you''re the one person I feel I can entrust Qing Tan to."


    I snorted. As much as I appreciated his high opinion of me, I knew it was impossible. Qing Tan was definitely in love with her brother. She wouldn''t give someone like me a second glance, not when this was the first time we had met. I saw the way she looked at Zhu Jiao. It was clear that her feelings for him went beyond that of siblings.


    Unfortunately, being the typical dense protagonist, Zhu Jiao did not notice her love for him at all.


    I really want to smack this guy¡­


    Hell, that "unrelated by blood despite being siblings" was a dead giveaway that she would eventually become Zhu Jiao''s harem member. It was so clich¨¦ and predictable that I wanted to drive my head against the wall.


    "Anyway, let''s get ready. The sooner we head out and go into the tomb, the higher the chances of us actually getting anything before all the other elite cutlivators snatch away all the treasures inside."


    "Oh, right!" Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened when he realized I was right. Flustered, he began running about the room and grabbing his stuff. "Wait outside for me. I''ll be with you in thirty minutes. Let me get packed."


    "Sure."


    I was relieved that I wouldn''t be going on this adventure alone. Though I would sorely miss Tong Xue''s intelligence and information-gathering abilities, having a strong comrade like Zhu Jiao would halve the danger. There was nothing the both of us, who had reached the finals of our academy tournament, couldn''t defeat.


    ¡­or so I hoped. Remembering that the tomb was full of death traps and most likely inhabited by powerful demonic creatures, I could only cross my fingers and pray to the Heavens that we wouldn''t run into any unforeseen circumstances.


    As always, the Heavens were a bitch, and they loved to torment me¡­


    *


    All right, I''m done. Are you ready?"


    Zhu Jiao finally emerged from his room, carrying nothing but a little pouch. Despite appearances, I was aware that the pouch was a spatial device. In other words, he could store an insane amount of things inside an alternative space, no matter how small the pouch looked. It was clearly made from the poor Void Whale.


    "I''m waiting on you," I replied impatiently. "Actually, I''m more worried that you will have more stuff to do before we can go."


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Zhu Jiao stared at me blankly.


    "I dunno¡­stuff like you being a martial arts instructor for your fellow clan members, then a bunch of dudes show up from nowhere, insult you and the branch clan, you end up challenging them, and defeating the strongest of the bunch in a duel, and in doing so earned the right to travel with them to explore the tomb¡­"


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Zhu Jiao demanded.


    "Never mind. I''m mixing up Wu Dong Qian Kun and reality."


    Fortunately, there were no such tangents, and we could immediately set off. Despite Zhu Jiao staring at me suspiciously, there no further hiccups in our journey.


    As we left Zhu Jiao''s house and proceeded to the streets, I could see that the town we were currently in, was bustling.


    Wait a second¡­


    "Hey, Zhu Jiao, you live near Tushan City?"


    "Hmm? You mean that city over there?"


    I hadn''t realized it, having been so distracted by my preparations, but after talking to Elder Zhao, I had left Tushan City and stopped by the nearest town to pick up cheaper supplies. That was how I ended up running into Zhu Jiao, who had just finished shopping for groceries in the town''s supermarket. All this time, I didn''t realize that Zhu Jiao lived so close to Tushan City, where I had been staying and training in all this while.


    Just Tushan City, the little town was jammed pack with adventurers, I mean martial artists and cultivators, because of its close proximity to the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range. Particularly those who could not afford to stay in Tushan City''s more luxurious hotels and inns, they settled for the cheaper accommodations in the little town.


    "How do you intend to get there?" Zhu Jiao asked as he glanced at the long line of martial artists waiting for cabs or buses to ferry them over. I glanced at the mountain range, and then at the unending queue.


    "I suggest we walk."


    Zhu Jiao grinned. "I was thinking the same thing!"


    "Heh, great minds think alike." I returned his smile, and then proceeded toward the outskirts of the town. "Let''s go!"


    The Heavenly Fire Mountain Range was located in a vast area between Tushan City and two other cities, with a handful of small towns like the one Zhu Jiao was living in dotting the region. Needless to say, the Mountain Range ran for over a hundred of kilometers hugging the border and forming a natural, impassable barrier. If a certain American president was to see this, he would have wept at how the Great Zhou Empire did not need to build a wall to keep out illegal migration. Of course the issue wasn''t that simple and clear-cut, and obviously people could climb and traverse the mountain range ¨C especially if they were skilled and/or experienced enough. But it would have destroyed that particular American president''s bid to win the elections, and perhaps the world wouldn''t be in so much trouble with an idiot at the helm of one of the most powerful nations in the world.


    Whoops, I was getting ahead of myself here.


    Anyway, it was probably the largest mountain range in the Middle Continent, running along west of Tushan City and keeping out invaders and outsiders who weren''t foolhardy enough to brave the dangers of the lethal terrain. Dwelling within the mountains were innumerable demonic creatures and magical beasts, hostile and inimical to human life. According to rumors, even Qi Fusion stage practitioners had to be wary upon entering the mountain range, for if they were careless, they would find themselves maimed or worse, slaughtered by these merciless magical beasts.


    Thanks to that, other than the professional magical beast and demonic creature hunters, even martial artists rarely ventured into the range. Of course, the existences beyond the fourth wall must be wondering why I never went inside to eat the demonic creatures to increase my strength. Again, it was because of diminishing returns. Even if I ate another Silverback Wolf or a creature of a similar level (I didn''t mean levels literally, I didn''t care about ranks), my growth in strength wasn''t going to be much. It wouldn''t have made up for the sheer differences of qi quantity with those who received artificial qi. I would have to hunt much more powerful monsters to gain a more substantial return, and the risks were just not worth it.


    I would be risking my life and sustaining injuries just to grow substantially stronger ¨C except that the substantial would be a small fraction of what my schoolmates would gain when they received sexagenaries of qi. A single powerful monster wasn''t going to give me a year or two worth of qi, never mind six decades.


    Anyway, nobody cared about the risks right now. Upon learning that there was the tomb of a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner hidden inside the Mountain Range, never mind the ferocious demonic creatures and magical beasts lurking within there, even if they had to face the undead legions of Hell themselves, the martial artists and cultivators from everywhere would greedily throw themselves into battle to obtain the treasures, artifacts and weapons locked within the tomb''s hallowed vaults. Since I was one of them, I had no cause for criticism.


    "There really are a lot of people," Zhu Jiao observed, demonstrating his penchant for stating the obvious once more.


    "Yeah," I agreed diplomatically as I glanced around. There were hundreds, if not thousands of martial artists streaming into the place. The Heavenly Fire Mountain Range, which used to be peaceful, had transformed into a tourist attraction in just a week. Despite the vast area, I could spot at least one other group somewhere ahead.


    "Uwaah!"


    "?!"


    I jumped when Zhu Jiao suddenly cried out. The cause for his panic was revealed shortly. A human corpse was lying at the base of a tree, his throat ripped out. Having survived Sen Lin Forest, I recognized the wounds that killed him.


    "He got chewed out by a magical beast¡­a Psycho Panther, most likely."


    "Poor bastard." Zhu Jiao shook his head, calming down. Even though he had lived near the wilderness ¨C his town clearly located near the forests that surrounded the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range ¨C he was not used to seeing people die. Even though the Wu Ling Academy students called themselves martial artists, they were mostly sheltered kids who had never tasted the tension of life-and-death combat.


    "There''s another dead person there¡­"


    We hadn''t even proceeded another couple of kilometers when Zhu Jiao caught sight of yet another poor victim. This time, the unfortunate guy had been mauled by a Shadow Leopard. A few paces ahead, we ran into a dead girl, who had been ensnared by the vines of a Mandrake. She had done enough damage to slay the Mandrake, their bodies lying entwined together.


    "Shouldn''t we bury them?"


    "Are you going to stop and bury each and every dead person we see?" I countered when Zhu Jiao raised the suggestion. "There are probably countless people who lost their lives in these woods, especially given the frightening number of magical beasts. If we stop and bury each and every of them, we probably wouldn''t reach the tomb in a month."


    "Even so¡­"


    "Who''s more important? Your sister or respecting the dead? These guys are dead. Even if we leave them, that''s not going to change the fact. But if you don''t get the yin-based artifact, your sister will continue to suffer."


    Zhu Jiao nodded, seeing the wisdom of my words, but he still looked pretty uncomfortable.


    "You don''t seem¡­disturbed by this," he remarked. I smiled wryly.


    "I''m used to it, pal. Remember when I had to spend a few months in the abyss of Sen Lin Forest? And that time when I was abducted by the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect?" I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of those nightmarish memories. "I''ve seen far too much."


    "Right."


    I glanced in the direction of the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range, knowing that the deaths in the forest were only the beginning. The casualties would continue to mount up, shooting up sharply the moment we entered the tomb. For when we explored the tomb, magical beasts and demonic creatures weren''t the only threats we had to contend with.


    There were still the traps. You know, like Indiana Jones? Gosh, but Harrison Ford had certainly grown old, to the point where his character got killed by his son in the Disney produced sequel.


    Zhu Jiao seemed aware of that, so I didn''t remind him. It would only come across as patronizing and create friction between us. Nobody likes a show-off or know-it-all.


    "Maybe we should have taken the bus. We might need to wait ages, but at least it would be safer."


    "Are you sure about that?" I asked when Zhu Jiao voiced what sounded like common sense. He stared at me, befuddled.


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    "Why wouldn''t I be?"


    I shook my head. I was about to reply when I caught sight of smoke drifting from a region just ahead, to our right. Striding in that direction, I gestured for Zhu Jiao to follow me and merely told him, "Keep walking."


    He obeyed, and we continued on for a couple of miles until we reached the source of the smoke I had spotted. The wreckage of a bus was lying there, with several corpses strewn about. While the number of corpses indicated that a good number of the passengers had managed to survive the crash and leave the site on foot, there were still a significant number of casualties.


    They weren''t killed by the crash, though. The same thing that shredded through the metal carapace of the bus had torn their throats out or ripped their chests apart.


    "Demonic Drakes," I whispered, recognizing the tell-tale signs their vicious claws would leave on both flesh and metal. The size of those rents in the bus, especially given how the buses could fly, made it more than likely that the flying demonic creatures were what wrecked them. Moreover, such power creatures were capable of tearing even decent martial artists apart.


    This journey was getting more and more dangerous.


    "See?" I told Zhu Jiao, who looked incredibly ill. "Even if we took the bus, we''ll still get attacked, and we''ll end up having to walk the rest of the journey anyway. Might as well just go on foot. Plus we would attract less attention than those¡­"


    A roar overhead drowned out my voice, a bus soaring above to punctuate my point. It almost disappeared into the horizon when a flock of Demonic Drakes descended upon them, slashing and pecking.


    "We''ve got to help them!" Zhu Jiao cried, rushing forward. I shook my head.


    "We''re too far away. We''ll be too late."


    "Even so¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao dashed off in the direction of the bus, which was rapidly descending as it took damage from its asssailants. I cursed and followed him, but we hadn''t taken more than a few steps before the bus plunged into the forest and disappeared from sight, the Demonic Drakes following after it.


    "We have to hurry!"


    Yelling, Zhu Jiao poured on his pace. Suppressing a sigh, I tailed him as closely as I could, despite knowing that it was too late.


    Contrary to what most people believed, martial artists could not fly. Sure, we could probably pull of superhuman acrobatics, jump from treetop to treetop, walk on water (or run on it, to be more accurate) and maybe even hover in the air, but we couldn''t soar across the skies like these hovercraft vehicles that were powered by qi.


    "No way¡­"


    By the time we reached the crash site, it was too late. The dead were beyond rescuing, the bus was wrecked beyond repair, and there was no sign of survivors. That was not to say nobody survived the attack, but the survivors had disembarked, proceeded to slaughter the Demonic Drakes attacking their ride, and then moved on. And long ago, at that.


    "I told you so," I muttered, staring at the carcasses of bloodied Demonic Drakes. One had been cleaved in half by an axe, another had been sliced to pieces by a sword. "Either they take care of the problem themselves, or they die. We wouldn''t be able to make a difference either way."


    "At least not all of them died," Zhu Jiao said, relieved. Typical Mary Sue protagonist, always worrying about others more than himself, and wanting to save everybody. Damned goody two shoes. While that was exactly why we were friends, we couldn''t afford to waste time chasing after every crashing bus.


    "Let''s go," I said instead, and the two of us proceeded toward the mountains.


    It took us a whole day to walk to the outskirts of the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range. At first I thought we were late, but I caught sight of hundreds of people gathering in a campsite just outside the mountains. Buses flew over, dropped their passengers, and drove off. I thought back to the corpses we encountered in the forest and wondered if they should have spent their money or endured the extremely long wait in the relatively safe buses.


    However, the transports, as I mentioned earlier, were not immune to assaults from demonic creatures. Already Zhu Jiao and I had seen with our very own eyes the wreckages of at least two buses, and passed by smoke that could only have come from a downed vehicle. Of course, unlike the movies where vehicles dramatically exploded when they smashed into the ground, the buses did not catch fire. The smoke was caused by volatile qi overheating and causing some sparks, but even with those sparks it was nowhere near the fiery sight of a crash that people were so used to from popular culture.


    It had already turned dark, night encroaching upon us and wrapping the crowd in shadows. Illumination glowed from portable flashlights, the fluorescent lights providing some visibility, but also stupidly alerting magical beasts and drawing their attention to this location. Some had even had the foresight to stoke campfires, probably for cooking, or for the spirit of camping out. In my original timeline, that would have worked to keep wild animals away. In this timeline, the magical beasts would be drawn toward fire, some of them able to wield it.


    However, there were strength in numbers. With this many human martial artists gathered in one place, a magical beast or demonic creature had to be insanely reckless to jump in and attack. I could sense them lurking in the woods, though, prowling around the edges of the forest and waiting for an opportunity to snatch a straggler or two away, dragging the poor victim into those dark depths. One of them ¨C a Shadow Leopard ¨C caught my eye, and then slunk away, clearly afraid of me. I didn''t know why, but I guess magical beasts had keener instincts than humans.


    "Let''s set up camp here on the outskirts," Zhu Jiao suggested, blissfully ignorant of the magical beasts roaming about nearby. He reached into his spatial pouch and produced a super-convenient tent, which we both proceeded to set up. I had planned to just sleep in the woods, but Zhu Jiao offered to let me share his tent. So who was I to refuse?


    After we inflated the flexible material and built it properly, we casually hung out at the entrance of the tent, watching the other campers idly. Demonstrating his roots as a country boy, Zhu Jiao didn''t turn on any lights. He was also a lot more skilled and efficient at setting up the tent, which made me embarrassed for criticizing him earlier. Looked like I had a long way to go as a person.


    Good thing I hadn''t voiced that out. I woud have wanted to bury myself in a hole.


    "Hey, Wu¡­there''s quite a lot of people camping out, isn''t there? Has no one entered the tomb yet?"


    Zhu Jiao made a great observation. I nodded. Even if we arrived late, the number of people gathered outside the mountains were far too many to be simply those who happened to show up in the evening.


    "And¡­there''s so many of them too¡­"


    Zhu Jiao gulped and glanced at the mountains, looking worried. I understood his concerns. With so many people lurking around, if we were all to explore the tomb at once, there wouldn''t be anything left for us to pilfer.


    "Whatever happens will happen," I assured him. "But you''re right. It''s strange that so many people haven''t entered the tomb yet. I wonder why¡­"


    "Ha ha! That''s because there''s a barrier protecting the tomb!"


    "?!"


    I jumped up when I heard the familiar voice. Glancing around, I caught sight of two very familiar figures.


    "Lao Ren, Lao Tou!?"


    The pair of old men swaggered toward us, Lao Ren drinking from a bottle. Judging from the faint scent of alcohol, he was probably drinking wine.


    "Hey, Fei Wu. It''s been a while."


    "Indeed! How have you been?"


    "Oh, you know. The usual." Lao Ren took another swig, then wiped his mouth. "Anyway, the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner set up a barrier around the tomb. After all this time, the seal has weakened, and a few people were lucky enough to be able to sneak in. Unfortunately, they were not able to get very far into the tomb. This is still, in the end, a barrier created by a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner. Of course it''s not going to be easy."


    "Yeah," Lao Tou growled gruffly. "Ordinary people will never be able to break through the barrier."


    By ordinary, he wasn''t referring to non-martial artists and non-combatants, but ordinary martial artists. Realizing that, Zhu Jiao gaped at him.


    "Even a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner?!"


    From his troubled expression, I could tell that the reality of how difficult our task was going to be had only just hit home. All this trouble just to enter an old tomb, for a miniscule chance of obtaining something valuable.


    But if we did obtain whatever we came here for, then all that trouble would be totally worth it.


    "Nope." Lao Tou shook his head. "You''ll need to be at least at the Pure Spirit Stage if you want to break through that."


    "And how do you differentiate between stages?" I asked, getting tired of all these stupid things about realms and stages and levels. "Based on the amount of qi?"


    "Based on strength, of course," Lao Tou replied as if it was obvious. "A Pure Spirit Stage practitioner will always be stronger than a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner."


    "And how do you measure how much more strength he has?" I repeated. "By the sheer quantity of qi?"


    I wasn''t being annoying here. I felt like I had a valid point to make. After all, with the invention of artificial qi, concepts such as quantity of qi being superior or not had been rendered meaningless. Even if you only cultivated for a year, you could get as much qi as someone who cultivated for sixty years if you received a sexagenary of artificial qi.


    "That''s¡­"


    "Well, whatever. We''re just the vanguard. You don''t seriously think weaklings like us will be the only ones gathering around here, do you?"


    Lao Ren smiled knowingly, changing the subject quickly.


    "What do you mean?" Zhu Jiao asked skeptically.


    "You think the major sects are just going to sit back and watch other people explore the tomb? No, of course they will be sending their most talented and elite martial artists. Especially those who have already reached the Pure Spirit Stage."


    "We''ll be relying on them to break the barrier," Lao Tou agreed.


    "Cool." Zhu Jiao''s eyes shone in wonder as he imagined what sort of event would transpire the next day, when all the elite practitioners arrived. "I wonder who they would be."


    "There''s Bai Ning Xue from the White Tiger Sect, leading a group of elite disciples."


    "Oh, I know! Ning Xue already told me she will be coming."


    "Boy, you know Bai Ning Xue?" Lao Ren looked surprised. Zhu Jiao nodded, and I quickly stepped in to explain.


    "Zhu Jiao is childhood friends with Bai Ning Xue, and is currently her boyfriend."


    "Her lover! Ah, you must be the rascal who defeated her in last year''s school tournament!" Lao Ren threw his head back and laughed. Then he narrowed his eyes and studied Zhu Jiao, who shifted uncomfortably. "Hmm¡­yes, you do have an impressive amount of qi and a robust constitution. No wonder you could beat her!"


    "Ha ha, it''s nothing."


    "Who else? I heard the Green Dragon Sect was also sending out Li Chun Long and Qing Xin Xia."


    Li Chun Long had just recently finished serving his sentence in isolation training. Evidently he didn''t waste his time in isolation, and used the chance to hone his skills and advanced his Solar Celestial Dragon Formula, or rather, his Solar Celestial Shock Formula to level 4 or something like that. I had no idea what that meant concretely, other than he had grown stronger.


    Despite my enmity with him, I nodded in understanding. "Makes sense to send him. He''s the strongest Green Dragon Sect disciple right now."


    "And Kun Lun Sect''s Wu Xing is leading an entourage of genius Kun Lun Sect disciples."


    As they trailed on and on, I spoke up.


    "I do hope the Lin Clan isn''t going to send Lin Lang Tian, or Lin Dong is going to flip out."


    All three of my comrades stared at me.


    "What Lin Clan?"


    "Who is Ling Lang Tian or Ling Dong?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Never mind. Nothing." As usual, I was mixing up Wu Dong Qian Kun and reality, and I really should stop doing that.


    Feeling a bit tired, I excused myself and crawled into the interior of the tent to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and I needed all the energy I could get.

 128 Chapter 127: The Elite Martial Artists

    Otherwise, we would be on our own.


    However, that meant Zhu Jiao and I would be left on our own again, and I was well aware that the dangers facing two people were a lot more than if we were in a more numerous group. Of course, it would be counterproductive to move around in large groups, which would let magical beasts know in advance that we were coming, even if they weren''t driven off by the sheer numbers of humans. Furthermore, it would make fighting over the spoils of war ¨C or the plundering of spirit artifacts, treasures and weapons in this case ¨C a lot more¡­complex.


    Far easiler to split up the drop items and treasures among a smaller group than a laege one, where conflict over who got how much would inevitably tear the group apart. Not to mention, we would have to watch out for backstabbing and betrayals, particularly if the group members were people we weren''t familiar with.


    In a place like this, with so much at stake, and the value of ancient treasures, weapons and artifacts beyond measure, I wouldn''t put it past our fellow humans to succumb to their greed and desires, and turn on their former comrades the moment we left the tomb.


    Someone we can trust, huh?


    Okay, I really had to stop bashing Eternal Reverence but Li Fu Chen was such a horrible Mary Sue protagonist that I couldn''t help taking a snipe at him whenever I thought about the illogical inconsistencies of wuxia or xianxia novels.


    "¡­nothing."


    Unfortunately, my plans crashed and burned when I found myself unable to locate the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. there were hundreds, if not thousands of martial artists gathered outside the mountain range, and looking for my friends among them was like searching for a needle in a haystack (or a needle in the ocean''s depths).


    "Ugh, and there''s no signal here too¡­"


    I cursed when I glanced at my cell phone. Once again, my attempts to call Tang Qi Hong or Tong Xue had stalled, my cell phone informing me flatly that there was no service. It was only natural. We were located all the way in the mountains, far away from any human civilization. Of course there wouldn''t be any reception here.


    "What do we do?" Zhu Jiao asked. I sighed in frustration.


    "No choice. I guess it''s just the two of us then."


    "If only we can find Ning Xue," Zhu Jiao murmured, glancing around. While I had been busily searching for my friends in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, my best friend had not been idle either. He had been actively looking for Bai Ning Xue and the White Tiger Sect, in hopes that Bai Ning Xue''s high status would allow her to convince her other sect members to accept our presence. "We could join their group as well if we did."


    "¡­maybe."


    I didn''t hide the skepticism in my voice. While I trusted Bai Ning Xue, I couldn''t say the same for the other White Tiger Sect members. The only other person I knew was Kuang Hu, and that bastard was a ruthless bully who reveled in the pain and suffering of others. Having faced him in the tournament last year, while I was confident in his combat capabilities, I couldn''t rule out the uncomfortable suspicion that the sadistic scoundrel would stab us in the back when our guard was down, and then laugh at our misfortune.


    I had enough to worry about in the tomb without needing to divert some attention into watching my back from erstwhile allies who were supposed to do that for me.


    "Well, let''s not waste any time." Sighing, I started disassembling the tent and packing up. The best-case scenario would be to find trustworthy allies to team up with, but without any method of contacting my friends in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and less ideally, if Zhu Jiao wasn''t able to contact Bai Ning Xue, then there was little point in loitering around. We might as well just head straight to the ancient tomb. If fate willed it, we might even meet up with Tang Qi Hong, Tong Xue, Lian Rou and the others there.


    Or Bai Ning Xue and friends, for that matter.


    While we went forward, I caught sight of a group of men just ahead. They were harassing another group of younger people, who seemed to be from one of the academies or major sects. The young people seemed to have the situation under control, but as always, Zhu Jiao wanted to run in and intervene. I rolled my eyes.


    "That''s Song Dao! The leader of the Blood Slaughterer Gang! We have to stop him¡­!"


    I jabbed my thumb at the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range.


    "Our goal is to get the treasures from the tomb, not to get into unnecessary conflicts!"


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    "But¡­those guys over there¡­they need our help¡­"


    "No, they don''t! Do you think just because the protagonist isn''t part of the group, they''ll automatically lose? That they exist solely for the sake of letting the protagonist rescue them all the time so that he can show off his superior abilities?!" I grabbed Zhu Jiao by the ear and began dragging him away. "Now let''s stop wasting time and go!"


    "Wait! Those guys need our help¡­"


    Zhu Jiao gestured frantically toward the students, only to stop and gape at an incredible sight. The older guys from the Blood Slaughterer Gang who were surrounding them didn''t know what hit them. One moment they were leering and preying on the group ¨C particularly approaching the girls somewhat in the center, and the next moment a huge flash of qi blasted out and struck them. The Blood Slaughterer Gang turned into the Bloodied Slaughterer Gang in an instant, throwing up blood and writhing on the ground in agony.


    "Guh! What¡­what¡­?"


    "What the hell just happened?!"


    "S¡­spare us, heroes! We''re sorry!"


    Lying sprawled on the ground, the Boodied Slaughterer Gang looked up and pleaded the impassive students for mercy.


    "W¡­what just happened?!" Zhu Jiao demanded, astonished. "I was so sure that¡­"


    "You mean you don''t recognize those guys over there?" I shook my head. "They''re from our school. They have artificial qi. A bunch of thugs will hardly be able to threaten them. Never mind the quantity of qi, we''ve been trained in the academy to fight men like those." I recalled how the instructors would always emphasize that we spar against each other and make full use of the training facilities, especially the battle puppets and training dummies. Those students in particular, I had often seen training in the training facilities when I visited almost everyday back when I was still in the academy and wasn''t spending time learning Spirit Engraving or Heavenly Armament techniques from Elder Zhao in Tushan City. "We might lack experience, but we certainly don''t lack the strength. Or training." I quickly amended my words so as not to emphasize the artificial qi.


    That said, as much as I didn''t care about levels, stages and realms, artificial qi did make a huge difference. The problem now was¡­how to you categorize and distinguish these levels, stages and realms when kids under twenty had access to sixty years'' worth of artificial qi, or even twice or thrice that amount? If these stages, realms and levels weren''t based on the amount of qi one possessed, then what exactly were they based on? Understanding of techniques? So if you didn''t understand or master a technique, it didn''t matter how much artificial qi you have, you would still only belong to a lower stage, realm or level?


    "Please have mercy!" the leader, supposedly someone called Song Dao according to Zhu Jiao anyway, was pleading.


    "Get lost from my sight," the leader of the group of students, a young man I knew was Zhu Zhang from meeting him in the training facilities in the academy, ordered coldly. The Bloodied Slaughterer Gang all quickly fled without sparing him a second glance.


    "I told you they don''t need our help," I crowed to a stunned Zhu Jiao. "Now let''s hurry up and proceed to the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range and the tomb. Stop wasting time with all these irrelevant side stories."


    After leaving the campsite, we stumbled upon another lush area filled with dense cluster of trees and foliage. Thick vegetation grew rampantly, concealing shadowy predators from sight. Even though we hadn''t found a group, Zhu Jiao and I weren''t alone. I could see the other groups cautiously proceeding forward, keeping an eye on those lurking magical beasts who were waiting for a chance to spring on unwary victims.


    The safest and easiest route was of course the trails that the other groups left in their wake as they cut and bashed their way toward the tomb. Fortunately, as cultivators, they could just use their qi to slice apart any vegetation, branches and thorns, and walked unimpeded without needing to rely on tools like machetes, choppers and the usual trekking equipment that I used in my two-year mandatory military service back in my original timeline.


    "This is such a great idea, Wu," Zhu Jiao told me as we followed in the wake of one of the larger groups. Contrary to my own advice, I had elected to follow our schoolmates after all. After they had driven away the Bloodied Slaughterer Gang, they had proceeded to forge ahead, carving a path through the dangerous woods. Seeing an opportunity, I had pointed it out to Zhu Jiao and told him to follow them. We didn''t need to waste time and qi bashing through the foliage, and any trail they carved would be momentarily free of lurking magical beasts.


    By the time we emerged from this specific stretch of the forest, it was already past noon. The sun had reached its zenith and was brutally beating down upon martial artists brave enough to venture out of shade. Fortunately, the trees making up the forest provided ample shelter from the relentless rays of the sun, and Zhu Jiao and I paused for a break at the base of one of those massive trees. To prevent dehydration, we drank water.


    It would be silly to survive the forest and its packs of ravenous demonic creatures, just to die from heatstroke a couple of hours later. Remembering my military training, safety checks and briefings, I ensured that Zhu Jiao drink enough too.


    "Fuaaah!"


    Zhu Jiao let out a satisfied gasp after he downed a large gulp of water, then tightened the cap of his canteen.


    "That feels a lot better!"


    "Good." I also put away my canteen, making sure I had enough water for the rest of the exploration. Peering out from under the shade, I stared at the huge mountain peak that towered over the area where we emerged into. "It seems like we''ve reached the location of the tomb."


    We weren''t the only ones there. A lot of groups had gathered, including Lao Ren and Lao Tou. Being the sociable person that I was, I ventured over to greet them, with Zhu Jiao enthusiastically following behind.


    "Lao Ren, Lao Tou!"


    "Oh, you both made it too!"


    As friendly as ever, Lao Ren turned to beam at us. Lao Tou merely snorted.


    "How can you younglings be slower than us old folks?"


    Ignoring the jibe, I turned to stare at the mountain peak. "Seems like we''ve found the entrance to the tomb?"


    "Yeah."


    Lao Ren chuckled and nodded. However, Lao Tou scowled.


    "Even so, it''s pretty pointless if we can''t go in."


    "Why can''t we go in?" Zhu Jiao asked, baffled.


    "Lad, have you not been paying attention to a single word we said last night?" Lao Tou growled, bearing down on a stricken Zhu Jiao. Lao Ren quickly intervened, smiling as he usually did and holding his hands up in a placating manner.


    "It''s unfortunate, but the barrier is still up. As long as we don''t undo the seal engraved into the mountaintop, we will not be able to enter the tomb. As expected of a Nascent Soul Stage Practitioner, the seal is so exquisite. Even after so many millennia, it remains intact and still so powerful."


    "That seal is a Spirit Engraving?"


    I glanced in the direction of the mountain peak, my Heaven and Earth Sense allowing me to detect the unique emanations of qi and spiritual energy swirling around the mountain peak. Like Lao Ren said, there was a seal, which resembled one of the Spirit Engraving patterns I was forced to study back in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "Let''s get nearer," one of the older veterans in the Lao brothers'' group suggested. I noticed that the group was entirely composed of men and women over the age of sixty, their hair white and their faces wrinkled. Despite their advanced ages, they were all brimming with power and an exuberance that exceeded even the youths around us.


    "Good idea," Lao Ren agreed. Lao Tou scowled again, as bitter as ever.


    "I bet the foot of the mountain is packed full of people by now. We shouldn''t have dallied around."


    "It''s tough getting old," another old guy from the group agreed with a wry smile. That wasn''t what Lao Tou meant, but he couldn''t be bothered to argue. He was right, though. when I glanced at the foot of the mountain, I could see a vast number of tents set up in the valley just ahead of us, and even more figures wandering in their midst. As expected, the old tomb was drawing cultivators and martial artists from all over the Middle Continent.


    Zhu Jiao and I followed the old dudes, who were walking pretty quickly for someone of their ages. Then again, as the old adage of wuxia and xianxia novels went, the older the person, the more powerful he was. Appearances could be deceiving.


    "All right, let''s set up camp here."


    The group of old-timers had staked out a place. Ignoring us youngsters, they began to set up their tent. There wasn''t any space for Zhu Jiao and me to set up our tent, so we decided to move on, leaving the Lao brothers and their group to it.


    "Amazing¡­there''s so many people here¡­"


    Zhu Jiao marveled as we strolled around, weaving through haphazardly organized tents and making our way to empty spots. So many people were mingling around, hanging out in what looked like campfires (but given the bright, sunny afternoon, no one bothered lighting up the fires), or just chatting in the shades of their tents.


    There was strength in numbers. Even this deep into the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range, with extremely powerful demonic creatures and magical beasts lurking about and looking for a chance to strike, as long as the humans stuck together, there was no foe we could not take, no danger we could not overcome together.


    All of that was to change the moment we charged into the tomb, where it was every man for himself. Greed could change a man, and nobody would willingly allow their treasures to be taken by others. On the other hand, before the tomb was opened to the martial artists on the ground, there was no reason to avoid banding together in order to deter the magical beasts and demonic creatures from attacking.


    Hence the crowded site.


    "The Green Dragon Sect is here," Zhu Jiao whispered, nudging me. I glanced in the direction he was looking at, and sure enough, Li Chun Long, Qing Xin Xia and their fellow disciples had set up camp somewhere. I shook my head and moved in the opposite direction. Zhu Jiao spared them one last glance before following me.


    "They haven''t noticed us," I assured him. He nodded.


    Ever since the tournament last year, the relationship between the two of us and the Green Dragon Sect was frosty to say the least. Li Chun Long, despite having grown more powerful, was actually happy when he heard that Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue were officially dating. However, Zhu Jiao couldn''t forgive him for his part in trying to cripple him, and I couldn''t just go back to being "friends" with Li Chun Long, right after that grudge-match in the tournament. We had no enmity toward each other, true, but his actions had irreparably torn a hole in our relationship forever.


    Once trust was broken, it was very difficult to earn it back. And it wasn''t as if Li Chun Long could be bothered with the effort.


    On the other hand, Qing Xin Xia was a little strange. I knew that she had a crush on Zhu Jiao, so naturally she was devastated when his romantic relationship with Bai Ning Xue was made official. From what I heard in class ¨C particularly from the rumors coming from the girls'' gossip ¨C Li Chun Long had tried to hit on her and take Zhu Jiao''s place, but Qing Xin Xia had evidently rejected him. Even now, there was an aloof distance between the two, with Li Chun Long constantly looking in her direction, but Qing Xin Xia pulling away and finding excuses to avoid him.


    Well, whatever happened between them was absolutely none of my business, and I sure as hell didn''t want to get involved.


    "Oh¡­the Illusionary Puppeteer Sect is here too."


    Zhu Jiao suddenly stopped and slowly turned away so as not to attract attention. Beside him, I craned my neck and glanced in the direction where he was last looking at before he abruptly halted, and caught sight of Gu Chun Song.


    If Li Chun Long was pleased with the outcome of the semifinal, where Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue were officially dating, Gu Chun Song had been driven mad with rage. Upon finding out that his beloved Bai Ning Xue had agreed to become Zhu Jiao''s girlfriend the moment he was released from his isolation training, Gu Chun Song recklessly challenged Zhu Jiao. He evidently had not wasted his time in isolation training being idle, for his skills had drastically improved, ranking him among the top four Iin the academy, but with his protagonist powers, Zhu Jiao was able to prevail in the end and forced Gu Chun Song to acknowledge his relationship with Bai Ning Xue.


    That didn''t mean Gu Chun Song''s grudge was over, however. He continued to simmer with resentment and bitter jealousy, searching for every opportunity to get back at the person he deemed his romantic rival.


    No wonder Zhu Jiao wanted to avoid him. Even I wouldn''t want to deal with a crazy fella like that. Good lord.


    "The Red Phoenix Sect is there, with Feng Tian Yong. Should we join up with him?"


    "Hmm¡­nah, we only know Tian Yong, but we don''t know the rest of the sect members. I don''t know if they''ll be happy to see us."


    I shook my head when Zhu Jiao singled another familiar face out. Why were we running into the people we didn''t want to meet the most (except Feng Tian Yong) but we can''t find my Nine-Tailed Fox Sect friends or Bai Ning Xue?


    "Oh¡­they even opened up a marketplace over there!"


    "Eh? Where?"


    I blinked in surprise when Zhu Jiao said that. He gestured toward the edge of the mountain peak, where a row of tents were set up side by side with rugs and carpets spread out in front of them. The occupants of the tents were shouting and yelling for customers to come look at their wares. From a glance, it was visible that they were selling weapons, equipment, supplies, food, water and other tools useful for an expedition.


    "Wow."


    Shaking my head, I couldn''t help but feel impressed. No matter where I went, there would always be people looking for an opportunity to make money. I wished I had the same sort of business sense, but there was a reason why I majored in literature and history instead of business. Unlike many wuxia/xianxia protagonists who earned a lot through selling their elixirs, spirit medicines and various other entrepreneurial nous, I wasn''t a Mary Sue character who could do just about everything. I sucked at Spirit Engraving and crafting weapons. The only thing I could do was fight and study. And even my practical resuls were not as good as my theoretical.


    "You want to buy anything?" I asked Zhu Jiao, more as a joke than because I thought he needed anything. He shook his head.


    "No money."


    "Same."


    Sighing, I glanced at the various other people, particularly the Green Dragon Sect and Red Phoenix Sect. there was no sign of the White Tiger Sect or the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but from what I could see, most of the members who had gathered were young disciples instead of older veteran masters and elders.


    "Eh? Where are the masters and elders? Why are there only disciples?" I wondered out loud.


    "Politics," Zhu Jiao replied with a shrug. "I don''t know the details, but Ning Xue told me that the White Tiger Sect only intended to send the younger generation for the expedition to the tomb. So that they can gain experience, you know, the usual crap. But as you know, even among the younger generation, there''s still a lot of elite cultivators."


    "Yeah, but I''m asking about the masters and elders." I jabbed a thumb at the tomb. "I mean, since the tomb is so valuable, why aren''t the elders and sect leaders coming along? You would think they would want the treasures too."


    "Ning Xue says it''s politics," Zhu Jiao repeated, though I could tell he had no idea what that meant. "The elders and sect leaders can''t make a move unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise they would set a precedent. The moment even one of them moves, the other parties will all definitely step in and stop them. They would just end up wasting their time. Stupid, I know." He shrugged. "But that''s what Ning Xue tells me, anyway."


    "Well, given that the elite martial artists are all the strongest among the younger generation, and the majority of them have doped up on artificial qi, I guess there won''t be much of a difference between sending them and sending the elders."


    I sighed and shook my head in amazement.


    "Well, anyway, let''s set up camp and rest for the night."


    With the barrier still up, there was little Zhu Jiao or I or any of the martial artists could do except wait. Still, I ended up being intrigued and spent a few hours studying the Spirit Engraving patterns before finally going to bed that night.


    The next morning, I woke up when Zhu Jiao shook me.


    "Hey, Wu, get up."


    "Hmm¡­it''s morning already?" I suppressed a yawn and glanced around, bleary-eyed. Zhu Jiao grinned.


    "It''s rare¡­I actually woke up earlier than you!"


    "What''s so strange about that?" I retorted. "I went to bed much later than you. I spent all night studying the Spirit Engraving patterns."


    "Oh? What did you find out?" Zhu Jiao asked with a raised eyebrow.


    That was a good question. I pondered for a moment, still half-asleep, and tried to drag the memories of the Spirit Engraving patterns out into the surface of my mind and ran through the conclusions I came to.


    "I saw them in the books I studied in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. they''re a barrier-type Spirit Engraving."


    "No shit. I can tell that and I''m not a Spirit Engraver."


    Zhu Jiao rolled his eyes.


    "Yeah, but are you able to decipher the Spirit Engraving patterns and undo them?"


    "Undo them?" Zhu Jiao repeated, and then he gasped. Growing excited, he grabbed my shoulders. "You can undo them?"


    "Given enough time, I think I can unravel the patterns and reverse the defensive formations to create an opening¡­"


    "Then let''s get started!"


    "Wait." I raised a hand, and my stomach growled in agreement. "I''m hungry. Mind if we grab some breakfast first?"


    Zhu Jiao gave me a disbelieving stare, and then he chuckled. "Of course! I''m starving too. Let''s cook something."


    "Actually, I suggest we grab a hotdog from one of those stands." I pointed at one of the vendors who had set up shop in the makeshift marketplace that had cropped up in the campsite just outside the tomb. One of them was already grilling a bunch of hotdogs and the delicious aroma was making my mouth water.


    "Good idea," Zhu Jiao agreed.


    To be honest, I wanted the hotdog not solely because it was delicious. True, it would be cheaper if we cooked our own food, but I had no idea how long we would be spending in the tomb, and wanted to conserve our rations as much as possible, and every bite counted.


    After munching and eating a bunch of hotdogs, I rubbed my stomach in satisfaction.


    "Ah¡­that was a good meal."


    "It certainly was!" Zhu Jiao agreed as he washed his greasy fingers in the nearby spring. I followed his example, and rubbed my hands to eliminate the greasy sensation. "Ready to crack the Spirit Engraving?"


    "Yeah." I was so glad I decided to learn under the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. As it turned out, the Spirit Engraving skills I learned under Elder Tie were turning out to be useful. Even if I lacked the skill to engrave Spirit Seals, I could still decipher and unravel them.


    However, we hadn''t taken more than a step when I sensed a disturbance in the force¡­I mean the surrounding qi. A huge rustle of power came from the east, from where the sun was rising, and a red flash of like streaked through the skies like a meteor, and plummeted toward the campsite as if it was an angel descending from the heavens.


    "The elite martial artists¡­" Zhu Jiao whispered. "They''re finally here!"


    I gave him a quizzical look. "I thought a lot of them were already here¡­"

 129 Chapter 128: The Four Top Young Practitioners

    Even though the red car had been flying through the sky at high speeds, the driver hadn''t bothered to bring the roof up, choosing to expose himself to the open air. Probably to show off his handsome face and longish hair that allowed him to look like some bishounen poster boy for a boy band. Even with the winds from the drive buffeting him, his hair remained smooth, and his appearance was not unkempt at all.


    No doubt he had exuded some qi to protect his physical appearance, but why he bothered to waste his qi on such trivial matters was beyond anyone''s guess. The vanity of the elite was certainly something else altogether.


    "Ooh¡­"


    "Whoa¡­"


    Obviously, Zhu Jiao and I was far from the only ones who had noticed the red flash. The moment it showed up upon the horizon, almost everyone in the campsite had turned toward it. The onlookers couldn''t help but be amazed and impressed at the flashy entrance, or perhaps they were envious that the driver owned such a super-expensive car.


    How the fuck did he not draw any attention? I wondered. With such noise and speed, never mind the bright color, the convertible was sure to have drawn the attention of every predatory magical beast in the forest. Yet he managed to survive and drive to the campsite without any problems. That was baffling, to say the least.


    "Lin Lang Tian!"


    "¡­seriously?! Are you seriously going to steal an antagonist from Wu Dong Qian Kun?!" I yelled at Zhu Jiao before smacking him in the head. "There''s no such character in reality!"


    "Sorry," Zhu Jiao apologized as he rubbed his head. "For some reason, I keep thinking of myself as Lin Dong."


    "That''s not Lin Lang¡­whoever you said, in any case," one of the crowd informed us. "That''s Lei Yong Chun."


    "Lei Yong Chun?!"


    I wasn''t able to believe what I had just heard. The guy who assaulted Wu Ling Academy actually had the audacity to show up like this, as if nothing had happened? Wasn''t he afraid of what Wu Ling Academy would do to him?


    Beside me, Zhu Jiao clenched his fists and tensed, having the same reaction. He glared at Lei Yong Chun''s convertible, and I was reminded that he was one of those student council members who fought against Lei Yong Chun that night, when the academy was attacked. He had grown a lot stronger since then, and I was sure that if the two were to fight right now, the outcome would be very different from that fateful night.


    So much for being a martial artist. This cultivator thing was beginning to look more like magicians who had some sort of Daoist aesthetic and principles than actual martial arts. I guess that''s why they differentiated wuxia from xianxia.


    The red, flashy convertible shot forward, leaving sonic booms in its wake and causing the trees below to sway. A few people had to cover their ears as they winced, unable to withstand the sharp crack that thundered from Lei Yong Chun''s car. The red convertible finally slowed to a stop, hovering in the air before plunging down like some Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft. The wheels, which had been tucked under its frame, slowly rotated out in order for the luxurious-looking convertible to land safely on the ground.


    Lei Yong Chun switched off the engine and stood up, swinging the door open before stepping out. Like before, he was dressed casually in a shirt and khaki pants, looking every bit the cool dude who posed on a male fashion magazine. He grinned flippantly at many of the crowd, most of who were charmed by his easy charisma.


    "You¡­"


    "Hey, calm down." I grabbed Zhu Jiao''s shoulder firmly before he could step forward to confront Lei Yong Chun here. "Let''s not make a scene. We''re not here to start a fight."


    "But¡­!" Zhu Jiao protested hotly. "That bastard attacked Wu Ling Academy! He''s¡­!"


    "Not our enemy right now," I told him. "Our objective is the tomb, not revenge. If you attack him right now, without any reason, you''ll get into trouble."


    Zhu Jiao shook his head, unconvinced, but fortunately someone else beat him to it. Amongst the crowd, a familiar figure emerged.


    "What are you doing here, First Senior?"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened. "Ning Xue!"


    Bai Ning Xue strode out of the crowd, the people parting for her as easily as water around Moses. She wasn''t alone, accompanied by a couple of White Tiger Sect disciples who I recognized as students from the academy. Kuang Hu was one of them, his eyes narrowed sharply to glare at his first senior in an intense manner.


    The guy couldn''t wait to be let off the reins to attack Lei Yong Chun like the mad tiger that he was.


    "You have the nerve to show your face here, after attacking our academy!" Kuang Hu growled, but Bai Ning Xue raised a hand to stop him.


    "Why not?" Lei Yong Chun shrugged flippantly. "There''s no rule saying that I''m not allowed to explore the tomb. The elders and Sect Leader sent me too, as you already know."


    "You¡­!"


    "We won''t work with you," Bai Ning Xue told Lei Yong Chun, cutting off Kuang Hu before he could bellow something that would shame the White Tiger Sect. her tone was icy as she stared at her senior. "Not after what you''ve done."


    "I understand." Lei Yong Chun held his hands up in surrender. Then his eyes turned sharp. "But you know that my actions are sanctioned by the Martial Arts Alliance itself, and that half the elders support my decision to take down Wu Ling Academy. I have not committed any crime."


    There were murmurs in the crowd as everyone tried to grasp the situation. Lei Yong Chun''s attack on Wu Ling Academy was not well documented, so not everyone knew what was going on, but even so, they was vaguely aware that it had happened. That Lei Yong Chun was not branded a criminal and persecuted by the Martial Arts Alliance meant that he was telling the truth. That the Martial Arts Alliance, or at least a significant portion of them, had approved of his actions.


    Unfortunately, that did not go down well with Bai Ning Xue and the disciples of the White Tiger Sect who were also Wu Ling Academy students.


    "We should join them," Zhu Jiao told me and hurried to the front, to stand by Bai Ning Xue''s side. The White Tiger Sect disciples were having a face-off, but eventually Bai Ning Xue turned away, her beautiful face as impassive as ever.


    "No one is blaming you. I''m only saying that we can''t trust you."


    "Fair enough." Lei Yong Chun shrugged. Turning back to his car, he hit a switch and the rooftop automatically folded over and formed a canopy over the formerly open-top compartment. Meanwhile, Bai Ning Xue and her entourage disappeared back into the crowd, but not before Zhu Jiao and I could catch up with them.


    "Ning Xue!"


    "Zhu Jiao." Bai Niing Xue turned around when she heard Zhu Jiao''s voice. He waved at her and she nodded briefly in acknowledgement.


    "Hey, do you mind if we join you? Safety in numbers and all that."


    Bai Ning Xue''s brow creased a little, but after glancing at the other disciples in her group, she nodded.


    "I don''t see a problem."


    "We can trust you more than First Senior, at least!" Kuang Hu growled, casting another glare in the direction of Lei Yong Chun. Even though he wasn''t present that night, he still had some enmity with the head disciple of his sect.


    I was to late learn that Lei Yong Chun hadn''t been attacking the academy only once, but several times over the course of a few years, but we usually had teachers and staff helping us fend him off.


    We had barely taken a few steps in the direction of the tomb when the crowd went wild again. This time, something flashed from the heavens.


    "Lei Yong Chun, you''re early as always!"


    The voice was punctuated by the roar of a motorbike. A flying motorcycle burst out of the canopy of the forest and hurtled toward the open campsite, its golden frame glittering in the sunlight. Spinning the motorbike stylishly, he landed gracefully and skidded across the ground, leaving a trail in the soil as he swung his mount around to face Lei Yong Chun.


    "I should have brough my motorbike too¡­" Zhu Jiao muttered darkly when he saw how much attention the newcomer was getting. I didn''t tell him that I wouldn''t have been able to follow him if he did. I was not going to ride on the back of the motorbike, and we would be ripe targets for any demonic creatures in the forest.


    Later, as usual, I would learn that this fella was powerful enough to slay whatever magical beasts and demonic creatures that tried to attack him during his journey here.


    "Jiang Jun Hao."


    Lei Yong Chun acknowledge the newcomer. The crowd were chattering excitedly among themselves, and one of them actually yelled.


    "Brother Jun Hao, you''re here too!"


    A group of tightly-knitted disciples in boue and white robes surged forward to meet him. Their delight was evident on their faces as they gathered around the newcomer. Jiang Jun Hao chuckled as he got off his motorbike and waved at them.


    "That''s the Heavenly Way Sect," one of the White Tiger Sect disciples whispered.


    "Heavenly Way Sect?" Zhu Jiao repeated, as usual the clueless protagonist who needed someone to explain stuff to him.


    "One of the eight major sects," I reminded him.


    "Oh¡­!"


    Yeah¡­oh was right indeed.


    "I''m surprised that the Heavenly Way Sect only sent Jiang Jun Hao." Bai Ning Xue was looking thoughtful. Everyone turned to stare at her.


    "Why? Isn''t Jiang Jun Hao among the strongest in the sect? He''s second only to the next successor to the sect leader." Kuang Hu was looking bewildered.


    "That''s exactly why." Bai Ning Xue turned to look at us. "As you know, Jiang Hun Hao''s adopted brother, Huang Song Chun, is the next successor to the sect leader, and he''s stronger than Jiang Jun Hao. Even First Senior Yong Chun has to respect and tread Huang Song Chun with caution. Over the years, the two have sparred several times, but they have yet to determine a clear victor between the two of them."


    "I see¡­so it''s surprising that they sent Jiang Jun Hao instead of Huang Song Chun."


    "Why can''t they send both?" I muttered, rolling my eyes. Why did it have to be one or the other? The other sects were sending all the other disciples without restraint. Okay, I get that they didn''t dare to send out the masters and elders of the sects because they were afraid of provoking the other sects to make a move against them, but even then this was ridiculous.


    "That''s an awesome bike¡­"


    Zhu Jiao was more interested in Jiang Jun Hao''s bike than anything else. I had to admit, it looked really cool, resembling Kaneda''s motorbike from Akira. All those hi-tech features and cyberpunk aesthetic. Wait, was Akira considered cyberpunk?


    Well, whatever. This was not an academic paper discussing the finer points of genre and aesthetics.


    "So the Heavenly Way Sect sent you¡­" Lei Yong Chun was smiling as he greeted Jiang Jun Hao. He held out a hand. "I look forward to working with you."


    "Hey, are you looking down on me or something?" Jiang Jun Hao must have noticed something in Lei Yong Chun''s smile, for he scowled defensively. "Brother Song Chun is at the critical juncture of his isolated training, that''s why he couldn''t come. He''s trying to make a breakthrough. Once he does, he''ll be stronger than you, Yong Chun! But yeah¡­if he had shown up, then all the treasures, artifacts and weapons in the tomb will belong to the Heavenly Way Sect!"


    "Ha ha ha! I''ve not see you for a year, Jiang Hun Hao, but you''re as arrogant as ever!"


    A sharp, feminine voice echoed from across the horizon. Everyone glanced up, only to see a helicopter descend upon the clearing. A young girl leaped out of the helicopter and landed in front of everyone. Even though she looked small, dressed in a green and blue dress, with her hair reaching to her shoulders, she exuded potent power.


    "The genius Nan Ke from the Red Phoenix Sect? Isn''t she¡­the successor to the Red Phoenix Sect, the senior of Feng Tian Yong?"


    "I''ve never heard of her," I muttered honestly when one of the White Tiger Sect disciples exclaimed dramatically. Above, the helicopter hovered in the skies for a few more minutes, but at a gesture from Nan Ke, it soared away.


    "If I''m not mistaken, her fighting style is similar to yours, Fei Wu." For some reason, Bai Ning Xue deigned to address me. I cocked my head.


    "Similar to mine?"


    "She uses a two-sword style," Bai Ning Xue explained. Right. Just because I also used two swords occasionally didn''t mean our fighting styles were similar. That was like saying every swordman''s fighting style was similar to each other because they use a sword. Or a spear user. Or an archer. That was just so vague.


    I wasn''t in the mood to argue with her, though, so I merely nodded.


    "Wow¡­these guys are all at the Pure Spirit Stage, at the very least."


    Kuang Hu looked a little pale as he stared at the three figures in admiration. He clenched his fists tightly, despair creeping onto his usually wild and fierce features.


    "How will we ever be able to catch up¡­?"


    "Well, for one thing, you guys have artificial qi," I reminded him. "And for another, even though they are all of the younger generation, they''re older than us by a few years. If you work hard enough, you''ll still have the chance to surpass them in future."


    Of course, I didn''t mention the stupid stages and realms. The artificial qi I mentioned had made such matters a lot more complex. How did you define if one was at a certain stage or realm? By the quantity of qi he possessed? If that was the case, I was pretty sure the Wu Ling Academy students possessed far more qi than the likes of Lei Yong Chun.


    Even so, that was true last year and even then Lei Yong Chun effortlessly defeated a bunch of students, each of who had more qi than himself. How did he do so? Just because he was at a higher stage? What did that mean if it''s not about the amount of qi?


    Purity of qi.


    I nodded to myself, faintly recollecting my fight with him. Even though our exchange was brief, it wsas more than enough for me to tell that Lei Yong Chun''s qi was pure. Even purer than mine, and definitely much purer than the artificial qi that coursed through the Wu Ling Academy students'' veins. Or qi channels, but you know what I mean.


    Perhaps, rather than quantity, it was quality that mattered more. The purer one''s qi was, the more powerful the effects he could bring about, rather than relying on concepts of brute force such as having more qi.


    "Nan Ke¡­so you actually traveled all the way from the south to join the fun, eh?" Jiang Jun Hao chuckled as he turned to face the girl. "Hmm, seems like you''ve even brought your sect''s treasures¡­the Two Southern Wings."


    The Two Southern Wings were the two swords that Bai Ning Xue mentioned earlier, that Nan Ke wielded. They were the treasure weapons of the Red Phoenix Sect, rumored by most to be classified as a divine artifact crafted in the heavens themselves. While such legends were undoubtedly exaggerated, it was true that the Southern Wings were priceless and powerful beyond measure. They glittered a fiery ruby red from where they were sheathed at Nan Ke''s sides.


    "Of course. Why would I miss this? Even my fellow disciples are here." as she said that, I caught sight of Feng Tian Yong and the other Red Phoenix Sect disciples fighting their way to the front to link up with their senior. From what I heard, Nan Ke was ahead of Feng Tian Yong in the hierarchy even though he had seniority, because of her sheer talent that allowed her to be catapulted into being first in line as the successor for the Red Phoenix Sect. she turned to Feng Tian Yong and the others. "Ah, Senior Tian Yong, you''re here with the others."


    "Junior Ke! Good to see that you can join us. We''ve scouted the area as requested¡­" Feng Tian Yong glanced around at the curious crowd, and then shook his head. "We''ll brief you later when there are less people around."


    "Thank you. I''ll be counting on you."


    "Ha ha ha!" Jiang Jun Hao laughed. "You''re depending on your seniors and fellow disciples?"


    "Are you not?" Nan Ke cocked her head toward the group of Heavenly Way Sect disciples who had gathered behind him. "You''ll be a fool not to rely on your comrades. No matter how strong you are, the tomb is still a dangerous place full of mysteries and demonic creatures. If you choose not to rely on others, you''ll only be handicapping yourself and taking unnecessary risks. There is strength in numbers, and there is no shame in working together as a team to overcome all adversities. You''ll be a fool if you want to show off and do everything on your own."


    "That''s¡­" Jiang Jun Hao''s smiled faded as he found himself unable to counter Nan Ke''s point. I found that I could get along well with her. Unlike the arrogant, self-centered martial artists who dominated the sphere of wuxia and xianxia stories, here was one genius who actually recognized the importance of teamwork, harmony and cooperation!


    "Nan Ke is right," Lei Yong Chun agreed as he glanced in the direction where his car just got through. "It''ll be impossible to get through the tomb alone. Indeed, you''re right that individual strength does matter, and with the intricacies and traps throughout tomb, there is a very high chance that we''ll end up separated eventually. But before that, we can mitigate the danger by traveling in groups and working together."


    "Says the guy who just got ostracized by his sect members for attacking their school," Jiang Jun Hao scoffed. Lei Yong Chun continued to smile.


    "Embarassing as it may be, I have torn an irreparable hole in the relationship between myself and my juniors. It''s only natural that they don''t trust me. That''s my mistake."


    "Hah! So after all that big talk, you''re going to¡­"


    "¡­have no choice but to call upon other friends for help," Lei Yong Chun finished smoothly. He glanced at the crowd. "Sui Sha Yu, are you done with the preliminary scouting?"


    "Yeah, just waiting for you to come break the seal."


    A tomboyish girl with tanned skin, short hair and a curvy body sauntered outward. She was wearing black leather, the pants hugging her hips tightly as they swayed seductively, and her dark leather jacket terminated just below her waist, allowing her butt to be visible. Interestingly enough, that was where the majority of the male martial artists'' gazes lingered to.


    "¡­"


    Bai Ning Xue scowled in disapproval, and Zhu Jiao quickly tried to placate her.


    "You''re more beautiful, Ning Xue!"


    "That''s not the problem," she said coldly.


    "Um, yeah, her dress code is outrageous. She should display more decency!" a female White Tiger Sect disciple shouted, her voice shrill. Apparently the White Tiger Sect disciples were sensitive to her mood as well.


    "I don''t care what she wears, she can be buck naked if she wants."


    "Then why are you so upset, Senior Ning Xue?" Kuang Hu asked. Bai Ning Xue sighed and swept her gaze across the rest.


    "Do you really not know who Sui Sha Yu is?"


    Everyone glanced at each other and shook their heads. Zhu Jiao turned to me, hoping for an answer, but I merely shrugged. The only clue I had was¡­


    "¡­is she Liquid Shark? A successor to one of the five Heavenly Paths or something?"


    Obviously I was making a wild guess from reading Veritas, but Bai Ning Xue nodded. I couldn''t help but choke in surprise when she confirmed that I was right.


    "Senior Sui Sha Yu is from the Liquid Shark Sect¡­a sect that has ambiguous connections to the demonic sects. Many in the Martial Arts Alliance actually suspect that it is a demonic sect. She is known for the massacre at Flowing Spring Peak, where she ruthlessly murdered a bunch of Spitfire Sect members, tearing them from limb to limb."


    Everyone couldn''t help but suppress a shudder.


    "I know Senior Yong Chun has¡­unsavory links to the dark side of the Jianghu, but I never thought he would sink so low as to associate himself with such a cruel murderess." Bai Ning Xue''s icy gaze continued to rest upon Sui Sha Yu


    Having noticed Bai Ning Xue''s hostility, Sui Sha Yu merely clung to Lei Yong Chun''s arm and leaned close, pressing her body against his.


    "Jealous, aren''t we?" she asked sweetly, but there was a dangerous undercurrent in her voice that could only be interpreted as, "back off, bitch¡­he''s mine."


    Bai Ning Xue suddenly burst out laughing, much to everyone''s confusion.


    "I think you''ve misunderstood something."


    She reached out and squeezed Zhu Jiao''s hand, who was surprised. He glanced from Bai Ning Xue to Sui Sha Yu, not sure what to make of their conflicting glares. Despite being a strong martial artist, he began wilting under the hostility between the two girls, which almost materialized visibly as sparks, their qi clashing invisibly in the air and suffocating everyone.


    "I don''t harbor that sort of feelings for First Senior. You can have him if you want. I''m just disappointed that he chose to associate with someone like you. I thought better of him."


    "Hey, hey! Sha Yu is not that bad!" Lei Yong Chun protested, but his current beau only seemed to cling to him tighter.


    "Are you sure you''re not jealous? Sui Sha Yu responded, trying to stoke the flames a lot more. Bai Ning Xue''s rage receded, replaced by amusement.


    "You can believe whatever you want." She leaned in closer to rest her head on a stunned Zhu Jiao''s shoulder. "Personally, I think Zhu Jiao is a much better person than First Senior, and I would choose him over Senior Yong Chun every time."


    "Your loss." Sui Sha Yu shrugged. Bai Ning Xue''s smile widened.


    "No, my gain."


    "Um¡­" Zhu Jiao shifted uncomfortably, looking as if he wanted to escape the center of attention. He glanced at me for help, but I shook my head helplessly. That was what you get for being the protagonist of a wuxia/xianxia story.


    "Oho¡­I would like to test him someday." Sui Sha Yu looked intrigured, the corners of her mouth inclining upward a little.


    "Please don''t," Zhu Jiao pleaded, looking as if he was about to die from embarrassment. It took everything I had to stop myself from bursting out laughing at his predicament. From a glance, I could tell that Kuang Hu and the other White Tiger Sect disciples were sharing the same problem as me. Even from far away, I could see the amused expression on Feng Tian Yong as he stood at Nan Ke''s side, a grin curling on his face as he was centimeters away from laughing out loud.


    I briefly wondered if Bai Ning Xue was laughing inwardly too and doing this on purpose, but more likely she was sincerely proud of her relationship with Zhu Jiao. From what I knew of her character, she didn''t have a sense of humor or mischief.


    "Ahem¡­"


    Jiang Jun Hao cleared his throat, clearly annoyed by the romantic drama that was transpiring in front of him. I noticed that all of the Heavenly Way Sect disciples were male, and his hand was twitching, as if he wanted to wrap it around a girl, but there was no girl nearby for him to hug. Good thing, too, or he would be sexually harassing her.


    "I don''t mean to interrupt you ladies, but if you want to squabble, please do it elsewhere. We''re here to explore the tomb, not to show off who has what sort of boyfriend. With that said¡­" he turned and pointed a finger at the shimmering barrier around the mountainpeak. "Why don''t we start breaking the seal?"


    "There''s no hurry," Lei Yong Chun assured him unhurriedly. "We still need to wait for one more person."


    "Who are we waiting for? Don''t tell me you plan to wait until all the elite disciples of the eight major sects show up?"


    Jiang Jun Hao could hardly hide his impatience.


    Lei Yong Chun''s smile grew mysterious and I suddenly felt a chill. "Whoever said the exploration of the tomb is limited only to the eight major sects? Or to the orthodox sects and members of the Martial Arts Alliance at that?"


    "What?!" Jiang Jun Hao''s eyes widened. "You mean¡­it can''t be¡­!"


    All around the elite disciples, the crowd began to murmur and chatter excitedly. The White Tiger Sect disciples were looking around nervously and whispering in low tones, except Kuang Hu, who was snarling fiercely with an aggressive smile.


    "Oh¡­this will be interesting," he growled as he stretched his fingers in glee. The bloodlust practically oozed off him.


    In contrast, Bai Ning Xue looked extremely furious. Letting go of Zhu Jiao''s arm, she strode forward to confront her first senior.


    "Senior Yong Chun, you can''t possibly have¡­?"


    "No, I didn''t do anything."


    Lei Yong Chun shook his head, and then he smiled, mischief glittering in those dark, unfathomable eyes.


    "But by that same token, I also didn''t do anything to stop them either."


    "You¡­!"


    Before Bai Ning Xue could finish her sentence, Lei Yong Chun glanced away from her, his grin widening.


    "Oh. They''re here!"


    At that moment, I couldn''t help but feel an ominous presence. Above, a dark armored personnel carrier slammed down on earth, and cultivators in dark, black robes flooded out. The crowd instinctively recoiled and retreated when they sensed the demonic yin qi that swirled out of them.


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    That said, I didn''t really see much of a difference. The so-called "demonic" qi was not that different from normal qi. It just had a higher concentration of yin, and I guess, if I really had to describe it, it felt malevolent, aggressive and predatory. But the same could be said of any orthodox martial artists. It wasn''t as if the Martial Arts Alliance was benevolent and pacifistic either, and so-called orthodox martial artists were known to have preyed on the weaker ones.


    "The demonic sects¡­!"


    "Why are they here?!"


    "Get ready!"


    All the gathered sects were getting into formation, readying for combat. However, Lei Yong Chun held up a hand.


    "There is no need to worry. They''re not here to fight. Like us, their only objective is to explore the tomb. Let''s avoid unnecessary bloodshed."


    "Thank you, Brother Yong Chun."


    Everyone''s gazes were immediately drawn to the hovering armored personnel carrier when that melodious voice carried across the clearing, seeming to drown out even the roar of the huge vehicle''s engines. Several people even swayed intoxicated, at the mere sound.


    "This¡­"


    I gulped when I detected an extremely formidable presence from within the armored personnel carrier, the source being so potent that it almost drowned out that of even Lei Yong Chun''s. But Lei Yong Chun was holding back and hiding his true strength, so perhaps that was also one of the reasons why this newcomer felt so empowering.


    A girl in a light blue gown slowly strolled down the ramp and joined her dark-robed fellow disciples, and turned to bow her head respectfully toward Lei Yong Chun.


    "It''s been a while, Brother Yong Chun and Sister Sha Yu."


    "It has indeed, Qing Zhu."


    "My, you''ve grown even more beautiful again, Qing Zhu!"


    Smiling, Lei Yong Chun and Sui Sha Yu strode forward to meet up with the newcomers, completely unconcerned by the dark-robed demonic sect disciples.

 130 Chapter 129: Breaking the Seal

    Unfortunately (or fortunately), no one was paying any attention to me breaking the fourth wall. Everyone''s attention was completely riveted upon the newcomer. Sighing, I pushed my glasses up as I lowered my head to study her.


    The young lady wore a light blue silk dress, her eyebrows resembling jade feathers (wait, why the fuck are we using "jade" to describe her eyebrows? And who the hell has ever heard of "jade feathers"? I''ve never heard of a bird that has jade feathers) and her skin as white as snow. Apparently she had a narrow waist and wide hips that were supposed to be gorgeous, but I honestly preferred girls who were a bit more rounded. Hourglass figures just looked unnatural. In another world she would be wearing a veil to conceal her face and make her beauty even more mysterious, apparently because she was so beautiful that anyone who saw her exposed face would be driven crazy (come on, that was utter bullshit, don''t tell me you actually buy that), but in more liberal times such as the present, her pretty face was in full view of everyone. Her eyes, as clear as spring water, swept across the crowd who were admiring her, causing everyone who looked at her to drown in their depths.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," I growled in exasperation. "Describing so many details about her and exaggerating her beauty¡­quite clearly you intend for her to be the heroine, don''t you? And fuck that whole jade thing. If any part of a human resembles jade or the color of jade, I''m pretty sure she''ll look sickly and not beautiful! And stop indulging in description porn! Yeah, I get it, she''s beautiful. Yeah, I get that she''s supposed to be the damned heroine who will eventually fall for the protagonist, but giving a description like that is bloody disgusting!"


    "What the fuck are you on about?" Zhu Jiao demanded, staring at me after my outburst. "No one said anything about a description?"


    "Never mind," I muttered. I pitied the ignorant fools who were trapped within the frame of a story, unable to see the tropes for what they truly were and believing that it was reality. Instead, I gestured toward Bai Ning Xue. "You really love Bai Ning Xue, don''t you?"


    "Huh? Of course I do."


    "Huh? Why the hell would I betray Ning Xue?" Zhu Jiao looked puzzled. I sighed exaggeratedly and shook my head.


    "It''s the fate of wuxia and xianxia protagonists to have a harem. The moment this girl received such a longwinded description emphasizing her beauty to the high heavens, we already know that she''s going to be a main heroine and part of your harem."


    "I see." Bai Ning Xue''s voice grew cold and she tightened her grip on Zhu Jiao''s arm to the point where he winced in pain. "So that''s your type of girl, huh, Zhu Jiao?"


    "No!" Zhu Jiao shot me a murderous look. "I have no idea what Fei Wu is talking about! He''s just spouting his usual nonsense! Don''t take him seriously!" trying to loosen her hold on his arm, he hastily changed the subject, no doubt feeling guilty about ogling the new girl despite already officially having a girlfriend. "Who is this girl, anyway?"


    Then he ended up ogling her again, watching her gracefully saunter forward as her entourage parted before her.


    "Thank you for the praise, Sister Sha Yu. But I have not changed much at all."


    Even though the girl''s voice was melodious, there was no warmth or gentleness in those crystal-clear eyes. Instead, I ended up shivering when I saw the deep cold that permeated her sapphire pupils. When someone who wielded ice like me could actually feel cold, then you probably could guess just how freezing that glacial gaze could be.


    And no, I''m not going to copy Tian Can Tu Dou and describe her as being hot on the outside and cold in the inside. That had to be the lamest and cheesiest description if I had ever heard one. But one thing was for sure, this girl wasn''t someone I could deal with. I planned to avoid her at all costs if possible. That would be easy ¨C she was fated to encounter Zhu Jiao and fall for him, not me, so I didn''t have to worry about that.


    "Ling Qing Zhu," Bai Ning Xue finally said, giving a belated answer to Zhu Jiao''s question. "She''s the next leader of the demonic sect, the Incendiary Ifrit Sect."


    "The Incendiary what now?" I repeated incredulously. Of all the things, an Ifrit?


    "A demonic sect!" Zhu Jiao gasped. I rolled my eyes at that when everyone ignored my question to gape in astonishment at Zhu Jiao''s statement of the obvious. Like, have none of you been paying attention?


    To be fair, I supposed, they were still mired in disbelief that a demonic sect had just shown up in the middle of nowhere, armed to the teeth and loaded for bear, and they were trembling in both fear and outrage. Getting ready to battle, they made to draw their weapons, but Lei Yong Chun quickly intervened and gestured for them to step back.


    "Please trust me, everyone. The demonic sects are not here to fight. I''m sure we can call a truce for now."


    He then bowed to Ling Qing Zhu politely.


    "I apologize for the hostile reception. But I''m sure no one will raise a hand against you or your sect."


    "To be able to cause someone of Lei Yong Chun''s stature to be so courteous, this lady definitely is not ordinary," Zhu Jiao muttered under her breath. I nodded in agreement. In other words, she was the perfect kind of heroine and harem member for a protagonist like Zhu Jiao. Only princess-like girls with extraordinary backgrounds had the right to be by his side. If she wasn''t at least as impressive as Bai Ning Xue, then she stood no chance of entering his harem.


    "It''s been a while, Qing Zhu," Nan Ke called out cheerfully and hopped forward to grab her hands. Seeing how friendly she was with Ling Qing Zhu, I guessed that the Red Phoenix Sect might have some connections with the demonic sects. That would be quite the scandal if true though, so I didn''t want to think about it.


    "Heh¡­so what business does the demonic sects have if they''re not here for a fight?" Jiang Jun Hao asked, after just managing to wipe the drool off his face while staring at Ling Qing Zhu. It was clear that he was drawn by her beauty, and he made no attempt to mask his lustful desire in his heated gaze. It was only natural. In front of such a beautiful lady, any man would be enticed, so he was aware that there was no point in hiding it.


    "The same as you so-called orthodox sects," Ling Qing Zhu replied quietly as she turned to look at the tomb. "To explore and look for treasures."


    "Yeah, you heard her!" Lei Yong Chun assured everyone. "There will be more demonic sects arriving, not just the Incendiary Ifrit Sect! So I ask of all of you, please do not be impulsive! Don''t attack them!"


    "How do we know they won''t stab us in the back?!" a girl shouted, naturally bearing a much higher resistance to Ling Qing Zhu''s charm and beauty than the lecherous guys. "They''re demonic sects! There''s no guarantee they won''t attack us suddenly when we''re all in the tomb!"


    "The answer is simple." Despite the soft volume, Ling Qing Zhu''s melodious voice carried across the entire campsite. "You are all simply not worth the effort."


    For a moment, silence reigned throughout the campsite, and the tension grew so dense that I could cut it with my swords.


    "Ha ha, Qing Zhu doesn''t mean anything by that," Lei Yong Chun forced a laugh and quickly intervened before the crowd could explode.


    "There will be traps, formation arrays, seals, barriers, demonic creatures and magical beasts within the tomb that would require our strength and attention to overcome," Ling Qing Zhu said. At first I thought she was backing up Lei Yong Chun, but then she added, "We don''t have the time or energy to deal with any of you. Collecting the treasures, artifacts and weapons in the tomb will be our utmost priority."


    The atmosphere grew tenser, if possible.


    "Ha ha ha! Well said!"


    Everyone glanced up when they heard an unfamiliar voice. Above, a small plane soared past, skimming past the canopies at a dangerously low altitude. A small group of dark-robed disciples jumped out, landing gracefully on the ground. While their clothing was mostly black like that of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect, there were a lot of red-blood markings and Spirit Engravings embroidered over the fabric and lining. To be honest, they looked like¡­Akatsuki from a certain Japanese manga with ninjas in it. At least they weren''t trying to be shinobi, nor were they wearing orange jumpsuits.


    "Li Xue Wu."


    Lei Yong Chun greeted the newcomer faintly, and I could tell from his reticient attitude that he didn''t really like the the smug, arrogant-looking young man who had just arrived.


    "Oh, Lei Yong Chun¡­you''re here too?"


    "I''ve always been here," Lei Yong Chun grumbled with a sigh. But Li Xue Wu ignored him in favor of approaching Sui Sha Yu and grabbing her hands.


    "It''s been a while, Sister Sha Yu."


    "Um, yeah, Young Master Li¡­it has indeed¡­"


    Looking uncomfortable, Sui Sha Yu pulled away from him, and then glanced at the small group of disciples who had jumped out of the plane along with Li Xue Wu. Speaking of which, the plane had soared away after dropping off its cargo, leaving its former passengers behind.


    "Qing Wu!" Sui Sha Yu''s eyes brightened when they rested on one of the robed figures. "You''ve come too!"


    The girl in question was another top-level beauty, her exquisite features a match for Bai Ning Xue. The thin, silky fabric of her black and blood-red dress clung to her gorgeous figure, emphasizing her feminine curves, and I realized that she was second only to Ling Qing Zhu. However, unlike Ling Qing Zhu''s frosty gaze and crystal-clear eyes, this girl''s eyes were dark and inky black, almost like a black hole that devoured anyone who looked into them. With my Heaven and Earth senses, I could sense the thick yin qi that emanated from them, saturated with murderous intent. If Ling Qing Zhu''s eyes were akin to clear ice, this girl''s eyes resembled sharp blades that cut anyone who looked directly into them. Good thing I had my glasses to protect my eyes.


    "That''s¡­Yan Qing Wu?!" Bai Ning Xue gasped softly. Zhu Jiao and her fellow White Tiger Sect disciples looked at her in bafflement.


    "Who?"


    "Do you know her, Senior Ning Xue?"


    "Who are those people?"


    Bai Ning Xue swallowed for a moment before she finally answered.


    "They''re from the Tian Sha Sect."


    There was a pause before everyone gasped collectively. Even I couldn''t help but be stunned by her answer.


    The Tian Sha Sect ¨C or should I translate it as the Heavenly Fiend Sect? ¨C was one of the most notorious demonic sects in the Middle Continent. Never mind they were the ones who murdered Hao Cai Neng ¨C the character everyone believed was the protagonist until they got to end of the prologue (as for how I knew that, let''s just say I had the privilege of being the protagonist of this story), they were responsible for the massacres of entire villages and enjoyed indulging in blood-filled carnage, slaying anyone who got into their way without any hesitation.


    If there was any demonic sect that embodied the values and role of the stereotypical villain, it would be the Tian Sha Sect. as a side note, Hao Cai Neng''s village was wiped out shortly after his death, with the sect leader, Tian Sha Tian Zun, wanting to use the village as a forward base to launch more attacks on the orthodox martial arts sects.


    Well, wiped out might not be the right term. The village chief had noticed something wrong, and had evacuated his village beforehand when he went out to train the next day after Hao Cai Neng rejected him. Thanks to that, the casualties were minimized. The village chief had also gone on record, saying that it was a complete waste -¨Cthat if Hao Cai Neng had accepted his offer to train, he wouldn''t have died so uselessly at the hands of the demonic sect leader.


    Whether that was true or not, I guess you guys will be a better judge of character.


    Upon the revelation, all of the orthodox sects had gathered and surrounded the tiny group of the Tian Sha Sect, as well as Ling Qing Zhu and her Incendiary Ifrit Sect. it was to no avail, as more vehicles flew past, or more shadows emerged from the forest surrounding the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range. As Lei Yong Chun warned, there would be more demonic sects joining the fray.


    Consequently, there was some sort of standoff where the orthodox sects stood on one side, the demonic sects on the other, and Lei Yong Chun and his friends in the middle.


    "We''ll end your atrocities today!"


    "Yeah? Bring it! I''ll wipe out your so-called orthodox sects today!"


    "Hah! You think you have the ability to do so?"


    "I''m sick and tired of you being all high and mighty and talking about justice when you guys are huge hypocrites!"


    The campsite was on the verge of erupting into a full-scale conflict. Already voices were raised and both sides were on the brink of attacking each other.


    "Guys, stop!" Lei Yong Chun pleaded as he raised his hands. As powerful as he was, even he wouldn''t be able to stop over a few hundred martial artists from clashing against each other. Having seen him fight, though, I had no doubt he would be able to defeat the majority of the people here even if they teamed up against him.


    "What foolishness."


    At her chilling words, everyone stopped and turned to stare at the ethereal, beautiful Ling Qing Zhu. She was folding her arms and radiating a coldness that seemed to weigh down heavily on everyone present, even the demonic sects. Only a few, such as Yan Qing Wu, remained unaffected, but even Li Xue Wu looked like he was suffocating.


    "Are you going to waste your time and energy fighting here? You might have a lot of spare time in your hands, but I''m busy. And I want to conserve my qi for the threats inside the tomb." She turned and approached the shimmering barrier. "You''re welcome to kill each other here, but don''t drag me into it."


    "Hey, wait! Who gave you the right!?" One of the orthodox martial artists shouted out, but a chilling glare from her silenced him and he collapsed, shivering from freezing fear. Without breaking her stride, Ling Qing Zhu continued on, flanked by her fellow Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples.


    "Well, Miss Qing Zhu has a point," Li Xue Wu admitted with a sly grin. "Junior Qing Wu, let''s go!"


    Yan Qing Wu said nothing, but followed Ling Qing Zhu silently. Li Xue Wu looked annoyed at being brushed off by his junior, but he swept his cloak up and followed her, leading the rest of the small Tian Sha Sect entourage.


    Lei Yong Chun breathed a sigh of relief, then he chased after them, with Sui Sha Yu by his side. When the veteran couple caught up to Ling Qing Zhu and the Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples, the cold beauty turned to face him.


    "Since everyone is here, shall we begin breaking the seal?"


    "Of course, of course!" Lei Yong Chun agreed, his gaze gentle. Even though he already had Sui Sha Yu, he still wasn''t unaffected by Ling Qing Zhu''s beauty. Fortunately, he wasn''t as unrestrained or lustful as Jiang Jun Hao, and Sui Sha Yu kept a tight leash on him.


    "The seal was set up by a Nascent Stage practitioner," Sui Sha Yu warned. "Even though it has been thousands of years, it is still pretty formidable. But I''ve analyzed it and found that if we all focus our attacks on a single point, we should be able to penetrate it."


    "Sounds good." Lei Yong Chun nodded his head. Jiang Jun Hao and the others reacted similarly, seeing no reason to doubt her.


    "Let''s do it then!"


    Unable to restrain himself, Jiang Jun Hao immediately whipped out his spear. Golden qi began flowing into it and the weapon grew massive and stretched to over a few dozen meters long. Hefting it up, Jiang Jun Hao hurled it. The spear disappeared into a golden streak, the fiery projectile lancing through the air and drilling into the barrier.


    "Heavenly Thrust!"


    "Why the fuck does the name of his technique sound like some horrible technique from an h-manga or h-anime?" I muttered, trying not to laugh. "And doesn''t he feel embarrassed, hollering the name of his technique with such an innuendo like that?"


    Nan Ke, thankfully, was not prone to such risqu¨¦ techniques. Stepping ahead of Feng Tian Yong and the rest of her sect members, she drew both her swords and swung them, unleashing twin waves of raging infernos.


    "Incinerate!" she shouted gleefully.


    Lei Yong Chun also participated in the attack, raising his hand. Above, thunderclouds gathered, sparking restlessly with living lightning. Electric qi saturated the air so thickly that my hair stood on end and I actually felt numb even though I was such a far distance away. I could only pity Feng Tian Yong and the other non-elite disciples who were suffering the full effects of being in the vicinity of such powerful attacks.


    "Divine Tiger Thunder Crash!"


    As usual, the silver tiger took form and descended from the thunderclouds, roaring silently as it viciously slashed at the shimmering barrier and adding to the assault of the spear and infernos already present.


    Yan Qing Wu stabbed forward with her black sword, and a beam of unholy light surged forward and struck the barrier along with the rest of the attacks. Not to be outdone, Li Xue Wu also raised his palm and sent a dark shockwave at the barrier.


    Why the hell is everyone using ranged attacks? I wondered, exasperated. At this rate, we might as well be magicians shooting spells instead of proper martial artists. Shaking my head, I watched as Feng Tian Yong and the other Red Phoenix Sect disciples added their own strength to help Nan Ke in piercing the barrier, as did the other disciples of the Heavenly Fiend Sect and the Heavenly Way Sect. Beside Lei Yong Chun, Sui Sha Yu also added her power.


    In contrast to the others'' merciless barrage of attacks, Ling Qing Zhu''s strike was serene. She gently waved her hand, and a lotus flower that was floating above her glowed before a single petal split off from it. Under her direction, the lotus petal was imbued in a blue light as it floated mildly toward the barrier at the mountaintop.


    When the group of elite martial arts practitioners unleashed their techniques, the entire area shuddered, tremors rippling through the mountain range and sending flying magical beasts flapping into the air in a panic. The crowd in the campsite couldn''t help but fulfil their roles of admiring the strong, going, "ooooh" and "aaaah."


    "Amazing¡­so this is the power of people who have reached the Qi Fusion Stage and Pure Spirit Stage¡­"


    Zhu Jiao was whispering in amazement, unable to tear his eyes away from his sight. Beside him, despite looking a little upset,


    Despite the merciless onslaught, the barrier held strong. True, there were numerous lines and symbols materializing on the surface of the barrier, the patterns of the Spirit Engraving flaring fiercely as the barrier they were carved into resiliently withstood the combined majestic attacks that had slammed into it.


    Boom!


    Jiang Jun Hao''s golden spear was the first to strike the barrier viciously, causing countless circles to ripple outward from the point of impact. The infernos launched by Nan Ke followed, coalescing with the flames from Feng Tian Yong and the other Red Phoenix Sect disciples, and slammed into the same point, washing over the sparking barrier. The Heavenly Way Sect disciples, not to be outdone, also lent their power to their current leader.


    Crash!


    The next moment, the lightning tiger collided with the barrier, causing the symbols and patterns to flicker and almost short out. The liquid shark launched by Sui Sha Yu accompanied the lightning tiger, tearing and biting at the same point.


    Then the ominous black beams of the Tian Sha Sect smashed into the barrier, hitting that same point and erasing yet more patterns.


    "Come on!" Li Xue Wu growled impatiently. "Just get destroyed already!"


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t that simple.


    Even as the power of the first few attacks gradually scattered, it revealed a still shimmering barrier. Many of the patterns and Spirit Engravings had been obliterated, but many more still remained. A huge portion of the crowd gaped in disbelief.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­!"


    "Even after taking such powerful attacks from so many elite martial artists, the barrier is still unbroken?"


    "Is that seal indestructible or something?"


    However, the last attack had yet to land.


    While everyone was ogling the seemingly indestructible barrier in disbelief, the final and seemingly weakest blue glow slowly drifted over, almost like a feather. A few seconds after the other attacks dissipated, the lotus petal finally landed on the surface of the barrier.


    At the moment of contact, the lotus petal instantly transformed into a vast, azure light that rapidly spread across the transparent barrier, devouring many of the remaining symbols and caused several cracks.


    Crack!


    Even as the azure light throbbed gently, probing the surface of the weakening barrier for more vulnerabilities, the forcefield unexpectedly remained strong, resisting the last of the elite martial artists'' attempts to break it.


    "Hmm¡­seems like we might need to attack the seal a few more times before we can finally break through it," Ling Qing Zhu observed, her pretty face crinkling into a frown. Lei Yong Chun chuckled as he shook his head.


    "No¡­as ashamed as we are to admit it, you did more damage to the barrier than the rest of us put together."


    "Yeah¡­" Jiang Jun Hao''s shoulders drooped, but he couldn''t help but stare at Ling Qing Zhu in amazement. His fellow Heavenly Way Sect discples mostly mirrored his reaction, all of them gaping at Ling Qing Zhu and almost drooling.


    "¡­"


    Yan Qing Wu pursed her lips, but didn''t say anything. Beside her, Li Xue Wu''s eyes were boring into the gorgeous body of Ling Qing Zhu, his crimson pupils filled with fiery passion and decadent desire for her.


    Nan Ke narrowed her eyes as well, a little bitter. Feng Tian Yong and the other Red Phoenix Sect disciples seemed to be at a loss, averting their gaze from Ling Qing Zhu''s beautiful figure. They knew better than to annoy their head disciple.


    "Looks like we''ll be relying on you again, Qing Zhu." Sui Sha Yu smiled helplessly. Ling Qing Zhu nodded and reached out to stroke the floating lotus flower behind her.


    "I''m just lucky I happen to have the right tool for the job¡­"


    Meanwhile, back at where the rest of the White Tiger Sect was, Zhu Jiao was looking at the solid barrier in amazement.


    "Incredible¡­that barrier took on so many attacks from so many high-level martial artists and remained intact¡­"


    He turned toward me and Bai Ning Xue with a grin.


    "Makes you wonder just how godly those Nascent Soul Stage practitioners are, doesn''t it?"


    Bai Ning Xue nodded, a little subdued. She exhaled and began approaching, her fellow sect disciples following her.


    "We can''t be left behind. Even though I don''t like the idea, we should help out as well."


    "Hah! Maybe we''ll be able to break the barrier!"


    Kuang Hu was enjoying the notion that he and the rest of the White Tiger Sect would be able to accomplish what Lei Yong Chun and the other so-called elite martial artists failed to do.


    "No way!"


    "You''re kidding me!"


    The cries of outrage drew out attention back toward the tomb again. To our utmost astonishment, the barrier was repairing itself. The cracks were vanishing, leaving a perfectly smooth surface once more. That wasn''t all ¨C the Spirit Engravings were rewriting themselves, the arcane symbols and mystical patterns materializing across the transparent screen before turning invisible. Which was totally different from disappearing, by the way.


    "Impossible¡­"


    Even the composed and cold Ling Qing Zhu couldn''t help but be surprised at the unexpected turn of events. If this was the case, then no matter how many times they attacked, they wouldn''t be able to penetrate the barrier.


    Speaking of which, was it my imagination, or was Ling Qing Zhu another clone of Bai Ning Xue? Why were ice queen/princess-type heroines so popular in wuxia/xianxia stories? Actually, wasn''t this trope too popular and common in all stories? To the extent that we actually had two almost identical clones of the same heroine?


    "What do we do now?" Jiang Jun Hao wailed.


    "Fuck!" Li Xue Wu gnashed his teeth in frustration and stomped his foot like a spoilt brat. Actually, he was a spoilt brat, but I wasn''t going to learn about that until later.


    "Calm down and don''t panic, guys." Lei Yong Chun was holding up both hands in a placating manner. "Why don''t we get everyone to help? If more people attack together at the same time, we might be able to muster enough force to break through the seal and destroy the barrier."


    "Sounds like a good idea," Sui Sha Yu agreed.


    "I don''t like relying on others, but I guess there''s no choice," Jiang Jun Hao grumbled.


    "Fine by me," Nan Ke voiced her piece. "The sooner we get this done, the better."


    Yan Qing Wu snorted as she glanced at the crowd, her gaze as sharp as a blade. "The so-called Orthodox Sects¡­they call themselves righteous and just, yet most of them didn''t even bother to lift a finger to help."


    "The same can be said of the demonic sects," I pointed out as I walked past, jabbing a thumb toward the huge proportion of demonic sect disciples who were idling at the edge of the campsite.


    "Who the hell are you?" Yan Qing Wu demanded, her eyes narrowing murderously. Zhu Jiao chased after me.


    "Hey! Wu! What are you doing?!"


    "Figuring out how to switch off the barrier."


    "Yeah, well¡­" Lei Yong Chun seemed to recognize me, and he inclined his head with a friendly smile. "I''ll appreciate it if you lend us your strength as well, Mr. Heaven and Earth Sect Disciple."


    There was a murmur from the people present, especially the demonic sects, when they heard that, and I reacted quickly to rectify that.


    "I''m from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," I corrected firmly. That was the truth, after all, and I didn''t deny it, though what sort of conclusions the people around me drew based on my vehement tone, I couldn''t be bothered to take responsibility for. Then I turned around and tapped the barrier with my knuckles. "And that''s the problem with you martial artists. Always relying on brute force. You think you can have everything your way just because you have strength?"


    "Huh? Who do you think you are?!" Li Xue Wu growled and made to lunge at me, only for Lei Yong Chun to haul him back.


    "Oi, Wu, are you sure you know what you''re doing?!" Zhu Jiao hissed. I nodded.


    "Sure as sure."


    "Do you have an alternative then?" the White Tiger Sect head disciple asked as he glanced at me.


    "I believe in Fei Wu," Bai Ning Xue declared as she stepped forward. Following her example, the rest of the White Tiger Sect disciples stepped between me and the rest of the sects ¨C particularly the aggressive Heavenly Fiends Sect, as if to protect me.


    "Thanks," I muttered. It was unfortunate, but I wasn''t some godlike Mary Sue who could pull off the cracking and analysis of the complex Spirit Engraved patterns on the barrier while fending off a bunch of ruffians at the same time.


    "No worries," Kuang Hu told me, a fierce grin on his face. The dude was actually looking forward to a fight with the demonic sects. "Leave those bastards to us. Go do your job."


    "Wait¡­!" Jiang Hun Hao hollered angrily. "You can''t possibly think¡­!"


    "If Ning Xue and my juniors say they believe in him, then I''ll believe in him too." Lei Yong Chun also intervened and stepped between me and my erstwhile assailants. Lighting crackled around his body, a warning to those who overstepped their boundaries. "Anyway, why not allow him a chance? We already had ours and we failed. Even if he fails, we can just try attacking the barrier afterward. It shouldn''t take that much time, right?"


    He glanced at me as he said that last sentence, and after a few seconds, I realized that he was looking for an estimate.


    "Give me a few minutes," I replied, already tapping and rearranging the symbols with my fingers. Almost as if I was orchestrating a band, my hands danced across the surface, shuffling the Spirit Engravings and reshaping the patterns according to my intention. Sweeping my eyes from side to side and relying on my glasses to help me in analyzing, spotting and breaking down the mass of information that would otherwise overload my senses, I cracked the code, so to speak, and reprogrammed the Spirit Engraving.


    "¡­that should do it."


    Stepping back in satisfaction, I swung my hand almost casually and struck a single Spirit Engraved pattern. The seal glowed, and then just like that, the entire barrier vanished. Even though it was invisible, everyone could somehow tell that it was gone because of their qi senses. Even those with the most rudimentary of qi sense could detect the total absence of the forcefield that had blocked off everything within the space of the mountainpeak.


    "¡­what the?!"


    "How?!"


    As the so-called elite martial artists gaped and murmured in astonishment, I turned back to stare at them with a smirk.

 131 Chapter 130: Charging into the tomb

    "Go!"


    Without even bothering to thank me or express some form of appreciation, the elite martial artists all dashed into the mountaintop milliseconds after the barrier vanished. They only spent a short time gawking at me, and then without displaying any gratitude, they took my efforts for granted and rushed toward the mountain peak.


    "Thank you. Great work!"


    Or so I thought, but Lei Yong Chun paused to thank me. I nodded, and the older guy turned toward Bai Ning Xue with a smile.


    "You really have quite a few talented students at your school."


    "So think twice before you attack us again," she retorted coldly. Lei Yong Chun laughed at that.


    "Don''t be na?ve. It''s precisely because of that, that the Martial Arts Alliance view your academy as a threat."


    Before he could elaborate further, he followed Sui Sha Yu, and the couple vanished into the mountaintop after the other sects and martial artists.


    It wasn''t just Lei Yong Chun, though.


    "I didn''t rely on brute force."


    For some reason, Ling Qing Zhu was sulking as she glared at me. I held up both my hands apologetically to quell her frosty tantrum.


    "Sorry. That''s not what I meant. I wasn''t referring to you specifically. I meant the others, more generally."


    "¡­"


    Ling Qing Zhu didn''t seem convinced, but thankfully she accepted my answer at face value and turned away. In a single bound, she streaked toward the entrance of the ancient tomb, resembling an azure shooting star. The rest of her Incendiary Ifrit Sect followed after her, and even though they did not look as impressive, they still struck a magnificent view for all those who watched, resembling blazing fireworks that seared through the heavens.


    The elite martial artists and their respective sects weren''t the only ones charging into the entrance of the tomb.


    "The barrier is gone! Hurry! Charge in!"


    Upon seeing the elite martial artists charge toward the ancient tomb, the crowd gathered at the campsite stirred with uncontrollable excitement and insane joy. As one, they surged upward, scaling the mountain and dashing toward the entrance of the tomb with no regard for others or their own safety. In mere seconds, the whole crowd had dashed madly toward the opening, reminiscent of a ravenous locust swarm descending upon a field of crops.


    Or the gold rush. Or whatever.


    I would have thought Tang Qi Hong and the rest of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would come up when they saw me come up the stage, but there was no sign that they were even in the campsite to begin with. Or perhaps the campsite was so crowded that it was difficult for them to fight their way to the front to back me up.


    A pity. We could form some sort of alliance between the White Tiger Sect and the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to counter the alliance between the demonic sects, as well as what seemed collaboration with the Red Phoenix Sect and Heavenly Way Sect. Though, judging from Jiang Jun Hao''s reaction, I doubted the Heavenly Way Sect would work with the demonic sects.


    "That was a job well done," Bai Ning Xue told me, and her fellow White Tiger Sect disciples nodded in agreement.


    "Nah, I didn''t do much," I mumbled, embarrassed. Zhu Jiao laughed.


    "What are you talking about, Wu? You basically single-handedly brought down a barrier that the attacks of so many elite martial artists failed to destroy. You''re clearly the MVP here!"


    "They all just adopted the wrong approach," I replied. "If any of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples or experienced Spirit Engravers were here, they could have deciphered and deactivated the barrier just as easily, if not more so than I did."


    "Always so humble," Zhu Jiao chuckled with a shake of his head.


    "We should go too."


    Bai Ning Xue glanced at the rest of her sect and nodded. As one, the White Tiger Sect moved, their steps fluid and graceful. Zhu Jiao trailed them, hanging at the back.


    "Wu, what are you waiting for?"


    Zhu Jiao glanced back at me. I was still craning my neck and scanning the crowd for any sign of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but even with the technological aid of my advanced glasses, I couldn''t locate any of my friends at all. Sighing in disappointment, I shook my head and turned to Zhu Jiao, my legs already moving.


    "For the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Don''t worry. If Heaven wills it, we''ll meet them sooner or later. For now, let''s go into the tomb! After coming all the way here, I don''t intend to return home empty-handed!"


    "I know how you feel," I said with a nod. I felt similar, after all, and hoped I could get my hands on at least a single treasure. That would make the whole trip, and the amount of time and effort spent on it entirely worthwhile.


    Using my Shadow Steps and footwork, I managed to surge ahead and keep up with the extremely fast White Tiger Sect disciples. Remembering how I initially had trouble with Kuang Hu''s speed when I fought him during the tournament, I couldn''t help but marvel at how they had trained and developed. The White Tiger Sect truly emphasized upon speed.


    No wonder Lei Yong Chun was able to escape Teacher Jiao and the others that night¡­


    "Out of the way!"


    "No, you get out of my way!"


    "I''ll kill you!"


    "!!"


    While we sprinted toward the entrance of the tomb, already there were several conflicts and arguments in the mass of bodies pressing forward. I ignored them even though I could sense the surges of qi and hear explosions and the unmistakable noise of skirmishes as martial artists sought to pull ahead of their competitors.


    The battle for the ancient tomb had finally begun, it seemed.


    Braving through the commotion atop the originally serene mountain peak, I tried to swim through the crowd of onrushing martial artists who were frantically making their way toward the ancient tomb. While there was conflicts between fellow humans, as I mentioned earier, occasionally inhuman snarls and roars punctuated the screams of humans as they fell victim to the numerous demonic creatures and magical beasts that dwelled within the mountains. Despite the casualties to both human and non-human attacks, the majority of the martial artists succeeded in reaching the mountain''s peak within a few minutes.


    I hung back a little, not wanting to be targeted by either human martial artists or ferocious magical beasts and demonic creatures. That allowed me to successfully avoid them, but I found myself separated from Zhu Jiao and the rest of the White Tiger Sect. I caught a glimpse of Zhu Jiao flailing about as he too was torn apart from his beloved Bai Ning Xue, before a sea of martial artists flowed in to cut us off from each other''s sight.


    Damn it!


    Gritting my teeth, I tried to wade through the sea of bodies, doing my best not to get swept away by the onrushing tide of martial artists. I didn''t know how I did it, but after what seemed like an eternity, I finally found myself at my destination. Bending over, I heaved and panted to catch my breath at the edge of the mountain''s peak.


    "Phew¡­"


    Exhaling in relief, I raised my eyes and wiped the perspiration from my brow. Ahead, there was a large stone wall that was built into the cliff wall that was concealed beneath the vegetation that grew all over the mountain''s peak. Or what used to be a stone wall, anyway. Presently, the stone wall had been forcefully smashed to bits, only the huge chunks of debris showing any sign that it used to be a sturdy, solid stone wall.


    This qi signature¡­


    Judging from the type of qi that lingered around the shattered stone wall, I guessed that it was Jiang Jun Hao who obliterated the stone wall in order to forcibly create an entrance. I couldn''t help but shudder at his brute strength.


    Maybe I shouldn''t have made fun of them over-relying on brute force earlier¡­


    Gulping, I cautiously made my way toward the shattered entrance.


    Outside the stone wall, countless martial artists were pouring into the broken hole, excited and passionate. The raw emotion of greed seemed to radiate from their bodies, saturating the air with their desires and hopes.


    "Zhu Jiao!" I called out, hoping to find my friend. However, even though I scanned through the entrance with the aid of my hi-tech glasses, I failed to catch sight of Zhu Jiao or the White Tiger Sect or the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. they must have been carried along by the flow and overwhelming press of martial artists and entered the tomb a while ago.


    Damn it, Zhu Jiao¡­what was the point of making a group if we were going to separate and end up having to explore the tomb individually?!


    Of course, I knew inwardly that Zhu Jiao would actually appreciate his current predicament, especially if he found himself alone. He had many secrets, which included the golden amulet and his master, Qi Lin, which were best kept from other people. He was probably laughing to himself about how favorable his situation was.


    As expected of the typical wuxia/xianxia protagonist. Always alone, on his own, so that he can indulge in his secrets and hoard all the treasures to himself. No doubt, the spirit of his master would be directing him toward a treasure vault where he would find countless qi pills or something. And then foolish antagonists will attempt to rob him, only for Zhu Jiao to teach them a lesson and kill them, and ended up intimidating the other martial artists who followed.


    Yeah, it was so predictable I could already guess what would happen.


    Then again, it''s not as if I''m not in a similar situation¡­


    Like Zhu Jiao, I was alone. The problem was that I didn''t have any of his cheats or protagonist luck. I didn''t have a ghostly master on hand to tell me where all the precious goodies were, and I certainly wouldn''t be lucky enough to stumble upon a cache of spirit pills or other valuable treasures and weapons. And I didn''t have any secret other than that I was the disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect, except that most people already suspected that. Plus it wasn''t that big a deal because¡­there wasn''t much I could learn other than Heaven and Earth Formula, which was a cultivaton technique rather than a combat technique.


    "Ha¡­"


    If only Master could conform to the typical ghost master¡­as it was, I had only learned under him for less than a week, and he taught me nothing but the most rudimentary technique and left me to learn everything else on my own. Those wuxia and xianxia protagonists had it good, having such fated encounters and awesome luck.


    Meanwhile, I got tortured, abused, and suffered nothing but failure after failure. The fate of a non-protagonist like me was pretty¡­bad. Well, at least I had some successes, but nothing too major. On the other hand, I did succeed in my hunting missions and had the spirit materials I needed¡­all that was left was for a yin-type artifact that could help both me and Qing Tan.


    Well¡­let''s not waste any time.


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    Sighing again, I stepped through the entrance, while allowing myself to be carried along by the unceasing flow of martial artists. The moment I was through the broken entrance and inside the ancient tomb proper, I suddenly felt an immense pressure crushing me.


    "!!!"


    My knees almost buckled from the weight. Fortunately, it seemed I wasn''t the only one affected. Everyone who had passed through the entrance seemed to feel the exact same suffocating sensation, gasping, turning pale or staggering. Thanks to that, the flow into the tomb slowed down. Normally, the people from behind would shove them forward in their relentless march toward the ancient tomb, but like everyone else, the moment they were through, they abruptly stopped when they felt the inexorable pressure weighing down on them.


    Even though the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner had clearly been dead for countless years, his lingering aura continued to remain in this space. The sheer power of his ghostly presence clogged up our qi and caused our movements to grow sluggish.


    "Whoa¡­what a terrifying power," I murmured, my face pale and sweaty. I swayed slightly on my feet, trying not to fall over. "Even though he''s dead, he still possesses this much power¡­man, I wonder how formidable he was when he was alive¡­"


    Taking deep breaths to calm myself down, I wandered into the cavernous chamber in front of me, following the flow of people. Then I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the chamber suddenly open up to dozens of passages, each leading into different places within the tomb. Needless to say, the sea of people who had flooded into the ancient tomb earlier were now dispersing, choosing a different path and following it into whatever depths in the tomb it took them to.


    Needless to say, Zhu Jiao''s master had told him to take the fifth tunnel to the left. He had ignored the other martial artists exploring the place and looking for treasures and proceeded straight to a hut where he sensed a tremendous amount of qi. Relying on the advice of his master, he was somehow able to unlock the door, which would was too sturdy and durable for him or any of the other martial artists to break through with brute force.


    Inside, he found tens of thousands of Pure Yuan Pills which he could then convert into millions of Yang Yuan Pills. With that spatial pouch of his that stored his items in an alternative space (thanks to the Void Whale material), Zhu Jiao was able to gather almost all of them. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), four random dudes with no names or personality other than them existing purely to be greedy antagonists for the protagonist to kill without any qualms, walked into the hut and, in the most stupid manner ever, demanded that he handed his pills over.


    Again, needless to say, Zhu Jiao defeated them as easily as a pro gamer would against mob AI enemies, felling them in one attack each. Or perhaps he set his pet magical beast on them. Then Zhu Jiao went back to storing every single Yuan Pill in his bag, and smiled in satisfaction.


    Just as when he was about to leave, a bunch of people came across him and his pet spirit magical beast. The moment they saw the four lifeless corpses on the floor, they became afraid of the overpowered Mary Sue protagonist that he was, and backed away as he casually strolled out of the hut with his pet.


    The crowd quickly dispersed, having seen an example of what happened if they were foolish and reckless enough to attack the protagonist with super plot armor and his pet. They were aware that he had taken all the treasures, because protagonists were entitled to all the damned treasures in whatever adventures they had, but they lacked the strength to do anything. All that bullshit "strong eat the weak" and "survival of the fittest" thing that I hated so much. The world didn''t work like that. It was a lot more complex than simply the strongest bullying the weakest. No man was an island, and even the most powerful martial artist needed to eat. Where was he going to get food from, if he abused and killed all the farmers?


    In any case, you were probably wondering how I knew all this even though I wasn''t on the scene. The short answer was because I am an Omniscient Reader. Uh, no, it has nothing to do with a certain Korean webnovel¡­


    "Hey, hey, hey!" JC192209 shouted. "I don''t want to know about Zhu Jiao! What about your adventures?!"


    Good point. After all, there was little point narrating my little jaunt in the tomb if I was just going to rant about how lucky Zhu Jiao was.


    "Twenty-three thousand Pure Yuan Pills!" Zhu Jiao shouted happily. Apparently he was overjoyed at the millions of gold he could make with these pills. His master then directed him to some other place filled with demonic spirits and¡­


    "OI!"


    "Sorry. Yeah, yeah, I gotcha."


    Looked like my best Ryan Reynolds impression had failed. How did Deadpool pull off this fourth wall-breaking business without being abused and criticized by readers like I was? I honestly had no idea. Evidently the writers of Deadpool had something I lacked. Admittedly, my sense of humor was pretty horrible and tended to piss people off more than it amused them.


    Unlike Zhu Jiao, I didn''t have a guide telling me where to go, so I chose a tunnel at random and wandered into it.


    "¡­"


    Despite following a bunch of people, we ended up walking into a deadend. The martial artists ahead cursed at their bad luck, and then turned to run past me, backtracking to choose another path and hoping they would make it in time before the other treasures were snatched up. I lingered for a while longer, but after scanning the place with my glasses and relying on my Heaven and Earth senses, I couldn''t find anything.


    This place is a bust, huh?


    I sighed. Of course it would be. I wasn''t some wuxia/xianxia protagonist where everything would work out for me smoothly. I wasn''t a perfect wuxia/xianxia protagonist who never experienced failure and had everything go his way. Of course I wouldn''t be able to stumble across treasures and valuable spirit pills on my first attempt.


    As disappointing as it was, I didn''t have cheats that enabled me to go around the system or exploit it. I could only work harder than others.


    "Let''s go back and choose another path."


    Shaking my head bitterly, I hurried along the path like the others did and chose the nearest one. This one branched off into a vault, but I was too late. People were already leaving the vault, many of them bruised and battered. Curious, I snuck into the vault, going against the flow, only to see that it was empty. The traces of raging qi that continued to swirl within the interior told me that a ferocious battle had just taken place. Judging from the damage and scars left on the walls and floor from spirit weapons and divine techniques as well as a few dozen bloody corpses strewn across the ground, it appeared that they had fought and killed each other over the contents within the vault.


    A cursory inspection revealed that all the contents had been taken. Anything of value had been looted by the survivors. Hell, judging from the bitter expressions of the people I saw earlier, the majority of the survivors probably departed empty-handed, but they were wise enough not to challenge those who now held the treasures.


    No doubt the strongest prevailed, and it would be suicide to fight them. Seeing their injuries and the numerous dead martial artists left to rot in the vault, they most likely figured that out the hard way. I pitied them.


    Yeah, worry about yourself¡­you''re probably going to end up returning home empty-handed at this rate!


    At least I would be returning home alive and in one piece, unlike the poor bastards who got beaten up for trying to snatch the treasures and spirit weapons from each other. And which was more than the dead, who would never be returning home ever again.


    To die in a place such as this¡­over fighting for treasure. It just didn''t seem worth it. Well, the smarter ones knew when to back off, but some people were blinded by greed and desire that they were desperate enough to rob others when they shouldn''t.


    I had no intention of robbing or attacking others. If I couldn''t find a treasure or spirit weapon or arcane artifact, then that was it. At least I gained some combat experience and learned how to navigate the tomb. The knowledge and experience would have to suffice.


    Still¡­I did want something. I wanted at least a small token thing for spending all the time and effort climbing to this place.


    But how? I don''t have the luck of a protagonist, nor will I ever have any fated encounters or whatever. All I have is hard work and the will to defy fate.


    But just because I wanted to defy fate didn''t mean I would start running into lucky encounters or stumble across treasures. It was like gacha or lottery. Everyone wanted to win the lottery, or hoped to get the rarest gacha character/merchandise. Like my friend who played Fate/Grand Order and spending millions of yen on the gacha mechanic in hopes of getting his favorite Servant (mine was Scathach, but because she was only available in limited-period campaigns, there was no point in me getting the game and trying my luck because I had always been unlucky in real life), and in the end committing suicide because he couldn''t get the Servant he wanted.


    Good thing I didn''t bother with that game. I was totally against microtransactions. Besides, I didn''t like role-playing games or turn-based games. I was more of a sci-fi horror shooter fan, like Dead Space, or even Alien: Isolation. Which incidentally was getting a cellphone version that I wasn''t going to bother with. Either they make a full PC game or I had no intention of buying it.


    I spent the next few hours wandering from corridor to corridor in hopes of getting something, but failing each and every time. Frustration mounted, especially when I saw people scurrying away with treasure in their hands, but I firmly clamped down on the urge to attack them. I was not that sort of person. I was not a villain.


    Even so, I couldn''t help but continue to be frustrated by my repeated failure to get anything. Even in the rare occasions that I finally got into a vault, I was overwhelmed by the number of elite martial artists in there, who grabbed the treasures before I could. Obviously I backed off the moment they snatched the artifacts. As I said, I had my moral code. I wasn''t going to snatch or rob other people from a treasure or artifact that they seized first.


    Readers would call me stupid. But I didn''t care. If I condemned people who robbed others as villainous, if I didn''t approve of their actions, how could I have the conscience to go commit that sort of atrocious deed that I criticized other people of? Fine, I was going to get out of this empty-handed, but at least I would be leaving with my spirit intact. I was a much better person in terms of moral values than others, who allowed their greed to blind them to what was proper etiquette.


    "Ha¡­"


    And this repeated over and over until I finally stumbled across a familiar face.


    "Zhu Jiao!"


    "¡­?! Oh! Wu! You''re here!"


    Zhu Jiao spun around, almost defensively, and relaxed when he saw me. From his cheerfulness and large, silly grin on his face, it was obvious that he had benefited a lot and collected a lot of priceless treasures when we were separated.


    "How goes your exploration?"


    "Uh, well¡­" my shoulders slumped a little. "Okay, I guess?"


    "Did you find anything?"


    Way to rub salt in my wounds. I grimaced, but shook my head. Not known for being tactful, Zhu Jiao laughed and patted my shoulder.


    "Don''t worry. I''m sure you''ll find something pretty soon."


    He looked as if he wanted me to ask him what he found, so I sighed and indulged him a little. Swallowing my annoyance, I glanced at his spatial pouch.


    "Seems like you''ve found quite a lot of treasures."


    "Of course!" Zhu Jiao was grinning smugly as he patted his spatial pouch, which shook and jingled a little despite the space inside being in an alternative dimension. "You wouldn''t believe what I found¡­!"


    "Let me guess, twenty-three thousand Pure Yuan Pills?"


    "W¡­what?!"


    Zhu Jiao''s mouth was hanging open, the wuxia/xianxia protagonist gaping so wide that I could probably shove my fist into his jaw without any difficulty. He spluttered and closed his maw before shaking his head.


    "How did you know?"


    "Because you''re the protagonist."


    "Huh?" Zhu Jiao stared at me, stupefied. I suppressed a sigh and continued.


    "And let me guess, you also found a whole bunch of demonic spirits¡­which your spirit pet fed on."


    "Huh?! How did you know I have a spirit pet?! I''ve never told anyone!"


    Zhu Jiao spluttered again, his eyes wide in disbelief. I smiled and shrugged.


    "You''re the stereotypical protagonist of a clich¨¦ wuxia or xianxia story. Obviously you would have a pet spirit beast or some sort of mascot character."


    "Man¡­even though I have no idea what kind of reasoning is that, but you caught me." Zhu Jiao winced, but he then smiled knowingly and held up his hand. "Since you''re my bro, I might as well let you know."


    A golden glow burst into life and illuminated the area. Before I knew it, I found myself staring at a golden dragon-like creature. It resembled a Kirin (or qilin), but with golden scales, a gleaming horn and a majestic figure.


    "This is Little Gold!" Zhu Jiao boasted to me, patting the Kirin and stroking the length of its back. The Kirin purred at his touch. "He''s pretty powerful! He has the ability to blast apart a top-level Flowing Qi practitioner in a single attack!"


    "Heh¡­"


    I pretended to be impressed, though I already suspected that the Kirin was strong long ago. If it was the protagonist''s pet spirit beast, then there was no way it wouldn''t be powerful. Yet another way of making Zhu Jiao a special snowflake.


    Furthermore, I knew how rare Kirin are. There were only maybe a hundred of them in existence, according to the monster encyclopedia I read anyway. Entire nations would go to war over just one Kirin. Such was their power that they could tip the scales in any war. No wonder Zhu Jiao kept the secret so closely to his chest.


    "Don''t let anyone know, okay? I''ll trust you."


    "Yeah, sure."


    No matter how envious I was of Zhu Jiao''s status as the protagonist, I wasn''t mad enough to resent him or destroy our friendship over such a frivolous matter. I was going to carry this secret to the grave if I had to. That was what I did for his relationship with his master, Qi Lin, and him being the direct successor to the Golden Kirin Sect, after all.


    "Anyway, I''m heading this way." Zhu Jiao pointed down the central corridor, which looked larger than most of the other pathways. "Why don''t you come along?"


    "Okay. But why that way?" I asked curiously. Zhu Jiao racked his brain for a moment.


    "Uh, well¡­it seems that the main hall of this ancient tomb is that way." He paused for a moment, as if listening to someone. "That''s where the real treasures are kept. However, we must be careful. The defenses there will most likely be the most powerful."


    To his relief, I didn''t ask him how he knew. The answer was evident. His master, Qi Lin, had been feeding him all the various information. I just nodded.


    "All right."


    "Let''s go!" Zhu Jiao said hurriedly, and then grinned. He turned to Little Gold, who was absolutely preening. The Kirin was exuding a potent aura, most likely benefiting from devouring a lot of demonic spirits earlier.


    I suddenly recalled a few screams and the roars of demonic creatures while traveling through one of the corridors. Most likely Zhu Jiao had left some unpleasant surprise for the people who charged into the chamber that held the demonic spirits, so as to reduce the competition and keep them off his back. Typical ruthless wuxia/xianxia protagonist¡­


    Little Gold vanished, turning into a golden ball of light that streaked inside Zhu Jiao, who then began rushing impatiently toward the huge corridor.


    Shaking my head and sighing, I made to follow them even though I knew there was only a low probability that I would get anything out of this.

 132 Chapter 131: The Spirit Treasures

    "Whoa!"


    Skidding to a halt, I glanced around, my Heaven and Earth senses alert for any kind of attack. However, nobody would bother to attack me because I wasn''t the protagonist. And even if they did, they would be wasting their time as I had nothing on value on my body for them to steal.


    Wait, what? You''re asking me why they would attack someone for being the protagonist? Well, just read I was Trash or Skill Unparalleled. Seriously, the people there had too much time, money and resources to waste. Let''s take Lin Mu from I was Trash, for example. Sure, he''s powerful, and sure, he offended a couple of rich kids.


    But was that enough of a reason to justify the kids'' parents ¨C who were incidentally CEOs and presidents of mega-rich conglomerates ¨C to hire assassins to kill the guy? In fact, why the fuck were they trying to assassinate Lin Mu in the first place? The only reason I can think of is because he was the protagonist, and needed a reason to show off his martial arts by fighting off assassins. Otherwise it made no fucking sense. Assassins cost a lot of money, you know. And if they get caught, however unlikely that would be, they would be in deep trouble.


    So why waste all that money and resources, and brave committing a crime, to assassinate a kid who was pretty much insignificant and didn''t really threaten you or your company other than¡­maybe offending your son?


    And in Skill Unparalleled, look, I know match-fixing and corruption are involved, but who the fuck sends world-renowned assassins to kill an insignificant boxer who just only started his career? Never mind in real life, nobody gets assassinated just for winning a match in a tournament¡­why do they even bother with a nobody who just won a single match or two? Did they have so much money and resources to waste on getting rid of an insignificant rookie like him? Or was it purely because he was the protagonist that the story had to bend all sort of conceivable logic to throw him into a conflict and have him confront the most unbelievable of villains?


    Who cares?


    "Oi! Wu, what are you ranting about? Why are you talking to yourself like that? Stay focused!"


    At Zhu Jiao''s yell, I returned to reality. Right, we were currently in front of a vast, cavernous hall that resembled a stadium more than the interior of some tomb. As always, a network of tunnels snaked away from the edge of the stadium, but no one paid them any attention right now.


    Instead, they were all focused on watching the contents in the middle of the massive hall.


    "That''s¡­"


    I spotted Bai Ning Xue, Kuang Hu and the White Tiger Sect among the crowd. Not far away from them were the members of the Heavenly Way Sect.


    Boom!


    However, Bai Ning Xue and the others clearly did not register the presence of Zhu Jiao and me. All of them were attacking a glowing barrier in the middle of the vast hall. The combined force of their fierce assault sent violent ripples across the shimmering surface, but to its credit, the glowing barrier held strong.


    I rested my gaze upon the glowing barrier, my glasses scanning and analyzing the contents. The images on my lenses sharpened before transforming visibly into actual objects. Through the faint glow, I could make out several gleaming shadows behind the translucent screen, which were taking the shape of a sword, a spear, a staff, a shield, a bow, a mace, an axe, and a pair of gauntlets.


    "Spirit Treasure Weapons!"


    I heard the sharp intake of breath beside me, Zhu Jiao gasping as he shouted excitedly. I nodded as I registed the eight distinct shapes as all being Spirit Treasure Weapons. In other words, they were a class above normal Spirit Weapons.


    "This is awesome!"


    I understood Zhu Jiao''s excitement. Even in the whole of Martial City, it was near impossible for us to find a single Spirit Treasure Weapon. Yet, right in front of us, within this vast, ancient tomb, there were not one but eight Spirit Treasure Weapons.


    My eyes were naturally drawn to the sword. Unfortunately, I wasn''t the only one. Most of the occupants in the room were staring hungrily at the treasure sword. Regrettably for me, I just had to choose to learn the most common weapon there was ¨C in almost every story, everyone used swords ¨C which meant competition for it was the fiercest.


    On the other hand, the treasure sword was also the most magnificent and potent out of the eight, giving off an aura that dwarfed even the other treasure weapons within its proximity.


    Beside me, Zhu Jiao was practically drooling. I could tell what he was thinking ¨C he probably thought that even just one of those treasure weapons possessed a value that far surpassed the amount he could amass from all of the Pure Yuan Pills that he had obtained earlier. Speaking of which, I noticed that he never mentioned anything about sharing his spoils. Not that I expected him to ¨C he obtained them on his own fair and square, and I wasn''t shameless enough to demand that my bro split the treasures he found with me.


    I wouldn''t be pleased if he made that request, and I knew Zhu Jiao well enough to trust that he wouldn''t.


    "As expected of a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb!"


    Zhu Jiao did his best to calm himself down. He exchanged a glance with me before sweeping his eyes across the hall. As I had noted earlier, everyone was staring greedily at the eight Treasure Weapons within the barrier.


    At present, however, they were united in their goal of breaking the barrier. Before fighting over the Treasure Weapons, they had to break through the barrier first. Otherwise, it would be meaningless to just wait around and stare at the weapons inside.


    On the other hand, we could expect a tremendously bloody battle the moment the barrier collapsed and everyone began fighting for the treasure weapons.


    "To obtain these Spirit Treasure Weapons, it''s worth putting one''s life on the line!" Zhu Jiao whispered, his eyes gleaming. I raised an eyebrow at that, but Zhu Jiao was paying me no attention. Instead, he was raising a hand and gathering golden earth-type qi into it to launch an attack at the barrier. "Let''s do this!"


    A golden beam lanced out and struck the surface of the glowing barrier. Golden Kirin Holy Blast, if I remembered correctly, having been on the receiving end of it during last year''s tournament final. Even so, I could tell that Zhu Jiao was deliberately holding back.


    He was conserving his qi and strength for the inevitable battle later.


    Of course, Zhu Jiao wasn''t the only one. A quick scan with my Heaven and Earth Sense revealed that not everyone was using their full strength. Most of the martial artists were also holding back their power, waiting for the barrier to shatter before making their move.


    "Geez¡­"


    I sighed. Since I was here, I might as well join in. Even though I knew my chances of actually getting anything out of this were close to zero ¨C there had to be hundreds of martial artists clustered within this large space ¨C I decided to give a try anyway. Having an astronomical chance was better than having no chance at all. But I was too realistic and practical to assume the worst. Expect the worst and hope for the best, that was my motto.


    Gathering qi in my hands, I fired off a shadowy blast that splashed across the barrier. Frowning, I noticed the Spirit Engraving patterns on the barrier. It would be so much easier if I stepped forward, deciphered and decoded the Spirit Engraving pattern, but I wasn''t a fool. The moment I dissipated the barrier, everyone would rush in and shove me aside. No one would thank me for helping the barrier or reward me for my efforts.


    I wasn''t getting paid for investing so much time and energy into this, and I wasn''t asking for gratitude or appreciation, and I couldn''t care less about votes or rankings. But why did I have to sit there and take all the abuse, insults and inflammatory 0.5 ratings and reviews, despite spending so much time and effort and making so many sacrifices to keep just one or two readers entertained?


    Well, the point is that, I wasn''t stupid enough to allow myself to get exploited by bastards who wouldn''t be grateful or appreciate that I took the barrier down for them. So I decided to join the assault and break it through the hard way.


    Fortunately, the barrier protecting the Spirit Treasure Weapons was not as sophisticated and durable as the one protecting the exterior of the ancient tomb. Under the relentless assault of the crowd, the glowing barrier began to dim and crack, buckling under the hundreds of techniques that slammed into it. Shards began peeling off and falling onto the ground as the barrier neared catastrophic collapse.


    The moment they saw that, the atmosphere in the huge hall transformed instantly. Initially, the crowd were clustered together densely, working in concert and united in their efforts. However, right now they were all warily eyeing each other as they spread out, paranoia and suspicion beginning to cloud their hearts.


    I sighed when I saw that, and shook my head. Typical human behavior. It was every man for himself, I guess, especially when it came to snatching those Spirit Treasure Weapons. Admittedly, it was probably normal in a cutthroat world.


    "Zhu Jiao, when everyone charges for the spirit treasure weapons later, don''t go for the sword-type Spirit Treasure Weapon. Do you see the gauntlets all the way to the right? Go for that instead!"


    My ears perked up when I overheard that. To be more accurate, I didn''t so much as heard it but sensed it. Evidently Qi Lin, Zhu Jiao''s master, was whispering to him from inside the golden amulet and directing him as he did throughout the entire expedition.


    "Uh, obviously." Zhu Jiao tried not to roll his eyes and speak out loud, but the stupidity of his master''s statement struck him as way odd. "I don''t use a sword. I use fist-based martial arts, remember? You were the one who taught me that."


    It went without saying that the Treasure Weapon that Qi Lin wanted Zhu Jiao to take was the pair of gray gauntlets.


    "Wise disciple. I thought you were planning on going for the most powerful Treasure Weapon, which is the sword."


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    "Are you kidding?" Zhu Jiao hissed in a low tone, trying not to be heard by others and failing (well, I was the only one who could hear him, so I guess he did succeed). "What use is going for the most powerful Spirit Treasure Weapon if I can''t wield it? It''s too late for me to start learning swordsmanship now. I might as well go for the armament I''m most familiar with."


    "True," Qi Lin admitted. "I guess I sort of underestimated your intellect and moral character."


    In a way, Qi Lin could be forgiven for doubting Zhu Jiao. Unlike the golden, majestic sword that shone brightly, the gauntlets all the way to the right were gray and appeared slightly worn down. Furthermore, the glow it emitted was the dimmest among the eight. Visibly, it did not look like a Spirit Treasure Weapon at all.


    In fact, if it wasn''t grouped together with the others, nobody would have suspected that it was a Spirit Treasure Weapon.


    That was why it was easy to conclude that it was the worst.


    "Heh, don''t worry. Even though it looks like that, those gauntlets are actually far more valuable and powerful than you think. They won''t lose even to the sword-type Treasure Weapon. In fact, I can tell that those gauntlets are only half-complete. Hmm¡­to think that despite being only half-complete, its power is already equal to that of a mid-ranked Spirit Treasure Weapon¡­I can''t wait to see how powerful it would become when it''s finally completed! It might even match up against the Heavenly Way Sect''s Heavenly Spear!"


    I recalled the Heavenly Spear that Jiang Jun Hao wielded earlier, to attempt to break the barrier surrounding the ancient tomb. So that was a high-ranked Spirit Treasure Weapon, according to Qi Lin, anyway. I had no idea how they ranked Treasure Weapons. Was it based on their durability? Power? Amount of qi stored inside it?


    "Half-complete?" Zhu Jiao repeated in shock. He gaped for a moment, and then remembered to close his mouth. Shaking his head, he raised what he thought was a valid objection. "I don''t know how to forge it. If I want to reforge it into a complete Treasure Weapon, I''ll need to learn blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving. That will take me too long¡­many years if I have to. I mean, of course, I''ll still take the gauntlets, but I doubt I''ll go through the trouble of reforging it."


    "Hah!" Qi Lin snorted. "Who asked you to forge it?! Your good friend, the guy wearing glasses, he''s a blacksmith and Spirit Engraver from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, isn''t he? Even though he''s not a top-ranked blacksmith, he should at least be competent enough. Make use of your friendship and get him to help you!"


    What the fuck? You think I''ll let you take advantage of me like that, you bloody old geezer?!


    Zhu Jiao''s lips pursed ¨C clearly he didn''t like the idea of exploiting our friendship either. Knowing him, he would insist on paying me a large sum of money in exchange for my sloppy services. I guess I would let his master''s audacious remark go, since the one to benefit from this would be my friend, and he would reward me handsomely.


    Dragging my eyes back to the present, I glanced at the sword. Unfortunately, there were far too many people eyeing it, and I knew I wouldn''t be able to fight for it. Within this massive chamber, there were plenty of highly skilled martial artists who were aiming for that treasure sword too. With so many people fighting over it, my chances of obtaining it were close to nil.


    Maybe I should try grabbing the spear.


    I glanced at the spear, which was being contested by less people. Elder Zhao was teaching me how to use a spear under the Nine Heavenly Armament techniques, after all¡­perhaps I could make do with my secondary weapon, even if it wasn''t optimal.


    The spear, though paling in comparison to the sword, still beheld a regal figure, with precious gemstones encrusted within its blade and its shaft seeming to be forged out of gold. It exuded an immense amount of power. Even if I could get just that, the spear alone would be worth the entire trip to the tomb.


    "Let''s focus on getting it first, then I''ll worry about forging and whatnot later."


    Beside me, Zhu Jiao had made his decision. His eyes narrowed in determination, he focused solely on the gauntlets.


    "Don''t worry! You won''t be disappointed!"


    Geez, just go transform into a marten, old man. The bloody geezer was ripping off the little marten''s lines more and more. Anymore and I would literally head over and choke the life out of him. Except that he was dead, so that wasn''t an option¡­huh?


    Why the hell was I getting worked up over a ghost that was pretending to be a little marten?


    Trying to suppress my irritation, I focused on destroying the barrier. Even though I didn''t want to get exploited, it was true that if none of us did anything, the barrier would remain unbroken and nobody would get the Treasure Weapons. While that was better than everyone else getting the Treasure Weapons at my expense, it also meant that there was absolutely zero chance of me getting anything either.


    In the end, I might as well gamble on trying to grab the Treasure Weapon instead of denying everyone it.


    Fortunately, I didn''t have to do anything. While I was contemplating and shooting off shadow blasts at the same time, the barrier finally gave in and began to crumble.


    Crack!


    At the soft sound, everyone in the hall froze for a moment. Their eyes narrowed as they studied the spherical berrier intently, drawn to the tiny crack that had finally appeared. The crack slowly expanded across the barrier and splintered into a cobweb.


    Crack! Crack!


    The cobweb of cracks rapidly spread across the spherical barrier, almost like some sort of bug seeking to wrap its creepy tendrils around it.


    Bang!


    And finally¡­the whole thing shattered. The cracks were far too many for the barrier to withstand, and it shattered with a thunderous explosion, raining golden qi shards onto the ground. Violent strands of qi streamed outward, buffeting the crowd.


    However, despite the shockwaves, the crowd was so possessed by their greed that they paid the blasts no heed and immediately sprang forward, all of them charging for the Treasure Weapons now exposed and open to capture.


    That''s it? I wondered. No traps, no spirit guardians, nothing?


    You would think the owner of the tomb would place a sentry or two, or at least put some traps around the barrier to discourage the greedy descendants from snatching his treasures. Apparently Zhu Jiao and I were late to the party. Bai Ning Xue and the others must have deactivated and overcome the traps or whatever guardians protecting the large hall earlier. The barrier must have been the final defense against grave robbers.


    Watching the scene of onrushing practitioners, I was suddenly reminded of an image of shoppers on a Black Friday sale. Or the after-hours supermarket sale in Japan. You know, the one where everyone shoved and pushed ahead to grab the dwindling products on sales to take advantage of the huge discounts before they were all sold out.


    Fortunately, the only Black Friday sales I participated in were digital ones. I was so glad I didn''t have to contend with such fierce competition physically. And that was the one good thing about digital products ¨C as long as you made your purchase within the discounted period, they would never run out of stock. Steam sales were the best!


    "Let''s go!"


    Zhu Jiao''s voice rang in my ears. Just like the others, the instant the barrier crumbled, he had leaped forward. Just as the both of us expected, the majority of the people present were unable to suppress their greed and were aiming for the most powerful Spirit Treasure Weapon, which was the sword. In contrast, the people competing for the remaining seven Spirit Treasure Weapons were a lot less.


    Glancing at my friend, I could see him chuckling gleefully, as if he had everything planned out. He spun away from the sword and dashed toward the pair of gauntlets, which naturally had the least number of people contending for them.


    The guy was so focused on grabbing the gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Weapons that I could see him resorting to any measure. Not wanting to compete with my friend for it, I veered off and went for the spear, which also had relatively few competitiors trying to grab it.


    Including Zhu Jiao, there were about five practitioners sprinting forward for the gauntlets, but knowing my friend, he would figure a way to beat all of them. I had best worry about my own circumstances instead.


    Even though there wasn''t as many people competing for the spear as there were for the sword, the number of people dashing for it outnumbered those aiming for the gauntlets. There were twelve other people charging at the spear.


    Will I be able to make it?


    Using Jin, I dashed forward, making use of my superior speed to reach the spear ahead of the others. I was so close to grabbing it when I suddenly sensed something streaking toward my back.


    "!!!"


    Spinning around in midair, I narrowly escaped an elemental qi blast that almost pierced through my spine. The sharp pressure of qi lanced into the wall behind me, gouging out a huge chunk of concrete. If I hadn''t evaded that, I would have been sliced in half!


    "Hey!" I complained, but nobody paid me any attention. Instead, several of them attacked me, especially when they saw that I was the closest to the spear.


    "Get out of the way!"


    "The spear is mine!"


    "Move!"


    While I was forced to dodge, I noted that I wasn''t the only one who the other martial artists were attacking. The second, third and fourth closest practitioners had also inadvertently made themselves targets, the remaining martial artists close behind spreading out and attacking us.


    That they failed to kill us didn''t matter. Murder wasn''t their goal. They were more intent on grabbing the spear than actually taking our lives. While I was dodging, one of them dashed past me eagerly, his hands reaching for the spear.


    Boom!


    He never reached it.


    Just before his fingers could reach within a few centimeters of the spear, another martial artist from behind thrust with his non-treasure Spirit Spear and lanced through the guy who almost ensnared it. Blood gurgled from the unfortunate martial artist and he went down, his eyes rolling in his sockets. His killer yanked out his spear and slashed at the remaining martial artists who were trying to get close to the Treasure Weapon.


    Whoosh!


    Unfortunately by drawing first blood, he might as well paint a huge bull''s eye over his forehead and invite more attacks. Seeing him callously murder another competitor, the remaining eleven martial artists knew that they had no need to hold back against someone as ruthless as him (or they might die), so they ganged up on him.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    It was the murderer''s turn to gurgle in blood as he was pierced by several different attacks and cruelly swept aside by the others as they fought to reach the spear.


    "¡­"


    Even though I didn''t participate in the killing, I still couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable at the gruesome sight. It wasn''t because I wasn''t used to seeing death ¨C I had seen plenty of people die, and I had murdered people with my very own hands before, such as Ba Yun and Qi Fu Ren ¨C but even so those were done out of self-defense.


    I didn''t make it a habit of killing someone who wasn''t trying to kill me. Granted, that bastard did kill another guy, but even so¡­


    Now isn''t the time to think about such things.


    I pushed the uncomfortable thoughts out of my mind and continued to dash forward. Thanks to my Shadow Steps and footwork techniques, I was able to pull ahead of the others, but even then¡­


    "Hah!"


    One of the other martial artists grabbed the spear before I could. Damn it! I was just centimeters away from snatching it myself!


    Frustration welled up inside me and I pulled to a stop, backing off immediately. Now that the guy had claimed the spear as his own, there was no reason for me to challenge him. He won the race fair and square, and I wasn''t the type to rob other people or steal from them.


    Sighing in disappointment, I retreated, feeling very bitter. Fair play to the guy, he was just a little faster than me, and probably more cunning and adept at taking advantage of the situation. All I had was speed, and I lacked experience.


    Unfortunately, the other martial artists didn''t seem to agree with me.


    "Hmph!"


    "Hand that over and I''ll spare your life!"


    "Give that to me!"


    While some of them retreated and gave up like I did, at least six of them charged forward greedily and recklessly, not caring that the new owner of the spear won it fair and square. They refused to accept their loss and were willing to resort to physical violence to forcibly rip the spear out of his grip so that they could monopolize it.


    How foolish.


    I couldn''t help but shake my head at their recklessness. Before, our skills and techniques were pretty even, but now that the guy had gotten his hands on the Spirit Treasure Weapon¡­


    Swoosh!


    "Gaaah!"


    "Whoa!"


    "Ugh!"


    A hurricane blasted out as the new owner of the Spirit Treasure Weapon swung his recently acquired spear. As expected of a Spirit Treasure Weapon ¨C the qi it exuded was imposing. The frontmost guy screamed as the hurricane blades ripped through his body, sending blood spurting into the air before splashing backward from the blast of the vicious winds.


    "!!!"


    The second guy quickly reacted, bringing up his spear and shield to block the hurricane, but even so he was thrown off his feet and sent hurtling backward. He survived, but ended up being severely injured, clutching his chest as he coughed out a glob of blood. Looking up with a frightfully pale face, he made no further action to challenge the new owner of the spear.


    The third guy was not as lucky.


    He managed to evade the hurricane blades, being as fleet-footed as I was, disappearing before flanking in from the side and thrusting his non-treasure spear. The new spear owner anticipated his attack and without even glancing back, moved his newly acquired spear back to parry the strike.


    Clang!


    "?!"


    Sparks flew as metal met metal. Twirling the Treasure Weapon, the winner tore his opponent''s weapon from his grip before slamming the end of his shaft into the poor person''s belly. Again, blood erupted from the guy''s mouth before he fell to his knees, doubling over and howling in pain. The Treasure Weapon owner ignored him to confront the threat from the fourth guy, who was bellowing as he swung his own weapon down.


    Slash!


    I was almost unable to see the strike. The next thing I knew, the fourth guy was shrieking as he staggered back, both his arms gone. Blood poured profusely from his stumps and he stumbled backward before falling over, his eyes growing glassy.


    "!!!"


    The fifth guy wisely aborted his plan and retreated, but the sixth guy refused to give up. He thrust his spear forward, believing that he succeeded in exploiting an opening, but the Treasure Weapon owner spun around and sliced his head off before his spear could find his chest. The headless corpse continued to thrust weakly, completely missing his target, then as if it had realized that it was supposed to be dead, toppled over like a puppet whose strings were cut.


    "¡­"


    The rest of us glanced at each other nervously before taking a step back. The Treasure Weapon Owner smirked as he planted his new spear on the ground and stared at us.


    "Any of you still want to try taking my spear from me?"

 133 Chapter 132: Snatching Treasures

    The five martial artists, including Zhu Jiao, dashed in a straight line toward the gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Weapon that was hovering in the air, stopping for no one or nothing. Their focus was entirely on the gauntlets and gauntlets alone.


    Zhu Jiao glanced at the other four, his gaze stopping to rest briefly on the middle-aged man on the leftmost of the five. The middle-aged man was emanating powerful qi from his sturdy-looking body. Don''t ask me what stage he was at. I am not a qi-measuring machine. Besides, if a martial artist''s stage was determined by the amount of qi he had, then wouldn''t all the students of Wu Ling Academy be counted as being at the Qi Fusion Stage or something, since they had several sexagenaries of artificial qi?


    Despite my lack of estimation sense, I could tell that the middle-aged man was stronger than the other three, who despite being strong in their own right, most likely wouldn''t pose much of a threat to Zhu Jiao. However, I would warn against underestimating them. Most martial artists got too carried away by these ridiculous stages and amount of qi and got complacent. A punch was still a punch, and a sword was still a sword. It would hurt if you get hit by it, no matter what stage you were at. The idea that you would be completely immune to someone''s attacks because you were at a higher stage than him was utterly absurd and unrealistic.


    Fortunately, Zhu Jiao seemed to realize this.


    "So many experts!" he gasped. I guess he had reason to feel amazed. This was only the smallest group and he already faced such stiff competition.


    Even so, Zhu Jiao did not falter. He had his eyes set on the gauntlets and he wasn''t going to let anyone in his way. Unlike me, who valued my life and preferred to avoid conflict if I could help it, Zhu Jiao was ruthless like the typical wuxia and xianxia protagonist. Meaning he wouldn''t hesitate to kill if anyone offended him or got in his way. Just like how Li Fu Chen justified his murdering spree of destroying the Shen Tu Clan by killing them for being tyrannical, but ironically becoming a tyrant himself. Or Lin Feng slaughtering everyone hypocritically despite accusing them of being evil murdering bastards. Or Chu Feng going around massacring guys and raping women, yet everyone praises him for being honorable and just.


    Like¡­seriously?


    My experiences in Sen Lin Forest proved that, especially. There were a lot of times, like against the Hydra, where I realized I wouldn''t be able to kill my opponent. It doesn''t have to be a kill or be killed situation. If my opponent was stronger, then I should escape. I should do my best not to provoke a Hydra or sleeping dragon and go around it. If a conflict was inevitable, then I had other options instead of only "kill or be killed." The whole kill or be killed scenario was stupid to begin with. If you can''t kill your enemy, it doesn''t mean you get killed. It means you find some way to survive, even if it''s pathetically escaping with your tail between your legs, digging a hole and crawling into it (like I did against the Shadow Leopard), or baiting it into a fight with some other monster. Don''t just narrow your options to kill or be killed. And take note of your surroundings.


    Like, when some edgelord whined that I should have killed Qi Fu Ren during an official match, he obviously was letting his emotions rule over his head. If I killed Qi Fu Ren in an official match in front of all the teachers and other students, I would be punished for excessive violence. Murder was illegal. I had disarmed the bastard, and had no reason to kill him, not unless I want to be put on trial and potentially executed. Was it worth losing my life to the legal system and getting hanged just for petty revenge? No, surviving in Sen Lin Forest against magical beasts and monsters of all sort of monsters did not turn me into a psychotic bastard who had no qualms killing. Instead, the experience exposed me to the reality that there were always more options than "kill or be killed." Escaping, using your goddamned brain and understanding your situation were more important than just simply murdering every enemy who got in your way.


    Anyway, Zhu Jiao seemed to have an advantage even though the other four experts were capable of soaring through the air. It wasn''t as if they were literally flying, but they were able to cross the space between them and the treasure gauntlets in a single bound. Zhu Jiao was similar, but he had the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast techniques to boost his physical capabilities and allowed him to be a lot more agile and faster than the other four.


    A golden glow of dense yang qi flared around his feet and Zhu Jiao accelerated in midair, defying the laws of physics (actually, I doubted they had physics in this timeline, given how many people keep breaking the scientific laws set down by physicists in the other timeline), and he reached the hovering treasure gauntlets in an instant.


    He gleefully reached for the treasure gauntlets, which true to form, was emitting a dull silver glow from its metallic surface.


    "Kid, you''re courting death!"


    The four people behind him were furious when they saw that Zhu Jiao would be the first to reach the gauntlets.


    "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" I yelled at them. No, seriously?! Why the fuck would they yell something like that?! Did they expect Zhu Jiao to sit back and watch them take the treasure? And why the hell weren''t they targeting each other? Even if Zhu Jiao wasn''t the one to reach it first, it would be one of the others. Did they never consider that possibility?


    And furthermore, this just seemed like an excuse for Zhu Jiao to kill them in "self-defense."


    I wanted to help out, but at that moment I was contesting for the treasure spear. Oh, right. Chronologically, this was happening at the same time I was trying to grab the treasure spear. I was just using my protagonist privilege to rewind a bit and show you guys the flashback of what happened with Zhu Jiao while I was busy with my own endeavors.


    The four martial artists raised their hands, qi swirling about them, and they coalesced the qi into sharp blades that lanced toward Zhu Jiao''s back.


    "Hmph!"


    Zhu Jiao snorted when he sensed the ferocious blasts of qi streaking toward his back in a lethal manner. His golden aura expanded as he used the Golden Kirin Sacred Armor, which formed a golden aura-type barrier around his body, protecting him from the qi blades that ended up dissipating harmlessly against the screen.


    Twisting around, Zhu Jiao then launched his own attack.


    "Golden Kirin Divine Claws!"


    Slashing out with his hand, Zhu Jiao unleashed several sharp claw-shaped qi blades that hurtled toward his opponents and forced them to scatter. As I said, it wasn''t as if they could actually fly, so the four of them fumbled about clumsily in midair as they did their best to evade the incoming Golden Kirin Divine Claws.


    While the four of them were occupied with dodging, Zhu Jiao seized the chance to draw near the treasure gauntlets and reached out to grab it with his hand.


    Blitz!


    "Ow!"


    Just as Zhu Jiao''s palm was about to touch one of the treasure gauntlets, a brutal blast of qi sparked and repelled him physically, taking the form of qi that resisted his grasp and forcibly turning his hand away.


    "Kuh! Damn it!"


    Zhu Jiao rubbed his hand gingerly, frustrated.


    It was only natural. Of course a Spirit Treasure Weapon wouldn''t yield to anyone so easily. It possessed some sort of soul that allowed it to resist the touch of any humans impudent enough to grab hold of it.


    "As if I''ll give up!"


    Undaunted by the failure of his first attempt to seize the treasure gauntlets, Zhu Jiao sought to try again, throwing his arm out with more ferocity than before. However, a ferocious burst of qi surged toward his back, only to dissipate against his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor. This time, though, the tremendous impact was enough to send him sprawling in midair. Cursing, Zhu Jiao spun around and spotted the middle-aged man glaring at him, his eyes glinting murderously.


    "Brat, beat it before this old man gets serious!"


    "Oh, come on" I cried, getting irritated by these clich¨¦ lines and even more stereotypical antagonists. Why do they always have to act so bloody entitled? It wasn''t as if the gauntlets had your name carved on it, right? Furthermore, given how this middle-aged man didn''t even receive a name, it was clear that he was a random mob character who existed solely to get in Zhu Jiao''s way before getting beaten up badly so that the protagonist could show his power off as usual.


    Yeah, yeah¡­I know people say I should learn from the protagonist and fight for the spear, but I was highly aware that if I tried to snatch it from the current wielder, I would be defeated¡­or at least suffer severe injuries. Given how there was still so much of the tomb left to explore and unknown treasures possibly waiting deeper inside, I wasn''t going to risk it here. Patience was a virtue. People these days were just too impatient, wanting instant success and overpowered protagonists right from the start. If only the real world was so convenient.


    Instead of wilting under the middle-aged man''s murderous glare, Zhu Jiao chuckled coldly. Without hesitation, he smashed forward with a Golden Kirin Divine Fist. Golden qi flared up around his arm and extended into a gigantic gauntlet-shaped qi form that solidified and packed an immense amount of destructive power.


    "Golden Kirin Divine Fist!"


    Zhu Jiao didn''t even bother to waste any time analyzing his opponent''s strength. With so many people competing for the gauntlets, he understood that he couldn''t spare even a second thinking. That was the difference between him and me, I guess. I think too much, and therefore I lost my chance to get the spear (though I doubted I would have gotten it, there were way too many people for me to fend off even if I seized it, so it would have been extremely difficult for me to keep hold of it, and I didn''t have Zhu Jiao''s protagonist plor armor or luck to help me). Whereas Zhu Jiao was decisive and ruthless, throwing out one of his strongest attacks right from the start.


    The middle-aged man''s face blanched when he saw the massive golden fist hurtling toward him, and realized that he had underestimated his enemy. I would have laughed out loud that moment if I wasn''t so busily watching the guy fight off six (or five since the fifth guy wisely retreated) with his newly acquired spear.


    You were saying something about getting serious?


    Despite gathering all his qi and condensing it inside his body for a defensive measure, the middle-aged man wasn''t able to defend against Zhu Jiao''s full-powered Golden Kirin Divine Fist. He crossed his arms just as the Golden Kirin Sect disciple''s attack struck him.


    Bang!


    Despite forming a qi barrier, the Golden Kirin Divine Fist easily smashed through his sturdy aura in seconds, detonating and engulfing the poor middle-aged dude in golden flames. Blood spurted from the middle-aged man''s mouth before he plummeted pathetically onto the ground, carving a crater upon collision moving. Even though he was still alive, it was evident that he had suffered severe injuries and wouldn''t be getting up anytime soon.


    Obviously Zhu Jiao didn''t waste time to finish him off, returning his attention instead to the treasure gauntlets. Quickly spinning around, he dashed for the floating treasure gauntlets, trying to grab it again.


    Swoosh!


    "!!!"


    Unfortunately, this time, he sensed someone sucking the treasure gauntlets away in a different direction, pulling them away from him.


    Someone else had joined the fight for the gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Weapon. And¡­dare I say it, his techniques sucked.


    Zhu Jiao''s expression darkened slightly when he saw the gauntlets being imperceptibly shifted away. Turning around, he caught sight of the newcomer, and was aghast to see that he was none other than Jiang Jun Hao from the Heavenly Way Sect.


    "That bastard didn''t go for the sword-type Spirit Treasure Weapon, or even the spear-type Spirit Treasure Weapon even though he''s a spear user, but aimed for this dull-looking gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Weapon instead? Did he realize the secret behind it?!"


    Even as he fought to keep his raging emotions in check, Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened.


    Jiang Jun Hao, who was simply standing on the ground nearby, glanced coldly at Zhu Jiao, his eyes narrowing to a glare. Clearly he was trying to intimidate Zhu Jiao with that menacing glare of his, warning the latter that it was in his best interests to give up and hand the gauntlets over to him.


    However, Zhu Jiao being Zhu Jiao, spat defiantly in the face of such tyranny (never mind that he could be quite the tyrant himself).


    "Damn it, I don''t care if you''re from the Heavenly Way Sect! Since I want it, this Spirit Treasure Weapon is mine!"


    Uh, you do realize that you''re from the Golden Kirin Sect, which was potentially one of the nine major sects if you ever successfully restore it, right?


    Never mind that. Zhu Jiao''s expression was darkening. If this gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Weapon really had the potential that Qi Lin told him, then it was totally worth the risk of offending someone of Jiang Jun Hao''s stature. Even though Zhu Jiao most likely did not know the value of a high-ranked Spirit Treasure Weapon, he was aware that even among the eight major sects, only a handful of people actually owned such things.


    He was mistaken. The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was capable of forging Spirit Treasure Weapons. Well, only the sect leader and elders were, actually. But even so, they required a ton of resources and a huge amount of time to do so, so unfortunately the Spirit Treasure Weapons weren''t something they could just hand out like freebies.


    "This treasure gauntlet will be mine!"


    Throwing down the gauntlet, Zhu Jiao ignored Jiang Jun Hao''s icy glare and kicked off, lunging toward the treasure gauntlet while simultaneously conjuring a qi barrier to block off the latter''s technique that sucked. A lot.


    "Kid, you have guts!"


    Just like that other character from Wu Dong Qian Kun, Jiang Jun Hao spouted an identical line, which made me wonder why all wuxia and xianxia stories resorted to the same clich¨¦ dialogue, character archetypes and stupid situations where everyone was out to kill the protagonist for no fucking reason, and his expression turned even more ominous than before.


    His eyes gleamed murderously and he began to accumulate a massive amount of yang qi into his hands, which then took the form of an enormous palm that hurtled mercilessly toward Zhu Jiao''s back. I wondered why he didn''t use his beloved treasure spear but I guess true to form, he was underestimating his opponent because Zhu Jiao was the protagonist.


    However, Zhu Jiao didn''t even deign to turn around to face Jiang Jun Hao when the other sneakily shot him in the back. In every literal sense of that phrase. Just before the palm was about to obliterate Zhu Jiao, it struck and harmlessly dissipated against his formidable Golden Kirin Sacred Armor. Having sparred with Zhu Jiao during the tournament final, I knew just how incredibly resilient his technique was.


    There was no way Jiang Jun Hao was getting through that without using his Heavenly Spear.


    "Impressive. Seems like you''re not just any small fry from nowhere."


    Uh¡­no, he''s actually the number one student of Wu Ling Academy. You''re the idiot for not knowing who he was and underestimating him.


    Even so, Jiang Jun Hao was taken aback by his unexpected setback. He finally deigned to draw his Heavenly Spear and twirled it around, showing off with flashy moves what he could do in the most pointless fashion ever.


    I mean, if you were going to waste your time and energy spinning your Heavenly Spear like that, presumably to intimidate him (I couldn''t think of any practical reason), then why not just attack Zhu Jiao directly? Yeah, Zhu Jiao was my friend, but I couldn''t fathom why the idiot Jiang Jun Hao was showing off with his spear.


    "¡­"


    Zhu Jiao evidently shared the same sentiment, for he was staring at Jiang Jun Hao pitifully.


    "W¡­what''s with that look?!" Jiang Jun Hao spluttered furiously, not at all expecting the dull reaction. He pointed his spear at Zhu Jiao. "Hurry up and move away!"


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    Zhu Jiao merely ignored him, infuriating Jiang Jun Hao further. The spear user slammed the shaft of his spear on the ground.


    "Then don''t blame me for being merciless!"


    He began drawing immense amounts of qi into his spear, crouching down and lowering his spear. I could see the space distort around the sharp blade in a bloodthirsty manner. My brow twitched when I recognized what that technique was.


    "Don''t tell me¡­"


    "Gae¡­"


    Jiang Jun Hao arced his back and raced forward before throwing his arm forward, putting all his back into a single action.


    "¡­Bolg!"


    "YOU''VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!!" I shouted furiously. "We''re in a xianxia type world, right? Not one where heroic spirits are summoned as Servants by Masters in order to fight over the Holy Grail!?"


    As usual, everyone ignored me.


    Jiang Jun Hao hurled his golden spear forward, which transformed into a terrifying golden streak that pierced through the air and zoomed toward Zhu Jiao with a speed that most people were unable to follow with their eyes. It slammed right into Zhu Jiao''s back, and even with his formidable Golden Kirin Sacred Armor, he was almost unable to withstand the hit.


    "Gr¡­!"


    Twisting around, Zhu Jiao grabbed the spinning spear, which was attempting to drill through his defensive aura, with his hands.


    "I don''t care if it''s a Treasure Weapon or whatnot¡­as if I''ll let something like this stop me!" perspiration was pouring down Zhu Jiao''s face. With a roar, he bellowed, "Golden Kirin Sacred Armor, maximum power!"


    Golden qi poured out of his body, thickening the dense yang field that surrounded him. Grappling with the spear, Zhu Jiao clamped his hands down on it, and fumes began hissing from the shaft as the golden qi shrouding his fingers made physical contact with the spear.


    "Impossible!"


    Jiang Jun Hao''s eyes widened. Zhu Jiao ignored him and slowly but surely yanked the spear away from him, forcibly turning it upward.


    "Ha ha! Thank you for giving me your Heavenly Spear! You don''t mind if I keep it, after throwing it away in such a spectacular fashion, right?"


    "You¡­!"


    Panicking when he realized that not only would he not be able to grab the Spirit Treasure Weapon, but he might possibly lose the Heavenly Spear that had been passed down to him, Jiang Jun Hao frantically waved his hand to recall his beloved weapon. The Heavenly Spear struggled wildly in Zhu Jiao''s grip, but try as he might in order to keep hold of it, the divine treasure weapon managed to squirm out of the Golden Kirin Sect disciple''s grasp and rapidly streaked back toward its owner. Jiang Jun Hao grabbed it in relief, and observed the smoke pouring out from where Zhu Jiao''s fingers and closed over the shaft.


    "You¡­"


    He gritted his teeth in impotent rage.


    "What a waste."


    Zhu Jiao shook his head in disappointment, finding it a pity that he wouldn''t be able to claim Jiang Jun Hao''s weapon as his own. However, he knew better than to be too greedy and he had bigger fish to fry, so he took another two strides and hastily seized the floating pair of gauntlets again, before anyone else could take hold of them.


    Bzzt!


    Sparks flew and the Spirit Treasure Weapon began to struggle and resist his hold once again. However, this time Zhu Jiao kept a firm grip on the gauntlets, having steeled himself for its defiance. Qi gathered in the center of his palm and extended rapidly to wrap around the hapless gauntlets that were now firmly in his grasp, dominating its qi and forcibly persuading the soul of the weapon that he was its new owner.


    Even though Zhu Jiao exerted unyielding force, the gauntlets seemed to struggle even more violently, as if it was afraid.


    "Oh, come on! Just give in already!" Zhu Jiao grumbled, irritated. I understood his frustration. It would be ludicrous if, after investing so much effort, time and qi, and even fighting the renowned Jiang Jun Hao off, he wasn''t able to claim the gauntlets because the treasure weapon itself was so unnaturally stubborn.


    Fortunately, while he held on, his master had a hint for him.


    "There is a soul in every Spirit Weapon, which will naturally resist anybody who tries to lay claim to it. Use your qi to activate your golden amulet!"


    Bloody fuck, this protagonist bastard just had every convenient plot device in hand working in his favor, didn''t he?!


    Zhu Jiao didn''t question Qi Lin and obeyed, immediately pouring qi into the golden amulet in his possession.


    Whoom¡­


    When the golden amulet absorbed his qi, it trembled slightly for a few seconds. And then it emanated a gently flow of qi that streamed through Zhu Jiao''s hand and into the violently struggling gauntlets, placating it.


    As for how I knew all this, I had Heaven and Earth Sense, that''s why. Probably nobody else in the main hall would be able to tell or detect the flow of qi, but I could because of Heaven and Earth Formula. If only it was more practical and applicable to combat¡­wait, it was applicable to combat. But I could also use it for an Omniscent Reader''s perspective like this!


    Anyway, the moment the qi from the golden amulet flowed into the gauntlets, the treasure weapon ceased its struggling. In fact, the glow it emanated even seemed to dim a little. Zhu Jiao and I could sense a sliver of fear from the revered weapon.


    However, right now neither Zhu Jiao nor I had the time to wonder about the strange reaction of the Spirit Treasure Weapon. The moment he subjugated it, Zhu Jiao wasn''t able to conceal his delight. With a whoop, he stuffed it into his spatial pouch.


    "Oh, yeah!"


    He punched his fist into the air and cheered. Having acquired a Spirit Treasure Weapon for the first time in his life, Zhu Jiao was overwhelmed with joy. Even though I had failed in my attempt and was left bitterly disappointed, I couldn''t help but smile a little and share in my good friend''s celebration.


    "Kid, you dare to steal my Spirit Treasure Weapon! If you do not compensate with another Spirit Treasure Weapon, then I won''t allow you to leave this ancient tomb alive!"

 134 Chapter 133: Xianxia Villain Logic

    Everyone turned to stare at me. Jiang Jun Hao''s face darkened as he glared at me. Pointing his spear at me, he snarled, "brat, stay out of this. This doesn''t concern you."


    "You''re threatening my friend, of course it concerns me!"


    "Your friend, eh?" Jiang Jun Hao''s lip curled into a sneer. "Then you shouldn''t mind dying together with him."


    "See, that''s the problem! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I snapped, annoyed at his callous disregard for life. "Killing and dying, or whatever! What, you think this is ancient China or something!? Or some sort of ridiculous ''kill or be killed'' xianxia setting?! That you can go around casually murdering people? What do you think the law is for?"


    "Watch your tone," Jiang Jun Hao warned, his expression growing graver. I snorted and showed him my middle finger.


    "Why should I? You''re not somebody worth my respect. I mean, just listen to yourself." I gestured at his spear. "You''re basically saying, ''you dared to snatch the weapon I was trying to kill you with, you have to give me your weapon in compensation.'' What kind of fucked-up logic is this? So you can go around killing anybody as you please, and we''re not allowed to fight back?"


    "Of course! Do you know who I am? I''m from the Heavenly Way Sect!" Jiang Jun Hao didn''t seem to notice the utter lack of logic in his statement. I couldn''t help but bury my face in my palm before I rolled my eyes and turned to Zhu Jiao.


    "Yeah, give him the gauntlets¡­smash them right into his chest."


    "I intend to do so," Zhu Jiao replied as he cracked his knuckles. "This bastard has been getting on my nerves for a while now."


    "Same here."


    Zhu Jiao turned to confront the bristling Jiang Jun Hao with a steely expression and cold, hard eyes.


    "You know the rules for martial artists trying to obtain treasures. If you fight and compete for it, it''s only natural that someone gets injured."


    "Brat, you still dare to argue!"


    Jiang Jun Hao flared up furiously. My jaw dropped at his complete lack of logic.


    "Then what is he supposed to do?" I demanded, clutching my head at the utter bullshit the bastard was spouting. "Accept your unfair terms? Are you even listening to the nonsense you''re spewing? That you can attack people, but they can''t attack back? That we should hand over the treasures we fought so hard to obtain to you, just because you''re from the Heavenly Way Sect? And we''re not allowed to argue against such a tyrannical and clearly criminal intimidation?"


    "And you call yourself an Orthodox Sect?" I spluttered in disbelief. "What happened to values of justice and compassion?"


    "Strength is justice!"


    The fucker continued to insist on his incredibly flawed logic. My vein twitching in my temple (and I wondered why I even bothered to debate with this idiot ¨C more likely this whole scene was just a chance for me to rant about the complete lack of logic and practicality in every wuxia and xianxia novel that existed on the Internet, rather than being meant for realism), I raised a finger.


    "Firstly, if you''re talking about the strongest, the Heavenly Way Sect isn''t the strongest. You can''t even beat any of the other seven major sects."


    "Hah!" Jiang Jun Hao snorted. "It''s not as if either of you are from a major sect! Losers like you definitely belong to some minor sect on the verge of being disbanded. It''s your duty to listen to us direct disciples from the major sects!"


    "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"


    Jiang Jun Hao seemed to inflate with rage, his complexion turning red as he glared at me, his grip on his spear tightening.


    "What''s so funny, you fucking weakling?"


    "You," Zhu Jiao replied in my place because I was too busily laughing. Not that he wasn''t amused. He had to fight to control his laughter as well. Jabbing a trembling thumb at me as he sort to suppress a chuckle, he continued, "My friend is from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. So your assumption about either of us not being from a major sect is completely off the mark."


    "T¡­that''s impossible! Judging from your amount of qi, you''re too weak to be from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!" Jiang Jun Hao refused to believe Zhu Jiao''s words. "Ah! I get it! You''re just trying to bluff, to prevent me from attacking, aren''t you?!"


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    "This guy is deluded," I told Zhu Jiao. He nodded in agreement.


    "Yeah¡­he can''t accept the truth even if it''s staring right at him in the face."


    "Furthermore¡­" I turned back to Jiang Jun Hao. "The whole ''survival of the fittest'' and ''strong eat the weak'' rhetoric has been outdated for centuries now. The real world doesn''t work like that. The world operates on principles of democracy, such as the rule by the majority, and it is the duty of the nation-state to look after its citizens. All humans are entitled rights ¨C the right to live, the right to be protection, the right to freedom. Why do you think the military exists and is subordinate to the government? Because it is the military''s job to protect the citizens, not to rule over them tyrannically. The nation-state relies on every citizen, or it cannot survive. What use is a king without subjects? What use is a soldier without civilians to protect? If you bully the weak and kill all the farmers, who''s going to grow crops and produce food for you? If you slaughter merchants, who''s going to sell stuff to you? If you torture the laborers and enslave them, won''t they rebel? Then you''ll be wasting money, time and resources trying to put down rebellions instead of having a working economy and efficient industry, and if you kill all of them in the end, who''s going to run the factories and manufacture goods for you? Your clothing? Your weapons? Your equipment? Who do you think made those? Fellow warriors? You think you can bully everyone just because you''re strong? No. You''re just as reliant on the different classes and vocations to maintain your current lifestyle and survive as the people depending on you to protect them."


    "Fucking bullshit!" Jiang Jun Hao roared. "If they don''t obey, then I''ll kill one of them to set an example! I''ll force them with strength!"


    "Again, violence isn''t the answer. Like I said, if you kill all the proletariats, then who is going to work in the factories? If you kill all the farmers, or abused them to the point where they end up starving to death because you extorted all their food, then who is going to grow crops for you the next year round? You''re just as dependent on them as they are on you!"


    "Oh, shut up!"


    Unable to rebut my argument and sound logic, Jiang Jun Hao resorted to trying to silence the truth. His eyes swept toward Zhu Jiao''s spatial pouch, where the gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Weapon was stored.


    It was clear what he was thinking. To Jiang Jun Hao even a low-grade Spirit Treasure was an extremely precious item. Despite the power and influence of the eight major sects, they couldn''t possibly afford to equip every single genius within their sects with such valuable Spirit Armaments. Jiang Jun Hao had invested a lot of resources and efforts into acquiring his Heavenly Spear. That was why he was on the verge of panic when Zhu Jiao almost stole it.


    Admittedly, Jiang Jun Hao had keen foresight and was able to tell that the gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Armament inside Zhu Jiao''s spatial pouch was definitely an extremely amazing treasure. That was why, unlike the others, he refrained from aiming for the seemingly most powerful sword-type Spirit Treasure Armament and instead chose to compete for the gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Armament instead.


    Initially he had gotten complacent and believed that with the support of his own Spirit Treasure Armament and his own skills, he would be able to effortlessly acquire the treasure gauntlets. Who would expect that he would be denied by a "nobody" like Zhu Jiao? If he had lost his Heavenly Spear, he would have ended up suffering a major blow instead!


    The fucker obviously thought it was unfair. And I couldn''t believe just how self-entitled that bastard was. Did he think every treasure he set his eyes on had his name on it or something? Just how self-centered could he get?


    Zhu Jiao calmly watched Jiang Jun Hao for his reaction, then he suddenly brightened up when he had an idea. Circulating his qi, he then retrieved the gauntlets from his bag. He raised a finger to his mouth and bit it, drawing blood. Then in a single, fluid motion, he swiped the gauntlets with his blood, leaving a mystical, red mark that pulsated with qi.


    Whoosh!


    As the symbol drawn with Zhu Jiao''s blood pulsed and seeped into the gauntlets, the treasure armament began to glow. The silver sheen vanished, replaced by blinding rays of gold light, and the mark of a Golden Kirin was suddenly carved into the surface of the gauntlets.


    "Isn''t that¡­the mark of the Golden Kirin Sect?"


    It seemed that one of the people in the crowd nearby possessed quite a bit of knowledge regarding the sects, and voiced it out. Unfortunately, with the Golden Kirin Sect destroyed for a couple of centuries, the name did not register in the arrogant and utterly ignorant Jiang Jun Hao, who was clearly a frog in the well.


    Golden scales covered the gauntlets in a dragon-like pattern, imbued with the power of a celestial dragon. Serrated spikes or horns usually featured on that mythical creature grew along the sides of the gauntlets, gleaming ferociously. A menacing aura was emanated from both gauntlets, which seemed to have taken a fearsome life of its own.


    Zhu Jiao stared at the transformed Spirit Treasure Armament, his eyes wide in awe. He put them on and swung his arms. Waves of golden qi rippled outward, causing violent tremors in the earth that surged throughout the entire cavern. Even the spectators clustered within the main hall to watch the inevitable fight were thrown off balance, staggering around as they tried not to get swept off their feet by the unexpected quake.


    "Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets!"


    Zhu Jiao read the four Chinese characters that were etched alongside the blood mark shaped like a Golden Kirin that he placed on his Spirit Armament earlier. He nodded in satisfaction as he sensed the flow of qi flooding across his new weapon.


    "What a formidable pair of gauntlets!"


    "Can you stop copying Lin Dong?" I complained, glancing nervously at the existences gathering behind the fourth wall and hoping they wouldn''t accuse us of plagiarism.


    "You bastard! How dare you leave a Blood Essence Imprint?!"


    Ignoring me as always, Jiang Jun Hao bellowed in fury. Zhu Jiao had moved quickly before the Heavenly Way Sect disciple realized what he was doing, and by the time the latter comprehended his intent, it was way too late. The color drained from his face as he digested the events unfolding before his eyes.


    Earlier, the Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets did not have any owner. But by being the first to leave his Blood Essence Imprint, Zhu Jiao had officially attained ownership over it, becoming the rightful wielder of the precious Spirit Treasure Armament.


    Even though it was still possible for Jiang Jun Hao to erase the Blood Essence Imprint if he was able to rob Zhu Jiao of the weapon, it would require the expenditure of a lot of time, resources and effort. In other words, it would be extremely troublesome.


    "Why would he not dare to?" I snapped, getting tired of the bastard''s self-entitled attitude. "The weapon is his to begin with. He claimed it fair and square after beating the rest of you to it. Or are you going to steal all the other Spirit Treasure Armaments too?"


    At my words, the other winners who had succeeded in acquiring the Spirit Treasure Armaments hastily became on guard, watching Jiang Jun Hao warily and preparing for battle. It was clear that they would all ally with each other and crush the idiot if he admitted that he had such an intention. But they wouldn''t bother to intervene if Jiang Jun Hao didn''t attack them.


    By the way, not all of the Spirit Treasure Armaments were claimed just yet. The spear and gauntlets clearly had been taken, but at least four of the remaining six were still up for grabs. Unfortunately, the competition for them remained fierce, particularly the vicious combat that surrounded the still unclaimed sword-type Spirit Treasure Armament.


    Not that Jiang Jun Hao was interested in any of them. Nor did he switch his attention to the remaining unclaimed ones now that his original target had been taken. No, instead he insisted on snatching the gauntlets from its current owner.


    Why Jiang Jun Hao only attacked Zhu Jiao and selectively targeted him, I had no idea. Even though the logical move would be to switch his attention to some other unclaimed Spirit Treasure Armament. Probably for plot purposes, for the protagonist to fight against an antagonist for no reason other than to show off the protagonist''s skills and luck, make the antagonist jealous of him, to set up future conflicts or to justify the protagonist kicking his ass. I couldn''t help but sigh at the ridiculous, yet utterly predictable development.


    Overwhelmed by fury, Jiang Jun Hao finally launched his attack. Arching his back backward, he gathered as much destructive qi into his Heavenly Spear as possible, curling his arm as far back as he could in a throwing motion. Blazing crimon qi swirled around it, creating a visible halo similar to that of the sun.


    "Gae Bolg!"


    Jiang Jun Hao then hurled his crimson spear at the awaiting Zhu Jiao. Just like the Servant from whom he ripped the attack from, the Heavenly Spear streaked across the cavern with terrifying power and speed.


    "Hmph!"


    Zhu Jiao snorted when he saw that Jiang Jun Hao finally attacked him. He gathered as much qi as he could, and I recognized his Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique, which he applied to his gauntlets to boost its power tremendously. He raised a brightly glowing golden gauntlet, and then spun around to punch the incoming Heavenly Spear.


    Bang!


    There was a brief explosion, and then the Heavenly Spear was sent hurtling backward. Even as Jiang Jun Hao caught the weapon, astonished, incredibly powerful shockwaves were buffeting the vast main hall, knocking over stunned spectators and eliciting shocked cries. Zhu Jiao, however, remained standing firmly on earth, completely unscathed. Despite being hit by the shockwaves, his glowing gauntlets seemed to absorb them, dispelling the kinetic energy and rendering it harmless before it could reach their wielder.


    "How¡­?!" Jiang Jun Hao gasped. Even I couldn''t help but marvel at the incredible sight.


    A Spirit Treasure Armament was really awesome. Man, I wanted one of my own, but because I wasn''t a protagonist, I wouldn''t get it. Such was life, and the mediocre fate that we commoners and mob characters were doomed to.


    Zhu Jiao was already stronger than Jiang Jun Hao to begin with, so having a Spirit Treasure Weapon wasn''t going to make much of a difference. Only the foolish would overly rely on their Spirit Armaments for victory.


    Weapons didn''t determine the outcome. The skill of the wielder did. You could have a god-tier Treasure Weapon, but if you don''t know how to wield it, it would be useless in your hands and even someone with a low-quality sword could defeat you if he possessed the skills. Conversely, in the hands of a master, anything could be a weapon. Even a blade of grass.


    The quality of weapons only mattered if the skill of the users were too close. Admittedly, the more skilled you were, the better quality your weapon had to be, because most low quality weapons wouldn''t be able to handle the amount of qi you infuse it with, or the techniques you used. But if you were weak to begin with, then it didn''t matter how powerful or godlike or high-quality your Spirit Armament was. It would just be little more than dead weight.


    Unfortunately, the spectators did not understand this principle. They were all staring greedily at the golden gauntlets that Zhu Jiao wore, completely discounting his skills and believing it was the Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets that gave him the edge in battle. That also mean that he had just become the center of attention.


    Typical protagonist¡­always drawing the stupid crowd''s attention so that they could flame and bash him at first, then get slapped in the face when he won and proved them wrong, and end up praising him to high heaven. Someone ought to eliminate all these stupid token crowds who exist for the most inane reasons ever conceived by xianxia writers. Just look at Lin Feng from Peerless Martial God, for example. Or Li Fu Chen from Eternal Reverence.


    To be fair, the battle for all the other Spirit Treasure Armaments in the main hall had finally ended after ferocious conflicts, and the remaining seven Spirit Armaments were now in the hands of their current owners, each of whom had prevailed after fighting off competitor after competitor. With those fights concluded, everyone naturally turned to watch the only match that was still ongoing.


    "Senior Jun Hao!"


    Now that the fight for the other Spirit Treasure Armaments was over, the other Heavenly Way Sect members realized that their second senior was dueling with Zhu Jiao. When they saw Zhu Jiao casually punch away Jiang Jun Hao''s killer move, they couldn''t help but be stunned.


    "That kid has also acquired a Spirit Treasure Weapon!"


    Was it just me, or was the author trying to make every Heavenly Way Sect disciple greedy bastards who were envious of Zhu Jiao''s success for no reason other than he was the protagonist? I mean, yeah, it was natural to be jealous of other people if they have something you want, but why only Zhu Jiao? Why weren''t they staring at the other Spirit Treasure Armaments in the hands of the other wielders with the same expression?


    "Such a powerful Spirit Treasure Armament!"


    Similarly, Jiang Jun Hao was staring at the Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets that clad Zhu Jiao''s hands. For those gauntlets to easily repel his killer move that he executed with his high-grade treasure weapon, Heavenly Spear, they had to be on par with them, meaning they were at least a high-quality Spirit Treasure Armament as well.


    Upon that realization, Jiang Jun Hao''s desire swelled up, and his grip on the Heavenly Spear tightened as he harbored the intent to drill it into Zhu Jiao (though I would think that Zhu Jiao would be more of the seme rather than the uke). Evidently he was under the sad misconception that if he acquired the Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets, he would be able to stand at the peak of his generation. Again, that was nonsense and nothing short of fantasy. A powerful, high-quality Spirit Treasure Armament did not automatically make you stronger. The outcome of a battle was completely dependent on your own skills and techniques, not the weapon you wielded.


    "That brat tried to steal my Heavenly Spear and snatched that Spirit Treasure Armament from me! Let''s attack and kill him together!"


    His eyes gleaming maliciously, Jiang Jun Hao shouted.


    "Are you kidding me?!" I yelled. "You tried to kill Zhu Jiao with your Heavenly Spear and you''re the one blatantly trying to snatch his Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets from him! How the fuck are you acting like you have the higher moral ground?!"


    "Uh, he''s right, you know," one of the Heavenly Way Sect disciples said.


    "Wouldn''t this make us¡­you know, bullies and robbers?" another Heavenly Way Sect disciple agreed.


    "Master wouldn''t be happy if he hears about this," another added.


    Finally¡­somebody with an ounce of common sense. Perhaps Jiang Jun Hao was an anomaly in a sect that was supposed to be orthodox.


    Unfortunately, Jiang Jun Hao was their second senior (and their first senior was locked away in isolation training, trying to make a breakthrough), and thus he held authority over his fellow disciples. Meaning he could order them about.


    "Oh, shut up and help me! If nobody tells Master, then he won''t hear about this!"


    "You do realize there''s a lot of witnesses here, don''t you, Second Senior?" the first guy piped up as he indicated the large crowd of spectators surrounding them.


    Whoosh!


    "!!!!"


    He was almost punished for his insolence with death when Jiang Jun Hao threw his Heavenly Spear at him. A slight trickle of blood dripped from a graze on his cheek and he froze, staring up at his second senior in fear.


    "Anyone who questions me will lose their head. Is that understood?"


    The fuck?! How the fuck did this bastard get into an orthodox sect?!


    Unfortunately, that threat motivated the cowed Heavenly Way Sect disciples into obeying their second senior''s command. Reluctantly shuffling about, the dozen or so of them got into formation and prepared to assault Zhu Jiao.


    "Sorry, man," one of them called out apologetically. "But we have to obey Second Senior."


    Zhu Jiao didn''t reply. He merely clenched his fists and steeled himself for the battle, his eyes staring icily at the dozen Heavenly Way Sect disciples. A golden aura surged from his body and a gigantic Golden Kirin appeared behind him in an intimidating manner.


    He wasn''t alone.


    "Mind if I join in?" I asked as I stepped up beside him, gathering my qi and also bracing myself for battle. Even though we were still vastly outnumbered, the odds of two against twelve were twice as good as one against twelve.


    "Thanks," Zhu Jiao murmured. "But don''t worry about me. You should fall back. I don''t want to drag you into this."


    I smiled wryly. "Too late for that, don''t you think? I''ve already involved myself in this ever since I did the tsukkomi role against Jiang Jun Hao''s completely illogical villainous behavior. Besides, I believe in your plot armor."


    "Huh? Plot armor? What the hell are you talking about?"


    Before I could explain, another voice cut across the vast hall.


    "Jiang Jun Hao, what do you think you''re doing?"


    Just before Jiang Jun Hao and his fellow disciples could charge Zhu Jiao and me, exploiting their massive advantage in numbers, a cold voice echoed calmly across the main hall. Glancing in the direction of the familiar voice, I saw Bai Ning Xue and the White Tiger Sect swiftly approaching us. Kuang Hu, in particular, was grinning, his expression filled with bloodlust.


    "Do we get to kill someone?" he asked, rubbing his hands in glee. Bai Ning Xue gave him a baleful stare.


    "No. None of you are to move without an explicit instruction from me. Especially you, Kuang Hu. Understand?"


    "Yeah, yeah¡­"


    Kuang Hu rolled his eyes and swallowed any complaints he had about her decision. The rest of the White Tiger Sect, on the other hand, nodded quietly, trusting in their vice-leader. Unlike Jiang Jun Hao, Bai Ning Xue didn''t need to threaten her fellow disciples to get them to obey her.


    She had earned their respect long ago.


    The White Tiger Sect glanced at Zhu Jiao, impressed that he had managed to snare a Spirit Treasure Armament. Bai Ning Xue looked proud of her boyfriend, but she concealed that emotion well. Easy enough, as right now she was filled with rage as she glared at Jiang Jun Hao.


    "Do you seriously intend to rob a martial artist in broad daylight? And you call yourself an orthodox martial artist? You should adhere to the law and protocol set down by the Martial Arts Alliance! As members of the Heavenly Way Sect, you should be ashamed of yourselves!"


    "We told you so," one of the discples muttered grumpily, sending an accusing glare at Jiang Jun Hao.


    "So what?" Jiang Jun Hao sneered, ignoring the snipe. "And what does this have to do with you? This brat isn''t part of the White Tiger Sect, so you have no right to interfere!"


    "Actually, we do."


    One of the other martial artists who had claimed the Spirit Treasure Weapons stepped up. I saw that it was the guy who succeeded in grabbing the staff and attaining ownership over it. He was drawing his newly obtained staff and pointing it at Jiang Jun Hao now.


    "As orthodox martial artists, we have a code of conduct to adhere to. Otherwise we might as well become demonic martial artists and join the demonic sects. Are you sure you''re from the Heavenly Way Sect and not the Heavenly Fiend Sect?"


    "This is none of your business, Gun Bang!" Jiang Jun Hao snarled. Gun Bang smiled thinly.


    "Oh, but it is. How can I, a warrior of the righteous way, stand by and watch injustice being meted out? Not only are you bullying someone, you''re ganging up on him. Not to mention your treatment of your own sect members, threatening them to obey you."


    "Yeah!" the guy who claimed the spear, who I traded blows with earlier, also stepped out. "And if you''re already pulling this sort of stunt and trying to rob Zhu Jiao, then how do we know you won''t be bold enough to rob the rest of us too? That you''ll stab us in the back and snatch our Spirit Treasure Weapons when we let our guard down!"


    "There you have it."


    Bai Ning Xue nodded and then proceeded to draw her sword. No¡­two swords. The first, I recognized as the one she used during the semifinals against Zhu Jiao and in the last sixteen against Tang Qi Hong, a beautiful silver sword that was elegantly crafted with White Tiger markings embroidered into the blade. The second sword was a pink Spirit Armament that emanated a fearsome amount of qi that was not inferior to the golden aura exuded by Zhu Jiao''s Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets. Evidently Bai Ning Xue had won the battle and acquired the sword-type Spirit Treasure Armament inside this hall.


    Well¡­that was to be expected of the main heroine, I guess?


    "You¡­!"


    Jiang Jun Hao turned pale when he saw the swords that Bai Ning Xue was wielding, trembling when he was hit by the incredible qi pressure they emitted. He swallowed, understanding the grim situation he was in. Never mind the other two Spirit Treasure Armament wielders, which included Gun Bang, he would have difficulty fighting Bai Ning Xue alone. Not to mention his target, Zhu Jiao, had earlier clearly demonstrated that he was able to wield the full power of the Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets.


    The Heavenly Way Sect Second Disciple realized that he was at an overwhelming disadvantage.


    "You bastard¡­just you wait! I will definitely grab back what is rightfully mine!"


    "Really now¡­?" I sighed. "Haven''t we been through this already? It''s not as if your name is written on the Heaveny Golden Draconic Gauntlets. Stop being a sore loser and accept that they don''t belong to you."


    Though, clearly, with his antagonistic attitude, Jiang Jun Hao would surely attack Zhu Jiao in the near future to snatch away his Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets in an underhanded manner. Of course, this would justify Zhu Jiao ruthlessly killing the bastard, for what was a xianxia story without senseless murder? But it would do Zhu Jiao no credit if he just killed without good reason, which was why poor Jiang Jun Hao was reduced to a ridiculous, one-dimensional, shallow caricature who existed solely to be "evil" and for Zhu Jiao to kill.


    I had seen all this before, and quite frankly, it sickened me. If only there was a way to avoid all these clich¨¦ tropes and have Jiang Jun Hao reform instead of just indulging in villainous deeds for the sake of being the guy the protagonist killed.


    Unfortunately, right now, I couldn''t think of anything.


    "Sooner or later, we''ll settle this once and for all!"


    Suppressing the fury building up in his chest, Jiang Jun Hao spun away and stomped off after glaring fiercely at Zhu Jiao. The rest of the Heavenly Way Sect members glanced at each other, but then decided not to follow him.


    After all, he had nearly killed one of them just because they questioned his¡­uh, questionable orders.


    "Sorry about that," one of the disciples told Zhu Jiao as he dabbed at the cut on his cheek. "Our Second Senior is known for being¡­pretty extreme."


    "I can''t believe Master still hasn''t straightened out his character," the second Heavenly Way Sect disciple complained. "We ought to report this."


    "If the fucking bastard doesn''t kill us first," the third disciple muttered under his breath.


    When even your fellow disciples hated or were afraid of you, something was very wrong. Not that Jiang Jun Hao would listen to reason.

 135 Chapter 134: Separation

    I could practically tell what he was thinking. The idiot was obsessed with stages, levels and realms again. He was most likely thinking he could easily defeat a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner or something (wasn''t Jiang Jun Hao at Pure Spirit Stage or whatever? Well¡­I don''t remember and I don''t particularly care), and that the rest of the Heavenly Way Sect disciples were at such low realms that they didn''t pose a threat to him at all.


    "Don''t get complacent," I reminded him somewhat harshly. "It doesn''t matter if they are from a lower realm or weaker or whatever. Even a rabbit can wound a tiger if it lets down its guard. People are perfectly capable defeating opponents stronger than themselves. Hell, haven''t you been doing that with your protagonist plot armor and special snowflake thing all this time?"


    Granted, it wasn''t just plot armor or special snowflake logic. In reality, many factors had to be considered in a fight. It wasn''t a simple matter of "he''s stronger, therefore he automatically wins." This wasn''t a qi-measuring (or dick-measuring ¨C the length of your, uh, thing, determined how good you''ll be at sex even before you did it ¨C since when was it that simple?) contest. Why do you think we had martial arts tournaments? If everything was as easy as 10th-dan black belt winning, then we would just assign victories to the people ranked higher instead of having them participate in matches in the first place. The dan ranking didn''t mean anything anyway. Yeah, probably it meant you achieved a higher level of training and mastery than most people, but it didn''t mean you would automatically win a fight before you even lift a finger. A tiger still had to pounce and slash at the rabbit, and if the rabbit got lucky or was smart, and got a kick off, it would not only survive, it would leave an ugly bruise on the tiger''s face.


    Too many people were obsessed with strength, amount of qi, realm, stages and levels that they were clearly out of touch with reality.


    "Yeah, yeah."


    "Thanks, Ning Xue. Thank you, everyone."


    He also made sure to turn to Gun Bang and the spear guy and bowed to them too.


    "Thank you, seniors."


    "No problem," Gun Bang replied as he rested his staff casually on his shoulder. "If we let those fools do whatever they want and rob other people, then we can''t call ourselves martial artists of the righteous way. We wouldn''t have the right to persecute and hunt down the demonic sects."


    "Speaking of the demonic sects, where are they?" Kuang Hu asked, clearly eager for a fight. He was disappointed that he wasn''t able to brawl with the Heavenly Way Sect members earlier and was spoiling for a battle.


    "Who knows?" the spear guy shrugged.


    "I hope we don''t run into them," Zhu Jiao muttered. I winced at that and groaned. He turned to me, confused. "What?"


    "You just had to tempt fate, didn''t you?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "The moment you hoped that we wouldn''t run into them, our fate had been sealed. We''ll end up running into them for sure."


    "Uh¡­" Zhu Jiao looked unconvinced by my explanation. "Surely we wouldn''t be that unlucky, right?"


    The two outsiders who had gotten the other Spirit Treasure Armaments took their leave after exchanging a few pleasantries with Bai Ning Xue. As they left, she turned to Zhu Jiao while sheathing both of her Treasure Swords. She smiled and shook her head as she approached him, amusement flashing in her eyes.


    "I thought you wanted to follow us. What happened? We looked around for you when we first entered, but the both of you went missing."


    Zhu Jiao grimaced, and thankfully he didn''t spout that protagonist nihilistic bullshit about "I''m accustomed to being alone." Instead, he gave a more practical and realistic answer. "There were way too many people, and we ended up being cut off. I did my best to catch up, but I was dragged along with the flow and couldn''t find you guys either. Never mind you guys, even Fei Wu got separated by me when the whole crowd rushed into the ancient tomb."


    "Yeah, there''s too many people." I stared at the White Tiger Sect. "I''m actually impressed that you guys managed to stick together."


    "We''ve worked together on missions before," Kuang Hu explained. "We''ve a good understanding of each other and thus are able to move more in concert. If you hang out with us more often, I dare say you''ll develop the same understanding."


    "A pity we aren''t from the same sect." Zhu Jiao chuckled. I groaned.


    "Really? Even if I''m with other members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I don''t know if I''ll be able to stick with them and have that same kind of understanding."


    "Well, it''s high time you stop being a loner and learn to work with others." After saying that dismissively, Bai Ning Xue turned to Zhu Jiao. "As expected of Zhu Jia, that battle was impressive. I knew you would be able to beat Jiang Jun Hao to the Spirit Treasure Armament. That expression on his face, he never saw it coming, did he?"


    "I was just lucky," Zhu Jiao replied with a laugh. I seethed inwardly. Damn right he was lucky. As the protagonist, Zhu Jiao had the luck of the devil himself. Always getting the good things, always conveniently escaping death, always at the center of attention and receiving praise after slapping everybody''s faces and proving them wrong. And learning the most powerful martial arts techniques and having such a great master.


    Even though I somewhat shared his fate in having a dead master, Master only taught me for a week. In contrast, Zhu Jiao had Qi Lin accompany and guide him for years, thus widening his advantage over me.


    This was so unfair. I couldn''t help but sigh and shake my head in despair. In the face of Zhu Jiao, no matter what I did or achieved, it would pale in comparison to him. Not that I wanted to make it a competition, but Zhu Jiao was inadvertently destroying my self-esteem by being present. And worse, I knew I wouldn''t get anything as valuable as him¡­


    "Where''s your first senior?" Zhu Jiao asked, casting a glance around the main hall warily. "I''m surprised Lei Yong Chun wouldn''t seize the chance to grab these Spirit Treasure Armaments. Come to think of it, where are the demonic sects and all the other elite martial artists?"


    Now that he had mentioned it, there were no sign of Lei Yong Chun, Nan Ke, Ling Qing Zhu, Li Xue Wu, Yan Qing Wu and the others. There was only Wang Pan¡­I mean, Jiang Jun Hao from the Heavenly Way Sect.


    "First Senior Lei Yong Chun and the rest have most likely already reached the center of the ancient tomb," Bai Ning Xue replied, but her voice was filled with disapproval. "To them, these Spirit Treasure Armaments don''t hold that much value."


    "Are you fucking kidding me?" I muttered. These high-quality Spirit Treasure Armaments were worthless to those idiots? Look, I knew they were elite martial artists and most likely had bigger fish to fry, but even so, that was quite an audacious attitude.


    On the bright side, it meant we didn''t have to fight those monsters over these Spirit Treasure Armaments. Not that it helped me. Even without Lei Yong Chun and the rest joining the fray, I still couldn''t obtain a treasure of my own.


    I was beginning to think I should just give up¡­


    "Hah¡­"


    On the other hand, the promise of even more valuable and higher-quality Spirit Artifacts, weapons and treasures hidden within the inner vaults of the ancient tomb was too much to bear. Since I was already here, I might as well keep trying. Fight to the bitter end¡­to give up now would mean cutting off any chance I might still have of getting at least a little something out of this whole ordeal. I should aim for that astronomical chance instead of surrendering to Fate.


    Zhu Jiao and I glanced at the direction where Jiang Jun Hao had left in. Presently, not just him, but his fellow sect disciples and the dispersing crowd in the chamber, were all leaving in the various corridors that spread out from the main hall, all of which led to the deeper segments of the ancient tomb. Like me, none of them had given up on the chance to find more treasures, spirit artifacts and weapons in this place.


    No wonder Lei Yong Chun and the rest didn''t bother to stop here. With their statuses and achievements, they probably didn''t hold these "mere" Spirit Treasure Armaments in their eyes, and instead planned to look for even more valuable treasures and Spirit Armaments located in the deeper regions of the ancient tomb.


    It would be the crowning moment of irony if they gambled on that, only to find nothing and leave the ancient tomb empty-handed, I thought, more than just a little sardonically. The expressions on their faces if that happened would be too precious not to capture on video.


    "We plan to rest and regroup here for a while before exploring the deeper areas. What about you? Do you still plan on following us?"


    Bai Ning Xue seemed to sense Zhu Jiao''s ambition and greed. She knew her boyfriend too well.


    Upon hearing her question, Zhu Jiao glanced around the vast hall. As I mentioned earlier, now that all the Spirit Treasure Armaments inside here had been claimed, everyone was already leaving the main hall and dashing toward the deeper regions without any hesitation. Particularly those who had arrived just after the Spirit Treasure Armaments were taken. I understood exactly how they felt, having experienced that several times before ending up here. The frustration and regret that filled my heart were what drove me to push on without pause, in hopes that I would locate another Spirit Artifact or treasure before they were taken once again.


    "I''ll go ahead and take a look first. If I can''t find anything else, then I''ll just give up then."


    Zhu Jiao seemed amused while he watched the scene of people coming and going. Even though he had reaped quite the bountiful harvest this time, he had yet to find the Spirit Artifact he was truly looking for ¨C a yin-type artifact that would help his sister, Qing Tan. That had been his primary objective all along.


    If he was unable to find it, then Qing Tan''s situation would undoubtedly grow more dangerous.


    That was why he couldn''t stop right now.


    "I''m very sorry. But there''s a reason why I''m in a rush. I''m looking for something specific."


    Bai Ning Xue studied Zhu Jiao for a moment, and most likely because she was aware of his family circumstances and sister (they are childhood sweethearts, after all), she nodded understandingly and waved for him to go.


    "Good luck. I hope you find whatever you need for Little Qing Tan. And wish her well when you see her again. I hope she recovers."


    "Thank you!"


    Zhu Jiao glanced at me, recalling that I was looking for a similar type of artifact.


    "Are you coming along, Wu? Or are you going to follow the White Tiger Sect?"


    "I''ll follow you," I replied, feeling a little hollow. Right now, I was probably the only one who hadn''t gained anything from this little venture. I was feeling bitter that I was facing a very high possibility that I would return home empty-handed.


    However, this was a good chance for me. If I followed Zhu Jiao around, I might possibly be able to ride on his coattails and share in his protagonist luck. He might even split whatever treasures he found with me!


    "All right, let''s go then!"


    Zhu Jiao then spun around and bowed politely to bid Bai Ning Xue, Kuang Hu and the rest of the White Tiger Sect farewell.


    "Thanks again¡­if you guys need help, give me a holler. If I''m around, I''ll definitely come and save you!"


    Bai Ning Xue laughed and nodded. "I know you will."


    Even though I didn''t know it, later I learned that Zhu Jiao had indeed saved the White Tiger Sect a couple of times before. Being the protagonist that he was, he had quite a few adventures of his own where he played the role of hero, saving his love interest and her sect, and doing all those usual xianxia main character things.


    The both of us then proceeded toward the depths of the tomb. Zhu Jiao was unable to suppress a smug smile on his face.


    "Ha ha ha! This has been quite the fruitful trip! I can''t believe I managed to get my hands on so many Pure Yuan Pills and even a high-quality Spirit Treasure Armament! It was totally worth making the journey here!"


    "¡­"


    Noticing my taciturn silence, Zhu Jiao turned to me, his brow raised.


    "What''s the matter, Wu?"


    "Nothing."


    "Really?" Zhu Jiao didn''t seem to believe me, but he let the matter drop. Or that was his intention anyway, but he continued with a question that speared straight into my heart. "So what have you managed to get so far?"


    "¡­nothing."


    "¡­huh?"


    At first, Zhu Jiao couldn''t believe what he was hearing. He stared at me, taken aback. I wasn''t sure if he was doing this on purpose ¨C if he was, I really, really wanted to sock him. Either way, he was being a huge insensitive jerk.


    "¡­really? Nothing?"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Sensing my foul mood, Zhu Jiao wisely shut up and turned away, focusing his attention to the front. Clasping his fingers behind the back of his head, he tried to encourage me.


    "W¡­well, it''s still early, and there''s still so much of the ancient tomb to explore. I''m sure you''ll find something really soon! Don''t worry!"


    I sighed. "I really hope so."


    We walked on for several dozen meters before we came across another network of tunnels, each leading to different regions of the tomb. I could see or sense a huge variety of people entering or moving through the various tunnels, all of them heading in different directions without any clear sense of goal other than to rely on their luck.


    "Where should we go?"


    Even though Zhu Jiao asked that question, I knew it wasn''t directed at me. It wasn''t a rhetorical question, despite his attempts to mask it as such. He was actually asking the little marten¡­no, I mean his master Qi Lin inside the golden amulet.


    Since I had completely no idea, and Qi Lin''s senses would be more advanced than mine (not to mention Zhu Jiao''s protagonist luck completely outshadowed mine), I decided to leave it to Zhu Jiao to decide our next route.


    "Kid, take the eighth tunel from the right. You''re looking for yin-based elixirs for your sister, right? I can sense the qi signatures of high-quality elixirs from there."


    Qi Lin already had the answer. The ghostly master was a convenient person to have on board when looking for things, otherwise we could be exploring the tomb the whole day and still not find whatever we were looking for.


    "Okay."


    Zhu Jiao nodded and then gulped when he realized he had just said the word out loud. Unfortunately, I could overhear the conversation between him and his master. I just didn''t tell him that, or I would put him in a rough spot.


    Seeing my nonchalant expression, my friend turned away and cleared his throat and pretended to mull over something for a few seconds. Then he snapped his fingers suddenly.


    "Aha!" Zhu Jiao made it sound as if he had gained an epiphany, when in actual fact all he did was get a reply from his master. Most likely telling him where to go next because he sensed elixir or yin-based qi waves from that direction, for he turned sharply toward a precise location and headed toward a very specific tunnel. "That seems like the best place!"


    He glanced at me worriedly, as if wondering if I was going to challenge him, or ask him why he decided on that tunnel, but I merely shrugged and followed him without question. A look of immense relief drifted across his face.


    "Let''s go!"


    Trying to imbue his voice with as much excitement and encouragement as possible, he waved enthusiastically for me to hurry up. I nodded and sped up.


    "¡­"


    As we moved toward the corridor, I felt a bone-chilling sensation of ghastly cold from the left. It seemed that the area was saturated with yin qi. Looked like Qi Lin knew what he was talking about when he was offering Zhu Jiao directions.


    To my surprise, however, Zhu Jiao took a right turn.


    "Eh?" I stopped, confused. "Aren''t we going that way?"


    "Hmm?" Zhu Jiao looked puzzled at my question, tilting his head. Then he nodded in understanding. "Ah, yeah. If we go that way, we''ll definitely get the yin-based artifacts we''re looking for. Unfortunately, it''s much too dangerous. It''s a death-trap¡­designed to lure greedy people into it and divert their attention away from the real treasures." He gestured toward the right. "This path is a safer route to another chamber¡­it doesn''t have as many treasures, but at least we won''t be walking to our deaths."


    He seemed a little nervous after his answer, as if expecting me to ask him how he knew, but since I already knew Qi Lin was essentially giving him instructions and explanations from the golden amulet, I simply nodded again. In actual fact, I had just overheard Qi Lin say the exact same thing. Zhu Jiao was repeating him word for word, but for obvious reasons I wasn''t going to subject poor readers to listening to the same dialogue for the second time in as many paragraphs. Instead, I had another question.


    "What kind of death trap is there? Can''t we just deactivate it?"


    "No, we can''t!" Qi Lin grumbled in exasperation. "Otherwise I would have told you the method to do so already!"


    Obviously, Zhu Jiao didn''t repeat that part out. Instead, he listened to his master''s explanation and then regurgitated the relevant parts.


    "Oh, it''s not just a trap that activates when you walk into it. The entire place is wrapped in the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation. Anyone who tries to enter the vault will immediately freeze to death."


    So basically the Chinese fantasy version of Cocytus. I nodded in comprehension.


    "I see. Let''s avoid that, then."


    Even though I had sort of experienced Cocytus when trying to claim ownership of the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, that wasn''t an experience I would like to repeat. Besides, that was a psychological attack and vivid illusion that did no damage to my physical body. While I was confident that I might be able to survive at least a few minutes inside the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation, I knew I wouldn''t be able to hold out much longer than that.


    And if I wanted to empty the vault of its treasures, I would need more than just a few minutes. Or so I believed.


    "Anyway, let''s go! I think there''s someone shadowing us. No¡­quite a lot of people."


    Zhu Jiao frowned when he detected the dudes who had been trailing us ever since we had taken this corridor. I had noticed them long ago, but they had kept their distance, and I was too busily sulking to warn Zhu Jiao of them.


    It wouldn''t matter. Given his plot armor and protagonist powers, Zhu Jiao would easily thrash them even without my help.


    Okay, so I was bitter. I couldn''t help it. Even then, I realized that this was my chance to finally get some form of treasure, so I had best cooperate with Zhu Jiao and fend off our stalkers before they had the chance to steal the stuff from us.


    "All right. What''s the plan?" I asked.


    "Plan?" Zhu Jiao stared at me, dumbfounded, and then he laughed. "We run in, grab the stuff, run out, and fight our way to safety. Easy, right?"


    "¡­"


    Yeah, it wounded easy, all right, but as with all plans, it was easier said than done. And in this particular case, much, much, much easier said than done. Even though I didn''t know what bullshit realms or stages these guys were at, I could tell that they were fairly strong, enough to pose a challenge if we tried to fight them head-on.


    And even though there wasn''t eally much of a difference between demonic sects and orthodox sects in terms of qi, from the high concentration of yin qi, the ruthless killing intent they emanated, they were most likely disciples from a demonic sect. granted, the so-called orthodox sects had their fair share of psychotic murderers who behaved like criminal thugs ¨C Jiang Jun Hao being a perfect example ¨C so I couldn''t be sure until they revealed themselves.


    For now, it was best to be careful.


    Without any alternative, I decided to go along with Zhu Jiao''s plan, at least for now anyway. We both hurried toward the chamber while I kept an eye (metaphorically) on the trailing shadows, making sure we didn''t get caught by surprise and attacked when our guard was down.


    However, that supposedly demonic sect was far from being the only surprises in store for us.


    As we made our way toward the chamber that Zhu Jiao''s master directed him toward, I could sense our stalkers closing the distance almost impatiently, as if they knew the treasures were near. I briefly wondered if they could hear Qi Lin too.


    "There it is!" Qi Lin hissed. "Just a few meters ahead!"


    Just as the ghostly master (who thought I couldn''t hear him) shouted that, I spotted the open chamber just in front of us. Like he said, I could sense the qi signatures of powerful, blessed elixirs emanating from within.


    "This will help Qing Tan a lot!" Zhu Jiao cried out in delight as he made to dash forward, evidently detecting the same thing. "Thank you!"


    He was forgetting in his excitement that I was not supposed to be able to hear his master, but I wasn''t going to burst his bubble.


    Instead, I nodded. "Yeah, let''s grab what we need¡­"


    Before I could finish my sentence, I suddenly sensed something dark surge from behind me. Without even turning around, I deftly spun my body to the side and avoided a shadow blade that stabbed right through the rock.


    "!!!"


    My assailant, who was surprised that I had dodged the shadow blade meant for my heart, was taken aback. Without even bother to turn, I casually flung a hand in his direction, using my Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula to send a bunch of icicles shooting outward to cover the entire place in ice and seeking to pierce whoever was stalking us in the shadows.


    Apparently, having come to the same conclusion and being so close to the treasure elixirs, our stalkers couldn''t suppress their impatience and allowed greed to rule over their rationality, and impulsively emerged to attack.


    Fine then, I would just defeat them¡­or if necessary, kill them.


    Smash!


    "!!!"


    This time, it was my turn to be surprised. My assailant, recovering quickly from his failed assassination attempt, swung his sword and smashed the encroaching ice, dispersing the frosty yin qi and sending thousands of icy fragments showering the ground.


    "Hmph¡­paltry tricks like these¡­do you think they''ll be able to stop me?"


    "You¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened when he saw the owner of the voice step out, followed by dozens of his comrades. I narrowed my eyes.


    "Li Xue Wu from the Heavenly Fiend Sect¡­"

 136 Chapter 135: Death Trap

    I couldn''t help but bury my face in my palm.


    "Okay, I get that you want the treasures and elixirs, and I understand that by the rules of tomb exploration, it''s fair for us to fight and compete for those. But¡­is there really a need to kill us? Why can''t you just snatch them without having to resort to murder?"


    "Are you an idiot?" Li Xue Wu burst out laughing at my complaint. "We''re a demonic sect. we don''t need to justify our reasoning to you. If I want you dead, then I''ll kill you. It''s just that simple."


    "The problem is that this sort of situations normally result in shallow, superficial one-dimensional antagonists such as yourselves who exist for the sole purpose of getting your ass kicked by the protagonist." I closed my eyes briefly, already foreseeing the criticisms from the existences beyond the fourth wall. "You have no depth, you''re easily forgettable, you appear just to get beaten up and it becomes repetitive. Nonetheless, you do have a point. In reality, not every criminal requires a complex reason to murder or rob. Just look at the high school shootings in America or the brutal murders in Japan. Some people kill for the sake of it."


    "Oh, shut the fuck up!"


    Li Xue Wu was getting irritated by my monologue, and he dove at me. Drawing his weapon, which was a blood-red spear, he spun it around, gathering as much demonic qi as he could draw from the surroundings into it.


    "Just die here! Divine Dragon Strike!"


    The spear transformed into a blood-red dragon, which roared silently as it drilled toward me.


    "Oh, so scary."


    Trembling exaggeratedly and whining in a mocking manner, I drew my sword and deflected the tip of the spear away, repelling Li Xue Wu.


    "Impossible!"


    Li Xue Wu stared at me in disbelief as he staggered backward. His expression was ashen, as if he had just seen a ghost.


    Frowning in puzzlement at his sudden change in expression, I cocked my head to the side. "What''s the matter?"


    "This is impossible!" Li Xue Wu repeated. "I''m not just any regular Pure Spirit Stage martial artist. I''m a top-tiered prodigy from the Heavenly Fiend Sect. Regular Pure Spirit Stage martial artists wouldn''t even be worthy to tie my shoelaces!"


    "He actually deflected the spear of Senior Li¡­who exactly is that guy? How can the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect have such a fearsome individual?!"


    Behind Li Xue Wu, the disciples from the Tian Sha (Heavenly Fiend) Sect were also stunned and whispering to themselves. Evidently, they couldn''t imagine how I was able to do something as excruciatingly simple as deflecting a spear strike.


    Like¡­seriously?


    Zhu Jiao shrugged. "They are all frogs in the well, or sheltered, spoilt brats. They don''t realize that just because Li Xue Wu is a top prodigy in the Heavenly Fiend Sect, it doesn''t mean he''ll be a top-level genius in the outside world. They are either very narrow-minded or deluded to the point where they deny reality even when it''s staring right in their faces."


    Li Xue Wu''s features transformed from a ghastly gray to an enraged red.


    "What are you waiting for?!" he roared at his fellow disciples. "All of you, charge! Go kill these two motherfuckers!"


    The first one to emerge was my assailant from earlier, the one with shadow blades. Wielding a single sword that was as black as night and emitting a chilling, terrifying aura of demonic yin qi, he swung it down to cleave me in half.


    This time, he wasn''t alone. He as accompanied by several of the Tian Sha Sect disciples. Zhu Jiao wasn''t able to help me, being assaulted by an equal number of demonic sect followers, all of them wielding vicious weapons from wickedly cuved halberds to deadly scythes and snaking chains.


    "We can''t fight this many!" Zhu Jiao shouted as he fended off three assailants at once and jumped to avoid a chain and sickle. His golden aura of dense yang qi flared up protectively to block against several slashes, but he was driven back from the combined impacts, blood trickling down his mouth. "We''ve to retreat!"


    "I concur." Deflecting the shadow blades, I ducked under an axe before spinning around to counter with a kick while parrying a lance at the same time. Jerking my head back before a lethal scythe could reap it off my neck, I then slashed and felt the satisfying parting of flesh as blood spurted from the screaming attacker. Without turning to look at my victim, who had lost her arms (and was a girl judging from the high-pitched shriek), I twisted my sword and beheaded a disciple who was trying to stab me in the back with a dagger. Huffing as I deflected an axe and kicked the guy''s knee, causing him to fall to a height where I could conveniently cut his head off his shoulders, I added, "where do you suggest we withdraw to?"


    The path were we came from had been blockaded, blocked off by the hordes of bellowing and screaming Tian Sha Sect disciples. That meant we had to continue onward, past the chamber of elixirs and hoped that the corridor didn''t lead to a dead-end. Otherwise we would be trapped like rats in a mousetrap.


    Even though Zhu Jiao and I were holding our own against the lower ranks of the Tian Sha Sect disciples, we were under no illusions that we could hold the fort for long. We didn''t have the stamina (despite Zhu Jiao having three sexagenaries of artificial qi), and the elite, stronger ones such as Li Xue Wu had yet to make a move. They were content watching their cannon fodder sacrifice themselves on our blades, hoping that we exhausted our strength before they made their moves.


    Truly despicable tactics fitting of followers of a demonic sect. I guess it was not that much worse than the utterly illogical and murderous Jiang Jun Hao, but at least these bastards weren''t hypocritically touting themselves as paragons of justice and exemplars of the orthodox sects. They knew they were evil and they acted appropriately.


    Unfortunately, that didn''t mean much for me and Zhu Jiao, who didn''t exactly want to end up as their victims.


    On the other hand, Zhu Jiao has plot armor, so we''ll be able to find our way out of this.


    Trusting in Zhu Jiao''s plot armor, and if all else failed, his master Qi Lin to pull us out of the water, I followed his lead.


    "This way!" Zhu Jiao yelled as he punched five unlucky Heavenly Fiend Sect disciples away with a single strike, rendering them unconscious or worse (wouldn''t be surprised if his Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets smashed their skulls and turned their brains into pulp), and gestured for me to follow him down the opposite direction. "There''s a labyrinthine cavern down this way! If we can get there, we''ll be able to lose them there!"


    "Great!'' I felt a little relief. It was a great choice to follow Zhu Jiao after all. Kicking away another Heavenly Fiend Sect disciple before he could cut me down with his machete, I used footwork techniques to escape and pull to a safe distance. Appearing beside Zhu Jiao, I slashed and hacked two of the unsuspecting disciples trying to stab him in the back and drew them off him. "Let''s go! Lead the way then!"


    Even though his instructions were clear, I could see the corridor branching off toward at least three different directions. One of them surely led to the labyrinthine cavern, but I wouldn''t be surprised if the other two were dead-ends. Meaning I still needed to rely on Zhu Jiao (and no doubt he was informed of this by his master) to show me the way.


    "Sure! This way!"


    Zhu Jiao also fought off another guy, but this time his opponent parried his fist and countered almost perfectly, drawing some blood. Hissing in pain, Zhu Jiao stepped back. I moved to help him, but three disciples got in my way. I struck swiftly, hoping to take them by surprise, but the first guy blocked my sword with his halberd. Before I could disengage, the second guy slashed at me with his saber, and I just barely managed to avoid it by an inch.


    Slash!


    "Gah!"


    The third guy, moving in flawless coordination with his two comrades, took the opportunity while I was distracted by his teammates to stab me in the back with his dagger. I twisted around and kicked him, but he blocked my foot with his arms and only staggered back a step. While I moved to retaliate, the first guy slashed me with his halberd, and despite my reflexes, I felt searing pain in my back as red-hot blood spewed out.


    "Ugh!"


    Damn it!


    These guys were clearly on a different level from before, unlike the cannon fodder that Zhu Jiao and I had already dispatched. Having seen that we were tiring and attempting to beat a fighting retreat to shrug them off, they had decided to act and cut off our escape.


    "Ha ha ha!"


    Li Xue Wu was folding his arms smugly and laughing as he watched. He didn''t join in the attack because he had embarrassed himself earlier by having his thrust deflected easily, and was most likely looking for an opportunity to fell either of us in one descipable sneak attack to regain his honor and reputation in front of his sect mates.


    "If we continue to kill more of the orthodox sects'' disciples and reduce their fighting power, Father will be pleased!"


    So they weren''t just blindly killing for the sake of it. As a demonic sect, one of their missions was to strike back at the orthodox sects who persecuted them. Earlier, there were far too many orthodox sect members clustered together for them to attack, so the Tian Sha Sect held back. But within this labyrinthine ancient tomb, the Tian Sha Sect had plenty of opportunity to pick off stragglers one by one, two by two, three by three, with their vastly superior numbers. At the same time, they could take whatever treasures or spirit artifacts that these stragglers found or were about to find. That was why they had been stalking us since earlier.


    Killing two birds with one stone. Very efficient, to the point where I would be impressed if they didn''t choose me and Zhu Jiao as their present victims.


    "Kuh¡­"


    I staggered back, blood dripping from my back and tried to strike back. The three of them continued to assault me, and opened up numerous wounds on my body with stealthy strikes from their halberds, saber and dagger.


    Closing my eyes briefly, I tried to use my Heaven and Earth qi sense, Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps to predict their next movements. Calming myself down, I was able to avoid the coordinated attacks from all three and answered with a few counters of my own. Even then, I only managed to nick the guy with the halberd, cut the arm of the guy with the saber and discouraged the guy with the dagger, unable to leave any lasting wounds or incapacitate any of them.


    They''re strong¡­!


    As expected of the Heavenly Fiend Sect, huh?


    Blocking another strike from the halberd, I followed my instincts and stepped to the side to avoid being cleaved in half by the saber while moving to ram my elbow down on the guy''s arm before he could stab me with his dagger. However, he also dodged my follow up to his face, and despite me only grazing his cheek, he quickly retreated.


    "Damn it¡­"


    I had hoped to at least break his nose with that, but not everything could go my way.


    "Hah!"


    "?!"


    The three of them quickly dispersed when Zhu Jiao smashed his fist onto the ground. twisting around, I stabbed the guy with the dagger in the chest, slaying him, but his two comrades swiftly withdrew instead of sticking around for revenge especially when they saw that Zhu Jiao had joined up to watch my back.


    "Whoa, how did you¡­?"


    I didn''t even bother to finish my question, having caught sight of the slain Heavenly Fiend Sect disciples lying on the ground, their corpses strewn across the chamber. Zhu Jiao was breathing heavily, but he had succeeded in slaughtering the majority of them.


    On the other hand, there were still at least fifteen elite disciples left, with most of them not yet raising a hand to help. Especially their leader Li Xue Wu. Even though I blocked his attack earlier, I wasn''t able to counterattack, which meant that he wasn''t an easy opponent. And now, backed up by all these disciples¡­


    I dreaded to think of what would happen if they all decided to join the fight. And now that Zhu Jiao had eliminated most of the Tian Sha Sect like the Mary Sue that he was, no doubt they would be joining in.


    What the fuck is he, Li Fu Chen? Is everyone going to call him heaven-defying and all that sort of Mary Sue bullshit nonsense?


    I wasn''t particularly fond of that development, especially since I hated Mary Sues, but I had to grudgingly admit that it was the right decision to follow Zhu Jiao after all. His plot armor was as thick as a bloody encyclopedia. And the guy was evidently on God Mode, with dozens of Heavenly Fiend Sect disciples unable to hurt a single hair of him while he slaughtered them breezily like Li Fu Chen or Lin Feng or one of those overpowered God Mode Mary Sue xianxia protagonists who literally couldn''t be threatened by any character in their stories.


    "Let''s go!"


    Seeing the chance, and also knowing that even his godlike plot armor and "heaven-defying" skills wouldn''t help him against such a large number of elite disciples, Zhu Jiao resorted to the next great tool in his protagonist armory ¨C the Deus ex Machina ¨C and raced toward one of the pathways, which evidently led to the labyrinthine cavern.


    Using my footwork, I made to follow him, but¡­


    "Oh no, you don''t!"


    "!!!"


    I sensed a murderous surge of qi and glanced over my shoulder, spotting Li Xue Wu cocking his arm back before throwing his blood-red spear.


    "Demonic Dragon Spear Strike!"


    "Watch out!"


    Seeing that the spear was lancing straight for Zhu Jiao, I shoved him out of the way, kicking him right into the pathway that he intended to lead me into. Unfortunately, that meant that the spear struck the spot where he was milliseconds ago ¨C right in front of me ¨C and exploded with such force I was sent hurtling backward.


    The tremendous power of the Demonic Dragon Spear Strike shattered the corridor, bringing down debris from the roof and sealing off all three pathways, blocking me from Zhu Jiao. I lay on the ground, stunned, as blood dribbled out of my motuh and a deafening ringing insistently stabbed at my ears. Fortunately, my glasses had darkened to shield my eyes from the full flare of the blast or I would be momentarily blinded right now.


    "Kuh¡­"


    "Wu!!!" Zhu Jiao shouted from behind the debris. Unlike me, he was safe and sound, his protagonist plot armor allowing him to escape from near-death like every other main character of a xianxia story.


    Unfortunately for me, I didn''t share the same kind of plot armor. To my horror, I realized that I myself was part of Zhu Jiao''s plot armor. I was the stereotypical stupid best friend who followed the protagonist around and sacrificed my life so that he would continue living and avenge me later. It just didn''t occur to me that my being that sort of trope was a high possibility because I had mistaken Zhu Jiao to be the typical God Mode Mary Sue protagonist who didn''t need anyone to save him, least of all his friends. Rather, he usually would be the one doing all the saving. Then again, in this scenario, it would be his job to save me.


    Hell, no! I didn''t want to be reduced to a plot device for the protagonist to engage in one of his usual rescue missions or revenge fantasies! And I sure as hell didn''t want to die or be taken prisoner by these bastards! I had enough of being tortured and imprisoned by sadistic fucks like the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect!


    "Ha ha ha ha ha! What an idiot! To think that you''ll sacrifice yourself so that your friend would escape. I''m so impressed that I''m tempted to spare your life!"


    Li Xue Wu was laughing madly, clutching his sides at the scene. As much as I would love for him to actually spare my life, I knew there was a catch. Li Xue Wu''s idea of sparing my life probably involved taking me prisoner or hostage and then torturing and abusing me during captivity. I wasn''t an idiot, and I didn''t want to go through the whole Chinese Parasol Tree Sect arc again.


    Straightening myself, I glanced from Li Xue Wu to the other Heavenly Fiend Sect disciples, trying to assess my options. Unlike a Mary Sue protagonist, I didn''t have plot armor and I didn''t have the God Mode skills that came with being a xianxia main character. There was no way I could win in a direct fight against so many elite disciples from one of the most notorious demonic sects in the great Zhou Empire. I had the advantage in speed and footwork, but they had me surrounded and cut off any path I had for escape.


    I would have to force an opening through them and escape, but I was aware of the risks. I would inevitably suffer serious injuries in the process, and might even fail and die in the attempt.


    "Phew¡­"


    Exhaling deply, I pushed my glasses up and adjusted them, especially since they had somewhat slipped off during the explosion earlier. The future looked bleak, this was not a battle I could win ¨C at least not if I fought conventionally, anyway.


    But looking at it from another angle, I might be abe to salvage my survival through unconventional means, by outthinking my enemies.


    "What? Do you still seriously think you can fight all of us? Just give up and die. Maybe your death would be a lot easier, quicker and painless."


    "Are you an idiot? Do you honestly think anyone will say, ''yes, I will happily let you kill me!'' because you ask them to?" I couldn''t help but shake my head at the sheer stupidity of Li Xue Wu''s statement. The head disciple flared up furiously.


    "You asked for it!"


    He surged forward suddenly, stabbing with his spear. I deflected his strikes, noting how well honed his techniques were. Every single one of his attacks resembled a venomous dragon that burst out of the sea, spinning rapidly with explosive penetrative power. If I get hit by even one of those powerful strikes, Li Xue Wu was capable of drilling a hole in my body.


    "What are you all waiting for?! Help me!"


    Even after trading several blows with me, Li Xue Wu realized he couldn''t bring me down easily and he yelled for his milling comrades to help him. They glanced at each other, and aware that they couldn''t waste too much time waiting for their leader to bring me down, obeyed without hesitation. The guy with the saber from earlier slashed at me, his heavy blows descending with meteoric force. The guy with the halberd swung his weapon to behead me, forcing me to step back and give up the idea of a counterattack on Li Xue Wu''s exposed back. Another guy thrust his sword at me and cut my side before I could fully avoid him.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    Clang!


    Doing my best, even with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, it was all I could do to avoid and evade each and every one of their attacks. I couldn''t even afford to think of countering or retaliating, every ounce of focus spent on escaping the next assault. My breathing was getting ragged and I could feel my strength slowly ebbing, my stamina gradually drained by the relentless assault from so many people. Only an overpowered xianxia protagonist would be able to effortlessly evade, defend and block all these and still counterattack and kill his opponents.


    Too bad I wasn''t an overpowered xianxia protagonist.


    "Ugh!"


    I winced as blood flowed from my shoulder, dripping down my arm. Another blade pierced my chest, just centimeters away from my heart, and I fell back. Someone slashed my leg, and I was lucky to pull it back intact before the blade could reach the bone. Gathering my qi, I unleashed an explosive burst of ice, freezing the area around me, but the majority of them escaped unscathed, their instincts warning them.


    Even those who were caught by the ice managed to break out easily and retreat to a safe distance, watching me warily.


    "Huff¡­"


    That was fine. It was never my intention to defeat them with Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. I only wanted to buy myself some breathing space, some room to think, to rest and recover. Otherwise I couldn''t maintain this pace for much longer.


    Unfortunately for me, I didn''t have even half a minute to rest. Li Xue Wu was already lunging forward with his weapon. I eyed it closely, realizing that I hadn''t seen him unleash his full prowess with his treasure weapon just yet.


    Clang!


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    I was right.


    The blood-red spear suddenly separated into three segments, each linked to the others by a metal chain. Evidently Li Xue Wu''s dragon spear was a three-section spear, which was able to be both powerful yet flexible. He executed a series of strikes, perfectly demonstrating his ability to both hit or to chain them together, taking me by surprise on a few occasions and bruising my head or arm. I staggered back from the painful impacts.


    "Blood Dragon Moon Bind!"


    Li Xue Wu shouted as he swung his spear. His three-section spear transformed into a lifelike blood dragon that coiled around me, immobilizing my movements.


    "Why the fuck are you shouting out the name of your technique?" I demanded as I tried to struggle out of the binds.


    "Heavenly Fiend Twenty-Eight Slashes!"


    The guy with the saber hollered, completely ignoring my wry comment. Seeing that I was locked down, he seized the opportunity to unleash his most powerful technique and sent twenty-eight slashes of qi blades to cut me apart.


    "Kuh!"


    I twisted around desperately and kicked off the ground, trying to fight the binds while Li Xue Wu held me down. It was useless. My restraints held firm, locking me to the ground and forcing me to take the saber slashes.


    It wasn''t just the saber. The halberd guy from earlier also sent a deadly blast of qi searing toward me. As did a guy with a sword. And another with a blade. And¡­


    Damn it!


    Unlike Zhu Jiao, I didn''t have much of a defensive technique because I relied exclusively on speed and evasion. As the countless destructive lights of qi streaked toward me, I desperately thought of the next best thing.


    Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula!


    Again, I froze everything around me, conjuring thick glacial walls of ice. Despite my makeshift defense, the numerous lights of qi smashed the ice immediately and struck me, rupturing my body in many different places and drawing lots of blood.


    "UGH!"


    Fortunately, my impromptu barriers had reduced the impacts of the strikes drastically, or I would definitely have died from that, my body ripped apart from the destructive attacks. Even then, I was seriously injured, unable to fight back. Blood dripped not just from innumerable wounds on my body but also from my mouth.


    Unable to endure any further, I collapsed.


    On the other hand, the attacks had also struck the three section spear that Li Xue Wu had used to bind me, and I felt the restraints loosen for a moment. Wincing, I crawled out of the three section spear and used my footwork techniques to quickly throw myself into a safe distance.


    "You¡­!"


    Realizing that I still wasn''t dead yet, Li Xue Wu was enraged.


    "Dragon Head Turn! Die!"


    The three section spear twisted around my body while I was hurtling in midair. Infusing his weapon with a large amount of qi, Li Xue Wu threw it at me. At the same time, his fellow discples raced after me, slashing and striking with their myriad of weapons.


    Why the fuck were they so determined to kill me? Just let me go already. I just didn''t understand the complete bullshit logic of xianxia villains. Then again, as Li Xue Wu pointed out, they didn''t need to justify their reasoning. If they wanted to kill, they killed. It wasn''t for some bullshit reason like I would become a massive threat in future so they needed to end me now (if anything, that should be more of a reason to befriend me, not kill me), or because I "offended" them, or any of those bullshit illogical reasons that xianxia stories concocted for their protagonists to be targeted by the entire sect. In any case, I wasn''t being targeted by the Tian Sha Sect per say, but just a group that happened to be from their sect. And they were cold-blooded murderers intent on robbing me (they didn''t know I had no spirit artifacts or treasures on me, and even if I told them that, they wouldn''t believe me anyway ¨C they would only believe what they could find or not find after searching my dead body). It was just that simple, really.


    "ARGH!"


    Normally, if this was a clich¨¦ xianxia story, I would suddenly experience a breakthrough like Li Fu Chen and get some 15th level of some True Inferno technique, or you know, the usual bullshit Deus ex Machina things in xianxia story where I get saved by a godlike master, or suddenly attaining some form of enlightenment in combat. Or something¡­


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t a typical xianxia protagonist, and such convenient developments will never happen in reality, so I ended up getting slashed and cut in many different places. Fortunately, I had an icy aura and impromptu frost armor shrouding my body, which reduced the impacts tremendously and allowed me to escape certain death.


    Even so, I found myself sprawled on the ground, blood flowing from my body. I raised my head weakly and watched as the Tian Sha Sect disciples approached to finish me off.


    The guy with the saber raised it and beheaded me.


    "?!"


    My figure shimmered for a moment and then blinked out.


    "How¡­?!"


    "No! He''s there!"


    One of the Tian Sha Sect disciples pointed, yelling angrily. Damn, I had been spotted. Here I was, thinking that a desperate use of Ying would buy me some time, but they saw through the illusion.


    Fortunately, thanks to my footwork tehcniques, I was able to stay ahead of my pursuers. Unfortunately, thanks to my injuries, my speed and agility had been drastically slowed and I knew I couldn''t maintain that pace. My chest burned, my wounds screamed as if they were on fire and my mind was blanking out.


    I wouldn''t be surprised if I collapsed at any time.


    At least I managed to force an opening ¨C sort of, anyway ¨C and escape through their ranks. As I thought, I ended up severely injured, but that was a price I was willing to pay to survive. As long as I could survive, any injuries I sustained right now, I could heal later.


    "After him! Don''t let him escape!"


    "Trying to make a fool of us, eh?"


    "Hah! Once we set our eyes on a target, we won''t let you go!"


    I smiled grimly when I heard their enraged shouts and threats. They still weren''t going to give up, eh? To be fair, if I were in the same position, I probably wouldn''t either. I recalled the times when I was gaming in my previous lifetime. I would mercilessly shoot an escaping enemy in the back even though his team had been slaughtered, just so I could raise my own score¡­or I would toy around with an enemy in a real-time strategy game, holding back so that I could spam hi-tech units like Battlecruisers while containing him inside his base and slowly starving him of resources even though I could finish him off sooner¡­


    Maybe this was karma.


    However, I had no intention of letting them kill me so easily.


    If I''m going to die¡­I might as well take all of you down with me!


    A flare of defiance surged inside me, and I forced my burning body to move just a few more steps. As I did, I suddenly felt the bone-chilling sensation of icy yin qi from the other direction. At the same time, the fork where Zhu Jiao and I came across when we first entered this particular corridor showed up.


    Right¡­what did Qi Lin say again? Something about there being an icy death trap? Right, the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation¡­


    A smile spread across my face when I thought of the possibilities ¨C especially one where I could turn this around and survive while eliminating my enemies.

 137 Chapter 136: Icy Tomb

    "Don''t let him escape!"


    "Bloody bastard, trying to make a fool out of us?!"


    I could hear the yelling of the Heavenly Fiend Sect disciples chasing after me, and judging from their voices, they were slowly but surely catching up.


    Perfect.


    Dashing along the corridor, I could both feel the temperature plummet and sense the rapid thickening density of frozen yin qi that curled monstrously across the atmosphere like alien tendrils, greedily stretching out to ensnare anyone foolish or reckless enough to run into its cold, deadly embrace.


    I was one such reckless fella, but either way would end in my death, so I decided to at least bring my enemies to hell with me.


    Furthermore, because I practiced ice techniques, I might stand a slight chance of surviving the icy hell that was the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation for at least a few minutes. Even more so than the dudes who were chasing me.


    There!


    I caught sight of the cavern where ghostly white fog drifted out in plumes, resembling smoke. Gritting my teeth as my body began to scream warnings and shiver violently from the exteme cold, I plunged myself deep into the cavern while gathering as much qi within my system as possible to protect my body from the dangerous temperatures.


    "He went in there!"


    "After him!"


    "Hah! How stupid! He ran himself into a corner!"


    "We can corner him now!"


    The idiots didn''t realize that they were walking into a trap. I had to fight to suppress my laughter as I slid across the slippery floor. The ground was glazed over by ice, which made it difficult to run over, but obviously that posed no threat to skilled martial artists.


    Fortunately, I had no intention of running over the ice. I had gone into a sitting position to conserve as much energy as possible and focused on generating my own icy qi to counteract that of the trap, preventing myself from turning into ice.


    The disciples from the Tian Sha Sect plunged in after me gleefully, thinking that they had me cornered.


    The joke was on them.


    "What¡­?!"


    "Argh!"


    "NOOO!!!"


    In an instant, fourteen of the fifteen elite martial artists who were left over from the Tian Sha Sect after Zhu Jiao''s slaughter of their cannon fodder and lower ranks (to be fair, I did contribute to the body count, having slain a few of the lower-ranked disciples myself), immediately froze. Their bodies were encased in ice, the demonic sect disciples completely caught off guard and taken by surprise by the viciousness of the demonic icy qi that saturated the hellish cavern I sought refuge in.


    And thus, they continued to chase after me, never suspecting that I was essentially risking my own death by razor-thin margins, and was just as prepared to sacrifice my own life to ensure our mutual destruction.


    "You¡­!"


    Even though he had followed them in, Li Xue Wu was the last one to enter, and thus the least affected. The moment he beginning to freeze over, he quickly shattered the ice that was slowly spreading over his body with a violent surge of qi and instinctively leaped out of the cavern. Even though he was still shivering from the cold that was wafting out of the cavern''s entrance, he stood his ground and glared at me from outside.


    "You fucker! You¡­you killed my sect seniors and juniors!"


    I gave him a baleful stare, wondering what was it with logic and xianxia villains.


    "You guys tried to kill me, you know? Don''t tell me you thought people would just let you kill them without fighting back? If you want to take a life, you have to be prepared to be killed too. That''s the basics of fighting. If you don''t have the courage to take the risk of being killed, then you have no right to kill others."


    "¡­fucker! Come out here!"


    I laughed. "And let you kill me? I''m not an idiot like you or your fellow sect members." I gestured to the fourteen frozen statues for emphasis.


    "Fuck you!" Li Xue Wu roared, seething. He balled his fists in rage, but knew he couldn''t come in or he would end up like the rest. However, he did still have a move up his sleeve. Rearing his spear back, he threw it at me, the projectile turning into a blood-red dragon as it sought to tear me apart.


    Boom!


    I managed to roll away, shattered ice raining down on me as I evaded the blood-red dragon. The dragon reverted back into a spear as it was mystically drawn back to Li Xue Wu''s hand even though all he did was stand outside.


    "How are you able to withstand the cold?" he demanded when he saw me get up and brush the frost off my clothing. I shrugged.


    "Take a guess."


    Li Xue Wu gritted his teeth, but he recalled me using ice techniques earlier to defend against their attacks. Cursing under his breath, he threw his spear again, hoping to wear me down as I dove to the side, hidden under all the blast of snow.


    To be fair, Li Xue Wu''s strategy was sound. He could safely stand at the entrance and bombard me from a safe distance without ever needing to set foot inside the icy death trap. On the other hand, the cold was slowly seeping my strength away, I was severely injured, and both my stamina and qi were running out. Furthermore, I could only withstand the cold for minutes at most. Already I could see the ice spreading across my limbs and slowing my movements further.


    If I didn''t get out of the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation soon, I would eventually freeze to death in a minute or two. If I did get out, as injured as I was, I would be easy prey for the murderous Li Xue Wu.


    Was there anything I could do to reverse my situation and turn the tables on my opponent?


    As a third strike sent another white spray of frost high into the ceiling, shielding me from my enemy, a gleam caught my eye. Glancing around briefly, I spotted a bottle of elixir, its contents glowing gently against the white snow.


    That''s right! This place was supposed to be filled with elixirs and spirit artifacts to lure greedy intruders inside and right into the death trap!


    That was what the little marten¡­I mean Qi Lin told his disciple, Zhu Jiao. In other words, within the trap were actually treasures and elixirs!


    "Ha ha ha! You won''t last much longer at this rate!"


    Outside, Li Xue Wu burst out laughing as he continued hurling his spear at me, and seeing my clumsy attempts at evasion and lack of retaliation, he realized my predicament. Armed with the knowledge that he could wear me down quicker and accelerate my death, his assault grew fiercer and more vicious.


    "Die!"


    Boom!


    I had to duck under the spear as it blew up another space inside the icy cavern, and was hit by a sludge of half-melted ice. Choking and gurgling, I tried to swim through the piling snow, which had been created from the heat and blast from Li Xue Wu''s attacks.


    Fortunately, it was Li Xue Wu''s assault that ironically shielded me from his view. Thanks to that, he had no idea what I intended to do.


    Where is it? Where is the elixir I need?


    Dumbly rummaging around the collection of elixirs, I desperately searched for a healing one that was on par with the Green Dragon Spring water that I had drunk all those years ago.


    "¡­there!"


    And just like that, I finally stumbled across a bottle that was labeled Green Dragon Crystal Potion. Given that the Green Dragon Spring water was imbued its healing effects by the Green Dragon Crystal, that bottle was exactly what I was looking for.


    "Come on¡­"


    I tried to grab the bottle, but I dropped it, partly because Li Xue Wu delivered another attack, and also partly because my fingers had gone numb from frostbite. I could see the skin greying, the damage spreading through my hands as the extreme cold worked to kill me.


    "Fuck!"


    I swore under my breath as I fumbled for the bottle, which had fallen onto the ice and was rolling away. Diving after it and at the same time avoiding having my head taken off by Li Xue Wu''s three section spear, I clamped both my palms on opposite sides of the bottle and firmly grabbed it. hugging it close to my chest, I gritted my teeth and tried to unscrew the cap with my numb fingers ¨C which was a lot more difficult than you imagine, unless you had experienced Minnesota or Siberia, in which case you probably know what I was talking about. After pouring the last vestiges of qi into my fingers and forcing the bottle open, I gulped down its contents as quickly as someone who had just been sentenced to chugging stupid cocktails as a punishment game.


    Immediately I felt a lot better as the elixir went into effect, healing my wounds and mending the cuts that had frozen over. Hell, even my frostbitten fingers began to heal and I felt energized as a fresh wave of qi surged within my body.


    "Thank heavens¡­" I breathed as I closed my eyes momentarily in relief, allowing the elixir several seconds to do its work. Then realizing that its good work would be undone if I continued to remain in the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation, I immediately sprang out of the cavern, twisting my body in midair to avoid Li Xue Wu''s hurtling spear, and landing in front of the shocked Tian Sha Sect head disciple.


    "What¡­?"


    Before he could fully form a word with his mouth that was hanging open, I kicked him with a Lunar Rabbit kick that hurled him across the corridor and sent him crashing against the wall with a thunderous crack. The stone wall actually buckled from the tremendous impact and Li Xue Wu slid down with a groan, blood dribbling from his mouth.


    "!!"


    I spun around as Li Xue Wu''s spear streaked back out of the icy cavern and almost impaled me. Grimacing and forcing himself back to his feet, Li Xue Wu snatched his three section spear back and then pointed it at me.


    "Fucker, you''ll pay for that!"


    "Actually," I corrected. "You still owe me a great debt for what you and your sect disciples did to me earlier. And to my friend as well. I plan on collecting that debt." A cold smile spread ominously across my face. "With interest."


    "!!!"


    Li Xue Wu suppressed an involuntary shiver as he stepped back, tightening his grip on his spear. He eyed my sword warily, which I had just drawn again, now that I had chosen to fight instead of run, and scoffed.


    "How?"


    "For starters," I replied I materialized in front of a shocked Li Xue Wu, having used Jin to advance forward. "Like this."


    I slashed him with my sword, and he barely managed to block my strike with his spear. Credit to him, he almost took me by surprise by suddenly separating his spear into three sections and changing the trajectory of his attack, scraping my cheek. But while he was so focused on attacking and locking down my sword, I dropped to a crouch and kicked him in the belly, knocking him over.


    "Kuh!"


    Li Xue Wu threw a hand out to push himself back onto his feet by doing a backflip, but he managed to retreat to a safe distance.


    Now that it was a one-on-one fight, the odds were finally even. I proceeded forward cautiously, refusing to let my guard down, but also refusing to let this bastard go after all he did to me. As I did with Qi Fu Ren, I was going to eliminate him to prevent further troubles down the road. If he was more reasonable, we could have just settled this, but knowing his type, he would just seek revenge.


    And I wasn''t good-natured enough to let him leave so that he would attack me again in future. Furthermore, by his own admission, his demonic sect had been robbing and murdering other people all this time, so I was going to ensure that there would be no future victims. Of course, I didn''t think this was justice, nor did I claimed to be any sort of hero, but I didn''t want to let this bastard go and later learn that a close friend of mine, such as Tong Xue or Tang Qi Hong or even someone from my family was murdered by this guy or his followers.


    Such problems were best tackled at the root.


    "Argh! Demonic Dragon Strike!"


    With a yell, Li Xue Wu slashed at me with his spear again, but I deflected it with my sword. Sparks flew as his weapon collided against my blade, screeching like fingernails on a blackboard (and making my ears hurt). I then twisted my sword and answered with a riposte that gouged a huge chunk of flesh from his shoulder.


    "Ugh!"


    In less than half an hour, I had completely turned the tables on Li Xue Wu. Not only did I lure his elite sect mates into a trap that sealed their icy doom, I was now dominating him in battle, especially after recovering upon drinking a Green Dragon Crystal potion. Buoyed by my advantage, I pressed on and struck at him, but he managed to bend his spear around to parry my sword. Twisting around, he kicked at me, but I managed to parry his foot with my leg.


    Using Liu, I was able to blend in with his movements and knocked him off balance. Cursing as he fell, Li Xue Wu lashed out with his snaking spear, which turned into a blood-red dragon that snarled as it tried to bite me. I tossed my sword up and impaled the dragon, and at the same time dropped to a crouch and swept my feet to knock Li Xue Wu''s legs out from under him and then kicked him in the chest with a Shadow Kick.


    "AAAAAAARGH!"


    Li Xue Wu was sent hurtling across the corridor, smashing through the wall and momentarily disappearing under the falling rubble.


    "Hu¡­"


    I wiped the blood off my mouth and took a deep breath, steadily regaining my composure. It appeared that the Green Dragon Crystal potion was taking effects, the mystical elixir coursing through my veins and strengthening my body.


    Otherwise I would never have been able to gain such a large advantage over a prodigy like Li Xue Wu.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Li Xue Wu was slowly rising to his feet, blood streaming down his formerly handsome face. He glared at me, pure hatred in his inky black eyes. I had to admit, the guy was tenacious, and even though I had been somewhat rejuvenated by the Green Dragon Crystal potion, he had left several fresh injuries on me.


    "AAAAH!"


    Roaring in fury, Li Xue Wu lunged at me again. I blocked his first strike, but he twisted around and slashed me with another segment of his three section spear. Unable to parry this time, I felt blood splash across my face and a red blinding pain surged through my senses. My glasses were dislodged and fell to the ground in two pieces, stained with blood.


    "Hey!" I yelled. "You do not break my glasses!"


    "Oh, shut up!"


    Wiith a snarl, Li Xue Wu thrust his spear forward again. Staggering backward, still half-blinded by the blood that dripped from a diagonal slash across the bridge of my nose, I parried his strike, but was knocked off my feet by another section.


    "Kuh!"


    Pain exploded in my skull as I stumbled backward, stars filling my already blood-red vision. I tried to block his next attack, but he jabbed me in the stomach with the blunt end of his spear, causing me to double over.


    Gritting my teeth, I unleashed my Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, freezing everything in the vicinity, but Li Xue Wu effortlessly shattered the ice and countered with a riposte that almost took off my ear. From the blood that trickled down my face, it seemed that I hadn''t completely dodged it, but at least my ear was still in one piece.


    I checked with my hand to make sure.


    "You''re no match for me!" Li Xue Wu sneered. "I''m the prodigy of the Heavenly Fiend Sect! There''s no way you can¡­"


    The guy talked too much. I didn''t even bother to wait for him to finish, instead slashing at him. Li Xue Wu blocked with one section of his spear and used the other two sections to counterattack, but I quickly unleashed a huge blast of qi.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike!


    "?!"


    Boom!


    Li Xue Wu was thrown against the wall, blood spurting from his mouth. He bounced off the wall and staggered to his feet, but before he could fully recover, I was already using a second Heavenly Draconic Meteor Sword technique to knock him off his feet and send him sprawling on the ground. Gritting his teeth, Li Xue Wu forced himself back to his feet and threw his spear at me, but I dodged it before unleashing a meteoric blast from my sword.


    The destructive qi engulfed him, and Li Xue Wu screamed as he vanished in the blinding conflagration.


    "Huff¡­"


    Breathing heavily, I seized the chance to correct my breathing and wiped the blood away from my face. Using an ice technique, I froze the wound to stem the bleeding. Fortunately, some effects of the Green Dragon Crystal potion remained, and the wound healed, but more slowly than before. There wouldn''t be much time before the healing effects ran out.


    I had to finish this fight before that happened.


    Jumping forward just as Li Xue Wu staggered out of the azure conflagration, his body fuming, I executed another Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike that knocked away his spear and almost bisected him. In fact, his spear, which was in all likelihood a Spirit Treasure Weapon, was probably the only reason why he survived, otherwise my sword strike would have smashed it apart and obliterated the guy.


    Even so, as I said before, Li Xue Wu was pretty tenacious. And a prodigy. At the moment I attacked, he retaliated with a counterattack, piercing my side with his spear while he fell, and the both of us crashed several meters away from each other, scarred by the exchange.


    "Huff¡­"


    Fortunately, the injury wasn''t deep and I was up again, holding my sword up. I noticed that it was pretty battered from the furious exchanges with the three section spear. Obviously, against a Spirit Treasure Weapon, a normal weapon that was of low quality would be slowly eroded away, and since the gap between our strengths wasn''t that large, Li Xue Wu would hold a slight advantage with his better Spirit Armament.


    Even so, he had taken a lot of damage from my strike, and his body was still smoldering and bleeding in many places. His crash had even created a crater in the ground where he landed. Extremely furious, Li Xue Wu reared to his full height despite his injuries and bellowed at me.


    "You forced me to use this!"


    "Use what?"


    Stupid question. I regretted ever asking that. I should probably have used the time to lunge forward and attack, but admittedly I wouldn''t have made it in time to stop Li Xue Wu from using his ultimate technique.


    "Man and Sword as One!"


    Holding his spear up, Li Xue Wu shouted. I blinked as a fog of qi blasted around him, buffeting me with violent shockwaves. All around us, the stone walls cracked, and the stalactites hanging from above crashed down, shaken loose from the tremendous force. To my horror, Li Xue Wu''s qi surged exponentially, almost saturating the entire place with demonic qi. I wished I could simply absorb the qi from the surroundings, but Heaven and Earth Absorption did not work that conveniently. I would be tempted to absorb Li Xue Wu''s qi, but again, he obviously wasn''t going to sit down and let me suck the qi from him.


    Just like what I said earlier, nobody was stupid enough to give up and die just because you told them to.


    "Man and Sword as One¡­"


    I swallowed as I watched the enormous amount of swirling qi flood across the relatively narrow space. Now that I sensed the actual qi emanating from Li Xue Wu, I couldn''t help but feel that it was disgusting somehow¡­tainted, or unclean.


    Okay, hell no. I sure as hell ain''t gonna suck that sort of qi. I didn''t know why I felt so repulsed by his qi, but it probably had something to do with the way the Tian Sha Sect cultivated. It felt so¡­wrong somehow.


    "¡­"


    As expected of the prodigy of the Tian Sha Sect (though from what I later learned, Yan Qing Wu was more of a prodigy than Li Xue Wu, being a Six Star Constitution and all that ¨C which led to Li Xue Wu claiming her as his future wife, much to her annoyance), to have already reached the peak of all martial arts at such a young age.


    "I can''t believe I''m forced to use Man and Sword as One in a place like this¡­"


    Stepping out of the violent maelstrom of dense qi, Li Xue Wu was cursing. I almost gaped when I saw that his three section spear had changed.


    No¡­it probably wasn''t correct to call it a three section spear any longer.


    Unlike the former blood red spear, the Spirit Treasure Weapon had transformed into three colossal weapons, linked to each other by massive metallic chains. Each of the weapons were bell-shaped blades, with the one in the middle being curved and wide. A single dragon was engraved onto the center of that broad blade, with the tip of its tail glowing red, but otherwise the rest of the body was a dull silver.


    In his right and left hands, Li Xue Wu held huge blades, the one in his left faintly resembling the tip of an enormous spear and the other looking like a gigantic hatchet.


    "Dragon Gate Heavenly Blood Spear."


    I threw both my hands up into the air, irritated, when Li Xue Wu proudly proclaimed the name of his newly transformed treasure weapon.


    "Why don''t you just call that technique Bankai?!"


    Li Xue Wu''s nostrils flared. "Don''t you dare compare my Man and Sword as One technique to something from a trash manga."


    "Hey!" I protested angrily. "Bleach is not trash!"


    "Hmph!" Li Xue Wu snorted. "Tite Kubo rushed the ending. It was so unsatisfactory, especially that last part of the Quincy arc!"


    "¡­yeah, that we can agree on. I wish Tite Kubo Sensei could have given it a proper ending and wasn''t forced to end the manga prematurely." I couldn''t believe that someone from this timeline actually read Bleach. Seemed like Japanese manga also existed in this alternate history. "By the way, I think it''s called the Thousand Year War arc."


    "Even so, that was pretty bad, even by Tite Kubo''s standards¡­" Li Xue Wu caught himself and suddenly glowered at me. "Stop trying to distract me! Are you trying to buy time or something!? It''s not going to work!"


    Actually, I wasn''t. The remark came out of my mouth before I knew it, and I never expected Li Xue Wu to have read Bleach as well.


    The qi flickered around Li Xue Wu, coalescing into the form of an insubstantial blood-red dragon that rose into the air like an inferno. I felt perspiration drip down my face as I shuddered from the potent display of power.


    "Didn''t you know?" Li Xue Wu sneered when he saw my stunned expression. "Man and Sword as One allows you to spiritually fuse with your weapon, which then unlocks the true power¡­the true potential of your weapon! In other words, this is Dragon Gate Heavenly Blood Spear is the true form of my Heavenly Blood Spear!"


    Suddenly, I recalled the full-body armor that Zhu Jiao managed to attain in the middle of my duel with him during the tournament final last year. He had metamorphized his gauntlets after using his Golden Kirin Sacred Beast techniques, which mysteriously changed the shape of his spirit armament.


    In other words, Zhu Jiao had also achieved Man and Sword as One without even realizing it (and it was in the middle of a pivotal battle too, as expected of a typical xianxia protagonist)! That guy was getting more and more Mary Sue-ish¡­


    "That''s pretty amazing," I conceded with a wry smile. Li Xue Wu snorted.


    "Quit flattering me. I haven''t released enough qi to impress you yet."


    His legs bent slightly and the ground underneath his feet began to crumble as he exerted pressure on them, getting ready to propel himself toward me in a single jump.


    "You can decide whether it''s amazing or not¡­"


    Whoom!


    He leaped from the smoldering crater that he had crashed into earlier to swing his newly awakened Spirit Treasure Weapon at me.


    "¡­after I kill you!"


    With a scream, he swung his Dragon Gate Heavenly Blood Spear at me. I parried his first strike with my sword, only to be completely blown away by his sheer strength.


    "Kuh!"


    Tumbling helpessly in midair, unable to halt my momentum, I managed to right myself and skidded to a stop while panting heavily.


    "!!"


    Blinking, I saw that my sword had cracked, the blade being almost completely shattered from receiving that single strike earlier.


    "Hah!"


    With a gleeful cry of triumph, Li Xue Wu descended upon me from above, swinging his hatchet-like weapon. I reacted on reflex, swinging my sword up to parry it and countered with a Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike, but he instantly obliterated my sword despite two gigantic clouds of qi colliding violently.


    Shards of metal rained down on my face, but I was able to use my footwork technique to evade before he smashed a crater into the ground where I was standing on milliseconds ago with his Dragon Gate Heavenly Blood Spear.


    "Huff¡­!"


    Stumbling to the side, I spun around to face the chuckling Li Xue Wu, analyzing his newly evolved weapon.


    Power! I realized as I stared at the three spears. His Man and Sword as One technique is a large mass of sheer power! It doesn''t augment his defensive capabilities, doesn''t enhance his speed or doesn''t boost his arcane techniques¡­it is just overwhelming destructive power!


    Fortunately, even without my glasses, I could see something that sparked a small ray of hope within me.


    However, because he focuses completely on power, this renders his Spirit Weapon vulnerable to my attacks!


    Thanks to the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike I unleashed to counter his attack earlier, I had managed to take off a huge chunk of the hatchet and left a lage, visible crack. In other words, Li Xue Wu was not invincible!


    I could win this!


    "Heh heh heh!"


    Li Xue Wu chuckled as he watched my reaction. Aware that I was disarmed and at an overwhelming disadvantage, I instinctively took a step back. Even though I was aware that Li Xue Wu could be beaten, I no longer possessed the means to do so. Without a sword, I wouldn''t be able to defend against his brute strength and raw destructive power.


    I guess I''ll have to rely on speed then¡­eh?


    I blinked when I suddenly noticed something. Li Xue Wu was laughing boisterously as he spun the middle blade excitedly. His qi seemed to be rising even more than before. Earlier, I was almost caught off guard by his terrifying destructive power and raw strength, but now he seemed to be growing stronger than before.


    Additionally, I didn''t know if it was my imagination, but the dragon carved into the middle blade seemed to be glowing red¡­initially being a dull silver, the glaring red light had crept up to halfway the dragon''s serpentine body, which seemed to grow along with Li Xue Wu''s qi pressure.


    "Seems you''ve noticed, huh?"


    "?!"


    Confused, I stared at Li Xue Wu, who continued to guffaw with a big grin on his handsome face. He stared at me with amused, inky black eyes.


    "My Heavenly Blood Spear is a pretty lazy fellow. Even though I forcibly awoke him with Man and Sword as One, he''s still half-asleep. The only way I can get him to full power is by slashing my opponent or allowing my enemy to hack me. That will speed up his awakening process."


    "I thought you hated Bleach," I muttered, trying not to bury my face in my palm. "Why are you ripping off Madarame Ikkaku''s Bankai?"


    Li Xue Wu deliberately ignored me.


    "And when the dragon becomes completely red, that''s when Dragon Gate Heavenly Blood Spear is at its most powerful, and that''s when its destructive strength will be at its peak!"


    As if on cue, the red light reached the tip of the dragon''s snout and the draconic emblem flared up like a supernova. Li Xue Wu''s qi also reached its peak, to the extent that the entire cave seemed to shudder. The stone walls, ground and ceiling around him began to crumble, the rocks breaking apart from his sheer presence.


    "Let''s go!"


    My eyebrow twitched. "Do you really think I''m that stupid to confront you head-on without a weapon?"


    On the other hand, Li Xue Wu was intelligent enough to exploit the situation. He wasn''t going to let me go, and thus he lunged forward, carving a trail of destruction and ruin as he sought to obliterate me.


    Obviously I couldn''t take such a powerful attack head-on, or I would end up like that pitiful Arrancar who died at Ikkaku''s hands.


    But how¡­?


    Taking a deep breath, I poured all my qi into my feet and tried to rely on both my footwork techniques and Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. With the corridor being as narrow as it was, there was no way I could escape, and I knew Li Xue Wu would just use his overwhelming power to catapult himself forward like a projectile and catch up with me if I turned to flee.


    No, I was going to have to stand my ground here.


    "DIE!"


    Li Xue Wu thrust his Dragon Gate Heavenly Blood Spear forward, piercing me in the chest and blowing up the entire place with his sheer amounts of qi. He narrowed his eyes when he saw my figure shimmer and vanish.


    "Hah! I saw this trick earlier¡­it won''t work on me twice!"


    Recognizing my Ying, Li Xue Wu spun around, smashing the walls with his enormous Dragon Gate Heavenly Blood Spear as he did so, and struck at where he thought I was.


    Fortunately, I had already anticipated that a prodigy like him would have seen through what he deemed were paltry tricks.


    Flipping my body in midair, I smashed my foot into his Dragon Gate Heavenly Blood Spear and unleashed a devastating Seismic Step that almost shattered the huge blade.


    "Bastard!"


    With a roar, Li Xue Wu swung his crumbling spear blade forward, and I was forced to retreat with Tui. Otherwise I would have lost my foot there.


    Hopping back, I barely managed to regain my balance when Li Xue Wu slashed at me again with his other hatchet.


    "I don''t know what kind of tricks you used, but the moment you failed to destroy my Spirit Weapon with that foot attack of yours, you''ve lost!"


    "We''ll see about that," I replied, using Duo to evade his strike. Li Xue Wu continued to rampage around the corridor, undeterred, hoping to get me with one or two attacks.


    He almost got me, and I was forced to retreat. Relying on his genius intuition, Li Xue Wu managed to pinpoint my location and spun around to strike at me. I dodged it by a hair''s breadth and vanished before his eyes as I kicked the ground desperately.


    "Hah! As if I wouldn''t know where you went!"


    Li Xue Wu swung his hatchet around at his back, only for it to pass through empty space.


    But that was a feint. The gigantic middle blade in his other hand lashed out in the opposite direction, right at where my figure materialized.


    "?"


    "Did you think I wouldn''t expect you to appear there with your footwork techniques?" Li Xue Wu grinned. "I told you, the same trick won''t work on me twice!"


    Swoosh!


    "?!"


    Li Xue Wu''s mouth gaped when he sliced through yet another shadow. My illusory figure grinned at him before vanishing.


    "I know. That''s why I didn''t use the same trick twice."


    While Li Xue Wu flailed around, I mocked him from the shadows, unseen.


    "You¡­!"


    Swearing and cursing loudly, Li Xue Wu whirled around again, trying to seek me. His blades sliced through the ceiling, causing a rain of stalactites, which shattered when they collided against his dense aura of qi.


    He almost made it.


    Almost.


    But being the prodigy that he was, Li Xue Wu was able to deliver a devastating attack by swinging his spear right where he thought I would be. He was correct, but he missed by several centimeters.


    For I wasn''t standing up straight, nor was I aiming for a fatal blow. Li Xue Wu had anticipated a sneak attack to his neck or head, for me to rupture a carotid artery or jugular vein, or at least for me to smash his head in with a Seismic Step like I did to his spear-like weapon.


    However, I didn''t intend to do that.


    Dropping low and almost hugging the ground, I propelled myself upward and launched a Lunar Rabbbit kick that struck Li Xue Wu in his midriff, right under his guard and before he could bring down his weapon to sever my leg. At the same time, I unleashed whatever pure qi I had, igniting the volatile energy with explosive force.


    Boom!


    "ARGH!"


    Li Xue Wu was sent hurtling backward from the force, unable to halt his momentum. He crashed into the icy chamber, rolling on the ground for a few moments before he finally stopped himself by stabbing his hatchet into the ice and arresting his slide.


    "You think this will be enough to kill me?!" he roared as he rose to his feet, glaring at me. I smiled and shook my head.


    "No, but that will."


    "Huh?!"


    Too late, Li Xue Wu realized that he was in the same chamber where I had almost frozen to death earlier, where the rest of his sect mates had frozen to death, their bodies still lingering in the glacial cavern as icy statues.


    "No¡­!"


    Li Xue Wu howled as he tried to leap out, but even though he possessed Man and Sword as One, he didn''t possess the same resistance to ice techniques as I did.


    "Get me out of here!" he hollered. He was trying to clamber out of the chamber, but I firmly stood in his way and snorted.


    "Why should I?"


    "Do you know who I am?!" Li Xue Wu bellowed, getting desperate. "I''m the son of the Patriarch of Tian Sha Sect! The son of the Tian Sha Sect Leader, Li Tian Zun!"


    Oh, I heard of Li Tian Zun, all right. Also known as Tian Sha Tian Zun, he was the current sect leader and patriarch of the Heavenly Fiend Sect. he was notorious for being extremely cruel, merciless and brutal, massacring entire villages and being powerful enough to destroy entire regiments of Imperial Guard. He was currently one of the most powerful demonic martial artists in the Great Zhou Empire, ranking among the three Supreme Evils.


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    However, I couldn''t care less even if Li Xue Wu''s father was the Zhou Emperor himself. So I merely shrugged.


    "So?"


    "W¡­what do you mean so¡­?" Li Xue Wu stammered in disbelief, as if not understanding why I wasn''t afraid. "If you kill me, my father and Tian Sha Sect will bring their entire power down to crush you! You''ll regret ever killing me!"


    "And that matters now?"


    "A¡­ah?!"


    Li Xue Wu stared at me, his expression frozen as ice slowly coated over his once-handsome face, which had now turned blue from the cold.


    I smiled thinly.


    "You''re an idiot, aren''t you? Think about it. If I kill you now, who''s going to know? Who''s going to tell your sect that I killed you? In fact, that''s all the more reason to ensure that you die here. Dead men tell no tales."


    Li Xue Wu wept, but his tears instantly froze into crystals because of the cold.


    "Y¡­you will regret¡­t¡­this!" he swore, his teeth chattering.


    "No, I won''t. And besides¡­" My expression grew dark. "I don''t care who you are. The moment you tried to kill me, you should be prepared to be killed. I don''t care if your father is the emperor himself. I want you dead, therefore you''ll die."


    Of course, it wasn''t as simple as that. The only reason why I could kill Li Xue Wu without hesitation was because there would be no witnesses. Without evidence, no one could charge me with murder. Fortunately, there were no closed circuit cameras and security footage within the tomb to capture my actions.


    Therefore I would be safe from any legal complications.


    "Now you know how it feels to be on the receiving end of your arrogance, ruthlessness and muderous behavior, right?"


    I couldn''t help but savor Li Xue Wu''s despair. He glared at me defiantly, screaming obscenities that I could no longer hear because his vocal chords had frozen over and ice was coating his tongue fear and desperation shrouding his frost-encrusted ice.


    And then it was finally over.


    It didn''t even take another five seconds before he completely froze over, both his body and gigantic spear transmuting into ice as the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation closed its deadly grip around him.

 138 Chapter 137: The Millennial Milkstone Pool

    That Man and Sword as One, particularly. If I didn''t devise a scheme to kick Li Xue Wu into the chamer with the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation, I would have been killed by him. Unlike Zhu Jiao or other xianxia protagonists, there was no way I could make a breakthrough in the middle of a fight or defeat Li Xue Wu in direct combat.


    Such convenient things would never happen in reality.


    Fortunately, the head disciple of the Heavenly Fiend Sect never imagined that I would make use of the icy death trap to kill him. He assumed I would be trying to destroy his Spirit Weapon with Seismic Step or other similar techniques and countered accordingly.


    "That was close¡­"


    I shuddered when I recalled the close shave when Li Xue Wu sliced the air where he assumed my neck had been. A few centimeters lower and he would have taken my head and a huge chunk of my chest off. If not with the physical weapon, then the sharp qi force emanating from it.


    I couldn''t afford to let my guard down. From here on out, my enemies were only going to be tougher. I didn''t know or care what realm or stages they were in, but I did know one thing.


    Anyone had the chance to beat anybody. It didn''t matter what realm or stage they were in, or how much qi they had. Even though Li Xue Wu was superior to me in strength, techniques and qi, I defeated him because I outsmarted him and made use of my surroundings. Those battle-crazy martial artists who focused on cultivating their own skills and honing their techniques to perfection to "become stronger than anyone else" often neglected tactics and intelligence. Of course the writers of those xianxia stories didn''t have much of an imagination, and all their antagonists did stupid things such as getting the whole sect to gang up on the protagonist, or attempt to assassinate or kill him for no reason other than because he "offended" them or beat up their son or whatever, but this just allowed the protagonist to fight his way through them with brute force alone.


    No one actually thought to use tactics, intelligence or schemes, or the simple-minded protagonists (and the authors were mostly simple-minded or unimaginative as well) benefited greatly from the antagonists'' stupidity.


    "Phew¡­"


    I peeked inside to ensure that Li Xue Wu and the other fourteen elite Tian Sha Sect disciples were dead for certain, studying their frozen forms. Picking up my broken glasses and keeping them in my bag, I then took a deep breath, mustered my qi into a protective aura, and stepped inside the icy chamber.


    That would be the ultimate irony.


    "Hmm¡­that device looks like it''ll be useful."


    I grabbed a small Spirit Artifact that was yin qi based, my senses picking up on the huge amount of yin qi it produced. On the surface it resembled a hi-tech globe, but it wasn''t a smooth sphere. There were contraptions here and there, and what seemed like lights, dials and buttons, but I had no idea what they did. For now, I just took it and stuffed it into my bag, intending to use it as part of the spirit materials for my eventual Spirit Armament.


    I also looked around for an appropriate elixir for Qing Tan. Given how we were assaulted right outside the vault with the elixirs, I doubted Zhu Jiao would be able to find the yin-based elixir he needed for his sister. I discovered an Ultimate Yin Dragon Saliva elixir and pocketed that too. Most likely that would be useful for Qing Tan and helped her curb her chill attacks completely.


    Or so I hoped, but I wasn''t a doctor. I did read the label briefly and saw that it was perfect for a patient with the Terminus Demonic Body, which was exactly the circumstances Qing Tan was suffering from.


    So I stuffed that in my bag as well and moved on.


    "Br¡­"


    Unfortunately, time was up. I was already beginning to feel numb, and ice was growing over my limbs. My extremities, in particular, were beginning to be encased in thin blocks of ice. I had to hurry or I would end up like Li Xue Wu and the rest.


    As much as I wanted to profit from this encounter, I couldn''t afford to linger for too long. I wasn''t an idiot whose greed overcame common sense. Furthermore, it seemed that the time period that the Nine Thousand Yin Icy Hell Formation required to freeze me was beginning to shorten. Was I growing weaker, or was the Formation growing stronger, adapting to my presence and overwhelming my defenses?


    "Fuck¡­"


    I had no choice but to get out right now. There went any plan of me to go in, grab stuff, go out and wait to recover, and then go in again. The Nine Thousand Yin Icy Hell Formation wasn''t kind enough to allow me to exploit a loophole and make multiple trips to empty it of its contents.


    That was fine. I wasn''t a greedy fellow who wanted to hoard every single treasure inside the frozen chamber. I had what I needed, and that was more than enough.


    While I hurried outside, I suddenly noticed something on my way out. A gleaming Spirit Artifact gleamed brightly amidst all the snow.


    "That''s¡­"


    It was a sword. I wasn''t able to observe it much because of the cold and the urgency to get out of there before I froze to death. So I grabbed it without thinking, more drawn to it because of its icy qi and because I felt some sort of affinity with it, and hurried out of the chamber.


    The moment I was outside and warm again, I glanced at the beautifully sculpted sword that seemed as if it was almost crafted from ice. It was a deep azure color, with an elegantly designed guard and hilt. The characers etched onto the smooth, shiny blade seemed to pulse with power.


    "Azure Lotus Sword," I breathed. Instantly recognizing this as a Spirit Treasure Weapon that was on par with the eight Spirit Treasure Weapons that I saw in the main hall, where everyone was fighting over, I couldn''t believe my luck. Of course, it was not as good as the high-quality sword-type Spirit Treasure Weapon that Bai Ning Xue obtained, nor did it have the same potential as the incomplete gauntlet-type Spirit Treasure Weapon (Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets) that Zhu Jiao got his hands on, but it meant that I wouldn''t be leaving the ancient tomb empty-handed after all.


    "Thank you so much¡­"


    Exhaling a breath of relief and delight, I then kept my newly acquired sword inside my bag. Closing my eyes and crouching down to wait for my frozen body to warm up a little before I continued on my journey, I rested.


    Crack!


    "?!"


    I jolted upright at the deafening noise. Turning my head toward the direction of the ominous sound, I saw that it was coming from inside the cave.


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    The blizzard within seemed to have intensified, if possible, and the ice statues that were the fifteen Tian Sha Sect disciples were cracking and shattering. I watched in shock as Li Xue Wu''s frozen head snapped off his shoulders and crashed into the ground, rolling for a few moments before breaking into countless icy crystals.


    The rest of his body, as well as the other fourteen elite disciples of the Heavenly Fiend Sect, shared the same fate, crumbling to the vicious elements of the hellish formation.


    I was glad I got out of there when I did, and didn''t try my luck with multiple trips. If I got caught by that, then even my resistance to ice and Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula wouldn''t be able to save me.


    Suppressing a shudder, I hastily hurried out of there, following the corridor in hopes of tracing the way Zhu Jiao went.


    *


    At that moment, Zhu Jiao was looking for a way past the debris.


    "Look, kid, you won''t be able to get past all that rubble. We''ve to seek an alternative path." Qi Lin shook his head. "And let''s be honest¡­by the time you get there, you''ll be too late. Either your friend survives and escapes, or he will already be dead. The only thing you can do is avenge him. For now, you should look for more treasures."


    "But¡­!"


    "Who knows? You might be able to stumble across an elixir that will help him with his wounds. Or you''ll be able to find something to help with your cultivation. Right now you don''t have the strength to fight against those elite disciples, do you?"


    "No," Zhu Jiao admitted. "Their low-ranking disciples are one thing, but those fifteen elite disciples are on a completely different level. It would be one thing if I fight three¡­maybe even five of them. But against fifteen? And while protecting Fei Wu? Impossible."


    Bloody hell, so the protagonist already took it for granted that I would be a burden and someone to be protected rather than a comrade he can fight side by side with on equal terms. Typical. Were all xianxia protagonists always this arrogant?


    "Your goal is to raise your cultivation as quickly as possible, so that you can fight on par with an entire sect if necessary," Qi Lin told Zhu Jiao, who bought into that bullshit with a nod.


    Wait, what the fuck? Why did he need to fight on par with an entire sect? Was Qi Lin molding him to be the stereotypical xianxia protagonist who was always offending entire sects for one reason or another, who were so petty they would send out their entire might to exterminate him without hesitation? And Qi Lin, probably aware of Zhu Jiao being that sort of xianxia protagonist, was already prepping him for a bloody future where he would eradicate entire sects who throw every single member at him to try and kill him?


    Seriously? Did he really have to go down that route of blood-fuelled carnage? Of exterminating entire sects? Wasn''t that, like, so overdone and completely unrealistic?


    Unfortunately, Zhu Jiao saw nothing wrong with that absurd logic and he nodded obediently.


    "Where do you suggest we go now?"


    "Hmm¡­" The ghostly Qi Lin thought for a moment, floating in the air as he glanced around. Then he pointed at a specific pathway. "Try that corridor. It seems to lead toward something that''s absolutely brimming with dense qi. I can literally taste the rich power¡­"


    Zhu Jiao glanced at his master, then spared the rubble with one last hesitant look. The noises of battle had faded and he couldn''t really sense the presence of anybody on the other side. With the lack of qi explosions and waves that came from executing martial arts techniques, it appeared that Qi Lin was right. I had successfully escaped or the battle had already ended¡­


    Either way, there was nothing he could do. So he nodded and took a deep breath, proceeding down the corridor¡­


    *


    In the direction that Zhu Jiao was heading toward, a black-clothed maiden had already arrived. Even though this was her first time exploring the ancient tomb, she seemed to be navigating her way through its labyrinthine corridors without any difficulty.


    She had managed to avoid the traps laid out in the corridor, using her qigong to bypass landmines or pitfalls, and wove her way toward the depths of the ancient tomb. Ignoring the majority of the paths, she focused on a single destination in mind, taking only a few turns and completely avoiding detours.


    Within a few minutes, she arrived in a vast karst cave. Stretching over three meters in height and over ten meters across, it resembled some sort of cozy house. At the top, a gigantic stalactite hung from the ceiling, dwarfing any other structure residing within it.


    Underneath the stalactite was a relatively huge pool, probably the size of a swimming pool in a high school gymnasium. Stretching out in a few meters in radius, it resembled a small lake, its liquid milky.


    Drip¡­drip¡­


    The reason for its strange color was because of the white fluid that trickled down the length of the stalactite and dripped into the pool.


    The black-clothed maiden removed her clothing, becoming as naked as the day she was born and revealing snow-white skin and long, slender legs. Wide hips, narrow waist¡­she had a gorgeous figure that most men would kill to steal a glimpse of.


    Storing her clothing in her bag, she then concealed it somewhere before diving into the pool. With a huge splash, she disappeared beneath the surface of the milky pool, completely submerging herself in its murky depths.


    Unfortunately for her, she didn''t realize that the cavern in the ancient tomb was connected.


    *


    "This way! Ah, there it is!"


    "Hmm?"


    Zhu Jiao blinked as he strolled into the karst cave, directed into it by the floating ghost of his master.


    "What is this place?"


    "Hey, kid! You''re in luck! Look!"


    Qi Lin pointed at the gigantic stalactite hanging from the ceiling. Zhu Jiao stared at it blankly for a few seconds, and then turned to his master for an explanation.


    The old ghost sighed. "That''s a milkstone."


    "Milkstone?" Zhu Jiao frowned. "I thought only female mammals produce milk."


    "Not that kind of milk, you fool!" Qi Lin roared as he gestured wildly toward the stalactite. Zhu Jiao raised his head to look at it.


    At first glance, it was admittedly remarkable. A few meters in length, it hung suspended from the roof of the karst cave like a final nail that was waiting to be driven into someone''s coffin. Its base, which was connected to the ceiling, started out wide, but it began to thin as it drew closer toward the tip. And at that very tip, droplets of white fluid were trickling downward, falling lazily into the pool beneath it.


    "Milkstones are the precious treasures of Nature! Don''t you know?" Qi Lin placed his hands on his hips. "A century-old milkstone will have the effects of a medium-quality spirit pill that allows you to strengthen your body and qi. A millennium-old milkstone will be equivalent to a high-quality spirit pill, no even more than that! It nourishes your qi channels and strengthen them considerably, allowing you to both accelerate your cultivation of qi and strengthen your physical body significantly! It''s one of the best naturally-existing elixirs in the world!"


    "Wow¡­"


    Even though he didn''t quite understand most of it, Zhu Jiao comprehended just how amazing this milkstone was. Furthermore, he had hit quite a bottleneck in his training and was agonizing over the resources he needed to make a breakthrough. Personally, I would advise him not to rely on these weird spirit pills and potions because it sounded dubious to me ¨C and we all knew how harmful doping and relying on steroids were.


    Unfortunately, at that time, I wasn''t around to advise him.


    In any case, Zhu Jiao and Qi Lin didn''t expect to find a milkstone hidden in the depths of this ancient tomb. Perhaps it was transplanted here by the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner. Or perhaps it came into existence long after the tomb was manufactured. Either way, this was practically a fortuitous encounter for the xianxia protagonist.


    Yeah, the bastard always got all the lucky breaks at the times when he needed them. How super-convenient.


    "Judging from the size of the stalactite, that milkstone must have been here for over a thousand years! You''re in luck, my boy!"


    "Heh¡­"


    Zhu Jiao couldn''t help but bend down and test what his master told him. Using his index finger, he scooped up a drop of milkstone fluid and placed it in his mouth, closing his eyes and savoring it for a few seconds.


    Then he opened his eyes, widening them in awe. He could feel the milkstone liquid blending into his mouth and began spreading across his body instantly, nourishing his flesh and bones. He was almost taken aback by the sheer potency of the white fluid.


    "The medicinal effect of this milkstone fluid is far beyond that of even a high quality spirit pill!"


    "Well, a normal, artificial spirit pill will certainly have longer medicinal effects," Qi Lin admitted. "But I assure you, this milkstone fluid''s potency is vastly superior. Go on, try bathing in it and cultivating. You''ll see what I mean."


    Zhu Jiao accepted his master''s encouragement and showed no hesitation in shedding all of his clothes from his well-toned and muscular body. Qi Lin turned away, not having any interest in watching a naked male body, but Zhu Jiao paid him no attention and immediately dove into the milkstone pool with a splash.


    "Hoo¡­this feels great!"


    Leaning back, Zhu Jiao let out a satisfied sigh, almost like an old man enjoying a bath in an onsen. He felt as if he was soaking in refreshing qi currents, which entered his body in all shapes and methods, gradually altering his body bit by bit. Zhu Jiao savored the magnificent sensation, feeling much better than he ever had in his life.


    "Oi! Don''t just enjoy your bath! Have you forgotten what you''ve come to do?!" Qi Lin chided him impatiently. Zhu Jiao''s eyes flew open.


    "Oh, right!"


    At his master''s reminder, he began to quickly execute his Golden Kirin Sacred Body Formula, circulating his blood and qi to strengthen himself. While this cultivation technique necessitated the expenditure of vast amounts of blood and qi, which would drain the cultivator dry if he didn''t have the appropriate support in the form of spirit medicine and other cultivation resources. Thanks to that crippling weakness, Zhu Jiao''s progress on the Golden Kirin Sacred Body Formula had somewhat stalled once he had achieved the Man and Sword as One last year.


    Fortunately, with the milkstone fluid providing him nourishment, he could abuse it and cultivated it as much as he wanted. As time passed, his muscles thickened, grew denser and became stronger and tougher.


    But the structure that benefited the most was his skeleton.


    Obviously I wasn''t familiar with the details of the martial arts techniques that Zhu Jiao used and I had no intention of dropping an info dump right on the readers, but apparently one of Zhu Jiao''s problems was that his techniques didn''t help him strengthen his skeleton enough, but Qi Lin viewed the skeleton as the foundation for one''s physical strength and thus emphasized this point to his disciple, especially the dangers of the skeleton fracturing if it was unable to withstand his techniques when he overexerted during training or a fight.


    Qi Lin watched, satisfied, as the white substance in the milkstone pool began to gather around Zhu Jiao, strengthening his lifeforce. Evidently, at this rate, Zhu Jiao might achieve a breakthrough and reach a new level in his cultivation.


    Unfortunately, the master and disciple pair were completely unaware of the maiden seated ten meters away, right under Zhu Jiao.


    I wasn''t going to waste words describing her beauty ¨C you guys have read tons of xianxia novels (I hope), so you know the drill by now. Suffice to say, her beauty was not inferior to that of Bai Ning Xue''s, who was the number one beauty in Wu Ling Academy.


    Despite her pristine beauty and exquisite features, the maiden was emanating an ominous black light from her naked body, which melded with traces of white light. Basically yin and yang and all that bullshit. Again, I ain''t wasting words explaining all these mumbo jumbo. Suffice to say, the lights gave her a half-angelic and half-demonic quality, if there was anyone to see her. Well, I guess the readers beyond the fourth wall counted, so fanservice for you guys.


    As Qi Lin told Zhu Jiao, a millennial milkstone had the effects of a high quality spirit pill¡­no, it was beyond even that and was probably a divine spirit pill, as well as being equivalent to having the effects of several high-quality spirit pills.


    Even Yan Qing Wu, who was the number one prodigy of the Tian Sha Sect, couldn''t afford so many spirit pills.


    At this time, Yan Qing Wu was completely unaware of her seniors'' deaths. She had chosen to operate separately. It wasn''t that she didn''t trust her fellow Heavenly Fiend Sect disciples, but she didn''t want to share her finds either. While Li Xue Wu believed in the strength of numbers and his charisma allowed him to attract followers as he promised to share the spoils of war (mostly gained from robbing other intrepid explorers of the ancient tomb ¨C particularly those from the orthodox sects), Yan Qing Wu was an ice empress who believed in the total domination of others through pure strength. She didn''t believe in relying on others, and lived by the principle that whatever she wanted, she would acquire using her own strength instead of numbers.


    Right now, Yan Qing Wu was executing the Tian Sha Immortal Body, which was the strongest cultivation technique of the Tian Sha Sect, one that the sect leader and patriarch, Li Tian Zun (also known as Tian Sha Tian Zun) personally passed down to her. Li Tian Zun was currently at the eighth level, and he was known for being nearly indestructible.


    Yan Qing Wu was far from reaching such a stage, but thanks to using the effects of the millennial milkstone, she was able to attain the second level of the Tian Sha Immortal Body. She hadn''t competed it yet, but once she had mastered that level, she would be impervious to many weapons.


    Assuming the opponent was from her generation, of course.


    Unfortunately, she didn''t get the chance to strive for completion of the second level. She suddenly noticed a disturbance in the qi currents and her eyes opened, unleashing two bright rays of light into the depths of the pool.


    Despite the obsidian pupils that resembled sparkling gemstones, there was a malicious glint akin to a demon flashing within those dark depths. Her eyes narrowed, almost becoming sharp blades that stabbed anyone bold enough to look into her eyes.


    Realizing that the disturbance of the qi currents in the pool was caused by another presence above her, Yan Qing Wu''s eyes flashed murderously.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    Seriously, girl? Did the idea of sharing not occur to you? Even if you want to monopolize the damned milkstone pool, do you really have to kill the other party? Okay, I get that she was from the demonic sect, but even so¡­killing for the sake of it was just¡­


    Not that it matter, for I wasn''t around to voice my complaints anyway. Even if I was, I doubted Yan Qing Wu would pay me any heed.


    Pulling out a curved blade, she swam upward like a shark, a stealthy predator that ruled the dark depths of the sea.


    "Ah¡­nice¡­"


    In contrast to the psychotic Yan Qing Wu, Zhu Jiao was enjoying himself immensely in the pool while he cultivated.


    Eh, don''t ask me how much he progressed, and if he had some abnormally high perception and willpower. I don''t give a fuck. Just know that he got stronger in that short period of time that he spent soaking in the milkstone pool, okay? The milkstone pool had intense effects that helped him accelerate his cultivation or something to that effect. Don''t ask me for the details, you know I''m the type who didn''t buy into all these bullshit.


    Fortunately, before Qi Lin could launch into any sort of info dump explaining the intricacies of the Golden Kirin Sect''s martial arts, both he and Zhu Jiao sensed the murderous intent coming from below the pool.


    His eyes flying open, Zhu Jiao retreated in reflex.


    Splash!


    The pool erupted in a geyser of water as a curved blade burst through its swirling surface, resembling a black crescent moon.


    "Eh?"


    Yan Qing Wu was stunned by her failure to kill Zhu Jiao in one strike. She had executed her Cloud Space Movement to approach her target and launched the Black Lunar Saber Style, which should theoretically kill him instantly.


    But she failed. Evidently she did not account for Zhu Jiao''s plot armor and the protection he was entitled to as the protagonist.


    Can''t blame her, though. This was clearly the first time that Yan Qing Wu had failed. In the past, she had slain even the more fearsome of foes in her generation with a single blade. She hadn''t needed her second blade unless it was one of the most formidable geniuses (which Zhu Jiao happened to be).


    The thought of failure never occurring to her, Yan Qing Wu didn''t have even a single strand of thead to cover herself with. She had emerged in full frontal glory, displaying her completely naked body for Zhu Jiao to see.


    Zhu Jiao was completely taken aback, but he couldn''t help but drop his jaw at the magnificent sight before him. His mind blanked out as he registered how incredibly beautiful Yan Qing Wu was. Whether it was her face, her body, her hair¡­everything about her was almost perfect beauty.


    And being the healthy, growing young heterosexual man that he was, Zhu Jiao was unable to control his physiological responses. Confronted with the image of a gorgeous girl his age, his lower body reacted appropriately.


    "Die!"


    Realizing that she had been seen naked, Yan Qing Wu''s killing intent grew exponentially. She swung her black crescent saber once more, trying to cleave the offending Zhu Jiao in half. The blade streaked forward like lightning, sharp and ruthless.


    "Whoa!"


    Zhu Jiao cried out and stumbled backward to avoid her killing blow.


    "Impressive!"


    In contrast to the panicking Zhu Jiao, Qi Lin was rubbing his chin and musing thoughtfully to himself as he studied the fanservice scene before him. No doubt he was burning the images into his brain right now so that he could later recall and jack off¡­or do whatever it was that ghosts did for pleasure (I didn''t know if they still had¡­that thing down there, after all ¨C since they were missing their legs).


    "Don''t give me that!" Zhu Jiao yelled at him, feeling numb from shock. Qi Lin ignored him and continued his assessment.


    "This maiden is probably seventeen years old at most, but look at how abnormally high her cultivation is! Not bad! Given how she''s at the first level of the Pure Spirit Stage at such a young age, and without artificial qi too¡­I''m guessing that she''s the legendary Six Star Constitution practitioner! Wow, this is quite the fateful encounter!"


    "Uh, what?!" Zhu Jiao cried out as he dodged another saber strike from the furious young maiden. His heart skipped a beat.


    Five Star Constitution practitioners were already prodigies among prodigies. So what was a Six Star Constitution practitioner? They were practically mythical existences, geniuses who only appeared in legends.


    Except that there was one real, living one right before Zhu Jiao''s eyes right now.


    Yan Qing Wu continued her relentless assault, stepping forward to slash at Zhu Jiao again. This time, her blade was so fast that Zhu Jiao wasn''t able to avoid her, even with his godlike reflexes. He desperately flailed about, his right hand striking the water and pushing himself backward, he shifted his body slightly to evade the blade, which was hurtling toward him at the speed of lightning.


    While still dodging, he then threw out his right hand and attempted to seize his opponent''s weapon, especially since he had left his gauntlets on the other side of the pool and wouldn''t be able to reach them in time.


    Yan Qing Wu totally did not anticipate that. Having underestimated the speed of her opponent''s reflexes, she immediately grabbed hold of her wrist to try and pry her saber out of Zhu Jiao''s grip. However, Zhu Jiao stood firm and refused to relinquish his hold. Caught off guard by his superior physical strength, Yan Qing Wu slipped and crashed straight into Zhu Jiao, the two of them drawing closer and tangling together.


    For a moment, both of their naked bodies were in complete physical contact with each other on an extremely intimate level, Yan Qing Wu''s well developed breasts pressing against Zhu Jiao''s chest, their abdomens colliding, and their legs entwining around each other. Worse, as their hips bumped, so did their nether regions, and Zhu Jiao''s thick, hard member entered Yan Qing Wu''s moist, warm region, which had been dampened by spending so much time submerged within the pool.


    The both of them froze.


    Zhu Jiao could feel Yan Qing Wu''s soft, gentle folds wrapping around him, sucking at his member as if she didn''t want to let go of him. Yan Qing Wu could feel Zhu Jiao''s hard thing inside her, throbbing and causing her insides to heat up even more. Penetration had happened, even unexpectedly, in the most insane of manner.


    "Oh boy¡­"


    Qi Lin was trying not to look, but his eyes were wide and staring at the entwined figures of the young man and woman from behind his fingers (which were leaving huge gaps in between so that he could get a better view).


    As this was his first time, Zhu Jiao couldn''t help but moan and shudder. Yan Qing Wu tried to shift away, but because their bodies were tangled together, they moved in an unexpected manner that caused Zhu Jiao to surge deeper into her after what seemed like a brief withdrawal.


    "Ugh¡­ah¡­"


    Both of them moaned at the same time, and being inexperienced and confused, Zhu Jiao was caught off guard, surrendering to the unexpected buildup of pleasure.


    "?!"


    Yan Qing Wu''s eyes widened when she felt something erupting inside her. White, sticky fluid that was so totally not the milkstone liquid filled up her womb. Zhu Jiao shuddered, still locked inside her thanks to their calamitous struggle to disentangle that ended up backfiring.


    "Uh¡­sorry."


    There was a long, awkward silence as Zhu Jiao stared at her, his heart filling with dread. Yan Qing Wu remained impassive for a few more moments, and then her eyes glowed.


    "I''m going to kill you."


    It was only natural. Not only did Zhu Jiao take her virginity, he even came inside of her. There was no way Yan Qing Wu could handle this sort of humiliation and shame.


    A horrifying qi burst out of Yan Qing Wu''s body, exploding within the pool and sending huge tidal waves into the air. Even though their limbs were initially locked together, the force was sufficient to finally separate them and send poor Zhu Jiao flying into the air.


    "Ugh!"


    Zhu Jiao threw up a huge mouthful of blood as he landed backward, but he somehow managed to right himself and land on the shore.


    However, his current injuries were the least of his worries right now. Zhu Jiao quickly scrambled to the edge where he had his gauntlets and grabbed hold of them, bracing for the ferocious conflict that was sure to follow.


    "If you dare leave, I''ll kill you."


    Yan Qing Wu did not follow him out of the milkstone pool, but instead dove back into its milky depths.


    What the fuck, lady? Even if he stayed, you were going to kill him anyway. That was like the most pointless threat ever.


    By the way, while all this was going on and Zhu Jiao was enjoying his lucky sukebe moment, I was busily fighting for my life against Yan Qing Wu''s seniors and fellow disciples from the Tian Sha Sect by myself. So you can see why I resented him so much. That bastard had all the luck while I suffered nothing but misfortune after misfortune!


    At least I got the treasures I needed, and even got my hands on a Azure Lotus Sword, but Zhu Jiao topped that off by surrendering his virginity to the most beautiful girl in the Tian Sha Sect and even taking her virginity too! And he came inside her, no less! While she was trying to kill him right now, no doubt she would mellow later and become part of his harem. It was all inevitable!


    Fucking lucky bastard!


    Anyway, Zhu Jiao realized that his future wife and harem member had just dove back into the pool to retrieve her clothes and get dressed. So he did the same.


    "We should hurry and leave," Qi Lin warned him. "That girl is too strong. Even though she''s young and has yet to perfect her saber skils, you still would only have a fifty percent of winning even if you go all out against her."


    "That''s exactly what I intend to do!"

 139 Chapter 138: Dine and Dash

    Even Qi Lin, his master, had advised him to do so. Zhu Jiao wasn''t idiotic to the point where he would linger around longer than necessary and wait for Yan Qing Wu to kill him. The moment he finished getting dressed and grabbed his spatial pouch and other loot that he found in the ancient tomb, he sprinted toward the direction where he came from.


    "Thinking of leaving?"


    Unfortunately for Zhu Jiao, Yan Qing Wu had gotten dressed faster than he had expected. Just as Zhu Jiao stepped into the tunnel where he came from, Yan Qing Wu emerged from the pool in an explosive jump and pursued him.


    Despite running as quickly as possible, Zhu Jiao was still unable to shake her off. Glancing around, he decided that the narrow corridor might be more to his advantage, especially since his opponent seemed to be faster than him. By choosing a narrow space, he would be able to limit the directions from where Yan Qing Wu attacked.


    "You cannot escape."


    Yan Qing Wu declared coldly, unaware that Zhu Jiao already realized this. Thanks to her footwork and qigong, she was steadily closing in on Zhu Jiao with her superior speed. Zhu Jiao understood that he might have the advantage in terms of raw power (but not qi, apparently ¨C I had no idea why they decided whether someone was stronger based on cultivation level and realms instead of, you know, physical strength).


    "If you want to fight, then I''ll entertain you!"


    Spinning around suddenly, Zhu Jiao punched with his newly acquired treasure gauntlets, his fist exploding with golden qi.


    "!!"


    Yan Qing Wu flipped her body in midair, her divine reflexes allowing her to avoid a fatal hit. She spun around, crunching her legs against the ceiling and shaking loose a shower of stones, and then lunged at Zhu Jiao.


    "Black Moon Shine!"


    Yan Qing Wu slashed with the black, curved saber in her hands. Her body seemed to momentarily disappear into a blur reminiscent of black lightning and she suddenly materialized in front of Zhu Jiao. Between them, a black arc of qi rippled forward in a destructive manner, a dark crescent moon that carved toward Zhu Jiao.


    "Hah!"


    Using Golden Kirin Divine Fist, Zhu Jiao punched with all his might, fiery golden yang qi flaring up around his body. The sudden surge of speed and light took Yan Qing Wu by surprise, causing her to feel a chill run down her spine.


    Even so, she refused to retreat and struck with all her strength.


    A cloud of qi detonated as their treasure weapons clashed and the two of them sprang apart in a shower of sparks.


    "What impressive power!"


    Yan Qing Wu frowned as she skidded backward. This was the first time she had faced off against a formidable opponent who was from her own generation. Previously, she had dominated anyone who fought against her, as long as they were around the same age and from the same generation. Only the much older masters were able to overpower her with their years of experience and cultivation. Similarly, while she was powerful, she still hadn''t forged a solid foundation of combat experience and cultivation to build upon yet.


    She originally planned to return to her sect and master the Tian Sha Sect''s saber techniques to build a solid foundation for her saber arts, which would allow her to truly comprehend the essence of her Black Moon Saber skills.


    The moment she mastered the essence of her Black Moon Saber skills, then her abilities would be amplified by at least two times. No one in her generation should theoretically be able to beat her.


    Theoretically. Just like Li Xue Wu earlier, the disciples of the Tian Sha Sect were like frogs in the well. Sure, their masters and elders went around massacring poor villages and exterminating small, minor orthodox sects, but the disciples had yet to actually test their skills in a true battlefield. They only picked on the weak and the vulnerable, avoiding battles against the strong and powerful. Thanks to that bully mentality, the disciples of the Heavenly Fiends Sect lacked proper combat experience and were at a disadvantage when coming up against a proper foe.


    Even so, Yan Qing Wu was incredibly talented ¨C a Six Star Constitution cultivator, at that. Once she mastered her saber skills and earned the relevant combat experience, she would truly become a monster who could slay even the most seasoned veterans in the martial arts world with a single swing of her saber.


    "Hu¡­"


    Zhu Jiao exhaled as he shook his hand, watching his enemy warily. He recognized her limitless potential and her overbearing strength. If he wasn''t armed with a spirit armament, then he would be no match for her.


    Fortunately, with his Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets, he was now several times stronger than previously, when he was unarmed.


    Thanks to Qi Lin, he had mastered his Golden Kirin Sacred Beast techniques to their utmost limits, and he was able to deflect even the fastest saber strikes without receiving any damage. If he hadn''t received training from his master, Zhu Jiao reflected that he would have been dead at least twice during the past exchange.


    He was glad he had endured Qi Lin''s harsh training without giving up.


    "Those techniques¡­aren''t they the Golden Kirin Sect''s Sacred Beast techniques? Wasn''t the sect supposed to be extinct for centuries? No¡­are you perhaps the direct disciple of the Golden Kirin Sect?"


    Yan Qing Wu was still trying to wrap her mind around her opponent''s unexpected strength. Zhu Jiao shrugged casually and replied with a question of his own.


    "Are you an inner sect disciple of the Tian Sha Sect?"


    As I said before, the Tian Sha Sect, also translated as the Heavenly Fiend Sect, was a demonic sect which boasted a lot of members and was currently one of the top three demonic sects lurking in the territory of the Great Zhou Empire. They were slightly stronger than at least half of the eight major orthodox sects, and they viewed themselves as the most powerful, even more so than the other two top demonic sects.


    That was why the disciples of that sect were so domineering and tyrannical, bullying the weak and plundering whatever they wanted.


    Zhu Jiao realized that he had gotten himself into a troublesome predicament. Having inadvertently seen Yan Qing Wu''s naked body, he understood that he had just caused her to hold a grudge against him.


    "Gouge out both of your eyes right now and I will consider sparing your life," Yan Qing Wu demanded coldly.


    Zhu Jiao snorted. "Are you kidding me? I wasn''t the one who asked you to take off your clothes. In fact, I didn''t even know you were there. If you didn''t come out to attack me, I wouldn''t have seen you in the first place. Don''t you think the whole ordeal was caused by your own actions? Besides, why do I need you to spare my life?"


    "Damn you¡­do you really think I will not be able to kill you? Die!"


    Yan Qing Wu was filled with rage. She surged forward, swinging her black curved saber aggressively, seeking to cleave Zhu Jiao in half. Her strikes came from all directions at high speed with unerring precision, the Tian Sha Sect inner disciple pouring every bit of her strength into her attacks. The blade was so fast it turned into a black streak that was too fast for normal human eyes to follow, slicing toward Zhu Jiao from everywhere.


    Fortunately, Zhu Jiao was not a normal human.


    Clang!


    He evenly met and turned away every strike from her blade, parrying her saber with his shining gauntlets. Sparks flew out and rained on both of them, but neither of them paused as they continued to clash ferociously with each other.


    It wasn''t just Yan Qing Wu. Even Zhu Jiao was moving at an incredible speed, his arms and gauntlets disappearing into golden blurs as he lashed out to counterattack while simultaneously defending against Yan Qing Wu''s attacks. Their maneuvers, attacks and blocks were so fast that even an average martial artist from Wu Ling Academy would find it difficult to trace and follow their movements or the trajectories of their armaments.


    Yan Qing Wu slashed again with all her strength, but Zhu Jiao met her squarely, his formidable defense refusing to give way. He knocked her back and countered with a punch, but she deftly twisted her body in midair to dodge, balanced her foot across the ground gracefully before answering with a riposte that terminated against Zhu Jiao''s other gauntlet.


    Neither was giving an inch or yielding their ground. They continued trading hundreds, if not thousands of blows without stopping, time dragging on for much longer than either of them anticipated. Both of them found themselves sucked into a stalemate. They were on par with each other, neither side able to gain the advantage over the other.


    Yan Qing Wu was faster, more agile and had denser qi.


    Zhu Jiao was physically stronger, sturdier and more experienced.


    It was like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, or a spear attempting to pierce an unbreakable shield¡­well, the shield clearly was harder than the spear, but it lacked the means to attack the lighter and more mobile spear.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Yan Qing Wu was growing more frustrated. She couldn''t allow this shame to pass, and she continued to throw her all into the duel.


    "Die!"


    Don''t antagonists ever get tired of yelling that stupid word? It was getting meaningless, especially since nobody actually died whenever the enemy shouted that. I was pretty sure there was a curse attached to it¡­


    Anyway, Yan Qing Wu suddenly held her saber in both hands and unleashed a powerful strike that almost took Zhu Jiao by surprise.


    Whoosh!


    Chaotic black lightning filled the space between them, ripping through the air with a thunderous shriek.


    Yan Qing Wu had finally resorted to releasing her black saber qi. Well, actually, she had already unleashed it several times before, but she had mostly relied on her saber techniques to fight Zhu Jiao. She did realize that those physical saber techniques alone wouldn''t be sufficient to overcome Zhu Jiao, and she was resorting to more esoteric means.


    "That''s really fast!"


    Zhu Jiao was almost taken aback by the speed of her attack, but his golden aura flared up and he was able to create a dense field of yang qi that dispersed the black lightning into harmless specks of shadowy qi.


    "My turn!"


    Zhu Jiao threw his fist out and unleashed his own golden qi as a response to Yan Qing Wu''s attack, firing out a Golden Kirin Holy Blast.


    "Damn it¡­!"


    Finally, Zhu Jiao''s decision to bring the fight to such a confined space bore fruit. Yan Qing Wu was almost unable to avoid the Golden Kirin Holy Blast completely, even as she jumped high up and flattened herself against the ceiling. Gritting her teeth, she slashed with her black curved saber and dissipated some of the destructive qi.


    "What power¡­!"


    Even though Yan Qing Wu hated Zhu Jiao to the core, she had no choice but to acknowledge that he was much more superior to most of the male disciples that she had encountered. Probably because he was the bloody protagonist¡­and a fucking Mary Sue at that.


    As the Golden Kirin Holy Blast dissipated, she dropped back to the ground and held out her saber cautiously.


    "I can''t be careless," she murmured to herself, displeased. "Just one hit from him and I''ll be extremely injured."


    Not to mention, they were still inside the ancient tomb. She couldn''t afford to be severely wounded, or it would affect her exploration of the interior later. While Yan Qing Wu had indeed found several spirit artifacts and elixirs, which made the journey a fruitful one, she wasn''t satisfied. For an elite disciple like her, she had a much greater ambition and desire than other martial artists.


    "¡­"


    Zhu Jiao was perspiring. Despite his immense power, he had yet to land a clean hit on Yan Qing Wu. There were grazes and shallow injuries from close shaves, yes, but he needed just a single decisive blow to defeat her¡­or at least drive her away.


    His techniques consumed too much qi, and he couldn''t afford to recklessly expend his strength like this. Just like Yan Qing Wu, he wanted to conserve some energy to continue exploring the ancient tomb. He still needed to find the Ultimate Yin Dragon Saliva or a similarly yin-based elixir for his sister, Qing Tan.


    Of course, he had no idea that I had already found that for him. On the other hand, that freed him up for more miraculous encounters where he would conveniently happen across treasures, artifacts and elixirs that would benefit him specifically. Typical of a xianxia protagonist.


    For now, his priority was to survive this battle and hopefully to defeat Yan Qing Wu. Upon which, she would naturally fall for him because of his superior strength and become part of his harem. Harem member number four, if I counted correctly (since he already had Bai Ning Xue, Qing Xin Xia and Qing Tan).


    Standing his ground, he slowly but surely made his inexorable advance, punching away whatever saber qi that Yan Qing Wu hurled at him. Even though the ability to unleash qi as a ranged attack was indeed terrifying, it was meaningless in the face of his formidable defense. His Golden Kirin Sacred Armor was enough to withstand whatever attacks she threw at him.


    The only way for Yan Qing Wu to penetrate that defense (though it should be Zhu Jiao doing the penetrating, if you know what I mean *wink, wink*) was to execute an attack with overwhelming firepower, much like my Seismic Step.


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    "Damn it! If only my Black Moon Saber style has area-of-effect type of attacks!" Yan Qing Wu complained inwardly.


    By area-of-effect attacks, Yan Qing Wu probably meant the ability to unleash many saber qi blasts from a single slash of her saber. Unfortunately for Yan Qing Wu, the Black Moon Saber style focused on overwhelming strength instead, condensing all of her qi into a single, ferocious attack. However, if she stopped to gather qi for that sort of powerful attack, Zhu Jiao would exploit that slight opening and attack her.


    Therefore she couldn''t stand still.


    The two of them clashed again and sprang apart, both of them perspiring profusely and feeling their qi and energy reserves getting depleted after fighting for so long. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Zhu Jiao studied Yan Qing Wu, whose skin was glistening.


    "Huff¡­"


    "Hu¡­"


    They both paused to recover their breath, having engaged in a ferocious exchange just seconds earlier. The intense duel was taxing their endurance and stamina to their limits, and the both of them were aware they couldn''t afford to let it drag on for much longer.


    The only reason why they were able to fight for so long, for what seemed like an hour, was because they were well-trained and disciplined martial artists. Otherwise they would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.


    "It irks me to have to do this, but you leave me no choice."


    Panting, Yan Qing Wu glared at Zhu Jiao, her silky fringe sticking to her forehead and perspiration glistened across her snow-white skin, emphasizing her beauty. Undoubtedly any guy who looked at her right now would have fallen head over heels in love with her.


    Except Zhu Jiao, because he was the protagonist, and his lack of attraction to the most beautiful girl in the middle continent was precisely going to be what drew her to him, and in the most clich¨¦ scenario ever, convince her that she had to make him fall for her at all costs. Or some similar bullshit. Take your pick.


    As I suspected, Zhu Jiao was not the least bit fazed by Yan Qing Wu''s beauty. Or if he was, he didn''t show it (though that lower part was bulging a little). In any case, he was disciplined enough to dismiss his sexual desire for her and braced himself for the next attack with an unyielding stance, gathering his qi about his body defensively.


    Boom!


    Yan Qing Wu''s aura of qi blew up, swirling violently into a vortex at her hand before flowing forcefully into the black curved saber.


    "Ho¡­a secret technique?" Qi Lin remarked, impressed. The ghost had hovered nearby, watching the entire battle without interfering. Without a physical body or tangible form, there was nothing he could do anyway.


    "Huh?" Zhu Jiao responded, giving his master a quick glance.


    "In order to enhance one''s ability instantly, if you aren''t consuming a spirit pill, then you must be using a secret technique. You know¡­just like your Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique that I taught you. Since she obviously didn''t take any spirit pills, then it can''t be anything other than a secret technique. Make sure you activate Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique now."


    Zhu Jiao swallowed, but he did not question his master. Qi Lin explained it anyway, with a wide smile.


    "Or you might die."


    "Black Moon Shine."


    "!!!"


    It was the same move as previously, but this time the power of the technique was magnified by several times. This single strike was so powerful that it produced a blinding black light that engulfed everything within ten meters from the blade. The black, crescent-shaped qi blast arced forward with unimaginable destructive power and lethal effect.


    "Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique! Golden Kirin Sacred Armor, max level!"


    Instantly recognizing the danger, Zhu Jiao quickly activated his strongest defense. Even without Qi Lin telling him, he was instinctively aware that if he didn''t block this blade, he would definitely suffer a serious injury.


    A golden Kirin surged up from his body as he hardened his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor and boosted it with his Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique. Golden flames, made visible by the dense yang qi that surrounded him like a conflagration, scorched the rock around him. The gauntlets shone brightly as Zhu Jiao brought them up to parry the saber.


    Bang!


    Kaboom!


    As the saber met the gauntlets, two craters materialized on the ground on either side of Zhu Jiao, scars left behind by the slash.


    Despite mustering his strongest defense, Zhu Jiao was no Hei Wu Gui, and his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor was not as impenetrable as the latter''s Unbreakable Shell. Even so, this attack was enough to shatter the Black Tortoise Sect''s supposedly impervious Unbreakable Shell technique, never mind Zhu Jiao''s attack.


    Zhu Jiao was sent hurtling several meters backward, his feet digging in firmly and leaving twin trails of charred rock in the ground as he struggled to halt his momentum. Coughing out some blood as he finally came to a stop, he glared up at his opponent.


    "What fearsome power¡­!"


    Yan Qing Wu''s saber blast was just too strong. Even though he succeeded in splitting it in two with his Golden Kirin techniques, it still packed enough power to gouge huge chunks of stone out of the ground.


    If he hadn''t defended against that with everything he had, he shuddered to imagine what would have happened¡­


    "Golden Kirin techniques are indeed formidable!"


    Yan Qing Wu''s eyes widened in shock. Even though she had executed her secret technique, the Divine Solar Gathering Palm, which allowed her to gather extreme amounts of qi into her palm for her to infuse her saber with it, she still wasn''t able to slay her foe.


    Admittedly, this was the first time she had executed the Divine Solar Gathering Palm in actual combat, so she didn''t perform it perfectly. Otherwise, she might possibly be able to strengthen that previous saber blast further.


    "But it''s over. I''ve finally broken through your defenses!"


    Yan Qing Wu leveled her saber at the wounded Zhu Jiao, getting ready to use her boosted Black Moon Shine for the second time.


    "!!!"


    Zhu Jiao gritted his teeth as he pulled together what was left of his qi to put together a hasty defense.


    "I''ve no choice but to fight to the end!"


    Just before the two of them could clash again, there was a scrape at the end of the tunnel, causing both of them to freeze.


    "!!"


    Yan Qing Wu spun around, shifting the aim of her saber. Similarly, Zhu Jiao backed off a few steps, his eyes turning warily in the direction of the tunnel where he came from.


    "Oh, hey!" I called out as I waved toward the both of them. Catching sight of Zhu Jiao, I grinned in relief. "Zhu Jiao! I''ve finally found you!"


    "Uh¡­Wu, now isn''t a good time."


    "Hmm?" as I stepped into the corridor, I caught sight of Yan Qing Wu, who was pointing her saber in my general direction. It didn''t take a genius to understand what was going on, so I stopped dead in my tracks. "Oh, I already know."


    Even though I hadn''t been physically present, I had sensed their conflicting qi from such a distance away. Hell, it was precisely because both of them were unleashing such powerful attacks and emanating such potent qi auras that I was able to track down and locate Zhu Jiao in the first place despite being separated.


    "Huh?" Zhu Jiao stared at me blankly for a moment. I shrugged.


    "That''s why I''m here. To help you out."


    "Your comrade, huh?" Yan Qing Wu''s eyes narrowed murderously. "It makes no difference. I''ll kill both of you."

 140 Chapter 139: The Wrong Guy

    Only the third sentence meant anything to me, because I sure as hell didn''t know what stage I was at, and I didn''t care.


    "I know. That''s why¡­run!"


    I slammed my palm down on the ground and conjured a huge glacial wall between us and the stunned Yan Qing Wu. Spinning around, I gestured frantically toward a shocked Zhu Jiao, whose mouth was hanging open.


    "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!"


    "¡­right!"


    Snapping out of his stupor, Zhu Jiao obeyed, scrambling after me in the direction where I emerged from.


    CRACK!


    "Trying to make a fool of me?! I''m going to kill the both of you!"


    With a single black saber slash, Yan Qing Wu smashed through my ice barrier, screaming furiously.


    "What the fuck did you do to piss her off so much?!" I hollered at Zhu Jiao ¨C at that time, I was still unaware of what he did.


    "I, uh¡­saw her naked?"


    The vein in my temple twitched and I slapped my forehead in annoyance.


    "I shouldn''t have come to your rescue."


    "Hey! It wasn''t on purpose, all right?!"


    "You did more than that!" Yan Qing Wu shrieked, chasing the both of us like a howling banshee. "You¡­you violated me! You took my first time! I''ll fucking kill you!"


    "Hey! That wasn''t on purpose either! And if you want to put it that way, you took my first time too!" Zhu Jiao shouted. Despite the urgency of the situation, I couldn''t help but gape at him.


    "Seriously, dude¡­what the fuck did you do?!"


    "Long story¡­please don''t ask¡­"


    Zhu Jiao looked sick, but I couldn''t help but hazard a guess. Especially since the words Zhu Jiao and Yan Qing Wu left a lot to the imagination.


    "I thought you already have a girlfriend! Won''t Bai Ning Xue kill you too if she finds out about this?"


    "I know¡­" Zhu Jiao moaned, his complexion turning as pale as his ghostly master. "Please don''t tell her, I beg you¡­it really wasn''t deliberate! I swear!"


    I had no intention of ratting out on my friend, but I knew how ripe the situation was for drama that Bai Ning Xue finding out about this would be inevitable.


    Apparently, Qi Lin seemed to realize it too, but he had a different perspective. Grinning as he floated above Zhu Jiao, he offered what he believed were encouraging words.


    "Don''t worry. If your girlfriend really loves you, then she''ll accept the idea of you having a harem."


    "Are you freaking kidding me?!" I yelled at the ghost. Not that he knew it was directed at him, but that didn''t stop me from being pissed off.


    Gender equality, people. I was an advocate of gender equality.


    Unfortunately, I was too busily trying to escape a vengeful prodigy as she sought to slaughter both me and my friend. At that moment, I regretted my decision to help Zhu Jiao out. While I was suffering at the hands of Yan Qing Wu''s senior, Li Xue Wu, and enduring the extreme cold of the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation with great risk to my life, he was having a lucky sukebe moment and losing his virginity while taking a beautiful girl''s virginity.


    It was only natural that a side character (or mob character) like me would be envious of his protagonist-level fortune.


    "Trust me, you don''t want the trouble that comes with it!" Zhu Jiao assured me, as if he had read my mind.


    "Stop right there!" Yan Qing Wu hollered behind us, as if to prove his point. I sensed a surge of qi overflowing from her body and instinctively dove to the left.


    "Get down!" I shouted. I was gratified to see Zhu Jiao take my advice, my good friend throwing himself to the side.


    "Not this time!"


    "Huh?!"


    Evidently Zhu Jiao remembered the previous time when I was the one who saved him from the Tian Sha Sect disciples, at the cost of trapping myself with them. He didn''t even ask how I escaped, but he didn''t want me to suffer the same ordeal as before, especially with a murderous maiden right on our heels.


    So when she unleashed her Black Moon Slash or whatever, he flung himself at me, knocking me right into one of the corridors to ensure I didn''t get trapped again.


    I had to admit that I appreciated his actions, because the black saber qi passed through the space where I had dove to milliseconds ago. If Zhu Jiao hadn''t saved me when he did, I would have been cut into pieces.


    On the other hand, the black saber qi exploded against the ground, its shockwaves hurling both of us in different directions. The good news, however, was that Yan Qing Wu''s attack also smashed the ceiling and walls, obliterating them and sending rocky debris falling over to seal the entrances to the corridor we were running along earlier.


    Crash! Wham!


    Shaking the dust off my face and clothes, I slowly rose to my feet and coughed. Trying not to breathe in the dust that had billowed from the destruction, I looked around for my friend.


    "Zhu Jiao?"


    Panic gripped my heart when I couldn''t locate him. Don''t tell me he was trapped on the other side, stuck with the rampaging Yan Qing Wu? I came all the way here to help him, but I ended up cutting off his escape routes?!


    "I''m fine! How about you?!"


    A faint voice came from the other side of the rubble, but it didn''t sound right. For one thing, it was coming from the wrong direction ¨C not the direction where we were running away from, where Yan Qing Wu occupied.


    "I''m not hurt. What about you? Are you still trapped there with Yan Qing Wu?"


    "Ha ha ha ha!"


    Zhu Jiao burst out laughing. I sighed in relief. If he could afford to laugh, that meant he was all right.


    "That crazy bitch brought down the ceiling and sealed her corridor off from ours! Even though she''s powerful, even she will require some time to dig through or blast through all this debris! We''ll be long gone by now!"


    As if to punctuate his explanation, Yan Qing Wu''s shrieks floated from the other direction, where we were fleeing from earlier.


    "I''ll kill you! Get back here! Get your ass back here! I''ll kill you!"


    Boom!


    A futile display, given how Zhu Jiao chuckled despite the violent tremors that dislodged more clouds of dust and sand from the rubble.


    "Well, we had better get moving before she finds us. Let''s keep moving. All these tunnels and corridors are connected somehow, so we should be able to link up if we keep going."


    "The same applies for Yan Qing Wu," I reminded him. Zhu Jiao gulped, but then he managed to calm down.


    "Given how angry she is, I think I''ll be able to sense her presence and qi from a mile away and move accordingly. And I don''t think you have to worry¡­you''re not her primary target, after all."


    I wondered if I should tell him that I had just effectively killed Li Xue Wu and the elite disciples of the Tian Sha Sect, which was more than enough reason for Yan Qing Wu to target me. Even if she didn''t like Li Xue Wu or wasn''t close to her fellow sect disciples, she was still honorbound to avenge their deaths.


    Assuming she knew that they were dead, of course.


    Neither Zhu Jiao nor Yan Qing Wu had any knowledge of the fate of the other Tian Sha Sect disciples, and I would like to keep it that way. Hell, nobody knew what happened between me and them, and I didn''t want to enlighten them.


    At least not yet.


    "All right. Let''s start moving then." I glanced nervously at the shaking debris when Yan Qing Wu unleashed another of her Black Moon Saber arts to chip away at them. At this rate, she would get through the artificially created barrier in no time at all. On the other hand, I was a little sour that these rocks were sturdier than my ice barrier.


    Well, ice was more brittle and fragile than stones¡­


    "Yeah. I''ll see you later!"


    It seemed that Zhu Jiao had also come to the same conclusion, for there was a tinge of urgency in his tone that wasn''t present before. Sensing him move down the other corridor, I mirrored his actions and turned toward the only path open to me before hurrying down.


    *


    I had passed through several winding corridors and ended up in a new network of paths before something unexpected happened.


    Before that, I ran into quite a few people. I recognized none of them, save that they were probably from the campsite of martial artists and tomb raiders who came in search for treasure. They hurried along, still in search for unexpored regions in hopes of finding promising valuables and other precious Spirit Artifacts.


    All of them moved past me without sparing me even a second glance. That was fine with me. As long as they didn''t bother me, I wouldn''t bother them. I didn''t have time or energy to waste on getting into meaningless fights.


    Good thing I had a bag where I stored the Ultimate Yin Dragon Saliva, the Azure Lotus Sword and the sphere-shaped spirit artifact that was yin-based, or people would notice the treasures I carried on me and attempt to rob me.


    Not all of them were from the orthodox sects, after all. I recognized a few from the demonic sects, particularly from their murderous auras and killing intent. They passed by me, dismissing me as someone without anything of value, and I encouraged that conclusion by keeping my head down and plastering a sullen expression on my face.


    If I looked like someone bitter about having not found anything, the demonic sects would believe that I didn''t find anything, and they would move on to more promising targets. Particularly those who were unable to conceal their delight at stumbling upon rare finds.


    I wasn''t a hero who could protect everyone in the world, and I certainly couldn''t afford to fight every demonic sect disciple I came across, so I avoided them instead of picking meaningless fights with them. Their poor victims would have to defend themselves on their own. I might sound callous, but I just didn''t have the power to go around saving the world. I was a martial artist who learned martial arts for self-defense and to protect the people important to me. That was already taxing me to my limits. I couldn''t afford to stretch my protection to others I didn''t know.


    Of course, if the robbery happened right in front of me, then I would do my best to stop it. But I certainly couldn''t go around attacking demonic sects based on the assumption that they would rob other people if I hadn''t actually seen them rob other people with my very own eyes. I could be mistaken about their qi or aura, after all.


    "Huff¡­"


    Either way, it didn''t matter. I finally found an isolated path devoid of human presence and went down it. At this point, I didn''t care about linking up with Zhu Jiao. Knowing the bastard, he was probably having another lucky encounter with a new harem member or conveniently stumbling upon spirit artifacts or treasures.


    It was time for me to a bit more selfish and look for something that benefited me. Not that I actually needed it, since I already found what I needed to. But I still hoped that I had some modicum of luck left¡­


    "Finally."


    "?!"


    Just when I thought I was truly alone, a familiar voice spoke up.


    The ghost of Qi Lin hovered beside me, his hands on his hips as he glared at me in disapproval.


    "I thought you would never be able to escape that mad bitch! But judging from the lack of qi bursts, it seems that you''ve finally disengaged from battle and escaped successfully!"


    "Yeah, well¡­" I shrugged nonchalantly as I leaned against the wall. "To be honest, she helped us escape by accidentally destroying the entrances and sealing herself off from us." I chuckled and shook my head. "She essentially shot herself in the foot."


    "I see." Qi Lin nodded and grinned. Then he blinked and gave me a hard stare, as if he hadn''t noticed I was present.


    Then¡­


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "WHOOOOOOAAAA!"


    I jumped in fright and shouted when Qi Lin suddenly screamed. Wait, why the hell was a ghost so afraid of a living human like me?


    "What the hell, man!?" I snapped, patting my chest and trying to calm my throbbing heart from the shock. "Don''t suddenly scream like that! You scared the hell out of me!"


    "You¡­you can see me?!" Qi Lin spluttered. I shrugged again.


    "Yeah. Why wouldn''t I be able to see you?"


    "H¡­how?!"


    Good question. Even though Qi Lin did his best to conceal his presence and minimize his ghostly whispers as much as possible so that only Zhu Jiao could hear him, I was still able to hear him. To be more accurate, I didn''t so much as hear him as I sensed him. The reason was most likely because I learned Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, which made me extremely sensitive to all forms of qi, even that of ghostly qi.


    Or perhaps it was my affinity with the shadow or ghostly element. But that would mean other shadow-element practitioners would be able to sense Qi Lin''s presence too. Maybe it was a combination of both factors.


    "Ah¡­I see¡­you do indeed practice a mystical technique."


    Even though I kept those thoughts to myself, Qi Lin, continued to prod and analyze me with his ghostly senses.


    "Can you not pry into other people''s privacy?" I asked, crossed. Qi Lin grinned sheepishly, and shook his head.


    "Normally people would be afraid to see a ghost, but you¡­you seem like you''re used to seeing ghosts¡­"


    He then cleared his throat.


    "Ah, forgive me for my rudeness. I''m¡­"


    "Qi Lin, the former sect leader of the Golden Kirin Sect. And the current master of Zhu Jiao. You are grooming him to be the next leader of the Golden Kirin Sect so that he can rebuild it and restore it to its former glory."


    "How the fuck do you know that?!" Qi Lin roared. I smiled mysteriously.


    "I know a lot of things."


    "That brat! I told him not to¡­"


    "Oh, Zhu Jiao didn''t tell me anything. He probably doesn''t know that I know of your existence. He obeyed your command to keep your existence a secret, and he also didn''t reveal anything about the Golden Kirin Sect to anyone at all, until you gave him permission to."


    Qi Lin gaped at me for a few moments, and I could see the stone rock behind his translucent mouth.


    "You even know about that?! How?!"


    "To be honest, I''ve known about you from the beginning. I was there when you first revealed yourself to Zhu Jiao and offered to teach him the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technqiues. Hell, I heard you diss me about my One Star Constitution and lack of talent¡­"


    "Sorry." Qi Lin didn''t look apologetic at all, but he certainly seemed a little abashed. Scrutinizing me, he nodded and sighed. "You did surpass my imaginations and prove me wrong, so I offer an apology for being so condescending."


    "Well, that''s the harsh truth. Don''t worry about it. In any case, I''ve always overheard you talking to Zhu Jiao, at least during the moments when I''m around. I don''t know everything, and I didn''t see you train him, so you can rest easy that I don''t know anything about the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast techniques."


    I saw no reason to withhold the truth, so I told him everything.


    "And it seems that I''m the only one other than Zhu Jiao who can hear you. Even Zhu Jiao doesn''t know that I''ve been somewhat overhearing your conversation with him this entire time¡­especially when we first began our exploration of the ancient tomb."


    "Ugh¡­I was careless. I let my guard down¡­"


    Qi Lin moaned and shook his head, covering his face with a wrinkled hand. I frowned as I stared at him.


    "But the question is¡­why are you here with me instead of Zhu Jiao? I hardly think you would end up following me by mistake."


    "That''s what I want to know too!" Qi Lin yelled. "How did I end up here instead of with my disciple? I should be tethered to his golden amulet!"


    I blinked and suddenly felt my pocket. As if confirming my suspicions, I felt something hard that wasn''t there previously. Extracting it, I saw the golden amulet that Zhu Jiao owned, and held it up in the air for Qi Lin to see.


    "How did this get on me? I don''t remember Zhu Jiao passing this to me."


    "How would I know?!" Qi Lin snapped. "The last thing I remember was the both of you running away from that mad bitch, and then¡­she attacked, and everything exploded, and the next thing I knew, I was here."


    I considered his words for a few seconds, replaying the scene in my head, and then it hit me.


    "Ah!" I struck my left palm with my right fist. When Yan Qing Wu attacked us, Zhu Jiao had barreled into me so that I wouldn''t get hit by her saber qi. His golden amulet must have fallen off him and landed in my pocket somehow during that collision.


    Qi Lin seemed to have realized it too, and he groaned.


    "I should have known something was amiss when I temporarily blacked out¡­"


    "Oh well." I shrugged again. "So what do we do now? I''ll return this golden amulet to Zhu Jiao, and I think it''s better if he doesn''t know about this. So maybe you shouldn''t tell him about this conversation."


    "I dunno. No harm in letting him know. He does need a friend to share his greatest secrets and stuff with. And you seem quite trustworthy, if you knew about everything from the beginning yet didn''t tell anyone."


    "I don''t want Zhu Jiao to get into trouble," I pointed out. Qi Lin burst out laughing.


    "Now that''s what I call a true friend."


    Heaving a deep breath, I slowly got off the wall and glanced around. "That aside, I should get you back to Zhu Jiao as soon as possible¡­"


    "Oh, what''s the hurry? Now that we''re here, I might as well help you out a bit. Treat it as me owing you for looking down on you all those years ago."


    I raised an eyebrow, but I certainly wasn''t going to say no to a free gift, so I merely nodded.


    "Please do. I''ll be relying on you then."


    "For starters, you''re going down the right path. You''ve the right idea. Follow along this passageway and you''ll find something that you might find useful."


    "Okay."


    Having rested enough, I proceeded down the deserted corridor. At the same time, I wondered why no one else had entered. Surely someone would notice that this region was still unexplored and try their luck with it?


    I didn''t have much time to ponder over it, for I found myself in a vast space filled with countless pillars that were clearly not made from stone. They seemed¡­metallic somehow. And they were so tall they seemed to stretch to the heavens ¨C the space was so vast that I nearly couldn''t see the ceiling of the cavern.


    "What is this place?"


    Blinking in bewilderment as I tried to take in the new scenery, I suddenly stumbled across something sticking out of the ground. Thanks to my footwork, I immediately regained my balance, but I stopped to glare at the object that caused me a brief moment of embarrassment.


    "What the hell is this?!"


    For some reason, they resembled¡­limbs. They were black, gleaming in the darkness, but I could make out articulated joints, fingers or toes. Picking one up, I studied it, noting how it resembled a human''s broken limb and its tremendous weight.


    It was clearly made of metal, if my training as a smith and Spirit Engraver was correct. And high quality metal at that. Despite being completely dyed in black, I noticed mysterious symbols carved into the shiny surface.


    "Spirit Engravings? But they have lost their power¡­"


    There was no sign of qi or power left inside those Spirit Engravings. Feeling a little disappointed and realizing that these were little more than scrap, I put the mechanical limb back down. It wasn''t a prosthetic, that much was for sure. We had healing techniques that could regrow and restore lost limbs, so there was no need for prosthetics.


    "Oh wow¡­you''ve stumbled across the remains of battle-automata! They''re highly advanced battle puppets created by practitioners during the Dark Age of Technology. Their functions include security, such as guarding homes, and they are fully capable of combat."


    Qi Lin hovered next to me, gazing at the broken limbs with an expression of longing awe.


    "So an ancient type of battle puppet, huh?" I mused.


    "Well, there are many different classes of battle puppets, but I think the broken limbs strewn around here aren''t even from a low-class battle-automata. Probably defective products or failed experiments, unfortunately. It''s a pity¡­if you can find even a maniple of low-class battle-automata, you would gain insurmountable firepower equivalent to a regiment of Imperial Guard."


    "Are we talking about Warhammer 40,000 or a xianxia story?" I asked dryly. Qi Lin glared at me, assuming that I was joking.


    "What are you talking about? Don''t underestimate these battle-automata! During the Dark Age of Technology, they used to field entire armies of this thing! Even now, there are a few mysterious sects in the Great Zhou Empire who continue to specialize in controlling cohorts of cybernetica forces. The high-class battle-automata in particular, are extremely terrifying. I once saw six of them working in concert to tear a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner apart."


    "If you have the right numbers, then even a thousand Qi Gathering Stage practitioners can rip a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner apart," I replied with a roll of my eyes. Just because you were at a higher realm didn''t mean you were suddenly immune to attacks from lower realm practitioners. The real world didn''t work that way.


    "Don''t be an idiot!" Qi Lin chided me, but I paid no attention to his tantrums and rose to my feet. Glancing at the left path, I embarked toward it before the ghost could tell me anything. From his silence and lack of objection, it seemed that I had taken the right path. No, not that "right". Right as in the correct path. Ugh, you know what I mean.


    "Whoa!"


    Along the way, I stumbled across more broken battle-automata. Unlike the broken limbs I saw earlier, these battle-automata were fuller. That wasn''t to say they weren''t in pieces ¨C clearly a fight had taken place here, and someone had smashed them to smithereens a short time ago, but I could see traces of their full glory.


    They were largely humanoid, as I had suspected, but other than that, they were pretty featureless, looking much like the creepy test dummies that Wu Ling Academy used.


    Clink¡­clink¡­


    As I moved deeper, I suddenly encountered the few battle-automata that had apparently survived the skirmish. They resembled skinny, emaciated human beings, their slender limbs moving haphazardly and erratically. They couldn''t lift a candle to even the most basic and low-leveled test dummies and battle puppets that were mass-produced by the academy.


    "Wow¡­"


    I shook my head as they slowly staggered toward me, more reminiscent of zombies than mechanical puppets designed for combat. I realized why so many of them lay broken and strewn in pieces about the area. They were truly defective and shoddy, with nothing to show for except their immense strength.


    Other than that, they were pretty easy targets. Without even using any weapons, I kicked them into oblivion, the sloppily built constructs breaking apart instantly from my attacks.


    "Rather than battle-automata, these seem more like low-grade combat servitors," I mused with a shake of my head.


    "You might be right. They''re probably servitors rather than battle-automata." Qi Lin nodded. "I''m surprised you know so much."


    Unfortunately, the knowledge I possessed about these wasn''t the same kind that he possessed.


    Not wanting to shame myself, I merely nodded and continued forward. After traversing a few meters, I found myself at a dead-end.


    "That''s weird. Where did the people who destroyed all the other servitors go?"


    I blinked as I studied the place, but saw no sign of anyone having been there. Indeed, if it wasn''t for the trail of destruction and broken servitor parts that I ran into earlier, I wouldn''t have known that someone had been here before.


    "Good question."


    Qi Lin closed his eyes and probed the area with his senses for a few moments, frowning seriously. Then he opened his eyes.


    "There seems to be some kind of formation¡­" he swept his gaze over the area, peering at the metal pillars in particular. "Damn it, I hate these kind of annoying formations the most."


    "I hear you," I agreed dryly. Shaking my head, I approached one of the metallic pillars, and then I suddenly realized something. Taking out my broken glasses, I brought them up to my eyes and peered through the cracked lenses.


    As I suspected, the moment I analyzed them with the arcane mechanisms of my glasses, Spirit Engraved symbols came into view.


    "What is it?" Qi Lin demanded, floating over to stare over my shoulder. I shook my head.


    "Spirit Engravings. My glasses can detect them. Damn it, I almost missed them because I wasn''t wearing them. Give me a second¡­"


    Thanks to my training at the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I was able to temporarily repair my broken glasses in a few minutes. I had originally intended to fix them or get a new pair when I returned to Tushan City, but clearly I didn''t have the luxury to wait. Even though it was a hasty repair with my poor smithing skills, my glasses should hold up for long enough, at least until I leave the ancient tomb.


    Once I taped them together and used qi to mend the cracks, I put them back on. As any engineer would tell you, duct tape fixes everything.


    "I know this Spirit Engraving."


    With a grin, I raised my hand and pressed my palm against a pillar. Closing my eyes, I concentrated and began decoding the Spirit Engraving and infusing my qi into it. The metallic pillar glowed, the Spirit Engravings flaring to life.


    "Oh! Impressive! Even my disciple wouldn''t be able to pull something like this off!"


    Qi Lin sounded amazed, but I didn''t pay any attention to him. Instead, I poured more of my qi into the pillar and activated the arcane mechanisms empowering it.


    Clack! Creak!


    The moment I did so, a hidden door materialized along the wall and opened to grant me access to a previously hidden passageway.


    "Well done!" Qi Lin applauded. He glanced from the pillar to the door and also looked awestruck. "This is also quite the ingenious mechanism. But you''re more impressive for being able to figure it out and decode it!"


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    "Thanks."


    Feeling a little embarrassed from the praise, I scratched my head and quickly made my way toward the passageway. As expected, the door closed after I entered, but a quick glance around told me that there were Spirit Engravings on this side of the wall.


    That meant I would be able to exit anytime I wanted. Feeling relieved that I wouldn''t be trapped down here, and that I still had an exit strategy, I continued onward.


    "¡­"


    After a few meters, the passageway terminated, leading to a vast field that almost didn''t seem like it was inside a mountain or a tomb. For some reason, it reminded me of a forest, except that it was lacking in trees. But there was moss growing on the damp walls, so it wasn''t entirely lacking in greenery and organic life either.


    "Whoa!"


    But it wasn''t the moss that caught my eye.


    No, instead, I found myself staring at rows and rows of battle puppets neatly lined up in this field, their numbers in the hundreds. They were about two meters tall, and were humanoid, but they looked different from the servitors I had encountered earlier.


    "These are not servitors¡­?"


    Murmuring to myself, I approached one of them cautiously, hoping it wouldn''t wake up.


    As I suspected, they were humanoid, but they seemed to be wearing much thicker armor. A golden helmet encased what seemed like the head, with a smooth, black visor concealing the face from external view. About two meters tall, there was something pretty eerie about their exotic armor and the chainblades they wielded.


    No¡­those were chainblades. They were rifles, with chainblades attached to the underside of their muzzles. Even though there were guns in my original timeline, these were like no guns I had ever seen. They seemed to be energy-based rather than projectile-based.


    "They look like Thallax."


    "Good eye," Qi Lin complimented me. "These are Thallax-pattern battle puppets. They are considered low-class battle-automata, but don''t underestimate them. They are more than a match for a Qi Essence Stage practitioner."


    "Amazing," I agreed, though I didn''t care what they were a match for. An army of them was enough to eradicate anything, I was certain of that. The principle of overwhelming firepower and numbers. And there were hundreds of them.


    Then a sudden idea struck my mind.

 141 Chapter 140: Battle-automata

    "Oi, why the hell are you ripping off Wu Dong Qian Kun again? There''s no such thing as Qian Kun bags in reality."


    That said, we did have pouches and bags that opened up into a vast alternative space where we could store limitless amounts of items. Thanks to the existence of the Void Whale, whose stomach was bottomless, the bags crafted out of those were indeed without any depth. Using my makeshift spatial bag (which was actually my half-crafted Spirit Armament), I began to approach the first Thallax-pattern battle puppet.


    Even if I was supposed to be over thirty mentally, even a grown man would be tempted by the idea of controlling and leading hundreds of battle puppets into battle. Okay, I didn''t know how I was going to program them and control them, but I figured I could find out how later. Furthermore, if I couldn''t control them, I could just sell them for a high price.


    "But there''s no point taking these battle puppets. Even though they are powerful, they are broken. They''re useless now."


    "Broken? Useless?" I repeated incredulously. Shaking my head, I turned to study the Thallax battle puppets in greater detail. True enough, there was no sign of qi being emitted from their bodies, no trace of life, energy or movement. They were completely still, just like literal puppets, standing rigidly like metallic pillars.


    "The Spirit Engravings inside these battle puppets have already faded away, so they are basically useless. Even though they have such a fearsome appearance, they are actually totally harmless. It''s best to move on."


    "Hah!" I snorted. "Good thing I''m a Spirit Engraver, eh?"


    Reaching out, I inspected the first battle puppet. Like Qi Lin said, the Spirit Engravings powering these battle puppets had faded away with age, or wear and tear. Since Spirit Engravings were made to last, I bet it was the latter. Closing my eyes briefly, I tried to remember the most optimal Spirit Engravings for battle puppets.


    "Ugh¡­I haven''t learned any Spirit Engravings for battle puppets¡­"


    To my regret, I realized that I didn''t possess such knowledge. Of course I wouldn''t. This was reality. I wouldn''t conveniently happened to have studied something I needed as a minor plot point just to run into this development. If I were a Mary Sue protagonist, no doubt I would happily engraving the appropriate Spiritual patterns into the battle puppet and bringing it back to life right now, but being a normal person (equivalent to a side character or mob character in these stupid xianxia stories), I was completely out of luck.


    "Oh, right¡­you''re a Spirit Engraver? If only Zhu Jiao was a Spirit Engraver too." Qi Lin sighed bitterly.


    "Zhu Jiao has his own strengths. He''s stronger than me, more skilled than me, and I''m sure he specializes in something else¡­like elixir-refining or making medicine. And I''m a below average Spirit Engraver who just barely made the cut. So it''s nothing to brag about."


    I wouldn''t be surprised if Zhu Jiao turned out to be a receptarier or alchemist. As was the case of multi-talented xianxia protagonists, they at least excelled in something else other than martial arts. Well, most of them, anyway. Li Fu Chen didn''t, I doubted Lin Feng did. Even Yang Kai of Martial Peak fame wasn''t. But Xiao Yan was a receptarier/alchemist (and also had a ghost for a master), Yun Che was a former doctor in his past life, Li Yao was also a refiner in addition to being a martial artist/cultivator in the far future¡­Yue Yang was a summoner in addition to be a martial artist (for a story titled Long Live Summons, it focused way more on his martial arts and fighting abilities and transcendant sword thing than summoning¡­).Ya Se from The Great Conqueror was also known as the awesome martial artist Asura, yet at the same time he was a genius Spirit Engraver who innovated many new revolutionary designs. Qin Lie was also another strong martial artist who doubled as an artificer or blacksmith, having joined the Armament Sect.


    In other words, you wouldn''t be able to be a proper xianxia protagonist if you weren''t a genius at something other than fighting. Funnily enough, that secondary occupation always inevitably turned out to be something that was related to fighting or used to support combat. Granted, I did learn Spirit Engraving and smithing (which were essentially the same discipline), but unlike all the other xianxia protagonists, I completely sucked at smithing. You wouldn''t be seeing me coming up with innovative Spirit Engravings or inventing new armaments. Hell, even after a year I still had yet to finish my first big project, and I honestly didn''t want to go through all that trouble again.


    Ugh¡­


    Such was the fate of untalented side characters like me, doomed to a life of mediocrity. Meanwhile xianxia protagonists like Zhu Jiao and all the other examples I mentioned would go on to be invincible martial artists who were simultaneously heralded as geniuses in their secondary field, whether it was being a medical god, or a genius alchemist/receptarier, or an innovative artificer, or shameless god summoner with extremely rare, high-ranked summoned beasts. Meanwhile I would continue to slave away at smithing for decades while not receiving any recognition because my products were subpar and average.


    At least it was enough for me to make a living.


    "STOP YOUR RANTING!" Qi Lin shouted.


    Whoops. I didn''t realize I was saying all that out loud. I hastily shoved the remaining Thallax pattern battle puppets into my spatial device in silence, hoping to clear out the hall before anyone stumbled into it.


    Fortunately, the lack of any human sound meant that I could put those worries to rest. As I shoved the last Thallax battle puppet into my spatial device, I finally came upon the end of the vast field. None of the battle puppets even budged or reacted to my manhandling of them, and by the heavens, they were extremely heavy.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    By now, I was panting as I heaved the final Thallax battle puppet into the spatial device, and immediately dropped to my knees once it disappeared from real space. Wiping the perspiration from my face, I fought to catch my breath.


    "How weak," Qi Lin remarked. "Xiao Jiao wouldn''t have broken a sweat."


    "Give me a break," I protested, annoyed. "There were hundreds of those things, and each one weighs a ton! And I''m aware that Zhu Jiao is stronger than me, all right?!"


    "Well, you''ve only just scratched the surface. The real expedition starts now¡­the real treasures are inside that chamber."


    "¡­eh?"


    True enough, there was a vault at the end of the vast field, closed off from the wide, open space by a pair of double metallic doors.


    "It''s locked, but¡­there''s a Spirit Engraving Array inscribed onto the surface." Qi Lin looked at me meaningfully. "You should be able to unlock those doors with your current skills."


    "¡­right."


    My "current" skills. In other words, Qi Lin was aware that my Spirit Engraving skills weren''t that impressive. Without any way of rebutting him, I merely nodded and staggered to my feeet. Taking a deep breath, I approached the locked doors.


    "Good thing I ran into you¡­this has to be Fate. If I was still with Xiao Jiao, he would never have gotten this far. Even though he''s a great alchemist, he lacks knowledge in the Spirit Engraving department. He would never have been able to decode and decipher all these Spirit Engraving patterns!"


    Qi Lin was musing to himself, nodding to show that he was impressed. I didn''t like the idea of Fate pulling me around by the nose, but given how I benefited so far, I decided not to push my luck and curse it.


    I could always rage and curse it later, when something bad happens.


    "Hmm¡­.this is quite the complex Spirit Engraving pattern," I observed as I pressed my right palm against the metallic doors. The surface felt cold to the touch, and I could sense great amounts of qi swirling inside it. Swallowing, I closed my eyes and focused, probing the Spirit Engraving Array with my qi senses, and realized just how convoluted they were.


    As expected of a Spirit Engraving meant to protect the treasures within and lock intruders out. Even though there were signs of someone being here ¨C particularly with a smashed portal to the right, and several broken servitors and other forms of damage ¨C this door had been left in one piece.


    It wasn''t from the lack of trying, though. The double doors were clearly not untouched. I could detect traces of aggressive qi still floating around the area, indicating that someone had tried to attack the double doors to blow them open. Judging from how they were still tightly sealed, it was clear that they had failed.


    Good for me.


    "Oh, not bad. I can sense something really impressive behind these doors. Whoever kept them locked inside really didn''t want them to be taken ¨C hence the powerful defensive Spirit Engraving Array. Hah! Even those elite martial artists failed to break it! That means something extremely valuable is definitely stored inside!"


    Qi Lin must have sensed the violent remains of qi techniques too, for he came to the same conclusion as me.


    I ignored him and focused all my attention into breaking the Spirit Engraving code. Perspiration poured down my face as I struggled to comprehend the signs and patterns. It was a good thing I was a literature student in my previous life, for I was able to make metaphorical connections that I otherwise wouldn''t be able to, and draw meaning from otherwise obscure images. Slowly decoding those signs meant teasing out meanings from stylized images and patterns, and my education as a literature and history student provided me some sort of background.


    "Phew¡­"


    Exhaling, I began to slowly break the signs and symbols apart, decoding the images and rearranging the patterns to allow me entry. My modifications caused a reaction, and the metallic doors glowed brightly, blasting me off my feet with a violent qi wind.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    I did a cartwheel in midair and landed on my feet, skidding a few centimeters backward. Sucking a deep breath into my battered lungs, I glanced up at the doors. My body tensed as I got ready to move, in case I had triggered some security system and it was going to attack me.


    To my surprise, the doors merely swung open.


    "Ha ha! You did, it, you brat!"


    Qi Lin burst out laughing when he saw that I had succeeded. I rose to my feet, continuing to stare at the open doors blankly for a few moments until Qi Lin snapped at me.


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    "Well, what are you waiting for? A red carpet to roll out and welcome you? Get your ass in there, pronto!"


    Shaking my head to clear myself of my stupor, I then stepped into the vault. A cold blast of air struck me, but both being an ice-type martial artist and having already experienced the hellish depths of the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell from earlier, the sudden drop of temperature was nothing to me. It felt chilly at worst, soothing at best.


    "This is¡­"


    The moment I stepped into the vault, I froze when two rows of colossal battle-automata came into view, their hulking forms standing straight and stationary. My first reaction was to use Tui to retreat out of there before they could attack me, but as soon as I calmed down, I realized that they were emitting no sign of qi, life or energy.


    Just like the Thallax pattern battle puppets before them, they were dead. Or at least unpowered.


    "These are different from the Thallax pattern battle puppets or the Servitors from earlier," I mused, stating the obvious. Mustering my courage, I stepped into the vault again and scanned through the two rows with my hastily repaired glasses. The sensors in my lenses counted their number for me and I saw that there were about a hundred and twenty of them.


    "I want these too¡­" I murmured greedily.


    "Good choice!" Qi Lin concurred excitedly. "Brat, your luck is really good! These are all mid-level battle-automata! Castellax-class battle-automata! They formed the mainstay of the cybernetica cohorts and mechanical armies during the Dark Age of Technology, serving as the line troops during the Great Crusade!"


    "I don''t suppose the Machine Cult and the Great Emperor sent them out into space?"


    I was being sarcastic, but Qi Lin shook his head as if he thought I was asking a serious question. He glanced up and sighed.


    "Space travel and faster-than-light technology has always eluded us. It''ll be a few thousand years before we finally gain the technology to cross the stars and colonize other planets. For now, we''re stuck in this world."


    "¡­right¡­"


    "For now, though, these are probably one of the most powerful weapons you can have at your disposal! If, like the Thallax battle puppets, you are able to find the correct Spirit Engraving patterns and bring them back online and fully functional, you''ll be able to command a terrifying army that can obliterate entire regiments!"


    "Heh¡­"


    Even without Qi Lin having to tell me, I was already venturing over to study the vast ranks of the Castellax battle-automata.


    They were large, over three meters high, which allowed them to tower over even the superhuman Astartes¡­I mean gigantic martial artists. Their dome-shaped heads were smooth, with no features, not even the slightest trace of a face. They carried ¨C or used to carry an assortment of weapons, which ranged from¡­well, ranged mauler-pattern bolt cannons to plasma guns or thermal weapons. Their arms ended in power claws, which would have rippled with shimmering power fields had they not been destroyed. Also attached to their hands were smaller patterns of bolt weapons, which upon my analysis, fired mass-reactive projectiles that detonated within their targets to deal maximum amount of lethal damage.


    If I could command entire cohorts of these fallen battle-automata, perhaps I could launch a Great Crusde of my own and conquer the stars, setting up dozens of forge worlds that adhered to the tenets of the machine cult.


    "Hmm, but the Spirit Engravings will only bind them to their command and program them, but they still need a power source." I examined the closest battle automata intensely, but couldn''t find any reactor or qi generator that was present in most modern vehicles and electronic devices today. "How are they supposed to move?"


    "Yeah, you''ll need to provide the energy for them to move." The ghostly master snickered. "Who asked you to be so greedy? Normally, a single practitioner has barely enough power to supply a mid-level battle automata and still be able to fight alongside it, but you want to gather hundreds of them! I think you''ll only be able to control twelve of the Thallax battle puppets, or one of the Castellax battle automata at most, assuming you want to conserve enough qi for yourself to fight beside them."


    "Well, I can always sell them off¡­just ensure that they don''t fall into the hands of the wrong people."


    Even if I was desperate for money, I couldn''t very sell them off to unscrupulous owners who would use these terrifying automatons to conquer the world. Aha! I knew just who to sell them to. The Imperial Guard. Even if I couldn''t trust private corporations or my fellow men, I could always trust the government.


    Okay, that sounded incredibly na?ve. Of course the government couldn''t be fully trusted, but at least they were far less likely to do something stupid like conquering the world than a corrupted, greedy mega-corporation.


    I hope.


    Thinking about it, the president of the United States during the time I got hit by a truck was quite the¡­madman.


    Shuddering at the memory of a loud-mouthed president who was willing to shut down the government just to have his stupid wall built between Mexico and States, I tried to focus on this timeline. Surely the royal government of the Great Zhou Empire wouldn''t do anything as stupid¡­right? Right?


    It was alarming that I couldn''t convince myself that it was all right to trust the royal government. Politics tended to bring the worst out of people.


    "So I provide energy to the battle-automata by infusing it with my qi?" I asked Qi Lin. "Are there other methods?"


    "Certainly. If you want to conserve your own qi, then you can provide it qi through other means. For example, you can directly feed a battle automata pure yuan pills. If you want it to execute an attack that is equivalent to that of a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner¡­hmm, approximately two thousand pure yuan pills will be required. However, that''s only enough to release one attack. After unleashing that attack, if you want the battle automata to continue fighting, you''ll have to continue supplying it with more pure yuan pills or your own qi."


    "That''s pretty expensive¡­but¡­" I grinned. "I can see the possibilities."


    Certainly, I didn''t have any pure yuan pills. But I might be able to request for access to the next best thing.


    Artificial qi.


    Wu Ling Academy had tons of artificial qi¡­all right, they were pretty expensive, so I obviously couldn''t afford to continually buy artificial qi from them, nor would I ever be able to afford to buy so much artificial qi to supply every single one of my battle-automata. But even for just a single battle-automata at my disposal, if I could supply him with three sexagenaries of qi, he should be able to fight on par with a top Wu Ling Academy student.


    That was more than enough.


    Good thing artificial qi exists, eh?

 142 Chapter 141: Sea of Fire

    "So weak," Qi Lin commented contemptuously. I glared at him.


    "Go on, why don''t you try lifting over a hundred of these things instead of floating in the air?"


    Qi Lin grinned. "I''m not the one who wants them."


    "And I''m not the one asking you to float around me." I took the golden amulet in my pocket and prepared to throw it. Qi Lin panicked when he saw what I was about to do.


    "Wait! Don''t do that! Don''t just throw me away!"


    "Why?" I sneered. "You''re not my master. There''s no benefits for me to hang on, and I''m sick of hearing you insult me. Just like those haters in Royal Road, the moment they began spamming 0.5 ratings and calling me trash, I''m going to leave. There''s no sense in me sticking around to endure their abuse where there''s no reason or benefit in doing so."


    "You''re really bitter about that, aren''t you?" Qi Lin remarked. Then his eyes widened when I began to cock my arm back. "Okay! I''m sorry! I''m sorry, all right?! I''ll shut up from now on!"


    He probably thought I was petty, but being magnanimous only invited pain and suffering, especially when people did nothing but insult me over every little thing.


    "Well, the question is how much they will buy the battle-automata for." I pondered to myself. "A battle puppet costs about five gold coins, but these are ancient treasures, so they should cost a lot more. I hope."


    They sounded pretty cheap, but that was because I hadn''t included the Spirit Engravings and the cost of the artificial qi yet. If I succeeded in engraving Spirit Symbols into the battle automata, then their price would no doubt double, or even triple.


    The reason why the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was so wealthy was because of their Spirit Engraving skills. To get even an average smith like me to carve a Spirit Engraving into an artifact would net me several silver coins, at the very least.


    "Well, I''ll only find out once I get home."


    Taking a deep breath, I scratched my head and stretched my exhausted muscles for a bit while trying to recover from the earlier exertion. Once I felt that I had restored enough strength, I rose to my feet to continue my exploration of the tomb.


    Instead, after stepping through the remains of the broken door, a scene of devastation greeted me. The broken husks of the low-level servitors that had patrolled the area earlier were strewn across the ground. Scorch marks and other signs of damage on the floor indicated that a ferocious battle had taken place earlier.


    "¡­lightning qi?"


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    I reached out with my right hand and felt a slight tingle as static electricity sparked against my fingers. Recognizing the personal qi signature, I frowned.


    "Seems like Lei Yong Chun was here¡­along with the rest."


    Lei Yong Chun''s qi wasn''t the only one here. I could pick up at least three other people''s qi signatures with my Heaven and Earth senses. They must have grouped together to smash apart the army of servitors here.


    "Oh, well¡­"


    Treading carefully over the broken remains of the servitors, I glanced around through my hastily repaired glasses. A close scrutiny told me that the messy passageway had been thoroughly cleaned out. Whatever treasures that used to be here had already been taken by Lei Yong Chun and the rest. Those that weren''t treasures, but were traps or security bots like the servitors, had been destroyed by overwhelming force.


    "...whoa."


    While traversing the quiet corridor, I came across more traces of battle. The damaged husks of servitors and battle puppets continued to litter the place, but what surprised me was that the deeper I went into, the more¡­detailed and advanced the servitors were. Hell, there were Thallax-class battle puppets destroyed along with the servitors, remnants of the depleted security detachment that used to patrol these halls.


    I wondered if I would eventually stumble over the corpses of robed cyborg warriors who had sworn their service to the Omnissiah. That was unlikely. Given the age of the tomb, despite their augmented cybernetics, their organic components would have rotted and decayed long ago, leaving their metallic frames little more than empty shells.


    Not only were the servitors and battle puppets growing more powerful (from their appearance anyway), they were also increasing in number. I stopped to inspect one particularly fearsome carnage, which had blood mixed with slick oil. With their strength and numbers, even Lei Yong Chun was finding them a challenge the deeper he ventured in.


    In fact, it appeared that a few of his comrades had been injured¡­ maybe Lei Yong Chun himself had received an injury. But I couldn''t sense his qi from the blood, so I guessed that it was his comrades instead.


    "Doesn''t look like they fought here long ago," I observed. Qi Lin nodded.


    "You''re right. Whoever fought here, they were here an hour ago, at the earliest. They might still be somewhere nearby."


    "Still, they''re pretty impressive¡­to be able to destroy entire maniples of battle-automata and battle puppets like this¡­"


    "Well, what do you expect from practitioners from the Pure Spirit Stage?" Qi Lin replied dismissively, as if this wasn''t something extraordinary. Now that I thought about it, Lei Yong Chun easily wrecked an entire army of battle puppets in Wu Ling Academy last year, so it wasn''t a stretch to imagine him being able to defeat them.


    "Hmm? What''s that?"


    When I resumed my journey and passed through another empty hall (save for the remains of the battle puppets), I suddenly caught sight of a curtain of light at the end, just a few dozen meters ahead of me.


    "That''s coming from the end of the passageway¡­is it a door?"


    Pushing my broken glasses up, I began to hasten my pace and headed toward the faint glow. At the same time, I maintained my state of alertness, watching out for ambushes and traps. It wouldn''t do for me to walk straight into danger.


    "!!!"


    I almost recoiled when something came within view, framed by the soft glow of the light. Swallowing, I focused my attention on the broken Castellax battle automata lying in front of me. Despite its sturdy frame, it had been blasted apart by many attacks ¨C no doubt a concerted assault from several Pure Spirit Stage practitioners.


    Even so, it had defiantly put up a fierce fight, judging from the extensive damage in the space around it. Ammunition casings littered the floor, holes and craters evident in the walls, ground and even ceiling, and even pools of blood where its attacks had struck home against its assailants. Its power fists were still smoking, crackling with a failing power field, and the light had gone out of its hands. There were blood on its hands, though, which meant it scored more than a few hits of its own, and punished the intruders dearly for attempting to challenge it.


    In the end, however, it was still unable to stop their inexorable advance and had been brutally destroyed.


    "Even a mid level battle automata with such firepower and strength was unable to stop them."


    I lowered my head and laid my fingers on the broken battle automata. These guys were no doubt the most elite martial artists of the younger generation in the Great Zhou Empire. I had to admire them grudgingly.


    "Well, you did well¡­let''s see if I can repair you."


    Struck with an idea, I placed the damaged Castellax battle automata in my spatial device. Even though it was broken into pieces, I was sure I would be able to repair it ¨C especially since I had so many of its comrades for reference. The poor guy fought so well, it would be a waste to leave him lying here like this, dying an ignominious death. I would give him a new purpose in life, and rewrite the Spirit Engraving inside his cerebral cortex.


    "Do you seriously want that broken battle automata?" Qi Lin asked skeptically as he watched me place him inside my spatial device.


    "What''s the worst that can happen? I can use him for spare parts¡­but I think he''ll be up and whole if I use super glue and duct tape."


    "Do you think you''re assembling a wargaming miniature or anything?! It''s not as if he''s made up of plastic or resin!"


    I grinned. "You''ll be surprised to see what these guys are made of."


    "In any case, the Spirit Engravings on that battle-automata you just took are still present. That''s probably why he was able to fight. And it''s also because of that that those young elite martial artists were unable to claim him as their own." Qi Lin mused thoughtfully as he stared at my spatial device. The Castellax battle automata was no longer visible, after all. "Among the younger generations of the Great Zhou Empire, they are considered not bad. But they still have a long way to go, especially when compared to the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner."


    "Well, duh¡­even though I don''t care about all these stages, you''re pretty much stating the obvious when comparing people from two different stages." I couldn''t help but roll my eyes. "But I''ll be able to reprogram and reinscribe the Spirit Engraving. If I can''t, then I''ll ask Elder Tie for help. I''m sure we''ll figure something out."


    I was so glad I joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. otherwise I would never have been able to make use of these battle automata that I had just acquired, or repair them.


    "Maybe I should have Xiao Jiao join the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect too," Qi Lin muttered under his breath. You''ve got to be kidding me! So he''s going to be the streongest martial artist while being a godly alchemist/receptarier and a top Spirit Engraver/blacksmith at the same time!? Just how much more Mary Sue-ish do you want him to be?!


    Trying to conceal my disgust, I rose to my feet and proceeded onward.


    "Wait."


    I stopped when Qi Lin suddenly halted me, and shot him a quizzical look.


    "If you go any deeper¡­if you enter that chamber, you''ll be reaching the core of the ancient tomb. Do you still plan on entering?"


    "Duh." I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "Why the hell wouldn''t I plan on entering the core of the ancient tomb?"


    "That''s because it''ll be several times more dangerous inside the core than before," Qi Lin replied. My vein twitched.


    "The whole fucking expedition is dangerous to begin with! If I was afraid of danger, why would I bother crossing the forest and going inside the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range, braving demonic creatures and magical beasts? Why would I enter the ancient tomb and risk falling into traps while fighting off both monsters and murderous martial artists competing against me for its treasures? What kind of stupid question is that?!"


    "¡­uh¡­yeah. You''ve got a point there."


    Qi Lin at least had the temerity to look embarrassed for asking such a dumb question. He coughed.


    "I¡­was trying to be dramatic."


    "This is reality, not some xianxia novel. And I''m not the protagonist in any case. Let''s not bother with dramatic foreshadowing and all that nonsense."


    Rolling my eyes, I stepped through the curtain of light. As I did so, the light rippled and shimmered violently, but I ignored it as I disappeared through it, appearing on the other side of the glowing screen.


    "Wow¡­"


    At first, I couldn''t make sense of what I was seeing. Even with my enchanted glasses, I found myself staring at absolute darkness. The next moment, a scarlet light flooded my vision, and my glasses didn''t even darken to protect my eyes. Blinking and squinting through the fiery glow, I saw a crimson wave of extremely hot flames washed over me, assaulting my body and almost incinerating me if I didn''t project an icy aura of yin qi to protect myself.


    "What the hell?!"


    Maintaining my icy cold qi, I glanced frantically at my surroundings, fighting to calm down my furiously beating heart. When I finally made sense of what I was seeing, I immediately recoiled from both terror and shock.


    Right now, I was standing in a scarlet sea of fire, the torrent of flames burning ferociously as they sought to incinerate anyone foolish enough to walk into them with intense heat.


    Yet, the fact that my glasses didn''t react to them¡­


    "¡­these flames are just an illusion."


    "Who knows?" Qi Lin shrugged callously. "Even if they''re an illusion, their effects on the physical body are very real. This is an excellent, top-class spirit formation. As expected of a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner."


    "Meaning that even if I know it''s not real, I''ll still end up being harmed by it? In other words, it might as well be real."


    I sighed and shook my head. What a troublesome formation. To get through it, I would have to expend quite a bit of qi.


    "On the bright side, look over there. It seems that those few guys are also stuck in the spirit formation."


    Qi Lin sounded pretty gleeful as he pointed toward the center of the flaming sea. I turned to look in that direction.


    Sure enough, there was a group of figures resisting the flames in the center of the blazing sea. Magnifying my lenses, I saw that it was Lei Yong Chun and the rest. Sui Sha Yu, Jiang Jun Hao, Nan Ke, and even Li Chun Long.


    "Ho¡­" I tried to whistle, but failed pathetically. I could never whistle for some reason. "What an impressive spirit formation! I can''t believe that even that Lei Yong Chun and the rest got trapped within the flames." Then I sobered up. "I''ll have to find an alternative path or I''ll end up like them."


    "It looks like they decided to take the paths provided by the formation and they ended up being trapped instead." Qi Lin thought as he observed the flaming sea. As he pointed out, there were many paths snaking across the flaming seas of fire, narrow walkways that were free from the flames and seeming to lead deeper inside.


    However¡­


    "There''s something amiss about those paths."


    I closed my eyes and focused. Using my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I began to pick out and unravel the currents of fiery qi that blazed across the formation. It seemed that those countless paths actually linked into an unending circle, confusing whoever followed them and throwing them off their sense of direction.


    That was why Lei Yong Chun and the rest were unable to cross them ¨C the formation had then walking in endless circles!


    "That''s right. None of those paths are the right ones. They are all fake. Lei Yong Chun and the rest have not realized that, which is why they are trapped inside the formation."


    "In other words, the real path is the one that''s not visible." Keeping my eyes closed, I continued to probe the formation with my Heaven and Earth senses. There was fiery qi billowing about everywhere, threatening to overpower them, and the paths continued to shift and change, putting the unfortunate group ahead of me in the wrong track.


    "The only path is through the sea of flames," I muttered. Qi Lin stared at me in shock.


    "Not bad, kid! You actually figured that out before I can tell you! However, it''s not that simple. Those flames are not mere illusions. If you carelessly walk into them, you''ll still end up burned. The fiery currents continue to shift and change endlessly. So you can''t just simply walk into it and go in a straight line. You''ll have to¡­"


    "Sense the flows of qi. Don''t worry, that''s my speciality. I may suck at fighting, but I''m good at running away."


    Taking a deep breath, I took a step forward and walked right into the flames.


    A scorching blast of heat struck me, but it was within tolerable levels. A blast of fiery qi arced toward me, but I stepped to the side, just narrowly avoiding getting incinerated by the flames. Even though I was aware it was an illusion, the qi wasn''t something as simple as brute force ¨C it wasn''t just fiery qi that burned its opponents. Otherwise Lei Yong Chun and the rest could just muster their strength and walk through the flames with their sheer power and large amounts of qi. They were illusionary qi that worked in mystical ways to confound the mind and convinced you to believe that your body was really being incinerated.


    Ducking under a wave of fire that soared toward my head, I then nimbly weaved my way through the gaps I found in the flowing currents of blazing qi. Almost like an elegant dancer (or like Assassin in Fate/Zero), I advanced step by step, cartwheeling across a thread of fiery qi that sought to burn me off at my heels, ducking under another blade of flames, or sidestepping a massive wave of fire. Navigating my way through the inferno using my Heaven and Earth senses, I slowly but surely advanced through the blazing hell without taking much damage.


    "Huff¡­"


    Perspiration dripped down my face as I continued onward. Even though I was able to avoid the worst of the fiery qi that sent illusionary attacks directly at my mind, I knew how fine a line I was cutting. One small mistake, a tiny misstep and I would be incinerated. Even if I survived the flames, I would be left with severe injuries, third-degree burns at the minimum.


    And I couldn''t afford to get hurt inside the sea of fire. I needed to be at my peak condition to move through the flames without getting hit by any stray superheated torrents. Whether they were real or not didn''t matter.


    The effects they wrought were real enough.


    "Hu¡­"


    The flames intensified the deeper I ventured. At first they came in one wave at a time, but as I neared the middle, they increased in number. Two waves came at me from opposite direction, forcing me to dodge them simultaneously by jumping over the first and spinning away from the second. Then a third came from the top and a fourth from the front at the same time. Suppressing a curse, I threw out my hand and flipped myself over the fourth while cartwheeling to safety before the third could slam down on me. Getting back on my feet, I had barely recovered my breath when another two burst of flames surged at me from opposite directions.


    "¡­!"


    Using my senses, I dodged the incoming waves and staggered to the front, where I was greeted by another two waves trying to catch me off guard. One erupted from where my foot was a millisecond ago, which would have completely burned my leg off if I hadn''t moved, and the other sliced toward my shoulder at a steep angle.


    "Kuh!"


    I succeeded in spinning away from both and then found myself stumbling into the deeper regions of the flames.


    Whoosh!


    Damn it, they were giving me any time to catch my breath. This time, three waves of flames blasted toward me from different directions. I had to execute three movements consecutively to evade them before I got caught in the literal crossfire.


    "Not bad! That was a close one!"


    Floating above, completely unaffected by the illusionary flames, Qi Lin laughed and clapped his hands.


    Oh shut up, you ghost! You had it easy, being unaffected by all these tricks and traps! I wished the guy had a physical body, then he could see how annoying it was to have someone comment and laugh while he was doing his best to survive.


    Another three struck me simultaneously from all angles, and I was forced to use my footwork techniques. Using Liu, I slipped through the tiny gaps that the illusionsary flames left, dodging them by the slimmest hair''s breadth.


    "Phew¡­"


    Just when I exhaled, another three blades of fire hurtled toward me. Executing a combination of footwork and Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I literally danced through the flames, now clumsy instead of graceful.


    I didn''t care if anyone watching me was laughing at my awkward movements. My priority right now was to survive, not preserve my ego or self-esteem. Not that I ever had an ego to begin with, given how people love to insult and make fun of me, callng me trash and always telling me how terrible my stories were, that they were only worth 0.5 stars¡­


    "Kuh!"


    Jumping over another three arcs of fire and flipping myself over a simultaneous fourth one, I landed on the ground, only to hurl myself away just as a fifth blast of flames incinerated the spot where I crashed into.


    And just like that, I tumbled out of the sea of fire, landing on clear, cool open ground. Rolling to my feet, I exhaled.


    "You did it!" Qi Lin praised me. I scowled.


    "No thanks to you."


    "Well, it''s not as if I''m your master."


    "Good point." I raised the golden amulet, preparing to chuck it into the sea of fire. "There''s no point keeping you around."


    "Wait! Wait!!!!"


    It was funny watching Qi Lin drop to the ground and beg me tearfully, so I kept him tense for a few moments before I lowered my hand.


    "I''m sorry!"


    "Yeah, yeah¡­"


    By now, I was less interested in Qi Lin''s amusing reaction than I was in the progress of Lei Yong Chun and the rest. They were still desperately trying to resist the sudden flares of flames that burst out from the sea of fire and washed over their path, forcing them to retreat, or walking themselves into a deadend.


    A few seconds later, they panicked when they found themselves within the spirit formation''s attack range, being forced back into a defensive posture. They had to raise great walls of qi, expending huge amounts of energy just to stay alive.


    "Hmm¡­"


    Even though I was able to watch them from afar, it was clear that they hadn''t spotted me. I couldn''t blame them ¨C they were occupied with more important things at the moment. And the sea of flames were actually shielding me from view, so there was that.


    "Hmm?"


    I blinked when I realized I had forgotten something. Staring at Lei Yong Chun''s motley group, I did a headcount. There were Lei Yong Chun himself, Sui Sha Yu, Jiang Jun Hao, Nan Ke, and Li Chun Long. But there was no sign of the beautiful girl with the lotus technique¡­what was her name again? The one from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect if I remembered correctly.


    "Oh¡­not bad, I guess?"


    Pursing my lips, I explored the possibilities. After all, Li Xue Wu and Yan Qing Wu had chosen not to follow the other elite martial artists of the younger generation, and went on their own way to acquire their own treasures. It was entirely possible that the girl from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect had also chosen to go her separate path.


    But if she hadn''t, and had in fact followed Lei Yong Chun and the others up to this point, the fact that she was not with them meant that she had successfully crossed through this powerful spirit formation and its illusionary glames.


    "If she did, then she''s not bad at all."


    I nodded, impressed, before wiping the perspiration from my forehead. Even though the flames were illusionary, their effects were extremely real and my body had reacted to the perceived high heat they generated. As a result, I was perspiring profusely. Drinking some water, I glanced around, wondering if I would spot her.


    It took me a lot of effort and energy to pass through the illusionary sea of flames, and that was only possible because I had learned Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. If I hadn''t mastered that, I would have been stuck wandering along the paths like Lei Yong Chun and his unfortunate party. Even someone as strong as him found themselves trapped, so it wasn''t hard to imagine what would happen to average martial artists like me.


    On the other hand, that girl had clearly overcome the spirit formation and all those lethal illusionary flames with her own strength. That meant she was clearly a cut above the rest. I couldn''t help but feel a slight chill when I thought about it.


    Surely her power and potential had to be boundless¡­


    Well, it''s none of my business. It just means she''ll be another harem member for Zhu Jiao.


    Remembering how Zhu Jiao ended up triggering a flag with the Six Star Constitution Yan Qing Wu, and even taking her virginity and giving his to her, I knew for sure that he would end up with all the super-beautiful and talented girls in the Great Zhou Empire. It was inevitable. Given how he was the protagonist, there was no doubt that he would have made it here through sheer luck, and was most likely having a fated encounter with the girl.


    "Ugh¡­"


    My expression turned sour at that, and I turned around to stare at the huge door in the clearing.


    Having reached the cool, open ground, I found myself staring at a huge door that seemed to be made entirely out of bronze. In fact, it was already open, which was a clear indication that someone had already passed through here.


    Most likely it was that girl from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect¡­or perhaps it was Zhu Jiao with his protagonist luck and plot armor. Or both. Would I be able to catch them in the act like I did when he and Yan Qing Wu had that "lucky" accident?


    "Only one way to find out¡­"


    I could only cross my fingers and pray that whoever had gone inside hadn''t emptied the vault of all its treasures already. At least leave something for me! After going through all that trouble of braving the illusionary flames and overcoming the formation, I wanted something for my efforts. Otherwise it would feel like a frustrating waste of my time.


    The moment I stepped through the doors, the illusion of the scarlet sea of fire vanished, along with the faint, lingering heat. I found myself staring at a serene scene of an interior of a hall made out of marble.


    To my surprise, there were many extravagant decorations or adornments in the interior of this grand hall, but instead it looked pretty simple and empty. There was a coffin in the center ¨C which was obvious, given how the whole thing was an ancient tomb. But other than the coffin in the middle, there wasn''t much in the hall.


    Wait¡­


    I gaped when I caught sight of a floating ball of light that emanated a powerful qi. It was hovering above the coffin, almost like an unidentified floating object in one of those alien abduction tabloid stories. Swallowing my excitement, I squinted at the ball of light and registered a deep crimson heart gently pulsing within the core. From my Heaven and Earth senses, I could tell that the crimson heart comprised totally of qi ¨C qi so potent that it was making the surrounding natural qi that saturated the ancient hall reverberate.


    "I see¡­so that''s the Nascent Soul Heart," Qi Lin whispered in awe. I glanced at him, bewildered.


    "The¡­what now?"


    "The legendary Nascent Soul Heart," Qi Lin repeated. "Come on, kid! Don''t tell me you''ve never heard of it!"


    I rubbed at my cheek absent-mindedly, vaguely feeling as if I had read about it somewhere before, but didn''t bother to commit too much of my memory space to it because I wasn''t interested in all the various stages and realms.


    Shrugging, I glanced at the beating Nascent Soul Heart again.


    "Well, it looks pretty cool¡­I guess?"


    However, just as I took a single step forward, a cold voice that was infused with rich spiritual energy suddenly echoed across the quiet marble hall.


    "Please leave. This is not a place you can enter."

 143 Chapter 142: Nascent Soul Hear

    I was making fun of it. There was a difference.


    Anyway, I wasn''t going to describe her beauty. You''ve already read a thousand xianxia stories, so you should know the standard descriptions of beauty. Don''t worry, she didn''t have jade-colored skin ¨C someone whose flesh was a pale green wouldn''t be human. All I could say was that she had long, black hair and eyes the color of sapphire, the blue depths seeming to drown anyone bold enough to look into them.


    She was also wearing a light blue and white dress that tightly clung to her body, emphasizing her curves. Again, I wondered why she bothered wearing such impractical clothes where exploring a tomb. Probably just so she could provide fanservice for male readers. I personally thought she should wear more practical clothes for mountain-climbing and risky expeditions, but that would take away all the fun, wouldn''t it?


    Anyway, as the beautiful lady stared at me intently, I glanced around before raising an inquisitive hand.


    "Um, before you kick me out, do you mind if I ask about my friend''s whereabouts? Has Zhu Jiao, um, I mean, has a guy with spiky hair and a messy appearance come here? Where is he?"


    As the protagonist, Zhu Jiao would undoubtedly happen upon this place, the core of the ancient tomb. Yet I didn''t see him at all. Strange.


    The girl frowned at me, her brow raising upward.


    "There hasn''t been anyone else here except me. And I do not believe anyone came here before I did."


    "Uh, okay. Thank you."


    I bowed my head slightly and studied her inwardly. From my Heaven and Earth senses, I could tell that her strength was terrifying. She was definitely not inferior to Lei Yong Chun, or perhaps even stronger than him. Even though my chances of winning weren''t zero, they were still astronomical. I would have better luck trying to win the Las Vegas Open with a Thousand Sons army featuring mainly Rubric Marines and Scarab Occult Terminators instead of spamming Daemon Prince. And no, before you complain, soup is not the problem.


    Licking my lips, I assessed my options. Glancing at the Nascent Soul Heart, I concluded that I had no need of it. Hell, I never even imagined that it existed in the first place. As long as I could get my hands on something, I didn''t care what it was.


    "Don''t worry," I assured her when her icy gaze intensified. I lowered my head and cupped my hands politely. "I am Fei Wu, and I have no intention of fighting with you over the treasure. I was exploring the place and only happen to stumble upon this chamber in hopes of discovering the legacy the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner left behind. As long as you let me have the other stuff in the burial chamber, the Nascent Soul Heart is all yours. Um¡­"


    "My name is Ling Qing Zhu." The girl stared at me coldly, then her gaze relaxed a little. Even so, she remained on her guard as she observed me. "Even Lei Yong Chun and the others made a mistake and fell into the trap of the spirit formation. For you to be able to reach here, you definitely are not someone ordinary."


    "It''s a combination of luck and plot armor," I muttered under my breath. Ling Qing Zhu stared at me, but decided to ignore my last statement.


    "Since Sir Fei Wu has no intention of contesting the claim to this Nascent Soul Heart, then I will thank you first. I would prefer not to forcibly chase you away if possible. So I hope that Sir Fei Wu will not mind if I help myself to this."


    Ling Qing Zhu returned my polite manners with a bow, but I could sense the unspoken threat behind her words. If I so much as reneged on my word and tried to snatch the Nascent Soul Heart from her, she would show no mercy.


    Obviously I wasn''t that type of person. As much as I liked money, I wasn''t greedy to the extent where I would snatch something from others.


    "Sure, sure. You can have it."


    I waved at her dismissively. The girl was too terrifying, and I would prefer to avoid a conflict if it was unnecessary. I wasn''t that desperate for a Nascent Soul Heart, and since she wasn''t interested in anything else, I would be more than happy to take them while she monopolized that.


    Granted, the Nascent Soul heart was probably worth more than everything else in the chamber combined, but again, I wasn''t that greedy or desperate for treasures. I sure as hell wasn''t going to try anything funny and give her an excuse to obliterate me.


    "Coward," Qi Lin sneered. "If I were you, I would just fight her for the Nascent Soul Heart."


    I shook my head helplessly at his comment. What was wrong with these people? He sounded like all those edgelords, particularly some of the commenters on my web novel. Did they think killing and attacking everyone would solve everything? That was not how reality worked. In order to survive, sometimes you had to negotiate and compromise. You weren''t going to resolve every conflict with brute force.


    Give and take. That was the best principle to survive. Most of the times, it was best not to tread on the toes of others. Humans were social creatures and they lived through networks. Recklessly cutting off those networks and destroying a potential working relationship unnecessarily because you were too greedy or stubborn was a good way to get yourself backstabbed and plotted against in future. It was best to think long term, and not focus solely on short term gains.


    I met Ling Qing Zhu''s gaze evenly, noting that despite her gentle demeanor and polite behavior, the depths of her eyes revealed a heart that was as hard and cold as ice. Almost like the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation that I had endured.


    Gulping, I took a step back. Yup, it was best not to antagonize her if I didn''t have to.


    When she saw me withdraw, Ling Qing Zhu turned away. She had evaluated my strength and deemed that I wouldn''t pose much of a threat. She was still skeptical over how I somehow managed to reach this place, but in the end she had more important things to worry about. She had encountered many other young geniuses before, so she wasn''t that surprised. In fact, she was confident that she could easily subdue me even if I remained here and tried anything funny.


    Why do I feel as if she is looking down on me?


    I scowled when an uneasy feeling crawled upon my chest, and couldn''t help but be annoyed. That girl evidently believed that no matter what I did, I would not be able to affect her at all. That realization tempted me to fight her, to prove her wrong, but fortunately I clamped down on that useless piece of pride.


    My life and wellbeing were more important than my ego.


    Ling Qing Zhu focused her attention on the ball of light that hovered above the coffin. Like me, she had clearly seen the Nascent Soul Heart concealed within it, but she remained impassive, showing no sign of delight at all. In fact, if she didn''t just threaten me over the ownership of that thing, I never would have thought she would be interested in it at all.


    "I did not expect to find a Nascent Soul Heart here¡­"


    Her voice was filled with slight surprise. She strode over to the coffin and reached out with her hand. Azure qi protectively covered her fingers as she stretched her hand forward and grabbed hold of the ball of light.


    Bzzt!


    The ball of light reacted almost immediately, blasting Ling Qing Zhu with a ferocious wave of qi. It shuddered violently, resisting her grip as fiercely as she could.


    "Break!"


    Undaunted, Ling Qing Zhu continued to grip the ball of light tightly, and focused more qi into her hand. Realizing that brute force wasn''t the answer, she retrieved a lotus flower from her dress and ignited it. Flames crackled around the lotus petals before their owner slammed them against the ball of light with tremendous impact.


    Kaboom!


    The ball of light trembled violently under the blazing pressure, which resembled the sea of fire I had just passed through earlier. Cracks began spreading all over the ball of light, almost like cobwebs, expanding rapidly. Despite a shrill whine as the ball of light resisted with everything it had, it was evident that it was unable to withstand Ling Qing Zhu''s assault.


    The tremors did not last long. Within seconds, the ball of light exploded forcefully, the glowing energy dispersing and dissipating harmlessly. After its demise, the crimson heart it was housing was finally revealed and exposed to the open.


    "Amazing¡­"


    I couldn''t help but watch the awesome spectacle. The crimson heart, in particular, was a spectacular object that I couldn''t tear my gaze away from. The culmination of a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s cultivation, it was formed by his essence and robust qi, and contained esoteric knowledge that transcended basic martial arts.


    Whoosh!


    The moment the Nascent Soul Heart was exposed to the open for the first time in millennia, waves of qi rippled across the chamber, the amount of spiritual energy surging exponentially. I could actually hear the qi, almost like tides crashing against the beach.


    "I guess it''s only natural for the Nascent Soul Heart to possess such power. It is the most valuable and precious treasure in the ancient tomb, after all."


    Nodding thoughtfully, I continued to keep an eye on the girl, though, just in case anything interesting happened. Even if I didn''t receive any benefits, discovering something as rare and precious as the Nascent Soul Heart was still a momentous event. I was curious to see what would happen with Ling Qing Zhu afterward.


    Ling Qing Zhu withdrew from the coffin and maintained a distance from it. I kind of understood why she would do that. Nobody in their right mind would stay close to the coffin for longer than necessary. Now that she had retrieved the Nascent Soul Heart, there was no reason for her to stick around a container that contained a corpse.


    Stopping several dozen meters away, Ling Qing Zhu then examined the crimson Nascent Soul Heart in her grasp for a few moments. Once again, she ignited the lotus flower in her other hand, the blazing flames engulfing the Nascent Soul Heart voraciously. She let go of the ball of light and it floated several centimeters away, bathed in crimson flames.


    "Hmm? What is she doing?"


    To my shock, I thought Ling Qing Zhu was going to destroy the Nascent Soul Heart, but that would be a complete waste. Fortunately, I was mistaken. Even as the ferocious flames washed over the pulsing qi essence, they didn''t incinerate it.


    Hiss¡­


    Well¡­didn''t incinerate it into ash was more accurate. There were white wisps of qi billowing outward from the Nascent Soul Heart, almost like smoke, and the damned thing appeared to be melting. From the intense heat?


    My jaw dropped as I stared at the unbelievable scene. Why the fuck was Ling Qing Zhu trying to melt the Nascent Soul Heart?


    However, the beautiful girl didn''t seem concerned over the destruction of the Nasent Soul Heart. Rather, it was as she intended ¨C judging from the way she infused her lotus flower with more of the fiery qi and focused the inferno onto the poor Nascent Soul Heart.


    The moment she did that, the Nascent Soul Heart began to melt faster. Within a few minutes, the Nascent Soul Heart had completely melted into a ball of ruby red liquid.


    The liquid slowly flowed in the air, emanating an extremely potent aura of spiritual qi that caused the atmosphere to thicken. I almost felt as if I was suffocating under the tremendous pressure, as if an ocean had just flooded the chamber.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I struggled to catch my breath, closing my eyes as I withstood what felt like several tons of pressure crushing down on me. It really felt as if I had just been plunged into the bottom of the ocean, and even breathing had become more difficult. My movements gradually began sluggish, and I heaved as I tried to widen the distance.


    However, Ling Qing Zhu didn''t seem like she even noticed the pressure at all. Her glacial eyes focused entirely on the ball of ruby red liquid, and she stretched out her hand and gathered the liquid toward her. In a single, graceful movement, she swept the crimson ball of liquid into her mouth, drinking all of it at one go.


    "Whoa¡­are you kidding me?! She actually dared to swallow the Nascent Soul Heart just like that!?"


    My jaw dropped when I saw the unbelievable scene.


    "Why wouldn''t she dare to ingest the Nascent Soul Heart?" Qi Lin snapped, irritated. I stared at him, bewildered.


    "I dunno¡­wouldn''t there be¡­like, side effects or something? I mean, she just ate it raw and whole. Isn''t it safer to¡­process and refine it first?"


    Qi Lin burst out laughing. "What, do you think the Nascent Soul Heart is some sort of ore or something? Of course not! Why waste time over such methods when you can just absorb the Nascent Soul Heart directly? In fact, in its current raw form, it''s much purer than if you attempt to process and refine it!"


    "¡­oh."


    I nodded, feeling a little stupid. I should have read about this, but then again, it wasn''t as if I had read every book in this world and gained every single bit of knowledge. Things like these were bound to fall through the cracks. Good thing Qi Lin was here to explain things for me, but such a convenient arrangement wouldn''t last for long. I would have to return him to Zhu Jiao eventually.


    Speaking of which, where was Zhu Jiao? If there was anyone who would have gotten the Nascent Soul Heart, it would have been him. Yet there was no sign of him at all, and Ling Qing Zhu had beaten him to it.


    "Oh well, I guess not everything will go Zhu Jiao''s way."


    Scratching my head, I decided to go explore the burial chamber in hopes of salvaging something that might be useful. Maybe there were other treasures located within that coffin, but I wasn''t very keen on the idea of opening it and staring inside. As much as I was used to seeing corpses and dead people, I still wasn''t eager to stare at one and search through its body for treasures on my own volition.


    But if the alternative was to return home emptyhanded¡­


    "He he¡­"


    "??"


    I turned around when I heard Ling Qing Zhu''s cold laughter. Having already swallowed the liquid formed from the Nascent Soul Heart, she returned her attention to me. Her glacial eyes swept over me, causing me to feel chills once again.


    "Sir Fei Wu indeed keeps his promises. Next, I will be refining and assimilating the qi of the Nascent Soul Heart, and I hope that you will not disturb me."


    "Why the hell would I disturb you?" I retorted. "Do you think I''m some kind of bitter guy who believes that if I can''t have something, nobody can? Not everyone is a greedy bastard who selfishly thinks only of himself, you know. You''ve earned the right to the Nascent Soul Heart. I''m just going to help myself to the leftovers. That''s fair, right?"


    Ling Qing Zhu nodded. "Fair enough."


    She then gracefully sat down in the corner of the chamber and began to meditate. A crimson inferno of fiery qi began to blaze around her entire body, forming an aggressive and powerful barrier that would scorch anyone stupid enough to approach her.


    Rolling my eyes, I sighed. "You really don''t have to be on your guard around me. I seriously don''t plan on doing anything."


    "You can''t blame her. How does she know she can trust you? You''re a total stranger to her. She doesn''t know who you are."


    For once, Qi Lin actually offered a sound argument. I scratched my head and sighed.


    "You''re right."


    Glancing at Ling Qing Zhu one last time and marveling over the potency of her inferno barrier, I then turned my attention toward the chamber. There was no longer anything to spectate. Ling Qing Zhu had swallowed the Nascent Soul Heart, and would most likely spend the next few hours cultivating in that position


    If I continued watching her, I might as well be watching paint dry. Since there would most likely no longer be any interesting developments, I glanced away from her direction and examined the chamber we currently occupied.


    "Where do I start¡­?"


    Then my gaze rested on the stone coffin. Other than the coffin, the burial hall was bare, almost empty, devoid of any treasures or spirit artifacts that the other vaults were filled with. It was almost anticlimactic, to get so far and reach the last zone, the core of the ancient tomb, and find that there was so little stuff.


    Funny, now that I thought about it, I had braved both an icy hell and a river of fire¡­


    Well, there''s nothing to it. Since I''m already here, I might as well check the coffin.


    It wasn''t a pleasant prospect, but neither was the thought that I would leave this chamber emptyhanded after crossing the sea of fire with so much difficulty. There had to be something inside the coffin that would reward my efforts for getting this far.


    Or so I hoped.


    When I reached the coffin and pried the lid off, to my disappointment, all I saw was a skeleton sleeping peacefully within it, its bony arms crossed over its ribcage. For a skeleton, it was dressed in pretty extravagant robes, but I guess it was to be expected. This was most likely the corpse of the long dead Nascent Soul Stage practitioner.


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    A quick examination turned up nothing. Other than the skeleton, there was nothing else in the coffin, which was a massive disappointment.


    Well, it isn''t as if I''m returning home emptyhanded. I did grab a few stuff from the other places in the tomb, after all¡­


    Now that I thought about it, there were a lot of things I should be grateful for. So I bowed my head politely.


    "Elder, I have taken quite a few of your things¡­well, I''ll be honest. I took quite a lot of your things. An entire army''s worth, to be honest. So¡­uh, I want to express my gratitude. Thank you very much! All I can do now is pray that you rest in peace and ascend to Heaven¡­or wherever it is that you guys ascend to."


    My Christian background was coloring my thoughts here. Well¡­it''s the thought that counts, and the dead guy probably knew what I meant, wherever his soul was right now. As if in agreement, something stirred inside the skeletal, a faint wisp of qi. I might be deluding myself, but I could imagine that slight reaction as gratitude, the deceased Nascent Soul Stage practitioner expressing his appreciation for my respect in his way.


    "¡­hmm?"


    Just before I could step away, I caught sight of something. There was something tucked inside the robes. Judging from the shape, it looked like a book. A manual, perhaps?


    "Heh¡­jackpot."


    Even if I didn''t get the Nascent Soul Heart, obtaining the martial arts manual that this ancient Nascent Soul Stage practitioner would be awesome and almost as good. Feeling excitement spark in my chest, I reached out and grabbed the book, tugging it from the poor corpse''s robes and freeing it from its pocket.


    "Whoops¡­sorry. I don''t mean to disturb you. I hope you don''t mind. Well¡­it''s not as if you''ll need this book anymore, so I hope you don''t mind if I take it."


    Before I could look at the cover of the book, something else caught my eye. Subconsciously putting the book away in my spatial device, I leaned over and stared at what I first thought were Spirit Engravings on the side of the coffin walls.


    "Huh? What''s that?"


    Pushing my glasses up, I stared closely at the inscriptions, only to realize they were not Spirit Engravings but normal Chinese words. Scanning through them, I murmured under my breath as I read them out loud.


    "During my life, I''ve advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage through the power of yin and yang. What I''ve left behind requires one to understand yin and yang. Therefore, if yin and yang do not unite, then one will definitely be destroyed."


    The fuck? Did this Nascent Soul Stage practitioner read Wu Dong Qian Kun or something? Why did he completely rip off the lines from that book?


    On the other hand, the moment I understood what I had just read, and putting it together with my memories of what I had read from Wu Dong Qian Kun, the color began to drain from my face. Yeah, this had to be the forced thing that so many xianxia stories resorted to.

 144 Chapter 143: Matters of Yin and Yang

    The so-called yin and yang energy obviously wasn''t referring to the natural yin and yang qi that circulated around heaven and earth. Nope, they were referring to the male yang and female yin energy. This was essentially the infamous Double Cultivation or Shuang Xiu if you understood Chinese, where a male practitioner and a female practitioner¡­well, had sex in order to cultivate.


    Yeah, why not be blunt and say it as it is? There was no point in beating the bush or hiding it, since everyone should know what I''m talking about. It was sex between a heterosexual couple, and by sharing the male yang energy with the female practitioner and sharing the female yin energy with the male practitioner, both partners could deepen not just their relationship but their cultivation, reaching heights previously unimaginable. Yes, both heights of pleasure and power. A win-win situation for both parties, no matter how you looked at it.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t the type to think with the lower half of my body. Just because it turned into this situation didn''t mean I would just surrender to lust and fuck whatever beautiful girl throws herself at me. I had my principles, and I wasn''t like those horny bastards who were probably yelling in the comments about me being a beta male or being homosexual (which I most certainly was not, but even if I was, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it and it really was none of their businesses). Let''s be honest, you don''t go around sleeping with every beautiful woman who approaches you just becase you can. Being mentally thirty, I was a lot more responsible and moralistic than that. I could consider the emotional consequences and how morally wrong it was.


    Those readers advocating **** or sleeping around indiscriminately as long as the woman was beautiful (or as long as the other party was a woman) really ought to consider seriously what they were saying, or at least take a good, long look in the mirror.


    Besides, there was also my relationship with Tang Qi Hong to consider. Even if we weren''t officially dating, I still had feelings for her, and I wasn''t going to ignore my conscience and sleep around with other girls. Cheating was still cheating, infidelity was still infidelity, whether you were officially going out or not. I couldn''t, in my right mind, claim that I was in love with Tang Qi Hong, then go have sex with another girl.


    It was hypocritical, immoral and a clear betrayal of everything I stood for.


    ¡­okay¡­I wasn''t a saint after all. I was still a straight guy with a healthy mind and body. But just looking wasn''t cheating. Right?


    She looked fine, so for a moment I doubted what I had just read. Glancing at the text, I affirmed that the owner of the ancient tomb had really relied on Double Cultivation to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage. I frowned when I studied the small script, and suddenly realized that the owner of the ancient tomb had hidden them away, almost out of plain sight, on purpose. Normally, nobody would think to study the coffin and look for these ancient texts, not unless they were an archeologist. Or a historian like me ¨C good thing I was a literature and history major in my previous life. I would have been interested in reading whatever I caught sight of, anyway.


    But isn''t this a big problem?


    Ling Qing Zhu had went and absorbed the Nascent Soul Heart without even reading the text and realizing that she needed to¡­uh, do it to cultivate¡­because if she didn''t and completely skipped the Double Cultivation step, she would end up being destroyed by the very energy she consumed.


    This guy¡­he''s doing this on purpose, isn''t he? Even after he died, he still wants to play such pranks on people¡­


    Shaking my head at the tomb owner''s mischief, I couldn''t help but smile wryly. Whatever happened to Ling Qing Zhu was none of my business. In fact, I had best get the hell out of here before she realized what happened.


    On the other hand, Ling Qing Zhu was still maintaining a serene and calm posture as she sat down in her corner and meditated, clearly cultivating without any trace of danger. Perhaps I was mistaken and there was no risk that her body would be destroyed by the energy she had absorbed. After all, I had done something similar and absorbed over a hundred people''s qi at once. Despite the risk of the immense avalanche of qi would kill me by rupturing me from the inside out, I had survived. And I even succeeded in assimilating all that qi, though it took me two whole years to do so. That was two years well spent.


    Even if I went around hunting for magical beasts or demonic creatures to consume as the readers suggested, they would not have helped me advance my strength by much. The amount of qi they offered was pititful. While it was true that I might gain some of their attributes, it was very much a lottery. For one thing, there weren''t any attributes from magical beasts that would have helped me make up for the difference in amounts of qi between me and my peers. And for another, I couldn''t choose what attribute I absorbed. I only gained a single characteristic per species ¨C and that was when I was lucky. Most of the times, I didn''t even gain any attribute from the magical beasts I consumed. For example, I didn''t gain any attributes from the Lunar Rabbit or Ghost Bear, or even the Cobra that I ate during my time in the abyss of Sen Lin Forest.


    This was obviously to prevent abuse of such a potentially overpowered ability where I ended up gaining thousands of abilities, only for most of them to be forgotten and never mentioned again as the story went on. You know, like how the author of Eternal Reverence often bragged about Li Fu Chen mastering hundreds, if not thousands of sword techniques, but in the end nobody even remembered one percent of them. For every meteor sword or black iron sword he constantly relied on, there were dozens of other sword techniques left forgotten and never mentioned again.


    I didn''t want this to be the same situation, hence the restriction on my so-called consumption ability. That was also why I couldn''t go around absorbing every Tom, Dick and Harry''s qi with my Heaven and Earth Absorption either. The drawbacks were there to ensure I didn''t become some overpowered godlike bastard who could kill someone with a single touch. Where was the fun, or even realism in that sort of stories?


    "Don''t you think you''re going off track here?" Qi Lin growled, irritated by my excessive monologue. I realized I had been off in my world for too long, and nodded my head apologetically.


    "Sorry."


    "Don''t apologize to me!" Qi Lin snapped. "So what are you going to do? You managed to get a martial arts manual from the coffin. Aren''t you going to check it out?"


    "Yeah, I will¡­"


    I was about to retrieve the martial arts manual I had just acquired from my spatial device when I was interrupted by a huge explosion.


    Bang!


    "What¡­?!"


    I blinked and spun around when the thunderous roar of a qi shockwave rippled through the air. Trying to maintain my footing as I was buffeted by the shockwaves, I peered through my glasses and saw that the violent shockwave of qi was emanating from none other than Ling Qing Zhu. To be more precise, it was being emitted from her gorgeous body.


    "Oh boy¡­I knew it¡­"


    I groaned and shook my head as I studied her, while at the same time I was making my way toward the exit as quickly as I could.


    Inside the crimson aura of flaming qi, Ling Qing Zhu''s exposed skin, which was formerly as white as snow, had reddened. Within seconds, torrents of extremely pure yin qi erupted from her body, almost like a volcano that had just awaken. The flames grew stronger, blazing into a hellish inferno that froze the ground around her.


    Ling Qing Zhu, being a natural prodigy, immediately realized that something was amiss. Her eyes flickered open and then narrowed coldly in intense concentration. She raised her hands and unleashed an incredibly strong stream of qi that forcibly suppressed the rampaging pure yin qi that continued to ravage both her and her surroundings.


    The crimson aura flickered and raged, even as torrents of wild, berserk azure yin qi broke free from Ling Qing Zhu''s body. She struggled to suppress them, her body wracked in pain as she desperately fought to rein them in.


    Wow, impressive.


    Nodding in approval, I continued to tiptoe toward the exit while still being enamored by the view. The girl''s strength was truly amazing. If it had been anyone else, she (or he) would have been incinerated by the pure yin qi within seconds. Yet this girl not only survived, but even managed to suppress the incredible amount of frosty pure yin qi.


    I had to admire her tenacity and talent.


    Unfortunately, Ling Qing Zhu only succeeded in buying herself more time. Even though she was currently at a stalemate with the rampaging pure yin qi, she wouldn''t be able to hold out for much longer, especially since the Nascent Soul Heart was the essence of a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner. As much as I didn''t believe in all these bullshit stages, it was evident that a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner had more qi than whatever stage Ling Qing Zhu was (I think it was the Pure Spirit Stage, if I remember correctly), so it would win through sheer quantity alone no matter how much of a genius she was. Apparently there was a sheer gap in terms of quantity. Even a Space Marine in Terminator armor could be brought down by hundreds of screaming Cultists armed only with brutal assault weapons and autopistols.


    In other words, it was only a matter of time.


    As I thought, it was only a few minutes before Ling Qing Zhu finally succumbed to the berserk pure yin qi, which brutally ripped apart her defensive crimson aura and blazed around her in an azure glow. She cried out as her body was enveloped by a layer of extremely pure yin qi.


    Normally, this would be very beneficial to Ling Qing Zhu, but as they always said, too much of a good thing would be bad. Just like oxygen, you know? Did you know you could get oxygen poisoning if you inhaled too much pure oxygen? Or water toxicity if you consume too much water? The fact of the matter is that Ling Qing Zhu basically overdosed on the pure yin qi. If she was unable to dispel this pure yin qi, it would continue to accumulate in her body and eventually transform into a pure yin qi that would incinerate her body from inside out.


    "Did you know this would happen?!" Ling Qing Zhu shouted at me. Why the fuck are you blaming me? You were the one who demanded that I not contest you for the Nascent Soul heart in the first place! You reap what you sow!


    However, I didn''t shout that. I merely shook my head and plastered the best expression of innocence as I could while continuing my journey toward the door. Where the hell was the door anyway? I had been moving for so long and I still couldn''t find the exit. Did it disappear?


    "Ugh! What''s going on?"


    Ling Qing Zhu seemed to have a clue as to what was happening, but she rose to her feet and gracefully dashed over to the coffin to confirm anyway. When she finally saw the text, she snarled furiously in an icy voice.


    "How shameless!"


    Raising her snow-white hand, she unleashed a potent blast of qi, which took the shape of a gigantic palm that crushed the stone coffin of the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner to dust and rubble.


    Boom!


    My jaw dropped as I watched the stone coffin and the skeleton within get obliterated by Ling Qing Zhu''s technique. Throwing my hands up into the air, I couldn''t help but yell.


    "Oi! You were the one who selfishly took his Nascent Soul Heart for yourself, and after absorbing it, you ungratefully destroyed his coffin and body! Don''t you think you''re going too far?!"


    Ling Qing Zhu turned to me icily, and I was reminded from her murderous gaze that she was actually from a demonic sect. of course she would be ruthless and domineering, taking whatever she wanted as long as she possessed the strength to claim it.


    Raising both my hands in feigned surrender, I cautiously backed off. Where the fuck was that exit? I sure as hell didn''t want to remain in the same room as this crazy girl. There was a high chance she would crush me to death if I so much as annoyed her.


    Which I already did, apparently, but I wasn''t very keen on finding out the limits of her tolerance. Best to play nice for now¡­


    Hmm?


    While I did so, I couldn''t help but notice a faint spark of qi igniting within the debris of the stone coffin. It was very faint, but it certainly was there. I glanced at it curiously, wondering what it was. Was it the remains of the poor Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s body?


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t given much time to examine the remains of the coffin. A sudden change in Ling Qing Zhu''s body drew my attention back to her. After she destroyed the stone coffin with a palm strike, her gorgeous figure began to tremble intensely. I could sense what seemed like a ball of fire gradually expanding in the core of her body, consuming her qi. For some reason, even from this distance, I could feel the chilly waves of qi emanating from that fireball, almost like a star just about to go supernova. Her own qi was beginning to freeze as well.


    Once that ball went supernova, Ling Qing Zhu would die, being burned from the inside out.


    A real pity, but as talented as she was, it was clear that she was still no match for the remnants of a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner. It was funny¡­the guy was dead, and yet he was still somehow stronger than her.


    Well, I couldn''t blame her. Even though the owner of the ancient tomb was dead, the essence left behind by him was still the culmination of his cultivation, left behind and preserved by arcane forces before his own lifeforce expired. It was bound to be this powerful. And poor Ling Qing Zhu didn''t have the benefit of artificial qi like the orthodox martial artists who enrolled in Wu Ling Academy, so she couldn''t overpower the essence of the Nascent Soul Heart with brute force either. I wondered if the people from Wu Ling Academy could.


    Artificial qi was so convenient.


    Ling Qing Zhu''s eyes gleamed desperately. A few seconds later, she gritted her teeth (come on, man, how the fuck would she have silver-like teeth? You do realize how odd that would look, right? And it would seem as if she had lost all her teeth and needed them replaced by metal ones, which would actually make her uglier) and turned toward the only person around.


    Namely, me.


    I was still looking for the exit, and was dismayed to find that the door I had entered through had completely disappeared. No wonder I couldn''t find it even after searching for so long. What the hell was with this space?


    "Where do you think you''re going?" she demanded. I turned and shrugged.


    "I''m done with my exploration. I''m looking for the exit."


    Ling Qing Zhu narrowed her eyes, but despite the flames of the pure yang qi ravaging her body, she maintained her composure.


    "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"


    "Lady, I''ve spent like thirty minutes in this room, and it''s practically empty." I gestured around the chamber to emphasize my point. "Since there''s nothing for me to take, I might as well leave and look for treasure elsewhere in the ancient tomb."


    "You know what''s going on, don''t you?" Ling Qing Zhu didn''t believe anything I said, and asked in an icy cold voice. I shrugged.


    "Whatever do you mean?"


    Ling Qing Zhu gritted her teeth, but she couldn''t know for sure that I was pretending to be ignorant.


    "Do you know what''s wrong with the Nascent Soul Heart?"


    "Why?" I asked innocently. "Is there anything wrong with it? You''re the one who consumed it, you tell me." I tilted my head for more effect. "Actually, what are you doing? Aren''t you supposed to be cultivating and assimilating all that qi? Why did you suddenly stop and destroy the coffin? Like I said, you''re being ungrateful! Grabbing his Nascent Soul Heart, and then destroying his coffin and body! Even if you''re a demonic sect disciple, that''s going too far!"


    Ling Qing Zhu''s face flushed, as if she recalled the text on the side of the coffin. She understood that this whole predicament was her fault. She hadn''t bothered to check the coffin for the fine print (always read the fine print before signing a contract, people!). If she had been more patient and cautious and done that, she wouldn''t be in such a sorry state.


    It was hard to feel sorry for her.


    "Sir Fei Wu."


    Ling Qing Zhu managed to suppress her rage, despite the pure azure yin qi intensifying around her. As she stared at me, her originally icy voice melted, having taken on a tinge of warmth and gentleness.


    "What?"


    I was immediately on my guard. There was only one reason why her attitude toward me would change.


    She definitely wanted something from me.


    "I wish to borrow the yang qi from inside your body. After this matter is resolved, I will compensate you appropriately."


    Ling Qing Zhu''s voice was soft, but I heard every word clearly. Especially because I knew she wouldn''t just give in and engage in Double Cultivation, especially with a stranger she had only just met for the first time today.


    "And how do you intend to do that?" I asked carefully. Obviously reality wasn''t so kind as to deliver a hot girl wanting to have sex with me like this. And even if it did, I wish to remain loyal to Tang Qi Hong. "I already have a fianc¨¦e, so I''m afraid I won''t be able to help you with anything."


    There was no way I would agree to anything. And I had a feeling that this girl had no intention of offering her body to me anyway.


    "Sir, you don''t have to worry. I do not require you to have sexual intercourse with me in order to obtain yang qi. I have other means."


    With that, Ling Qing Zhu chuckled slightly, but I could see her clench her fists when she heard my rejection.


    "Kid, be careful," Qi Lin warned, suddenly showing up out of nowhere. Where have you been the entire time, you bastard?! Why were you so quiet until now? "This girl intends to forcibly absorb the yang qi from your body. If she succeeds, she''ll damage your cultivation foundations and leave longterm side effects."


    I told you reality wouldn''t be so convenient. Who would so luckily stumble into a situation where a beauty like her would just throw herself into his arms?


    "A pity¡­if she is willing to do it the usual way, then both parties will benefit. But this young lady is obviously too virtuous and too pure, and even young geniuses such as Lei Yong Chun would find it difficult to move her heart. Of course she has no intention of doing it with you."


    "I have no intention of doing anything with her either," I replied, annoyed. Shaking my head, I sighed. "But if she thinks she can just take whatever she wants because she''s strong, she''s got another one coming!"


    "Heh, really?" Qi Lin chuckled, but I ignored him. Instead, I bowed toward Ling Qing Zhu.


    "Miss Ling Qing Zhu, please look for someone else. I am most definitely not suitable at all. You should approach Lei Yong Chun or any of the others outside."


    "You!!!"


    Ling Qing Zhu''s expression turned furious when she heard my reponse. To be honest, I had no idea why the hell Ling Qing Zhu was offended. All I did was offer her much better alternatives. Surely the yang qi in Lei Yong Chun, Li Chun Long, or Jiang Jun Hao would be much better than mine.


    "Sir Fei Wu. I promise you, regardless of how great your loss, I will definitely compensate you several times over."


    Despite her fury, Ling Qing Zhu managed to maintain her composure and behave in a civilized manner that was at odds with her demonic sect background. Perhaps demonic sects weren''t as evil as the Martial Arts Alliance made them out to be. She gently took a deep breath before she spoke again, doing her best to soften her tone.


    "I''m sorry. But no amount of compensation is enough for me to sacrifice my cultivation solely for your benefit."


    Ling Qing Zhu stiffened and her eyes narrowed. I backed away from her and pressed my back against the wall, feeling for a switch, anything that would make the fucking door appear again. Nothing. I was trapped with this crazy, self-centered bitch, who only thought of her own benefits.


    I guess I have no choice but to break my way out of this cave with brute force.


    Gathering qi into my hand, I struck the stone wall. Several cracks appeared, but obviously the wall held firm. It would take me quite a long time and a lot of attacks before I could smash my way out, and Ling Qing Zhu was obviously not going to give me the time.


    Her eyes had already turned ice-cold when she saw my attempt. It was unfortunate, but based on her current condition, she couldn''t afford to wait any longer. She immediately retrieved her lotus flower and waved her hand. Several crimson lights of chains erupted from the lotus flower and surged toward my position, as if trying to tie me up.


    "Since Sir Fei Wu does not wish to cooperate, then please forgive me for coercing you."


    "Oh no. I should be the one who apologize for leaving you to die."


    I smiled wryly before stomping my leg. Before the crimson chains could reach me, a wall of ice materialized between me and them, and the chains merely collided with my glacial barrier before being deflected harmlessly.


    "!!"


    Ling Qing Zhu didn''t expect me to be able to repel her attack. Come on, I might not be as powerful as Lin Dong and I certainly didn''t possess plot armor of his magnitude, but I was far from helpless. An attack or two, I could certainly deflect it.


    "Let''s be honest, if our positions were reversed and I ask you for your yin qi, would you give it to me?" I asked behind my frost barrier. Ling Qing Zhu''s brow furrowed.


    Her silence was enough to portray her answer.


    I snorted. "See? How hypocritical. All you martial artists want are benefits for yourselves. You don''t care about the other people you trample upon as you climb toward the so-called peak of the martial way. You have completely forgotten what it means to be a martial artist."


    To be fair, though, Ling Qing Zhu was from a demonic sect, so she wouldn''t even believe in those martial artists'' principles.


    "The strong take from the weak. If you''re weaker than your opponent, then you will lose everything to her. That''s what the martial way is about."


    As I expected, Ling Qing Zhu spouted the standard lines of just about every stupid xianxia character, protagonist or not, out there. I groaned and slapped my forehead.


    "Oh, come on! Don''t tell me you really believe such bullshit like the strong eat the weak, or survival of the fittest?! Reality doesn''t work that way. No man is an island. Strength comes with responsibility. Just because you''re strong doesn''t mean you do whatever you want. If you kill all the farmers, who''s going to grow crops for you?"


    "There is no sense in debating with you."


    Ling Qing Zhu''s voice was chilly. She unleashed another flower petal from her lotus, which glowed crimson with qi before it detonated across my glacial wall. Just before she could look triumphantly at the destruction of my ice barrier, I used Jin to dash through the billowing fog and delivered a ruthless kick to her midriff.


    "Ugh!"


    Ling Qing Zhu was sent hurtling across the air, crashing into a wall and slumping down, blood dribbling down her mouth. She looked up at me in shock.


    "Sorry," I told her. "I don''t care if you''re a girl. I''m an advocate of gender equality. As long as you''re my enemy, as long as you try to hurt me, I''ll fight back and hit you with everything I''ve got. Even if you''re a girl."


    "I don''t think that''s what she''s shocked about," Qi Lin muttered. I glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.


    "Oh, really?"


    Qi Lin sighed. "She''s just surprised that you overpowered her. She didn''t think you would be this strong." He smiled. "As expected of the guy who fought almost on par with my disciple in last year''s school tournament."


    Of course Qi Lin would have watched that match, so he was aware of my loss to Zhu Jiao in last year''s finals. Speaking of which, where was Zhu Jiao? He should be the one having this miraculous encounter, not me.


    "Just who are you?" Ling Qing Zhu demanded as she shakily got to her feet, trying to suppress the raging pure yin qi at the same time. I cocked my head to the side and stared at her as if she had asked a stupid question. Which she had, actually.


    "I''m Fei Wu. I''m pretty sure I already introduced myself. And you''ve been addressing me by my name this entire time."


    "That''s not what I meant!" Ling Qing Zhu snapped. "I''ve never heard of someone from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect being this powerful!"


    Oh, so she remembered I was from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. probably when I decoded and reprogrammed the Spirit Engraving of the barrier that was protecting the ancient tomb from explorers outside.


    "Well, now you have."


    Ling Qing Zhu gritted her teeth, and in a flash, she transformed her crimson lotus flower into a crimson sword, the blade blazing ferociously.


    "Ho¡­"


    I smiled as I reached inside my spatial device for my newly acquired treasure weapon.


    "Time to test this new sword out."


    "Wait!"


    "Huh?"


    I glanced at Qi Lin, caught off guard by his exclamation. Scratching my head, I wondered what he wanted me to wait for¡­


    ¡­and then I understood. It was faint, but I could sense something in the distance. Not very far away, given that it was within the chamber, but quite some length away from where Ling Qing Zhu and I were fighting.


    It was the glowing red light that I had sensed in the coffin earlier.


    "Hmm? That''s¡­!"


    "??"


    Ling Qing Zhu blinked when she noticed that I was no longer staring at her. Following the direction of my glance, she turned toward the broken remains of the stone coffin.


    "Aw, man¡­what the hell are the two of you doing?!"


    The voice came from the glowing red light, which was now hovering over the broken remnants of the stone coffin. In a few seconds, the red light rapidly expanded and took a humanoid shape before transforming fully into the visage of a stylish man who seemed to be in his thirties.


    The illusion of the stylish man spread his hands, a mischievous smile stretching across his good-looking face, and then uttered the most hippie slogan ever.

 145 Chapter 144: Master of the Tomb

    "Seriously? Is that the best you can do? Ripping off a hippie slogan from the 1960s?"


    The stylish man ignored my snide remark as he swept his gaze from me to Ling Qing Zhu. Despite his visible features, he was still a glowing illusion that was insubstantial and not solid. As I said earlier, he looked like he was still in his thirties, with nice features and for some reason, he also seemed like a scholar.


    I could relate to that, though I had a lot less hair when I was his age.


    "Who are you?"


    Upon seeing the newcomer who abruptly appeared before us, Ling Qing Zhu demanded in a low voice as she narrowed her eyes.


    "Are you an idiot?" I snapped, rolling my eyes. "Isn''t it obvious that he''s the master of the ancient tomb?"


    "That is correct!" the master of the ancient tomb chuckled and nodded with a smirk. "And what a violent young lady. You smashed my coffin and skeleton to bits, and you still have the audacity to ask who I am?"


    Ling Qing Zhu turned a little pale, her slightly reddish cheeks losing the color for a few seconds despite the pure yin qi ravaging her.


    "You¡­you really are the master of the tomb?"


    "Duh," I muttered. "How many times do you want us to tell you that?"


    "Heh, you don''t have to worry. I really am dead." The scholarly man assured us with a laugh. "This form is only the remains of my qi essence. To be honest, my soul had been sealed inside my coffin, so if you didn''t destroy it, I would never have appeared."


    "So it''s your fault!" I yelled, jabbing an accusatory finger at the stunned Ling Qing Zhu. "I told you not to disrespect the dead!"


    She ignored me and instead gritted her teeth, glaring angrily at the owner of the tomb. "You''re so shameless! How can an elder like you resort to such despicable means?!"


    "What despicable means?" I asked, bewildered. Fortunately, the scholarly man was on hand to answer.


    "The relationship between a man and a woman is as natural as the balance of yin and yang in heaven and earth, so how can you call it shameless?" the scholarly man countered elegantly. "As long as a couple is engaged in a harmonious relationship where they complement each other, don''t you think that''s for the best?"


    "Not to mention the shameless one is you," I muttered. "Taking other people''s things, then smashing their coffins and disrespecting the dead. Then you go around accusing other people of being shameless after you shamelessly took his belongings for your own benefit. Hypocritical, don''t you think so?"


    "Silence!" Ling Qing Zhu snapped. Sucking in a deep breath, she glared at the scholarly man. "And I''ll settle this problem myself!"


    "I will definitely repay him, there is no need for you to interfere!"


    "You must be joking!" I yelled angrily. "No amount of repayment will be enough to cover for damage to my cultivation and wasting my years of training! What makes you think you can compensate for destroying my foundation? It''s not something you can attach a value to! No amount of compensation can cover for that!"


    "I agree with the youngster," the scholarly man agreed with a nod. "I cannot approve of your method."


    A strange smile then crept across his face as he swept his gaze over me and Ling Qing Zhu. I felt a sudden chill when he smiled slightly.


    "Kid, you''re really lucky. Even I have never seen such an absolute beauty before. You must treat her well in future."


    "Nope," I replied. "I''m sorry, but I already have another person in my heart. I will have to reject your kind intentions."


    "Kind intentions?" the scholarly man repeated, tilting his head to the left in confusion. Dude, I already read Wu Dong Qian Kun, I knew what was coming.


    "What do you plan on doing?" Ling Qing Zhu''s expression had turned frosty when she heard the dialogue between the two of us, and her voice had taken a more glacial tone.


    "I would appreciate it if you just stop her," I continued as if she hadn''t spoken. "No need to do anything further than that."


    "Stop her¡­?" the scholarly man looked at me, bemused. "Kid, aren''t you misunderstanding something? What do you think I will be doing?"


    "Uh¡­" This was not going the way I was expecting. "Aren''t you going to¡­like, make her feel horny, cause some aphrodisiac effect and force us to sleep with each other or something?"


    "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"


    I was taken aback when the scholarly man roared with laughter, doubling over as he clutched his stomach. He raised his head and wiped the tears from his eyes.


    "Are you kidding me? Kid, I''m already dead. I''m a bloody ghost! There''s nothing I can do to affect the living¡­except maybe offer advice or instructions. I certainly can''t cause an aphrodisiac effect and force you to perform Double Cultivation with each other. Look, I know she''s an absolute beauty, but such things don''t just conveniently happen for you to get laid. And besides, **** is still ****. No matter how you skew it, you can''t ever justify it."


    "No, no¡­I''m with you on that. Thank you for not ripping off Wu Dong Qian Kun and resorting to those usual **** tropes. I find them sickening and disgusting." I displayed a thumb''s up and nodded, pleased. I could get along with this dude.


    "Still¡­it''s quite a waste." The scholarly man glanced at Ling Qing Zhu. "Just look at her. A single glance can cause a city to crumble, and a second glance would ruin an entire kingdom."


    "What is it with you guys and Yang Gui Fei/Concubine Yang tropes? You think I''m some ancient Emperor or something?! Or Paris from Troy?"


    "No matter¡­the problem is that¡­because I''m a ghost, I''m unable to help you. You''ll have to deal with the matter on your own. Of course, if you want to maintain your cultivation, the only way to save that young lady over there is to have sex with her."


    I shrugged callously. "I mean, she didn''t care if I live or die as long as she could forcibly suck my yang qi. So why should I care if she lives or dies from her own mistake? Especially when she threatened me just so she can monopolize your Nascent Soul Heart? I have no obligation to help her."


    "You¡­!"


    Ling Qing Zhu grew a bit redder when she heard that. Tough luck, lady. You think I was some sort of saint who wanted to save everyone? Nope, the moment you threatened me and tried to forcibly suck my yang qi, you burned all your bridges with me. I wasn''t some sort of heroic protagonist who tried to save everyone I met.


    "What will you do?" the scholarly man asked. "This young lady is pretty strong, and I don''t think she''ll just let you walk away."


    "Speaking of which, where the hell is the exit?" I asked the master of the tomb and gestured toward the smooth walls. "The door from which I entered has disappeared! Did you have anything to do with it?"


    The scholarly man smiled mischievously. "How about this? If you take this lady as your lover and perform Double Cultivation with her, I''ll open the door for you."


    This bastard, still trying to drive the situation toward ****. If that was the case, then I certainly did not require his help.


    "Fine," I replied as I pushed my broken glasses up. "I''ll just force my way out myself."


    "Are you sure you want to do that?"


    "I definitely will not **** anybody," I swore. "I''m not a fucking bastard who only thinks with my lower half. And I told you, I already have someone else in my heart. I''m not going to betray her for¡­uh, benefits."


    The scholarly man chuckled as he shook his head. "I rarely see any man with a will as strong as yours. If you escape this predicament, you''ll definitely go far in life."


    He glanced at the attacking Ling Qing Zhu, who was raising her snow-white hand. Crimson qi gathered around it and blasted toward me with tremendous power.


    "But first, you''ll have to survive her onslaught and prevent her from forcibly draining you of your yang qi."


    "Oh, that''s the top item on my list of to do," I assured him. Using a footwork technique, I easily evaded the crimson blast.


    Boom!


    Behind me, the crimson qi left a blazing scorched mark and a small crater. As annoyed as I was with her, I had to admit that Ling Qing Zhu''s power was pretty impressive.


    "Don''t you think you''re only speeding up your death if you recklessly use your qi like this instead of suppressing the pure yin qi?" I asked dryly. Ling Qing Zhu''s beautiful face twitched.


    "I would die either way, so I might as well ensure I take your yang qi before I meet my demise!"


    "Not going to happen."


    I avoided her next attack with Duo, her crimson flames scorching the formerly white marble floor black.


    "Hmm, this is quite the interesting match. Who do you think will win?"


    The scholarly man hovered next to a stunned Qi Lin, who gaped at him.


    "You can see me?"


    "Of course. We''re both ghosts. Why wouldn''t I be able to see you?"


    "You''ve got a point." Qi Lin nodded reluctantly. "And here I was, thinking that I succeeded in concealing my presence."


    "Is that youngster your disciple? He seems pretty capable."


    Qi Lin sighed when the scholarly man praised me. "Unfortunately, no. he just happened to pick me up¡­he''s actually the best friend of my disciple." A grin then spread over his wrinkled face. "But he lost to my disciple in the school tournament final last year."


    "School tournament final?" the scholarly man raised an eyebrow. Then he shrugged. "Seems like a lot of things have changed over the last thousand or so years."


    "Never mind thousands of years¡­things have changed a lot since two hundred years ago, when I was alive!"


    "Two hundred years? Hah! You''re pretty young when compared to me!"


    While the two ghosts socialized and caught up on¡­whatever it was that ghosts caught up on¡­I was fleeing for my life.


    "Hah!"


    Yelling, Ling Qing Zhu hurled another blast of flames from her lotus flower at me. I dodged it with more footwork, but this time I froze an ice dagger into existence and slammed it against the ground, leaving a visible mark.


    "!!!"


    I didn''t make much of a carving before Ling Qing Zhu assaulted my position. Using Duo to escape and appear behind her, I repeated the maneuver, scratching at the ground with my ice dagger.


    "You!"


    Ling Qing Zhu spun around, and with a flick of her hand, sent a stream of flames at me, but I was already moving, disappearing into a blur and moving on to the next spot. At the same time, I stabbed the ground with my ice dagger.


    "Oh¡­Teacher Jiao is right. Once I mastered these footwork techniques, no one in my generation will be able to touch me¡­it really is true!"


    I was actually impressed by my ability to run rings around a frustrated Ling Qing Zhu. It was true that she possessed more firepower than I did, but I had the advantage in speed. No matter how much she attacked, I quickly evaded her bombardment of fiery qi with astonishing ease, my feet moving nonstop. I even had some time to carve symbols into the ground with my icy dagger before she turned around to blast at me.


    At least she wasn''t yelling at me to stop moving around. That would be so retarded and clich¨¦. Apparently she had the dignity to maintain her composure and not resort to throwing childish tantrums when something didn''t go her way.


    Instead, Ling Qing Zhu infused her body with more qi to speed up her attacks, spinning around like a whirlwind and flinging torrents of flames that incinerated stone and everything it touched. To my relief, her flames didn''t burn away the marks I left on the ground, just charring the marble and leaving a fine layer of ash.


    That I could deal with.


    "His movements are fast¡­what a troublesome opponent!"


    Ling Qing Zhu was murmuring to herself. In spite of her desperation and rage, she was impressed by my speed and agility. Knowing that she wouldn''t be able to land a hit on me if she continued her current pattern of attacks, she suddenly switched tactics.


    "I can''t believe this man force me to use this!"


    Her crimson lotus glowed, and in an instant it transformed into a sword. Instead of relying on ranged attacks, Ling Qing Zhu lunged forward, swinging her sword down with terrifying speed.


    "!!!"


    I didn''t expect her to suddenly accelerate at me¡­or I did, thanks to my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, but she was so fast she caught me off guard. I could barely raise my ice dagger while materializing an ice shield at the same time before her blazing sword struck my hastily erected defenses and incinerated them.


    Boom!


    "Gah!"


    My ice shield and dagger shattered instantly from the impact and I was sent hurtling backward, blood gushing out of my mouth. Shaking my hands and freezing the flames that crawled over them, I raised my head and glared at Ling Qing Zhu.


    She looked surprised, staring at me before glancing back at her blazing red sword in disbelief.


    "You actually are still able to stand after receiving a blow from my Crimson Lotus Sword?"


    I shrugged. "Why is that surprising? It''s not as if you struck with all your strength, did you?"


    There was one very obvious reason why she held back. If she struck with all her strength and accidentally killed me, she wouldn''t be able to absorb my yang qi. It was more for practical concerns than compassion that she restrained herself.


    "Even so¡­someone of your stage shouldn''t be able to maintain consciousness after receiving a direct hit from my Crimson Lotus Sword!"


    Gritting her teeth, she cocked her arm back, getting ready for another vicious strike.


    "Again!"


    I was under no illusions that I could endure another strike from her. I was still going to do my best to evade, but on the off chance that I would be forced to parry her attack again¡­


    As if sensing what I might do, Ling Qing Zhu accelerated toward me, almost catching me by surprise. Before I could draw anything from my spatial device, I was forced to evade as best as I could, even as I conjured a wall of ice.


    Smash!


    Ling Qing Zhu swept the glacial barrier aside as if it was nothing more than an annoying layer of thin glass. Fortunately, the few microseconds that the shattered ice wall bought me was more than enough. Delayed ever so slightly, the tip of the blade of Ling Qing Zhu''s Crimson Lotus Sword only managed to nick the front of my shirt.


    "Hey!"


    I cried out when my Golden Dragon Medallion flew out. If it had been the golden amulet that carried Qi Lin''s ghost, I wouldn''t have cared less, but the Golden Dragon Medallion was something that I had become attached to over the years of carrying it around. It certainly caused me no end of trouble at the beginning, but it was the only physical proof that could serve as memory for my master. I didn''t want to lose it.


    "That''s¡­!"


    Ling Qing Zhu''s eyes widened when she caught sight of the Golden Dragon Medallion and she froze momentarily. I ignored her shock as I dove to catch the Golden Dragon Medallion before stuffing it inside an unbroken pocket.


    "¡­that''s the Medallion of the Heaven and Earth Sect! How did you get your hands on it?!"


    "I have no obligation to answer that," I replied stiffly as I seized the chance to widen the distance between us. Damn, but that door was still missing. Earlier, she had caused an inferno and I had froze it, so there should be ice that stood where the exit had been. But now, we were surrounded by smooth marble walls, with no sign of ice except the one I had recently created.


    "Are you the successor to the Heaven and Earth Sect? Aren''t you from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? How¡­?"


    Ling Qing Zhu was still mumbling to herself, but then she shook her head and her glacial eyes hardened.


    "No. None of that matters right now. I need your yang qi."


    "And I need you to give up and leave me alone!"


    I backed away, but Ling Qing Zhu managed to catch up in what seemed like overwhelming speed, slashing down with her Crimson Lotus Sword.


    Clang!


    "?!"


    The two of us jumped apart in a shower of sparks. Ling Qing Zhu''s eyes widened when she saw the sword in my hand. During the brief delay, I had finally succeeded in reaching into my spatial device and drawing my weapon.


    "That''s the Azure Lotus Sword! Why¡­?!"


    "Because I''m the second coming of Eugeo," I replied with all the seriousness that a troll could possibly muster. "I''m Eugeo who reincarnated into a cultivation world after getting killed in the Alicization arc just so Kirito can monopolize Alice and have his harem."


    "Huh? What are you talking about?"


    Ling Qing Zhu narrowed her eyes, probably aware that I was just trolling her. She shook her head and cleared her throat.


    "I mean, how did you get your hands on that Azure Lotus Sword?!"


    "I don''t see how it''s any of your business," I replied as I deflected a strike from her Crimson Lotus Sword, noting the look she was giving my newly acquired treasure weapon. I then noticed how similar her Crimson Lotus Sword was to my Azure Lotus Sword. Both weapons sported the same elegant craftsmanship and design, meaning they were most likely forged by the blacksmith. In fact, the only contrasting difference between them was their color.


    One was a deep red, while the other was a light blue. Yet, the both of them sported the same lotus motifs and almost identical guards and hilts.


    "You truly are a mystery."


    Flames ignited along Ling Qing Zhu''s Crimson Lotus Sword as she swung it, blasting me with flames. I used the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula to freeze the inferno that engulfed me, and then followed up with a Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike that almost knocked Ling Qing Zhu off course. While she stumbled back, I stabbed my blade into the floor and inscribed something before jumping off to avoid another torrent of flames.


    Ling Qing Zhu used a footwork technique of her own to dash toward me, and almost caught me by surprise. So that was how she was accelerating. I dodged her blade by a hair''s breadth, inclining my head to the side, and then returned with a riposte that forced her to parry. In a few seconds, the flames around her sword froze into ice.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    With the pure yin qi still ravaging her body, Ling Qing Zhu couldn''t afford to receive another blast of frosty yin qi from me. She wisely retreated, but not before firing off a parting shot. Another inferno burst up to consume me, but I hacked it apart with a swing of my Azure Lotus Sword.


    "Enhance Armament!" I shouted jokingly and stabbed the ground.


    "Huh?!" was all Ling Qing Zhu managed to squeak before the entire chamber became shrouded in ice. She tried to jump back, but there was nowhere for her to escape. Within seconds, she found her body entombed within ice. "Ugh!"


    She tried to swing her Crimson Lotus Sword or blast her way out of the ice with superheated flames, but found her movements locked and her fiery yang qi snuffed out by the overwhelming cold. Struggling futilely, she found her movements growing more sluggish, until she was completely encased in ice up to her neck.


    "What did you do to me?!"


    "Ninety Yin Ice Hell Formation." I pulled my sword out of the ground and placed it back in the spatial device. "It''s a miniature version of the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation in this ancient tomb that I encountered earlier. I recorded the Spirit Engravings of the formation when I was in there¡­" I tapped my glasses. On the surface of my lenses, a diagram popped up, replicating the Spirit Engraving patterns in full detail. I had referred to it all this time, carving the Spirit Engraving symbols into the ground while using my footwork techniques to evade Ling Qing Zhu''s attacks. "It''s not as potent, but it''s not as deadly either."


    "Oh¡­very impressive!"


    The scholarly man applauded from a distance when he saw that. He shook his head, his expression becoming that of amazement.


    "Not bad! Not bad at all! I didn''t think anyone would be able to analyze, memorize and replicate my Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation! Moreover, this youngster even improvised and created a miniature version! Excellent!"


    He then glanced at Qi Lin, who was hovering beside him.


    "It''s really a waste that you didn''t take him as your disciple!"


    "For one thing, I didn''t memorize the Spirit Engravings. As ashamed as I am to admit it, my memory is not that good. I wish I have photographic memeory, but I''m just an ordinary guy with no talent. Fortunately I have this." I tapped my glasses, which continued to display the recording of the Spirit Engravings of the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation in my lenses. "And you made it pretty easy ¨C the Ninety Yin Ice Hell Formation is just the core Spirit Engravings. The Nine Hundred and Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation are just additional layers built upon that core."


    "Heh¡­I can''t believe you understand all that."


    "It''s thanks to the elders at the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect who taught me Spirit Engravings. And also thanks to my literature and history background, which allows me to analyze images and art."


    Feeling a little embarrassed, I waved his praise away.


    "Also," Qi Lin continued, unseen and unheard by the struggling Ling Qing Zhu, but obviously in dialogue with the scholarly man. "As regretful as I am not to have such an outstanding youngster as my disciple, he already has a more appropriate master. Did you not see the techniques that he had learned?"


    The scholarly man frowned. "I''m not sure I recognize them¡­an ice technique? I do recognize the sword technique, though. Isn''t that the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship from the Heavenly Meteor Sect? Ah¡­he must be a disciple from there."


    "The Heavenly Meteor Sect has been destroyed for years now¡­and I don''t think so." Qi Lin shook his head thoughtfully. "I was referring more to his cultivation technique rather than combat technique. Did you not realize something about his movements and qi?"


    "Ah¡­! I see!" the scholarly man''s eyes widened. "The Heaven and Earth Formula! No wonder it felt so familiar! And that explains the medallion! He really is the successor to the Heaven and Earth Sect!"


    Now that was heard by Ling Qing Zhu. Her formerly frosty expression turned complicated as she stared at me.


    "You''ve defeated me," she said. "Now what? Are you going to kill me?"


    I shrugged. "Why should I?"


    Ling Qing Zhu looked sour. "It doesn''t matter. If I don''t control this pure yin qi, I''m going to die anyway. You might as well give me a quick death and be done with it. If there''s any honor in you, you shouldn''t revel in my suffering and draw it out."


    I sighed. "I have no intention of reveling in your suffering¡­but I have no obligation to kill you or help you either. Especially since you''re the one who first threatened me, and then tried to forcibly suck my yang qi. That said¡­"


    I approached her. Ling Qing Zhu stiffened, but other than her head, the rest of her body was locked in ice. She then adopted an expression of resignation and held her head up as highly as she could, as if to defy me.


    "Go on, do your worst."


    Ignoring her, I placed my hand on the ice. Closing my eyes, I began to use Heaven and Earth Absorption to draw the pure yin qi from her body, siphoning off the rampaging energies and drinking heavily in them.


    "¡­kuh¡­!"


    I gritted my teeth as the pure yin qi attacked me. This was not the best method. To be honest, the best and safest method was still Double Cultivation¡­or simply put, to have sex with her, but neither Ling Qing Zhu nor I was willing, and I wasn''t going to resort to ****. I wasn''t Yun Che from Against the Gods, who justified **** by claiming to save the other party''s life, and I wasn''t a lucky bastard like Lin Dong who got laid in the most contrived manner possible.


    I had no choice but to do this the hard way.


    "You¡­!"


    Ling Qing Zhu''s expression turned even more complex when she saw me struggling to withstand the onslaught of pure yin qi. Her shoulders sagged a little.


    "Sorry¡­perhaps I shouldn''t have been so stubborn."


    "Hmm¡­interesting!"


    The scholarly man, on the other hand, watched on with fascination. He nodded in approval and clapped his hands joyfully.


    "There is this method too! But, kid, it''s unfortunate that it''s only a temporary measure. If you try to absorb it this way, you will still be unable to absorb all of the pure yin qi in the beauty''s body. Large traces of pure yin qi will remain in her body and continue to threaten her life until the day she finally accedes to Double Cultivation."


    "Well, Miss Ling Qing Zhu can find someone else for that once she gets out of this place alive. But first she''ll need to be able to survive long enough to do so. I''ll buy her enough time for her to find the appropriate person, or perhaps until she finds an alternative that can totally cure her once and for all."


    The scholarly man shook his head. "Kid, you don''t understand. You''ll be having that pure yin qi in your body as well¡­hmm, oh well. Not only that, but to think one of you possess the Crimson Lotus Sword, and the other owns the Azure Lotus Sword. A pair of legendary swords forged by the same blacksmith, mirrors of each other, and also complementing each other like yin and yang. This can''t just be a coincidence! I think your fates will be entwined, regardless of what you do here today. Perhaps in future, both of you might finally give your consent."


    I smiled bitterly. "Don''t raise such ominous flags. I have no intention of betraying the person I like."


    "Whoever that lady is, she must be very lucky."


    Ling Qing Zhu closed her eyes and whispered. I raised an eyebrow at that, but didn''t inquire further. Especially since I was fighting against the devastating pure yin qi.


    "Well, I''ll leave you youngsters to it and watch over you from afar."


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    "You''re leaving?" Qi Lin asked, surprised. The scholarly man grinned.


    "Yup. Now that my Nascent Soul Heart has been absorbed, there is no longer any reason for me to linger in this world. I''m going to ascend!"


    With that, he dispersed into countless balls of light and disappeared from this realm forever.


    "Huff¡­"


    I broke contact with Ling Qing Zhu''s frozen body and staggered backward, trying to resist the nausea and blazing sensation inside my body. I had only absorbed a fraction ¨C a mere fraction ¨C of the pure yin qi, and already I felt like I was going to freeze to death.


    There was no way I could absorb all of it. Ling Qing Zhu had to suppress so much of this pure yin qi in order to stay alive?! It was a miracle she hadn''t been reduced to a frozen corpse.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Even worse, even though by right the pure yin qi should have been a similar elemental affinity to mine ¨C ice ¨C for some reason I was unable to assimilate it immediately. Perhaps it was the purity, or maybe there was something strange about the pure yin qi that was formerly from the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner, but it was different from the usual ice qy I was used to. I wouldn''t be assimilating it anytime soon. I needed a few hours at least before I could safely integrate the absorbed pure yin qi into my own system.


    "Sir Fei Wu."


    I glanced up at Ling Qing Zhu as she spoke seriously.


    "You''ve done enough. You''ve absorbed enough pure yin qi from my body and provided me some of your yang qi in exchange¡­it might only be temporary, but I will be able to suppress the pure yin qi inside my body for a while. In that time period, I will return to my sect and ask my master for possible solutions."


    She took a deep breath, her usually glacial eyes now gentle and earnest.


    "This debt, I will definitely not forget. I''ll repay you for saving my life, even though I was so¡­rude to you before."


    "Don''t worry about that." I waved her gratitude away. "I didn''t manage to cure you of your condition, only bought you some time. I didn''t save your life."


    "Yes, you did."


    Sighing, I closed my eyes for a second before stepping forward. Not wanting to argue with her, but realizing she no longer possessed the will to attack me and suck my yang qi, I reached out to free her from the ice.


    At that moment, a single section of the wall shimmered and a door materialized.


    Bang!


    Before I could make physical contact with the ice, the door slammed open and a group of people poured in.


    "Eh?"


    Turning around, I caught sight of not just Lei Yong Chun and his party who was trapped inside the spirit formation of the sea of fire outside, but also their accompanying sect members. In other words, almost all the Red Phoenix Sect members, the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members, many Green Dragon Sect members and a huge range of disciples from various sects were also present. Apparently they finally managed to break through the formation through sheer number of people.


    "Senior Qing Zhu!"


    The first thing the Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples saw was their head disciple being frozen. And then they caught sight of me reaching out to her. From their point of view, it looked as if I was about to attack her.


    "You¡­!"


    "Wait¡­wait!"

 146 Chapter 145: How troublesome

    "Enhance Armament!"


    "¡­seriously?" Lei Yong Chun slapped his forehead. "Why the fuck are you ripping off Sword Art Online now?"


    "Because the Alicization arc is the best part of an otherwise mediocre series?" I replied. The Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples quickly reacted, all of them jumping back and withdrawing to a safe distance as they watched me cautiously.


    Shin¡­


    Nothing happened.


    "Oh, right¡­" the color drained from my face when I realized what was happening. I had just absorbed the pure yin qi from Ling Qing Zhu and had yet to assimilate it. Right now, I was completely vulnerable and unable to execute any qi techniques.


    In other words, I was a helpless, sitting duck with no means of fighting back. Or at least no spiritual means of fighting back, anyway. I could always use harsh language.


    "You¡­" one of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples growled when he realized that I had failed to execute any techniques. "Are you making a fool out of us, you bastard?!"


    "No, I wouldn''t dare!" I protested, raising both my hands and shaking my head frantically. Putting my Azure Lotus Sword back in my spatial device, I tried to placate their anger. "Listen to me! I''m not attacking Miss Ling Qing Zhu!"


    "What do you think you''re doing? Making an enemy out of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect? I mean, I know they''re a demonic sect, but you''ve got to be crazy, antagonizing so many of them like this!"


    It was Nan Ke who spoke up next. She wasn''t paying any attention to what I said, and was shaking her head in disapproval.


    "Hmph." Flanked by Qing Xin Xia and the other Green Dragon Sect disciples, Li Chun Long sneered. "Just as I expected from you, Fei Wu. Always getting into trouble. One of these days, you''re going to run out of lives."


    "Can you guys stay quiet for a moment and let me explain?!" I snapped. "I''m trying to free Ling Qing Zhu from the ice, not attack her!"


    "Why should we believe you?" one of the other Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples retorted. "We know you''re an ice user."


    "Uh, how did you know that?" I didn''t remember using any ice techniques in front of them, but apparently my reputation preceded me.


    "You¡­I remember you! You''re that bastard Zhu Jiao''s accomplice! Helping him steal the Spirit Treasure Weapon from me after he launched a sneak attack on me!" Jiang Jun Hao poured more oil onto the fire as he jabbed an accusatory finger at me.


    "Hah!" Jiang Jun Hao snorted. "Who''s going to believe a liar like you?!"


    What the fuck?! Who was the liar, dude?!


    Unfortunately, Jiang Jun Hao''s fellow Heavenly Way Sect disciples gathered around him, siding with him and reinforcing the Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples as they surrounded me. I braced myself, getting ready to fight back without qi techniques.


    "Stop right there!"


    A familiar voice rang out, and Bai Ning Xue and the White Tiger Sect showed up, along with Zhu Jiao. Lightning crackled around them, clashing with the flames emanating from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples. The two groups faced off fiercely.


    "We all saw what happened!" Bai Ning Xue declared. "That''s utter bullshit! Zhu Jiao took the Spirit Treasure Weapon fair and square! But you''re the one who launched the sneak attack! All of us can testify to that!"


    "Ugh¡­!" Jiang Jun Hao''s face turned pale, but he didn''t back down. Seeing that, Zhu Jiao glowered at him.


    "Besides, this is between you and me! Why are you targeting Fei Wu?!"


    "Because I happened to be here first," I replied dryly. "Trust me, if you were the one here instead of me, he would have happily looked for any excuse to attack you!"


    "Bastard¡­" Zhu Jiao growled. "If you want a fight, I''ll give you one!"


    "Hah!" Looking around, Jiang Jun Hao saw that the two sects ¨C the Incendiary Ifrit Sect and the Heavenly Way Sect ¨C had the White Tiger Sect members outnumbered. Not that Kuang Hu minded. He was grinning gleefully as he prepared for battle. Similarly, Zhu Jiao had allowed his righteous fury to sweep him along with the flow, and was getting ready to fight. Bai Ning Xue and the others looked a little more reluctant, but they refused to back down on their morals. Seeing that his side had the advantage, especially with the Red Phoenix Sect seeming neutral and the Green Dragon Sect more inclined to join him, he grinned. "That doesn''t change the fact that this fucker attacked the head disciple of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect!"


    "That''s right." Li Chun Long stepped forward. Most of his sect members looked around, not sure what to do ¨C especially Qing Xin Xia, when she saw that Zhu Jiao was on the opposite side ¨C but a significant number of Green Dragon Sect disciples also moved to support him. "We''ll have to make sure justice is served."


    "You call this justice?!"


    This time, it was a new but familiar voice. Trampling through the door was the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Tang Qi Hong burst in, her spear already on hand. Following closely were Lian Rou, Tong Xue, and to my surprise, Zi Xiao Ji and her bodyguards, Zhao Shi and Da Ge. Basically, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members who I was closest to.


    Now that they had shown up, the odds had become a lot more even. The other side still outnumbered us slightly because of half of the Green Dragon Sect stepping in, but they recognized Tang Qi Hong, Zi Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge. Even Tong Xue had some reputation as one of the Blood Blades. They didn''t dare to move carelessly because they knew they would suffer heavy casualties if they forced the issue.


    Furthermore, Liang Shao Yang and Hu Mei Er chose to show up too. They maintained a slight distance, Liang Shao Yang''s lip curling to a sneer as he watched me. The guy didn''t harbor a grudge against me, but he didn''t seem very enthusiastic about fighting for me either.


    I didn''t blame him. At least he wasn''t going to join the other party and try to drag me down. It would call into question his commitment to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect if he openly sided with outsiders against someone from his own sect, and threaten his position as the current head disciple (he was currently tied with Tang Qi Hong).


    "You guys¡­when¡­?"


    I was baffled at how they got here, given that I couldn''t find them ever since I began this whole expedition.


    "We were the ones who deciphered the Spirit Engravings of the Sea of Fire Spirit Formation outside and decoded them," Zi Xiao Ji explained with a satisfied smile. "Without us, none of these people would have made it in here."


    That was true. When I first passed through the Sea of Fire, I only saw Lei Yong Chun, Sui Sha Yu, Nan Ke, Li Chun Long and the most elite of disciples. Suddenly, a huge number of normal disciples had flooded into the room, and I was pretty sure they didn''t just waltz through the Sea of Fire or gotten to here through luck alone.


    I see. So the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had deactivated the spirit formation in order to allow everyone to pass through it.


    "If you want to attack our fellow sect member, you''ll have to get through us too!" Tang Qi Hong growled as she stood in front of me protectively.


    "That''s right!" Tong Xue grinned.


    "Ahem¡­"


    Everyone turned to Feng Tian Yong, who was clearing his throat. He raised a hand, trying not to look too confused.


    "I don''t mean to dampen your parade when all of you have your fighting spirits ignited like this, but don''t you think we should listen to what Fei Wu has to say before we all start fighting?"


    Finally, someone with some common sense. I breathed a sigh of relief and bowed gratefully to the red-haired guy, who winked at me.


    "Tian Yong is right," Nan Ke agreed. "That boy over there was saying that he didn''t attack Ling Qing Zhu. How did she get in that ice then?"


    "The Ninety Yin Ice Hell Formation," I replied. Everyone turned to stare at me.


    "But weren''t you the one who inscribed that whatever formation into the chamber?" Jiang Jun Hao insisted. Well, I was, but I wasn''t sure I should admit that. Unfortunately, there was no point lying. Everyone could sense my qi from the Niniety Yin Ice Hell Formation.


    "Yeah, but it was an accident¡­"


    "Like we''ll believe you!" one of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members shouted.


    Nan Ke sighed. "Well, before we start judging anyone, don''t you think the most important thing is to ask the victim herself?"


    Another person with common sense. Who would have thought they would come not from the antagonists'' sects or the protagonists'' sects, but from a neutral sect such as the Red Phoenix Sect. Everyone realized that Nan Ke had an excellent point and fell silent.


    "Wait¡­"


    Everyone turned to Ling Qing Zhu. This whole time, she had tried to speak up, but weak from being ravaged by the pure yin qi, she was unable to project her voice, and everyone''s shouting and squabbling had drowned her out. She looked sternly at her fellow sect members.


    "Sir Fei Wu was indeed trying to free me from the ice before you all came in. he''s the one who saved my life."


    "Huh? Saved your life?! How?!"


    The Incendiary Ifrit Sect members stared at her in disbelief. Ling Qing Zhu merely shook her head, looking weary.


    "It''s a long story, and not something I want to elaborate on right now. Could you just help me out?"


    "Sure thing."


    Tang Qi Hong was the first to approach her, using her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula to melt the ice. It took a while because of the Ninety Yin Ice Hell Formation still engraved within the chamber, but Zi Xiao Ji, Lian Rou and Tong Xue deciphered and destroyed the Spirit Engravings that I made, which made it easier.


    And finally, Ling Qing Zhu was freed. She turned to Tang Qi Hong, an odd expression on her pretty face.


    "So you''re the one."


    "Huh?" Tang Qi Hong blinked, bewildered by her statement. Ling Qing Zhu smiled gently, and shook her head.


    "Never mind, it''s nothing." She placed a hand on Tang Qi Hong''s shoulder before walking away to join her fellow sect disciples. "You''re really lucky. You should treasure what you have."


    "Huh? What?"


    "Oi," I growled. "Don''t act like the classical spurned heroine!"


    It sounded like Ling Qing Zhu had fallen for me just because I helped her out a bit. What bullshit. If only it was that easy to get someone to fall for you!


    Then Ling Qing Zhu turned to me, and I realized I had misunderstood. She was smiling, not sadly or pitifully, but because she was genuinely impressed. She didn''t develop a crush on me or fell for me. She just learned something invaluable from this encounter, and she was simply thankful for that.


    "I''ll make sure to repay you in future, for saving my life."


    "You don''t have to!" I hollered. Then I turned to her sect mates. "Your senior is being ravaged by pure yin qi at the moment, so you should bring her back to your sect as soon as possible and ask your masters to help her out."


    "What? Is that true?!"


    They turned to Ling Qing Zhu, who nodded.


    While she conversed with her fellow sect disciples and filled them in on what had happened, I breathed a sigh of relief.


    "You absorbed the Nascent Soul Heart?!"


    There were gasps from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect, and they were staring at their senior in amazement. Ling Qing Zhu winced and nodded.


    "But I got careless¡­if it weren''t for Sir Fei Wu, I would have died from the excessive yin qi freezing my body from the inside."


    "I see¡­" Lei Yong Chun nodded as he glanced around the empty stone hall, and chuckled. "Indeed, from the looks of it, the Nascent Soul Heart has certainly already been taken."


    "You were all too late," Ling Qing Zhu replied softly, trying to sound modest. "And maybe it would be a good thing too, or you would end up like me."


    The elite disciples took note of Ling Qing Zhu''s current predicament and nodded in understanding, their expressions grave.


    "You almost got burned from playing with fire," Sui Sha Yu remarked. "You should have been more patient, my dear."


    "I will take the lesson to heart," Ling Qing Zhu promised indifferently. "But for now I''ll have to approach Master to ask her for assistance regarding suppressing the rampaging pure yin qi. If Sir Fei Wu did not siphon some of it away, I''m afraid my life would be in great danger."


    "Your life is still in danger," Lei Yong Chun pointed out as he studied her, his expression serious. "You ought to hurry."


    "Still, you benefited from it quite a bit," Jiang Jun Hao added with a smile. "Your qi has certainly increased."


    Ling Qing Zhu did not deny that, and Jiang Jun Hao smiled. Even though he was putting on a magnanimous appearance, I could detect a trace of bitterness barely concealed beneath his cheerful surface.


    "The fact that Miss Ling Qing Zhu was able to obtain the Nascent Soul Heart is evidence that she is extremely competent. Although the Nascent Soul Heart will offer us a chance to potentially attain the Nascent Soul Stage, the three of us do not mind if you have taken it. After all, even without it, our advancement to the Nasecnt Soul Stage is only a matter of time."


    Wow, pretty confident, aren''t you?


    "Then I''ll express my tremendous gratitude to Sir Jiang Jun Hao for your generosity," Ling Qing Zhu responded graciously. Jiang Jun Hao swallowed as he watched her beautiful face, the desire in his eyes burning brighter than before.


    "I guess we can leave now," I muttered. Tang Qi Hong and the others nodded, and we made to leave, with Zhu Jiao and the White Tiger Sect following closely.


    Unfortunately, our troubles were far from over.


    "Wait a moment!"


    My heart sank when I heard Jiang Jun Hao shout out. I gritted my teeth and spun around irritably, along with Zhu Jiao and the rest.


    "Now what?" I couldn''t help but snap.


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    "You''ve snatched my Heavenly Way Sect''s Spirit Treasure Weapon. Do you really think you can just walk away like that?"


    "Uh, what?" Zhu Jiao sneered. "What the hell are you blabbering about? Since when does the Spirit Treasure Weapon in this tomb belong to the Heavenly Way Sect? If that''s the case, are you saying everyone has to hand over the treasures they obtained over to your sect?"


    "Brat, don''t try to argue! I obtained that Spirit Treasure Weapon first, but you launched a sneak attack on me to snatch it away!" Jiang Jun Hao growled.


    "We''ve been through this already," Bai Ning Xue replied coldly, her eyes as glacial as the Arctic Circle. "We can testify that you''re lying. You''re the one who tried to snatch the Spirit Treasure Weapon from him after he obtained it."


    The Heavenly Way Sect faced off against the White Tiger Sect as the two groups clashed, sparks flying between them. It still hadn''t erupted into a full-blown fight yet, but the atmosphere was so tense that even a single word would be able to drown the burial chamber in an inferno of conflict.


    "If I may¡­"


    Liang Shao Yang cleared his throat. This was the first time he actually spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him curiously.


    "There is on way to resolve this peacefully." He turned to me, his gaze hard and unyielding. "By my authority as the head disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I order you to hand over the Spirit Treasure Weapon, apologize to Jiang Jun Hao and the rest, and we''ll drop the matter."


    "Since when did you become the head disciple?!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. "And you have no right to tell Fei Wu what to do!"


    "Oh? Are you challenging my authority?"


    Liang Shao Yang met Tang Qi Hong''s glare evenly, a cold, towering iceberg withstanding the superheated rage of an inferno. For a few tense seconds, it seemed that the conflict might erupt between members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect instead.


    "Um¡­" Jiang Jun Hao sounded almost embarrassed when he raised his hand, probably because he was the root of the misunderstanding. "The person who stole my Spirit Treasure Weapon isn''t Fei Wu. It''s Zhu Jiao."


    The astonished expression on Liang Shao Yang was so hilarious that I actually burst out laughing. Zhu Jiao joined in, and then everyone else as well. Zi Xiao Ji dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach, while Tong Xue was literally rolling on the ground as he howled in laughter. The hysterics spread over to the other sects, and other than the embarrassed Liang Shao Yang, the sheepish-looking Heavenly Way Sect and the dignified Ling Qing Zhu, everyone was roaring with laughter. Even Lei Yong Chun cracked a smile and chuckled uncontrollably. Beside him, Hu Mei Er guiltily covered her face as she turned around and giggled.


    "By the way," Zhu Jiao told Liang Shao Yang. "I''m not from your sect, so you don''t have the authority to order me to do anything, if that''s what you''re planning."


    Liang Shao Yang''s face stiffened. "I never intended to do that."


    "Besides," Zi Xiao Ji added. "If you really are the head disciple, what are you doing, siding with outsiders over people from your own sect? Aren''t you being a disgrace to our sect?"


    "I was just trying to be fair and impartial," Liang Shao Yang muttered, but he ended up digging a deeper grave for himself.


    "Fair and impartial? Even though my sect and I, and many others have provided testimony to the contrary?" Bai Ning Xue had turned her icy glare on Liang Shao Yang now, and the latter shrank back. "Are you questioning our integrity?"


    "I dare not offend Miss Bai Ning Xue and the White Tiger Sect," Liang Shao Yang hastily replied. "I apologize if I have. I clearly have not thought things through before I spoke."


    That sly bastard¡­even if he was a scheming antagonist who tried to plot my downfall, he had quite the glib tongue and was tactful enough to worm his way out of the mess he sank himself into. The guy was quick-witted, I had to give him that.


    At least the guy didn''t do something as clich¨¦ as try to oppress us with his overwhelming qi aura or something. It was one hell of a contrived way to create antagonists and enemies¡­that said, Liang Shao Yang was already an antagonist, so whatever.


    "Well, if there''s nothing then, we will leave first."


    Shooting a look of scorn at the Heavenly Way Sect, Zhu Jiao then turned to leave. The White Tiger Sect made sure to stand between him and them until he was out of the exit, and then they followed him out as well.


    "Since there''s nothing left in the burial chamber, we might as well go too," Zi Xiao Ji suggested. Tang Qi Hong nodded.


    "That makes sense."


    The Nine-Tailed Fox sect took their leave as well, with Liang Shao Yang and Hu Mei Er lingering behind to do their own thing¡­I doubted they were shameless enough to collude with the other sects behind the backs of their fellow sect disciples.


    But you would never know.


    "Hey, bro!" Tong Xue threw an arm around my shoulders as we walked out of the burial chamber and into the empty space where the illusionary Sea of Fire used to be. "Sorry for coming late, but I''m a little behind. What''s going on? What Spirit Treasure Weapon did Zhu Jiao obtain, to make that Jiang Jun Hao bastard so salty?"


    "The Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets," I replied. Tong Xue''s eyes widened when he heard that.


    "What?! No wonder that Jiang Jun Hao idiot was so desperate, to the point where he was making up lies and contriving any excuse to attack Zhu Jiao and snatch it away from him. Amazing¡­to think Jiao got his hands on that¡­"


    "What about you guys?" I asked. "Why were you so late? When Zhu Jiao and I arrived, I couldn''t find you anywhere."


    "Oh, we had things to do before we came here,'' Zi Xiao Ji replied. Da Ge nodded genially and continued for her.


    "We had a mission before this, so we went and accomplish that before we came. It was sort of related, anyway¡­since the rewards were exploration gear."


    "They turned out to be pretty useful, especially when it came to analyzing Spirit Engravings and spirit formations," Zhao Shi added.


    I nodded in understanding. To see the Spirit Engravings and mystical patterns of the spirit formations, I had relied on my glasses to spot and analyze the patterns, and even record them like I did for the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation. Otherwise I would never have been able to replicate a miniature version to use against Ling Qing Zhu.


    "I hope we aren''t too late, though," Lian Rou said worriedly. "By the time we arrived, most of the vaults have been emptied out and the treasures taken."


    "I''m sure we''ll find more treasures lying around," Tong Xue assured her. "The ancient tomb is pretty big, after all. I doubt the whole thing has been explored within such a short time."


    "Yeah! Don''t give up hope!" Tang Qi Hong punched the air. Then she turned toward me. "Who was that beautiful girl back then? She seems familiar, but I don''t think I have ever met her before."


    There was a wariness in her voice that I wasn''t comfortable with, so I moved quickly to placate her. "She''s Ling Qing Zhu, from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect. It was as you heard. She recklessly absorbed the Nascent Soul Heart and was almost overwhelmed by the pure yin qi. I had to freeze her and absorb some of the qi to prevent her from dying."


    "That''s all you did?"


    "That''s all," I confirmed. Tang Qi Hong stared at me suspiciously for a moment, and then she nodded, as if to say she trusted me.


    "Hmph, don''t worry. Most people call Fei Wu a beta male or a pussy. He doesn''t have the guts to **** a girl or have sex with her even if she throws herself at him."


    Tong Xue chuckled, evidently having read the comments of readers, particularly self-styled alpha males who only thought with their lower halves instead of using their brains and considering the moral and emotional consequences of such perverse actions.


    "That''s not what I''m worried about!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. Then she hesitated and reached out with a hand.


    I stared at her hand for a few seconds, not comprehending.


    "Your glasses!" Tang Qi Hong hissed impatiently. "They''re broken! And you''ve done quite a messy job of repairing them. Hand them over. I''ll fix them for you."


    "Oh." Sighing in relief, I took my glasses off and passed them to Tang Qi Hong, who, true to her reputation as a prodigy in smithing and Spirit Engraving, began repairing my broken glasses skillfully while walking at the same time.

 147 Chapter 146: Stalker

    "Hmm? Zhu Jiao is returning this early?"


    I guess he was satisfied with what he had already obtained. Given that he had gotten a large haul in the form of Pure Yuan Pills, the Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets and very possibly other stuff, I didn''t blame him. Moreover¡­


    "Hey! You forgot to return me to him!"


    Unseen, the ghost of Qi Lin chided me. In all that excitement during the confrontation with Liang Shao Yang, Jiang Jun Hao and the rest, I had completely forgotten about him. Feeling the golden amulet in my pocket, I smiled sheepishly.


    "Whoops. Sorry. I''ll go return you now."


    Just as I was about to leave, I spotted Jiang Jun Hao leaving in the same direction as Zhu Jiao, his eyes intently focused on the latter. He smiled, but as his eyes rested on Zhu Jiao''s departing figure, they narrowed ominously.


    "¡­"


    Clearly something was up.


    "Hey, guys. Sorry, but I''m going to leave early. I''ve gotten my hands on some stuff, and I don''t want to be too greedy and hoard everything in the ancient tomb to myself. You guys can have the rest." I waved my hand.


    "Hmm?" Tang Qi Hong stared at me suspiciously, having seen through the lame excuse. She knew me well enough to know I wasn''t that type of person.


    "I see." Lian Rou was more sensitive, though, especially when she caught sight of Zhu Jiao disappearing into the distance, and Jiang Jun Hao following him. She nodded and waved me away. "You had best hurry then."


    "Eh? What''s going on?" Tang Qi Hong asked, confused. "Why does Fei Wu need to hurry?"


    Tong Xue was bewildered at first, but when Lian Rou shot him a glance, he suddenly understood and laughed. "Oh, no¡­just that some conflicts will be happening outside the ancient tomb. Fei Wu is being a busybody as always."


    "Why bother?" Zi Xiao Ji asked, inadvertently being callous. "Other people can take care of themselves."


    "The person in question is a good friend," Lian Rou put in. Tong Xue blinked, and suddenly understood as the pieces fell into place for him.


    "What?!" Tang Qi Hong groaned and slapped her forehead. "That guy is being way too reckless! Why did he have to go off on his own?"


    "Typical protagonists," I muttered under my breath. "Always wanting to be the lone ranger, trying to do everything on their own because they think it''s cool. The readers don''t help either, often flying into a rage whenever the protagonist teams up with ''useless'' teammates or get burdened by other people. It''s like these edgelords don''t have friends in real life or something."


    I probably was closer to the mark than I ever knew, but that wasn''t the point. For now, I should hurry before I completely lost track of Zhu Jiao.


    "I''ll see you guys back at the sect," I told them, and then jogged off in the direction where I last saw Zhu Jiao.


    Unfortunately, Zhu Jiao was a lot faster than I expected. I had to break into a run, and despite me using my footwork techniques, I wasn''t able to catch up with him. It was as if the guy was riding a flying, winged tiger and crossing the entire Heavenly Fire Mountain Range in half a day. As fast as I was after all that training and daily running, even I couldn''t keep up with a flying tiger.


    Of course, I was mistaken. Zhu Jiao wasn''t riding on a flying tiger like a certain Lin Dong. He had no reason to. After all, he had a flying Kirin. Seated atop his flying Kirin, the two of them soared over the entire Heavenly Fire Mountain Range breezily. It was a miracle I managed to keep up with the two of them at all.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I tried yelling for them, but they were too far away to hear me.


    "Damn it¡­I''m still out of range for my cell phone."


    Glancing down at my cell phone, I saw that there was still no signal. The bars were empty and were overlaid by a cross that indicated that there was no service. Otherwise I would have called him long ago and told him to wait for me.


    "Where did that Jiang Jun Hao go, anyway?"


    There was no sign of that Heavenly Way Sect bastard. I wouldn''t be surprised if we had left him behind in the dust. After all, I was among the fastest in the younger generation, and Zhu Jiao was literally riding a flying Kirin. Unless Jiang Jun Hao had a similar mount, he would find it very difficult to keep up on foot.


    To my dismay, it turned out that Jiang Jun Hao did have some other means of travel other than on foot. I had completely forgotten how he landed in the campsite earlier that day.


    VROOM!


    A thunderous roar echoed throughout the mountain range, followed by a blazing shadow that swept above it. A red-haired guy riding a blazing, flying motorbike, streaked through the heavens, its engines shrieking in vengeance. Yup, Jiang Jun Hao arrived on his motorbike, so naturally he would ride it to leave.


    However, for now, he didn''t plan on living. Instead, he steered his motorbike in the direction of Zhu Jiao and his flying Kirin.


    Seated atop his flying Kirin, Zhu Jiao slowly turned to glance at the mountainpeak from where the motorcyclist emerged from. Under the rays of the sun, dazzling light was reflected off the fiery red metallic frame of the roaring motorbike. Saddled atop the motorcycle, the rider gripped its handlebars with one hand while his other hand held a golden spear. His handsome face was creased in an arrogant sneer as he glared at Zhu Jiao.


    "Jiang Jun Hao!"


    Zhu Jiao''s eyes darkened when he recognized the figure riding atop the flying motorcycle. He gritted his teeth.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Hmph. Liang Shao Yang and all the others are too complacent, refusing to consider you a threat."


    "¡­who?"


    Zhu Jiao stared at Jiang Jun Hao dumbly. The latter glowered at the former, waving his golden spear impatiently.


    "Liang Shao Yang! The leader and head disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    "Ah. Him." Zhu Jiao cocked his head to the side, puzzled. "But why would he care about me? I''m not from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and I''ve never offended him."


    "Well¡­well¡­that''s because you''re the protagonist and he''s clearly the antagonist! You''ll offend him sooner or later and he''ll try to kill you! Just because!"


    "You''re not making any sense." Zhu Jiao shook his head, baffled.


    "Xianxia stories rarely do," I muttered, but I was still too far away for either of them to hear me. Jiang Jun Hao cleared his throat.


    "A¡­anyway, I have no desire to leave a potential disaster alone! After what happened today, you definitely bear a grudge against my Heavenly Way Sect! If that is the case, then no matter what, I must take your life today!"


    Riding atop his motorcycle, the red-haired spearman in golden clothing slowly looked down on Zhu Jiao below, his voice filled with murderous intent.


    "WHY?!" I yelled, clutching my head in frustration. "That makes NO FUCKING SENSE!"


    Finally I was close enough and the two of them whirled around to stare at me.


    "Wu? What are you doing here?" Zhu Jiao demanded, astonished. I reached into my pocket, retrieved his golden amulet, and threw it at him. He caught it, but continued to stare at me blankly.


    "First, I''m here to return you that." then I turned to glare at Jiang Jun Hao. "And secondly, I spotted this guy stalking you, so I got suspicious. I should have known that he was up to no good! This fucking bastard!"


    "You¡­!" Jiang Jun Hao growled, but I cut him off before he could curse at me.


    "And your logic is fucked up! What do you think this is, ancient China? Why the fuck do you resort to killing every single time? Oh, so you incurred a grudge with Zhu Jiao. Instead of¡­I don''t know, compromising and resolving the matter diplomatically and peacefully, you decide to murder him because you''re afraid of potential disasters in the future? What sort of stupid logic is that? If you''re that afraid of his potential, shouldn''t you be befriending him instead? What kind of idiot just resorts straight to killing? It''s still an early stage of the grudge and there''s room for you to compromise and negotiate and reconcile, but you choose to kill him? If he escapes, wouldn''t you be sealing your own fucking doom? You just closed off any doors for reconciliation and negotiation!"


    Shaking my head, I pushed my glasses up.


    "And to make matters worse, this is the modern twenty-first century. Murder is outlawed. You''re from the Heavenly Way Sect, an orthodox sect that is one of the eight major sects that is propping up the Martial Arts Alliance as one of their main pillars. And you, as one of their most famous disciples, is committing crimes and murdering people in the dark because you''re afraid of incurring their grudge? What kind of martial artist are you?! Spouting all that bullshit about the righteous way, about justice and fighting the evil demonic sects, but then turning around and committing high-handed atrocities when someone offends you? Orthodox sects and paragons of justice, my ass! What Martial Arts Alliance?! You''re nothing but a bloody hypocrite!"


    "Oh, shut up!" Jiang Jun Hao hollered. "This has nothing to do with you, you insignificant two-bit mob character who just serves as a foil to the protagonist!"


    "How come he''s breaking the fourth wall as well?" Zhu Jiao asked me. I shrugged. Perhaps I wasn''t the only one who reincarnated into this world from a different timeline. It was entirely possible that Jiang Jun Hao was also someone from my original timeline who reincarnated into this world. Most likely an edgelord reader who demanded that protagonists solve everything in their stories by mercilessly killing everyone who crosses their paths, no doubt.


    Zhu Jiao then shook his head and glared at the figure in golden robes riding atop the fiery, red motorcycle, and his gaze turned chilly. He clearly recognized this bastard as the true mastermind behind today''s events.


    Sensing the icy glare, Jiang Jun Hao turned back to Zhu Jiao, his mouth curling into a nasty smile.


    "Hand over the Spirit Treasure Weapon and I will leave your dead body intact!"


    "What kind of stupid ultimatum is that?!" I yelled again, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "If you''re going to kill Zhu Jiao either way, why the fuck would he listen to you?!"


    Ignoring me, Jiang Jun Hao slowly dismounted off his motorcycle and jumped to land on top of a mountainpeak. His aura of qi burst forward, like water from a dam that just opened, pouring out in an overwhelming manner to suffocate both me and Zhu Jiao.


    Neither of us were impressed or affected.


    Zhu Jiao laughed. "Compared to Lei Yong Chun, you still have a long way to go. Showing off your pathetic aura like that¡­don''t you feel embarrassed, Jiang Jun Hao?"


    Despite the immense pressure that weighed down on him, Zhu Jiao didn''t even tremble. He raised his head defiantly and scoffed. While he clearly recalled the last time he fought Lei Yong Chun, in Wu Ling Academy that night over a year ago, and lost terribly despite ganging up on the White Tiger Sect head disciple with the other student council members, he found Jiang Jun Hao''s attempts to cow him laughable.


    Shaking his head in amusement, he then dismounted from his Golden Kirin. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the Kirin, and the legendary creature disappeared just like that.


    "Don''t humiliate him further," I told him. "The poor guy doesn''t even know that he isn''t able to intimidate us at all."


    "I''m still enough to kill the both of you!" Jiang Jun Hao sneered as he infused his golden spear with his qi. Raging qi swirled about the long weapon, rising in potent fury to match the emotions of its arrogant wielder. "Don''t even think that anyone will come and save you. The White Tiger Sect are too busily scavenging for treasures to know that I was hunting you down, and even if they do, they''ll be too late by the time they arrived."


    "You do realize that I noticed you stalking Zhu Jiao from the beginning, right?" I pointed out. "And in fact, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect realized it too. But they let me come alone. You know why?" I grinned. "That''s because they know Zhu Jiao and I will be more than enough to take down the likes of you, even without their help."


    "Shut the fuck up!" Jiang Jun Hao snarled. His body still radiating that immense killing intent, he stepped into the air and began walking toward Zhu Jiao, as of there was an invisible floor hovering in midair. The bloody bastard was actually capable of walking across the heavens!


    To be fair, it seemed like a simple concept. With my Heaven and Earth senses, I could see him condensing a layer of qi under his feet, solidifying it so that he can walk without falling through the air.


    What a cheater.


    As if he was climbing a flight of stairs, Jiang Jun Hao approached Zhu Jiao before finally coming to a stop right in front of him, floating in midair.


    "If you think you can kill me, you''re welcome to try!" Zhu Jiao beckoned him with a hand.


    I could see that my friend was visibly pissed off after the events of today. Even though we all agreed to back off in the burial chamber, Jiang Jun Hao refused to let go of the matter and persistently pursued him.


    Zhu Jiao was clearly thinking that if the guy was such a glutton for punishment, then he would oblige and beat the hell out of him.


    Bang!


    Zhu Jiao then punctuated his declaration by drawing his Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets and equipping himself with them. He stomped on the ground, his unyielding golden qi leaving cracks in the solid rock.


    "You brat. Today I''ll clearly display to you the true power of a Pure Spirit Stage practitioner!"


    With a sneer, Jiang Jun Hao raised his golden spear and thrust it into the air. Extremely potent qi flowed out from his hands and imbued the divine weapon with sheer, destructive power and he abruptly switched the trajectory of his thrust and speared right for Zhu Jiao''s heart!


    I winced as the sonic boom hit my ears, Jiang Jun Hao''s attack literally ripping the air apart as it disappeared into a golden blur that aimed right for Zhu Jiao''s chest. Stone that were dozens, even over a hundred meters below, crumbled instantly to dust from the sheer destructive power of the attack, before billowing upward from the numerous sonic booms.


    "Oh, really?"


    Zhu Jiao rolled his eyes, cocked one arm back, and then punched the streaking spear. With a mighty boom, the collision resulted in an immense explosion that knocked the two back, and even buffeted me, quite some distance away, with terrible shockwaves. On either side of me, rocks shattered and the mountains trembled from the sheer impact.


    "Oh, how scary¡­" Zhu Jiao shivered mockingly, wrapping his arms ¨C his right gauntlet still smoldering from the defensive punch earlier ¨C around him. "I didn''t think you would strike with such a pathetic attack. The sheer embarrassment from launching such a weak strike is making me tremble in fear!"


    "Shut up!" Jiang Jun Hao screamed. He thrust his spear forward again, but Zhu Jiao merely batted it away and counterattacked with a hook that nearly caught his opponent in the jaw. But despite being enraged, Jiang Jun Hao was still a formidable prodigy from the younger generation after all. He barely managed to parry the armored fist with the shaft of his golden spear.


    Clang!


    "Kuh!"


    Jiang Jun Hao stumbled backward, cursing as his arms shook from the massive impact. He tried to stabilize his trembling spear by tightening his grip, but his fingers had gone numb from the blow and his movements few leaden.


    "Such power¡­!"


    "Come on! Come on!" Zhu Jiao yelled as he bore down on Jiang Jun Hao. "What''s the matter? Didn''t you say you''re going to kill me?"


    "Gah!"


    Jiang Jun Hao was knocked back when he tried to parry Zhu Jiao''s next punch, tumbling helplessly in midair as he was unable to halt his momentum. He flipped his body over and slammed his feet against the ground, skidding to a stop, but Zhu Jiao was already on top of him again, cocking his fist back before delivering another powerful punch.


    Crack!


    Raising his golden spear with both hands, Jiang Jun Hao intercepted the devastating punch. The ground around him cracked and splintered from the tremendous impact, unable to withstand the destructive power radiating from Zhu Jiao.


    "Guooh!"


    Gritting his teeth, Jiang Jun Hao spun his spear and knocked Zhu Jiao back. As Zhu Jiao landed on the ground, he seized the opportunity to thrust his deadly spear forward in an attempt to impale him, but Zhu Jiao deflected the spear to the side before ramming his elbow into Jiang Jun Hao''s face. The spearman''s inhuman reflexes saved his nose from being broken and he dodged his head to the side, the gauntlet screeching past the space centimeters away from his face.


    "¡­!"


    Even so, blood dripped from his cheek, a result of a slight graze from the golden gauntlet. Snarling, Jiang Jun Hao yanked his spear back before clubbing Zhu Jiao, but the latter parried the strike with his armored forearm and then retaliated with a counter that would have punched a hole through the Heavenly Way Sect disciple''s chest had he not whirled away in time.


    "Damn it!"


    Jiang Jun Hao clearly realized that he had vastly underestimated Zhu Jiao and he was growing increasingly desperate. However, Zhu Jiao wasn''t going to let him go so easily and he closed in, seeking to press his advantage.


    Clang! Bang!


    The two of them exchanged furious blows, the ground crumbling underneath their feet as they traded hundreds of attacks over the next few minutes. Thrust, punch, parry, block, strike, deflect, attack, evade. Their movements were so fast that no ordinary martial artists could follow them, their spear and arms disappearing into shimmering golden blurs that reflected the sunlight in a dazzling display between two godlike warriors.


    Even the mountain range was unable to endure their conflict, rocks disintegrating from the sheer impact every time their treasure weapons collided fiercely. Sparks rained from their clashing metallic weapons, falling upon the ground and igniting small fires all over the sparse grass that grew over the dull rock of the mountains.


    Clang!


    Repelling another strike from Zhu Jiao, Jiang Jun Hao retreated to put as much distance between them as possible. He was breathing heavily, his face red and drenched in perspiration. Zhu Jiao was also looking as if he had exerted a bit too much, but he smiled.


    "What''s the matter?" he taunted. "I thought you are supposed to be some big-shot Pure Spirit Stage prodigy? Why are you still unable to kill a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner like me?"


    "Are you even at the Qi Fusion Stage?" I muttered, wondering about the large amounts of artificial qi that he had received. If these stupid stages were based off quantities of qi alone, then all the Wu Ling Academy students could easily be at the Pure Spirit Stage or even Nascent Soul Stage, provided they received lots and lots of qi.


    "Shut up!"


    Unable to refute his opponent, Jiang Jun Hao resorted to silencing him. With a roar, he struck with his spear again.


    "I can''t believe I''m forced to use the full power of my Heavenly Spear against the likes of you!"


    His spear vanished into a golden streak of light that flashed across the horizon. Zhu Jiao set his mouth grimly in a thin line and his Golden Kirin aura flared up, wrapping him in his trademark Sacred Armor.


    With a bellow, he punched the flying spear away before it could even so much as scratch his breastplate.


    Clang! Bang!


    The Heavenly Spear was sent spinning wildly away until Jiang Jun Hao leaped up and snatched it back. He eyed Zhu Jiao''s Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets greedily, and licked his lips, desire burning in his eyes.


    "I see¡­the only reason why you''re able to fight evenly with me even though I''m of a higher stage is because of those treasure gauntlets. Those treasure gauntlets have boosted your power immensely and made up for the huge gap between you and me. If I can just get my hands on those treasure gauntlets, who knows how much stronger I will become¡­?"


    "Hey! Aren''t you giving the wielder too little credit?" I snapped irritably. "Even the most powerful Spirit Treasure Weapon in the world would be a useless piece of junk in the hands of an unskilled user. If Zhu Jiao didn''t know how to use those Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets properly, then no matter how powerful they are, he wouldn''t be able to stand against you! It''s not always about the treasure weapons, you know! The wielder matters much more!"


    And as the clich¨¦ went, as long as the expert was of a high enough level, even a mere blade of grass would turn into a devastating weapon in his hands, enough to cut even mountains. But these idiots were far too obsessed with powerful weapons and hoarding treasures that they neglected the wielders'' skills.


    He was going to pay for underestimating Zhu Jiao.


    Without a word, Zhu Jiao launched himself at Jiang Jun Hao again. Refusing to engage the moron in a debate, he preferred to let his actions do the talking. Jiang Jun Hao found himself driven back, desperately parrying and intercepting Zhu Jiao''s attacks while yielding ground inch by agonizing inch. The frustration was evident in his face.


    "Get lost!"


    With a roar, he knocked Zhu Jiao back as best as he could. Golden qi flowed around him and detonated, the powerful shockwaves forcibly hurling both parties apart.


    "Ugh!"


    "¡­!"


    Stumbling back, Jiang Jun Hao managed to flip his body over in midair and landed on his feet, but a trickle of blood escaped his lips. Despite taking some damage from his desperate attack earlier, Jiang Jun Hao had no regrets. If he continued to weather the blows from Zhu Jiao, he would find himself cornered soon enough.


    Despite being buffeted by the shockwaves, Zhu Jiao managed to come to a stop, evidently not taking as much damage as Jiang Jun Hao. I noticed that he had yet to master Man and Sword as One, or he would have unleashed the full power of the Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets and perhaps clad himself in full-body armor as he did during the tournament final against me last year.


    Well, it was a new weapon he had only just recently acquired after all. Even with plot armor and protagonist power, he couldn''t possibly master it in less than a day.


    "You asked for it!" Jiang Jun Hao hollered. "I didn''t want to use this technique because I''m afraid of breaking my Spirit Treasure Weapon, but you leave me no choice!"


    "Since when are those Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets your Spirit Treasure Weapon?!" I yelled, throwing both my hands up in exasperation. The nerve of this bastard¡­he was so thick-skinned and shameless that he might as well be a hippopotamus.


    Ignoring me, Jiang Jun Hao infused as much of his qi into his spear as possible. Recognizing the danger, Zhu Jiao lunged forward to stop him before he could launch his attack, but before he could, Jiang Jun Hao hurled his spear at him.


    "Heavenly Way Golden Dragon Heaven-Shattering Spear Strike!"


    RUUOOOOOOOOOOOOR!


    A gargantuan golden dragon materialized around his flying golden spear, its immense fiery form wreathing the weapon and causing its relatively tiny frame to vanish inside the blazing inferno. The serpentine dragon uncoiled and charged at Zhu Jiao, its massive body seeming to cover the heavens. Its huge fiery jaws yawned open before slamming shut to engulf the Golden Kirin Sect disciple in hellish flames.


    "That''s one hell of a long name," I grumbled with a shake of my head. "Seriously? Couldn''t you have shortened it or something? And more importantly, why did you have to go and shout out the name of your technique?"


    "Enough of your bullshit." Jiang Jun Hao snorted as he turned toward me. "After I kill that loser Zhu Jiao, you''ll be next to die. I can''t have witnesses leaving the scene and reporting back to the Alliance about this."


    I actually laughed at that. "What makes you think you''ll be able to kill Zhu Jiao?"


    Jiang Jun Hao''s expression darkened and he glowered at me for a moment before his lips curled into a sneer.


    "Stop bluffing. I''m sure you''re regretting it now."


    "Huh? Regretting what?" I blinked and stared at him, puzzled. Jiang Jun Hao ground his teeth so hard that the cracks were audible.


    "You should have joined hands with Zhu Jiao when you had the chance, instead of leaving him to fight and die on his own. Maybe, if the two of you weaklings worked together, you might still have a tiny chance of surviving. But now it''s too late. With Zhu Jiao dead, there''s no way you''ll be able to defeat me or escape!"


    He threw his head back and roared in laughter like a villain instead of the orthodox martial artist that he was supposed to be.


    "Heh." I chuckled. Jiang Jun Hao blinked and glared at me.


    "What''s so funny?"


    "You." I shook my head. "Already assuming that you''ve killed Zhu Jiao. He''s much tougher than you think, and I know he''ll be able to defeat you on his own, without me lifting a single finger."


    "Liar!" Jiang Jun Hao scoffed. "If that''s really true, why are you here? You claimed that you were worried about him when you saw me following him¡­"


    "¡­stalking," I corrected.


    "Oh, shut up! You were the one who said it yourself! That you followed us here when you saw me shadowing your friend! Why would you do that if you''re so confident that he''ll be able to defeat me?" Jiang Jun Hao grinned as he attacked what he thought was the hole in my logic. "You would have just left him to deal with me alone. The fact that you''re here means that you know Zhu Jiao would definitely lose to me!"


    I pushed my glasses as I continued to chuckle. "I think you''re misunderstanding something. Yeah, I am here to help Zhu Jiao fight, but not against you. I have full confidence that he will defeat you on his own. But I''m here to assist him when that sect elder of yours inevitably emerges to save you when he drives you to a corner."


    "What¡­?"


    Jiang Jun Hao''s face turned as pale as a ghost. Before he could finish his question, however, the golden dragon that had manifested around his golden spear suddenly twitched and squirmed, its face twisted in agony.


    "What''s going on?!"


    With an explosive bellow, Zhu Jiao tore his way out of the dragon''s body, ripping the golden scales apart and exiting through a gaping wound. Secondary detonations followed in his wake as destructive qi collided and ignited around the golden dragon''s serpentine body, causing the enormous spirit to fall.


    "Impossible!"


    "GUOOOR!"


    But even as it fell, it defiantly curled up and lunged at Zhu Jiao again. Despite the fatal wound that it had sustained, the golden dragon remained a formidable foe. Its ferocious aura undiminished, it sped across the sky with destructive power, with sonic booms rippling in its wake as it broke the sound barrier.


    Zhu Jiao merely reached out and grabbed it.


    "?!"


    Jiang Jun Hao''s eyes widened in disbelief. Even though Zhu Jiao''s figure was tiny in comparison to the gargantuan golden dragon, it was as if the golden dragon had shrunk suddenly. Or perhaps Zhu Jiao and the Golden Kirin aura that shrouded him grew exponentially. In any case, Zhu Jiao was suddenly able to wrap his armored fingers around the neck of the startled golden dragon and crush it.


    In mere milliseconds, the golden dragon shattered, dispersing harmlessly into countless balls of golden light that drifted across the mountain range.


    "Thanks for the weapon."


    Zhu Jiao closed his fingers around the shaft of the trembling Heavenly Spear. He pulled it upward, as if attempting to tame it.


    "You dare¡­!!!!!"


    With an enraged bellow, Jiang Jun Hao disappeared into a blur and suddenly appeared in front of Zhu Jiao again, taking the latter completely by surprise. Even with his superhuman reflexes, Zhu Jiao was barely able to react in time, bringing his arm to just parry the devastating kick that Jiang Jun Hao threw at his head.


    Bam!


    The violent collision jerked the Heavenly Spear out of Zhu Jiao''s hands and sent him flying across the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range. The armored Golden Kirin Sect disciple disappeared in a cloud of debris and dust when he crashed heavily into the mountain, causing slight tremors to reverberate across the area.


    "You bastard¡­trying to snatch my Heavenly Spear?!"


    Growling, Jiang Jun Hao clutched his golden spear tightly and cradled it to his chest, as if afraid that Zhu Jiao would suddenly appear and snatch it away again. His eyes narrowing into murderous beads, he infused it with even more qi.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    "I''m getting sick of hearing that line." I sighed and shook my head.


    "What the¡­so you do have a bit of fight left in you after all."


    Emerging from the mushroom cloud of debris, Zhu Jiao stood up straight and brushed the dust off his clothing with a grin. Despite crashing into the mountainside with the force of a meteor, he looked virtually unhurt.


    Just how tough was this guy''s Golden Kirin Sacred Armor? Or maybe it was plot armor that was protecting him?


    Jiang Jun Hao blanched for a few seconds, but then he shook his head and then used the same technique as before.


    "You brat, you''re lucky to be able to witness the true power of my Heavenly Way Sect''s Heavenly Spear before you die! Heavenly Way Golden Dragon Heaven-Shattering Spear Strike!"


    "Do you really have to shout that stupidly long name every time you use that move?" I demanded, feeling my temples throb from the sheer absurdity of it all.


    Boom!


    The golden spear flashed across the sky again. This time, Jiang Jun Hao followed it, leading the attack personally. The qi surrounding his body seemed to explode, manifesting in a golden light that stretched for over ten meters long. Shrieking forward, the intimidating golden dragon materialized around both wielder and weapon again and emanated a terrifying aura as it charged toward Zhu Jiao.


    Zhu Jiao glanced up, his eyes momentarily blinded by the dazzling golden light. Realizing that he wouldn''t be able to dodge the spear in time because of the high speed it was moving at, he took a deep breath and braced himself for impact. Cocking his hand back, his potent qi blew up and took the form of a roaring Golden Kirin that enveloped him protectively and aggressively.


    "Golden Kirin Divine Fist!"


    Clenching his fingers tightly, Zhu Jiao punched forward, meeting Jiang Jun Hao''s glowing spear with his gauntleted fist.


    Boom!

 148 Chapter 147: Might of the Battle Puppe

    Okay, never mind. That sounded unnecessarily pretentious.


    Anyway, the earth-shattering explosion resulting from the collision of two enormous waves of qi (that still sounded pretentious, but whatever) blasted across the mountainrange, flattening all the trees within a hundred-meter radius. In just a single instance, the tiny part of the forest nestled at the foot of the mountains vanished, leaving behind a barren land.


    Swoosh!


    Golden lights enveloped the horizon, and one of the figures was sent hurtling downward, crashing into an unaffected portion of the beleaguered forest. Smashing through several huge trees, the figure continued to tumble downward for a few moments before finally coming to a stop.


    "Ugh!"


    Zhu Jiao slowly rose to his feet, throwing up a mouthful of blood. He leaned unsteadily against an unbroken tree, his complexion frightfully pale. Despite his injuries, his eyes remained vigorous and defiant as he glared up above.


    It looked like Zhu Jiao was actually enjoying the fight. No doubt this was one of the toughest battles he had ever faced before.


    Likewise, in the air, golden light dissipated as the other figure was hurled backward. However, he managed to halt his momentum with a visible effort after barreling several dozen meters away. With a determined yell, he seemed to plunge his spear into empty space, and despite there not being any ground or whatever to anchor himself to, he was able to stop skidding and slowly straightened to steady his violently trembling body.


    Despite his best efforts, a kinetic blast of wind continued to surge in the direction he was thrown in, obliterating a boulder below.


    "Unbelievable!"


    Spitting a glob of blood, Jiang Jun Hao wiped his mouth and glared downward, looking a little green. His fingers tightly gripped the Heavenly Spear as he glared at the person standing in the forest, so far away. He did not expect that Zhu Jiao would be so difficult to deal with, surviving not one but two strikes from his treasured sect weapon.


    His eyes wide in disbelief, he shook his head. He was unable to wrap his head around the fact that a kid several years younger than him and belonging to a lower stage could survive everything he threw at him. He vowed to kill Zhu Jiao, no matter the cost.


    As for me, I couldn''t help but bury my face in my palm. What the fuck was wrong with these people? Killing, killing, killing. Is that all they can think of? Common sense dictated that you befriended people with potential and do your best to avoid pissing them off, but this guy was so arrogant and crazed that all he could think of was killing.


    "I''m curious to see how many spear attacks of mine you can endure today!"


    Jiang Jun Hao roared, his eyes gleaming maliciously. Dense murderous intent was emanating from him. Even though Zhu Jiao''s earlier attack had been fearsome to the extent that he could match Jiang Jun Hao blow for blow, the latter could sense his strength and qi waning slightly. He was confident that Zhu Jiao wouldn''t be able to sustain attacks of such a magnitude and would run out of qi before long.


    The guy evidently hadn''t factored in the artificial qi that Zhu Jiao received. What an idiot.


    Boom!


    For some reason, Jiang Jun Hao was expending immense amounts of qi¡­probably to show off or to intimidate his opponent, but it was a ridiculous waste of qi if you asked me. He infused his qi into the golden spear in his hands and it jerked violently in his arms, as if desperately resisting the intrusion of its owner''s qi. Man and spear became one as they transformed into a golden flash that streaked across the heavens.


    "Wow¡­is that Man and Sword as One?" I asked, impressed, as I watched the golden flash acr toward Zhu Jiao. Currently, Jiang Jun Hao was emanating an overwhelming spear aura that saturated the entire mountain range with suffocating killing intent, drowning every living thin in his qi and paralyzing them. Even though he seemed unaffected, Zhu Jiao merely stood still as he watched Jiang Jun Hao fiercely charge at him with his spear.


    Baaaam!


    The destructive power was so potent that even though he was so high up in the sky, Jiang Jun Hao left a trail of broken ground in his wake, carving a ravine into the solid rock below.


    Clearly Jiang Jun Hao was determined to kill Zhu Jiao no matter what. Probably based off some bullshit reasoning that Zhu Jiao''s performance had convinced him that it was best to eliminate such a terrifying threat before he could become too strong and caused a lot of problems in future.


    Such a way of thinking was illogical and stupid.


    No, seriously. If Zhu Jiao was that strong, then you should befriend him. Why was the first thing in your mind to kill him? What kind of fucking logic was that? If you know he would be someone powerful and probably influential in future, why was your first thought "he must die"? Wouldn''t it be more rational to befriend such a promising person and reap the benefits in future? Who the fuck resorts to killing every single person he meets?


    Furthermore, he was targeting Zhu Jiao and Zhu Jiao alone. I had the feeling that it was less Zhu Jiao posing an immense a threat in future and simply because he was the protagonist that Jiang Jun Hao was forced into trying to kill him. The author was trying to contrive all sorts of poor excuses to cook up reasons for an antagonist to attack his protagonist just to show off the protagonist''s potential, and to write a fight scene. It wouldn''t be a xianxia story if nobody fought and everybody chose to be peaceful and logical, after all.


    The problem was that relying on such plot devices and illogical characters made the story so contrived and cheesy that it was difficult to suspend disbelief, and it was just poor writing and extremely unrealistic in general. I mean, why didn''t Jiang Jun Hao go around killing everybody then? Why didn''t he attack Lei Yong Chun or the other prodigies and geniuses? Why specifically aim for Zhu Jiao and only Zhu Jiao? The only difference is that Zhu Jiao was the protagonist, and thus for no reason the whole world was out to get him.


    It became a vicious cycle. After getting rid of one enemy, the author had to find excuses for new antagonists to attack him, no matter how contrived, petty or stupid the reason was. And after those antagonists got stomped by the protagonist in the most epic fashion, he had to yet again find new enemies to attack the protagonist for no stupid reason, even though logically any sensible person should have learned the protagonist was not somebody you messed with. But no, nobody learned their lesson. I understood that they couldn''t, or the story would just end there with nobody fighting the protagonist and him having nothing to overcome, but they should think of more creative ways than that.


    Anyway, I digress. I should be focusing on the fight between Zhu Jiao and Jiang Jun Hao.


    The golden light that filled the heavens continued to expand rapidly as it approached Zhu Jiao. However, the main character did not bother evading. Instead, he cocked his arm back and braced himself to confront it directly.


    "Die!"


    "Can you stop shouting that?!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in exasperation.


    Jiang Jun Hao didn''t bother to reply. He was already in front of Zhu Jiao, thrusting his golden spear forward in a deadly manner. His eyes narrowed sinisterly and a golden dragon aura enveloped him, seeming to lend him more power as he sought to pierce Zhu Jiao.


    Zhu Jiao merely batted it away with a single hand, and then retaliate with a powerful strike that would have smashed Jiang Jun Hao''s ribcage into bony fragments had the latter not pulled his spear back in reflex and parry the strike.


    Bang!


    The golden lights collided and exploded forcefully. Without any tricks, Zhu Jiao had thrown a lot of power into his punch, so much so that the air around him seemed to distort from the sheer amount of qi that swirled in a raging maelstrom. The golden qi seemed to condense and solidify around him, striking Jiang Jun Hao like a truck and detonating the air around them so powerfully that it felt like a supernova. The surrounding trees around them disintegrated from the sheer destructive force, simply ceasing to exist as the qi blasted through them.


    For just a second, a sliver of fear flashed in Jiang Jun Hao''s eyes. He was unable to react, and knew that if he hadn''t blocked the terrifying punch with his Heavenly Spear, he would have died instantly on the spot.


    Dong!


    Beyond the circle of disintegrated trees, more of trees in the outer ring collapsed like bowling pins, swept off their roots by the hurricane of qi. Never mind the trees ¨C even the demonic creatures inhabiting those portions of the forest couldn''t respond in time, crushed instantly into bloody pulps as the destructive qi washed over them.


    Bang!


    The terrifying shockwaves sent both combatants flying in opposite directions, the two of them tumbling helplessly for almost a hundred meters before they finally stopped. Even as they skidded, they left deep furrows in the ground.


    "How are you able to pack so much power, even though you''re merely a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner?" Jiang Jun Hao scowled in disbelief and shook his trembling hands, trying to tighten his loosening grip on the Heavenly Spear.


    Zhu Jiao shrugged. "Who says I''m a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner?"


    "Eh? You aren''t? But the amount of qi you emit¡­it can''t be higher than a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner!"


    I snorted. "This is the trouble with you martial artists. Why does everything have to be divided into stages and whatnot? How do you measure someone''s level or stage or realm? Why do you judge people based on the amount of qi they radiate? You''re so obsessed with levels that whenever someone from a supposedly lower level overpowers you, you get all upset. Don''t you understand that all these power levels and realms are arbitrary? They are just stupid names people give to estimate a person''s strength, but they are neither accurate nor binding."


    "Oh, shut up!" Jiang Jun Hao snapped at me. He then turned back to the grinning Zhu Jiao. "It''s just a fluke! I''ll definitely kill you! There''s no way you can keep up attacks of such power with the pitiful amount of qi you have!"


    This idiot clearly did not realize that Zhu Jiao possessed three sexagenaries of qi. In other words, he had a hundred and eighty years'' worth of qi. Compared to Jiang Jun Hao only having cultivated for a thirty-odd years at most, he had several times more qi.


    Of course, quantity of qi meant nothing. Even if Zhu Jiao had more qi, Jiang Jun Hao had more combat experience and had more time to hone and perfect his skills. As I said, a weapon was only as good as its wielder. It didn''t matter how much qi you had, or what treasure weapon you wielded. If you couldn''t use it well, you would still lose to an opponent with a better grasp of combat and techniques or his weapon than you did.


    The whole idea that people could win with brute force concepts such as overpowering their opponent with more qi or having a better weapon was outdated. No, it wasn''t even about being outdated ¨C it was completely wrong to begin with, no matter the era. That was why Wu Ling Academy did not automatically become a superpower even after being able to synthesize artificial qi. The students weren''t able to perfect their control over all their qi, and they still needed to polish their techniques and gain combat experience before they could challenge elders with decades of fighting experience and battle knowledge under their belts.


    If it was a simple matter of more qi equaling automatic victory, Wu Ling Academy would have reigned supreme two years ago.


    "Heavenly Shattering Dragon''s Roar!"


    With a yell, Jiang Jun Hao threw himself forward again, getting ready to pierce Zhu Jiao''s chest. The latter merely brushed the dust off him, which had fallen on his body during the earlier explosion, and stifled a yawn.


    "You know what¡­I''m bored of fighting you. I''ll leave you to my new toy."


    "Eh?" I blinked, surprised. Now I didn''t expect this¡­even though I should have. Oh well, I guess I couldn''t always predict everything correctly. Well, that was life. Things never went the way you expected, even if you had read a lot of xianxia or wuxia novels. I was half-expecting Zhu Jiao to pull a Li Fu Chen or Lin Feng and just beat poor Jiang Jun Hao up blue and black without breaking a sweat. Again, reality was never that easy.


    The golden light that was Jiang Jun Hao''s spear swept forward in a flash, crossing the distance between the two in a split second. Just before it was about to hit Zhu Jiao, the latter merely waved his hand dismissively.


    "I''ll let you handle it."


    At first, I had no idea what he was talking about. Was he asking me to step in? What the hell, why would I take over and fight your duel for you?


    Then a massive figure suddenly appeared in front of him. As its silver body glowed ferociously, it threw out a devastating punch that emanated deadly rays of qi.


    Boom!


    It was just a simple punch, almost identical to Zhu Jiao''s earlier strike with his Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets. But this time, it seemed almost more powerful. Releasing massive amounts of wildly rampaging qi, it seemed to condense into silver crystals that hung in the air before razing the entire area around them, disintegrating trees again.


    Dudes, you guys really had to stop leveling the landscape. This was deforestation, pure and simple. The environmentalist in me couldn''t help but cringe.


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    "Na¡­nani?!"


    Yes, Jiang Jun Hao actually said that. He must have been watching too much Japanese anime like me, but I doubted he had reached my level of weeabo (though those levels were absolutely meaningless, as always). His jaw dropped as his mind fought to comprehend the sudden development, his reflexes unable to react in time to the terrifying punch. Fortunately, the silver punch, for whatever reason, wasn''t aiming for his chest. It smashed into the tip of his golden spear in a fearsome fashion, effortlessly repelling him.


    Dong!


    Once again, a crater was carved into the earth and both Jiang Jun Hao and the new figure were hurled apart. I am not going to bother with describing with the destruction of the poor forest because it was getting pointless at this stage, or the trails and furrows in the earth that both combatants left in the crumbling earth, because it would be downright repetitive.


    "What is this?!"


    After he steadied himself and rose shakily to his feet, the color drained from Jiang Jun Hao''s face. He stared at the silver figure in shock, his eyes narrowing. Then he gasped.


    "Battle puppet!"


    Jiang Jun Hao recognized the figure, clearly having encountered it before in the ancient tomb. Apparently, during that time, he had joined hands with Lei Yong Chun and the other prodigies, the group of them working together to defeat that damaged broken puppet (which was coincidentally in my spatial device at the moment). At that time, he really desired one of his own, but unfortunately that battle puppet was programmed by Spirit Engravings belonging to the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner, and unless he could find someone to decode, erase and rewrite the Spirit Engraving, he had no choice but to give up on the idea.


    Well, I could do it for him if he paid me a tremendous sum of money, but after his attempts to kill me and Zhu Jiao, he had burned that bridge. Serves him right.


    In any case, judging from his stunned expression, it seemed that Jiang Jun Hao had never imagined that the battle puppet that he so fiercely desired would actually appear in Zhu Jiao''s hands.


    "Just how many treasures did this kid obtain in the tomb?!"


    "Now you''re showing off, aren''t you?!" I snapped at Zhu Jiao, irritated. "You want to show your protagonist luck and power, how many treasures you acquired in the ancient tomb, don''t you?! You had the advantage and were clearly winning. Why even bother with the battle-automata? You could have won without it."


    The battle-automata was a mid-level battle puppet similar to the Castellax that I had obtained, but it sported a different chassis. For one thing, it did not mount a ranged weapon over its shoulder, and was instead built for close combat. Crackling qi arced around its thick forearms like silver electricity, and what appeared to be power claws clacked incessantly.


    A Domitar-class battle-automata, a monstrous machine built for melee engagements, usually functioning as a monster slayer. In the past, owners would set these ferocious killing machines on magical beasts and demonic creatures, hunting them down mercilessly. It could even perform anti-vehicle duties with haywire attacks!


    "Ha ha ha¡­I didn''t have the advantage that you think I have."


    Zhu Jiao had dropped his voice to a whisper. I then noticed how his qi was circulating sluggishly in his system, and how his arms were trembling uncontrollably. It appeared that he had been injured in the last exchange.


    "If I continued to fight that bastard head-on, my Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets would have been destroyed. And I can barely feel my arms¡­I don''t think I''ll be able to throw another punch." He swallowed. "I have no choice."


    On the other end, Jiang Jun Hao had turned very pale. He clearly knew how powerful this battle-automata was. Not only could it fight on par with a Pure Spirit Stage practitioner, it did not have the capacity to feel any pain. It could shrug off debilitating injuries that could incapacitate a living, human martial artist and continue fighting on as relentlessly as before. Essentially it was the perfect killing machine, a la the Terminator. T800. Cold, relentless and merciless, and pretty much unstoppable.


    It would be a formidable opponent. I was glad that we had one on our side.


    Zhu Jiao jumped up to hover above his battle-automata and stared coldly at the slightly injured Jiang Jun Hao, an icy smile spreading across his handsome face. He reached into his spatial bag and grabbed a handful of Pure Yuan Pills, which he then fed into his Domitar-class battle-automata without any hesitation.


    Damn it¡­I knew that scoundrel somehow got his hands on tons of Pure Yuan Pills! The luck of a protagonist was so overpowered it might as well be considered a cheat ability! While normal people like me were doomed forever to mediocrity, the protagonists always had convenient encounters that got them whatever they needed for a crisis! It was so beyond coincidence or convenience that it seemed like the whole plot revolved around them or something!


    Why couldn''t anything good happen to me!? Why did Zhu Jiao have all the luck!?


    Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration. I did have some good fortune of my own, and had an army of non-functional battle-automata, the yin-based elixir, and an Azure Lotus Sword. But even so my luck was nowhere as near as Zhu Jiao''s. For one thing, he had a functioning battle-automata. As for me, until I repaired or reinscribed the Spirit Engravings (which was a long, tedious and complicated process for even one of those damned things), the battle-automata would essentially be useless. Whereas I got myself a bunch of junk that I had to repair and restore by myself, Zhu Jiao found thousands of Pure Yuan Pills, got himself a minimum mid-class Spirit Treasure Weapon, a functioning Domitar-class battle-automata (which was considered an Elite rather than the normal Troops-type Castellax-class and Thallax-class battle puppets I acquired) and even got to have sex with an ultra-beautiful girl.


    Some people had all the luck. Zhu Jiao''s luck was clearly protagonist-level.


    He also conveniently happened to come across a huge stash of Pure Yuan Pills that turned out to be useful for this current encounter, as if this whole thing had been plotted out from the beginning. Even though the battle puppet consumed a huge amount of Pure Yuan Pills whenever it attacked, Zhu Jiao didn''t care. As long as he was able to cripple or kill the bastard, he was willing to go bankrupt.


    "You do realize that you can just infuse the battle-automata with your own qi, don''t you?" I called out. "If you''re not going to fight, you might as well use your qi instead of spending Pure Yuan Pills. You have three sexagenaries of qi, I''m sure you can spare some!"


    "I tried," Zhu Jiao replied without glancing at me. "But my injuries caused my qi circulation to be clogged up, so I was unable to infuse it with my qi. Moreover, I need my inner qi now to recover from the wounds that son of a bitch dealt me."


    I nodded in understanding. Fair enough.


    After the elite Domitar-class battle-automata absorbed the Pure Yuan Pills, it glowed even more brightly than before. An ominous red glow appeared in its eyes as it focused its optical lenses on the trembling Jiang Jun Hao.


    "Go!"


    Casually feeding his new toy two thousand Pure Yuan Pills before he could feel his heart ache, Zhu Jiao commanded his battle-automata with a flick of his hand. In an instant, the Domitar-class battle-automata vanished into a blur as it dashed forward at an extremely fearsome speed. Before Jiang Jun Hao could react, the battle puppet appeared in front of him and threw a devastating punch with its fiercely glowing arc claws.


    Bam!


    Jiang Jun Hao wasn''t able to catch up to the battle puppet''s speed. He suddenly realized how difficult it was for him to deal with a battle puppet on his own. Unable to avoid it, he parried its punch with his golden Heavenly Spear.


    Crash!


    Like a battleship carving a path through an iceberg, the silver fist slammed heavily against the Heavenly Spear with such formidable strength that it actually directly bent the shaft of the Spirit Treasure Weapon. Jiang Jun Hao was sent hurtling backward, his body helplessly smashing into a nearby cliff and disappearing in an avalanche of rock. Blood spurted from his mouth like a volcanic eruption, the color leaving his face as he shuddered from the tremendous impact.


    "Again!"


    Zhu Jiao mercilessly pursued his fallen victim.


    "Wait¡­" I began uncertainly as I raised my hand. "You''ve already won. Don''t you think you should¡­?"


    Ignoring me, Zhu Jiao reloaded his battle puppet with another two thousand Pure Yuan Pills. I sighed. What a waste of Pure Yuan Pills. Following its master''s will, the killing machine emotionlessly dashed forward, completely immune to pain or exhaustion.


    Even though he was severely wounded, Jiang Jun Hao was far from down. Yeah, I know, I was an idiot. Anyway, Jiang Jun Hao leaped into the air, his expression defiant to the end. Infusing his Heavenly Spear with qi, he then hurled it forward like a projectile. With a thunderous roar, his golden spear streaked across the air and viciously pierced the battle puppet''s body.


    Wham!


    The high-class Spirit Treasure Weapon actually punctured the battle puppet''s body, penetrating the crackling silver barrier that shrouded is mechanical structure and exiting through its back with extreme force.


    Admittedly, that attack of Jiang Jun Hao was impressive. Had his opponent been a normal human, such an injury would surely be fatal. Unfortunately, the battle puppet felt no pain at all, and despite its body being pierced and damaged, it continued plowing forward determinedly, its mind focused on a single directive.


    To kill the target that its master designated it to slay.


    "No way¡­!"


    To Jiang Jun Hao''s horror, the Domitar-class battle-automata reached him in less than a millisecond and smashed its silver fist ferociously into his body.


    Boom!


    Having thrown his spear earlier, Jiang Jun Hao had nothing to block the attack with. Not being able to evade in time, his body took a direct hit. Another spray of blood erupted from his mouth, this time in a much higher volume than earlier, and his clothes disintegrated from the tremendous impact before he was sent hurtling away.


    "¡­seriously?"


    While I was gaping in disbelief at how Jiang Jun Hao was literally beaten to a naked stage, Zhu Jiao wasn''t as unresponsive. He spotted something black being flung out from the flying Jiang Jun Hao. He quickly jumped up and used his qi to ensnare the black object, gathering it into his hands as eagerly as someone hoarding rare gaming cards.


    "You¡­you¡­!"


    Jiang Jun Hao spluttered, shocked and enraged when he saw Zhu Jiao snatch the object out of the air.


    "Oh¡­"


    A grin split across Zhu Jiao''s face as he studied his new trophy. He realized that the object was a black spatial bag. Not only that, judging from its color and craftsmanship, it was clearly a rare, high-class spatial bag.


    "After all I have spent, this shall be my reward!"


    Smiling triumphantly, Zhu Jiao greedily kept the spatial bag and chuckled coldly. I gaped at him, not believing what I heard.


    "Dude¡­do you realize how villainous you sound right now? And you''re supposed to be the main character."


    "Who cares? He attacked me first. This is only just desserts."


    "Two wrongs don''t make a right. You already beat that poor guy up blue and black¡­or naked, for that matter. There''s no need to take his things too."


    Seriously, what was this? Ancient China? This was practically robbery. If you were that annoyed with Jiang Jun Hao, you should just report to the authorities and have him reported. I was sure that once his atrocities came to light, he would be kicked out of his sect and his reputation completely destroyed. More importantly, he would be thrown in jail and have a record for life. No reputable sect would ever want to accept him as a disciple.


    That was enough punishment, no? So why the fuck would you risk your own future and punishment by committing a crime? Even if Jiang Jun Hao deserved it, that didn''t give you the right to rob him.


    "You should stop being a goody-two-shoes, Wu," Zhu Jiao reprimanded me. "The readers want to see psychotic protagonists who mercilessly kill anyone stupid enough to get in their way. Not weak, pussy protagonists who stick to their morals and refuse to kill even when it is completely unnecessary to. Start acting like an edgelord, or you''ll lose readers."


    "Why are you breaking the fourth wall now? That''s supposed to be my job."


    While I grumbled and shook my head, Zhu Jiao turned toward the naked and bruised Jiang Jun Hao. Qi began gathering in his gauntlet as he cocked it back.


    "Hey, hey, hey! You''ve already defeated him! Just report him to the authorities! Killing him will be too much!" I protested, but Zhu Jiao snorted coldly.


    "Don''t worry about the authorities. If this bastard is dead, nobody will know anything, and nobody will go to jail."


    "No way¡­" Jiang Jun Hao''s eyes widened in fear. "You can''t¡­"


    "You should have considered that when you tried to kill me."


    Zhu Jiao delivered what would be the killing blow, his gauntlet shrieking terrifyingly as golden qi shrouded it.


    Bang!


    "?!"


    Zhu Jiao immediately jumped back when someone intercepted his punch. Explosive qi billowed from the collision and buffeted the Golden Kirin Sect disciple as he winced, shaking his armored hand. He turned a little green when he saw the person who had appeared in front of his original target.


    It was a gentle-looking old man, hovering in the air atop a gray disc of light. The imposing aura he emanated was not inferior to that of Lei Yong Chun.


    "Elder Shen!" Jiang Jun Hao cried out in delight. "Kill this brat!"


    The old man shook his head in disapproval, and turned to the stunned Zhu Jiao, who had recalled his Domitar-class battle-automata and was swiftly retreating. His heart sank when he sensed the immense power radiating from the old man.


    The robed elderly gentleman didn''t seem to care, and tilted his head slightly toward Zhu Jiao, his mouth turning into a polite smile.

 149 Chapter 148: Heavenly Way Sect Elder

    "¡­you were right." Zhu Jiao glanced at me nervously, even as he continued to frantically retreat. "This bastard really has an elder hiding somewhere to assist him when he finds himself cornered. How did you know?!"


    "Well¡­" I shrugged nonchalantly. "Because I read Wu Dong Qian Kun."


    "The fuck?! Seriously?!"


    Zhu Jiao gaped at me in disbelief, but I was too busily focusing my attention on Elder Shen to pay any attention to him.


    At this moment, Jiang Jun Hao had already received some clothes from the elderly man in gray, and he hurriedly wore them to cover up his shameful figure. Despite putting on fresh clothes, he still looked pretty haggard and battered, the injuries he received from the Domitar-class battle-automata still visible.


    To be honest, he was strong enough to fight on par with the battle-automata, especially since he was equipped with his Heavenly Spear. It was surprising that he found himself cornered and beaten so pathetically. I guess he had used up quite a bit of strength when fighting furiously against Zhu Jiao earlier, and I was even more certain that he had underestimated the battle-automata. His formidable spear attack had pierced through the battle-automata''s chest, the place where normally a heart would be if it had been a human.


    In fact, had his opponent been a human, that strike would definitely have killed him instantly. Unfortunately for Jiang Jun Hao, the battle-automata did not possess a heart. Its cerebral cortex was inside its head ¨C it would have been a different story altogether if he had crushed its head. Nonetheless, it still did not possess the same vulnerabilities that a human would have.


    Thanks to that, the moment Jiang Jun Hao lowered his guard, the Domitar-class battle-automata capitalized on that instant and delivered an incredibly ferocious attack. Unable to react in time, Jiang Jun Hao took a direct hit and was severely injured.


    That was the price he paid for underestimating his opponent.


    "Elder Shen, kill these brats!"


    After getting dressed, Jiang Jun Hao scowled darkly and barked an order. Opposite him, Zhu Jiao tensed and braced for a fierce battle. He also reached inside his spatial bag for more Pure Yuan Pills to recharge the hovering Domitar-class battle-automata.


    However¡­


    Smack!


    Elder Shen smacked the back of Jiang Jun Hao''s head, sending him sprawling forward. Jiang Jun Hao gaped up at the elderly man in shock.


    "You¡­"


    "Who are you to give me orders? I''m a sect elder, you know? You''re just a disciple. Know your place, you brat!"


    Jiang Jun Hao shrank back, looking very pitiful.


    "¡­"


    Zhu Jiao exchanged a confused gaze with me, but neither of us let our guard down. Seeing our expressions, Jiang Jun Hao smirked. Even if he didn''t order Elder Shen about, the old man would naturally eliminate us.


    "I am very sorry for the trouble that a disciple from our sect has caused to the both of you."


    "Eh?!"


    Jiang Jun Hao blanched when Elder Shen bowed deeply and apologized.


    "What the hell are you doing?! Aren''t you going to kill those brats?!"


    Elder Shen turned around and smacked Jiang Jun Hao again. As the stunned Heavenly Way Sect disciple fell to his knees, the seemingly gentle old man kicked him in the stomach.


    "Kill, kill, kill! Is that all you can think about?! Our Heavenly Way Sect has utterly failed to educate you, if all you can think about is killing! We are one of the eight major sects in the Martial Arts Alliance, and an orthodox sect! What the hell are you doing, going around ruthlessly murdering other people?! You think we''re bandits, is it? Just because you want the Spirit Treasure Weapon owned by that young man over there, you think you can abuse the power and authority of our sect and kill and rob him? How can you call yourself a martial artist of the orthodox way?"


    He bent down and slapped Jiang Jun Hao so hard that the younger man was sent spinning to crash on the floor.


    "And ordering me around like this¡­you think you''re an arrogant young master from a xianxia novel, is it? Don''t you know how they all end up when they behave arrogantly and antagonize the protagonist? They all get killed! Never mind if they go get themselves killed ¨C they drag the whole sect or clan into the mess and cause everyone to get wiped out by the main character! Targeting the protagonist, are you trying to destroy our Heavenly Way Sect?!"


    "Even the Heavenly Way Sect elder is breaking the fourth wall now," I muttered as I tried to shut my jaw after gaping at the unbelievable sight.


    "Ahem." Elder Shen cleared his throat and straightened up. "I''m not breaking the fourth wall. I merely read too many wuxia and xianxia stories."


    I frowned. "Then how do you know that Zhu Jiao is the main character?"


    "It''s pretty obvious." Elder Shen shook his head in disgust and began raising his hand to count with his fingers. "He has plot armor, he has protagonist-level luck that allows him to grab not one, not two, but many different treasures from a dungeon-styled tomb, and he has the great fortune to have sex with an ultra-beautiful girl. Not to mention, he also has a damned familiar ¨C that Golden Kirin he was riding on earlier ¨C and a battle-automata. And then he defeated a young disciple from my sect, even though he''s supposed to be weaker and of a lower level. What kind of person is that lucky to the point where the whole world seems to revolve around him and the universe breaks its own laws just to keep him alive and gives him benefits after benefits? It''s just not realistic. So the only explanation is that he is the main character of our universe."


    How the fuck did he know all that? I was pretty sure Elder Shen wasn''t present when Zhu Jiao had the lucky "accident" with Yan Qing Wu.


    But he was correct. Zhu Jiao had the luck of a protagonist to the point where it seemed the universe was bending backward just to accommodate him. Conveniently providing him the tools or whatever he needed for the situation in the not too distant future¡­yeah, he was definitely a protagonist.


    And realizing this, the old man was careful not to offend him. Furthermore, he was clearly an upright, orthodox martial artist with outstanding morals. He wouldn''t have participated in this criminal murder in the first place, even without these ridiculous reasons.


    "Again, I apologize to these two young masters. I assure you that the Heavenly Way Sect is not this ruthless or evil. I have no idea why Jun Hao''s values have been twisted to this extent, but I promise you that I will bring him back to the sect and reeducate him."


    "Hah!" Jiang Jun Hao snorted defiantly. "How will you reeducate me? You wouldn''t dare! My father is one of the biggest¡­"


    Elder Shen smacked him across the head again, silencing him before he could finish his sentence.


    "Your father will definitely hear of this, mark my words. And you''ll be sent into a Laogai camp for a few months to reflect on your actions."


    The color drained from Jiang Jun Hao''s face when he heard that, and he threw himself at Elder Shen''s feet, howling.


    "No! Please! Anything but that! Please don''t send me into Laogai! I beg you!"


    Elder Shen''s expression remained cold and scornful as he stared at the pleading Jiang Jun Hao. "You reap what you sow. your own actions are what caused you to be condemned to such punishment. Who asked you to attempt murder and robbery, and drag the name of our esteemed sect through the mud? You''ll be lucky if you don''t get expelled!"


    "Laogai? What''s that?" Zhu Jiao whispered, confused. I sighed.


    "It''s short for Lao Dong Gai Zao. It''s basically a corrective labor camp. Some sects put their members in corrective camps so that they will accept education and reform their behavior through hard labor. It''s not just hard labor, but also meditation and education. It''s designed to brainwash and indoctrine offenders, reforming them into upright, law-abiding citizens¡­or at least that''s the theory, anyway."


    In reality, the punishment was so harsh that many of the disciples interned in the corrective camps dropped out of the sect because they couldn''t handle the punishment. A few were even driven to suicide. Those who left the sect because they couldn''t handle the punishment continued to have these on their records, which served as a stigma that barred them from joining other reputable sects or having a good future. Of course, in theory, such punishments would be deleted off the records if the offender truly repented, reformed and finished his sentence, but only the hardiest and most determined could endure.


    And even among those who finished their sentences, many were a hollow shell of their former self, brainwashed and indoctrinated by the camp into near-mindless zombies who obediently listened to whatever their masters had to say.


    Some people accused the corrective camps as not being ethical, but honestly¡­if the corrective camp was enough to reform a murderer like Jiang Jun Hao into an obedient, law-abiding citizen who would never hurt a fly again, I would say it served its purpose. Even if he ended up traumatized by the experience. Then again, what about the victims who were traumatized by his murder attempts, or the previous victims who had died at his hands? I was sure this wasn''t the first time he tried to kill someone. Those techniques and his complete lack of hesitation indicated that he was no stranger to murdering.


    A corrective camp was the least he deserved. Perhaps Zhu Jiao had the right idea about slaying him, but that would also make him a murderer, and turn him into the very person he was trying to mete justice on.


    Zhu Jiao wasn''t aware of all of these, but he did have some idea of what a corrective labor camp was, so he nodded dumbly.


    "Uh, okay." He gulped and then turned to Elder Shen, who was still kicking Jiang Jun Hao when he was down. Or rather, the elderly gentleman was trying to kick Jiang Jun Hao off his feet because the latter was being too clingy. "Thank you for handling the matter, Elder. This young one will leave everything to you. If there''s nothing else, we will take our leave first."


    "Who said you can go?"


    "!!!"


    Zhu Jiao stumbled back when Elder Shen suddenly appeared in front of him. It was as if the elderly man had literally teleported, disappearing from where Jiang Jun Hao was groveling, and then materializing quite some distance away.


    "I knew he isn''t going to let us go!"


    Reacting almost on reflex, Zhu Jiao threw a powerful punch with his golden gauntlets, ferocious qi swirling around his fist as it barreled toward Elder Shen''s face.


    Boom!


    "?!"


    Zhu Jiao''s jaw dropped when he saw that Elder Shen had calmly intercepted his armored fist, catching the gigantic gauntlet with his palm and gently wrapping his fingers around the glowing metal. Despite pouring more qi into his strike, he was unable to budge Elder Shen''s hand even a single millimeter.


    "Even if I''m injured, there''s no way¡­!"


    "A fearsome punch," Elder Shen praised him as he forcefully lowered Zhu Jiao''s trembling fist and pushed it out of the way. "But I would appreciate it if you don''t attack me out of the blue."


    "Then what do you want?!" Zhu Jiao demanded, trying to yank his gauntleted fist free. Elder Shen nonchantly released him and the spiky-haired main character stumbled back, his abrupt freedom causing him to be off-balance.


    "If it''s not too much trouble, I hope you don''t mind returning Jun Hao''s belongings."


    I didn''t even see Elder Shen move, but the next thing I knew, Jiang Jun Hao''s black spatial pouch was suddenly in his hands.


    "When did he¡­?!"


    Zhu Jiao blinked, but then scowled and tried to make a grab for Jiang Jun Hao''s spatial bag. I quickly stepped forward and placed my hand on his shoulder to stop him.


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    "Don''t do it, Zhu Jiao," I told him with a shake of my head. "Just return it to them."


    "But¡­!"


    "Come on, dude," I snapped. "Don''t let greed cloud your judgement. Are you a robber? A bandit? You''re better than that. You should be above snatching things from other people. Yeah, Jiang Jun Hao caused you a lot of trouble and attacked you, but this elder from the Heavenly Way Sect has personally apologized and promised to reeducate him. Just let it go."


    "¡­fine."


    Zhu Jiao sulked, but he obediently refrained from doing anything stupid. Now that he calmed down, he realized not the wisdom of my words but that he wouldn''t be able to defeat Elder Shen in a direct fight, and wasn''t stupid enough to try and steal from the formidable expert.


    "Speaking of which¡­"


    Elder Shen reached into the spatial bag and retrieved a huge amount of Pure Yuan Pills and deposited them in the stunned Zhu Jiao''s hands.


    "I believe you''ve used up quite a bit of Pure Yuan Pills to handle my sect''s disciple, didn''t you? About six thousand, if I''m not mistaken. Here''s about twenty-thousand. More than enough to cover your losses."


    "Huh? You''re giving this much to me?!"


    Zhu Jiao was gaping at Elder Shen in shock, but then he narrowed his eyes.


    "Why? What do you want in exchange?"


    "Ah¡­straight to the point. I like it." Elder Shen smiled politely, but there was steel in his eyes. "All I ask in return is that you drop this matter and pretend that nothing happened between you and my sect''s disciple, Jun Hao. I will personally ensure he gets punished, so there is no need to bring this up to the authorities. We''ll treat this as a private matter. And I also hope that you will not hold a grudge against my Heavenly Way Sect. as I said, Jun Hao is an exception rather than the rule, and I will take responsibility for not educating him properly."


    Oh. I knew what this was. Hush money ¨C he was paying Zhu Jiao off so that he wouldn''t report this to the Imperial Guard or proper authorities. If he did so, news would spread in the open, doing some damage to the Heavenly Way Sect''s public image and their reputation and prestige would take a hit. Elder Shen didn''t want the matter of one of his sect''s disciples engaging in wanton murder and criminal acts to be made public.


    In other words, this was the infamous out-of-court settlement.


    "Hmm¡­" Zhu Jiao considered this for a moment, and then realized that he stood to benefit a lot from this. So he nodded with a big smile. "Consider this whole matter forgotten!"


    "W¡­wait!"


    The three of us turned to Jiang Jun Hao, who was still sprawled helplessly on the floor, tearfully looking at the exchange.


    "Elder Shen! You can''t just take those Pure Yuan Pills and give it to that brat! They are mine! I''ve been saving them up for a year! You can''t just give away my Pure Yuan Pills like this!"


    Elder Shen smiled thinly. "That''s exactly why I''m giving them to this young man. You were the one who created this whole mess and attacked this young man. Do you expect the sect to pay for the crimes you committed? No, any compensation is going to come out of your own pocket."


    The expression on Jiang Jun Hao''s face was so horrific that both Zhu Jiao and I couldn''t help but burst out laughing.


    "We''ll leave this matter for you to handle privately then, venerable Elder." Zhu Jiao then bowed respectfully. "We will not interfere in matters of your sect."


    "Thank you. Have a safe return home."


    Elder Shen waved us away, and the both of us went on our way.


    "I can''t believe that Heavenly Way Sect Elder just did that!" Zhu Jiao said in between laughs, doubling over as he tried to control himself. "Did you see the look on Jiang Jun Hao''s face? That was so hilarious!"


    "Yeah. Not every sect is descipable, psychopathic murderers who resort to killing over everything. It''s good to see that in reality, the orthodox sect elders tend to be more reasonable and upright. Imagine if this was a wuxia or xianxia story. The elder will try to kill you, you would end up being saved by Yan Qing Wu or one of the heroines or some Deus ex Machina, and then the Heavenly Way Sect will continue to persecute you and kill you after your escape, but you''ll train, get stronger and then return to eradicate the entire Heavenly Way Sect."


    "What kind of nonsense is that? That doesn''t sound logical at all. Why would the whole sect be out to kill me just because I fought one of their disciples in self-defense?"


    Zhu Jiao stared at me in disbelief. I sighed. Evidently my friend hadn''t read any wuxia or xianxia novels at all.


    "Because you''re the main character, and that''s the premise of about just every xianxia story out there. And it''s super-repetitive. After you wipe out a sect or clan, a new one will appear and try to kill you."


    "That''s pretty unrealistic," Zhu Jiao remarked. I tried not to snort at that. He had no idea¡­


    "Anyway, while I''m happy that I received compensation for that fight against Jiang Jun Hao, and more besides, I wish I could have kept that spatial bag." Zhu Jiao rubbed his hands, his eyes growing dreamy. "I might get a martial arts manual, and rare raw materials which I can use to upgrade my Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets."


    "What the hell? You''re not satisfied with twenty-thousand Pure Yuan Pills?" I threw my hands up in the air in exasperation. "What do you think this is, a fantasy story where you conveniently get your hands on everything you need? This is reality. The universe isn''t going to bend backward and break every law just to deliver you high-ranked martial arts and rare raw materials from nowhere! Do you think you''re Li Fu Chen or Lin Dong or something?"


    "Eh¡­" Zhu Jiao looked disappointed. Then he shrugged. "Well, I can''t always be lucky all the time."


    Sometimes I really felt like strangling this bastard¡­

 150 Chapter 149: Battle-automata

    It had been over a week since I had returned from the ancient tomb, but I had yet to make any progress with programming my newly acquired battle-automata with the appropriate Spirit Engravings. Despite going to the great library belonging to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and the one at Wu Ling Academy and referring to the books, I was unable to replicate the complex patterns and symbols required to power and program the battle-automata.


    "I really suck at this."


    Glaring balefully at the Thallax-class battle puppet in front of me, I was on the verge of giving up. Closing my eyes briefly, I shook my head and turned away. Behind me, the Thallax-class battle puppet remained motionless and stationary, the Spirit Engravings not glowning at all. Evidently I had drawn something wrong, for despite copying the exact same diagrams from the books strewn over my desk, the battle puppet refused to be activated.


    Looked like I had no choice but to approach Elder Tie for help.


    Heaving a big sigh, I rose from my workbench and left the room assigned to me. Stretching myself, I packed the Thallax-class battle puppet into my spatial device, then I began my journey toward the Flame Volcano ¨C in particular the part where the elders were residing in.


    After a few minutes of walking, I reached Elder Tie''s residence, which doubled as his office and workshop. Stopping at the gates, I rang the bell and waited at the intercom. When I heard the buzz, I immediately turned toward the intercom.


    "Who is this?"


    Elder Tie''s familiar voice hissed out of the black grid. Leaning closer so that the machine could capture my voice, I spoke up.


    "I''m Fei Wu. I''m here to ask for advice regarding Spirit Engraving."


    "Oh, for your spatial device thing?"


    I immediately felt a little guilty when Elder Tie asked about that. Now that I thought about it, I had gotten distracted and didn''t pay much attention to my original project. I was supposed to be working on integrating my spatial device into a weapon, which was why I went to explore the ancient tomb in the first place.


    Now that I had gotten the yin-based spherical spirit artifact, I could begin fusing it with the spatial device made from the Void Whale and the Ice Soul Python. However, I got too carried away with researching and experimenting with Sppirit Engravings on my newly acquired battle-automata that I had pushed my original project right to the back of my mind.


    "Uh¡­well, actually¡­it''s more to do with battle-automata."


    "Battle-automata?" Elder Tie sounded like he was frowning in puzzlement. "Why do you want advice on battle-automata Spirit Engravings?"


    "Oh. Wait one." There was a slight pause, and then the automated gates swung open to allow me entry. "All right, come in. I''m in my workshop right now, so you should head here."


    "Yes, Elder Tie."


    Without any hesitation, I stepped through the open gates and toward the courtyard. Turning toward the direction of Elder Tie''s workshop, I began making my way across a marble pathway that was surrounded on both sides by carefully tended plants. Either Elder Tie lavished a lot of care on them, or he was able to hire a full-time gardener to grow them. Knowing how rich the sect elders were, I was pretty sure it was the latter.


    Sounds of smithing rang across the air as I neared the workshop. The door was slightly open, and I pulled it so that I could enter. A blast of heat washed over me, saturated with so much yang qi that I was almost taken by surprise. Even after spending so much time learning smithing, I still hadn''t gotten used to the fiery interiors of most spirit furnaces.


    "Ah, there you are." Straightening up from whatever piece of red-hot metal he was hammering, Elder Tie removed his safety goggles and smiled at me. He glanced around, as if half-expecting to see something behind me. "You were saying something about a battle-automata?"


    "Yeah." I reached into my spatial device and pulled the one I was working on out. "I''ve been referring to books and stuff, but even though I did my best to replicate the Spirit Engravings, they don''t seem to work."


    "I see." Elder Tie approached the Thallax-class battle puppet, fascinated and excited. "Isn''t this a Thallax-class battle puppet? It''s supposed to originate from the Dark Age of Technology! You''re saying you got this from the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb?!"


    "Yeah," I affirmed as I watched the elderly man practically dance around the battle puppet. "And not just him. I''ve a lot more too."


    Saying so, I produced a Castellax-class battle-automata from my spatial device. When he saw him materialize, Elder Tie''s jaw dropped.


    "That''s¡­that''s a Castellax-class battle-automata!" he spluttered. "You also fot this from the ancient tomb?!"


    "Yup, that''s right. I also tried the Spirit Engraving on this guy¡­took me a week to do it on both of them, and yet I still failed. I was hoping you know why."


    "Ah¡­" Elder Tie nodded in understanding as he pulled back, a wry smile on his face. "For one thing, you cannot hope to restore a battle-automata with half a week''s worth of Spirit Engraving. You were rushing the process."


    "Half a week''s worth? You mean there''s a timing for these things? Aren''t they completed when I finish inscribing the Spirit Engraving?"


    I couldn''t help but be confused. Elder Tie shook his head and then chopped the top of my head with his hand.


    "Idiot! What did I teach you about Spirit Engraving? Have you forgotten all the basics already? It''s not a simple process where you just draw symbols and diagrams! There is a method to it! And you also need to carefully infuse the Engravings with your spiritual energy! It''s a meticulous task that requires a tremendous amount of time, effort and focus! There are no shortcuts to it! Judging from the tiny amount of qi in these Engravings, you obviously got too impatient and didn''t put in the required amount of time and qi!"


    "¡­oh."


    So that was where I went wrong. Well, obviously. I wasn''t some Mary Sue protagonist who could become a master Spirit Engraver just because the author said I was. Hell, I don''t think the author ever described me as such. He probably ascribed more to the show, not tell model.


    "To complete a battle-automata like this¡­" Elder Tie thumped the Thallax-class battle puppet with his hand. "You''ll need to continue imbuing it with qi for about a month. About two hours or so everyday! I mean, you can try to speed it up, but you will run out of qi, and I know you have your own martial arts training so don''t be too reckless with that."


    "And the Castellax battle-automata will obviously take a bit more time¡­"


    My shoulders slumped down and I sighed in resignation. Given how I had hundreds of Thallax-class battle puppets and about a hundred Castellax-class battle-automata, inscribing Spirit Engravings on all of them was not realistic nor practical.


    "I guess I''ll have to sell them after all¡­"


    "Huh? You''re giving up already? You just need a month or so! You''re not that weak or impatient, are you?"


    "Uh, no¡­you see¡­"


    I reached into my spatial device and began bringing the battle puppets and battle-automata out one at a time. Elder Tie''s eyes bulged when he saw the sight of me unceasingly taking them out and laying them out.


    "I have a lot."


    Even after the room was packed full of the battle puppets, I continued to take more out, but Elder Tie hurriedly waved his hands.


    "Okay, I get it! Just how many do you have? A few hundred?!"


    "Yeah," I confirmed. "About five hundred Thallax-class battle puppets and one hundred and twenty-one Castellax-class battle-automata."


    "WTF?!"


    Elder Tie practically screeched. I could only scratch my head sheepishly.


    "Yeah, I found them all in the ancient tomb and brought them back. As I expected, there''s no way I''ll be able to Spirit Engrave all six hundred plus of them."


    "If you sell them all, you''ll be rich!" Elder Tie exclaimed, his eyes glazing over. "Hell, I''ll even buy a few from you!"


    To be honest, I wasn''t going to sell all of them. Even though I intended to sell most of them because I was now aware that it wouldn''t be practical to spend the next few years doing nothing but carve Spirit Engravings into the battle-automata, I was going to keep a few for myself. Probably four, maybe six of them at the most. And I might as well let go of all the Thallax-class battle puppets. I was only interested in the cooler-looking Castellax-class battle-automata.


    This could be the beginning of a humble forge world. I could join the Martian Priesthood and be inducted into the Cult Mechanicus while leading my battle-automata round like some arrogant Archmagos of the Legio Cybernetica¡­


    "Hello? Fei Wu?"


    Elder Tie waved a hand in front of my face. I realized I was drifting off into my own world and getting obsessed with my favorite tabletop wargame. Coughing to cover up my embarrassment, I inquired of him.


    "How many would you like to buy? And I''m thinking of selling most of them to the sect, anyway. Should I just approach the administrative building for that?"


    "Ah, certainly. They will help you with anything financial and business-related. I''ll just take twelve Thallax-class battle puppets and two Castellax-class battle-automata. I''ll pay you separately. Is Paypal all right?"


    "Sure. You have my email address, right? That''s my Paypal address."


    "Excellent." Elder Tie beamed, and then cast a pleased gaze over the army of battle-automata. Realizing that they were occupying too much space, I hurriedly began to pack them up. However, before I did, I turned to Elder Tie.


    "Perhaps you would want to choose the ones you want before I keep them?"


    "Sure!"


    It didn''t take Elder Tie much time to pick. There wasn''t any difference between the models, so he just picked the ones most convenient for him to store. Afterward, I retrieved the rest of the battle-automata, stuffing them into my spatial device.


    "You really should get started on your original project," Elder Tie remarked when he spotted my spatial device and was reminded of the time I approached him for advice regarding it. "Don''t get too distracted by Spirit Engraving with battle-automata. Tell you what, I''ll personally teach and oversee your Spirit Engravings of your battle-automata once you''ve decided what to keep and what to sell. Since I''ve gotten some from you, I can demonstrate."


    "Yes, Elder Tie."


    "And I''ll send you the cash online through Paypal by tonight. Remind me again if I forget to send it to you by tomorrow morning. There is no need to send me an invoice, I''ll send it as friends. Otherwise Paypal will deduct a percentage of the money."


    Given how battle-automata were expensive, even a small percentage of their cost would be a huge sum. I was grateful to Elder Tie for his understanding.


    "How about we start right away?"


    Elder Tie was rubbing his hands gleefully as he eyed the battle-automata he just purchased from me.


    "Before that, do you mind if you help me with this?"


    I retrieved the broken Castellax-class battle-automata that I found right outside the Sea of Fire that protected the core of the ancient tomb. The poor guy got totally thrashed and destroyed by Lei Yong Chun, Ling Qing Zhu and the others, and was in pretty bad shape. I had attempted to repair him by looking at the others, but his systems were simply too complex for me to piece together. In the end, I had given up and focused on Spirit Engraving, because if I couldn''t even get that right, then even if I somehow repaired this fella, he would remain inert without the proper Spirit Engravings.


    Fortunately, now that Elder Tie was willing to teach me Spirit Engraving for the battle-automata, I might as well get him repaired before I got to inscribing Spirit Engravings to him eventually. Besides, I also wanted to know if he was irreparable or not. Otherwise I would have to factor him into account when selling the rest of my battle-automata (I didn''t want odd numbers). I could also use him for spare parts or other experiments if that was the case.


    "Hmm¡­" Elder Tie observed the broken battle-automata thoughtfully, and then sighed and shook his head. "No, I''m sorry. Even with my skills, I''m afraid this poor battle-automata is beyond repair."


    "Oh well¡­I was hoping this brave guy can be restored, but I guess that''s harsh reality for you."


    The Castellax-class battle-automata deserved to be rewarded for valiantly fighting to the last despite facing overwhelming odds. It would be a pity to see him die, but at least he would live on as spare parts.


    The Omnissiah had plans for all of us, after all. Each one of us was a cog, ticking away and contributing to the greater whole of the Machine. That didn''t mean I intended to replace my organic parts with cybernetic augmentation. I was not going to be a Skitarius or Tech-priest. I was going to be that psychic sorcerer who controls battle-automata with mind magic or psychic powers, just like a warlock from the Thousand Sons Legion.


    "I guess I''ll have to take him apart for spare parts."


    "That will be a good idea." Elder Tie nodded. "And you can sell those individual components off for a good price, though. Even though the cerebral cortex is damaged, and the frame is broken beyond repair, the individual components are not. That crystalline Qi-control matrix, for example, can be installed in another battle-automata to grant a martial artist control of it. The mauler-bolt cannon mounted on its shoulder looks like it can be salvaged. The main qi battery also seems like it can be refitted in another machine."


    "Qi battery?" I frowned. Qi Lin had told me that these battle-automata required Pure Yuan Pills or qi from the controller in order to execute attacks. That could very well be made up for using artificial qi from Wu Ling Academy''s labs, but obviously I needed to show them a working battle-automata with a complete Spirit Engraving before I could convince them to sell me some (or even buy some). In any case, it was obvious that all that qi would be store in the qi battery.


    Still, these things were from an earlier age, so perhaps¡­


    "Is there any type of qi generator installed?" I asked. Elder Tie chuckled.


    "Goodness, no. Remember, these ancient battle-automata are from a different time period. Even if it''s called the Dark Age of Technology, it''s not as if they were better than us. They had yet to invent qi generators or technology that could generate qi during that time."


    Modern technology had advanced far ahead of that epoch by inventing qi generators. While they did not literally generate qi (that was the domain of the newly created artificial qi), they drew natural qi from the surroundings to power their machines. So electricity to power lights, or qi to fuel the movement of cars and other vehicles.


    However, as powerful as they were, they obviously wasn''t able to convert natural qi into attacks powerful enough to match the whatever realms or stages that martial artists insisted or categorizing. Drawing natural qi from the surroundings could power a car and made it move, but it wasn''t enough to level a mountain. So these qi generators normally weren''t weaponized. That wasn''t to say they were never used for battle-automata ¨C the battle puppets and training dummies in Wu Ling Academy operated on this principle, but they were far from being powerful enough to compete against true masters. That was why a master like Lei Yong Chun was strong enough to destroy an entire army of them by himself.


    The production of artificial qi meant that they could, theoretically, be much more powerful than their predecessors who relied entirely on drawing natural qi from the surroudings to power their attacks and movements, but as I pointed out over and over again, volume of qi was just a single factor. Reality wasn''t as simple as "more qi equals automatic victory." As much as xianxia stories loved to play up on the stages, realms and amount of qi, real life simply didn''t abide by such neat categories or rigid rules. In the first place, strength and qi wasn''t something you could easily measure, quantify and categorize conveniently.


    But even so, modern technology allowed us to have machines and vehicles that operated without needing us to feed them Pure Yuan Pills or supply them with our own qi. While you could theoretically improve their performance by infusing them with more qi ¨C indeed, most people actually do this, for example motorcyclists who amplified the speed of their motorbikes several times by infusing their vehicles with qi, or accelerating a computer''s processing speed by injecting it with qi, or even something as simple as increasing the water pressure from a hose to put our fires ¨C normal people could get away by using machines that did not require their wielder''s qi. Otherwise, it would be a little ridiculous if you need a bus driver to be a martial artist, in order to supply his vehicle with the qi to move, or a chef to be a martial artist to increase the heat of his stove.


    It seemed that people from the Dark Age of Technology weren''t omnipotent and still lacked in certain areas compared to people living in the contemporary period. So we still had some progress that we could be proud of.


    "All right." Breaking out of my thoughts, I packed the broken Castellax battle-automata up with the intention of dismantling him for parts later (or maybe use him to create an entirely new battle-automata or robot). "Then I will humbly request you to teaching me how to do Spirit Engravings for a battle-automata, Elder Tie."


    Elder Tie grinned as he stroked his beard. "Leave it to me!"


    *


    After a long day in the workshop, I was finally released from my extra class. Exhausted and emotionally shattered, I trudged back toward my residence.


    "Ugh¡­I really am not meant for Spirit Engraving or smithing, am I?"


    Unfortunately, I had made Elder Tie mad because of my incompetence. It was times like this that I wished I was a competent protagonist with talent in whatever he did. At least in those stories, it never seemed like those Mary Sue protagonists ever get scolded by their masters. All they did was get praised for being a genius.


    They had it easy, didn''t they? And here I was, feeling absolutely useless after failing over and over again, and getting yelled at by an increasingly infuriated Elder Tie. Why did I ever think it would be easy?


    Okay, perhaps I didn''t think it would be easy, but I never imagined that it would be this difficult too. Why couldn''t I get it right?


    "This is the worst¡­"


    Grumbling to myself, I pushed the door to my residence open and staggered in. Shutting the door and locking it, I then proceeded to my room before flopping down on my bed.


    "Ugh¡­I really suck, don''t I?"


    Why couldn''t I be like those guys? They made it seem so easy, but when I actually tried doing it in reality, it turned out to be super-difficult. Yet those guys were not only geniuses in martial artists, they were also prodigies in whatever secondary (or primary) fields, being unparalleled artificers or receptariers or alchemists or doctors.


    To be fair, maybe they did get scolded by their masters, but the authors conveniently gloss over those or didn''t mention them because they didn''t want to cover the parts where their protagonists were in a shameful state.


    While I continued to wallow in self-pity (okay, it had everything to do with the author suffering from depression after screwing up in his independent study class for his preliminary exam in graduate school), my cellphone suddenly buzzed.


    "Hmm?"


    Picking up my cellphone, I saw that it was Zhu Jiao. Sitting up on the edge of my bed, I hit the green button and answered the call, only to wince when his voice blared out from the speaker.


    "Fei Wu! Thank you so much!"


    "What the hell, man? What is it, all of a sudden?" I snapped, pulling my cellphone to a distance away and massaging my ear in annoyance.


    "Thanks to you, Qing Tan is all better now!"


    "Oh? Is she? That''s great to hear!" my foul mood dissipated immediately and I broke into a smile, my depression all forgotten. "So the Ultimate Yin Dragon Saliva worked?"


    "Yeah! Like a charm! All that yin aura that always attacks her is now completely under control! She no longer suffers from them!"


    I had passed the Ultimate Yin Dragon Saliva to Zhu Jiao a week ago, and he used it on Qing Tan immediately. Given that he was only telling me this now, he must have been observing his adopted sister for a week to ensure that the symptoms didn''t relapse. I wasn''t sure how frequent they were, but it seemed to be something that occurred once every few days. So if it hadn''t relapsed after a whole week, then it seemed that it was successful.


    "Well, keep me updated," I told him. "We still can''t say for sure if it has totally cured your sister."


    "I know." Zhu Jiao paused for a moment. "But still, I want to thank you. If it weren''t for you, never mind a week, Qing Tan would still be suffering right now."


    "Right."


    I had literally given Zhu Jiao the Ultimate Yin Dragon Saliva for free. Since we were friends, I didn''t want to be calculative, and it was an aside item I obtained alongside my Azure Lotus Sword and the spherical yin artifact I found in that icy cave protected by the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation. So I wasn''t that desperate for money or anything in return, and I wasn''t going to ransom my best friend for an elixir that his suffering sister really, really needed.


    Aware of how priceless of a gift I had handed over to him, Zhu Jiao sounded a little guilty. I mean, he was the standard protagonist, so he was used to getting whatever he needed for free, usually through convenient means. Even so, he wasn''t going to take our friendship for granted.


    "I owe you a meal. And Qing Tan wants to thank you personally, so if you could come over sometime, preferably for dinner¡­"


    "Well, I would love to, but I''m pretty busy¡­" I glanced at my calendar and noted the dates. My schedule was filled with forging lessons, and now that I had this battle-automata project as an extra thing, I was only going to get busier.


    "Yeah, I know. But let me know when your schedule clears up a little, okay? Qing Tan and I owe you big time. My whole family does. Father wants to thank you as well, and he''s ready to throw a feast when you come over."


    All the more reason not to go over, but whatever. It honestly wasn''t a big deal, and Zhu Jiao''s gratitude was making me feel awkward.


    "I''ll let you know. For now, keep an eye on your sister and let me know if anything happens. I''ll definitely help if I can."


    With that, I hung up and went back to dropping down on my bed.


    *


    The next day, I went straight to the sect admin building in Tushan City to sell the battle-automata I had.


    "¡­did you say battle-automata?"


    The lady receptionist at the counter was gaping at me when I revealed my hand. I nodded and began taking them out one by one in front of her.


    "Yeah, these. The sect will buy them, right?"


    The lady receptionist took a double take when she saw me taking them out one after the other, and when it became clear that I wasn''t going to stop even after taking out more than a dozen of them, she frantically waved her hands.


    "Wait! Stop! How many do you have?"


    "Um, about five hundred Thallax-class battle puppets and a hundred and sixteen Castellax-class battle-automata."


    "Waaaah! Okay, okay! Put them back in! Let''s go to the back ¨C there''s more space there! Don''t take them out here at the counter!"


    "Sure."


    While I put the battle-automata back, the lady receptionist was urgently calling someone with the desk phone and speaking rapidly. I strained my ears to eavesdrop, but before I could, someone called out to me.


    "Whoa! Fei Wu, what''s this?!"


    "Oh, Qi Hong. Are you here to sell stuff as well?"


    Tang Qi Hong stepped into the sect admin building, gaping at the battle-automata I was keeping into my spatial device. She shook her head in disbelief, ignoring my question and peering curiously at the stuff I was keeping.


    "Are those battle-automata?!"


    "Yep," I confirmed. Tang Qi Hong ogled me.


    "Seriously?! Where did you get them from?!"


    "Oh? I didn''t tell you?" well, I clearly didn''t, but that was more because I spent too much time cooped up in my workshop and training martial arts than going out to socialize with my classmates. "From the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb last week."


    "EH?! Why didn''t you tell me!?"


    "You didn''t ask."


    Tang Qi Hong glared at me, and I quickly raised both my hands apologetically.


    "Um, well¡­I never saw any reason to mention it¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong shook her head again, still trying to digest the sight. She then noticed the receptionist behind me, who was speaking on the phone, and glanced around the lobby of the sect admin building, as if realizing where she was for the first time.


    "Are you selling them off?"


    "Yeah. I talked to Elder Tie yesterday, and it seems like it''s too impractical and unrealistic for me to try and carve Spirit Engravings in each and every one of them. So I might as well sell most of what I have away."


    Speaking of Elder Tie, he remained true to his word and send me payment last night. Good thing he did, because I wouldn''t be able to open a claim with Paypal without an invoice and stuff. But then again, I knew Elder Tie well enough to trust him, so I wasn''t worried about that.


    "Sell me a few of them!"


    Tang Qi Hong was grabbing hold of me and shaking my body. Even I didn''t want to, I was forced to nod.


    "Okay. How many do you want?"


    "Um¡­six Thallax-class battle puppets and four Castellax-class battle-automata!"


    "Oh? Okay¡­" I blinked, finding the specific numbers weird. "Yesterday, Elder Tie wanted twelve Thallax-class battle puppets and two Castellax-class battle-automata. Interesting."


    "What, you don''t know? This is the standard numbers according to the Force Organization Chart." Tang Qi Hong was already moving along, choosing the battle-automata she wanted. "One HQ and a mimimum of two Troops ¨C those are the compulsory requirements for Primary Detachment." She patted her well-endowed chest. "We blacksmiths or puppet masters can be counted as the HQ. As for Thallax-class battle puppets, they come in a minimum of squads of three, but you can take up to twelve per squad if you want. So I can split mine to two squads of three, or take a single squad of six. Elder Tie probably plans to field them in squads of six, though."


    Why did this sound so familiar?


    "As for Castellax-class battle-automata, you can take a squad of one minimum, but you can also take up to six in a single squad. Most people run them in squads of two, though, and I suspect Elder Tie plans on doing so." She frowned. "It''s unfortunate, but unless you''re a Legio Cybernetica battlesmith, you probably are not allowed to take Castellax-class battle-automata as compulsory Troops. That''s why Elder Tie wants so many Thallax-class battle puppets. Me, I''ll just split my Thallax-class battle puppets into squads of three to fulfill the compulsory Troops requirement." She then turned to me. "If you plan on building a Legio Cybernetica army, then Castellax battle-automata will become your Troops slot. However, you must take a minimum of two per squad if that is the case. But you will gain specific benefits if you go down that route."


    "Why is this starting to sound like a certain tabletop game?" I muttered under my breath. "And no one uses Force Organization Charts anymore¡­"


    "Oh, right¡­it''s a new Edition. But these battle-automat don''t have rules for the new Edition, so you have to continue using 30K rules for them."


    Was it my imagination, or was Tang Qi Hong breaking the fourth wall right now? Since when did we start fielding battle-automata as if we were Mechanicum Tech-priests? I was pretty sure we had moved into the contemporary period, having left the fires of the Heresy far behind in the past. Except there was no Heresy in this timeline¡­


    "Anyway, I hope you don''t mind if I take these!"


    Tang Qi Hong looked satisfied as she picked out the six Thallax-class battle puppets and four Castellax-class battle-automata that she wanted.


    "No, I don''t," I assured her before I began to pack the rest of them up in my spatial device. Tang Qi Hong did the same.


    "You don''t mind receiving payment through Paypal, right?"


    "Paypal is fine."


    "All right! I''ll send it to you in a bit!"


    Using her cellphone, Tang Qi Hong sent me the money through the Paypal app. Modern technology was so convenient.


    "Will you be fine, though? With the Spirit Engraving and stuff? They don''t have Spirit Engravings on them."


    "Hmm? Yeah, I''ll be fine. I will just ask Elder Hai Mo for help."


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    As one of the two head disciples, Tang Qi Hong had direct access to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s First and most talented Elder. I felt a little jealous, but I was aware that I didn''t have the qualifications to approach Elder Hai Mo. Not with my current skills.


    "Um¡­"


    I turned back to the lady receptionist at the counter, who was stammering nervously as she tightly held the desk phone. Swallowing, she lowered her head slightly.

 151 Chapter 150: Recognition

    Shortly after the lady receptionist informed me that I was to go report to Elder Hai Mo and Elder Zhao immediately, I had set off on the journey to Elder Hai''s residence high up in the Flame Volcano. Apparently Elder Zhao would be meeting us there too.


    What I didn''t account for was Tang Qi Hong tagging along. After packing her chosen battle-automata away, she followed me closely. I wondered why she even bothered to go to the sect admin building in the first place. Probably a contrived way for her to run into me so that she could follow me for whatever plot development that occurred from now on.


    How convenient.


    "Didn''t I already tell you?"


    Tang Qi Hong frowned, as if it was something obvious


    "You''re the one who asked me about this. Since you''re going to meet Elder Hai Mo anyway, I might as well follow you and ask about Spirit Engravings for battle-automata. I suspect that''s why he and Elder Zhao want to see you in the first place."


    Either the news had gotten out and spread online like wildfire, or Tang Qi Hong was able to make an accurate guess based on the lady receptionist''s response after seeing my battle-automata and making a quick phone call, and knew they were linked.


    "Besides, it''s Elder Hai Mo we''re talking about here! Who wouldn''t pass up the opportunity to see him?"


    In other words, Tang Qi Hong was using this as an excuse to pay her favorite mentor a visit, especially since he wasn''t someone you could just drop in and visit as and when you liked. Being the First Elder of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, Elder Hai Mo was super-busy. It would be a miracle if you were able to arrange a meeting with him sometime in the near future. His schedule was usually packed full with such meetings, if not smithing.


    I hoped inwardly that I wouldn''t be wasting his time.


    Having heard of his reputation before, I was aware what kind of status Elder Hai Mo held not just in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but the Great Zhou Empire. He was known as one of the most innovative and creative blacksmiths in the Great Zhou Empire, and ranked among the most powerful Spirit Engravers. There were plenty of rumors that he was slated to be the next sect leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but Zi Shou De managed to stay just one step of him, barely, because of his martial ability and charimastic leadership.


    Even then, Elder Hai Mo had acquired a huge range of titles, and he was famous throughout the Great Zhou Empire. It was difficult to find someone who hadn''t heard of him. Many of the spirit weapons used by the military were designed and forged by him. Hell, even the spatial devices that we used were based off blueprints that Elder Hai Mo pioneered.


    One of the six great elders of the sect, Huang Qi Yang, had been searching for spirit materials in the countryside when he coincidentally stopped by the small town where Hai Mo''s family lived in. By chance he encountered Hai Mo when he was smithing, and was thoroughly impressed by what he saw. He immediately offered the young Hai Mo the opportunity to join the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and learn spirit forging and Spirit Engraving, even providing a scholarship and funds.


    Needless to say, Hai Mo accepted the offer. The moment he joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, Hai Mo immediately displayed incredible talent in blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving. Not only did he pioneer innovative new ways of forging Spirit Artifacts and Spirit Weapons, he even triggered a reaction in one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars and benefited from the insight of the Spirit Engraving blueprint contained within it.


    Following that, Hai Mo grew up rapidly over the next few years, developing into a legendary blacksmith whose Spirit Artifacts and Spirit Engraved Gear attained near-mythical renown.


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    Every single Spirit Artifact or Spirit Weapon he forged were estimated to be of astronomical value, and countless people would compete for ownership over them.


    Now that I thought about it, wasn''t Zhu Jiao''s original gauntlets ¨C the ones he owned and used before he found the Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets in the ancient tomb ¨C a high-quality spirit weapon forged by Elder Hai Mo? If I recalled, it was one of the numerous Spirit Weapons forged by Elder Hai Mo early in his career. No wonder it displayed such terrifying power after Zhu Jiao achieved Man and Sword as One with them.


    Even then, it seemed that Elder Hai Mo rarely began his own projects and hadn''t invented any new Spirit Artifacts for the last few years. He had been busily entertaining requests from numerous powerful factions such as the othe major sects in the Martial Arts Alliance, who would obtain their own precious spirit materials and then bringing them over and commissioning him with massive amounts of money just to get him to forge artifacts or weapons for them.


    However, Elder Hai Mo would not necessarily agree to every single one of them. There were many times when he refused the request. Sometimes it depended on his mood, or if he had an interest in forging that specific spirit artifact to begin with.


    It was no exaggeration to say that Elder Hai Mo would be the one person whose good books that every powerful person in the Great Zhou Empire wanted to get in. Given that he was the most reputable blacksmith and Spirit Engraver, it was no wonder.


    Naturally, I would be nervous about being told to meet such a well-respected and venerable Spirit Engraver and blacksmith. I couldn''t imagine what would happen if I unintentionally offended him or angered him. My career as a blacksmith¡­no, as anything would be finished. I had to do my best not to do or say anything stupid.


    Tang Qi Hong looked delighted that we were about to go meet her idol and mentor.


    "Elder Hai Mo''s skills in blacksmithing are second to none! They surpass even Father''s, even though he''s the sect leader! Then again, Father is also quite skilled in martial arts, and it is his leadership that raises the sect to new heights. Elder Hai Mo, however, specializes in blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving alone, and for the past ten years, he has been forging nothing but high-ranked Spirit Artifacts! They are at least Profound Level Six!"


    Again with all these obscure levels and ranks. I honestly didn''t understand them, except that a higher rank meant it was of higher quality. But how did you define an ambiguous term like quality? Just because something was level six, for example, didn''t mean level five weapons would automatically break when hitting them.


    The wielder''s strength mattered as well. No matter how high the quality of your weapon, if you sucked at wielding it, then¡­well, it was like casting pearls before swine. It was practically dead weight in your arms. You might as well swing a wooden branch around.


    That said, there were clear differences. I mean, of course a high-ranked spirit weapon would be able to cleave through a wooden branch with no difficulty, unless the person wielding the latter was a master whose skills surpassed the wielder of the former by far. But that was obviously an extreme example. Often, the differences between each level and rank were exaggerated, and even among weapons that were supposedly of the same rank or level, there were still some differences in quality here and there. It wasn''t as if all Profound Level Six artifacts possessed identical strength to the exact iota of qi or whatever measurement unit they used for such an elusive thing.


    "And today, Elder Hai Mo is a Profound Seventh Rank Blacksmith and Spirit Engraver! Recently, he was aiming to achieve the Earth Rank, and he left last year on a journey to gather specific spirit materials in order to forge an Earth Level Spirit Artifact." Tang Qi Hong''s beautiful face was glowing with admiration. "I am only a Profound Second Rank Spirit Engraver and blacksmith, which means I''m five ranks away from Elder Hai Mo. It is extremely difficult for us blacksmiths to achieve our next rank. I can''t imagine the amount of time I need to reach Elder Hai Mo''s rank."


    "Cool."


    Again, the ranks and levels meant absolutely nothing to me. I was aware that I was currently a Common First Rank blacksmith and Spirit Engraver, though what that meant other than I sucked at blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, especially when compared to everyone else, I had no idea. At least it meant I knew the very basics and could probably forge something that could barely pass off as a proper Spirit Artifact.


    Yeah, it sucked that I wasn''t a multi-talented protagonist who excelled at everything I did and could climb the ranks meteorically, but that was reality for you. You weren''t always going to succeed at everything you did. There were often times when you failed, or realized that you just weren''t cut out for this, even after investing so much time and energy into it. That was why people sometimes changed careers late into the game.


    And right before my death in my previous timeline, I had been suffering so many setbacks in graduate school that I was considering dropping out of it. No wonder people complained that it was so difficult to get a PhD. I had experienced the difficulty firsthand, and I never succeeded. Well, nothing was easy in life, and if there was one thing I learned, it was to never give up, and to stop obsessing over being the best or reaching the top. That just brought unneeded stress.


    Do what you can do, with the time and resources available to you. If you succeeded and went far in life, then congratulations. If you found yourself in a rut, like I often did, then adjust your expectations and lower your goal to realistic level. That didn''t mean giving up your eventual goal altogether, but doing things one step at a time. After all, if you couldn''t even make it to the fifty-kilometer point, then perhaps you should focus on completing the journey there instead of obsessing over the hundred-kilometer mark. Once you reached the fifty-kilometer point, then only would you start worrying about the next few steps to the seventy-five milestone, and so on.


    "Um¡­Earth Rank Blacksmith and Spirit Engraver?" I repeated, trying to comprehend that meaning. To me, it was just recognition that the guy was much better than all the other Spirit Engravers and blacksmiths out there. But if you want to recognize him, you could give him all kinds of titles without these fancy ranking system. Sure, it meant that Elder Hai Mo was better at blacksmithing than everyone else, but I was sure that there would be particular artifacts that so-called lower-ranked Spirit Engravers and blacksmiths specialized in that they would do better than Elder Hai Mo. For example, Sect Leader Zi Shou De probably could build better swords than Elder Hai Mo even if he ended up being ranked lower, but the latter could forge almost everything else better.


    All these ranks were overly reductive, simplified, arbitrary and restrictive, separating everything into a simple binary of better and worse, stronger or weaker. Reality was a lot more complex than that, as I repeated myself over and over again. It was just like school. the first-ranked person might be someone who scored the highest overall in examinations, but that didn''t mean he had the highest grade in every single subject ¨C someone ranked lower might have scored higher than him in a single subject, say, history, but fared a lot worse on the other subjects.


    Even so, Earth Rank was something like¡­a Nobel Prize, I guess? Or a PhD, in a way. A recognition, or an award, or a qualification to show that you are better than most other blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers. So in a way, it was not totally meaningless, but as I said, I found these stupid ranking systems overly reductive and arbitrary, which ignored most of the complexities in reality. Oh, and then there was Heaven Rank, which was above even Earth Rank. Don''t ask me why they had so many stupid ranks, especially when people hardly reached those ranks. I seriously hoped it wouldn''t turn into a case of having to leave the Middle Continent and then finding out that we were in such a small place, and Earth Rank blacksmiths were extremely common outside the Great Zhou Empire. Most of those stories just randomly made up new places for the protagonist to visit, and they ended up inflating the power levels just so the protagonist can repeat the tedious process of "growing strong" and "catching up" to the power levels of his new foe.


    No¡­please, that was not going to happen here.


    "Father was planning to retire as the Sect Leader since a few years ago and have Elder Hai Mo take over as the new sect leader," Tang Qi Hong explained softly. "But Elder Hai Mo has no intention of becoming the sect leader. His dreams lie elsewhere. Ever since a long time ago, he declared that once he succeeds in forging an Earth Level Spirit Artifact, then he would leave the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and journey overseas."


    "That makes sense." I nodded in agreement. "Being a sect leader is so troublesome and stressful. He''s more interested in forging spirit artifacts than dealing with all that pressure and trying to handle politics."


    Tang Qi Hong scowled at my remark, probably thinking I was too flippant about this. "Yeah. Thanks to that, Father had no choice. He originally discussed with me, hoping that I can take over as the sect leader in the future. I used to be the only candidate, but as you know, now there is another. Liang Shao Yang¡­not only that, he''s male as well. And he has proven his talent, so he might be an even more suitable candidate than me."


    "What''s with this misogynistic, patriarchal way of thinking? It''s been outdated since a few decades ago!" as an advocate of gender equality, this greatly pissed me off. "Whether you''re male or female should have no bearing on your suitability to be the next sect leader! It should be based on meritocracy! If you have the skills and talent, then you deserve to be the next sect leader regardless of whether you''re a girl or not!"


    Tang Qi Hong smiled wryly. "In an ideal world, yes. And indeed the feminist movements of the previous century has aided a lot in making a lot of things better for us women. But the reality is that gender discrimination has not been totally eliminated yet, more so in sects that emphasize on the martial way. Of course, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect can be considered one of the more progressive sects, with Mother being the strongest martial artist in the sect, but a lot of the Great Elders cling to their old, patriarchal ways."


    Then it was high time we replace them, but obviously I couldn''t say that out loud or I would get both myself and Tang Qi Hong into trouble.


    "Even so¡­" Tang Qi Hong looked worried as she glanced in the direction we were heading in, most likely thinking about Liang Shao Yang. Evidently she didn''t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing for her beloved sect. it was clear that she wasn''t very enthusiastic about taking over as the next sect leader, but she dreaded to think how the sect would end up if it fell into the hands of someone like Liang Shao Yang.


    We finally reached the upper echelons of the Flame Volcano. As we ascended, we found ourselves surrounded by beautiful scenery, flowers and plants growing atop hardy rocks, and jagged cliffs that resembled an outcrop of blades.


    There was a magnificent waterfall right where we stopped, and located near the gushing stream were a few elegant-looking houses. In front of these houses was a number of herb gardens, which were carefully tended to. Even from this distance, I could sense the spiritual qi emanating from the rare spirit herbs growing withn them.


    Tang Qi Hong stopped in front of one of them, a garden that was currently occupied by a single, quiet and graceful middle-aged lady. She had crouched down to gather spirit herbs, but she elegantly rose to her feet when she saw us approach.


    She seemed to give off a kind and gentle air, smiling at us. I estimated her age to be about forty, but with xianxia and immortals and martial artists, you never know. She could easily be twice that age, but preserved her physical appearance through cultivation methods and qi. But that was none of my business and I lowered my head respectfully.


    "Oh, it''s Qi Hong." the middle-aged lady''s smile grew when she recognized the girl walking ahead of me. "You must be here for Ah Mo."


    "Yeah." Tang Qi Hong returned the smile sweetly. "Auntie, is the First Elder free right now?"


    Well, he had better be. He was the one who called me here. Why the fuck would he ask me to report immediately if he was too busy to talk to me?


    "Ah Mo is wrapping up his lesson with Shao Yang. Apparently they were having a session on forging spirit artifacts, but he is ending it earlier than expected." The auntie glanced at the patio of the house, where a familiar silhouette lay reclined in a chair, sipping iced tea. "Funny that you showed up at this time. Elder Zhao also came about a few minutes ago, wanting to see Ah Mo as well. So you''ll have to wait your turn."


    "That won''t be necessary." Elder Zhao waved his hand when he spotted me. "Fei Wu is here for the same reason as me. We''ll be talking to Elder Hai together." He frowned in puzzlement when he saw Tang Qi Hong. "Qi Hong? Why are you¡­?"


    "I happened to run into Fei Wu in the sect admin building, and thought I should tag along." Tang Qi Hong smiled dazzlingly. I swear, that pretty expression had to be considered cheating. "You don''t mind if I join in the discussion, do you?"


    "No, of course not." Elder Zhao shook his head, but he stilled looked bemused "Please feel free to do so."


    "Then I''ll indulge in your kind words," Tang Qi Hong said as she joined him in the patio and settled down on one of the chairs. I tagged along, keeping a respectful distance, and then found myself a seat in a more obscured position.


    "Liang Shao Yang, huh?" I muttered as I glanced at the house where Elder Hai Mo resided in, most likely his workshop. While he hadn''t targeted me for the last year or so, I had remained on guard. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. I had to be cautious, in case Liang Shao Yang was still plotting something, like he did last year. Recalling how he silently and sneakily eliminated Hao Ying and the other guy who provided the bugs.


    Nonetheless, I understood that he had no reason to target me at the moment because I presented no threat to him. As long as I didn''t poke the hornet''s nest, so to speak, he wouldn''t raise a hand against me because I wasn''t worth the effort and trouble. So we were at an impasse of sorts right now.


    As if to answer the edgelord readers'' responses on why I hadn''t killed him (never mind that murder was outlawed as a criminal act and I would get into very huge trouble for that if I killed him without any grounds for self-defense), Tang Qi Hong glanced at me sharply.


    "Don''t clash with him. Right now, he is held in high regard by Father and the six Great Elders. Even if you''re a Blood Blade and outer sect disciple, the person they will side with is him if the both of you come in conflict."


    "Don''t worry, you''ll have the support of the Blood Blades," Elder Zhao assured me, a fierce grin flashing across his face.


    "Elder Zhao!"


    "That said, don''t go doing anything reckless," he hastily added when Tang Qi Hong glared at him. "Even as the military arm of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and with the support from Lady Da Ji, our power is limited to a certain point."


    "Don''t worry," I assured the both of them, leaning back in my chair lazily. "I''m not a big fan of getting into unnecessary fights. Too troublesome."


    Tang Qi Hong shook her head with a wry smile while Elder Zhao chuckled.


    It didn''t even take two minutes before Liang Shao Yang walked out of the magnificent house. After greeting the middle-aged lady, he walked outside the herb garden and spotted Elder Zhao, Tang Qi Hong and me with a single glance.


    Liang Shao Yang was wearing a luxurious blacksmith robe that had a lot of golden patterns sewn into it. As usual, there was an arrogant air about him, but having just seen him last week in the ancient tomb, I had already gotten used to that. His expression darkened when he spotted me, his gaze turning chilly, but when he saw Tang Qi Hong beside me, he then restrained himself and bowed respectfully. No doubt the presence of Elder Zhao also contributed greatly to that.


    "Greetings, Elder Zhao, Senior Tang."


    "Shao Yang," Elder Zhao replied with a small smile that wasn''t reflected in his eyes. For the past year, I knew that he had been keeping an eye on Liang Shao Yang to ensure the latter didn''t commit any more murders or killed any other sect disciples.


    Tang Qi Hong, on the other hand, only nodded slightly. The tiniest form of greeting that just barely met the requirements for minimum politeness.


    Ever since she learned of Liang Shao Yang''s true character, becoming aware of his schemes against me, and his murder of Hao Ying, Tang Qi Hong had stayed on guard whenever she saw him, maintaining a cautious and distrustful attitude. I mean, the guy had literally slaughtered a senior she had known for years without batting an eyelash.


    How could she trust someone like that?


    "Senior Tang, both Sect Leader and Elder Hai Mo said that your talents are extraordinary. They advise me to learn more from you in future."


    Unaffected by her cold attitude, Liang Shao Yang was all smiles as he stared directly into her eyes and spoke. He was not the least affected by her barely concealed hostility and suspicion, and smiled warmly.


    "I hope that Senior Tang will offer me guidance in future!"


    "I can''t teach you anything," Tang Qi Hong replied with a scowl. "You already have Father¡­I mean Sect Leader and First Elder teaching you personally. There is nothing more I can add to the great insights they provide."


    Elder Zhao and I exchanged a glance, but before either of us could say anything, Tang Qi Hong stepped forward and tried to go into the house. However, Liang Shao Yang firmly stood in her way, occupying the narrow path leading to the entrance. Annoyed that Liang Shao Yang was blocking the way, Tang Qi Hong glared at him.


    "Please excuse me. We have business with the First Elder, so I would appreciate it if you let us through."


    Liang Shao Yang did not move. I swear, he was doing this on purpose. As I mentioned earlier, the path was pretty narrow, so as long as he remained where he was, it would be difficult for any of us to pass through.


    Unless we stepped on the spirit herbs, of course. But obviously we couldn''t do that. They were clearly grown and meticulously groomed and tended to by the auntie. Considering that she had addressed Elder Hai Mo endearingly as Ah Mo, it was clear that she had an intimate relationship with him. I would later learn that she was his wife, but even if I didn''t, I wasn''t stupid enough to trample over the spirit herbs and incur her wrath.


    "Senior Tang, I only joined the sect very recently and I am still unfamiliar with many of the workings of the inner sect. please offer me your guidance!"


    Refusing to budge until she agreed, Liang Shao Yang continued to stare into Tang Qi Hong''s enraged eyes.


    "I''m busy!" Tang Qi Hong snapped, her patience wearing thin. "Please step aside!"


    "You have time to help an outer sect disciple, but not me?" Liang Shao Yang glanced coldly at me, but he continued to maintain a casual tone. "Is it really worth Senior Tang''s time and effort to bother with an untalented outer sect disciple? In my opinion, you''re only wasting your time, Senior Tang. You might as well spend that time on me. I promise, I won''t disappoint you."


    "Ha ha ha ha!"


    Elder Zhao burst out laughing, causing all three of us to stare at him.


    "First," Elder Zhao said as he held up a finger. "This boy here is a Blood Blade, under my charge. That means he''s not an untalented outer sect disciple. As a Blood Blade, he has the same status as an inner sect disciple. I know you''re a favored inner sect disciple of the Great Elders and Sect Leader, but I won''t stand for you insulting my charges."


    "I apologize." Liang Shao Yang remained calm on the outside, but I could detect a quiver in his voice. "I meant no offense."


    "Second." Elder Zhao held up another finger. "Who Qi Hong spends her time with is her choice, and none of your business. Who are you to tell her who she should socialize with?"


    "Again, I meant no offense. I was merely seeking to advise her¡­it''s out of good intentions."


    Was the bastard seriously saying that? I couldn''t help but feel a trace of annoyance. Sighing heavily, I stepped forward.


    "Well, quit wasting our time. Elder Hai Mo is the one who asked us to report to him, and I want to get this done and over with."


    Liang Shao Yang snorted, and despite the presence of Elder Zhao and Tang Qi Hong, he sneered openly. "Make me."


    "You asked for it."


    I shrugged and shoved past Liang Shao Yang from his right. Instead of erupting into fury, Liang Shao Yang laughed in amusement.


    "What a reckless idiot."


    He stood his ground firmly as he channeled his qi internally. Gray, shadowy spiritual qi radiated from his body at the point of contact where I was ramming him.


    "Illusory Shroud Seven Layered Force!" Liang Shao Yang yelled coldly.


    I glanced up at him in exasperation. "Are you seriously shouting out the names of your techniques? Do you realize just how cheesy you sound?"


    The seven overlapping layers of spiritual qi surged upward like a tidal wave, stacking against each other in order to increase their strength as they smacked against me like a truck.


    I had enough of being hit by trucks. That was what led me to this goddamned world or timeline in the first place.


    Standing my ground firmly as well, I remained unmoved as the qi waves crashed against me. Instead, I activated the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula that I had been cultivating for the last year, causing thin layers of frost to freeze over my shoulder.


    "Fei Wu! Don''t be reckless!"


    Seeing that I refused to back down, Tang Qi Hong cried out worriedly. I paid her no attention even though I understood her cause for concern. From the surface, it seemed that Liang Shao Yang had attained a higher level of cultivation than me, and theoretically had more qi than I did. On paper, he had the overwhelming advantage and could crush me.


    However, as I reiterated time and time again, reality was a lot more complex than numbers and statistics and quantities.


    Boom!


    "!!!"


    The moment our shoulders clashed, a violent wave of qi rippled outward. Shockwaves of spiritual qi radiated outward and almost obliterated the surrounding spirit herbs in the herb garden, but thankfully Elder Zhao was on hand to construct a qi barrier that absorbed most of the impact, leaving the spiritual herbs unaffected.


    To his utmost surprise, Liang Shao Yang found himself retreating a few steps backward, withdrawing all the way to the porch where the house entrance was situated. In contrast, I remained standing where I was, and the moment Liang Shao Yang retreated, I seized the opportunity to walk through the narrow path and reach the porch.


    Tang Qi Hong covered her mouth, completely astonished by the sight.


    Elder Zhao grinned proudly with an I-told-you-so expression, as if mocking Liang Shao Yang for being stupid enough to mess with one of his subordinates.


    Elder Hai Mo''s wife glanced up from tending to her herbs, intrigued by the exchange, but she was still surprised by my sudden display of power. She shook her head as she studied me, a smile curling across her face.


    "I didn''t expect to see someone actually master the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. When was the last time someone learned it¡­?"


    "Decades ago," Elder Zhao replied.


    "You¡­what did you do?"


    Liang Shao Yang''s face was pale as he clutched his right side. That entire section of his body had been encased in ice, and he felt the frosty yin qi spread through his body like some corrosive venom that sapped away his strength and clogged up his qi circulation. He was no longer able to move his right arm normally, his movements now stiff and inhibited.


    Instead of answering, I turned toward my companions.


    "You can come over now, Elder Zhao, Senior Qi Hong."


    Tang Qi Hong finally broke out of her stupor, and shaking her head to clear herself of her confusion, she nodded and passed through the narrow path, followed by a satisfied Elder Zhao who couldn''t stop chuckling.


    "Good job, Fei Wu," he told me when he reached the porch. I shrugged and grinned back.

 152 Chapter 151: Discussion

    Unable to dissipate the frosty yin qi, he wisely decided to retreat for now. Instead, he merely nodded his head and silently passed Elder Zhao and Tang Qi Hong. Without another word, he hastily departed, disappearing from view.


    Clearly he was in a hurry to expel the frosty yin qi that had infected his body.


    "You managed to force him back?" Tang Qi Hong turned to stare at me, impressed. Her lips curled into a curious smile. "If I''m not mistaken, Liang Shao Yang is at the peak of the Qi Fusion Stage, perhaps at the beginning level of the Pure Spirit Stage. You''re only mid-level Qi Fusion Stage at most. How were you able to defeat him?"


    "That''s the problem with you people," I retorted, irritated. "Stages, realms, levels¡­all of you are obsessed with quantifying, categorizing and grouping people, without realizing that in reality all these elements cannot be measured and categorized so neatly. If strength was all that mattered, then why is a cobra able to defeat an elephant? Why can a mongoose defeat a cobra? How are honey badgers able to fight lions?"


    Clearly nobody had any clue what I was talking about, which went further to prove the absurdity of the situation. Honestly, they were too rigid in their thinking. Amount of qi and brute force wasn''t everything. Technique mattered, as did tactics, intelligence, speed and a whole range of other factors that certainly didn''t include "levels", "realms" or "stages."


    "He had the advantage of attacking first, and he took Liang Shao Yang completely by surprise. Not to mention, he used the legendary Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. It doesn''t matter how much qi you have, if your qi is clogged up and circulates slowly because of the cold, you won''t be able to use much of your qi or execute your techniques properly."


    To our surprise, it wasn''t Elder Zhao who answered but the middle-aged lady. She was approaching us with an elegant smile on her weathered face.


    "Heh¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong glanced at me, still surprised. She then shook her head, bemused.


    "Even so, you were too reckless. You shouldn''t have started a conflict with Liang Shao Yang. He won''t let this go, I''m sure."


    "What is he going to do?" I snorted dismissively. "Kill me?"


    Li Mu from I Was Trash or Qin Lie from Spirit Realm or Lin Dong from Wu Dong Qian Kun or Li Fu Chen from Eternal Reverence or Lin Feng from Peerless Martial God or even Meng Hao from I Shall Steal the Heavens. Oh, don''t even remind me of that last one. Most of that story was spent describing how Meng Hao got chased by various people, hunted down, him hiding, then growing powerful, and then killing his pursuers¡­only for him to end up being chased by a new group of people and forced to run around all over again.


    The author should change the title of that story to I Shall Flee the Heavens instead.


    Then again, I hadn''t stolen anything yet either¡­the only reason why the title of my own adventure was as such was because Steal rhymed with Seal.


    "Don''t worry," Elder Zhao assured Tang Qi Hong. "The Blood Blades won''t allow Shao Yang to do anything rash. Even if he''s a favored head disciple, he''s still bound to the rules of the sect. he can''t just go around killing anybody for no good reason."


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    Tang Qi Hong frowned. "I hope nothing untoward happens¡­"


    I did not say anything and instead silently glanced at the direction where Liang Shao Yang had vanished in.


    Admittedly, even if Liang Shao Yang wasn''t stupid enough to do something as reckless as killing me, he wasn''t going to let this slight slide. I had half-expected him to behave like the typical arrogant young master and¡­you know, retaliate. I had anticipated Liang Shao Yang to become furious like all those typical arrogant young masters and rashly fight with their most powerful techniques in order to kill the person who "offended" them.


    However, even though he had only suffered a minor injury at worst, Liang Shao Yang chose to withdraw. A wise tactical decision, one that he quickly made when he realized that half of his body was paralyzed by ice.


    Yeah, this guy is definitely not your average arrogant young master or one of those clich¨¦ hotheaded antagonists.


    I was actually impressed and my estimation of Liang Shao Yang rose. This guy was definitely among the intelligent ones.


    A big improvement from the idiot who pulled reckless, stupid stunts like murdering Hao Ying and tried to kill me with bugs over a year ago. I had thought he would still do meaningless things like attack me and slaughter me in front of Elder Zhao and the rest, but it seemed that he had somewhat matured. An antagonist actually growing up and realizing that his previous actions were stupid?! It was totally unheard of in xianxia stories. Normally they existed solely to be cannon fodder for the protagonist to defeat.


    Then again, Liang Shao Yang had no reason to clash with Zhu Jiao, so there was room for him to grow instead of being disposed off like every arrogant young master or villainous antagonist that Zhu Jiao was forced to destroy.


    Even though I believed all the realms and qi measurement systems to be meaningless, Liang Shao Yang surely believed in them and stuck by their rules as rigidly as everyone else in this world. So for him to refrain from attacking and retreat even though he was aware that he was supposedly of a higher stage than I was, and because he realized that he was at a disadvantage with half his body frozen, showed that he was neither rash nor stupid. If it was the past Liang Shao Yang, he might have tried to stab me in the back, even within sight of Elder Zhao.


    Perhaps it was because he had spent a year in the position of a favored head disciple that he realized that he had too much to lose over a single moment of reckless self-satisfaction. He didn''t want to lose everything just because he moved thoughtlessly in the heat of the moment.


    For now, he was the most developed and mature opponent that I had the misfortune to face.


    "Let''s go. Ah Mo is inside."


    The middle-aged lady informed us with a gentle smile. Exchanging a glance, Elder Zhao, Tang Qi Hong and I stepped into the magnificent house.


    Inside the main hall, leading to the workshop, we found a tall and thin middle-aged man dressed in a wrinkled white suit, his tie hanging loosely around his open collar, and his jacket unbuttoned and swaying to the side. He had been engrossed in reading a book, and didn''t seem to have heard the commotion unfolding outside.


    Honestly, I doubted he would care about the petty squabbles between young disciples. He clearly had better things to do with his time than to pay attention to the trivial conflicts and rivalries of the younger generation.


    However, upon catching sight of Tang Qi Hong, he immediately placed the book on the desk and raised his head, a curious smile spreading across his face. Brightening up, he rose to his feet.


    "Qi Hong! It''s been a while since you''ve come here."


    "Greetings, First Elder." Tang Qi Hong bowed respectfully. I hurriedly followed suit and bowed deeply.


    "Greetings, First Elder," I echoed.


    "First Elder," Elder Zhao also spoke up, and Elder Hai acknowledged him with a nod. He then turned to Tang Qi Hong.


    "What brings you here, Qi Hong? Do you have something to ask about blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving?"


    "As a matter of fact, I do." Tang Qi Hong tilted her head slightly toward the direction where Elder Zhao and I stood. "It has something to do with why you requested Elder Zhao and Fei Wu to come to your workshop."


    "Ah." Elder Hai Mo smiled and swept his gaze over Elder Zhao and me. "Very good. Then there''s no need to waste any time. Let''s get to the point. You are Fei Wu, right?"


    He gazed upon me, his eyes gentle yet firm. I nodded.


    "Yes, First Elder."


    "I heard from Miss Su that you have a few hundred battle-automata. You were trying to sell them to the sect, correct?"


    Miss Su must be the lady receptionist I approached in the sec admin building this morning, or so I assumed. If that was the case, then there was nothing to hide. So I nodded in affirment.


    "That''s right, sir."


    "If I''m not mistaken, these battle-automata don''t have any Spirit Engravings yet, or at least their Spirit Engravings have been erased over the ages. Apparently you collected them from the Nascent Soul Stage Practitioner''s ancient tomb discovered about two weeks ago. If that''s true, then that explains how the Spirit Engravings wore away¡­"


    By now, Elder Hai Mo was musing to himself, stroking his chin. I had a sudden impression of an experienced scholar who emanated a wise and veteran author, a man who had seen and experienced a lot of the world, and learned a lot.


    "That''s correct. I learned from Elder Tie that it would take too much time and resources to inscribe Spirit Engravings on each and every one of them, so I decided it would be better to sell them to the sect instead. Otherwise they will remain¡­uh, well¡­useless in my possession. It would be a waste to let so many of them rot in my storage space for so long. I''m sure the sect will need them a lot more than I do, and make better use of them."


    Elder Hai Mo studied me with that intense gaze of his, and I squirmed, feeling like a bacteria being analyzed under a microscope. He finally relaxed those steely eyes of his for a moment.


    "Objects that do not have Spirit Engravings cannot be considered Spirit Artifacts or Spirit Weapons. The object is inert and lifeless, but the Spirit Engravings contain life and vitality. It is the Spirit Engravings that give an object its soul." He glanced at my pockets, as if half-expecting me to have my spatial device there. "Your judgement is correct. Without Spirit Engravings, no matter how powerful or highly ranked the battle-automata in your possession used to be, they are useless pieces of junk if they don''t have any Spirit Engravings. If you leave them as they are, they will just be a waste of space."


    Wow, the old man sure didn''t hold anything back, did he?


    Fortunately, Elder Hai Mo broke the tension with a warm smile and he placed a hand on my shoulder.


    "You made the right decision to sell them to the sect. Unless¡­you did not realize that you''ll be able to sell them for a higher price outside? If you place them on an auction, you''ll surely earn a lot more money. No¡­even in a public market, these battle-automata will fetch higher prices than they would if you sell it internally in the sect."


    "You may not believe me," I began. "But my goal was never to become rich."


    Of course everyone wanted to be rich, but I wasn''t greedy. I was aware that if I took the trouble and auctioned them outside, or found a major corporation ¨C particularly paramilitary corporations in need of manpower ¨C I could easily get several times the price of how much the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect could offer me.


    But I wasn''t that interested in money. I just needed enough for my family and for me to survive. I was aware of the dangers of greed, and to me, my time was far more valuable than any amount of money. Furthermore, I didn''t want the risk of selling my hard-earned battle-automata to unscrupulous dealers or aggressive paramilitary corporations who would then use them for atrocities, such as raiding outlying villages or launching military conquests of their own. There was also the danger that my battle-automata would somehow end up in the black market and fall in the hands of demonic sects, and I shuddered to think of the consequences if that happened.


    Auctions, especially, were one way the demonic sects could bypass the law and purchase whatever they needed. While I didn''t believe that demonic sects were intrinsically evil, not all of them were good either¡­and obviously those scrounging through black markets and auctions to purchase battle-automata were the ones I could trust the least.


    "I don''t mind making a small loss. And I would rather the battle-automata be in the possession of people I can trust than selling them to strangers. Who knows what they would do with the battle-automata they buy from me?"


    With the exception of Liang Shao Yang, I felt that I could trust most people in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, especially the elders and the Sect Leader and his wife, never mind the majority of my fellow disciples.


    "Very good." Elder Hai laughed. "Even so, it''s not just a small loss, you know? The amount of resources our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect can spare to purchase your battle-automata is very limited. We''ll try to compensate you as best as we can, but I''m afraid we can''t offer more than a token sum. Even though it''s pretty large in terms of pure quantity, it''s only a fraction of what you can get if you sell them outside the sect."


    "Then think of it as me selling them to the sect at a discount. At a subsidized rate. Since we''re practically family, I''m not going to quibble and be calculative over profits and losses. It''s not as if I''m giving them away for free."


    "Excellent!" Elder Hai slapped my back. "I like the way you think! But you''re mistaken about one thing. We''re not practically family. We are family!"


    He then turned to Elder Zhao, who nodded with a smile.


    "I can see why you prize this boy so highly, Zhao Shi. Your praise was not exaggerated, after all. No wonder you labeled him as one of your most cherished subordinates. The Blood Blades are lucky to have someone like him."


    "Good thing Qi Hong brought him to Tushan when she did, eh?" Elder Zhao glanced at Tang Qi Hong, recalling our first meeting over a year ago. "Otherwise I wouldn''t have spotted him and recruited him. One of the better decisions I made over the last few years."


    "You''re giving me too much credit."


    I was trying to hide my embarrassment by taking out the battle-automata out of my spatial device and giving them straight to Elder Hai, but he raised his hand.


    "Just leave about twelve of them. Given my schedule, I don''t believe I have the time to Spirit Engrave all of them."


    "Um¡­First Elder!" Tang Qi Hong raised her hand. "That''s why I''m here. I''m actually here to request you to teach me about Spirit Engraving for battle-automata. I also have a few personal ones of my own that I bought from Fei Wu, but I don''t believe I have learned the proper Spirit Engravings for them yet."


    I wondered why she approached Elder Hai directly for that. Elder Tie seemed to know about battle-automata Spirit Engravings as well, and was also a perfectly suitable candidate to teach her about them. Perhaps she didn''t know about his knowledge of battle-automata?


    "Yes, in time. Not just you, but I believe I''ll have to teach the disciples of the Blood Blades, and many of the masters as well." He turned to Elder Zhao. "Zhao Shi, this is why I''ve summoned you as well. I want the Blood Blades to take possession of the battle-automata and be in charge of them. Each disciple and master is to perform their individual Spirit Engraving and take control of at least one battle-automata or battle puppet. That will increase the Blood Blades'' combat ability by several fold."


    "Is that really all right?" Elder Zhao almost choked in surprise. "Don''t we have to discuss with all the other elders and Sect Leader first? We can''t just go over their heads and make this decision on our own. Even if you''re the First Elder¡­"


    "Oh, you don''t have to worry about that," Elder Hai assured him. "Before you guys came, I''ve already contacted Shou De. Even though we will need to formalize it eventually, the sect leader has already given the go-ahead and permitted this. He''ll deal with persuading the other five Great Elders, with the help of Sect Lady if necessary."


    With the strongest Lady Zi Da Ji backing him, I doubted anyone would want to go against the sect leader''s decision.


    Elder Zhao nodded, despite looking a little uncertain. "If you say so."


    "I''ll be honest." Elder Hai narrowed his eyes and glanced around. His wife nodded at him, which seemed to be a signal that there was nobody to overhear us. "We can''t trust everybody in the sect. as much as I loathe to say this¡­sometimes I question the judgement of the other Great Elders. Their decision¡ªmaking of late, in particular, have been¡­odd."


    Elder Zhao said nothing, but he didn''t vehemently object. Tang Qi Hong looked a little worried and appalled, but I was more curious than outraged. Got to love listening to gossip like this. I didn''t care for inner sect politics, but this was just juicy tabloid news that provided more than a small measurement of entertainment.


    "For example, their favoring of Liang Shao Yang." Elder Hai shook his head in disgust. "His personality is clearly dangerous and venomous. Both Sect Leader and I have realized this long ago. The deaths of Long He and Hao Ying are obviously connected to Liang Shao Yang. The evidence is all there for us to see ¨C evidence that you have provided, Zhao Shi."


    "Shen Cha and his investigation team deserve the credit for that," Elder Zhao replied flatly. Elder Hai nodded to acknowledge that.


    "But even so¡­the other Great Elders do not care about his murderous behavior and dark personality. They insist that such malevolence can be easily controlled, slowly educated and gradually guided back to the right path."


    Elder Zhao snorted at that. "Do you actually believe that bullshit?"


    "I don''t, but the other Great Elders and a lot of the powerful people in the sect apparently do." Elder Hai scowled. "There''s a storm coming¡­their minds are being poisoned, most probably by the Divine Shadow Sect. I wouldn''t be surprised if they are in league with other sects, in exchange for power or personal benefit. That might explain their favoritism and overly enthusiastic call for pushing Liang Shao Yang over Tang Qi Hong as the next sect leader."


    Tang Qi Hong shuffled restlessly, not at all comfortable with being used as a pawn in whatever political game the Great Elders were playing. Even though she had been brought up with the eventual goal of taking over as the sect leader, she was growing increasingly disillusioned with the cruel reality of politics.


    Elder Hai glanced at her sympathetically, and then continued.


    "Or perhaps they are deliberately closing out their senses, refusing to see the approaching danger. They cannot be trusted. Their judgement cannot be relied on. That''s why¡­to protect the sect from the imminent future threats, Sect Leader and I can only rely on you, Zhao Shi."


    He then cast a glance at the battle-automata that I had taken out, before turning back to his colleague.


    "That is why I am entrusting you¡­entrusting the Blood Blades the battle-automata. When the time come, I know you will do what is right, to protect the sect." he glanced at me fondly, and then turned back to the leader of the Blood Blades. "We need more people like you and Fei Wu to defend the sect from enemies both without and¡­within."

 153 Chapter 152: Blood Blades shenanigans

    "I''ll send out a mass email tomorrow morning, and have everyone gather on the day after tomorrow. That should give us ample time to prepare."


    While I nodded, I glanced at the book he was reading when we entered, and unsurprisingly enough, it was a book on Spirit Engravings for battle-automata. Evidently Elder Hai Mo was taking these battle-automata thing seriously, and was preparing a major lesson for all of us in the Blood Blades, disciple or master.


    "Can I join in too?" Tang Qi Hong asked eagerly. That was the whole reason why she tagged along in the first place ¨C to learn Spirit Engraving for battle-automata.


    Elder Hai smiled indulgently and nodded. "Of course you''re welcome to join us."


    "Thank you!" Tang Qi Hong was delighted. "I will see you in two days'' then!"


    "I''ll be glad if you can join us." Elder Hai nodded. "But make sure you don''t neglect your usual forging practice!"


    "I won''t!"


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t attend classes in Wu Ling Academy, travel back to Tushan, deal with the battle-automata, spend a couple of hours doing martial arts training, and then still have the time to do extra forging stuff (okay, I got my priorities wrong, the battle-automata should be the extra stuff, not my usual forging practice) all in the same day.


    "You okay, Fei Wu?"


    Tang Qi Hong noticed that I was scowling, and couldn''t help but be concerned. I immediately forced a smile over my face and nodded.


    "Yeah."


    "Don''t worry about Liang Shao Yang. I don''t think he''s stupid enough to try anything. Father is keeping a close eye on him."


    "I''m relieved," I muttered sarcastically. "But I''m not worried about him. Sorry, I was just cursing Li Xiao Yao inwardly for being such a Mary Sue."


    "Who?!" Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened.


    "Nobody," I quickly said, and then turned to bow respectfully to Elder Hai. "I look forward to your guidance."


    "Don''t worry about it. It''s only natural that we teach the disciples of our sect. We''re not like the Azure Water Sect. We actually teach our disciples directly instead of just giving them contribution points and leaving it to them to redeem techniques and learn on their own."


    "What''s the point of joining a sect then if they''re left to learn on their own?"


    Elder Zhao asked, confused. Elder Hai shrugged.


    "I don''t know. You should ask Jian You Tai Xu. Perhaps it''s for prestige, or just to move the plot along."


    Was it my imagination, or was Elder Hai breaking the fourth wall after reading Eternal Reverence? Nah¡­it can''t be.


    "I''ll handle the grounds and book a venue for your training sessions, Ah Mo." The middle-aged lady spoke up with a gentle smile.


    "Thank you, Rong''er." Elder Hai smiled at his wife. "I''ll leave the booking of the venue to you then. The main sect hall would be the best place because of its size. I''m hoping for a place where all the Blood Blade members can fit in."


    "I''ll make sure you get it."


    Hai Rong nodded and disappeared into the room, presumably to book the venue online. Everything could be done from home these days, it was really convenient.


    After the pleasantries, the three of us left Elder Hai''s house and proceeded down the Flame Volcano. Shortly after we made our way down, Elder Zhao parted with us, saying that he needed to meet up with Shen Cha in his office.


    Given how the elders'' residence (which doubled as their offices) were clustered in the same area, it was only natural that he separated from us at such an early stage. Tang Qi Hong''s inner sect disciple residence was just a bit further down, but obviously the inner sect disciples didn''t share the same status and amount of prestige as the elders. Consequently, I could escort her back to her place, with the two of us alone together.


    "I can''t wait!" Tang Qi Hong stretched herself cheerfully, beaming as she looked forward to the battle-automata lessons. I nodded.


    "Yeah."


    "This is all thanks to you! I have no idea how you managed to obtain all those battle-automata, but thanks to you, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is strengthened considerably!"


    That statement caused alarm bells to ring. Tang Qi Hong just tripped some ominous flag ¨C and the timing of my discovery of the battle-automata and my subsequent sale of them to the sect was too fortuitous. If my knowledge of xianxian novels was correct, then this heralded a sign that our sect was going to be attacked by a great force in future. The battle-automata would come into play here, as part of our defense against that immense assault.


    The only question was who would be behind that assault. The Divine Shadow Sect? A coalition of demonic sects? And when did they plan to attack us, exactly? On the bright side, we were guaranteed some peace until we finished learning how to Spirit Engrave and control the battle-automata, but obviously I couldn''t tell every Blood Blade member not to learn how to Spirit Engrave and control the battle-automata.


    They would just laugh my reasons off and tell me I read too many wuxia and xianxia novels. Which I did, admittedly, but in what seemed like cruel irony, they would be telling me to stop mixing reality and fiction together.


    On the other hand, if we were to follow the rules of such fiction closely, then our victory over the enemy would be inevitable, and I shouldn''t have to worry about the conflict in the first place. Perhaps Zhu Jiao would swing in like the Messiah-like protagonist that he was and save our sect from the enemies, even though he wasn''t actually part of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Then again, not being a member never stopped protagonists from meddling and saving the day¡­


    "I''ll see you in class tomorrow then!"


    Stopping in front of her residence and completely oblivious to my pessimistic misgivings, Tang Qi Hong smiled brightly and waved before she entered the inner sect disciple dormitory. I nodded and then turned to proceed toward the apartment complex housing all the members of the Blood Blades.


    The apartment complex allocated to the Blood Blades was further down the Flame Volcano, and my journey back to it brought me past the plaza floating atop the lake at the foot of the volcano. Even now, there were still many martial artists gathering at the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars in hopes of trying to achieve enlightenment.


    I could still sense the dreadful entity dwelling at the bottom of the lake, sealed by the Spirit Engraved Pillars, but far from being discouraged, it was still trying to reach out. If I tried to probe the Spirit Engraved Pillars, it would become aware of my existence and try to possess me. Even though I had gotten a bit stronger than last year, I wasn''t stupid enough to take unnecessary risks.


    That said¡­once I reach the required level, I''ll attempt to communicate with the entity sealed inside, and if necessary¡­I''ll add more layers of seals.


    Unfortunately, I was still quite far off from being able to do something like that. Shaking my head, I spared the group of people massing around the Spirit Engraved Pillars one last glance and then left them to whatever they were doing. Most of them clearly hoped they would be lucky enough to trigger a response from the ominous Spirit Engraved Pillars, and refused to give up. If I hadn''t felt that menacing presence, I would probably be one of them too.


    But one of these days I would need to confront that demon and resolve this matter once and for all.


    Before I entered my apartment, Tong Xue popped his head out of the neighboring apartment and called out to me.


    "Wu! You''re back!"


    "In black," I replied humorously. Tong Xue stared at me, puzzled, obviously not getting the reference. Without a neuralyzer, sunglasses and a suit, I couldn''t show him, so I just waved as a friendly greeting.


    "What''s up?"


    "Well¡­why don''t you come in and chat?"


    "Sure." Without any real reason to refuse, I stepped into his apartment when he beckoned me. It seemed a bit messy, so I had to step around discarded belongings before settling down on a chair not far away.


    "It''s been about a year since we joined the Blood Blades, eh?" Tong Xue leaned on the luxurious-looking couch. "It feels like only yesterday when we met Sect Lady Da Ji and talked to Elder Zhao about our entry¡­and when I told Lian Rou about it."


    "Yeah." I nodded somewhat indifferently, not as hung up on nostalgia as he was. But now that he mentioned it, it really had been quite a while.


    "It feels great, not needing to waste time on forging spirit artifacts and Spirit Engraving!" Tong Xue rolled over on the couch lazily, almost like a cat. I scowled at that.


    Unlike Tong Xue, I had chosen to remain in the Spirit Engraving and blacksmithing classes in order to forge my own weapon. Even though it was not necessary for me to do so, I preferred to take a crack at it myself.


    In the past, I had naively tried to craft rifles and ranged weapons like guns, but that was nothing but a far-fetched dream. Since everyone could effectively shoot qi blasts out of their hands, there was really no need for guns or ranged weapons. I had attempted to refine the concept to render guns more like conduits that could amplify the firepower of those qi blasts, much like spirit arrows or spirit swords that enhanced the wielder''s melee capabilities rather than functioning as simple weapons, but quite clearly I had failed.


    Qi bullets were fine and all, but unless they were more powerful than the qi blasts that we could fire out of our bare hands, it was a waste of time and space crafting rifles and carrying them around. For some reason I was unable to replicate the enhancement effect of spirit arrows or the melee weapons (people could unleash even more powerful qi blasts with swings of their swords, for example) for the guns.


    This was so unfair. If I was a protagonist of a xianxia or wuxia story, I would be revolutionizing weapons technology with my modern knowledge and overawing everyone with my invention of guns and rifles. Too bad reality was never that convenient, and I was stuck being a mediocre, low-ranking blacksmith who was unable to fulfil his ideals.


    "Oh, right¡­so were you able to forge your Spirit Weapon that you wanted to? You said you got that last component you needed from the Nascent Soul Stage Practitioner''s tomb. It''s been a week since then. How is your progress?"


    "Um¡­ha ha, well¡­I kind of put it on the backburner for another project¡­"


    Laughing sheepishly, I bowed my head in embarrassment. Tong Xue shook his head in disapproval.


    "As Blood Blades, our status is equal to inner sect disciples. We get first priority to receiving high ranking Spirit Artifacts, armor, equipment and Spirit Weapons that the inner sect disciples forge. We can use as much Spirit Materials, Spirit Pills and Spirit Medicine as we want in order to increase our combat ability."


    "Nope to dope."


    "Uh, what?" Tong Xue stared at me curiously. I raised both hands and shook my head firmly.


    "The whole Spirit Pills and Medicine thing sounds suspiciously like doping. And I don''t trust doping. There will be side effects in future, and I honestly doubt it''s so simple to improve your cultivation and boost your strength just from consuming pills. Usually those are steroids and they will harm your health in the long term if you rely too much on them."


    Tong Xie looked as if he had a headache, but he knew better than to argue with me on that. Instead, he sighed.


    "Fine, but my point isn''t the Spirit Pills and Medicine. What I mean is that you don''t have to invest so much time and effort into forging your own Spirit Weapon, you know? You''re a Blood Blade now. You can just ask someone from the inner sect to forge a Spirit Weapon for you. I''m sure Qi Hong will be happy to craft you a suitable Spirit Weapon if you ask her to."


    "Nah, I want to try something out for myself." I shrugged. "If I fail, I can always ask Qi Hong for help then. Otherwise I would prefer not to bother her."


    "Dude¡­if you are out for a mission¡­just like during that expedition to the ancient tomb last week ¨C what are you going to use? Those cheap-ass swords that you''ve been using for a year? They''ll break anytime now."


    "They already broke," I told him, half-amused and half-annoyed. Tong Xue threw his hands up in the air.


    "See?! I told you so!" he glared at me. "Then what are you going to use? Hmm¡­well, you''re not entirely helpless. I remember you''re pretty good with kicking techniques too. But you don''t have specialized boots¡­"


    "Qi Hong gave me enchanted shoes." I pointed at my shoes, which had Spirit Engravings on them to ensure they didn''t wear down so easily, and enhanced their durability tremendously so that they wouldn''t get destroyed whenever I kicked a powerful enemy. "They are more than sufficient for my needs. You know her skills."


    "Lucky bastard." Tong Xue sulked. "Even Lian Rou has not personally given me anything to use for combat."


    "You could ask her."


    "¡­I did."


    Despite raising my eyebrow, from Tong Xue''s sullen tone I knew better than to ask. Furthermore, I did have the Azure Lotus Sword that I acquired from the frosty chamber in the ancient tomb, but I wasn''t stupid enough to show that off to my friend when he was in a bad mood. It would feel too much like showing off.


    Well, he would find out eventually, but even so, I would prefer to keep my Azure Lotus Sword as much of a secret as possible. I could take an enemy by surprise by drawing it when he or she least expected it. And keeping them in the dark about what weapon I owned was one way to ensure that I preserved that element of surprise.


    Instead, I decided to change the subject.


    "Speaking of missions, we won''t be getting any soon. Not until Elder Hai assigns us our personal battle-automata and teaches us how to Spirit Engrave them. He plans to give the Blood Blades control over an army of battle-automata."


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Tong Xue stared at me blankly. I grinned knowingly.


    "You''ll see what I mean in a couple of days'' time. Just wait for the email tomorrow."


    "Hey! Don''t leave me hanging! Tell me what you mean!"


    "Exactly what I said." My grin widened. "We''ll be receiving our individual battle-automata in two days'' time, and First Elder Hai Mo will be personally teaching us how to inscribe our own personal Spirit Engravings into them."


    "Are you fucking serious?!" Tong Xue almost shouted. I winced as I covered my ears defensively to prevent myself from becoming deaf.


    "If you don''t believe me, you can just wait for the email tomorrow. The First Elder will provide all the details then."


    "But¡­but where did he get all the battle-automata from?" Tong Xue spluttered, still mired in disbelief.


    Smiling, I shrugged. "Well, I wonder?"


    *


    As he promised, Elder Hai sent out the mass email to all the Blood Blades, and Elder Zhao managed to recall all of them ¨C even those who were supposedly out on a mission. Those who were too far away or couldn''t make it back in time for the lessons would receive their own battle-automata and be taught by the Blood Blade elders at a late time, when they returned to Tushan City. Fortunately, over 95% of the members were present for the lesson on the third day.


    Yeah, yeah¡­I could hear the complaints from certain people beyond the fourth wall. Like how I was stupid for selling the battle-automata at a discount instead of making as much money as I could. Not everything had to be about the money. In fact, that was the fucking problem with the previous timeline. Too many people were overly obsessed with money, and capitalism had pretty much ruined our world by stressing too much on profits.


    And then there would be those fourth wall-ers who cursed me for being stupid not to hoard the entire army of battle-automata to myself, never mind that it would take me years, or even decades just to inscribe the Spirit Engravings necessary to restore and reactivate them by myself. They were used to clich¨¦ xianxia stories with overpowered Mary Sue protagonists who were special snowflakes that monopolized all the cool stuff like symbol puppets and divine weapons, and couldn''t stand the idea that I was sharing the battle-automata with my comrades instead of keeping them for myself. It was unfortunate, but I was not a special snowflake. I was just a normal guy, with a few lucky encounters (granted, most normal people wouldn''t get a chance to learn Heaven and Earth Formula), but I wasn''t such a special existence that only I got dibs on all the cool stuff and monopolized them for myself.


    That was reality for you. Many people might need some getting used to, but the fact was that no one was special, nor did the entire world revolve around any one of us. I knew for sure that I was nobody special.


    "Wow, you were right. I don''t believe it."


    Tong Xue was still gaping at me as we left the apartment complex for the Blood Blades to walk toward the main sect hall. Lady Hai Rong stayed true to her word and reserved the entire place for us. I later learned that she was part of the Blood Blades as well.


    Was it my imagination, or were all the wives of the legendary blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect powerful warriors? If that was the case, then the example of me and Tang Qi Hong would be an anamoly because we were the direct opposite of that. Not that we were officially a couple, but I could hope. Maybe.


    Still, this was quite the surprsing pattern. Or perhaps it was normal for this world, and I was too hung up on toxic masculinity from my previous timeline. Damn it, and I was supposed to be an advocate for gender equality.


    No, I am an advocate of gender equality. Just because I acknowledged that gender inequality and discrimination existed didn''t mean I didn''t advocate gender equality. Particularly because Tang Qi Hong revealed to me the existing patriarchal prejudices of the male Great Elders against having a female blacksmith take over as the Sect Leader¡­


    "How did you know?!" Tong Xue was demanding. I shrugged, trying to resist the mischievous smile that was threatening to spread across my face.


    "I just do."


    "Come on! I''m supposed to be the one who gathers intelligence here! That''s my role!"


    "Then I''m sure you''ll find out sooner or later."


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Ignoring Tong Xue''s howl of frustration, I proceeded across the open plaza in front of the main sect hall and toward the huge entrance.


    However, before I could cross more than ten paces¡­


    "!!!"


    I suddenly sensed an aggressive surge of qi. Someone struck me from above, to the right, and I spun around and parried his punch with my palms. The ground beneath my feet shattered from the impact, but I dug my feet in firmly, refusing to budge.


    My assailant suddenly twisted around to kick my head, but I immediately ducked, allowing his foot to sweep past above my back. My opponent then spun around in midair before delivering an axe kick, but I was already moving, my legs vanishing into a blur as I executed a footwork technique.


    Boom!


    His kick pulverized the plaza, driving a crater in the formerly pristine marble ground.


    "!!!"


    He then whirled around and brought his arms up, crossing them defensively before I kicked him. The moment my foot collided with his forearms, a maelstrom of qi erupted around us and we were consumed by a golden conflagration.


    Flipping myself up, I landed on my feet a few meters away. My opponent lowered his arms and shook them as ice began to rapidly freeze over them. With a yell, he shattered the ice that encased most of his body.


    I was about to dash forward with Jin, but he quickly held up his hands in surrender.


    "You win," Pang Feng told me hurriedly.


    "That remains to be seen," I replied coolly as I massaged my leg. "Your Golden Indestructible Body Formula is as impressive as ever. I almost broke my leg kicking you."


    Pang Feng grimaced. "I could say the same. It''s clear that you''ve gotten a lot stronger again. My arms are numb just from blocking your kick."


    "Are you sure it''s not just from the cold?" I teased with a grin. Pang Feng smiled wryly.


    "It''s both. That''s why it''s my loss. Your technique clogged up my qi circulation¡­I expended a lot of qi just to expel the ice ¨C otherwise I''ll only be able to fight with half my power. Even then, I don''t think I have enough qi to fight you in a battle of attrition."


    "I''m sure you do," I assured him. Pang Feng laughed.


    "Perhaps, but I can''t waste too much qi on exchanging moves with you. Don''t forget we have Spirit Engraving lessons after this. First Elder seems to want us to do our best in learning how to control battle-automata today."


    "Ah, yeah¡­that''s right." I nodded. Tong Xue quickly stepped in.


    "Yeah, so let''s leave it at that for today." He turned toward Pang Feng and shook his head. "Though, that was one hell of a greeting."


    "Is it? I thought it was normal." Pang Feng scratched his head, looking a little sheepish.


    "It is," I assured him.


    Pang Feng had joined the Blood Blades shortly after me and Tong Xue. With his talent and immense power, he had no difficulty in passing the examination for the Blood Blades. Similar to Tong Xue, Pang Feng had joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect solely to protect his younger sister, so that she could forge Spirit Artifacts at east while he watched over her to ensure no danger befell her. And the best way to do that was to be a Blood Blade.


    Tong Xue and Lian Rou. Pang Feng and Pang Yun. Tang Qi Hong and me. Every one of us had our reasons for taking on whatever role we did in the sect.


    In any case, Pang Feng and I surprisingly hit it off when he joined the Blood Blades. Probably because we were closest in age and power levels. No, I don''t know what stage or realm he was in, and I didn''t care, but we could have close exchanges and balanced duels without one-sided results. As such, Pang Feng regarded me as a valuable sparring partner. I was flattered, but I would very much prefer not to get attacked every time he saw me.


    Nonetheless, I knew that he held no ill will against me. Come on, dudes. I''m a nice guy. Why the hell would people hate me for no reason? This wasn''t a xianxia story where every single character the protagonist ran into would hate him for some inexplicable reason and try to kill him just because he "offended" them or "didn''t know his place." Yes, Pang Feng attacked me, but that was because he knew I could take care of myself and block his attacks. He sparred with me in order to improve his skills, not because he intended to kill me or "teach me my place."


    In reality, nobody attacked others for ridiculous reasons like that. Yeah, bullies existed, but even bullies picked on people they know to be weak, and not attack some random stranger for "offending" them or "not knowing hs place." And often, it was only the protagonist these characters attacked. I hardly thought the protagonist was the only one who offended them or not know his place, but for some reason they were obsessed with the protagonist and only the protagonist. And even though they were potential enemies, they would gang up and attack the protagonist because¡­well, he was the protagonist.


    Just look at the Heavenly Fiend Sect, Violent Saber Sect and Spirit Hidden Sect from Eternal Reverence. Even though they were hostile toward each other and practically enemies, they practically forgot about their enmity toward each other and ganged up to kill Li Fu Chen just because¡­well, he was the protagonist. Honestly, there wasn''t any real reason for them to gang up and try to kill him ¨C he didn''t do anything significant until they attacked him for no reason other than because they were the antagonists. And when he repelled them effortlessly like the God Mode Mary Sue that he was, they all decided to gang up on him because he was "too strong" and they were too worried about him becoming a massive threat in future, and so were determined to "eliminate" him before that happened. Never mind that Yan Qing Wu was also a Six Star Bone Frame who posed the same amount of threat. But no, nobody cared about her because she was not the protagonist.


    The lack of logic was baffling.


    Ahem¡­in any case, what I meant to say was that Pang Feng and I got along very well and were actually good friends. Expecting him to be yet another arrogant young master who was hostile and jealous of me for no reason other than because I was a protagonist was downright unrealistic and ridiculous. Besides, I wasn''t the protagonist. Zhu Jiao was.


    Furthermore, it wasn''t as if I went around "offending" every single character in a story just so they had an excuse to "kill" me to the point where they mobilized their entire sect and all of their resources just to eliminate an insignificant guy like me, which in turn justified me razing their entire sect with my super-thick plot armor. Again, that was just absurd.


    "So it''s just us Blood Blades who''s learning how to control battle-automata? What about the inner sect disciples? Wouldn''t it be more convenient if the inner sect disciples had a battle-automata or two standing by as their bodyguards?"


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    Pang Feng sounded confused as the three of us approached the main sect hall together. I shook my head.


    "Battle-automata require a lot of qi to maintain. Unless we have a limitless supply of qi, or can freely get artificial qi for cheap from Wu Ling Academy, they make poor bodyguards. Trying to keep them activated and active 24/7 is a good way of bankrupting yourself."


    "Yeah, I heard that they use Pure Yuan Pills to power themselves," Tong Xue added. "We can replace that with modern artificial qi, but even synthesized artificial qi is not cheap. We can''t just keep buying it from our academy."


    "I see." Pang Feng looked disappointed for a moment, but he then brightened up. "That means Liang Shao Yang won''t be getting any then. That''s good."


    Pang Feng didn''t get along with Liang Shao Yang. I remembered how the latter ticked off the former about a year ago. With his arrogant, callous attitude and habit of looking down on others, Liang Shao Yang made very few friends in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Actually, besides Hu Mei Er, I doubted he had any friends at all.


    In fact, Liang Shao Yang made a lot of enemies during his time in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, which was another reason why he shouldn''t be the next sect leader. But most of the Great Elders were blind to that.


    And Hu Mei Er counted as his lover rather than his friend. Given her character, though, I wouldn''t be surprised if she was with him more because she received benefits from being in a relationship with him than any real love on her part.


    Furthermore, with his brutal murder of Hao Ying ¨C or at least the rumors ¨C everyone stayed far away from him as possible. Too proud to approach others of his own accord (except Hu Mei Er), he kept to himself most of the time. Well, to be more accurate, he spent most of his time with Hu Mei Er, and Hu Mei Er alone.


    There were rumors that the two of them had quite the active¡­sex life, spending most of their days practicing double cultivation. Since that actally boosted their cultivation and made them both stronger, the sect elders actually encouraged it instead of disapproving it.


    Seriously, though, it was none of my business what the two of them did in their private time together. I was vaguely curious as to why Hu Mei Er had yet to get pregnant, but that was the extent of my interest. Well, she''ll only become pregnant when the plot needs her to be, but not before then.


    "Yeah." Tong Xue shuddered at the thought. "I don''t want to imagine what Liang Shao Yang will do with them if he gets his hands on them."


    "No doubt use them for nefarious purposes," Pang Feng muttered darkly.


    "Oh! You guys are here too! You''re early!"


    Just before the three of us stepped through the automatic sliding doors, a familiar voice called out from behind. We turned and caught sight of Tang Qi Hong running up to join us. She beamed cheerfully, which caused Pang Feng to blush a little.


    The guy also viewed me as a love rival, but he was never overt about it or gave me any trouble over that. Instead, he treated it as friendly competition. As I said, he was a decent person and a good friend.


    "Eh? What are you doing here?" he asked nervously.


    "Same reason as you! For the battle-automata lessons!"


    "Huh?" Tong Xue looked confused. "I thought the battle-automata are only for the Blood Blades. How did you get in?"


    Tang Qi Hong smiled mischievously. "Wu didn''t tell you? I bought a few battle-automata from him, and I asked Elder Hai for permission to join the lessons so that I can control them."


    "Bought¡­from him?" Tong Xue turned to me, annoyed. "What is this about?"


    "You mean¡­the battle-automata all originally belonged to Wu?" Pang Feng asked, trying to wrap his mind around what he was hearing.


    "Huh? You really don''t know?" this time, Tang Qi Hong was genuinely confused. "Fei Wu is the one who acquired all the battle-automata. He found them in the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb last week, and brought them back to the sect. he was even willing to sell them all to the sect at a discounted price, and Elder Hai decided to assign them to the Blood Blades. I bought a few of them before he sold them to the sect."

 154 Chapter 153: Man and Machine

    Whatever the case, most of the Blood Blades were satisfied with what they had. Tong Xue went for three Thallax-class battle puppets while Pang Feng chose two Castellax-class battle-automata. They really made choices that suited their personalities and skills.


    After that was done, Elder Hai gathered all of us around.


    "All right! Now that you''ve chosen your battle puppets, I shall begin to teach you to inscribe your personal Spirit Engraving on them. This is to ensure nobody else will be able to control your battle puppet. You will be engraving your own personal seal on your battle puppet, so to speak. It will obey only you and it is also a great countermeasure against theft."


    Everyone nodded, enraptured, half-distracted by their newly obtained battle puppets. There were very few left, set aside for those Blood Blades still out on a mission, but Hai Rong packed them up. I grimaced, recalling earlier how I had to dump about six hundred of the battle-automata out of my spatial device, but fortunately my fellow Blood Blades were on hand to help me assemble them properly and neatly.


    "Watch closely. I will be demonstrating how to carve your own command seal on these battle-automata."


    As he said so, Elder Hai Mo proceeded to engrave a Spirit Diagram into the Thallax-class battle puppet in front of him. Even though he was quite far away, standing on a stage in front of two hundred Blood Blades, we were able to see the Spirit Diagram and his actions clearly thanks to the spirit projector that beamed his movements on a big screen.


    It reminded me of the mass lectures conducted in universities in my previous timelines, where professors conducted lessons through Powerpoint slides projected on a gigantic screen. Well, this was more akin to a visualizer or a live recording.


    Thankfully, my glasses also had a recording function, and I activated it, so that I could go through Elder Hai''s motions one more time in case I missed anything. This wasn''t an excuse to drift off and sleep in class, so I paid attention as best as I could, my eyes drilling into the screen intently and my mind trying to cram as much as it could.


    After the demonstration, Elder Hai stepped back. The Thallax-class battle puppet didn''t move, but the Spirit Engraving glowed with soulful life, blazing defiantly against the backdrop of white. Satisfied, Elder Hai turned to beam at us.


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    "And that''s how it''s done. Now it''s your turn."


    "Heh¡­"


    The crowd stirred with excitement, and then the Blood Blades began working enthusiastically on their battle puppets. I tried to mimic Elder Hai''s actions, with some failure. Fortunately, with my glasses, I could play back the recordings and see where I went wrong, and meticulously execute the Spirit Engraving step by step.


    "That''s right¡­that''s good. Hmm, not bad, but you might want to finetune the Engraving here. Ah! You made a minor mistake there! It should be rounder, not squarish."


    While the Blood Blades worked on their individual battle-automata, Elder Hai went around to inspect and supervise them. He wasn''t the only one. The more experienced elders, such as Elder Tie, and several other masters, upon finishing their Spirit Engravings, dispersed to help and assist the less seasoned disciples in carving their own personal seal.


    "I wonder if this is correct?"


    I stared at my Spirit Engraving on the first Castellax-class battle-automata I inscribed it on, feeling doubtful. Unlike Elder Hai''s Thallax-class battle puppet, or the other battle-automata that were lighting up as my fellow disciples inscribed their personal seals on them, my Engraving showed no life.


    "Ah¡­the problem is that you made a slight error in the core of your diagram. Also, you infused it with too much qi, overloading the Engraving. Relax, and don''t be too tense."


    Catching sight of my failure, Elder Hai walked over in a relaxed manner and informed me. I nodded gratefully and hurried to rectify my mistake. After several tries, I finally got the hang of it and was able to complete a soulfully glowing Spirit Engraving.


    "Phew!"


    "That took you long enough!" Tong Xue teased, having finished his three Thallax-class battle puppets a while ago. The guy was fast. I was only just starting on my second Castellax-class battle-automata.


    Nearby, Pang Feng grunted. He was slightly faster than me, but he was still in the midst of carving his Spirit Seal in his second Castellax-class battle-automata.


    "You are all slow!" Tang Qi Hong complained. The three of us turned to stare at her and our jaws dropped. Somehow, Tang Qi Hong had already finished inscribing her personal Spirit Seal on all of her battle-automata, which included six Thallax-class battle puppets and four Castellax-class batlle-automata. Given how Tong Xue only had three Thallax-class battle puppets and finished a short while ago, it meant that Tang Qi Hong was faster than him by several times.


    That girl really was a genius at Spirit Engraving and smithing.


    It took a couple of hours, but finally every single Blood Blade finished carving their personal Spirit Engraving on their respective battle puppets to bind them to their individual will. I also managed to finish the fourth, just barely. I was slow, I know. It was unfortunate, but I didn''t have the talent for Spirit Engraving and smithing, especially when compared to prodigies such as Tang Qi Hong and Liang Shao Yang.


    The only thing I had going for me was hard work.


    "Very good. Now no one will be able to steal your battle puppets."


    Elder Hai was nodding in satisfaction, and then his expression turned grim.


    "But now comes the hard part."


    "¡­eh?"


    Everyone stared at him, feeling a sense of dread. His expression not changing, Elder Hai continued sternly.


    "The next step of Spirit Engraving for battle-automata is basically giving them power and life. Bestowing them a soul and allowing them to move. All we have done so far is the most minor of programming steps, basically claiming ownership by creating a sole administrator user account and sealing it to our biometrics¡­or spirit. But just because you have established ownership of the battle puppet doesn''t mean it will be able to fight immediately. That''s where the main Spirit Engraving comes in. To be honest, it''s easier if I get the inner sect disciples to complete the next step, but¡­I think this will be a good lesson for all of you."


    Even though he didn''t say why, I could suspect the reason. Elder Hai had expressed his doubts and suspicions about the inner sect, particularly those directly under the control and influence of the other Great Elders. It would also mean granting people like Liang Shao Yang direct access to our battle-automata, something he was loathe to do.


    That was why we had to do this the hard way.


    "I''m sure you''re aware of this, but engraving Spirit Diagrams in a battle-automata is a long, tedious and complex process. It will take you a month just to complete one Spirit Engraving on a single battle-automata. It''s not a simple process of just drawing the Spirit Diagrams on their insides¡­" At this, I lowered my head sheepishly, remembering the reprimand I received from Elder Tie. Elder Hai was merely confirming what Elder Tie told me. "You also need to weave your own qi and spiritual power and will into the fabric of the Spirit Diagram, or it will remain inert."


    "Yes~"


    The Blood Blades chorused somewhat nonchalantly. They clearly had no idea just how difficult the process would be. I couldn''t blame them. Ever since they joined the Blood Blades, the vast majority of them had stopped forging, smithing or Spirit Engraving, so that they could focus on sharpening their martial arts and combat skills. They just couldn''t imagine the difficulty level, at least not until they actually tried it out themselves.


    "Be prepared!" Elder Hai was grinning malevolently. This time, a few of the seasoned Blood Blade disciples felt chills run down their spines, having been in the sect long enough to recognize that ominous expression. "I will be driving you all very hard! For the sake of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    *


    And just like that, another two months passed. By now, most of us had finished our Spirit Engravings on at least two of our battle-automata. I certainly did. The more talented ones, such as Tang Qi Hong, were able to complete three, but even a prodigy like Tang Qi Hong was unable to rush the process by much.


    "Man, I want to finish Spirit Engraving all my battle-automata already!" Tang Qi Hong complained as she threw her head back, her long, golden hair tumbling past her back. She leaned back against her chair, kicking her legs restlessly.


    "I know, right?" Tong Xue grumbled as he placed his head on his desk. "I''m sick of Spirit Engraving. I joined the Blood Blades for a reason!"


    Lian Rou stared at the two of them, and then glanced at me. When she saw that I was wearing the same sullen, sour expression as the other two, she decided not to ask.


    She shouldn''t need to ask, though. It wasn''t as if Elder Hai and the Blood Blades were keeping their acquisition of battle-automata a secret.


    "Even so, we still have to return to Tushan City eventually." Lian Rou finally spoke up awkwardly. "You seriously don''t intend on sticking in school forever?"


    "No, but¡­" Tang Qi Hong looked perturbed.


    "If we go back, we''ll have to attend the battle-automata lesson again. It''s been two months!" Tong Xue grimaced at the mere thought. "I want it to end already!"


    "Hey, you only have one Thallax-class battle puppet left to Spirit Engrave," I reminded him harshly. "I still have two Castellax-class battle-automata, and Qi Hong has three more Thallax-class battle puppets and four Castellax-class battle-automata."


    "Why did I ever think it was a good idea to buy so many from you?" Tang Qi Hong groaned and glared at me resentfully. "You were pretty smart to sell most of them and keep only four for yourself."


    "Not as smart as those who chose to have only two Castellax-class battle-automata," I muttered. Pang Feng was free of the battle-automata lessons, having finished programming both of his Castellax-class battle-automata. I felt jealous of him, but reminded myself that by the end of the year I would be having the last laugh.


    Actually, by next year, Tang Qi Hong would be having the last laugh. She would have the most number of battle-automata out of any one of us, excluding the elders.


    "Well, let''s get this done and over with," I growled as a flash of determination took over. Rising to my feet, I followed Lian Rou out of the classroom. Tang Qi Hong and Tong Xue reluctantly followed us, but inwardly they agreed.


    Less than an hour later, the Phoenix Express touched down on the landing pad inside Tushan City, and the Nine-Tailed Sect disciples disembarked. Tang Qi Hong, Tong Xue and I plodded sullenly toward the direction of the main sect hall, already dreading the lessons to follow. Lian Rou could only shake her head and sigh as she followed us to the Flame Volcano.


    "You brought this upon yourself."


    "Um, Tong Xue didn''t. First Elder Hai was the one who dumped this on the Blood Blades." I shrugged. To be fair, the whole thing was my fault to begin with, but I wasn''t going to admit that. "I mean, I agree with his decision, but that doesn''t make our job any easier."


    "¡­yeah, hmm¡­I don''t know why he doesn''t ask the inner sect disciples to do the Spirit Engravings instead. It''ll be easier." Lian Rou looked thoughtful. Even though it was common knowledge that the Blood Blades received battle-automata, Elder Hai obviously did not tell anyone about his suspicions regarding certain elders and inner sect disciples. That would be a silly move, one that would create rifts within the sect and encourage inner strife.


    Heavens knew we couldn''t afford to make any more enemies.


    We continued on our path when three of the Great Elders suddenly showed up. Smiling, they approached Tang Qi Hong.


    "Qi Hong! There you are! A quick word, if you don''t mind?" one of them called out in a friendly manner.


    "Great Elders." Tang Qi Hong swallowed, but nodded. Lian Rou, Tong Xue and I stepped back and bowed respectfully. Noticing our presence, a second Great Elder acknowledged our greeting before glancing at Tang Qi Hong.


    "Were you in the middle of something?"


    "Um, yes. I''m heading over to the main sect hall, to learn battle-automata from First Elder Hai." Tang Qi Hong replied honestly.


    "Ah¡­that''s right. I heard that you have about ten new battle puppets. Your combat strength has grown tremendously."


    "Not bad, not bad."


    "You really are the adopted daughter of the Sect Leader and Sect Lady."


    The three Great Elders were praising a perplexed Tang Qi Hong. Tong Xue and I exchanged puzzled glances.


    "Ever since Qi Hong acquired those battle puppets, her standing in the sect has risen," Lian Rou whispered, offering an explanation to me and Tong Xue. Both of us stared at her in surprise, but I guess I could understand.


    Battle puppets and battle-automata were signifiers of status. They were extremely rare, valuable and powerful ¨C a single middle-ranked battle-automata like the Castellax class was said to be able to fight on par with a Qi Fusion Stage practitioner (whatever that meant), which was why they were priced so highly. Anyone who possessed not one but many of them would be a force to be reckoned with. Tang Qi Hong essentially had a small army of her own.


    Recognizing that, the Great Elders wanted to get in her good books, especially since they were aware how powerful Tang Qi Hong would become once she finished inscribing her tiny army with Spirit Engravings.


    Tang Qi Hong had always been a genius at blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, and now she had her own private military. Her stock was rising fast and the Great Elders didn''t want to shoot themselves in the foot and be filled with regret.


    "There are rumors that several of the Great Elders have suddenly switched sides and are now backing Qi Hong to succeed as the next sect leader instead of Liang Shao Yang." Lian Rou''s voice was dripping with disapproval and scorn. She clearly didn''t like the idea of her best friend being dragged into these politics.


    "Really?" Tong Xue asked, surprised. For my part, I believed Lian Rou. As an inner sect disciple, she was more privy to the matters involving the Great Elders than either of us. Though I wondered the wisdom of sharing that information with Tong Xue, who doubled as a disciple of the Smart Shadow Sect. he would be happily gathering the intelligence of other sects for his primary sect, even if he was technically a member of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and a Blood Blade.


    Not for the first time, I wondered if Tong Xue''s loyalty to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was stronger than his loyalty to the Smart Shadow Sect. Good thing the Heaven and Earth Sect had been exterminated long ago, so I didn''t have to make that choice.


    "Ah, you must be the one who brought back all those battle-automata. Fei Wu, right?"


    The first Great Elder suddenly noticed we were still there, and when his gaze fell on me, his eyes lit up in recognition.


    "That''s right, sir." I nodded. There was no point denying it.


    "Good, good. I hear you''re in the Blood Blades, correct? And you did a splendid job in the expedition to the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb two months ago, bringing back such valuable treasures!"


    "Indeed!" the second Great Elder chimed in, delighted. He cast a gaze from the troubled Tang Qi Hong to me. "You two remind me of the current Sect Leader and Sect Lady! The resemblance is remarkable! I''m sure you both will bring the sect to greater heights!"


    Wow, they were being pretty blatant about their motives now. Lian Rou wasn''t mistaken when she told me and Tong Xue about their sudden change in stance. I heard that they had always been firmly behind Liang Shao Yang, but now they were clearly in the Tang Qi Hong camp. No doubt Lian Rou was correct that it had something to do with Tang Qi Hong being the owner of a sizeable amount of battle-automata.


    And I was another owner of four Castellax-class battle-automata, which meant my worth and standing in the sect had also increased.


    "Geez, Great Elders!" Tang Qi Hong turned red. "Our relationship isn''t like that! Please don''t say such embarrassing things!"


    "Not yet," the third Great Elder said mischievously. "Give it time."


    "Ugh! Stop teasing me! If there''s nothing else, then I''ll make a move first!"


    Unable to endure the relentless teasing and obvious flattery, Tang Qi Hong tried to move away, her face burning crimson.


    "Oh, about that¡­actually we have a request for you." the first Great Elder reached into his pocket and took out his cellphone. "We wanted to ask you if you''re interested in taking up a mission from the Dark Asura Sect."


    "The Dark Asura Sect?" Tang Qi Hong repeated incredulously. "What do they want?"


    "They have requested that the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect forge them Spirit Artifacts," the second Great Elder explained. "The commanders of the Dark Asura Sect have personally submitted these custom-orders. They have asked for six Spirit Artifacts in total, and even provided the Spirit Materials necessary. Well, most of them, anyway. Fortunately, our sect has almost all the remainder of Spirit Materials required. You can get someone to obtain them for you." he glanced meaningfully at me, then turned back to Tang Qi Hong apologetically. "I''m sorry. We really didn''t want to disturb you when you''re so busy. But as you know, we can''t turn them down so easily."


    "I know," Tang Qi Hong replied, but she still looked flustered. Staring at her cellphone as she received the forwarded email from the first Great Elder, she swallowed nervously. "But why me? Wouldn''t Liang Shao Yang or one of the other inner sect disciples be capable of carrying out this request?"


    "Of all the inner sect disciples, your success rate is the highest," the third great elder replied. "And the quality of the spirit artifacts you forge is the best, surpassing even that of Liang Shao Yang''s. He is still inexperienced when compared to you. Furthermore, we are currently in the midst of forging Spirit Engraved Gear for the Imperial Guard, and are unable to take on a new project right now. You should know the sheer quantity of Spirit Armaments that the Imperial Guard require. First Elder Hai Mo is also forging another complex device for the royal family while teaching the Blood Blades lessons on battle-automata Spirit Engravings at the same time. So you are the only one left."


    "I understand," Tang Qi Hong replied helplessly as she studied the list.


    "Don''t worry," the first Great Elder assured her. "We will pay you handsomely for this project. You''ll receive payment appropriate to the quality of the Spirit Artifacts you forge. You''ll definitely be rewarded for taking up this request."


    "All right¡­I will do it." Tang Qi Hong sighed heavily. Then she turned to me. "Wu, will you be free after the battle-automata lesson today?"


    "I''m never free, but I will make myself available today if you need my help."


    Seriously, do people think I laze around have nothing to do after my lessons? If there was nothing else, I would spend it working on my personal project or training my combat skills. But that didn''t mean I wasn''t flexible enough to rearrange my schedule if someone needed my help immediately after the lesson on battle-automata Spirit Engraving.


    "Really? I mean, if you''re busy¡­"


    "No, they are not important. It''s just normal training."


    "Yeah, we won''t die if we miss a day of training or two!" Tong Xue agreed with a smile. While I would normally disagree with him, I was glad that our opinions align today, so I also smiled and nodded.


    "Exactly."


    "If you say so." Tang Qi Hong consulted the list. "Well, we''ll discuss this later, after the Spirit Engraving lesson. Let''s hurry, or we''ll be late."


    We bade the three satisfied Great Elders farewell, and then quickly made our way to the main sect hall. Already a large group of Blood Blades were flooding the main sect hall, the majority of them having returned home from school just like us.


    Lian Rou excused herself and went her separate way, leaving the three of us to merge with the crowd. As we fought our way to the front, I caught sight of Pang Feng. He waved to us, and the three of us fought through the mass of human bodies to join him.


    "What are you doing here?" I asked, perplexed. "You already finished the Spirit Engravings for your two Castellax-class battle-automata, right?"


    "¡­that''s right. I forgot." Pang Feng laughed sheepishly as he scratched his head. "Force of habit, I suppose?"


    Actually, I suspected he had a more¡­personal reason for showing up. I could see the way he looked at Tang Qi Hong. He clearly still had a crush on her.


    Well, so did I, but as of right now, our relationship was at an impasse. As much as I wanted to break the status quo, I already knew what would happen. Furthermore, after the pressure those three fair-weather Great Elders placed on Tang Qi Hong to be the next sect leader, she would be more determined than before to stay single and focus on that goal. Knowing Tang Qi Hong, she would give the reason that she could not afford to be distracted by men or romance because the whole sect was depending on her or something.


    She had given me the same reason before, and she hadn''t changed since then.


    While we stepped into the main sect hall and disappeared into its interior, from the distance, someone watched us, completely unnoticed. At that time, I didn''t sense his murderous gaze, but I was reconstructing this whole thing on hindsight, on retrospect.


    Liang Shao Yang, accompanied by Hu Mei Er, had watched the entire exchange between the three Great Elders and Tang Qi Hong. His eyes never left his current rival, he continued to watch her as she entered the main sect hall. Even though he wasn''t close enough to overhear their conversation, he could tell from their attitudes toward Tang Qi Hong that they were currently favoring her. He was also not deaf, having heard about her rise in status and power after acquiring a bunch of battle-automata, her close links to the Blood Blades, and had noticed the obvious shift of the Great Elders'' attention from him to her in the last couple of months.


    His eyes narrowed murderously as he pondered over the events, and even Hu Mei Er couldn''t help but shudder when she caught sight of his cold, merciless gaze.


    "Shao Yang?" she asked timidly.


    Liang Shao Yang forced a smile as he looked at her. "Sorry, Mei Er. I will have to leave Tushan for a bit. I''ll see you in my apartment tonight?"

 155 Chapter 154: The Shadows Stir

    "Look through the requests," she told me before she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Glancing at my smartphone, I opened the email when the alert came and quickly scanned through the contents.


    "Um, okay¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong watched me with a bright smile, her clear blue eyes shining eagerly. I tilted my head at her.


    "You want me to help you with these?"


    "Of course!" Tang Qi Hong placed her hands on her hips proudly as she straightened up. "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure you receive your fair share of the payment. Since you''re a Spirit Engraver and blacksmith as well, you should have no problem forging these Spirit Artifacts now, right?"


    "¡­say what?"


    My eyebrows creased as I stared at her, baffled. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and swallowed.


    "You do know I suck at Spirit Engraving and smithing, right? There are a lot more competent blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers that you can approach. Why are you asking me of all people? Wouldn''t Lian Rou be more suitable?"


    "True, Lian Rou might be more capable than you," Tang Qi Hong admitted. "But you''re a great assistant." She leaned in and patted my shoulder. "What I need is an able assistant who carries my instructions out to the letter. It would be a little demeaning for Lian Rou if I ask her to be my assistant for this project."


    A vein twitched in my temple, but I fought down my irritation. "But it''s not demeaning to approach me for assistant duties?"


    "Hey, you said it so yourself," Tang Qi Hong retorted. "That you suck at Spirit Engraving and smithing. I wasn''t the one who said that."


    She had me there. Sighing, I nodded.


    "Fine. I''ll help you. What do you need me to do?"


    "Hmm¡­" Tang Qi Hong thought for a bit, placing a delicate-looking finger on her chin. Then she brightened up. "You will just do the basics, refining Spirit Materials, grinding them, shaping them. I''ll take care of the final steps and inscribe the Spirit Engravings. You should be all right with that, right? I know you can at least complete the basics."


    "Uh, yeah. I''ll do my best." I nodded, despite not feeing very confident.


    "But we are still lacking a few Spirit Materials. The sect just ran out of stock recently, so I''m afraid we won''t be able to start today. Tomorrow, you''ll follow me to Tushan City, and we''ll purchase the Spirit Materials that we are missing."


    "Roger that. Tomorrow, right?"


    "Yep. Make sure you write that in your calendar."


    "Understood." I nodded. "I''ll see you tomorrow then."


    Since there wasn''t much else to do, I decided to return to my workshop and continued with my personal project. Despite already having the Azure Lotus Sword, I still wanted to forge my own personal Spirit Weapon. Even though I had made great progress over the last two months, I still had yet to complete it.


    "Speaking of which, how is your Spirit Weapon going? Are you still forging it?"


    As if she had read my mind, or perhaps she was able to guess accurately when she saw me heading in the direction of the Blood Blades dormitory, Tang Qi Hong spoke up and asked me. I turned back to face her with a smile.


    "Yeah. I''m almost done. Look forward to it."


    "I''m sure you''ll impress me. If you need any help, you can always approach me. After all, I''m technically your senior in this sect."


    Tang Qi Hong patted her well-endowed chest proudly.


    "Um, thanks. I definitely will."


    Obviously I was only being polite. I probably could finish the final few steps myself. As long as I found a way to iron out the unexpected difficulties that surfaced right before completion, I didn''t need to trouble anyone for advice.


    "Still, why is it taking so long? Didn''t you get the last component you need from the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb two months ago? Normally you should only take about a month or so to finish smithing."


    "Ha ha, I screwed up a few times, plus I wanted to try something new."


    I chuckled sheepishly, scratching my head. Tang Qi Hong regarded me suspiciously, but when I didn''t divulge any further details, she didn''t press me.


    To be honest, I could have completed my personal Spirit Weapon a long time ago, last month, if I hadn''t decided to suddenly make major alterations at the last minute. Closing my eyes, I recalled briefly the epiphany I received when I was almost done.


    The device looked more like a hi-tech shield than a weapon. Since Elder Tie and Tang Qi Hong repeatedly informed me that the most outstanding property of an Ice Soul Python''s scale was its defensive power, I ended up making it my focus and forging a shield-like equipment instead. However, I wasn''t satisfied with merely making a Storage Shield ¨C the shield doubled as a spatial device, which was why I was combining the Void Whale''s void thing with the Ice Soul Python''s scale in the first place. The spherical yin-based artifact allowed me to merge both of them seamlessly and I produced the shield-like armament after a month.


    While I was about to apply the finishing touches, I caught sight of the broken Castellax-class battle-automata I found in the ancient tomb, right before entering the Sea of Flames that protected the burial chamber.


    At that time, I suddenly had an idea. What if I combined my Spirit Armament with the spare parts from the broken Castellax-class battle-automata? Even though the frame and chassis was damaged beyond repair, many of the inner components could still be salvaged. For example, the cerebral cortex that essentially served as the mind of the battle-automata, the qi battery that could receive my energy, and the power capacitators.


    Moreover, I had been learning Spirit Engravings for battle-automata from Elder Hai Mo himself. If I could apply that knowledge and modify it to suit my needs, then perhaps I would be able to design an innovative Spirit Armament that had no precedent.


    Of course, that was easier said than done. The installation of the Castellax-class battle-automata parts was simple enough, and I had no problem merging all the components together. However, as I expected, I ran into trouble when it came to Spirit Engraving. Even after a month of experimenting, I was still unable to come up with the right Spirit Engraving that could grant my Spirit Armament life, or at least make it work the way I intended it to. I was not Ya Se, unfortunately. The protagonist from The Great Conqueror might be a genius Spirit Engraver who often revolutionized the Spirit Engraved Gear industry with inventive designs, but I was just an average, mediocre Spirit Engraver. There was no way I could create entirely new, innovative designs as if I was drawing water from a spring fountain. I just didn''t have the talent.


    Fortunately, my recent attempts had been increasingly successful. Not successful in that I finally found the winning formula, but I was able to get closer to the effects I wanted. Perhaps I had been watching too much sci-fi anime, but I really wanted a hi-tech weapon right out of the mecha genre. This timeline didn''t have guns, but I was planning on going beyond guns and skipping straight to futuristic tech and weapons.


    If I pulled this off right, then we didn''t have to care about projectiles. My "guns" could intensify the shooters'' qi and amplify the firepower of their qi blasts by several magnitudes, finally serving the same function as melee weapons that boost their wielders'' strength and killing power. Or so I hoped.


    But for that to materialize in reality, I needed to perfect my Spirit Engravings and find out what that final flaw was¡­


    "Fei Wu! Are you listening to me?" Tang Qi Hong suddenly frowned.


    She had noticed that I was drifting away in the middle of our conversation, and was getting a little impatient when I wasn''t answering her questions directly. Evidently, while I was in the middle of reminiscing, she was asking me what new experiments I was trying out.


    "I''m listening," I assured her hastily, not wanting to get her in a bad mood. "I just want to surprise you when I complete it." I grinned. "It will be something nobody has seen before."


    "Oh¡­you sound pretty confident, don''t you?" Tang Qi Hong smiled sweetly, but there was a dangerous edge to her voice. "I guess I''ll look forward to your end product."


    "Um¡­prepare to be disappointed," I added frantically. "Assume the worst. You know I''m a Blood Blade and not a Spirit Engraver. Chances are, I''ll screw up."


    "Then why don''t you ask me for help? I''m sure I can assist you in completing it."


    "Nah. It wouldn''t be a pleasant surprise if I do. And it''s something personal¡­I don''t want to cheat after coming so far on my own. Call it a man''s pride¡­yeah, I know it''s stupid, but I really want to achieve this with my own strength."


    "Ha ha!" Tang Qi Hong slapped my shoulder, looking very pleased. "I know exactly what you mean! Like how this will be your own personal baby, and you don''t want anyone else touching it or contributing to it! You want to be able to boast that you created this Spirit Artifact through your own efforts and your own efforts alone!"


    Oh, right. Tang Qi Hong was a premier Spirit Engraver and blacksmith. Of course she would know exactly how I felt.


    "All right¡­I won''t keep you then. Spend as much time as you can tonight. From tomorrow onward, you probably won''t have as much time to work on your personal project. We''ll be taking on the Dark Asura Sect''s request tomorrow!" she flexed her arm in a humorous manner. "Get ready! I''ll be working you hard as usual!"


    I stifled a groan when I remembered the last time I was her assistant and tried valiantly to plaster a smile on my face.


    "Yeah. I look forward to working under you again."


    *


    "Young Master."


    "Young Master."


    At the Water Margin Town just a few miles from Tushan City, Liang Shao Yang arrived in a secluded house. The moment he entered, the many martial artists residing within rose sharply and saluted smartly, their dark gazes filled with respect.


    Despite the respectful reception, Liang Shao Yang''s expression remained cold and indifferent. He ignored the martial artists and walked straight to the back of the house. Stopping before what looked like a blank wall, he reached out and pressed a specific location.


    There was a loud clanking sound and the "wall" began to slide apart, revealing a secret room behind it. An unseen bell rang melodiously, its soft and gentle chime contrasting vividly with the shadowy interior of the dilapidated house.


    Liang Shao Yang stepped into the secret room and stopped in the middle. Crossing his arms, he waited.


    Two seconds after he stopped, two thin, middle-aged men appeared, kneeling before him. Like ghosts, they seemed to have materialized out of thin air, emerging from the shadows unseen and almost coming into existence the moment the young master of the Divine Shadow Sect summoned them.


    "Greetings, Young Master," the both of them greeted him respectfully, their hooded heads bowed and their knees bent.


    "There will be a change in our plans," Liang Shao Yang informed them coolly without any preamble. He sure didn''t waste any time. Repressing his emotions, the young master of the Divine Shadow Sect stared down on his two Great Shadow Guards, Gray Shadow and Black Shadow. There was a slight tremor in his expression, and his usual arrogance was gone, replaced by bitter disappointment. "It will be very difficult for me to control Tang Qi Hong. Since that method has proven to be impossible, then we will have to resort to Plan B."


    Neither Gray Shadow nor Black Shadow stirred, their faces hidden underneath their hoods. Eerie lights seemed to flash, occasionally lighting up their middle-aged features, but whatever few glimpses one could catch of their faces appeared to be distorted and blurry. They remained stationary and silent as they listened to Liang Shao Yang.


    "Father''s original plan was for me to court Tang Qi Hong, and after she takes over as the next sect leader, I will be able to control the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect from the shadows as her husband." Liang Shao Yang snorted bitterly. "But neither of us anticipated that she would already have someone she likes. And she has remained resistant to my charms."


    There was also another reason. Liang Shao Yang had found someone more suitable to be his future wife, but he obviously could not voice out his feelings about Hu Mei Er to his Great Shadow Guards. Even though they were his subordinates, their true loyalty still lay with his father, and they would undoubtedly report everything back to him.


    If they were aware of Liang Shao Yang''s romance with Hu Mei Er, they chose not to mention it, though. And Liang Shao Yang was not dumb enough to drop that bomb on them if there was still a chance that they didn''t know about his affair with the pink-haired beauty.


    "Furthermore, I have succeeded in triggering a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and have become a candidate for the future sect leader selection, there is no need for me to court her in order to gain control of the sect. Once Tang Qi Hong is dead, there will be no one left to compete with me for the position of future sect leader. That way, I can ascend to the position of sect leader and directly control the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect from there!"


    Liang Shao Yang did not mention his worries. He had seen the gradual shift in the Great Elders'' attitudes. Originally, they had backed him purely because he was male, and they still maintained that patriarchal mentality from the past. However, recently, Tang Qi Hong had been getting a few achievements, and was now in possession of a small maniple of battle-automata, thus augmenting her combat strength. Right now she only had three Thallax-class battle puppets under her command, with the rest of her battle-automata yet to come online because she hadn''t finished the Spirit Engravings for them. If he waited too long, then Tang Qi Hong would become too powerful.


    The Great Elders had recognized the change in the wind and Tang Qi Hong''s growing power not just as a genius Spirit Engraver and blacksmith, but also the increasing formidable combat power that was backing her. Not to mention, Tang Qi Hong had me, a Blood Blade, backing her. Even though she openly denied it, apparently the Elders and leaders of the sect thought it was obvious that we had some sort of special relationship.


    I wish. I wish they were right, but reality could be so cruel.


    Honestly, Liang Shao Yang couldn''t care less about me. His target at the moment was Tang Qi Hong. If I stood in the way, which he knew was a near-inevitable possibility, he would just eliminate me. He was basically treating me as someone who would get caught in the crossfire and accounted for my intervention, but otherwise I was not his target priority.


    "You would like to attack Tang Qi Hong, Young Master?" Gray Shadow asked incredulously, his voice hoarse and distorted.


    "Yes. Infiltrate Tushan City. She should be leaving the main sect grounds to go into the city tomorrow in order to purchase Spirit Materials. I want her to die outside the main sect grounds." Liang Shao Yang''s expression was cold and merciless. "Most of the Blood Blades operate inside the main sect grounds and the surrounding areas. Be very careful, and stay as far away from the main Nine-Tailed Fox Sect grounds as possible."


    "Understood," Black Shadow acknowledged, his voice just as indecipherable as Gray Shadow''s. Clearly there was some technique that was concealing the true nature of their voices and features. They really were masters who lived in the shadows.


    "In all likelihood, there will be at least one Blood Blade with her." Liang Shao Yang was not stupid (at least not when it came to killing and assassination), and he refused to rule my existence out as insignificant. He of all people knew how dangerous it was to underestimate someone. "But he should only be at the middle level of the Qi Fusion Stage at most, so you should be able to handle him. Kill him if he gets in the way."


    "Yes," both of them chorused.


    "But¡­" Liang Shao Yang hesitated, causing the both of them to freeze just before they were about to melt away into the shadows. "That boy is a surprise. If you do run into him when assassinating Tang Qi Hong, do not underestimate him. I still don''t understand what kind of techniques he learned or what tricks he used, but he can be more than a match for a Pure Spirit Stage practitioner. Do not take him lightly if he intervenes. Kill him immediately."


    If they were surprised by his warning, neither Gray Shadow nor Black Shadow showed it. They merely affirmed the order and withdrew quietly, disappearing into the darkness. Liang Shao Yang watched as they vanished from existence, and then permitted himself an icy smile.


    "I''m very sorry, Tang Qi Hong. But you''ll becoming more of a threat than I anticipated. I hate to do this, but for the sake of Divine Shadow Sect and our goals¡­we need to control the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect at all costs. And your life is just a small price to pay for it."


    He lingered in the secret room for a bit longer, and then sharply turned around to leave. The walls closed behind him as he exited the secret room. Quietly departing through the basement located under the secluded house, Liang Shao Yang then returned to Tushan City and the main sect grounds quickly, before anyone from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect noticed his disappearance.


    Except Hu Mei Er, of course, who was faithfully waiting for him in his apartment. When he thought of her, Liang Shao Yang smiled.


    He had made the right decision to eliminate Tang Qi Hong. He wondered how Hu Mei Er would react the moment she learned that her most hated rival was assassinated.


    *


    Unbeknownst to Liang Shao Yang, there was someone tracking his every movement.


    Tapping his comn bead, Shen Cha whispered into his speaker, reporting to his boss who was monitoring the situation back at the Blood Blades headquarters.


    "Command, this is Eagle."


    "Eagle, Command. What have you got? Report."


    "Eagle. Liang Shao Yang has gone to a house in the nearby town of of Water Margin. If I''m not mistaken, it is the temporary base of the Divine Shadow Sect in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s territory. Gray Shadow and Black Shadow should be hiding inside it."


    Shen Cha flattened himself against the grass, using the tall plants to hide his body from view when he sensed a terrifying aura. Gritting his teeth, he compressed his qi to hide his presence as much as possible.


    "Eagle? This is Command. Are you all right? Report!"


    "Not now," Shen Cha hissed. Elder Zhao took the hint and fell silent.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the terrifying aura vanished. Shen Cha took a deep breath and relaxed, slowly rising to his feet.


    "Command, this is Eagle. Are you still there?"


    "I''m more worried that you are no longer there," Elder Zhao replied dryly. "What happened? Did you almost get caught?"


    "Yeah." Shen Cha sighed. "One of the Divine Shadow Sect members swept through this area, probably noticing something was amiss. Seems like they haven''t found me yet."


    Exhaling in relief, he peered from behind the tall grass.


    "As I said earlier, I''ve located what seems to be the Divine Shadow Sect''s base in our territory. I''ve been tailing Liang Shao Yang as you''ve instructed, and I saw him leave the main sect grounds and Tushan City, before entering this house. However, I have just received confirmation from Falcon that he has returned to the main sect grounds. I didn''t see him leave the house at all, at least not through the outside, so I suspect there is a secret passageway underground. He must have used that, and so succeeded in escaping my surveillance."


    "You have a confirmation on the coordinates of the temporary base?" Elder Zhao''s voice was frosty. No doubt the vice-leader of the Blood Blades (the leader being none other than the Sect Lady Zi Da Ji herself) was enraged that the Divine Shadow Sect was audacious enough to set up a base within their territory.


    "Yes, I do. I''ll send them to you now."


    Using his smartphone and the Google Maps app, Shen Cha sent his current position, complete with a satellite-based photograph, to the Blood Blades headquarters.


    "Very good." Elder Zhao sounded satisfied, even though his voice was brimming with murderous rage. "We will wait. Right now, we don''t have sufficient evidence, but once it is clear that Liang Shao Yang has been betraying us and is scheming with the Divine Shadow Sect against our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, then we will act. The next time he uses this route and meet with his Divine Shadow Sect subordinates again, we will move in and capture the base, and arrest every damned member of that insidious sect."


    "Yes, Elder Zhao." Then Shen Cha hesitated for a moment. Detecting his doubts, Elder Zhao inquired.


    "What is it, Shen Cha?"


    "Is that¡­a good idea? Should we not inform Sect Leader and the Great Elders about this? Would they disapprove of our plan?"


    "Sect Leader is already aware of our plans. As for the Great Elders¡­" Elder Zhao shook his head. "By the time they finally wake up and open their eyes to the danger directly in front of us, I fear it will be too late."


    *


    The next day, as expected, Tang Qi Hong practically jumped on me after school ended for the day.


    "Fei Wu! I hope you haven''t forgotten. We''re going to Tushan City immediately today."


    "No, I haven''t forgotten," I assured her as I packed up my belongings in my bag and stood up. Tong Xue grinned mischievously and pounced over.


    "Oh? What is this? Are you two going on a date?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense!" Tang Qi Hong tried to hit him, but Tong Xue agilely ducked out of the way. Her face red, she tried to pursue him, but Tong Xue was too slippery. "We''re just running a couple of errands for the sect!"


    "Right." Tong Xue grinned.


    "Grr¡­!" Tang Qi Hong bristled, but she wasn''t as fast as Tong Xue and thus was unable to catch him. I shook my head as I watched the duo mess about. What were they, twelve? We were already high school students, for heaven''s sake. Stop indulging in juvenile behavior.


    "Qi Hong, Fei Wu, are the both of you going to the city instead of returning straight back to the sect today?" Lian Rou asked, surprised, as she waded over to put herself firmly between the running Tong Xue and chasing Tang Qi Hong.


    "Yeah, we''re going to purchase some Spirit Materials and fulfil the request of those people from the Dark Asura Sect." Tang Qi Hong smiled cheerfully. "What about you and Tong Xue?"


    "I have Blood Blades stuff," Tong Xue grumbled. "And so do the two of you, as a matter of fact. Are you going to skip out on that?"


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    "I already spoke to First Elder Hai, and he permitted us to go. I''m not a Blood Blade in the first place, and Wu already has two Castellax-class battle-automata done, which is the minimum for the Blood Blades'' battle-automata maniples. We can do the Spirit Engravings for the remaining battle puppets in our own time, at our own pace."


    "Ah. Okay." Tong Xue nodded, looking a little disappointed. With Pang Feng having finished his two Castellax-class battle-automata as well, it seemed that Tong Xue would be feeling lonely.


    "Don''t worry, you only have one left," I assured him. He smiled and shrugged.


    "Yeah. I''ll be able to endure a month of hardship by myself, I suppose."


    We proceeded toward the parking lot and climbed aboard the Phoenix Express. Once all of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples from Wu Ling Academy were embarked, the driver shifted into high gear and the bus flew off, speeding back toward Tushan City.


    When we arrived in the hoverport of Tushan City and got off the bus, we went our separate ways. Tong Xue headed toward the main sect hall to finish up the Spirit Engraving for his Thallax-class battle puppet. Lian Rou went to look for an outer sect elder to inquire about something. While they did so, Tang Qi Hong and I went into the main city premises instead of going toward the direction of the Flame Volcano where the main sect grounds were.


    There were many Spirit Material shophouses lined up along the streets, with vendors carting out huge crates showcasing their products.


    "Over here! Fifty percent discount! Unicorn horns, hydra fangs, manticore tails! Everything must go!"


    "You''ll regret it if you don''t buy this Mandrake''s roots!"


    "Thousand-year Ginseng! I swear this is genuine! If you don''t believe me, you can have a closer look!"


    The two of us had to make our way through a sea of crowd, hustling and bustling along the shophouses. The shopowners were yelling as loudly as they could, touting their wares and trying to convince scurrying passers-by to stop and take a look at their products. Tang Qi Hong ignored every one of them, and being the inexperienced blacksmith that I was, I hurried to keep up with her.


    I didn''t want to get lost in such a huge crowd. Not that I would actually get lost, but it would be a pain to look for her when we got separated. Yeah, we had our phones, but I would prefer not to waste time calling and searching for each other when it was not necessary.


    As if she read my mind, Tang Qi Hong reached out and grabbed my hand. Pulling me along, she kept facing forward, but I was astute enough to know she was blushing a little.


    "D¡­don''t get the wrong idea! This is so that we won''t get separated and lose each other in the crowd! There''s no other meaning!"


    I smiled, despite myself. "Yeah, yeah."


    Tang Qi Hong said nothing, but she continued to look ahead while her face burned slightly, and she yanked my arm with more strength than before. I winced, but did not complain.


    While we jostled through the crowd, a single person watched us from afar, his face seemingly normal. In fact, I wouldn''t even have noticed him if not for the fact that he was staring at the both of us intently the moment he spotted us. Even though he didn''t approach us, he backed away and kept a safe distance.


    But he didn''t disappear into the crowd. No. Even though the both of us moved further ahead, for some reason the fella was able to maintain the exact same amount of distance and continued watching us.


    That guy was a stalker, for sure.


    Should we confront him?


    The thought crossed my mind, but I realized that it might not be a good idea. After all, if the confrontation turned into a fight, we would end up involving all the people around us in the battle and cause civilian casualties.


    I guess we should wait for him to make an actual move. He probably wouldn''t be stupid enough to try and attack us with this many people around.

 156 Chapter 155: Free Trade Stree

    There was the art and cultural district, a historical district, an industrial district, a district reserved for the airport, hoverport and other transportations from other cities, and a commercial district. Needless to say, there was also a shopping district.


    Right now I found myself in the shopping district, tagging along with Tang Qi Hong in her shopping trip.


    On the border of Tushan City, at the edge of that shopping district, there were branches from the other sects who set up their shops, such as those from the Divine Shadow Sect, the Dark Asura Sect, the Kun Lun Sect, the Snow Valley Sect, the Heavenly Way Sect, and even the four Celestial Creature Sects. As Tushan City was known as the city of blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers, many of the sects took the opportunity to set up shops in here, selling Spirit Materials they did not need. They would then use the profits to buy whatever resources they required, such as Spirit Medicine and Spirit Pills. It was a win-win situation.


    I did the same in my previous timeline, selling off the Warhammer 40,000 miniatures I didn''t need in order to buy new models that I wanted. It encouraged the flow of an otherwise sluggish economy, and helped capitalism. Supposedly.


    Anyway, that was exactly why the Blood Blades couldn''t act yet. Even though the Water Margin Town was within their jurisdiction, without any evidence, they couldn''t just attack a suspected Divine Shadow Sect base. While they might hold suspicions as to the nefarious intentions of the Divine Shadow Sect members gathered inside the secluded house, without any evidence that proved beyond a doubt that they were plotting against the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, the Blood Blades couldn''t find any justification to attack them. After all, many sects had branches conducting businesses in Tushan City. If they were to attack each and every one of them on vague grounds of suspicion, they would damage the reputation and thriving business environment of the city, which would affect the lives of many normal residents living and working there.


    The shopping district comprised of an agglomeration of such shops. It was possible to buy almost anything you needed from here, the shops ranging from those selling a vast variety of Spirit Materials of all qualities to those selling Spirit Pills and Medicine. Of course, there was also fashion shops that sold fancy clothing, and several modern cafes and restaurants for youngsters to hang out in. Those Spirit Materials or products that the shops lacked, they could order them almost immediately. There was where missions and requests for aspiring young martial artists or experienced veterans came in ¨C like that time with the Void Whale. If they required a specific Spirit Material that they did not have, they would put in a request to the martial arts sects to obtain them in return for high rewards. In Tushan City''s case, they would request martial artists from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s Blood Blades to obtain the Spirit Materials for them.


    I roughly recalled Zhao Shi and Da Ge helping me hunt the Ice Soul Python a year ago.


    As part of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect who owned Tushan City, Tang Qi Hong was clearly familiar with the various shops in the shopping district, moving through it like a fish in water as she guided me by hand. It didn''t take her long to find the shop with the Spirit Materials she wanted. Or at least the shop that sold them at the best prices.


    "This is the place?"


    I stopped and stared when Tang Qi Hong abruptly halted in front of one of the shops. It was a small building with the logo, "Great Nature''s Heart" stenciled across its front. When the employees inside spotted Tang Qi Hong, they reacted in shock.


    Even though we were wearing the Wu Ling Academy uniforms, we did pin a small insignia of our sect to our collars. While I was missing the Heaven and Earth Sect (Heaven forbid that people found out about my direct relation to it), I had acquired the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect badge, which was a cute nine-tailed fox, and like all other disciples of the sect, was required to pin it to my collar. Even though it was tiny, it was flashy and eye-catching, and the staff''s eyes immediately fell upon it. The nine-tailed fox mascot was unique to the inner sect disciples of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but while I wasn''t an inner sect disciple, I was a member of the Blood Blades, which granted me equal status. Consequently, the nine-tailed fox pin on my collar was sporting a crimson-red sword, something that was missing from Tang Qi Hong''s nine-tailed fox pin.


    "You are the inner sect disciples from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!" one of the staff approached, bowing his head respectfully. He wasn''t entirely accurate, but I was too lazy to correct him over such a trivial mistake. "Please wait. I will ask the owner to tend to you."


    "Thanks," Tang Qi Hong responded with a bright smile.


    The male employees inside the shop immediately came to life, their expressions glowing in delight. The person who had come to greet us personally flushed a deep crimson, and he shook his head frantically.


    "No, no. You''re too polite."


    Mumbling, he bowed and hastily retreated to the back of the shop, presumably to where the owner resided.


    I looked around curiously, studying the expensive wares that lined the shelves of the shop. Noticing my curiosity, Tang Qi Hong smiled mischievously.


    "This store is a branch belonging to the Cloud Sky Mounain Sect. that place is an excellent producer of Earth-type Spirit Materials. We will definitely be able to find the Earth Magnets that we need here."


    Tang Qi Hong paid no attention to the burning gazes of the male employees around her, probably having gotten used to it long ago. She sat down in a chair and relaxed, before gesturing for me to do the same in a nearby chair.


    I demurred, preferring to stand and look around. Tang Qi Hong shrugged, as if to say, "suit yourself."


    She gazed around, a tinge of nostalgia taking over her eyes.


    "Junior Pang Yun grew up in Cloud Sky Mountain and is very skilled in forging earth-type Spirit Artifacts. Much like how you have an affinity in forging ice-type Spirit Armaments."


    "That doesn''t change the fact that I still suck at forging ice-type Spirit Armaments¡­at least the permanent ones."


    I shook my head and scowled. Tang Qi Hong''s delicate brow creased a little, but she continued as if I hadn''t spoken.


    "Oh, right. Pang Feng is Pang Yun''s brother. You seem to be very good friends with him." Tang Qi Hong nodded. "He also lived in Cloud Sky Mountain in the past."


    "Yeah, I know. He told me."


    Pang Feng and I were good friends because we were both members of Blood Blades. Tong Xue too, for that matter, and the three of us usually hung out during Blood Blades gatherings. Funnily enough, we hadn''t taken many missions together.


    Meanwhile, several of the employees in the store seemed to be overawed as they listened to us mention Pang Yun and Pang Feng.


    Pang Yun and Pang Feng had quite the reputation back in Cloud Sky Mountain, and even before they joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, Pang Feng was known as one of the strongest and most talented in his generation. That was why almost all of the youths in Cloud Sky Mountain knew of his power.


    "Mss Tang Qi Hong! You have arrived!" A few minutes later, a slightly plumped man in his forties ran out of the back, flustered. He stopped and smiled when he caught sight of her, bowing politely. "The Earth Magnets that you have already ordered are ready. I''ve already sent the order, and one of our staff from the main Cloud Sky Mountain Sect will be arriving here shortly to deliver it. I hope you don''t mind waiting. It shouldn''t be more than thirty minutes."


    "Thanks." Tang Qi Hong returned the smile and nodded. Evidently she had placed the order online last night, and perhaps selected the Express Delivery function. Since the sect was paying the expenses, there was no reason for her to skimp on the delivery charges. Right now, time was of the essence.


    "Our pleasure." The shop owner beamed, and then he glanced at the staff from earlier, who nodded and retreated to the back. "Would you like some tea or wine as you wait?"


    "Uh¡­you do realize that we are underage, right? Why are you offering us wine? We''re not even eighteen yet."


    If I wasn''t mistaken, we could only drink when we were twenty. Or was it when we were eighteen? I couldn''t remember.


    The plump shop owner''s vein twitched in his temple, but he maintained his fa?ade of politeness. Cpughing politely, he cleared his throat.


    "My, is that so? I apologize. The both of you look a lot more mature than your age suggests." He glanced at the backroom where his employee had disappeared into. "Then I suppose you would have to make do with tea, if you don''t mind?"


    "That won''t be necessary," Tang Qi Hong assured him gently. "We will be leaving immediately after we get the Earth Magnets."


    "Oh, I see. I understand. Don''t worry, they will be here soon." The shop owner took out his smart phone and clicked on the app, using the Tracking Order function. "Very good! How coincidental! They''re just a few blocks away!"


    A few minutes later, the deliveryman came in and dropped off a package. A couple of employees quickly brought the package to the counter and opened it, before presenting Tang Qi Hong its contents. I caught a glimpse of what looked like copper-colored rocks, but the fact that the surrounding metal artifacts began vibrating violently the moment they were unsealed was testament to their magnetic strength. Without the protective seals in the surrounding shelves, the metal artifacts would all have been drawn to the powerful magnets.


    "That''s great!" Tang Qi Hong looked pleased. Standing up, she hurried over to inspect the Earth Magnets, and then nodded in satisfaction. "I''ll take them."


    "Would you like a bag?" one of the employees who was unwrapping the Earth Magnets asked. Tang Qi Hong shook her head.


    "That won''t be necessary. I''ll take them with me."


    I half-expected her to ask me to carry them, but instead Tang Qi Hong merely picked up the Earth Magnets and placed them inside her spatial device. Resembling a ring, Tang Qi Hong''s spatial device glowed softly as it devoured the shrinking Earth Magnets, the latter disappearing from sight as they were sucked into the gemstone.


    Yeah, of course Tang Qi Hong would have a spatial device of her own, being one of the two inner sect head disciples who were candidates to be the future sect leader.


    "You have received the payment online, I believe? There are no problems with the electronic transaction, I hope?"


    Tang Qi Hong had evidently made an electronic payment online yesterday, using Paypal or her debit card. The shop owner nodded.


    "Yes, there is no problem. The funds have been transferred to our account."


    "Great. Thank you!"


    "No, no. we''re the ones who should be thanking you!"


    The shop owner bowed deeply as he saw us out. I bowed back politely, and then hurried to catch up with Tang Qi Hong.


    "Let''s go visit some place more fun!" she suggested happily as she practically skipped on the street, humming to herself.


    "Where?" I asked, confused. Tang Qi Hong turned back and smiled mischievously.


    "You''ll see," she replied mischievously.


    Even though I didn''t enjoy being kept in suspense, I knew that it was useless probing her for more details so I just sighed and followed her obediently. Glancing back at the Cloud Sky Mountain shop, I recalled their flattery and overawed behavior.


    "Oh, most people outside the sect treat us like that," Tang Qi Hong explained when she caught the direction I was staring in. "We are inner sect disciples¡­well, you''re one of the Blood Blades. They kind of think we are some sort of legends or something." She giggled. "That''s not far from the truth. Every inner sect disciple will become a master blacksmith and Spirit Engraver in future, and the Blood Blades are a force to be feared. You''ll eventually find out just how respected our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is in the Great Zhou Empire."


    "I think I already did," I muttered dryly.


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    As we conversed, we stepped into another busy street. Unlike the main shopping district from before, this new street was surprisingly narrow, especially when compared to the roads we had just come from.


    "Oh¡­?"


    I glanced around, amazed. The shophouses and buildings from the shopping district were gone, disappeared by what looked like shabbily built stalls that wouldn''t look out of place in a marketplace. Many vendors sat in front of their stalls, having laid out huge rugs upon which they placed their wares. They were in various states of dress, some of them wearing tattered rags while others seemed pretty well-off despite the dilapidated stalls behind them. A lot of them were enthusiastically shouting to passers-by, trying to hawk their wares and sell their products, but there was also a sizeable number of them who maintained indifference expressions and sat quietly.


    Each stall contained various products, which ranged from Spirit Artifacts to enchanted stones, arcane crystals and bottles of Spirit Potions.


    Surprisingly enough, the passers-by mostly comprised of martial artists. They roamed this commercial street, some of them stopping to choose Spirit Materials while others stopped by specific stalls to sell whatever spoils they obtained from a mission or otherwise.


    "This is why I wanted to visit the city today!" Tang Qi Hong said brightly, her eyes dancing with delight. "I want to drop by here for a bit. Sometimes, if I''m lucky, I''ll be able to unearth something good here."


    "I see," I replied, half-distracted by the various martial artists roaming about. There was something about this situation that put me on high alert, and I was keeping my eye out for that stalker I detected earlier. "That''s cool."


    "Yeah!"


    Tang Qi Hong had also become alert upon entering this loud and bustling street, but for different reasons. She was excitedly scanning the street for any Spirit Materials that would catch her fancy, a hungry gaze taking over her normally elegant expression.


    I suddenly remembered the old adage about women and shopping, and felt a chill. Maybe it was a bad idea to accompany my crush on a shopping trip¡­


    "I''m guessing this is Free Trade Street?" I asked casually, even as I searched the crowd for that person.


    "That''s right! You know about Free Trade Street?" Tang Qi Hong looked at me, pleasantly surprised.


    "Well, Tong Xue told me about it once before. He said I should check it out when I have the chance."


    Obviously I was too busy or unwilling to take his advice, so this was the first time I had been here despite having lived in Tushan City for over a year.


    From what I remembered, Tong Xue told me that the Free Trade Street was located between the shopping district and the industrial district, which was many of the poorer population lived in. As such, the street wasn''t exactly a shining representation of the prosperous city, but more like a shadowy facet most of the population was ashamed of. Despite that, anyone could set up a stall here, even if they didn''t have a license, and having a tacit understanding with the authorities, as long as they didn''t cause trouble, the Blood Blades and police would look the other way whenever they pass by here.


    In other words, this was an underground market of sorts.


    As such, the prices of Spirit Materials here could be purchased for about ten to twenty percent cheaper than what you would normally find in legitimate and licensed stores not too far away. However, thanks to the dubious nature of the underground market, there was no guarantee that the quality would be good, and often the Spirit Pills sold here were¡­dangerous.


    Even if one ended up buying a defective product here, because these were not licensed vendors and they tended to be on the unscrupulous side, it was impossible to get a refund or exchange. Hence, not many people were willing to take the risk and would shop from licensed stores instead, where it was a lot safer.


    However, martial artists such as Tang Qi Hong were confident of their skills, that they would be able to distinguish a defective product from the real thing. They also knew that if they were lucky, they could come across a rare treasure for an unrivaled price.


    While Tang Qi Hong looked for whatever she was looking for, I allowed my curiosity to get the better of me and glanced around. A cage filled with flapping wings caught my attention.


    "Whoa¡­how cruel¡­"


    I grimaced when I saw the Birds of Paradise captured in the cage. Despite my disapproval, I couldn''t help but be impressed when I saw the long, heavenly feathers trailing out of the cage and sparkling in many colors, shrouded by a potent shroud of qi. They were supposed to be extremely rare, found only in the southern archipelago of islands.


    "I can''t believe they were able to capture Birds of Paradise," Tang Qi Hong whispered, more amazed than repulsed. "Do you know how rare and valuable they are?"


    "Yeah, apparently they can produce qi." I nodded thoughtfully. "They are among one of the most expensive non-combat magical beasts. I heard the academy did a lot of research on them to produce artificial qi."


    Even so, the amount of qi the Birds of Paradise produced was not a lot. Probably enough to move a car, but not enough for actual combat. Certainly not enough to synthesize sexagenaries of qi that were being provided to the students.


    "But it''s pretty cruel to keep them locked up¡­"


    "That''s hypocritical." Tang Qi Hong stared at me. "Do you feel sorry for the chicken you eat? The fish cooked for meals?"


    "¡­"


    Point taken. Just because they looked beautiful didn''t make them any more important and entitled to a life than poultry, livestock and seafood.


    "Anyway, let''s go over there!" Tang Qi Hong grew excited when she saw a Spirit Material that caught her attention. I followed her as she hurried over, but when I did that, my intuition screamed a warning.


    "!!"


    Whirling around, I finally caught sight of the man who had been stalking us ever since we left the main sect grounds. There was nothing suspicious about him at first glance ¨C he looked like an extremely ordinary martial artist with no remarkable features ¨C but my Heaven and Earth senses detected a surge of aggression in his qi.


    The middle-aged martial artist was paying no attention to me. He was striding forward, raising his hand to slam it into Tang Qi Hong''s back while she was still unaware of his presence. There was a spike in his qi as he gathered it into a deadly thrust that would have pierced Tang Qi Hong''s heart and tear her apart from within if it struck.


    If it struck.


    Reacting immediately, I reached out and knocked his hand to the side, deflecting his strike. The sharp burst of qi blasted out of his palm and reduced a nearby stall into splinters, causing the vendor to dive for cover with a panicked yell.


    "You¡­!"


    The middle-aged martial artist turned to glare at me, his expression filled with disbelief and shock. I met his gaze evenly, realizing that this guy was targeting Tang Qi Hong. That could only mean one thing¡­

 157 Chapter 156: Fighting with Spirit Armaments

    "Eh?"


    Even as she cried out in shock, Tang Qi Hong was already moving, adopting a defensive stance as she kept her eyes on her would-be assassin.


    "You bastard!" the assassin growled as he slammed his palm against me, but I managed to block his strike with both my forearms. Even then, the shockwave of qi threw me several meters back, causing me to skid backward.


    "Ouch!" I complained, shaking both my arms. "What the hell was that for?!"


    "He actually didn''t die?!"


    The assassin stared at me with wide eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing.


    As one of the three Great Shadow Guards, Gray Shadow had been brought up in a brutal environment during his time in the Divine Shadow Sect (which was practically his whole life), and had trained in assassin techniques since young. As a child, he was thrown into the grinder, and was only able to survive by climbing atop the corpses of his comrades. And only then was he finally acknowledged as someone with the right to learn the various assassination techniques and high-level cultivation methods of the Divine Shadow Sect.


    Even though the three Great Shadow Guards were not formidable martial artists in a frontal assault, in terms of assassinations and ambushes, they were supposed to be unrivaled.


    To them, taking a life was as easy as turning over a hand.


    It was just too bad they ran into me, someone who had mastered Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps and sharpened my Heaven and Earth senses to their limits. Thanks to that, I could practically detect the flow of qi in everybody, and notice even the minutest of changes in their qi. That was how I picked up on that murderous intent from Gray Shadow.


    Gray Shadow had been keeping watch at the entrance of the main sect grounds of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect since this morning, looking for a chance to assassinate Tang Qi Hong. Since Tang Qi Hong was the top priority target, I was nothing more than an innocent bystander who deserved not even the tiniest attention. Of course, if I interfered, Gray Shadow was prepared to kill me to get me out of the way, but he was confident of taking out his primary target before I even noticed.


    He was not stupid enough to waste effort killing a secondary target and thus potentially alerting his primary target to his presence, which would give her the chance to react, defend herself or escape. He was not that unprofessional.


    That trick almost worked. In fact, it would have if I hadn''t mastered Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. If I wasn''t a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect, I would never have noticed him creeping up on us, and wouldn''t have realized that he had assassinated Tang Qi Hong as she suddenly fell to the ground, lifeless.


    Unfortunately for him, I had thwarted his assassination attempts and even exposed his presence in front of everybody.


    Of course I wasn''t speculating about all those nonsense at that moment. My priority was to protect Tang Qi Hong, and to do that, I would have to defeat this guy, and perhaps capture him to interrogate him on his master. For now, I froze an ice sword out of thin air and swung the frost blade at Gray Shadow.


    "!!!"


    Gray Shadow took a step back, but my frost blade shattered harmlessly over his chest. To be more precise, it broke against the protective qi aura covering his chest. Looked like I needed to use a proper weapon against a high-leveled foe like him.


    "Heh."


    For his part, Gray Shadow looked amused when he realized how brittle my improvised ice weapon was. His eyes glinted menacingly and he grinned.


    "Hiss!"


    "Whoa!"


    I retreated, panicking as three small emerald-scaled snakes burst ouf of his sleeves slithered toward me. They were pretty small, about as thin as a finger and a meter long, but their emerald scales gleamed dangerously in the sun.


    Obviously they were venomous. If they bit me¡­well, nothing would happen. Never mind the Hellfire Badger''s property I gained from eating it, I had attained full immunity to poisons from my Heaven and Earth Formula.


    The tiny emerald snakes glided through the air, baring their fangs and sinking them into my neck. I cried out in pain and grabbed at them, seizing them by their necks.


    "Fei Wu!"


    "Emerald Serpents!"


    Tang Qi Hong and an unfamiliar person both shouted almost simultaneously. Despite the conflict unfolding before their eyes, the martial artists patronizing the surrounding stalls merely stood still and didn''t move.


    In this lawless zone where an underground market thrived, such conflicts were frequent. Many a martial artist had killed each other over crooked deals, and there were cases of martial artists hunting down a conman doing business in here and killing him for cheating him. It was not uncommon for fights to break out.


    As the Blood Blades and authorities left this autonomous place to its own devices and looked the other way, it was unlikely that they would show up to help. The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect did not flaunt their authority in this place, and left it alone. Aware of the fact, many criminals or martial artists chose this as a venue to settle their grudge. And the regulars and vendors here knew better than to intervene in these sort of matches.


    In fact, the crowd actually sat back to enjoy the show, as if it was everyday entertainment. The bastards¡­


    The only movement came from the nearby vendors, who tried their best to protect their stalls, praying fervently that the conflict did not spill over to their territory.


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    Gray Shadow had known about this, having done his research on Tushan City, which was why he chose to assassinate Tang Qi Hong in this lawless place. If she died here, even the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would find it difficult to pursue the matter. Most of the vendors here were already prepared for death when they set up their stalls here, and the martial artists who patronized this place had known that they had to look out for themselves in this place.


    Good thing I was looking out for myself and Tang Qi Hong.


    "That hurts!" I whined, not caring about the fucking crowd and crushing the three snakes, killing them instantly. Yanking their jaws from my neck, I hurled them onto the ground and then stomped on them to make sure they stayed dead. I then raised my head to glare at Gray Shadow. "What''s that for?! Are you trying to bite off more than you can chew?"


    "H¡­how?!"


    "How what?" I responded, amused. Gray Shadow spluttered, shaking his head and trying to wrap his mind around what was going on.


    "The venom of those Emerald Serpents should be enough to kill an Elegant Elephant instantly! Yet you''re still alive and moving around as if nothing happened?"


    "It does hurt," I admitted as I clamped a hand on my wounded neck and winced as the venom coursed through my body. Even with full immunity to venom, it would still take some time for my system to develop the antibodies to neutralize it. Not to mention I had to spend some qi to suppress it. However, compared to the toxins I had suffered from, or been injected with in the past, the Emerald Serpents'' venom was nothing. "But it''s nowhere as lethal as a Hydra''s or Hellfire Toxin. Sorry, but it''s not going to be enough to kill me."


    Gray Shadow''s jaw dropped and he did a perfect imitation of a goldfish swimming around in a bowl.


    "Who are you?!" Tang Qi Hong shouted angrily. "How dare you attack a Nine-Tailed Fox Sect inner sect disciple in Tushan City?!"


    Gray Shadow broke out of his stupor and responded by swinging both his hands. I blinked, conjuring an ice shield in front of me in instinct, and his qi blast crushed it. However, even as my improvised ice shield shattered, most of the impact from the shadowy blast dissipated harmlessly. Around me, fragments of frost sprayed the surrounding vendors and martial artists, but they channeled their qi to summon protective auras of qi, which disintegrated the shattered ice that rained on them.


    Thanks to that, no one was hurt by the sharp icy fragments.


    "Flame Silk!"


    Tang Qi Hong defended herself with a yell. I had to roll my eyes, wondering why she was shouting the name of her Spirit Artifact.


    Six ribbons emerged from her spatial device, flapping silently in the air as they blazed fiercely. Manipulated by Tang Qi Hong''s qi, they formed a flexible barrier in front of her, the purple flames burning so hotly that many martial artists nearby were forced to retreat as they tried to avoid being seared by the incredible heat.


    "Inner sect disciples! They''re actually inner sect disciples!"


    "No, the boy is one of the Blood Blades!"


    "What are they doing here?!"


    Only now did the martial artists in Free Trade Street notice the nine-tailed foxes pinned to our uniform collars, and they realized who we were.


    Despite their surprise, none of them made any move to help me and Tang Qi Hong. They merely kept their distance.


    "Um¡­shouldn''t we be helping?"


    "Help who?"


    "The kids?"


    "Why? Do you know the kids?"


    "No, but they''re from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, right?"


    "So what? If you don''t know them, then how do you know they didn''t do anything to offend that man over there?"


    As fights were very frequent in the Free Trade Street, there was an unspoken rule. Normally the people here wouldn''t intervene in the affairs of others. That is to say, they would not meddle in the fights between other martial artists, unless they knew for sure who was in the right and who was in the wrong. Furthermore, this area was not under the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s jurisdiction, so no one was obligated to help the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "Won''t we get in trouble if an inner sect disciple from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect gets killed here?" one of the more astute vendors asked, but nobody paid him any attention.


    "Who cares? They don''t own this area. They''ve let us do whatever we want all this time, why would they suddenly come and make trouble?"


    "Yeah, if they do, we''ll fight back!"


    With that settled, the crowd automatically made space for Gray Shadow to fight the two of us. They stood off in the distance, watching the show and gossiping amongst themselves. A few opportunistic vendors even went around collecting bets.


    They really were used to fights breaking out here all the time¡­


    Whoosh!


    The six flaming ribbons danced about, flying majestically in the air and casting a vicious purple glow on the streets.


    "Nine Shuriken Stars!"


    Why the fuck was she shouting the name of her Spirit Armaments? Was she trying to show off? That must be it, right? She was trying to show off what kind of Spirit Armaments she had!


    While I resisted the urge to bury my face in my palm, nine shuriken stars launched from Tang Qi Hong''s pockets and streaked through the air like comets, leaving a trail of glittering light behind. Then they seemed to vanish.


    "Uh¡­why did you even use those Nine Shuriken Stars for?"


    I threw my hands up, wondering what the whole point of that was, if she wasn''t using them to attack Gray Shadow. Tang Qi Hong ignored me, already reaching for her next Spirit Artifact. At the same time, Gray Shadow, upon realizing that the Nine Shuriken Stars weren''t going to hit him, launched an attack of his own.


    "Shooting Divine Beam!"


    "What kind of fucking name is that!?" I screamed in exasperation, even as the shadowy beam of deadly qi arced toward Tang Qi Hong. Shaking my head, I stepped in and got ready to defend my crush, but she was one step ahead of me.


    "Cloud Shield!"


    A dense cloud of qi solidified in front of Tang Qi Hong, taking the shape of a large shield of light.


    "Are you seriously going to keep shouting the names of your Spirit Artifacts?" I demanded as I watched Gray Shadow''s Shooting Divine Beam bounced off it harmlessly. Again, neither of them responded.


    "Frost Bone Spear!"


    Without pausing, Tang Qi Hong drew another Spirit Armament from her spatial ring and hurled it at her enemy. Made from five white bones, the deadly spear howled in a fearsome manner as it charged at Gray Shadow, leaving a chilling trail of ice in its wake.


    "Kuh!"


    Gray Shadow jumped up and flipped himself over the Frost Bone Spear, just narrowly dodging it, but as it clipped the front of his clothing, it froze his shirt. Cursing, he tried to channel his qi into stopping and destroying the rapidly expanding ice.


    However, Tang Qi Hong wasn''t going to give him the time to recover.


    "Nether Ghost Claw!"


    "Can you stop shouting the names of your Spirit Armaments?!" I bellowed, clutching my head in exasperation.


    Tang Qi Hong ignored me as she raised her hand. A huge claw appeared as she tossed it into the air. The gigantic claw immediately surged forward to grab hold of Gray Shadow while he was still dodging the Frost Bone Spear in midair.


    I glared at Tang Qi Hong. "I swear, if you''re going to yell out the name of your next Spirit Armament¡­"


    Fortunately, she didn''t, so I took a deep breath and calmed down. As I did so, I could hear the crowd muttering amongst themselves.


    "Profound Level Spirit Artifact! It''s at least third rank!"


    "That light shield is most likely fourth rank!"


    "That bone spear is definitely at least third rank!"


    "Nether Ghost Claw. T¡­this is the claw of the Bloodthirsty Blade Ghost from the Nether Fields! Bloodthirsty Blade Ghosts are Rank Four demonic creatures, so this claw should be a Profound Level fifth rank Spirit Weapon!"


    The crowd were unable to restrain themselves, exclaiming in awe as they stared at Tang Qi Hong''s Spirit Armaments greedily, impressed by their quality. Not only that, she was unleashing them one after another as if she had an abundance of them. Knowing Tang Qi Hong, of course she had an abundance of them.


    Bolts of fiery light, comet-like Shurikens (they finally showed up!), a spear and a ghost claw all fell upon Gray Shadow''s position in unison. As much as he tried to dodge, Gray Shadow found himself overwhelmed by their speed and sheer numbers, and was instantly engulfed in a blinding explosion of ferocious qi.


    Boom!


    The lenses of my glasses automatically darkened to protect my eyes from the glaring light as the Spirit Armaments detonated against the desperately retreating Gray Shadow. Tremors rippled from the epicenter, causing the ground to tremble from the tremendous impact.


    Sh¡­


    As the smoke cleared, Gray Shadow''s battered condition was revealed. His gray clothes had been mostly blown to shreds, and the dark brown Spirit Armor that he wore was cracked from the massive attack. He groaned as he lay helplessly on the ground, bleeding from numerous wounds all over his body.


    "Kuh¡­"


    Gritting his teeth, he rose to his feet shakily, his hands glowing as he gathered lethal qi into them. Glaring at Tang Qi Hong, he snarled.


    "You think that''s enough to take me down?"


    Tang Qi Hong merely responded with a grim expression, and raised her hands to gather her Spirit Armaments back to launch them for a second attack.


    She needn''t had bothered.


    "Maybe not, but this will."


    "?!"


    Gray Shadow looked up, but his sight was immediately clouded by shadow before I landed on top of his head. Planting my foot on his scalp, I unleashed a massive amount of qi with Seismic Step.


    Boom!


    This time, the brown armor completely shattered. A fountain of blood spurted into the air as Gray Shadow collapsed into a gigantic crater that swallowed him whole. His eyes rolled up in his head and blood gushed out from his mouth as he twitched.


    "That should do it," I remarked as I casually landed a few meters away. Tang Qi Hong frowned in disapproval and waved to me.


    "Over here!"


    Apparently she was taking no chances, remaining behind the Cloud Shield for defense. I glanced at the fallen Gray Shadow, and then shook my head.


    "I''ll take care of this fella."


    "¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong didn''t look pleased, but she couldn''t deny that Gray Shadow was down. I could only sense faint trickles of dormant qi from him, which meant that he was unconscious. This was good. It meant I could capture him and have Elder Zhao interrogate him.


    I was determined to find out who the hell was behind Tang Qi Hong''s assassination. I had an idea, but surely Liang Shao Yang couldn''t be so stupid as to take such a huge risk in trying to eliminate his only rival, not when he was this close to succeeding as the next candidate for the position of future sect leader.


    "Hmph!"


    Tang Qi Hong clenched her fists and waved them in a strange mixture of triumph and anger. She began raving excitedly.


    "What a reckless idiot! Who the hell does he think he is? To think that he had the audacity to dare attack us inside Tushan City, which is Nine-Tailed Fox Sect territory? It looks like he has no idea how powerful this grandaunt here is!"


    "Grandaunt¡­come on now, you''re not that old¡­"


    Even though I knew it was just an expression for Chinese speakers to mock their opponents (basically if I wanted to sneer at Gray Shadow, I would be going, "how stupid of you to try and challenge this grandfather!"), I couldn''t say I was very fond of it. I was not from mainland China, and even back in my home country where I was born in before I ran off to the States to study in graduate school, I rarely used that term. Actually, the main lingua franca of my original home country (which was a tiny island in the middle of Southeast Asia) was English.


    I glanced at Gray Shadow again. The shuriken stars and bone spear were hovering cautiously in midair, ready to attack again if he so much as stirred. Qi swirled up within them, charging the Spirit Weapons for another round of attacks.


    As if they weren''t enough, the Nether Ghost Claw remained on standby, howling chillingly as it floated above Gray Shadow''s head.


    "Now I know why the Blood Blades are so terrifying."


    "If those Blood Blades are also equipped with a handful of Spirit Armaments like those, then they must be quite the force to be reckoned with."


    "Never mind their Spirit Armaments¡­did you see that Blood Blades youngster? I have never seen such a devastating technique before¡­and he''s able to execute it despite his age! He hasn''t even drawn any Spirit Weapon yet!"


    "Yeah, not a good idea to offend them¡­"


    The crowd were gushing to themselves and doing the usual praise-the-main-characters thing. Not paying any attention to them, I cautiously approached Gray Shadow.


    Even though I had no idea what stage or realm or level he was, I knew that this man was a high-level assassin. Not that sort of level. I meant he was pretty powerful and skilled. Like I said, if I hadn''t learned Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I would never have realized that he was nearby, and wouldn''t even noticed him if he killed Tang Qi Hong right in front of me.


    Such an assassination technique was terrifying.


    Furthermore, I was glad that Tang Qi Hong was here to help me. Judging from Gray Shadow''s strength, it would be very difficult for me to fight him on my own. Especially after I got bitten by the Emerald Serpents ¨C their lethal venom had been coursing through my veins and I had to spend some time suppressing it while waiting for my toxin immunity to kick in and neutralize it. It was only after Tang Qi Hong had weakened him with her bombardment of Spirit Armaments that I was able to exploit an opening and unleash my most powerful non-weapon attack on him.


    And even then, I failed to kill him. This guy was one tough motherfucker. I could only thank the Heavens for plot armor. Then again, I wasn''t even his target to begin with¡­


    Ahead of me, Gray Shadow groaned softly. Keeping his eyes shut, he cursed inwardly.


    Originally he had planned to silently assassinate Tang Qi Hong before slipping away quietly before anyone noticed his presence. He had never expected me to detect his presence and halt his attack. It was just so coincidental that I was the one accompanying Tang Qi Hong today. If it was Lian Rou, most likely the nefarious assassin would have succeeded and got away scot-free.


    In other words, my existence had ruined his perfect plan. Didn''t that make me as much of a protagonist as Zhu Jiao, being at the right place at the right time and saving the day?


    "Your grandaunt here might not be good at fighting, but I have a ton of Spirit Armaments! I don''t even need to fight you, I can just crush you to death with Spirit Armaments alone!" Tang Qi Hong was gloating. Never mind that she did in actual fact use the core princples of the Nine Heavenly Armaments Technique, which was precisely the high-speed control and attacks with multiple Spirit Weapons at the same time.


    A true master who had mastered the Nine Heavenly Armaments Technique would be able to wield nine Spirit Weapons simultaneously. Despite her impressive display, Tang Qi Hong had only wielded five Spirit Weapons, a little over half of what would otherwise be the full potential of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s premier technique.


    Essentially the Nine Heavenly Armaments Technique was a match made in heaven for the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. As every blacksmith was excellent in the control of their Spirit Artifacts with their spirit and mind, they would be able to easily manipulate their Spirit Artifacts to attack and defend simultaneously, wielding multiple of them at once. That was also the reason why Elder Hai Mo was so invested in getting the Blood Blades battle puppets and battle-automata. As the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, we were expected to excel in manipulating so many artifacts and weapons at the same time, and the battle-automata counted as a type of Spirit Artifact.


    This applied even more to the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers, who must be able to control their mind, consciousness and spirit with absolute precision, so that they could control the spiritual energy and qi inside each Spirit Diagram. Make one small mistake, and their efforts would go to waste, the Spirit Engraving falling apart completely.


    That was why I sucked at Spirit Engraving. I always made mistakes, and I could never reach the level of precision required for top Spirit Engravers.


    Unlike me, Tang Qi Hong exceled in this sort of thing, and she was able to flawlessly control the Nine Shuriken Stars, Frost Bone Spear and Flame Silk, getting them to surround Gray Shadow and bombard him from multiple directions at once. It was almost as if they were bestowed minds of their own. No matter how desperately Gray Shadow evaded or defended, the three independent Spirit Armaments would seek out his blind spots or vulnerabilities, break through his defenses and punish him brutally.


    "I still have plenty of Spirit Armaments that I haven''t brought out, you know," Tang Qi Hong giggled as she massaged her spatial device. "To be honest, I''m kind of disappointed that you were defeated so easily before I could bring any more out."


    "Are you seriously telling him that?" sighing, I strode over and smacked Tang Qi Hong across her head. "Stop showing off and gloating arrogantly. It''s unsightly. Be gracious in victory. Besides, it''s utter stupidity to reveal your trump cards to your enemy."


    "Oh, come on! Let me enjoy my moment!" Tang Qi Hong complained like a spoilt brat. I couldn''t help but bury my face in my palm.


    To be fair, it was clear that Gray Shadow was actually stronger than Tang Qi Hong, whether it was combat techniques or cultivation. Unfortunately, he specialized in assassination techniques ¨C in other words, stabbing people in the back, launching sneak attacks and carrying out ambushes. Consequently, he was inexperienced in direct fights.


    To make matters worse, Tang Qi Hong was just drawing Spirit Weapon after Spirit Weapon and bombarding him relentlessly, which threw him off and completely overwhelmed him. If he struck from the shadows, he could kill her easily, but even he wouldn''t be able to escape the relentless pursuit of such power Spirit Armaments.


    Now he truly understood why the sect leader of the Divine Shadow Sect had schemed for so long and invested so much resources, effort and time into trying to gain control of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. if the other inner sect disciples and elders were anything like Tang Qi Hong, then the sect was truly a force to be reckoned with.


    No wonder they were among the eight major sects of the Martial Arts Alliance. They truly deserved their position there¡­


    "Fei Wu, are you all right?" Tang Qi Hong suddenly recalled what sparked off the entire fight in the first place and turned to me worriedly. "You were bitten by those Emerald Serpents¡­we need an antidote!"


    "Do I look like I need an antidote?" I retorted. If the venom really worked on me, I would be dead long ago.


    "How?" Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened and she stared at me in wonder. I waved my hands dismissively.


    "That''s not important. More importantly, I want to know who this fucker is and why he''s trying to assassinate you."


    One of the onlookers from the crowd whistled.


    "Wow¡­the Blood Blades really live up to their reputation."


    I cast him a glare, which caused him to retreat involuntarily. These fuckers, all they did was stand and watch instead of helped. I couldn''t be bothered to curse them. I then turned my attention back to the motionless Gray Shadow.

 158 Chapter 157: Intense Battle

    "Make sure he brings along a contingent of Blood Blades," I reminded her. It would be good if Tong Xue and Pang Feng showed up as well. They were about the few friends I could trust, or at least I believed I could trust them. To be honest, even if they didn''t, I still trusted the other Blood Blades enough to not look over my shoulder when they were behind me.


    Paranoia was not a healthy state of mind. Besides, with my Heaven and Earth senses, I didn''t need to look over my shoulder to know a sneak attack was coming.


    "Still¡­" with one hand on her smartphone, Tang Qi Hong looked disapprovingly at me and took out a pill from her spatial device. "Here''s an all-purpose antidote. It should suppress the toxins in your body."


    "I don''t need it," I grumbled and held both my hands up. "Let''s just say I cultivate a technique that renders me immune to poison."


    There was also the Hellfire Badger thing, but obviously I couldn''t mention that. That was pretty redundant, now that I had Heaven and Earth Formula, so I wondered why I even got it in the first place. Then again, if I didn''t have the Hellfire badger''s immunity to poison, I would have died with the Hydra''s venomous fangs grazed me.


    Sometimes Fate had a weird way of working out. Or maybe it was plot armor. Too bad the demon creature consumption thing was entirely based on luck, and most of the times I didn''t get anything when I ate magical beasts or demonic creatures. I probably used up all my luck with the Hellfire Badger and maybe the Silverback Wolf. I didn''t get anything from the Ghost Bear, Lunar Rabbit, Cobra and other demonic creatures that I ate. Like I said, it was pretty much a lottery, and far too unreliable if I wanted to go around collecting new abilities.


    That was good too, it meant I wouldn''t devolve into a godlike protagonist with millions of abilities to the extent that even the author lost track of what attributes I gained and most of them never being mentioned again outside pretty niche situations. Plus it would skew the power levels, and what was life if I could go around stomping my enemies as easily as a human on ants?


    Tang Qi Hong frowned, but seeing that I wasn''t kneeling over and dying from the venom even after so long, she took my word for it and kept the antidote. I watched her, feeling a little curious that she could so casually take an antidote out of her bag.


    "Do you always carry an antidote around with you?"


    "¡­uh, okay." Why was this beginning to sound like a role-playing game? Or was I the one lacking common sense unique to this world?


    "Why don''t you have them?" Tang Qi Hong demanded. "You''re from Blood Blades, aren''t you? Other than various high-ranking Spirit Armaments, the sect should be supplying you with new Spirit Pills every month to help you cultivate faster as well as healing medicine for injuries sustained during battles. Where are yours?"


    "Oh¡­uh, I didn''t take the Spirit Pills for cultivation or antidotes, but now that you''ve mentioned it¡­"


    I checked my spatial device and saw that I had a supply of healing medicine in them. I had returned the Spirit Pills for cultivation because I was firmly against doping and steroids. Come on, do you seriously believe that bullshit that you can become stronger just from eating specific pills? That sounded highly suspicious to me. I also returned the antidotes because I clearly didn''t need them. The Blood Blades administrator accepted my reasons, but insisted that I take the healing medicine, which I did. But I rarely had a reason to use them.


    As for Spirit Armanents¡­I relied on the cheap swords because I wanted to forge my own Spirit Weapon. So I naturally refused them, wanting to customize a Spirit Weapon that was mine and mine alone. That was why I hadn''t gone and replaced those swords. Well, I ended up acquiring the Azure Lotus Sword a few months ago in the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb, which was another reason why I couldn''t be bothered with requisitioning new Spirit Weapons from the sect. I enjoyed my independence and was pretty proud of it.


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    Tang Qi Hong seemed to be somewhat aware of that, or perhaps she read my expression, and she sighed in exasperation.


    "Are you kidding me?! Don''t you know that''s the greatest advantage of our sect? Every sect disciple has a great advantage over heir enemies because of the high-quality Spirit Armaments, equipment and medicine that we possess!"


    "I do have the healing medicine, though." I took the Spirit Healing Pills out to show her. Tang Qi Hong twitched, annoyed.


    "So where''s your Spirit Weapon?"


    "Still in the midst of forging it¡­" there was no way I was going to take out my Azure Lotus Sword, and Tang Qi Hong would recognize that it wasn''t a weapon from our sect. there was no deceiving a blacksmith with regard to weapons.


    "You said that last month! And the month before then! And are you an idiot? Why can''t you borrow a few Spirit Weapons for now, and then return them after you finish forging your current project anyway?"


    Now that she said that, I guess it was pretty obvious. Pride had gotten in my way, but to be fair, I never really needed them. I never really believed in the whole "better quality" of Spirit Weapons in the first place. I subscribed to the school that a weapon was only as good as its wielder ¨C probably a bit too far and too zealously ¨C but I didn''t want to inculcate the bad habbit of relying overly on the quality of my weapon. After all, if I could win a match with a lower quality Spirit Weapon, that spoke a lot more about my skills than me being spoiled by Pay To Win mechanics.


    And being from a previous timeline, I had an adverse reaction to P2W mechanics. They had no place in gaming. Of course, this was reality and not a game, so I should probably wisen up and not stick dogmatically to that stupid principle, or it might cost me my life someday.


    Admittedly, fights between martial artists was not as simple as who belonged to whatever stage or realms. There were many factors involved, such as one''s physical constitution, training, and knowledge ¨C if you knew what martial arts your opponent was using, you could probably counter them better than if you were fighting in the dark. Furthermore, the quality of one''s Spirit Weapons mattered and could make a huge difference.


    I personally experienced that when my sword broke during that last battle in the ancient tomb. If I didn''t have my Azure Lotus Sword¡­


    Let''s be honest. It did make a difference. If two martial artists of similar strength fought each other, the one with more Spirit Artifacts, or the one whose Spirit Armaments were of a higher quality, would have an advantage. And sometimes, that advantage was more than enough to lead to a decisive difference between life and death, no matter how slight.


    Right now, I was practically playing with fire because of my pride.


    "I''ll think about it," I muttered as I reflected on my actions. That said, I had acquired a high quality Azure Lotus Sword, so it wasn''t as if I was completely helpless or didn''t have any high quality Spirit Weapons at all. But I didn''t want to say too much regarding that.


    "I''m glad you understand." Tang Qi Hong nodded as she finished reprimanding me. As the premier inner sect disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, she pretty much embraced that concept of possessing an overwhelming advantage over the opponent with higher quality Spirit Armaments. In fact, that was the reason why the Blood Blades were so fearsome ¨C because they were equipped with such high quality Spirit Armaments surpassing anything their opponents owned. That proved decisive in most fights, and sometimes even allowed them to fight on par with stronger enemies. Naturally, their martial arts and combat capabilities were excellent as well ¨C at least my belief in that was not mistaken. If you couldn''t wield a weapon properly, then even if you were armed with the highest-quality Spirit Weapon, it would be nothing more than dead weight in your arm.


    Blood Blades were powerful not merely because they were armed with the best Spirit Weapons, but also because they knew how to use their weapons to their maximum potential. Instead of focusing on one aspect, I should learn to embrace both advantages that the sect provided.


    "Ugh!"


    "Trying to escape?"


    Hearing the grunt from Gray Shadow, who had finally recovered enough consciousness to get up and tried to flee, Tang Qi Hong immediately diverted her attention back to him. She threw her hand out, and obeying her will, a purple flaming ribbon lashed out and struck the desperately fleeing assassin, grazing his shadows and burning him.


    "OOOOOOOW!"


    Howling in pain as his body shuddered from the impact, Gray Shadow tried to dodge in midair, but the eerie white bone spear shrieked and struck him from behind. It knocked away the shattered remains of his broken Spirit Armor that still clung pathetically to him and bowled him over, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.


    He spun away and knocked the Frost Bone Spear aside, but I had suddenly appeared in front of him using my footwork techniques. Executing Liu, I hooked my foot around his, disrupted his movements, and tripped him over, causing him to fall flat on his face.


    "You little¡­!" he swore, but I stomped on his head, grinding his face against the ground and turning his words into little more than a muffled curse.


    "Who are you?" Tang Qi Hong demanded, even though she wisely kept her distance. "Who ordered you to attack us?"


    "We should restrain him," I suggested, looking around for some rope. Even though I was supposedly one of the Blood Blades, I lacked the armament that they possessed, and only had a bunch of healing medicine and the Azure Lotus Sword and my current project in my spatial device. Hell, my spatial device was my current project, so it didn''t count.


    "Good idea," Tang Qi Hong agreed and raised her hand. Her spatial ring lit up and a screen-like barrier that resembled a flowing cloud drifted out of the device and soared toward the sprawled Gray Shadow. Recognizing it as a cage that functioned to trap Gray Shadow inside, I quickly retreated. Like hell would I want to be imprisoned inside that thing with the bastard!


    While I did so, I couldn''t help but glance at Tang Qi Hong''s spatial device. Just how many Spirit Artifacts did she have stored inside that little thing? Then again, I fitted an entire army of over six hundred battle-automata inside my spatial device, so I guess it wouldn''t be surprising if Tang Qi Hong had an entire armory stored within it.


    I bet she even had the Thallax-class battle puppets and Castellax-class battle-automata she bought from me stored inside her ring. I certainly had my Castellax-class battle-automata stored inside mine, but only two of them were battle-worthy at the moment, so I had no reason to take them out. Besides, Gray Shadow looked as if he was finished.


    "Old Black! Help me already!"


    As if he realized that too, Gray Shadow suddenly yelled out in a rasping voice.


    "What?!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s beautiful face scrunched up in surprise. I narrowed my eyes, but didn''t panic, instead feeling the surroundings with my Heaven and Earth senses. If someone wanted to ambush us, I would be able to detect his killing intent. To be honest, I did suspect that there would be a second assassin somewhere, just in case the first failed.


    That was how the Blood Blades usually worked ¨C we had reserves or contingencies in place, a second squad to reinforce the first if they end up being overwhelmed.


    "Wu, be careful!" Tang Qi Hong warned, glancing around nervously while staying close to her Cloud Shield. She scanned the people nearby, especially those closest to her, as if expecting them to attack her suddenly.


    I understood her anxiety. The Cloud Shield, while formidable, could only protect Tang Qi Hong from one side at a time. If someone was to ambush her from behind or from the sides, the light shield would not be able to fully defend herself from the attack. She would need to react or respond to the ambush directly.


    "Don''t look at me. I''m not an assassin."


    "This is Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s city. I''m not stupid enough to pick a fight with them here."


    "Me neither."


    The martial artists who caught her eye quickly backed off, raising their hands and showing that they meant no harm. They were just here to watch the show. The bastards couldn''t even be bothered to lend a helping hand.


    As much as I wanted to memorize their faces (which I could do by recording their faces with the camera function in my glasses), I honestly didn''t have time to harbor a grudge and go hunt each of them down to "take revenge." I mean, seriously, what was I supposed to do? Beat them or kill them because they refused to help? I wasn''t that entitled to think everyone was obligated to help save us, and I understood if they didn''t want to get hurt. Besides, it was clear that Tang Qi Hong and I had the matter well in hand.


    From the look on Tang Qi Hong''s face, though, I could understand why they thought she would attack them. She was like a ticked-off bomb just about to go off, triggered by even the most trivial of matters. Not wanting her to mistake them for Gray Shadow''s comrade, they retreated further, clearing the space around us.


    Even though many of them were martial artists competent enough to take care of themselves, they kept a distance from Tang Qi Hong and me. Not because they were afraid of us ¨C they were confident of their strengths and skills, especially if they dared to operate in a lawless area like Free Trade Street where fights broke out everyday ¨C but because they were aware of our identities, and were fearful of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, which we were a part of. They didn''t want to be relentlessly hunted down by the terrifying Blood Blades.


    I paid no attention to them. Instead, my eyes were shut as I intently focused my senses on our surroundings, looking for any sort of anomaly.


    That was when I sensed a strange presence coming from below. Worse, it was heading right for Tang Qi Hong!


    Bastard!


    Swearing inwardly, I used my footwork technique again to reach Tang Qi Hong''s side. As soon as I reached her, I immediately stomped my foot on the ground and unleashed my Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula.


    Crack!


    The ground beneath me instantly froze, ice spreading rapidly over the concrete. The ice quickly spread all over the uneven road, encasing it in solid frost.


    However, I could still sense the mass of qi drilling its way upward, smashing out of the rock-solid ground, erupting with the force of a volcano. Realizing just how powerful this new assailant was, I felt a chill run down my spine.


    "Watch out! Under you!"


    Bang!


    The thick layer of ice that I froze over the road immediately shattered and the assassin emerged in a shower of hail. Shrouded by a dense aura of earth-element qi, his imposing figure barreled toward us like a massive boulder flung from a ballista.


    I immediately stepped in front of Tang Qi Hong to shield her from the approaching assassin. My spatial device glowed brightly and transformed into a hi-tech shield¡­well, at least I hoped it looked hi-tech. resembling a gigantic snowflake with six petals, my half-completed Snow Aegis gleamed azure and erected a qi barrier in front of us.


    Raising my right hand, I channeled my qi into my Snow Aegis to strengthen the qi barrier that it was emitting.


    The black shadow didn''t care. He continued charging forward, undaunted by the appearance of a huge shield. He raised his lance, which transformed into a spinning drill, and thrust it forward.


    Bam!


    "?!"


    Despite the massive amount of earth qi crashing into my Snow Aegis with the force of a meteor, the black shadow found himself stopped dead in his tracks. He bellowed as he continued drilling through it as best as he could, but even though he shattered the first layer of qi barriers that formed in front of Snow Aegis with his metallic drill, he was unable to break the second layer of the remaining five.


    "What is this?!" he snarled through gritted teeth.


    Obviously I wasn''t stupid enough to tell him. I just stood silently, firmly holding my ground against his powerful charge. As his tremendous amount of earth-element qi was expended, the black shadow retreated several steps away, glaring at me.


    "That''s¡­?"


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened when she saw my Snow Aegis, recognizing it as the personal project I had been working on for so long. She then frowned.


    "I thought you said you hadn''t finished forging it."


    "It''s not completed," I told her. "There are some modifications I wish to carry out, but I haven''t found a way to gel them together."


    Tang Qi Hong rolled her eyes. "Just let me have a look at it later."


    Seeing that this was no time for me to protest, I swallowed my pride and nodded while keeping my attention on Black Shadow. Tang Qi Hong was correct, in a way. If I allowed her to look at my Snow Aegis and helped me finish it earlier, I would be able to bring the full power of its offensive capabilities against our current enemies.


    Right now, all Snow Aegis was capable of was defending. If I hadn''t been so absorbed in my pride and had my head stuck so far up my ass and actually asked for help, I might have a chance of subduing the two assassins.


    Black Shadow scowled and studied me, looking for a way past my Snow Aegis. He realized there was no point attacking from behind, because Tang Qi Hong had the Cloud Shadow protecting our backs. His paths of aggression were limited.


    In the end, he decided to go for another frontal attack. Summoning a huge amount of qi, he infused it into his drill and thrust it at us again. By now I had recovered and restored the sixth layer of qi barrier, and withstood his attack without much difficulty.


    Or so I say, but it was consuming quite a lot of my qi just to defend against this bastard''s attack. If this turned into a battle of attrition¡­


    "Just stay where you are, Wu!" Tang Qi Hong shouted behind me. I didn''t need to turn around and look behind me to know what she intended.


    Tang Qi Hong had sat down and closed her eyes, channeling her qi into the various Spirit Weapons that she already had out. The Nine Shuriken Stars, the Frost Bone Spear and Flame Silk shifted away from the downed Gray Shadow, speeding across the air like bullets and rushed forward to strike Black Shadow.


    While they did so, Tang Qi Hong simultaneously directed her Nether Ghost Claw, which was still hovering high in the air, to descend and crush Black Shadow''s head within its terrifying grasp. However, it was still slower than the other Spirit Weapons.


    This was because the Nether Ghost Claw was forged from the claws of the Nether Field''s Bloodthirsty Blade Ghost. Elder Hai Mo had even crafted it personally, to produce such an exquisite and formidable weapon, but it required Tang Qi Hong to gather and channel all of her spiritual qi in order to unleash its true power.


    Earlier, when fighting against Gray Shadow, she only drew the Nether Ghost Claw as a deterrent, and not because she actually needed it. In other words, she drew it to show off. Ugh. In any event, she hadn''t unleashed its true power yet.


    And now I was about to witness what the Nether Ghost Claw was capable of.


    Even so, Black Shadow had to be really powerful if he forced Tang Qi Hong to go all out.


    An ominous fog of black qi gushed out as the Nether Ghost Claw was suddenly saturated with dense, dark energy. For a moment, I felt as if I had just been plunged into the desolate and terrifying Nether Fields. The skies even looked dark and shadowy for some reason, and the atmosphere was tinged with death.


    Dark green will''o wisps hovered above the Nether Ghost Claw, resembling the fearsome fireballs that Tang Qi Hong''s Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula produced. No, I was mistaken. Tang Qi Hong was using the Nether Ghost Claw in conjunction with her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula, the Spirit Weapon merging and boosting her technique!


    Then the blazing fireballs rained down upon the place like a meteor shower, burning everything with its acidic touch.


    "OOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    I didn''t know if I was hallucinating under some nightmarish hallucination, but I could swear that I was hearing an eerie howl that could only belong to the Bloodthirsty Blade Ghost, the terrifying sound emitted from the claw. Moving my Snow Aegis closer, I managed to protect Tang Qi Hong and myself from the blazing rain, which splashed harmlessly across the faint, transparent azure-tinged barriers that my personally forged Spirit Armament produced.


    "Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula: Nether Fox Hellfire!"


    Tang Qi Hong decided to shout the name of her technique for some inexplicable reason. I gave up on providing a retort and instead focused on the blazing battlefield.


    Many of the spectators had retreated, shock and fear flooding their expressions as they tried their best to dodge the destructive hellfire raining down on the street. One of them dove under a nearby stall, which was unfortunate to disintegrate completely when one of the cyan fiery projectiles slammed into it, erasing it from existence.


    "What the hell?!"


    "Oh my lord¡­!"


    "Out of the way!"


    "AAAAAH!"


    Black Shadow''s icy eyes remained as cold and emotionless as ever as he calmly dodged it, but several of the Nether Fox Hellfire still somehow struck him and burned off huge swathes of his clothing. His skin blistered and burned, despite his protective earth aura doing its best to nullify the corrosive, incendiary effects of the ghostly flames.


    Even when taking such horrifying injuries, Black Shadow neither displayed any fear nor pain, merely continuing to move so as to avoid being incinerated completely by the relentless bombardment.


    "Old Black! Let''s retreat for now! Or you''ll get burned by the Nether Ghostly Hellfire!"


    Evidently Gray Shadow didn''t know that this was a technique modified by Tang Qi Hong by melding it with her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula, but his advice was still sound. Black Shadow nodded, imperturbed, and dove headfirst into the hole where he emerged from underground earlier. The metallic drill he wielded also turned into a golden bolt of light and followed him closely, probably disappearing into his spatial device.


    Gray Shadow also seized the chance to escape, rolling to his feet and disappearing like a gray cloud. He ran for the nearest street on his two legs.


    "Did I say you can go?"


    "?!"


    Gray Shadow spun around and ssaw that I had somehow caught up with him. I smiled him, stuck my leg in front of him and tripped him, sending him sprawling onto the ground again. He uttered a curse and lashed out at me, but I effortlessly dodged it before stomping on his back.


    Seismic Step.


    That attack probably broke his spine. Gray Shadow was screaming in so much pain that I actually felt sorry for him.


    "I know you''re the one who told him to retreat, but is your comrade not coming back to save you?" I asked, trying not to make it sound like a taunt.


    Gray Shadow''s face was pale as he glared at me venomously. "You¡­you will never get away with this!" he spat.


    I laughed. "How very original. I''ll have to remember that. Seriously, though¡­" I smacked him across the head, burying his face in the devastated dirt. "You''re the one who tried to assassinate Qi Hong. Why are you acting as if I''m the villain?"


    "Be careful. His accomplice might return anytime."


    Tang Qi Hong was gathering her Spirit Weapons back and keeping most of them in her spatial ring, but she couldn''t help but keep some of them out and trained her eyes on the hole where Black Shadow disappeared into, as if expecting him to emerge again.


    "How are you?"


    "Are you asking me, or this guy?" I asked humorously. Tang Qi Hong made a face and snorted, annoyed.


    "You, of course. Why should I care about him? He tried to kill me."


    "Speaking of which¡­" I grabbed the guy''s hair and yanked his head up by his hair. "Who are you? And why are you trying to kill Qi Hong?"


    Gray Shadow sneered defiantly. "As if I''ll tell you!"


    "Elder Zhao will definitely find out," Tang Qi Hong informed him coldly. "We''ll thoroughly investigate this once we get back and report to him. You won''t be able to cover for your master forever."


    "I do have an idea who it might be, though." Frowning, I turned to Gray Shadow. "Let me guess. You''re a member of the Divine Shadow Sect, and was ordered by Liang Shao Yang to assassinate Tang Qi Hong in order to eliminate competition for the position of future sect leader."


    "I told you, I won''t tell you anything!" Gray Shadow snapped. I merely chuckled.


    "Oh, but you already have. The fact that you didn''t deny it or react in shock means that I''ve guessed correctly but you just refuse to confirm it."


    Gray Shadow opened his mouth, his face pale ¨C from the pain or from shock, I didn''t know ¨C and then closed it, realizing that anything else he said would be burying him deeper in the hole he had just dug for himself.


    "I should have known." From Tang Qi Hong''s expression, she had made the same guess as me. Clenching her fists angrily, she gritted her teeth and made a vow. "If I find any evidence that Liang Shao Yang is really the one behind all this, I won''t forgive him!"


    "Coming through, coming through! Please make way!"


    The both of us rose and spotted a familiar figure pushing and shoving his way through the crowd of spectators. He approached me and Tang Qi Hong, and I recognized him as the plump owner of the Cloud Sky Mountain''s shop. Stopping beside us, he smiled.


    "The two of you should follow me to my shop and rest for a while. I''ll restrain that guy as well."


    While he conversed with us, the crowd he just passed through began to stir excitedly, and hushed whispers floated across the ruined grounds.


    "Isn''t that¡­Cloud Sky Mountain''s Wu Tuo?"


    "It''s really Wu Tuo!"


    "What is he doing here?!"


    The spectators quickly retreated when they recognized who he was, looking a little afraid, especially when he glared in their direction. For my part, I had no freaking clue who Wu Tuo was, other than that he owned and ran the shop where we bought the Earth Magnets from earlier.


    However, even though his physical appearance was still the same, his presence was different from before. He was emanating an intimidating aura. If the Black Shadow dude from earlier were to pop his head out now, he would be in a world of hurt.


    "My apologies." Wu Tuo bowed apologetically. "My place was slightly far away, so by the time I heard about the fight and rushed here, it''s already over. At least you seemed to have captured one of the two."


    He nodded at Gray Shadow, who I was still restraining.


    "Yeah, it seems like the other guy has escaped." I pondered for a moment. That must be why Black Shadow didn''t show up to save his comrade. The moment he sensed this Wu Tuo coming over, he judged that he would be no match for him, and would be at an overwhelming disadvantage with both Tang Qi Hong and me still combat-capable. So he made the strategic decision to abandon his comrade and withdrew.


    ¡­for now, anyway.


    "If I had arrived earlier, then both of you wouldn''t be hurt."


    Wu Tuo looked very apologetic, despite the confidence in his words. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and glanced at Tang Qi Hong.


    "Are you hurt, Qi Hong?"


    "Hmm? No. Ah¡­that''s right! Thanks for protecting me, Wu!"


    Tang Qi Hong seemed to recall that I had thrown myself in front of her to shield her from Black Shadow''s drill, and also deflected Gray Shadow''s killing blow from her when he tried to stab her in the back.


    "How about you? Are you sure you''re fine? You got bitten by those Emerald Serpents¡­"


    "What?!" Wu Tuo balked. "Are you sure? Then we need an antidote¡­"


    "No, I''m fine. I''m not hurt at all." I quickly assured him. The chubby, middle-aged man turned to stare at me in amazement.


    "Eh? Really?"


    Fortunately, I was saved from explaining when another two people showed up.


    "My lord!"


    "Master!"


    It was two of the shop clerks from before, part of the staff running the Cloud Sky Mountain shop branch. They were hurriying over before standing beside Wu Tuo. Again, their presences were completely different from before, when they were running the store


    It seemed as if they were veterans of combat.


    When they saw me restraining Gray Shadow, they came over immediately and helped me, producing chains to tie up the hapless assassin. Yanking him to his feet, they tried to move him, but because I basically broke his spine, he toppled over.


    "Ouch!"


    "Oh, my bad," I apologized. "I got too carried away and I think I might have snapped his spine. He might not be able to walk."


    "That''s fine," one of the shop clerks replied. He produced what looked like a gurney, and both he and his colleague began strapping the silent Gray Shadow into it. Evidently he realized the futility of resisting, and was resigned to his fate. The first shop clerk turned briefly to beam at me. "We got you covered."


    "Thanks." I lowered my head. "That helps a lot."


    Wu Tuo then nodded and bowed slightly. Facing Tang Qi Hong and me, he inquired.


    "Will the two of you return with me to rest in my shop? Or would you be returning straight to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect instead? Don''t worry, if this guy''s comrade returns, with me around, he will not dare to attack you."


    "Then we will rest for a while in your shop." Tang Qi Hong hesitated for a moment and checked her smartphone. "I''ve contacted Elder Zhao and he should be here with the Blood Blades shortly. For now, we''ll have to depend on you."


    "I understand. We''ll protect you under Master Zhao Shi arrives." Wu Tuo beamed. Tang Qi Hong continued staring at him, the astonishment still not leaving her pretty face.


    "Um, are you really Cloud Sky Mountain''s Wu Tuo?"


    "That''s right." Wu Tuo responded with a gentle smile. "I''ve only just arrived in Tushan City recently. Please take care of me from now on."

 159 Chapter 158: The next move

    "Let Master Zhao Shi know that you''re now in my Great Nature''s Heart shop," Wu Tuo told Tang Qi Hong, who nodded and took out her smartphone. She dialed Elder Zhao''s number, held it up to her ear and spoke a few words.


    "Elder Zhao? Where are you now?" she paused. "Yeah, we''re fine. We actually captured a prisoner for you. Well, Fei Wu did, actually. I''ll leave the interrogation to you." she listened for a few seconds again. "About that¡­right now we''re in the Great Nature''s Heart shop in the shopping district. Master Wu Tuo arrived to help us, and offered to protect us until you arrive." She stopped again, and nodded in delight. "I understand! We''ll wait here then!"


    "When will Elder Zhao be here?" I asked when Tang Qi Hong hung up.


    "About fifteen minutes. They''re on their way." She shrugged helplessly. "He had to assemble a team and wait for the members to gather, which was why they took so long. Otherwise they would have been here twenty minutes ago."


    Remembering how fast the Phoenix Express was, I was pretty sure the Blood Blades would have access to faster and more maneuverable transports. Of course, since this was a spontaneous event that happened without warning, I couldn''t expect the Blood Blades to teleport to the headquarters, and then teleport to the Free Trade Street.


    The mechanics of this world might border on magical, but there were things that were impossible even for this world.


    "That''s good." Wu Tuo smiled as he offered his assurances. "Don''t worry, we''ll make sure to protect you until then."


    "Thank you," I said automatically. He merely waved my thanks away, and then studied the both of us keenly.


    "Are you sure you''re both fine?" he hesitated for a moment. "I mean, I''m glad you''re both fine, but it''s a miracle that you both emerged unhurt from that exchange."


    "Fei Wu protected me," Tang Qi Hong replied, somewhat proudly. "It''s thanks to him that I escaped unscathed."


    "The both of them were pretty strong," I admitted. "Especially that second guy. If Qi Hong wasn''t supporting me with her Spirit Armaments and Nine-Tailed Fox Fire Formula, then I probably would have gotten severe injuries."


    "You give yourself far too little credit," Tang Qi Hong told me, crossed. Wu Tuo laughed at that.


    "In any case, I''m glad that both of you are unhurt." He then turned serious. "I have some of my guys looking into the guys who attacked you right now. But do you have any idea who they could be, and why?"


    "Liang Shao Yang?" Wu Tuo asked, astonished. "Isn''t he that new rising star in your sect? The one who triggered a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillars and became an inner sect disciple last year? Are you sure he''s the one behind this?"


    "We can''t be sure," I confessed as I scratched my head. "If he''s competent enough, he would have covered his tracks. It''ll probably be very difficult to find any evidence leading back to him. And it''s only a suspicion. It''s also possible that the culprits were hired by someone else. I mean, a demonic sect could be aiming for us, and what better way to cripple the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect than to assassinate one of their most promising inner sect disciples?"


    Tang Qi Hong was not modest at all when she nodded. "If they take me, one of the pillars that will support the future of the sect, out, then they will really deal the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect a huge blow. But if that''s the case, they should be aiming for Liang Shao Yang as well¡­"


    "Any news regarding that front?" I asked as I consulted my smartphone. If Liang Shao Yang was attacked, I was pretty sure that it would show up online, or on social media.


    "Nope," Tang Qi Hong replied as she consulted her own smartphone. As I expected, news of the assassination attempt on Tang Qi Hong was all over social media, already drawing thousands of views in less than an hour after it happened, with many sympathetic and outraged responses, and several snark and mean comments. However, there was completely nothing on Liang Shao Yang, though to be fair, the bastard didn''t have any Facebook or Twitter account. I didn''t have a Twitter account either, so perhaps I wasn''t privy to any information there, but Tang Qi Hong confirmed there was none shortly after.


    Wu Tuo shook his head in disbelief. "I did hear that this Liang Shao Yang is from the Divine Shadow Sect, which is notorious for assassination and sabotage, so it is not completely far-fetched that he would infiltrate the sect to eliminate you. But why now?"


    "I don''t know," I muttered. "Though I suspect it has something to do with Qi Hong becoming the owner of sseveral battle-automata, and the Great Elders changing their attitudes and favoring her over Liang Shao Yang recently."


    "That happened?" Wu Tuo was taken aback, but he nodded understandingly. "Perhaps he panicked when he saw that things weren''t going his way. That does make sense."


    "Even then, I really didn''t think that he would be this rash!" Tang Qi Hong gritted her teeth, infuriated. "I mean, it''s normal for inner sect disciples to have arguments and squabble among themselves ¨C that happens all the time. But for him to actually commit murder over such a small matter? It makes no sense at all!"


    "I''m afraid the position of the future sect leader is no small matter," Wu Tuo corrected. "Begging your pardon, but if what you say is true, and the Great Elders favor you over him, this Liang Shao Yang must have felt that his position is threatened. If so, he reacted the way any disciple of the Divine Shadow Sect would¡­that is, through assassinations and sabotage."


    "Oh yeah¡­now that you mentioned it, didn''t he try and kill me with Venomous Scarabs last year over the most stupid reason?" I couldn''t even remember why he set the Venomous Scarabs on me, but it had to be over something as dumb as me being too close to Tang Qi Hong.


    That time, I had abided by the rules, and didn''t bother with the bastard. As much as I wanted to kill him, I knew that doing so would bring the wrath of the Blood Blades down on me. The sect would definitely not let me off. So I endured.


    For a time, it seemed like my patience paid off and Liang Shao Yang moved his attentions away from me. It wasn''t as if the guy hated my guts or held a grudge against me. He deemed me as insignificant, and so didn''t try to kill me again. As long as he didn''t make a move against me, there was no reason for me to bring up that murder attempt and try to kill him. Moreover, he was just acting out of the principles drilled into him by his Divine Shadow Sect, so I couldn''t really blame him. That said, if he had tried to assassinate me again, I wouldn''t hold back and I would kill him in self-defense, to hell with the sect.


    This time, my glasses had a recording function, so I could use the video as evidence. Even the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect couldn''t deny that!


    Unfortunately, while Liang Shao Yang no longer had any intention to kill me, he had shifted his attention to Tang Qi Hong and tried to assassinate her. If I hadn''t been by her side, he might even have succeeded.


    This guy¡­it was too dangerous to let him live, but I couldn''t simply walk up to his apartment and murder him. For one thing, he was too powerful and I didn''t have the confidence that I could kill him 100% before other people showed up and intervened. And it wasn''t worth breaking the rules and getting the death penalty (or spending a lifetime on the run, escaping from the authorities'' relentless persecution) to kill him. The whole point was to end a threat to my life (or Tang Qi Hong''s life in this matter), not to replace that threat with an even bigger one.


    No, if I wanted to eliminate Liang Shao Yang, I had to do it in a smart way. Right now, the difference between our statuses was far too vast. Even if I was a Blood Blade, Liang Shao Yang was one of the two candidates vying for the position of future sect leader. The Great Elders and authorities of the sect would no doubt side with him over me.


    They would literally let him get away with murder if necessary.


    "Wouldn''t it be dangerous for the two of you to return to the sect if that''s the case?" Wu Tuo asked, concerned.


    "It will be fine," I assured him. "Liang Shao Yang will definitely not dare to attack Qi Hong in the sect, not using these same methods. She''s still one of the two candidates to be the successor to the Sect Leader, and a prodigy recognized by both Sect Leader and Elder Hai Mo. As long as she stays within the main sect grounds, he will not dare to attack her directly."


    I was very confident that what I said was right.


    Liang Shao Yang was definitely aiming for Tang Qi Hong, but he chose to attack her the moment she stepped out of the main sect grounds, not inside. If we hadn''t gone on the shopping trip today and remained inside sect territory the whole day, those two people wouldn''t be bold enough to trespass into the sect territory and try to assassinate her right under the Blood Blades'' noses. Furthermore, they chose to strike in a relatively lawless area pretty far away from the main sect grounds, which further proved that they were cautious enough to avoid making a move in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect territory.


    Furthermore, now that Blood Blades knew of this attempt, they would definitely assign high-level masters to protect Tang Qi Hong in future. Much like how Da Ge and Zhao Shi followed Zi Xiao Ji around wherever she went.


    "What about you?" Tang Qi Hong looked at me worriedly, noticing that I didn''t say anything about myself.


    She was just as aware as I was that if Liang Shao Yang wanted to eliminate me, he wouldn''t need such a roundabout method of hiring assassins to kill me outside the sect. in fact, he would have no hesitation murdering me in the open inside the sect.


    He was a future sect leader candidate who triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and a prodigy recognized by the Sect Leader and six Great Elders, who personally taught him. Even if he "accidentally" killed a normal Blood Blade or inner sect disciple, nobody would bat an eyelash or judge him.


    Well, they might do something for show, like lock him up for a few months to "reflect" or a slap in the wrist, but obviously they wouldn''t try to achieve justice and would let him out eventually. It wouldn''t do to leave such a promising disciple rotting inside prison for so long, and even more of a waste to sentence him to death.


    Even though the normal punishment was a life for a life, not all lives are equal. Some are worth more than others. Thus the law did not apply as much to Liang Shao Yang as it did to me. Particularly the Great Elders would appraise Liang Shao Yang as several times more valuable than mine. Even if he killed me, it would not affect his position in their hearts at all.


    ¡­that is, if we go by normal xianxia logic. However¡­


    "Don''t worry. He''s not stupid enough to try and kill me in the sect either," I informed Tang Qi Hong coolly. She frowned.


    "Why not? Your statuses are too different. And the Great Elders are biased toward him¡­they will definitely side with him over you!"


    "That is true, but think about it." I sighed as I scratched my head. "Right now several of the Great Elders already expressed their preference for you, and are considering supporting you over Liang Shao Yang. Moreover, even if he has such an eminent position in the sect, the law is the law. He can''t just blatantly flout the law in the sect ¨C never mind me, all the disciples in the sect will protest and leave because they can''t trust the sect to protect them if Liang Shao Yang decides to bully or kill them if he''s in a bad mood. That''s not healthy for morale or for an organization. An organization cannot survive if it revolves around a single individual."


    "That''s true," Wu Tuo agreed with a smile as he stroked his flabby chin.


    "And let''s be serious. Many of the great elders are already changing their minds and favoring you. If he pulls a stunt as stupid as murdering another disciple on sect grounds, what do you think they will do? More of them will lean toward you. Only an idiot would support the idea of placing a blatant murderer on the throne. They should know how self-destructive it is to place a psychotic tyrant as the sect leader ¨C he will ruin the sect and run it to the ground. Talent is not everything ¨C even if you''re the most talented blacksmith, that doesn''t mean you''re capable of leading. Sect Leader knows this. And besides, they have you. It is completely illogical to support a murdering psychopath as sect leader over another genius whose talent surpasses the other, just because she''s a girl."


    "Not unless they''re patriarchal, misogynistic bastards," Wu Tuo muttered under his breath darkly. I glanced at him in surprise, but he nodded. "What you say makes sense, but you should still be careful. Logic doesn''t always apply to psychopaths."


    "Well, hence my last reason. He has no fucking reason to kill me." I shrugged. "I''m insignificant. He''s only trying to kill you, Qi Hong, because you pose a threat to his position. What am I? Just a normal Blood Blade. Why would he care and invest the time and effort to get rid of me? It''s a totally unnecessary risk and wasted effort. I am nothing to him. I pose no threat. The only reason why I was attacked today was because I just happened to be beside you when the assassins struck, and I got in their way. Otherwise they wouldn''t even care about my existence." I thought for a moment. "Here''s an example. Let''s say there''s this ambitious noble who wants to assassinate the Emperor. Even if the assassins failed because of the royal bodyguards, the rival politician wouldn''t scheme to kill the imperial bodyguards. They just happened to be in the way and were only doing their job. The noble''s next move would to find another opportunity to assassinate the emperor, not to waste time holding a grudge against the imperial bodyguards and trying to kill them for doing their jobs." Then I suddenly remembered something. "Besides, this is all just speculation. We haven''t actually confirmed that Liang Shao Yang is the real culprit behind all this. If it turns out to be someone else, such as a demonic sect, we would actually be safer inside the main sect grounds."


    "Very true!" Wu Tuo agreed and turned to Tang Qi Hong. "You''re the primary target. So you should be careful."


    "Yeah, we''ll let Elder Zhao know, and he''ll assign you bodyguards."


    Tang Qi Hong snorted. "What are you talking about? You''re already my bodyguard. You just proved yourself today, didn''t you?"


    "Uh, well¡­" I scratched my head, a little embarrassed. "I would prefer to have some help in this. I don''t think I can manage the job on my own."


    "Ha ha ha, the young man is right. It''s always better to have more!" Wu Tuo laughed.


    Tang Qi Hong turned to him, and then bowed respectfully. "Master Wu Tuo, thank you very much for escorting us here and protecting us. The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will definitely remember this debt."


    "You''re being too polite," Wu Tuo chided gently. "The friendship between Cloud Sky Mountain and the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has always been firm and unshakeable. Whatever happens to the disciples of your sect, we will definitely help in whatever way possible."


    "Same here." Tang Qi Hong maintained her respectful stance.


    Wu Tuo sighed heavily and shook his head. "If I knew that you would be attacked on your way back to the sect, I would have personally escorted you myself. I really did not imagine that there would be people audacious enough to attack the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect inner sect disciples within Tushan City itself. How utterly outrageous!"


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will definitely get to the bottom of this," Tang Qi Hong vowed.


    A silence fell over us for a moment, and then Wu Tuo smiled awkwardly.


    "Um¡­if I may be so bold, I actually have a request."


    Tang Qi Hong brightened up, most likely because she had a chance to repay him. "Sure! What is it? We''ll do everything we can to help!"


    Wu Tuo coughed embarrassedly. "Well, actually¡­when you return to your sect, you could let Pang Feng and Pang Yun know that I''ve come to Tushan City, and that I hope they can visit this shop. As you know, your sect dislikes it a lot when I attempt to contact the both of them, so it isn''t easy for me to meet them¡­"


    Pang Feng was a genius among Cloud Sky Mountain''s younger generation, and he had gone against the Cloud Sky Mountain Sect Leader''s advice to accompany his sister to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect without any hesitation.


    Consequently, Cloud Sky Mountain had sent people to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect many times before, trying to meet Pang Feng and persuade him to return to the mountain. Naturally, Pang Feng rejected them each and every time, but they were persistent to the point where even the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect got sick of their visits.


    Furthermore, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect valued Pang Feng a lot, so eventually they ended up blocking any communication from Cloud Sky Mountain who requested to meet with Pang Feng and Pang Yun. It wasn''t that they were worried that Pang Feng would be eventually persuaded to leave Nine-Tailed Fox Sect with Pang Yun, but because of more practical reasons ¨C that the mass emails and phone calls from Cloud Sky Mountain were quite simply, becoming spam. To the point that they could actually sue Cloud Sky Mountain for harassment.


    Naturally, I knew about all this because Pang Feng told me. I was good friends with him, and I did happen to witness a couple of times over the past year a small group of Cloud Sky Mountain masters trying to look for him. Pang Feng had directed me and Tong Xue to inform them that he was not available, that he was outside the sect for a mission and other¡­well, lies.


    "Um, about this¡­" Even Tang Qi Hong was taken aback by this request. "It''s not that I don''t want to help you, but I''m not sure I will be able to. The sect is sick of Cloud Sky Mountain''s numerous attempts to persuade Pang Feng and Junior Yun. And even Pang Feng and Junior Yun themselves have complained about Cloud Sky Mountain¡­well, harassing them. I''m afraid they won''t listen to me."


    "No, I''m not going to try to convince them to return to Cloud Sky Mountain. I''m here to notify them of something else. A very important matter." Wu Tuo shook his head frantically to placate her. "You can rest assure, Miss Tang. I swear upon my reputation in the Cloud Sky Mountain that I have not come to persuade the both of them to return home. Additionally, Pang Feng should have become a member of Blood Blades by now, so it will be even more difficult to persuade him."


    "You got that right. He is currently a member of the Blood Blades." I offered my confirmation, and Wu Tuo smiled sadly.


    "All right." Tang Qi Hong thought for a moment, her expression seriously, before she finally nodded. "I trust you."


    "I can tell Pang Feng," I offered. "We''re both in the Blood Blades, so I''m more likely to see him in the near future. I''ll definitely pass on the message."


    Wu Tuo was unable to mask his delight. "Thank you, Miss Tang, Mr. Fei. I will be counting on you then."


    "Yeah. Leave it to me." I nodded, and made a mental note.


    Before we could say anything else, one of the staff came in.


    "The Blood Blades are here!" he called out, trying to keep the awe and panic out of his voice.


    "Ah, then let''s go meet them!" Wu Tuo hurriedly rose to his feet. Tang Qi Hong and I exchanged a glance, and then followed him out of the reception room. Outside, Elder Zhao and a bunch of Blood Blades were milling inside the shop.


    "Hey, Wu!" Tong Xue waved at me. I grinned and waved back, but was a little disappointed when I didn''t see Pang Feng. I guess notifying him would have to wait, though¡­if he did arrive here, then I wouldn''t need to pass him the message in the first place.


    "Qi Hong! Are you all right?" Elder Zhao rushed to her, and she nodded, trying to keep him at arm''s length before he crushed her in a hug.


    "I''m fine. Fei Wu protected me."


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    Elder Zhao turned to me with a relieved smile. "Great job, Fei Wu. I knew I could rely on you." he then cocked his head. "I heard you even captured one of the assassins?"


    "Yeah. He should be in there." I turned toward the storeroom. At a nod from Wu Tuo, one of the staff led us there, opening the door to reveal the waiting sentry who continued to guard over the semi-conscious Gray Shadow.


    Gray Shadow glanced up, his eyes glinting faintly when he recognized Elder Zhao, but he said nothing and merely set his jaw firmly.


    "Bring him back to the sect," Elder Zhao ordered the Blood Blades subordinates he brought along. "We''ll interrogate him."


    "You won''t get anything out of me," Gray Shadow hissed. Elder Zhao merely glared at him coldly.


    "We''ll see about that."


    Another Cloud Sky Mountain staff hurried into the storeroom and whispered something to Wu Tuo, who widened his eyes.


    "Oh! My disciples have found out some information about the assassins that might be relevant. We''ll email you the details later."


    "We can''t thank you enough." Elder Zhao bowed gratefully to Wu Tuo. "Thank you for protecting our sect''s disciples, and for helping them through this crisis, and also for sheltering them until we arrive. We will definitely repay you."


    "What are friends for?" Wu Tuo waved dismissively. "Anyway, we''ve confirmed the identities of the two assassins. This man we have here is Gray Shadow."


    Gray Shadow twitched, but otherwise didn''t react. He continued to stare at the floor sullenly, refusing to meet the gaze of his captors.


    "The other man who tried to assassinate Miss Tang in Free Trade Street has been confirmed to be Black Shadow."


    "What''s with those fancy names?" I muttered. A few of the other Blood Blades chuckled, but I found it odd that Tong Xue, who would normally be amused by my jokes, remained stoic. He was staring at Gray Shadow with an unreadable expression.


    I frowned at that, and was about to ask him about it, but Tong Xue snapped out of it and grinned at me.


    "Yeah, pretty dumb names, right?" he laughed unconvincingly. My brow furrowed deeper, but before I could ask him, Wu Tuo continued reading off the details from his smartphone.


    "Gray Shadow and Black Shadow are two of the Divine Shadow''s Three Great Shadow Guards. I''m surprised they were sent here. If this intelligence is not mistaken, Gray Shadow and Black Shadow are here in Tushan City under Liang Shao Yang''s instructions. He is their sect leader''s son, after all. I suspect that they were acting today under Liang Shao Yang''s orders."


    "So it was him, after all!" Tang Qi Hong growled furiously. Elder Zhao clenched his fists angrily until his kunckles whitened.


    "That brat! If he''s really behind this, then I don''t care what Sect Leader or the Great Elders say. I will definitely¡­!"


    "Calm down." Wu Tuo held up a hand. "This is just speculation. I have no concrete proof. You should know how Divine Shadow Sect operates. They conceal plenty of information even from their own subordinates. Even though many outsiders are aware of Divine Shadow Sect''s notorious reputation for raising assassins and killers, it is extremely difficult to get any accurate information regarding the actual circumstances inside Divine Shadow Sect. for all we know, there might be inner strife and multiple factions within Divine Shadow Sect, and one of those factions might be aiming to kill Liang Shao Yang because of inner sect rivalry, so that they can oust his father from his position of sect leader. Or perhaps they want to frame Liang Shao Yang so that they can discredit his father. We have no way of confirming the truth."


    "Even so, our intelligence can confirm that Gray Shadow and Black Shadow are direct subordinates of Liang Shao Yang¡­or at least direct subordinates of his father."


    This time it was Tong Xue who spoke up, and everyone turned to him. We knew that his primary sect was the Smart Shadow Sect, so his information was pretty reliable.


    "In other words, it''s a ninety percent possibility that Liang Shao Yang is the one behind the assassinations," Elder Zhao grated out.


    "Perhaps even higher." Wu Tuo nodded. "But unless you have solid evidence that he was the one who personally ordered Gray Shadow and Black Shadow to act, I''m afraid you won''t be able to make a move against him."


    Yeah, sometimes the legal system was its own worst enemy. On the other hand, if it turned out that this happened to be the other ten percent (or lower) that Liang Shao Yang was not responsible for this, then we would end up framing an innocent man and killing him unjustly. The legal system existed for a reason.


    Elder Zhao glared at Gray Shadow in disgust, and then turned back to Wu Tuo. Apparently he was interested in what he said earlier.


    "Master Wu Tuo¡­you mentioned something about Gray Shadow and Black Shadow being three of the Great Shadow Guards? Who''s the third one? And is he under the direct command of Liang Shao Yang as well?"


    Wu Tuo thought for a while, and then he shook his head.


    "I don''t know."


    "It''s Blood Shadow."


    Again, Tong Xue surprised everyone by speaking out. Everyone turned to stare at him, and he shrugged.


    "Blood Shadow is the last and most powerful of the Three Great Shadow Guards." He glanced at the bound Gray Shadow with that same unreadable expression. "He''s on a completely different level from Gray Shadow and Black Shadow, whose combat capaibilities are only average." He then turned to Tang Qi Hong and me. "You two were lucky. If the one attacking had been Blood Shadow, it would be near impossible for both of you to escape with your lives."


    "I''m glad we were lucky then," I commented dryly. "Even though we almost got assassinated."


    "They were no match for the two of us," Tang Qi Hong said proudly, her hands on her wide hips. I snorted.


    "Only because they were stupid enough to attack us one person at a time, and we both ganged up on each of them. If they were smart enough to team up and fight us two against two, I''m afraid we wouldn''t be standing here and talking in such a carefree manner."


    Gray Shadow glanced up at me sharply, but remained silent. There was some respect in those gray eyes now, though.


    Come to think of it, I couldn''t blame them for their tactics. The two of them showing up together and trying to attack us at the same time would have drawn a lot of attention. Like I said, Gray Shadow''s strategy was actually sound. If I wasn''t the one accompanying Tang Qi Hong, he would actually have succeeded. Under normal circumstances, there was no real need for the two of them to team up to attack Tang Qi Hong.


    Sometimes Fate could be a real bitch. I was just glad I wasn''t her target this time.


    "Is this Blood Shadow under Liang Shao Yang''s command too? What are the chances he has come to Tushan City along with the other two Great Shadow Guards?"


    Elder Zhao was questioning Tong Xue now, but he shook his head.


    "I''m afraid I don''t know the details. I just know he''s extremely powerful, but my sect and I have no idea what techniques he uses, or exactly what stage or realm he''s at right now. I do know that he''s a direct subordinate of the Divine Shadow Sect leader. He is usually always at the sect leader''s side, mostly as his bodyguard. I can''t guarantee that he''s not here, though¡­from what I heard, the Blood Shadow is usually dispatched to take care of the most difficult assassination assignments¡­and his success rate is hundred percent."


    That sent a chill down everyone''s spines. Especially mine. I noticed Gray Shadow cracking a small, subtle smile, which flickered his face for a brief second before vanishing underneath that stiff, emotionless fa?ade.


    I swear, that was classic foreshadowing. Given how these were the Great Shadow Guards, I guess foreshadowing was an apt word to use for this case.

 160 Chapter 159: It’s a Trap!

    "Fei Wu and I were ambushed at Free Trade Street! These bastards were trying to kill us!"


    She jabbed a finger at the sullen Gray Shadow, who was being ferried on a gurney by the Blood Blades. Obviously they didn''t intend to carry him all the way home, but instead loaded him into the armored transport they arrived in. An armored personnel carrier, to be exact, which could load up to 12 infantry in addition to the driver and an extra passenger up front.


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes burned with anger as she elaborated on the details. Earlier, we didn''t have the chance to go into the details, roughly summing up our account into a few sentences so as not to take advantage of Wu Tuo''s hospitality for too long. After we exchanged information, we headed to the armored personnel carrier, Elder Zhao asked for a more detailed account (probably because he needed to write up a report for his superiors), and Tang Qi Hong was only too happy to oblige. I stayed quiet, allowing her to tell the tale.


    From experience, the more modest I appeared, the more impressed people would be, and they would be convinced more than ever that I was some sort of hero.


    "To think there would be people so audacious as to attack an inner sect disciple in Tushan City!" Elder Zhao was also furious. "Don''t worry, Qi Hong. I will thoroughly investigate this matter!"


    "Yeah." One of the accompanying Blood Blades turned to glare at Gray Shadow and kicked him. The middle-aged man didn''t even flinch, despite the large bruise appearing on his leg. "Spill it. Who sent you, and why are you aiming for Senior Tang?"


    Gray Shadow said nothing. As much as I resented him for trying to kill us, I couldn''t help but admire his tenacity.


    "From what Master Wu Tuo and Tong Xue said, Liang Shao Yang must be the one who ordered them." Tang Qi Hong glared at Gray Shadow as well. "They are the direct subordinats of Liang Shao Yang, are they not? Who else would they be carrying out orders for then?"


    Gray Shadow neither denied nor confirmed her accusation. He merely sat there, staring coldly at the metallic floor of the APC.


    "He is the one with the most to gain from your death," Elder Zhao agreed carefully. "And he does have a motive for it. But until we get hard, concrete evidence, it will be hard to move against him. I will need to get a warrant from not just Sect Leader but also the Great Elders for his arrest. I think Sect Leader will agree, but it''s the Great Elders I''m worried about."


    Gray Shadow smirked, and his expression was not lost on all the other passengers sharing the space with him.


    "Yeah!"


    "That guy has been getting on my nerves all this while!"


    "Yeah! He''s always acting arrogant and looking down on the rest of us!"


    "But¡­would he really try and murder a fellow sect disciple?" one of the Blood Blades, a thin, timid-looking guy asked nervously. "I mean¡­no matter how rude and arrogant he acts, has he actually done anything as drastic as this before?"


    "Have you not told them?" Tang Qi Hong asked Elder Zhao, who inclined his head quizzically. She sighed. "Fei Wu here has been attacked by Liang Shao Yang before. He used Venomous Scarabs to attack Fei Wu, and then killed Senior Hao Ying after that."


    "Now that you mention it¡­" the thin Blood Blade fella nodded, his doubts evaporating. "I remember that farcical trial last year. Even though Junior Fei testified that he saw Liang Shao Yang throwing the Venomous Scarabs at him, the Great Elders judged his eyewitness account unreliable and acquitted Liang Shao Yang. Not to mention, they ordered us to stop investigating the cause of Senior Hao Ying''s death shortly after the trial¡­"


    "That man is practically the scourge of everyone as long as he stays in the sect!" Tang Qi Hong snarled coldly. "Elder Zhao, if you arrest him, and search his room, I''m sure you''ll definitely find some clues or evidence!"


    Elder Zhao fell silent for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. After half a minute, he opened his eyes and nodded.


    "I know how you feel. I will definitely investigate this matter seriously, and if I find evidence that proves Liang Shao Yang''s guilt beyond a doubt, I believe I will be able to convince even those stubborn Great Elders. However, as I said earlier, I will need a warrant to search his personal villa. I do not think it will be possible for me to get that warrant, especially given Liang Shao Yang''s current status." He then turned to give a warning look to his Blood Blade subordinates, including me for some reason. "All of you, do not be reckless. Do not take matters into your own hands and attack Liang Shao Yang. Do not hunt him down. Do not approach him unless I tell you to do so. You are to leave him alone for now. This is a direct order from me. Understand?"


    The Blood Blades looked unhappy, but none of them could go against Elder Zhao''s instructions. They merely nodded obediently.


    "I understand how you all feel, and I''m just as furious," Elder Zhao continued, his eyes blazing. "But with Liang Shao Yang''s current status, even I cannot act against him carelessly, never mind you all. If something was to happen to him, then the whole organization of Blood Blades will be punished. Don''t forget, we are subservient to the sect. We fight for the good of the sect. the moment we decide that we are above the law and resort to military might¡­we will end up destroying ourselves."


    "Yes, Elder Zhao."


    "We understand."


    "We promise."


    The Blood Blades chorused reluctantly, seeing the sense in their commander''s words. I nodded quietly as well.


    "Just because he also triggered a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars?" Tang Qi Hong demanded, dissatisfied.


    "That''s right," Elder Zhao admitted softly. "He is the same as you. You are both the sect''s treasures, and the candidates in line to be the future sect leader. You are both the future of the sect, essentially. That''s why he''s different from the other inner sect disciples. Even if he did commit atrocities, the great elders will turn a blind eye to it. Even if the Sect Leader wants to punish him, he will be pressured by the Great Elders to let him off." he glanced at me. "You all remember what happened at the trial last year, right?"


    "He tried to kill me!" Tang Qi Hong yelled furiously.


    "Yes, but we need cold, hard evidence for that." Elder Zhao looked helpless. "Without any solid evidence, the Great Elders will not take our accusations seriously. Even Sect Leader''s hands will be tied. But you will want to stay close to your parents. They will be able to protect you if Liang Shao Yang tries to move against you in the sect grounds."


    "So I can''t leave the main sect grounds in future, as long as Liang Shao Yang remains in the sect?" Tang Qi Hong snapped bitterly. "I''m supposed to seclude myself at home and fend off all his assassination attempts?"


    "Well, sooner or later he''ll slip up and we''ll find the evidence," I pointed out. Pushing my glasses up thoughtfully, I continued, "I think what we need now is patience¡­and we''ll be able to capitalize on the moment he slips up."


    Gray Shadow snorted. The Blood Blade sitting next to him kicked him harshly, almost knocking him out of his gurney, but the bastard was strapped tight. Even so, we had the satisfaction of hearing him grunt in pain for the first time.


    A few minutes later, the armored transport pulled up in the main sect grounds, rolling into the parking lot. The hatch slammed down, and the Blood Blades poured out in a disciplined formation, covering each other. The sentries responsible for guarding Gray Shadow hauled him out in a rough manner, but credit to the assassin, he did not complain.


    "Fei Wu, you escort Qi Hong home. Make sure nobody harms her." Elder Zhao turned to me and issued an order. I nodded, and he lowered his voice. "Keep her out of trouble as well."


    "Yes, sir." I comprehended the hidden meaning behind his words. Tang Qi Hong was known for having quite the short temper and being impulsive.


    Tang Qi Hong was sulking as she headed straight up Flame Volcano. I noticed that she was taking Elder Zhao''s advice and heading for her adopted family''s manor at the peak instead of her personal villa. I hurried to catch up with her, and even though she was still simmering in rage, she nodded gratefully at me.


    "Did Senior Tang trip on the road? It appears that you have a lot of dust on you, and you seem like you''re in a bad mood. You don''t look as beautiful as before."


    Liang Shao Yang seemed to appear out of nowhere, standing in the path. A cool breeze drifted along the mountain, causing his majestic-looking clothes to flutter. His lips curled up in a sneer as he taunted Tang Qi Hong, his voice clearly filled with scorn.


    The hell? Was this idiot seriously trying to provoke Tang Qi Hong?


    For her part, Tang Qi Hong was so angry that she wasn''t paying attention to her surroundings. When she suddenly heard Liang Shao Yang speak, she abruptly looked up and glared at him hatefully, her eyes blazing.


    "Are you looking for trouble, Junior Liang?"


    Her spatial ring glowed and the Nether Ghost Claw materialized, hovering above her head. Already it was bursting with ominous, bloodthirsty qi, which was taking the form of ghostly, cyan will''o wisps.


    "What do you think you are doing, Senior Tang? Are you going to attack me?" Liang Shao Yang laughed coldly, showing no trace of fear at all. "Certainly, if you attack anyone else in the sect without any reason, then maybe Sect Leader and the six Great Elders will cover for you. But if you attack me, then even the Sect Leader will not be able to shield you from punishment!"


    Even as he said that, dark, shadowy qi surged inside both of his sleeves. Liang Shao Yang was taking no chances, steeling himself for an attack just in case Tang Qi Hong went beserk. He was secretly activating his martial art technique.


    "Qi Hong! What are you doing?" Upon hearing their argument, Lian Rou hurried out of her villa and frantically stopped her. "This is Flame Volcano! You must not be reckless, or Sect Leader will punish you!"


    "Senior Tang, Junior Liang, what are you guys doing?" Pang Yun also appeared, looking at the situation in astonishment.


    More inner sect disciples were emerging from their apartments and dormitories, watching the commotion curiously. They were all surprised by the sight of Tang Qi Hong angrily confronting Liang Shao Yang.


    Tang Qi Hong and Liang Shao Yang were both prodigies who had attained enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and were the hope and future of the sect, as well as the beloved children of the sect leader and the six Great Elders. This inevitably stirred up plenty of jealousy within their hearts.


    Now that they got to see these two prodigies confront each other and getting ready to clash, the inner sect disciples immediately became excited. Not only did most of them not stop them, some of them were pouring fuel to the fire.


    "Hmm, Senior Tang is currently better at blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, but I don''t know if she''s better in combat?"


    "Junior Liang is from the Divine Shadow Sect. He must have learned assassination techniques and is definitely proficient in combat. This will be an interesting battle!"


    They were assuming that Tang Qi Hong and Liang Shao Yang were arguing over a trivial matter.


    "Qi Hong!" Lian Rou pulled her back, trying to persuade her to back off. She was using brute strength to forcibly drag her best friend away from the confrontation. She turned to me. "Fei Wu! What are you doing? Help me!"


    "I will when the time is right," I assured her. "Don''t worry, Qi Hong won''t do anything stupid¡­"


    "Senior Tang, be more careful when you leave for another shopping trip next time. Don''t trip and come back dusty again!" Liang Shao Yang yelled coldly.


    "You''re asking for it, aren''t you?!"


    Tang Qi Hong was originally going to withdraw, but she snapped the moment she heard his provocation. As she boiled in fury, the Nether Ghost Claw responded to her raging emotions and streaked toward Liang Shao Yang.


    Bang!


    Before the Nether Ghost Claw could reach Liang Shao Yang, I had intercepted it with my bare hand. Grabbing it and ignoring the ghostly flames that scorched my right hand, I forcibly shoved it down and handed it back to a stunned Tang Qi Hong.


    "Qi Hong, careful. Your Spirit Weapon went berserk for some reason. Try to regain control of it."


    "¡­eh?" Tang Qi Hong blinked, but then she suddenly understood what I was doing. She quickly nodded and packed the Nether Ghost Claw into her spatial ring. "Uh, yeah. That''s weird. Sorry about that, I''ll be more careful in future."


    "AAAAAAAAH!"


    Everyone turned toward the screaming Liang Shao Yang. His chest had crumpled and he fell backward for some reason, plunging straight off a cliff and into the mountain creek below, which was filled with stones.


    His extremely shrill shrieks pierced the air, causing all the surrounding inner sect disciples to cover their ears.


    Tang Qi Hong''s beautiful expression suddenly turned dumbfounded. "But the Nether Ghost Claw didn''t hit him at all?" she stared at me, and I was shaking my burned hand and grimacing in slight pain. I shrugged and glanced at the other inner sect disciples.


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    "Did you guys see who attacked him? Sorry, I was so busily trying to save Liang Shao Yang from the berserk Nether Ghost Claw that I didn''t realize there was an assailant from somewhere else."


    "Uh¡­I didn''t see anyone else." Lian Rou looked puzzled for a moment, and then she frowned. "This is bad! You fell for his trap!"


    More like he fell for my trap, actually, but obviously I couldn''t say that out loud.


    The faces of the other inner sect disciples also turned strange. They knew something was off, especially since they had clearly seen me block the Nether Ghost Claw. In other words, something else must have hit Liang Shao Yang, but they didn''t see any other attack from elsewhere. And if I could withstand the direct hit from the Nether Ghost Claw and even return it to Tang Qi Hong calmly, how could a prodigy like Liang Shao Yang crumple and collapse despite being so far away? Something was definitely not right here.


    "It''s Liang Shao Yang!"


    "Liang Shao Yang is screaming!"


    Despite being all the way in the mountain peak, Sect Leader Zi Shou De and the Chief Great Elder Luo Zhi Chang overheard the commotion and practically flew all the way down to the mountainside to see what was going on.


    Meanwhile, Liang Shao Yang lay at the heap of gravel at the foot of the mountain. He looked like he was in pretty bad shape, with cuts and wounds all over his body. Wiping the blood across his body to smear it everywhere, he yelled in fury.


    "Senior Tang! What have I done to offend you? I''ve simply reminded you to be careful in future. You would kill me over just that?!"


    "Are you retarded?" I scoffed. "Qi Hong didn''t attack you. Everyone saw it, didn''t they?"


    "Yeah¡­it seems more like you¡­hit yourself with your own technique," Pang Yun remarked, puzzled. "Why would you do that?"


    "Aha! Maybe it''s a demonic technique! He''s from the Divine Shadow Sect, after all!" one of the more vicious inner sect disciples suggested enthusiastically. "He tried to use a demonic technique to counter the Nether Ghost Claw and it backfired on him!"


    "That must be it¡­"


    "Yeah, there''s no other explanation."


    "Who ask him to practice demonic techniques?"


    "What the fuck are you all talking about?!" Liang Shao Yang shouted, but he realized that his schemes had failed. He didn''t expect me to step in and stop the Nether Ghost Claw, and it was too late for him to withhold his technique. Unfortunately, it backfired and everyone saw him for the phony that he was. Perspiration began pouring down his face when he realized that nothing was going according to plan. "Senior Tang attacked me!"


    "I protected you," I pointed out. "And even though I''m supposed to be weaker than you, I only got off with little more than slight burns. How the heck did you fall off the cliff when I blocked the attack? Did you panic or something? I thought the Divine Shadow Sect was supposed to be a sect of assassins, not weak cowards."


    Liang Shao Yang blanched. "Why, you¡­!"


    "What''s going on here?"


    Even though Sect Leader Zi Shou De had overheard everything and had a good idea of what had happened, he still asked the question when he descended into the center of the crowd. He glanced down at Liang Shao Yang sprawled over the heap of stones, his expression equally stony.


    "Uh, it''s like this." An inner sect disciple spoke up timidly and softly. "Junior Liang and Senior Tang were arguing. Then Senior Tang took out her Nether Ghost Claw¡­"


    "¡­she somewhat lost control over it, but I stopped it and returned it to her." I quickly cut into the conversation and showed Sect Leader Zi my burned hand. "But for some reason, Senior Liang panicked, slipped and fell over the cliff and down the mountain. Didn''t even conjure his protective aura to protect himself from the fall, for some reason."


    "He must have been panicking really badly," Sect Leader Zi remarked with a straight face. "Well, he wasn''t supposed to be a martial artist in the first place. Or his own demonic technique backfired on him when he used it."


    Liang Shao Yang was growing paler when he heard those indirect insults, and he bristled with fury.


    "I wouldn''t have slipped and fallen if Senior Tang didn''t draw her Nether Ghost Claw in the first place!" he hollered. I snorted at that.


    "You called me trash and weak, and yet I was the one who protected you from the beserk Nether Ghost Claw and suffered minimal injuries at worst. In contrast, you panicked and are whining like a big baby despite being stupid enough to forget about your protective qi aura when you fell off the cliff. So are you admitting that you''re worse than trash? That you''re weaker than me?"


    "You fucking trash!" Liang Shao Yang roared and leaped up, landing on the cliff and striding toward me. "Are you really that deluded to believe that you''re stronger than me?"


    "What the¡­?" I shook my head. "You''re not as hurt as you made yourself out to be, after all. Why were you whining and bawling like a big baby earlier?"


    "T¡­that¡­"


    Liang Shao Yang trailed off and was suddenly aware that he was being watched intently by Sect Leader Zi and Chief Elder Luo. It was too late to collapse on the ground and start rolling about now, especially since he jumped all the way up the cliff in a single bound.


    "Shao Yang¡­" Chief Elder Luo sighed and shook his head. "Even if you want to frame Qi Hong, don''t you think you''re going overboard with your mischief?"


    "Well, it can''t be helped. He''s not a martial artist, he''s a blacksmith." Sect Leader Zi was enjoying himself tremendously. He then put on a stern expression. "Shao Yang, I don''t know where you learned that demonic technique from ¨C perhaps from your Divine Shadow Sect? But I strongly advise you to stop practicing it. Look at what happened, it backfired on you and you ended up so badly hurt. Let this be a lesson for you. Don''t use demonic techniques in future, okay? If you need to learn martial arts, let me know. I''ll arrange for Elder Zhao to teach you our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s combat techniques. Just don''t get desperate enough to resort to these demonic techniques. They''re banned for a good reason."


    "You¡­you got it wrong," Liang Shao Yang spluttered. "I wasn''t using a demonic technique. I¡­"


    But Sect Leader Zi was no longer paying any attention to him. He was turning to the other inner sect disciples with a kind smile and a gentle request.


    "Someone please escort him to the infirmary to get his wounds treated. And maybe get a psychiatrist to make sure he didn''t suffer any post-traumatic stress disorder from falling off the cliff." He pretended to wince. "From the way you were screaming, I thought your sanity had snapped from the fear or something."


    "I¡­I¡­" Liang Shao Yang stammered, but he found himself cornered. While a couple of inner sect disciples hurried over, trying not to snicker, he ignored them and glared at me, pure hatred blazing in his eyes. If he hadn''t borne a grudge against me before, he definitely did now. "You''ll pay for this, you trash," he growled in a low voice as he walked past me, his "injuries" suddenly forgotten.


    I couldn''t help but grin. "By the way, how is Black Shadow? The last time I saw him, he was in pretty bad shape."


    Liang Shao Yang froze for the briefest of moments, but he recovered quickly and turned to glare at me, his eyes as cold as ice.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about."


    "Really? Strange. I thought he was your direct subordinate. Shouldn''t he be reporting to you about his failure?"


    "Careful," Liang Shao Yang warned dangerously. "Don''t you dare make false accusations against me."


    "False accusations?" I feigned ignorance. "I didn''t accuse you of anything, did I? Unless you''re saying that Black Shadow is not your subordinate. If he''s not, then I apologize. I thought you were both from the Divine Shadow Sect."


    There was a tic in his jaw as Liang Shao Yang continued glaring at me, not knowing how to respond to that. It was pointless denying that they were both from the Divine Shadow Sect. Any sect intelligence would be able to find that out.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about," he finally repeated. I nodded sagely at that.


    "That''s fine. I was just expressing my concern for your fellow sect member, but if you don''t know him, then too bad. I''ll ask him himself when he shows up again."


    "Why would he show up again?!" Liang Shao Yang snapped, his patience fraying. "What are you trying to say?"


    Pretending to be shocked, I raised both hands. "That was the impression I got when Qi Hong and I met him. That he wanted to meet us again. Especially if he wants to inquire about Grey Shadow."


    The horror on Liang Shao Yang''s face almost made me laugh, but credit to him, it was only a slight flicker before he clamped down on it with his frosty fa?ade. He turned away icily, making it look like he didn''t care, and stomped off.


    "What''s this about?" Sect Leader Zi asked me curiously. I shrugged and bowed apologetically.


    "Sorry, but you''ll have to ask Elder Zhao for the details. I''m sure he''ll be reporting to you shortly."


    "I will make sure I hear about every detail," Sect Leader Zi said grimly, already guessing what had happened. He turned to Tang Qi Hong. "Qi Hong, you should visit your mother, sister and me once in a while."


    "Um, I''m actually going over to stay there right now," Tang Qi Hong confessed. Sect Leader Zi beamed in delight, totally not expecting this good news.


    "Excellent! How long has it been since you''ve come home? Good, very good. I''ll get Chu Shi to whip up a feast tonight!"


    "Geez, Father, please don''t make a big deal out of it!"


    While father and daughter conversed, I glanced at the withdrawing Liang Shao Yang, who was now obediently heading toward the infirmary with a sour expression. He turned to glare at me with a murderous expression, and I was left without a doubt who his new primary target was.

 161 Chapter 160: At the Range

    So no sentry duty for me. Yay. As an aside, I only needed to guard Tang Qi Hong during the smithing process because she would return to her home where Sect Lady resided in after that. And obviously Sect Lady Zi Da Ji would be a much more powerful and capable bodyguard than someone like me could ever be.


    About three days passed, and we made a bit of progress with the six Spirit Artifacts. Tang Qi Hong wiped the perspiration from her forehead as she used her qi to control the temperature of the furnace. The Earth Magnets that we had brought back from Cloud Sky Mountain had finally been melded to the other Spirit Materials that Tang Qi Hong took from the sect.


    "Okay, we''re done for the day," she reported as she switched off the furnace. I nodded and began to help her pack up.


    I was about to escort her home, as duty demanded, when Tang Qi Hong suddenly turned to me after putting away her stuff.


    "That reminds me. How goes your progress with your own Spirit Weapon? That shield, right?" she frowned. "Even though you used it the other day, you told me it''s far from complete. How far have you gotten so far?"


    "Uh, I didn''t have time to work on it these couple of days," I admitted, turning a little pale. Tang Qi Hong scowled.


    "All right. Let''s head to your workshop. Show me what you have!"


    "Um¡­I don''t think that''s a good idea¡­"


    "Oh, stop complaining! Let''s go!"


    Tang Qi Hong hopped out of her workshop and proceeded toward the direction of the Blood Blades dormitory. Knowing that I wouldn''t be able to convince her when she made her decision, I could only helplessly follow her and ensure she stayed out of trouble.


    Stopping in front of my apartment, she turned to look at me expectantly. Obviously she was waiting for me to unlock the door for her. I gave her a droll stare.


    "My workshop is that way."


    "Eh¡­?"


    Tang Qi Hong looked extremely embarrassed when she realized that she had gone the wrong way. Coughing as she lowered her head, she gestured impatiently.


    "Well, what are you waiting for? Lead the way!"


    "You were the one who so confidently brought me here," I muttered under my breath, trying not to laugh.


    I was kind of a special case, because I requested for it. Unfortunately, because I sucked terribly at smithing, they didn''t take my request seriously and just assigned me an unused shed. If I had displayed overwhelming talent at smithing and Spirit Engraving, I bet the Sect Leader and Elders would personally order a custom workshop built next to the Blood Blades dormitory. With my lack of skills, I was just not worth the investment.


    Well, at least I had a place to smith and engrave Spirit Diagrams, so I couldn''t complain. It was much better than them telling me to give up totally just because I lacked the "talent" or "results." That was how the real world worked, unfortunately. Without results, no one was going to spend too much money on nurturing you.


    Unlocking the door to my run-down workshop with the key they gave me, I pushed the door open and politely signaled for Tang Qi Hong to step inside.


    "Hmm, so this is your new workshop. I don''t think I''ve ever been here before."


    Tang Qi Hong had not visited my workshop ever since I joined the Blood Blades. She had only visited my apartment once in a while, usually to hang out or ask for favors. Since we were not officially in a relationship, such visits were far and few in between.


    "Yeah, Elder Zhao was kind enough to secure it for me when I asked him," I told her, withholding all the problems and complaints I might have regarding the almost casual manner in which they assigned me this particular workshop.


    "This looks more like one of those workshops assigned to the outer sect disciples," Tang Qi Hong remarked, clearly not liking what she saw. I sighed.


    "We are in the outer sect disciple residence right now," I reminded her. "We might be close to the Blood Blades border, but this is officially within the outer sect disciple zone."


    "Oh." Tang QI Hong scratched her head, but didn''t say anything else. She glanced at the ramshackle shelves and other stuff lying around. Like most guys, I wasn''t very neat, but I wasn''t very untidy either. There was still a bit of clutter, but there were a lot of avenues for her to walk around without stepping on any of my belongings.


    She headed toward my bench, all the while glancing around at my shelves and looking a little disappointed.


    Well, sorry for not maintaining an environment expected of an inner sect disciple. While, as one of the Blood Blades, I had the status equivalent to an inner sect disciple, my smithing and Spirit Engraving skills were not on par with one, and thus I didn''t receive the resources usually allocated for inner sect disciples with regard to forging. It sucked, but there you had it. On the other hand, I did have access to all the resources made available to the Blood Blades, but I just didn''t make full use of it.


    I was getting my priorities wrong.


    "Where are the colossal beasts?" Tang Qi Hong suddenly asked.


    "Huh?" I stared at her in shock. "What the hell are you talking about?"


    Tang Qi Hong placed her hands on her hips. "You know what I''m talking about. You should have frozen ancient and enormous beasts inside your chamber, sealed from a forgotten era. You should even have one colossal python as big as a mountain that wold make the Ice Soul Python as small as an earthworm in comparison!"


    "Ugh¡­" I held my head as I tried not to shout. "Aren''t you mistaking me for Qin Lie? Why the fuck would I have Colossal Beasts in my workshop? It''s not as if I ran away from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and hid in the Arctic Mountain Rage so that I could escape Liang Shao Yang''s attempts to murder me. Aren''t you in the wrong story?"


    "¡­oh. Whoops. Sorry."


    Apparently, Tang Qi Hong''s mind had been stuck in the Spirit Realm for quite a while now. She grinned sheepishly.


    "Sorry. Been reading too much xianxia novels lately."


    "Shouldn''t you be reading all those reincarnation novels about how a Marine-super-doctor-assassin-genius thief-super-soldier woman got killed in the real world and reincarnated as a twelve-year-old ''trash'' princess who is being bullied by her family and abused by her sisters for some reason? And then goes around slapping their faces after the original ''trash'' princess was killed, and goes on to be a genius martial artist/spirit doctor?"


    Tang Qi Hong brightened up. "Oh, I read those too."


    I tried not to sigh in exasperation. "At least you aren''t reading all those stories about a girl having a CEO lover and getting into toxic relationships where the guy is basically abusive, but they somehow end up together regardless."


    "What makes you think I don''t?" Tang Qi Hong demanded, annoyed. She had thought my question a slight toward her taste in books¡­but then again, I read stupid xianxia stories with Mary Sue protagonists, so I couldn''t very well criticize other people about their tastes in stories either. I calmed down and smiled.


    "We''re getting sidetracked. You wanted to see my personal project?"


    Taking out my Snow Aegis, I activated it. While the original spatial device was fairly small, it grew rapidly, seeming to draw mass from nowhere. That was exactly the reason while I needed the Void Whale part and made it double as a Spatial Device. When not in combat, the unnecessary components were sealed away in the alternative space, remaining dormant until I activated it. Then they would leave the spatial device and combine with the spatial device.


    "Hmm¡­" Tang Qi Hong studied the snowflake-shaped shield for a few moments, nodded in approval. "This actually looks good. Considering your usual products, I''m actually impressed with how you forged this."


    "I spent months forging just this one thing," I muttered dryly. "I would be pretty sad if it didn''t turn out the way I wanted it."


    Tang Qi Hong frowned. "Well, you said it was incomplete?" she turned my Snow Aegis over, taking out a hi-tech single eye-lense from her spatial ring, put it on and analyzed it. "It seems complete as a shield."


    "Oh¡­I don''t want it to just be a shield," I confessed. Heading over, I took out the doomed Castellax-class battle-automata''s components. The undamaged ones, anyway. "I was trying to combine it with these parts."


    "Battle-automata components?" Tang Qi Hong frowned as she lifted them to look at them. "Even a cerebral cortex and power battery. Why would you add these to a shield?"


    "Because they are capable of complex calculations and autonomous fire responses," I replied. Reaching into my Snow Aegis again, I took out a bunch of stuff. Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened when she saw the unfamiliar (for her) weapons.


    "What are those? I have never seen anything like them before."


    "They are guns," I explained as I raised one of them for her to look. "They absorb the qi from the shooter and focus it into a high concentrated qi beam, amplifying the firepower several times over. Even a normal guy should be able to punch through concrete with a single beam from one of these guns."


    Even though I called them guns, they were very different from modern guns back in my original timeline. The barrels were sleek and smooth instead of cylindrical, and they were silver. They looked more like wings, or the petals on my Snow Aegis. Each barrel terminated in a single small hole where the beam would be fired from, and at the other end, the guns thickened and widened, including propulsion and anti-gravity systems.


    "Wow¡­I''ve never seen anything like this before," Tang Qi Hong marveled as she analyzed it through that hi-tech eyeglass. She could see the qi crystal at the core of the gun, the main conduit that would amplify the wielder''s qi and turn it into a beam, which reflected off several crystalized mirrors inside the hovering weapon before being unleashed from the barrel. She also noted the mini-cerebral cortexes inside each gun, which served as its "brain" or a crude form of artificial intelligence, and linked to each other through a wireless network that was supported by the main cerebral cortex inside the core Snow Aegis.


    "I''ve tried to use Spirit Diagrams to finish it up, but it doesn''t seem to work. I still can''t get the artificial intelligence to run the way I want it to. Right now I can control it remotely, but with up to nine guns, I can''t direct all of them at once. I need the artificial intelligence to assist me with manipulating them. That''s where I''m stuck at right now."


    "Yeah, of course you would." Tang Qi Hong turned to stare at me sternly. "You''re attempting a weapon no one has built before! An advanced, hi-tech weapon that never mind me, even Elder Hai mo hasn''t heard of before! Can you imagine the waves you would make if this gets out? You''ll cause a storm in the blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving world!"


    "That is assuming I succeed, of course," I reminded her. Tang Qi Hong''s beautiful expression softened and she nodded.


    "Yeah, I can see why you''re having so much trouble. It''s very difficult to invent a new Spirit Engraving for a weapon that has never been built before. To be honest, I''m not even sure how this weapon works¡­"


    "Should I demonstrate it to you?" I asked. Tang Qi Hong''s eyes brightened up.


    "Of course! Can you?"


    "Um¡­we''ll need to go to the training facility first." I glanced outside. "If you don''t mind visiting the Blood Blades'' training facility."


    "Of course I wouldn''t!"


    Tang Qi Hong clearly looked like she couldn''t wait to go. She impatiently scooped up the gun and headed for the door. I had to hurriedly grab it from her and stuff it into my Snow Aegis and contract it back to its normal spatial device form.


    "I see why you needed the Void Whale now," Tang Qi Hong remarked as she stared at the spatial device that I placed inside my pocket. I merely smiled and shrugged.


    "Yeah."


    "What did you call that? Guns? I''ve never heard of that before."


    Tang Qi Hong frowned. Of course she wouldn''t. In this world, guns were pretty much redundant because most people could shoot qi blasts out of their hands. So it never occurred to them that they would need a tool or weapon to do the exact same thing. Yet they continued to use a lot of melee weapons like swords, axes, halberds, spears and even shields and armor. That meant that weapons as a concept wasn''t obsolete.


    No, the purpose of weapons was to increase the killing power of a martial artist. Therefore a gun that could just shoot qi blasts wasn''t sufficient. I needed a gun that could amplify the firepower of those qi blasts, and I succeeded in crafting that.


    Now, even a normal person with very little qi could hurt a person with a lot of qi by shooting him with this weapon, because it leveled the playing field by amplifying the power of his little qi to match the other guy''s a lot of qi. Of course, there were ways to defend against this, such as defensive martial arts techniques, or shields and armor, but at least the little guys had a way of defending themselves right now even if they had very little qi.


    "Speaking of which, you called that weapon you forged for the entrance exam to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect a rifle¡­wasn''t that a kind of gun too?"


    Very astute of Tang Qi Hong to make the link. As expected of a master blacksmith. She must have noticed the similiarities in mechanism and the barrel, though the ice rifle operated on a completely different mechanism, given that it fired solid projectiles rather than qi beams.


    "Oh, yeah¡­it broke after a few days. Evidently ice is not a good material to use for forging guns."


    That was a huge blunder on my part. Guns operated on the principle of igniting gunpowder, which produced a lot of heat. You can probably guess what sort of effects that had on ice. Even if this was a "fantasy" xianxia world, that didn''t mean anything goes. It sucked, but I was doomed to make a lot of mistakes instead of "revolutionizing" this alternative timeline.


    There weren''t many people in the Blood Blades'' training facility, not at this time of the day. Tang Qi Hong made a quick call to her home to inform her parents that she would be a little late, and then followed me inside.


    "This is¡­"


    "The target range."


    Tang Qi Hong glanced around when I brought her to an indoor field where targets stood pretty far away. The targets were defensive battle puppets that stood stationary, and depending on the training program you selected, they would either move or stay still, waiting for you to hit them with ranged qi blasts or other ranged martial arts techniques.


    As the guns were a ranged weapon, it only made sense to make use of this training facility instead of the close combat ones.


    "Let''s select one with the most powerful defensive settings," I mumbled as I keyed in the programs I wanted. One of the battle puppets whirled as the conveyor rolled, and the machine dropped the poor target practice in the middle of the field. It stood up and straightened, its eyes glowing red as it activated several qi barriers.


    "Um¡­isn''t this a bit too much?" Tang Qi Hong murmured as she saw the qi barriers. "You''ll need a peak-level Pure Spirit Stage practitioner to break through that amount of defenses¡­"


    I grinned. "And this is where I demonstrate to you how meaningless all those levels and realms and stages are."


    "¡­eh?"


    With a thought, I had one of my guns hover in the air. It stabilized and pointed its floating barrel straight at the defensive battle puppet. With a thought, I instructed it to fire.


    Responding to my will, the gun glowed azure, drawing qi from my body and charging up its qi battery that I replicated using the Castellax-class battle-automata''s core qi battery at base. That core qi battery currently resided inside the core component of my Snow Aegis to power up its defensive barriers and fields, as well as to maintain the connective network that linked the guns to it and each other. The qi transformed into a beam within the gun''s insides, bouncing off several mirrors and blasted out of the barrel, slamming into the numerous qi barriers in front of the target battle puppet.


    In just an instance, the intense qi beam shattered the dozen layers of solid qi barriers before punching a hole through the adamantine plating of the battle puppet, causing it to double over and collapse. And then the falling battle puppet vanished in a massive explosion, incinerated into flying molten, shrapnel.


    "What the hell?!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s jaw dropped. I grinned and shrugged.


    "And that didn''t even need a lot of qi from my part."


    "What are you smoking?!" Tang Qi Hong whirled around and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me violently. "Never mind your completed Snow Aegis¡­if you just show this ''gun'' thing to Father and the Great Elders, they will immediately promote you into the inner sect! You''ll be on par with me and Liang Shao Yang!"


    "Just because I was able to design just this single thing?" I rolled my eyes. "It''s not that special. People have already been pulling this off with Spirit Bows and qi arrows. It''s not like there''s any precedent." Furthermore, when I tried the gun out in the training facility, the elder in charge didn''t seem to think it was anything special, and just got mad at me for blowing up the training dummies. "Besides, I''m afraid that I''ll disappoint you, because that''s the only thing I''ll be able to design. I honestly don''t think I''ll be producing new, innovative designs rivaling this in future."


    Not unless I could come up with mecha suits and nukes, but as expected those were beyond me. In my previous timeline, we had technology that could produce lasers, which was how I managed to come up with this in the first place, but that consumed way too much energy to be efficient. In this timeline, that energy problem was solved with the existence of qi, so I didn''t hesitate to make use of qi to supply that tremendous amount of energy required for laser weapons. But I hadn''t heard of working mecha suits and I was a literature student, not a nuclear physicists. Even though I had some understanding of how nuclear fusion and nuclear fission worked because I read science fiction, I did not have the knowledge of producing them in a lab.


    "Even so, you should still tell Father and the elders about your invention!" Tang Qi Hong insisted. "Do you know how much the sect will be able to benefit from this?!"


    "I plan on doing so after I complete my Snow Aegis," I replied and scratched my cheek, faintly wondering why she was so excited over my gun. "I''ll be able to put on a more impressive show if I do so."


    Tang Qi Hong shook her head in wonder. "Something even more impressive than this? Are you serious?"


    "Well, not that much more impressive, since you can already pull it off with your Nine Heavenly Armaments technique, but if I pull this off, then regular people can accomplish the same thing as you without having to learn the Nine Heavenly Armanents technique. Oh, this doesn''t make your technique obsolete." I raised both hands to assure an offended Tang Qi Hong. "In fact, it''ll allow you to probably control nine times as much as you could before, and this doesn''t allow people to master the fighting styles of nine different weapons, just allows them to control nine weapons at the same time. So the Nine Heavenly Armaments technique will still be pretty powerful."


    "Hmph¡­" Tang Qi Hong didn''t look convinced. She then turned to look at the raging inferno, which was currently in the midst of being extinguished by the automatons that operated in the training facility, spraying the flames with foam. "So this is what guns are capable of. What are you trying to achieve with the guns by combining them with your Snow Aegis?" she frowned when what I said earlier hit her. "Controlling nine guns at the same time, using your Snow Aegis as the main conduit or remote control?"


    "Something like that," I agreed with a wide grin. "I call it the Disconnected Rapid Armament Group Operation Online Network, or DRAGOON for short."


    "¡­seriously?" Tang Qi Hong had a sneaking suspicion that I ripped the name off from somewhere ¨C which I did, of course ¨C but didn''t say anything because apparently the Gundam series did not exist in this timeline. She took a deep breath and then nodded. "All right, I''ll help you complete that DRAGOON system or whatever."


    "Thank you."


    Realizing that I had to swallow my pride and lower my head for help, I bowed gratefully. In the end, I wasn''t a genius. I still needed the help of a genius if I were to complete my invention. It stung that I couldn''t do it on my own, but I wasn''t perfect.


    Sometimes I wished I was a Mary Sue protagonist who was capable of everything. If I was anything like Nagumo Hajime from Arifureta Shokuyou de Sekai Saikyou or Ya Se from The Great Conqueror or countless other protagonists who could simply waltz into another world and revolutionize their technology with their contemporary knowledge, I could do it all on my own and churn out innovative invention after invention. Thus impressing everyone in the world and receiving praise. But now I had to share the credit.


    Assuming Tang Qi Hong succeeded, of course.


    "All right, let''s head back."


    Tang Qi Hong was already heading back. I took one last glance at the inferno that was ravaging the range, and then nodded. The automatons had already extinguished the flames, and there was not much of the fire left. The charred remains of the battle puppet ¨C which were lying in countless pieces across the field ¨C were being retrieved by collection automatons. No doubt they would be brought to the outer sect and used as spare parts or recycled for new battle puppets.


    The battle-automata that I brought back from the ancient tomb were far too valuable to be used for training puppets, which was why there was no sign of them in the training facility. I was glad to see that.


    "Let''s do this," I muttered under my breath, and then turned to follow Tang Qi Hong back to my workshop.


    "You again!"


    Before we could leave, however, a familiar figure descended from the office on the second story. The elder in charge of the training facility, Xun Lian, glared at me.


    "Stop using that gun thing to destroy the test dummies! You think they are free, is it? They cost money to produce!"


    "I''ll get the sect to pay for it," Tang Qi Hong assured him. Elder Xun Lian shook his head.


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    "That''s not the point! The sect is already paying for it! But¡­!"


    "Elder Xun, did you not see the weapon Fei Wu used to obliterate the training dummy?" Tang Qi Hong interrupted, trying to withhold her excitement. She turned to me. "This isn''t the first time you used it here, right?''


    She could guess that from Elder Xun''s words and outrage. He turned to stare at her, surprised.


    "Ah, Qi Hong. Yes, I''ve seen it, but¡­"


    "Do you not realize it''s a new weapon? A brand-new, innovative weapon that can revolutionize the blacksmithing industry?!"


    Tang Qi Hong was probably feeling a little outraged that Elder Xun did not take note of the weapons I was trying out in the training facility and report it to the inner sect elders. It would have made great news.


    He blinked for a moment, and then turned to stare at me, his mouth a little dry.


    "Um, well¡­I suppose so?"


    Evidently it had never occurred to him. That was also why I didn''t find my own invention that impressive. Elder Xun never said anything and scolded me when I was trying them out in the training facility. So I thought it was pretty normal. Furthermore, people could already pull off the control multiple weapons at the same time if they mastered the Nine Heavenly Armaments technique, so it never occurred to me that my guns were anything special.


    Furthermore, people could achieve a similar effect with bows and arrows. That said, qi arrows weren''t that much more powerful than qi blasts, but the bows helped them focus their qi into more intensive weapons with added penetrative power. Not as much destructive power as my guns, but there were precedents.

 162 Chapter 161: Sacrifice

    "I even added a new defensive mechanic," Tang Qi Hong told me proudly. When she saw the hurt shock on my face, she quickly rectified her mistake. "No, no¡­your qi barriers and defensive mechanics are perfect. They are impervious to most physical and qi attacks. Nothing short of an actual meteor can break through them, or someone with overwhelming brute force, but there''s nothing I can do to improve that aspect. What I did was add in spiritual defense."


    "Spiritual defense? Is that different from qi defense?" I asked, confused. Tang Qi Hong nodded eagerly.


    "Of course it''s different! Even though the spirit is related to qi, it''s more mental. Like a psychic attack. You know, like illusions? Or attacks that go straight to the mind and spirit? That sort of thing. It''s different from conjuring fire or lightning or creating ice!"


    "Oh¡­" I nodded in comprehension. Wait, that meant¡­!


    My eyes widened as I held my newly completed Snow Aegis, I ran through the possibilities in my head.


    "Thank you so much!" I cried out, grabbing hold of a stunned Tang Qi Hong''s hands. She blushed a little, and yanked her hands out of my grip.


    "Um, you''re welcome."


    "No, seriously! Thank you so much!"


    "I got it, I got it!" Tang Qi Hong sighed and then shook her head. "Now let''s go see Father and the Great Elders. If they learn what you''ve created¡­"


    "Hey, you deserve credit as well," I reminded her. My partner giggled, feeling delighted.


    "Okay. If they learn what we have created, they''ll definitely kick up a fuss!"


    "Right." I hardly thought they would do so, but whatever. I had could just imagine Sect Leader Zi and the Great Elders looked nonplussed and unimpressed as Tang Qi Hong bragged to them what we had produced while I stood back and cringed, wondering where I should hide myself. "Um, you want to show them right now?"


    "Then when?" Tang Qi Hong placed her hands on her nicely curved hips.


    "Tomorrow?" I suggested. Tang Qi Hong looked a little annoyed, and she sighed and shook her head impatiently.


    "Fine, tomorrow then." She brightened up. "I guess it''s better to surprise Father and the rest early in the day instead of this late at night. They''ll be fresher tomorrow. Right now they might be too tired to appreciate the wonder of your invention."


    Again, I honestly doubted that they would be impressed by something as insignificant as a gun or the DRAGOON system ¨C which Tang Qi Hong had a huge hand in finishing, but I didn''t want to burst her bubble.


    "Oh, hey, Fei Wu." Sect Leader Zi was waiting on the porch, and he stood up when he caught sight of us. "Thanks for looking after Qi Hong again today. Care to join us for dinner?"


    "I''m afraid I have to pass," I refused politely. "I have Blood Blades duty. I need to report to Elder Zhao."


    Sect Leader Zi smiled and shook his head. "Another time then. I''ll ask Elder Zhao to let you off so that you can join us for a meal someday."


    "Uh, please don''t trouble yourself¡­"


    "It''s no trouble at all."


    Sometimes, I felt as if the sect leader was just as stubborn as his adopted daughter. Forcing a smile, I merely nodded humbly.


    "Speaking of which, Father, you''ll be in for a surprise tomorrow!"


    Tang Qi Hong was unable to contain her excitement and almost let the cat out of the bag. Sect Leader Zi raised an eyebrow.


    "Hmm?"


    "You''ll see! Fei Wu will tell you tomorrow!" Tang Qi Hong was beaming. "He''ll show you what he has been working on all this while! You and the Great Elders will be in for a big surprise!"


    "Ugh¡­you''re not supposed to tell him that¡­" I groaned. Sect Leader Zi burst out laughing, but to my relief, he merely nodded without pressing for further details.


    "I''ll look forward to it tomorrow then," he said. I nodded and cupped my hands reverently.


    "I''ll take my leave then."


    Then I hurriedly left Sect Leader Zi''s manor and hurried down Flame Volcano, heading right for the base where Elder Zhao resided in.


    "Any news regarding the Divine Shadow Sect?" I asked when I stepped through the door. Elder Zhao raised his head and glanced at me before shaking his head.


    "Nope. Despite employing our best interrogation techniques, Gray Shadow refused to utter even a word." There was a note of grudging admiration in his voice. "He is really tenacious."


    "He''ll crack soon enough, though."


    One of the Blood Blades walked out, wiping his hand on a stained cloth that was dyed crimson in blood. He shook his hands and smiled bitterly. Even though this wasn''t a job he enjoyed, he excelled in it, and knew it was necessary.


    "I''ve removed another couple of his molars today, and I can see the fear in his eyes. Just a little more, one more slight push, and he''ll spill everything he knows."


    "Good." Elder Zhao nodded. "Keep working on it."


    I couldn''t help but curiously peer behind the door. Despite having been a victim before, I felt my stomach drop a little when I saw the horrendous sight of a bloodied Gray Shadow hanging from his arms. Manacles bounded his wrists and he hung helplessly a few inches above the ground, his arms clearly dislocated out of their sockets. His fingers were bent the wrong way, and fingernails were gone, leaving delicate, pink flesh exposed to the air. His chest and torso were bare, revealing freshly clotting scars and a myriad of other wounds that made me a little sick. It was especially because I had suffered through a similar torture session before that I was almost unable to stand the sight, unwanted memories of my suffering under Ba Yun of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect drifting to mind. I swear, that was a form of post-traumatic stress disorder. And to be honest, Gray Shadow wasn''t that much worse off than I was. His head lolled on his chest limply, blood dribbling from his mouth and other wounds, and his eyes were blank.


    The Blood Blades senior was right. Gray Shadow was not far from cracking. The defiant glint in his eyes were gone, leaving hollow, gray, lifeless orbs that stared blankly at the dried pool of blood below him.


    Trying not to throw up as the horrifying sight and excruciating memories combined to make me sick, I shut the door and turned back to Elder Zhao.


    "Is there anything I can do?"


    "Not unless you want to torture the guy, but I know you don''t have the stomach for it." Elder Zhao regarded me grimly, noting the pallor of my face. I sighed and nodded, and he smiled gently. "Just remain on standby. We''ll be raiding the Divine Shadow Sect base in Tushan City soon enough."


    Apparently, the Divine Shadow Sect had moved once Gray Shadow had been captured, as a precaution. They didn''t know we already knew of their base in Water Margin Town, but they were smart enough to know that it wouldn''t be a good idea to remain there when one of their own had been captured and could potentially spill their whereabouts.


    Fortunately, Senior Shen Cha had been keeping an eye on them and tracking their movements. He had followed them to another dilapidated warehouse in Tushan City itself, and was watching them as we spoke.


    "We''ll need your strength when we launch an attack on the Divine Shadow Sect members there. We''re just waiting for evidence." He narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the torture chamber where Gray Shadow hung out. "I also have Du Yan keeping an eye on Liang Shao Yang, but so far he hasn''t made any suspicious moves."


    The senior responsible for torturing burst out laughing. "Yeah, after that stunt Junior Liang pulled when he tried to frame Elder Tang for attacking him the other day, he ended up embarrassing himself. After that, he has shut himself mostly inside his apartment, only coming out for training and stuff. He''s been avoiding Senior Tang ever since."


    "That''s good." I sighed in relief. Elder Zhao nodded toward my direction.


    "Great job looking after Qi Hong all this while. Keep it up."


    "I will!" I saluted. Elder Zhao chuckled.


    "For now, just go home and take a rest. I''ll call you when there''s anything."


    *


    "You''re too reckless!"


    Hu Mei Er crossed her arms as she glared at Liang Shao Yang. He merely stared at his feet as he sat on the edge of the bed they shared.


    "I came back after a few days from a mission on collecting Spirit Materials, and what do I hear? You shooting yourself in the foot when you tried to frame Junior Tang? What are you trying to do?"


    "I''m trying to secure the position of future sect leader," Liang Shao Yang retorted coldly. Hu Mei Er hesitated when she heard that.


    "Even so, you have to be more patient," she said, her tone softening. "Right now you''re being suspected of ordering an assassination attempt on her and the Blood Blades are keeping an eye on you. Some of the Great Elders are even reevaluating their opinion of you."


    "There''s still a few of them on my side," Liang Shao Yang replied confidently. "They''ve spoken up against Sect Leader on my behalf."


    "Only because you''re a male and they''re misogynistic old bastards who cling to their patriarchal ways and believe the sect should only be run by men." Hu Mei Er shook her head bitterly. "But if you keep this up, you''ll cause more trouble for them."


    The way she said it, it was obvious she didn''t think it was a bad thing. Of course, as a woman, she wasn''t pleased with those misogynistic Great Elders. She was one of those more liberal girls who fought for the feminist cause.


    "I know what I''m doing," Liang Shao Yang said shortly. Hu Mei Er shook her head in disgust.


    "I''m sure you do."


    "I''m serious." Liang Shao Yang reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her down onto the bed next to him. Hugging her, he whispered into her ear. "I''m going to need a favor from you."


    "What is it?" Hu Mei Er couldn''t resist him when he was like this. She obediently pressed her beautiful head into his chest, listening to his pounding heart. It was slow, methodical and regulated. Despite the current setbacks, Liang Shao Yang hadn''t panicked. He was still scheming in that cold, calculative, methodological manner of his.


    "There is a Blood Blades member watching over me right now."


    "You mean Du Yan?" Hu Mei Er raised her head and glanced outside the window. "What about him?"


    "I need you to distract him for me. A minute¡­no, just thirty seconds. I need you to distract him for half a minute." Liang Shao Yang gently held Hu Mei Er at arm''s length, gazing seriously into her blue eyes. "Can you do that for me?"


    "That¡­" Hu Mei Er swallowed for a moment, and then she nodded. "Yeah, that''s a piece of cake."


    Du Yan, who was monitoring Liang Shao Yang''s villa from outside, couldn''t hear what they were saying. Even though the Blood Blades were allowed to monitor him, bugging his house and setting up listening devices had been prohibited. That would be a blatant violation of Liang Shao Yang''s privacy, and even the sect leader couldn''t allow that.


    Even so, Du Yan doubted that the couple would be discussing anything important. Most likely they were having pillow talk. Liang Shao Yang and Hu Mei Er had an active sex life, often engaging in Dual Cultivation.


    This was most likely going to be another of those nights. Obviously, he wasn''t privy to that. That same protection of individual privacy applied now, and he didn''t have security recorders or close-circuit video cameras filming whatever the two did in their room. He couldn''t even see anything through the window, just sense their presences inside their houses. For almost a week now, Liang Shao Yang hadn''t done anything, and Du Yan doubted he would do anything tonight.


    However, he hadn''t become a Blood Blade by being careless. Elder Zhao had personally assigned him to do this job, and he would carry it out to the letter.


    "?"


    Du Yan tensed when he saw the door open, but it was just Hu Mei Er leaving. Apparently the couple didn''t plan on having sex tonight, which meant Hu Mei Er wasn''t going to stay over at Liang Shao Yang''s villa as she usually did.


    Well, whatever Senior Hu wanted to do or whoever she slept with was none of his business. Du Yan''s job was to watch Liang Shao Yang and he intended to do just that.


    "Du Yan?"


    "?!"


    Du Yan almost jumped out when Hu Mei Er called out his name. In the few minutes that she took to leave Liang Shao Yang''s villa, she had made her way toward his position, surprising him. Evidently he hadn''t hidden himself well enough.


    "Can I help you, Senior Hu?" He asked without turning around and still keeping his eyes on Liang Shao Yang''s villa. Even though Hu Mei Er had left the villa, Liang Shao Yang had remained inside. Du Yan could still sense the inner sect disciple''s presence within the house.


    "Oh¡­just feeling a bit lonely tonight. Shao Yang has been aloof these few days¡­probably because I spent too long on a mission outside. I was wondering if you can accompany me instead?"


    "I''m busy right now. Go ask someone else."


    Even though Du Yan found Hu Mei Er beautiful, he was under no illusions that she would be attracted to him. Everyone knew that Hu Mei Er was Liang Shao Yang''s girl, and the bastard did not hesitate in attacking anyone he thought was getting too close to his lover, even if the other party was also an inner sect disciple.


    "How cold¡­"


    "!!!"


    Du Yan jumped up when he felt Hu Mei Er leaning against him, pressing her soft breasts against his arm. He whirled around in shock and tried to back away, but Hu Mei Er was clinging to him, her head upturned.


    "Don''t be so cold¡­I was already dumped by Shao Yang. Are you going to cruelly reject me as well?"


    "P¡­please, Senior Hu. Don''t talk nonsense." Du Yan didn''t get into the Blood Blades by being undisciplined. He took a deep breath and pushed her away. "Honestly, you should ask someone else. There are plenty of other guys who will be happy to accompany you. I can''t right now. I''m on a mission."


    "So after your mission is over, will you accompany me?"


    Du Yan''s mind went blank as he studied her expression. Even though he was one of the fearsome Blood Blades, in the end he was still a guy and he couldn''t help but be attracted to her beautiful expression.


    "N¡­no," he managed. "I''m sorry, but¡­I really think you should ask someone else."


    Du Yan knew that this was too good to be true. There was no way that Hu Mei Er would approach someone as nondescript as him. Not even if Liang Shao Yang¡­


    "That''s good then." Hu Mei Er sighed dramatically. "I appreciate your kindness, all the same, but I will take your advice for now."


    "¡­eh?"


    Du Yan blinked, not expecting Hu Mei Er to give up so easily. She smiled sweetly and did a curtsy, pulling up the hem of her short, pink skirt slightly.


    "I''ll take my leave then, Junior Du."


    With that, she vanished. Du Yan stared after the place where she stood, absolutely baffled. He exhaled and shook his head, turning his attention back toward Liang Shao Yang''s villa.


    Then he froze.


    Liang Shao Yang was no longer in his villa. He was¡­gone.


    Panicking, Du Yan reached for his combead. "Elder Zhao! Liang Shao Yang¡­he has disappeared!"


    *


    However, Elder Zhao was no longer inside the Blood Blades headquarters. At this time of the night, he had left it to his subordinate, and returned to his villa near the top of the Flame Volcano.


    That subordinate in question, the guy who was responsible for interrogating Gray Shadow and the one I just conversed with after his torture session only a couple of hours earlier that evening, was lying on the ground, his throat slit. He clutched his bleeding neck desperately for a few seconds before the light went out of his eyes and he slumped on the floor.


    Liang Shao Yang watched him coldly, the Spirit Dagger gleaming in his hands.


    After a few seconds, Liang Shao Yang confirmed that his victim was dead, and then turned toward the torture chamber. Holding his Spirit Dagger out cautiously, he kicked the door open and strode to the front of the broken and battered Gray Shadow.


    "Young Master¡­"


    Some of the light returned to Gray Shadow''s eyes and he looked at Liang Shao Yang weakly. He then bowed his head apologetically.


    "Forgive this servant¡­for allowing himself to get captured and be reduced to a pathetic state. I am very sorry for failing you, Young Master."


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    Liang Shao Yang shook his head.


    "No. you did well, Gray Shadow. From what I heard, you stayed true to the very end, refusing to give these weaklings any information regarding our Divine Shadow Sect. Your courage and tenacity are admirable. I''ll make sure the sect remembers and honors you."


    Gray Shadow cracked a smile with his bleeding lips.


    "I¡­am honored¡­by your words, Young Master."


    Liang Shao Yang inclined his head for a moment, and then closed his eyes.


    "You know that rescue is impossible. Any time now, when they learn that I''ve disappeared, the Blood Blades will come to check this place out."


    "¡­I know. I was prepared to die the moment I was captured."


    Gray Shadow sighed and closed his eyes. He hung his hand determinedly, as if offering his neck for Liang Shao Yang.


    "I''ll make sure the sect honors your memory," Liang Shao Yang promised, and then his Spirit Dagger glinted as it swept toward Gray Shadow''s neck.


    *


    That morning, I woke up extremely early and went out for my usual physical training, which included a fifty-kilometer run.


    Once I completed it, I headed back toward my apartment. Along the way, I passed by the plaza with the Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    That''s right¡­Qi Hong added a spiritual defense function for my Snow Aegis. I wonder how it''ll work?


    Retrieving my Snow Aegis, I approached the plaza cautiously while watching out for the dark, ominous presence that inhabited the abyssal depths underneath the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Fortunately, with my Snow Aegis constructing a defense around me, I was able to protect myself from the psychic and spiritual probing of the dark presence.


    It works!


    I couldn''t help but be excited when I discovered the effectiveness of the psychic and spiritual barrier. I really had to thank Tang Qi Hong again when I saw her. Thanks to her, I could walk into the plaza and try contemplating the Spirit Engraved Pillars without worrying about that spirit bastard dwelling at their bottom!


    The sun had just only recently risen, and thus there weren''t very many disciples on the plaza at this early hour. Only Yin Jing Jing from Snow Valley Sect was present, sitting below one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars and hoping that she would be able to comprehend the mysteries on that particular pillar.


    Following her example, I sat in the very center of the plaza.


    For the first time, shielded by my Snow Aegis from the demonic presence, I could finally take my time to analyze the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, using my glasses to record visuals of the arcane diagrams and mystical patterns inscribed upon them. There were also what looked like an ancient language engraced into the pillars, which appeared to possess some sort of profound meaning that I couldn''t decipher.


    Unfortunately, as much as I tried, I couldn''t make much sense of the diagrams. If readers were expecting me to suddenly comprehend the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars and trigger a response immediately upon my first time sitting down here, they would be massively disappointed. I wasn''t a Mary Sue protagonist who could do everything. It would take me some time to analyze the various diagrams and patterns.


    With my literature background, I was sure I would be able to make out some meaning eventually, but that would take some time.


    "Hmm, that looks interesting."


    I glanced at the Spirit Engraved Pillar where Yin Jing Jing was seated at, I suddenly noted some interesting parallels that reminded me of a literature lesson on a historical text that I studied back in graduate school. The relationship between signs and language, and to decipher meaning from a visual text. It was more of art history, to be honest, and I was glad I took that art history class as part of my literature curriculum.


    Yin Jing Jing suddenly became dazed when she observed the pillar, noting that the long rivers that were part of the Spirit Diagram engraved into it suddenly seem to begin flowing. Her jaw dropped when she realized she could faintly hear the sounds of flowing water and observe the currents in the rivers.


    "This¡­!"


    Trembling in excitement, Yin Jing Jing leaped to her feet and stepped closer to observe the Spirit Engraved Pillar. She rubbed her eyes, not believing what she was seeing.


    At that moment, I turned my gaze away to study the other Spirit Engraved Pillars in hopes of finding a similar pattern. To my disappointment, I couldn''t. That sucked. Coincidentally, Yin Jing Jing stopped rubbing her eyes and she studied the Spirit Engraved Pillar closely. To her massive disappointment, there was no change on the surface of the Spirit Engraved Pillar. The long rivers were no longer animated, remaining as still as the stone they were carved upon.


    Needless to say, she no longer heard any sounds of running water either.


    "I think I''ve been working too hard¡­" Yin Jing Jing sighed and shook her head. "Was I hallucinating or something? Maybe I should rest for today."


    Ignoring me, who was nearby, she headed for the cafeteria for some breakfast. I couldn''t be bothered to look at her either. I was trying to analyze the other eight Spirit Engraved Pillars, but it seemed that the single Spirit Engraved Pillar was the only one I could make some sense of, and it was because of the rivers.


    Rivers equal water, and water was the closest element to ice, which I had the best affinity with. I guessed if I wanted to trigger a response eventually, I could only rely on that. Glancing at the other Spirit Engraved Pillars, I caught another three that had water motifs, but unlike the first one, I wasn''t able to animate the water inside them.


    Even so, this was enough to get me excited. Trying to contain my exhilaration, I forced myself to calm down and focus on that Spirit Engraved Pillar alone. One thing at a time. After I comprehended the wonders of this Pillar, I could move on to the others. Or so I hoped.


    However, before I could do any further in-depth analysis, my smartphone rang. Startled, I almost toppled over, and I hurried retrieved it and hit the green button, looking around in embarrassment and feeling relieved that there was no one else around in the plaza.


    It would be rude to disrupt the concentration of all the other disciples who had gathered in the plaza in hopes of gaining enlightenment of the Spirit Engraved Pillars¡­fortunately, as I said, there was no one to glare or yell at me.


    "Hello," I said as I hurried out of the plaza to speak on my phone. Having seen the number on my screen, I knew who had called me. "Elder Zhao? What''s up?"

 163 Chapter 162: Raid on the Divine Shadow Sect base

    Elder Zhao''s voice was boiling with fury. I didn''t blame him. Senior Kao Wen was a Blood Blade who served under him for years, and had proven his loyalty over and over again. For my part, I felt nothing but shock. I just saw him yesterday, even exchanged a few words with him after he tortured Gray Shadow, but I never thought he would be dead in just a few hours.


    I felt¡­numb.


    The rest of the Blood Blades gathered around Elder Zhao watched him in stony silence, some of them just as outraged and simmering in murderous fury, and others numb in shock and disbelief. Most of us had known Kao Wen for quite a while, and I could see Pang Feng being upset while Tong Xue''s expression was ashen.


    Du Yan was standing in a corner, ashamed. His shoulders were slumped and his head was down. Clearly he blamed himself for letting Liang Shao Yang slip out of his sight for just a minute. Elder Zhao had already told him that it wasn''t, but he still couldn''t feeling the guilt.


    I knew how he felt. If I was in the same position, I would have felt the same. Yet I knew it wasn''t his fault. Hu Mei Er was known for her bewitching charm. Had I been the one assigned to watch Liang Shao Yang, I probably wouldn''t have been able to resist turning my attention away from him and focusing on her for a minute.


    Speaking of which, we all knew who the culprit was, even though his name remained unspoken. Elder Zhao hesitated, but he swept his eyes across the waiting Blood Blades.


    "Both murders were carried out using Divine Shadow Sect techniques," he announced. There was a stir within the Blood Blades when our suspicions were confirmed.


    "We can''t let him get away with this!" one of the Blood Blades roared. "To hell with what the Great Elders say! Let''s go arrest Liang Shao Yang!"


    "Yeah!"


    "Hurry! Let''s get Liang Shao Yang before he gets away!"


    "We''ll never forgive him!"


    "Wait." Elder Zhao raised his hand. "I only said the murders were carried out by Divine Shadow Sect techniques. We still have no evidence that it was Liang Shao Yang who committed them."


    "What other evidence do we need?" Pang Feng bellowed. "Isn''t it obvious? Who else in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would know Divine Shadow Sect techniques? The only other person from there, Hao Ying, was killed last year!"


    He spat out the last sentence, and the Blood Blades fell silent.


    "But this¡­this is just injustice! This is unfair!" one of the other Blood Blades finally protested. "Our lives really worth that much less than Liang Shao Yang''s?! He can kill any of us and get away with this?! How can he be immune to the law!?"


    "Sect Leader is working on that now, as we speak." However, Elder Zhao''s bitter expression told us that he did not expect anything to come out from that front. "He''ll ensure that Liang Shao Yang get some form of punishment. However, knowing the Great Elders, it''ll eventually be a slap on the wrist. Liang Shao Yang is simply too precious for the sect."


    "All because he triggered a response from one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars?!" another Blood Blades growled in disbelief. Elder Zhao nodded.


    "Precisely because of that."


    "So we''re not allowed to defend ourselves?! What kind of bullshit logic is that?!"


    "If the sect doesn''t protect us, then why are we working to protect the sect?!"


    "We might as well quit!"


    Elder Zhao held his hand to forestall the protests and raised his voice to drown the dissenting voices out. "I understand how you feel. But I do have some good news."


    That got our attention, you can be sure. Within a millisecond, everyone fell silent and listened to Elder Zhao intently. He smiled as he surveyed all of us, who were waiting in anticipation. The old bastard enjoyed keeping us in suspense, didn''t he?


    "As the killings were clearly carried out by someone from the Divine Shadow Sect, we now have reason to launch a raid on the Divine Shadow Sect base they set up in Tushan City." Elder Zhao''s grin widened. "Let''s see how Liang Shao Yang reacts to this, when his minions in Tushan City are wiped out or captured."


    "Yeah!"


    The Blood Blades roared in approval, throwing their hands up into the air in determination. I couldn''t help but get swept in by the atmosphere and join them too and yelled out in agreement. The atmosphere began to be saturated by bloodlust.


    "Let''s take them out!"


    "How dare they underestimate us!"


    "To think they were so impudent to set up a base in our Tushan City! Do they think our Blood Blades do not exist?"


    "Get them!"


    Elder Zhao nodded. "We''ll be moving out in an hour. Everyone get ready! Since the opponents are that terrifying Divine Shadow Sect, don''t hold anything back and bring your best Spirit Armaments and gear!"


    *


    Riding in a convoy of armored personnel carriers, the heavy vehicles bounced across the road with a thunderous roar as they sped toward the edge of Tushan City.


    Shen Cha was seated in the first APC, leading the way to the Divine Shadow Sect base where the sneaky dudes had set up camp in. Similar to the dilapidated house they took up resideince in when they were plotting in Water Margin Town, it was another rundown house that was on the verge of falling apart. Being from the Divine Shadow Sect, the members were able to make it seem as if no one lived in that house, and scared away normal people who got too close.


    For those stupidly brave enough to approach regardless, then¡­well, they went missing and were never heard of again. Which reinforced terrifying rumors about the house being haunted and populated by ghosts or demons.


    "They''re still in there," Shen Cha informed us solemnly as he stopped some distance away from the house. The Blood Blades wisely spread out, forming a huge perimeter around the place. "Especially Black Shadow."


    I recalled the bastard launching a sneak attack on me and Tang Qi Hong, and then clenched my fists. I wasn''t going to let him get away with that. I was going to make sure I destroyed him in our rematch, especially now that I had the Blood Blades'' help.


    We could sense the faint presences of the Divine Shadow Sect members inside the house. Even though they were skillful and were able to conceal their qi as much as possible, we had Spirit Artifacts that could help us detect their presences. Elder Zhao nodded as one of the holders of those Spirit Devices came up to report to him.


    "There''s at least twenty experts inside the house," he reported. "Twenty-four presences detected by the qi omnispex, but some of them flicker in and out, so it could very well be more."


    "Understood." Elder Zhao turned to glance at the fifty Blood Blades he had brought along, a sizeable strength. He had intended for us to make a statement and overwhelm the small force of Divine Shadow Sect members inside. "We''ll give them a chance to surrender and come with us. If they resist arrest, then show no mercy."


    That last statement was unnecessary. We all knew that the Divine Shadow Sect would have no intention of surrendering. Given their background and known modus operandi, they would definitely attack us the moment we showed up.


    Fortunately, we were armed with the best Spirit Armaments and armor that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect could forge, so the odds of the battle were overwhelmingly tilted our way. Furthermore, we were all simmering with rage at the injustice of Kao Wen''s murder, and the Great Elders'' refusal to punish Liang Shao Yang for his nefarious deeds.


    Well, then we would have to vent all that fury upon the hapless Divine Shadow Sect then.


    Elder Zhao led from the front, moving toward the door. Flanked by two Blood Blades, he paused and knocked on the door.


    "Blood Blades here!" he called out. "We would like to ask you Divine Shadow Sect members a few questions. If you cooperate with us, I promise we won''t make it too difficult for you¡­"


    He never got to finish his sentence. A sudden surge of killing intent warned him of what was to come, and Elder Zhao and his two guards immediately jumped backward. The door exploded as a shadowy qi blasted through it, trying to scythe Elder Zhao down, but only splintering the porch where he was standing on a few seconds ago.


    "Refusing to cooperate and resisting arrest, huh?" Elder Zhao was smiling, having expected that response and like us, he was itching for an excuse to fight. "Blood Blades! Subdue them! You have permission to kill in self-defense!"


    "UOOOOH!"


    We all bellowed in compliance and rushed into the house. Obviously the door was a killing zone where the Divine Shadow Sect could pick us off one at a time at their leisure, so we smashed our own entrances through the broken walls or fragile windows.


    Crash!


    Bang!


    I followed Tong Xue and Pang Feng through one of the walls, diving through a shower of splinters. Three Divine Shadow Sect members reared up in surprise and turned to face us, having expecting us to come through the door, but the three of us barreled into them before they could react. Pang Feng smashed the face of his victim, his fist dripping with blood as he hammered the poor guy relentlessly. Tong Xue was a little more subtle, his dagger flashing before his victim screamed soundlessly and clutched his throat.


    I didn''t even bother to get in close, my Snow Aegis hovering in front of me. using the newly crafted DRAGOON system that Tang Qi Hong helped me complete, I gunned down the third, and a few of the other Divine Shadow Sect members inside, incinerating them with azure laser blasts before they knew what hit them.


    "What the fuck is that?!" Tong Xue demanded, staring at my new Spirit Weapon in bewilderment. I shrugged and grinned.


    "A Spirit Shield."


    "Spirit Shields don''t shoot qi blasts like that!"


    "Well, mine does," I replied and then dashed into the interior of the house, protected by my Snow Aegis from any attacks.


    There weren''t many Divine Shadow Sect members left, unfortunately. Thanks to the simultaneous attacks from the fifty Blood Blades members, we had overwhelmed the majority of them in short order taking them by surprise when we burst through the walls. The poor house was on the verge of collapsing in on itself, but it was slated for demolition anyway, and would be sold to some real estate agent to build a new house on it.


    Even though the Divine Shadow Sect members were masters at assassination and subterfuge, they were pretty terrible in a direct fight. Furthermore, armed with high-quality Spirit Armaments, Artifacts, Armor and equipment, as well as being among the most powerful martial artists of their generation, there were few enemies the Blood Blades could not defeat. Never mind a bunch of shadowy assassins skulking around.


    "!!!"


    I suddenly sensed a familiar presence and my lips curled into a smile.


    "Guys, heads up!" I shouted to Pang Feng and Tong Xue. "Jump back a few meters!"


    "Huh? What about you?" Tong Xue demanded when he saw that I wasn''t taking my own advice and rushing forward instead.


    "I''m going to flush out an old enemy," I informed him with a grin.


    At that moment, Black Shadow burst out of the rotting wooden flooring, his drill spinning around violently. I brought my hovering Snow Aegis down with a thought and deflected the drill.


    "We meet again," I told him, and his eyes widened when he recognized me. Hatred surged in his dark pupils and he infused more of his qi into it, trying to break my defenses.


    However, unlike the last time we met, I wasn''t merely defending this time. Channeling my qi into my Snow Aegis, I detached the six petals from the core shield. Defying gravity and flying around in the air, they twisted around and unleashed a volley of qi beams that pierced through Black Shadow.


    The shadowy assassin quickly dove to the side, evading as best as he could, but even he could not escape six different beams coming from different directions. A single beam lanced through his leg and he howled in pain, toppling over. Even so, he rolled away as the other five beam turrets spat laser fire at him, barely avoiding them.


    Clutching his leg, he hobbled up, but I relentlessly bombarded his position with more qi beams. Realizing he wouldn''t be able to dodge, Black Shadow raised a hand and erected a qi barrier with his drill, deflecting the two beams from the front.


    "Huff¡­they may be powerful, but I can still defend against them!" he muttered to himself, relieved.


    "Against one or two of them," I agreed as I pointed up at my other mobile beam turrets. "But what about the rest of them?"


    "!!!"


    Black Shadow''s face turned pale before the other four beams hit him from above and behind. Despite his protective earth qi aura shrouding his body, it was not enough to absorb the devastating qi beams. The azure laser beams practically tore through his body, puncturing tiny holes. However, there was very little blood, given that the intense heat cauterized his wounds at the points of entry and exit, leaving very little mess.


    "Kuh!"


    Seeing that he was alone and outmatched, and noticing that he was the sole survivor ¨C the other twenty-three Divine Shadow Sect members had been slaughtered mercilessly by the overwhelming numbers of the Blood Blades ¨C Black Shadow rolled away and leaped to the ground. Using his drill, he smashed it against the ground, carving a hole.


    "Trying to escape?" I growled, directing my beam turrets at the fleeing Black Shadow. He merely smirked and then dove into the hole that his drill¡­well, drilled. I cursed when my beams missed, but it was because Black Shadow was moving much faster than I expected despite his injuries. It was those very same reflexes that had saved him earlier when my qi beams struck him ¨C he had moved so that the beams didn''t sear through the vital points I was aiming at. Thanks to that, he had sustained relatively minor injuries.


    He was badly hurt, but not too badly hurt to escape. He disappeared underground, despite my furious bombardment of qi beams, and vanished.


    "Ugh!"


    Frustrated, I tried to dive into the tunnel he made, only to come up against solid earth. It would be difficult to pursue Black Shadow without any earth techniques. Forced to give up, I emerged back to the surface, where the Blood Blades had gathered.


    Other than Black Shadow, who had fled underground despite my best attempts to chase him, all the other Divine Shadow Sect practitioners had been slaughtered by the Blood Blades. Elder Zhao was surveying the house, upon which bodies were scattered. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, but all the Blood Blades were hardened veterans who were used to the gruesome sight and smell, and their expressions remained grim.


    "Don''t worry. Black Shadow won''t be able to set foot inside our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," Elder Zhao assured me, despite the grim expression on his face. "I have another contingent of Blood Blades waiting in there, led by Elder Cheng Ping."


    "Yeah, but we all have smartphones in this day and age. He''ll just call Liang Shao Yang and inform him of what happened here." I shook my head bitterly.


    "Even if he does that, what can Liang Shao Yang do?" Tong Xue looked amused. "Attack us for revenge? That would prove his guilt beyond a doubt."


    That was right. Tong Xue had a great point there. Liang Shao Yang''s hands were tied. He couldn''t afford to do anything that proved that he was related to the assassination attempt on Tang Qi Hong, or even the Great Elders wouldn''t be able to protect him from the Sect Leader''s wrath. This was Sect Leader Zi''s adopted daughter we were talking about here. he ¨C or to be more precise, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji ¨C would absolutely murder Liang Shao Yang once they had solid evidence that he was the one who ordered the attempt on her life.


    "We''ll still need to keep an eye out, to ensure that this Black Shadow doesn''t try anything funny. I doubt he''ll leave Tushan City entirely. He''ll most likely continue lurking around Tushan City to assist Liang Shao Yang if necessary."


    Elder Zhao looked grim. He then turned to Shen Cha.


    "I''ll need you to track Black Shadow down. When you find him, contact us immediately. Do not try and take him alone, do you understand?"


    "Understood." Shen Cha nodded obediently. He was about to leave, but Elder Zhao shook his head and held him back.


    "You''ve done more than enough for today, Shen Cha. You can rest for today. I doubt he''ll show up anytime soon. Start looking for him tomorrow."


    "I''m more afraid that he will bring reinforcements from the Divine Shadow Sect into Tushan City," Pang Feng muttered.


    "If they dare, then we''ll bring the full might of the Blood Blades upon them," Elder Zhao replied. "We have justification. We asked them to cooperate with our investigation, but they attacked us first. Tried to kill me without provocation." He shrugged. Though we knew that was how they would react, that didn''t change the fact that they committed a crime and blatantly assaulted us when we hadn''t actually done anything to threaten them. "If they want to complain and take revenge, we''ll welcome them with open arms." He grinned. "We might as well take this chance to weaken Divine Shadow Sect."


    "Understood!"


    The Blood Blades around him chorused enthusiastically, even as they were cleaning their bloodstained Spirit Weapons.


    "We''ll leave the bodies to the cleanup crew. Let''s return to the sect¡­I''ll have to report to Sect Leader and Sect Lady."


    Elder Zhao gave an order, and we all began returning to the armored personnel carriers that had ferried us here. Tong Xue, Pang Feng and I stayed with the last APC, along with another seven Blood Baldes. Since Elder Zhao was the commander, he was expected to return first. But unlike us, who could rest and relax upon returning to the sect, Elder Zhao''s responsibilities meant that he had to write a detailed report and submit it to the Sect Leader.


    I didn''t envy him his job.


    One last squad of Blood Blades remained behind to wait for the cleanup crew. It would be a waste for Blood Blades, the highly elite combat forces, to spend time cleaning up the mess, so for some reason we had a crew specialized in that. It was kind of weird ¨C in my previous timeline, the police and military would just handle the cleaning of the murder scene themselves, but here, we actually had specialized vocations for that.


    It boggled my mind, but I didn''t complain. If I could hand the grisly job to someone else, I would be more than happy to.


    "We will take it from here, honored Blood Blades," the old man in charge of cleaning told us with a bow. For some reason, his crew reminded me of the dudes from John Wick, the ones who went into his house and cleaned up the mess after a bunch of idiots were stupid enough to try and shoot him in his own house.


    "We''ll leave it to you then. Thank you, uncle."


    Pang Feng bowed politely, and Tong Xue and I quickly followed his lead. We then boarded the APC with the other seven members and spent the journey back to the main sect grounds in contemplative silence.


    "How do you think Liang Shao Yang will react to this?" Tong Xue suddenly asked. Pang Feng inclined his head toward him.


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    "What are you talking about? Haven''t we already been through this? Liang Shao Yang can''t do anything, not unless he wants to admit that he was behind the assassination attempt on Senior Tang, right?"


    "No, I don''t mean what he will do, exactly¡­but I mean, surely Liang Shao Yang will be pretty upset, right? There''s no way he''ll take this lying down. We just wiped out a good number of his fellow sect members."


    "What can he do?" Pang Feng asked curiously. Tong Xue sighed.


    "Again, I''m not asking what he can do, but how he will react."


    "Is there a difference?" Pang Feng was confused. I quickly stepped in.


    "I think Tong Xue means more like his mood¡­or reaction. He won''t recklessly attack the Blood Blades or complain or anything, but he''ll definitely show some signs of emotion. Like¡­being angry about this or being in a foul mood."


    "Ah¡­I see. And if he has a black face after we return to the sect, it is proof that he was related to all this." Pang Feng nodded in understanding.


    "Not solid, tangible proof, but it goes one step further in confirming our suspicions."


    "That''s right," Tong Xue agreed. "It won''t be of much help, but if we know for sure that he''s behind this and he''s aware of the demise of the Divine Shadow Sect cell that infiltrated Tushan City, we can plan our next move." He then leaned back in his seat and grinned. "I can''t wait to see his expression!"


    "You might get your wish soon," I remarked as the APC pulled up in the parking lot just inside the main sect entrance. I caught a glimpse of Liang Shao Yang waiting for us near the entrance, just outside the parking lot.


    We disembarked from the APC and proceeded toward the Blood Blades headquarters near the foot of Flame Volcano, but Liang Shao Yang strode over to stand in our way. He glared at me, his eyes murderous.


    "I see you''ve just returned from a mission for Blood Blades," he said coldly. Pang Feng, Tong Xue and I exchanged a glance.


    "So what?" Pang Feng retorted, his tone just as frosty. "It''s none of your business if we did."


    Liang Shao Yang ignored him and continued glaring at me.


    "I heard you almost killed an associate of mine."


    "Who is your associate?" I responded, pretending to think. "Black Shadow? That''s the only person I tried to kill."


    Because I successfully killed the rest, but obviously I didn''t mention that.


    Liang Shao Yang was also smart enough not to affirm that. He merely curled his lip, his eyes boring intensely into me. If looks could kill, I would have been murdered several times over.


    Then again, I could say the same for him. It wasn''t just me, both Pang Feng and Tong Xue were also glaring murderously at him, obviously remembering the death of Senior Kao Wen last night. Liang Shao Yang was clearly the culprit, and he was standing in front of us, yet we couldn''t make a move against him because of a lack of evidence.


    Fortunately, Liang Shao Yang had decided to move on his own. Narrowing his eyes as his bloodlust surged, he sneered.


    "I''ll be the future sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Even if I kill a trash like you, the Great Elders won''t do anything to me."

 164 Chapter 163: Fighting against a Genius

    "Dragonscale Mace!"


    "Why the fuck are you shouting out the name of your Spirit Weapon?" I demanded, but as usual Liang Shao Yang ignored me as he swung his mace down on me. Using my footwork technique, I deftly evaded his strike and even managed to counterattack with a kick to the back of his head. However, being the genius that he was, Liang Shao Yang was able to respond on reflex, whirling around to crack my leg with his Dragonscale Mace.


    "Whoa!"


    I was able to withdraw my leg, just barely in time to avoid having the bones in it broken by the powerful Spirit Weapon. Hopping back unsteadily, I managed to spin around to avoid getting obliterated by Liang Shao Yang''s strike, his mace smashing the ground where I was standing on a millisecond ago and carving a crater.


    Bam!


    Jumping back, I fell onto all fours, but glanced up to glare at him. The guy was certainly showing me no mercy.


    "Hey! What do you think you''re doing?"


    "Stop this!"


    Tong Xue and Pang Feng moved in to help me, but Liang Shao Yang crushed the ground beneath him with his Dragonscale Mace.


    "I have no business with you two. But if you want to die, you''re welcome to join in!"


    Boom!


    "!!!"


    "Ugh!"


    Both my friends were blown away from the impact of the hit, the Dragonscale Mace glowing furiously as it annihilated its surroundings. Tong Xue flipped his body over and landed gracefully over a few dozen meters away, while Pang Feng withstood the blast with his Golden Indestructible Body Formula.


    "Don''t worry, you two!" I called out to them. "Leave this to me!"


    "Like hell we will!" Pang Feng shouted, and lunged forward at the berserk Liang Shao Yang. He retrieved a golden gauntlet from his spatial device, equipping himself with it. For some reason, he reminded me of Zhu Jiao ¨C the two of them were pretty similar, except that Pang Feng was a lot bigger and more solemn.


    But they were both very good friends and loyal to a fault.


    "Hmph. Trash."


    Liang Shao Yang turned around and smashed his Dragonscale Mace against Pang Feng. With a bellow, Pang Feng countered with a Golden Indestructible Fist, his gauntlete colliding with the Dragonscale Mace with tremendous impact. The two gigantic waves of qi clashed against each other before erupting in an enormous explosion that sent the two tumbling apart.


    "Ugh!"


    "Kuh!"


    "Pang Feng!" I yelled.


    "I got him!" Tong Xue called out as he jumped down, Spirit Pills at the ready. Applying first aid to the heavily injured Pang Feng, he glanced up and warned me. "It''s not over yet, Fei Wu! Watch out! Liang Shao Yang is coming for you!"


    I glanced at the psychopath. His Dragonscale Mace had shattered instantly from the impact, the silver, glittery scales floated around in pieces, remnants of the destroyed weapon.


    The Dragonscale Mace was forged using the scales of a deep seawater Jade Dragon, and thus possessed its characteristic hardness and power. It was personally forged by the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect leader, Zi Shou De, and it was a Profound Level fourth ranked Spirit Weapon.


    Such a famous Spirit Weapon that was well known even among the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had been callously used and sacrificed by Liang Shao Yang just like that. And as if he wasn''t affected by the loss of such a valuable treasure, Liang Shao Yang was already pulling another Spirit Weapon out of his bag, so to speak.


    "It''s your turn!"


    Drawing a thin, elegant sword, Liang Shao Yang slashed at me. My eyes widened when dozens of shadowy beams lanced out of the exquisite blade, and evaded to the best of my ability using Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps.


    Bang!


    The shadowy blasts dug deep furrows into the earth, blowing out chunks of concrete. At a distance, Tong Xue immediately swung his arm and disintegrated the debris with his qi before they could strike the poor, fallen Pang Feng.


    Seeing the sorry state of my friend, I gritted my teeth.


    "Pang Feng has nothing to do with this. You didn''t have to attack him so viciously! Are you trying to kill him?"


    "So what if I was?" Liang Shao Yang sneered. "He got in my way. Anyone who gets in my way, will die!"


    I shook my head, baffled by his logic. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"


    "Hmph!" Liang Shao Yang snorted. "Are you really that stupid? I''m the future sect leader, the favored head inner sect disciple of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and heir to all the smithing and Spirit Engraving techniques. The Great Elders wouldn''t care if I get rid of trash like you." he smiled darkly. "They might even be grateful."


    This guy¡­there was just no saving him. Just how far gone was he?


    "Even so, this is a matter between you and me. You didn''t have to involve Pang Feng and Tong Xue!"


    "Ha ha ha ha ha! Are you truly an idiot?" Liang Shao Yang roared with laughter. "It''s not just you! Don''t flatter yourself! You''re only part of the problem! All of you Blood Blades have been getting in my way all this time. I''ll eliminate all of you Blood Blades! And there''s nothing you can do because I have the backing of the Great Elders!"


    I doubted that was true, but even if the Great Elders and Sect Leader did not actually support his actions and would sanction him later for his misdeeds, they weren''t here now. I couldn''t wait for them to arrive. I had to deal with this situation right now if I wanted to survive.


    Shing!


    Another deadly shadowy blast burst out of Liang Shao Yang''s sword and sliced toward my chest, forcing me to duck.


    "¡­"


    While I disappeared and reappeared elsewhere, I glanced at the recording of my glasses, which snapped a picture of the sword Liang Shao Yang was presently wielding. If I wasn''t mistaken, it was Shattered Light, a Profound Level fifth rank Spirit Weapon that was a masterpiece crafted by the Chief Great Elder, Luo Zhi Chang.


    It was giving off an ethereal green glow, light to the point of being practically weightless, and possessed a flexible blade. Despite its light weight and thin shape, it was sharp and powerful enough to cut through both metal and stone as if they were mere paper.


    "!!!"


    Liang Shao Yang nimbly appeared behind me, slashing at me with a deadly strike that would have decapitated me if I hadn''t ducked.


    "Whoa!"


    I fell back, and was forced to draw my own Spirit Armament. As expected of a Profound Level fifth rank Spirit Weapon, it was terrifying. Beside me, the ground shattered as a trail of destruction was left behind by the devastating qi that ravaged it. Without hesitation, Liang Shao Yang spun around to deliver another fatal thrust at my heart.


    Clang!


    Liang Shao Yang''s eyes narrowed when his blade bounced off my Snow Aegis. Suddenly taken aback by the appearance of my shield, he found himself stumbling back when his strike was deflected, thanks to Newton''s third law.


    "!"


    Righting himself, Liang Shao Yang glared at me spitefully, but he then calmed down and nodded in comprehension.


    "Of course. As one of the Blood Blades, you would have access to high quality Spirit Armament too."


    Ironically, he was wrong. Snow Aegis was forged by me, and perfected by Tang Qi Hong. It was not something I received from the Blood Blades or the sect¡­well, I guess Qi Hong''s assistance counted as something from the sect, but not in the way Liang Shao Yang expected.


    "Even so, it''s no match for my Shattered Light!"


    Liang Shao Yang slashed at me again, but I defended with my shield again, blocking the sword strike. Devastating qi washed over my Snow Aegis, but dissipated harmlessly against its six qi barriers. Noticing the ineffectiveness, Liang Shao Yang pursed his lips.


    However, being a genius, he wasn''t discouraged by his lack of success so far. He quickly switched his tactics and struck from another angle, making use of his speed.


    It was as if the Shattered Light had been tailor-made for him. A fast, flexible sword that benefited from Liang Shao Yang''s incredible speed, it snaked and thrust from unexpected angles, trying to find a weak spot in my shield. Or rather, knowing the overwhelming sturdiness of my Snow Aegis, Liang Shao Yang had given up on trying to penetrate through it on a frontal assault. As powerful and sharp as Shattered Light was, it was not durable enough to continue hammering away at a Spirit Armament specialized for defense.


    Fortunately, I had the edge over him with my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, which allowed me to, uh, stay one step ahead of him. Already sensing where he would come from, I moved my Snow Aegis accordingly, deflecting his strikes and blocking his Shattered Light no matter which direction he came from. Even though he was much faster than me, I was barely able to keep up. Keeping my senses peeled, I noted the pattern and trajectory of his attacks and shifted my Snow Aegis to the appropriate position to block him.


    However, thanks to Liang Shao Yang''s incredible speed, I had no chance to counterattack. It was taking every single ounce of effort and concetration just to keep up with the bastard. I was just a millisecond slower, Liang Shao Yang''s blade would carve through the small opening between me and my Snow Aegis and pierce a vital point. I couldn''t even afford to let my focus slip and detach my mobile beam turrets to fire on him, not unless I was willing to take a potentially fatal injury.


    Maybe I would have no choice eventually, but I could tell from Liang Shao Yang that he was slowly tiring from the effort of maintaining his punishing speed. His face was growing pale and perspiration was beading across his brow, dripping off his cheek and splattering into the ground. He might have good stamina, but compared to me, who had been running fifty miles a day and building up my stamina ever since I entered Wu Ling Academy, he might as well be an amateur. In a battle of attrition, there were very few people in my generation who could come up top against me.


    "You leave me no choice!" Liang Shao Yang growled after the umpteenth time he clashed against my shield, his strike rendered ineffective by the qi barriers shimmering above my Snow Aegs. If this was a normal xianxia story, I could probably tell you if this was the nine hundredth or something strike, but obviously I had better things to do than to keep count of how many exchanges we made. Like, staying alive, for example.


    "Um, I''m not forcing you to do anything. How about you stop killing me?" Even as I suggested that, I didn''t believe my own words. To be honest, I was provoking him. I mean, if he really stopped killing me, where was the fun in that? I wouldn''t have the justification to kill him.


    Unfortunately, at the moment, I wasn''t able to kill him. Liang Shao Yang was clearly more skilled than I was. He was overwhelming me with his relentless attacks and high speed, his movements clearly honed from countless assassination missions and similar experiences.


    Fortunately, he was not the only one who was forced to survive through a harsh battlefield. He was clearly getting exhausted, and I wouldn''t hesitate to exploit that advantage and seize the opportunity to deliver a decisive counterattack.


    However, no battle plan ever survived contact with the enemy.


    Liang Shao Yang surprised me by suddenly disappearing. This was different from his high speed movements from before. He literally just disappeared.


    "!!!"


    However, Liang Shao Yang suddenly appeared right behind me, his Shattered Light arcing toward my back in a deadly strike!


    Whirling around, I barely blocked that with my Snow Aegis. It was a good thing I could sense the flow of his qi, even though his presence seemed to vanish for a moment. No, rather than vanish, it seemed that he had melted into the ground.


    "Tch!"


    When he saw that his strike had failed, Liang Shao Yang clicked his tongue and he withdrew. To my astonishment, he actually sank into the shadows, melding with the darkness and disappearing from the physical world altogether.


    "Careful!" Tong Xue shouted from the distance. "That''s the Divine Shadow Sect''s Shadowy Stealth technique! It allows the user to become one with the shadows and blend in with the darkness! It''s what makes the sect so skilled at assassinations!"


    "Their signature technique, huh?" I murmured with a nod. Even though I couldn''t see Liang Shao Yang, my glasses whirring rapidly as they tried futilely to track my enemy, I could barely sense his qi moving through the shadows underneath me.


    Clang!


    Liang Shao Yang emerged from the shadows to strike at me again, his blade flashing like serpent, but once again his bared fangs harmlessly clattered against my Snow Aegis. Liang Shao Yang''s eyes widened when he saw that I had blocked his assassination attempt for the second time.


    Once was surprising enough, but it could be written off as a fluke. But now I had foiled his murderous attempt for the second time. Clearly, I wasn''t just lucking out.


    "You¡­how¡­?"


    Even as he mumbled the question, Liang Shao Yang wasn''t stupid enough to stand still and wait for the answer. He was already shrinking rapidly, disappearing into the shadows before I could retaliate. Damn it, and I thought I had a clear shot!


    "Looks like I''ve no choice¡­"


    For some reason, Liang Shao Yang was repeating that annoying statement. No, dude¡­you always have a choice. You''re just choosing the stupid one. Not that I cared. I would like any excuse to stomp him¡­


    Swish!


    "Kuh!"


    Blood splattered and I staggered back even as I tried to bring my Snow Aegis around to deflect a triumphant Liang Shao Yang''s strike. Even though I was so sure that I had followed his movements, how did he¡­?


    "Hah! I see! So that''s how it is!"


    Liang Shao Yang was smiling now as he disappeared into the shadows once again. I gripped my shoulder. Even though it was only a graze, as expected of a Profound Level fifth rank weapon¡­a slight touch was enough to cause such a horrendous injury.


    "!!!"


    I thought I detected Liang Shao Yang coming from the bottom, but he suddenly switched trajectory and came from my left side, almost cutting off my left arm. As it was, I just about saved my arm from being amputated, but blood erupted from a slit artery in my forearm and I cried out before grabbing it desperately to stem the bleeding.


    "I knew it!"


    Liang Shao Yang crowed as he kicked me before I could bring my shield down to block his foot, my Spirit Armament having been occupied with deflecting the Shattered Light from finishing its job a millisecond ago.


    "Ugh!"


    I doubled over and crashed several meters away, the wind knocked out of me and my vision momentarily turning into a red haze. Rolling to my feet, I raised my right hand and summoned my Snow Aegis back in front of me.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    I quickly froze the wounds on my shoulder and forearm with ice, sealing the bleeding. It was only a stopgap measure, but it would do for now.


    "The whole reason why you''ve been able to follow my movements up to now, even when I was using my Shadowy Stealth technique, was because you are somehow able to sense the flow of my qi. Am I right?"


    As expected of a genius¡­Liang Shao Yang had quickly figured out my trick.


    I gritted my teeth, but I didn''t say anything. I didn''t need to. Confident that he was right, Liang Shao Yang vanished into the shadows once again, only to reemerge behind me. I spun around to block his strike, but came up with nothing. Instead, Liang Shao Yang changed the direction of his attack at the last minute and his blade came through the gap in my left, almost puncturing a hole in my side if I didn''t retreat on reflex.


    "Argh!"


    I clutched the red line on my stomach and quickly froze the wound again to stem the bleeding. Liang Shao Yang crackled as he swung his Shattered Light, throwing my blood off its sharp blade.


    "But as a result, you become too depedent on tracking the flow of my qi and this renders you vulnerable to feints."


    "Are you really a professional assassin?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I was under the impression you would be more focused on attacking and killing instead of bragging and talking about your tactics."


    Liang Shao Yang''s face flushed, but he coldly snorted as he melted away into the shadows once again.


    "It doesn''t matter. Killing you will be as easy as swatting a fly."


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    Ironically, he had no idea how hard it was to swat a fly, but that was beside the point. Liang Shao Yang clearly was confident that he could eliminate me easily, and even if I knew that he was feinting, what could I do?


    A lot.


    Liang Shao Yang burst out of the shadows once again, ready to deliver the killing blow. This time, I didn''t move my Snow Aegis. His eyes narrowed, but he still went for his feint anyway, swinging his Shattered Light up to stab me.


    I stepped to the side, so the blade missed my vitals completely. Even so, the elegant sword stabbed into my gut, and I almost blacked out from the excruciating pain. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed hold of a stunned Liang Shao Yang''s arm before he could yank out his Shattered Light.


    "Thanks for giving me your sword," I told him before I delivered a Shadow Kick right into his chest. Unleashing a blast of purified qi, I ignited a devastating explosion that smashed his ribcage and probably dealt severe internal injuries if he hadn''t been wearing a Dragonscale Armor underneath his luxurious robes.


    "Gah!"


    Liang Shao Yang was sent flying backward, blood spurting from his mouth. My foot throbbed, probably from the tremendous impact of slamming against a Profound Level fourth rank Spirit Armor, but the purified qi had done enough damage to incapacitate my opponent briefly. I pulled out the Shattered Light and kept a firm hold on it while freezing my gut with my other hand, so as to stop the bleeding. A second later, I directed the six mobile turrets to detach from my Snow Aegis and had them hover above to fire upon Liang Shao Yang.


    Thanks to his Dragonscale Armor, which was also woven from the same deep seawater Jade Dragon''s scales as the Dragonscale Mace from earlier, and also forged by one of the Great Elders, Liang Shao Yang was not hurt as badly as he might have been if he wasn''t wearing any protection. He merely got to his feet and grinned, despite the trickle of blood from his mouth.


    "Hah! Was that your best shot? Even so, you''ve suffered a grievous injury in exchange for dealing light injuries to me!"


    I didn''t reply and instead charged my mobile qi beam turrets with my qi. Liang Shao Yang raised his head to stare at them, and instantly recognized them for what they were. He snorted coldly as he dusted himself.


    "Really? You''re trying to hit me with those things? Do you really think you can hurt me with those attacks? I''m a peak-level Pure Spirit Stage practitioner, you''re just a mid-level Qi Fusion Stage practitioner at most."


    "So?" I asked, and then unleashed the six qi beams at once.


    Ka-boom!


    I had the immense satisfaction of seeing Liang Shao Yang''s stunned expression before he was enveloped in a devastating explosion.


    Unsurprisingly enough, the Dragonscale Armor shattered instantly, unable to withstand the overwhelming firepower of my Snow Aegis''s six mobile qi beam turrets. Liang Shao Yang staggered back, coughing out blood before he collapsed, his body fuming.


    "What¡­what?!"


    "Still alive, huh?" I frowned. Well, to be fair, he had that damned Profound Level fourth rank Dragonscale Armor protecting him, otherwise he would have been blown to bits from that attack. If anything, I was impressed that a concentrated barrage of fire from my mobile qi beam turrets was actually capable of obliterating such a high-quality Spirit Armor.


    I silently thanked Tang Qi Hong for helping me complete Snow Aegis. Otherwise I wouldn''t have been able to defeat Liang Shao Yang. So the quality of one''s Spirit Armaments and equipment did matter, especially if the difference between the two combatants wasn''t that large!


    "What the fuck was that?!" Liang Shao Yang was fighting to clamp down on his panic. He immediately melted into the shadows, but the one weakness of the skill was that there was a limited span of time where he could remain in the shadows. In less than five seconds, he emerged into the open again, but despite being a distance away, the qi beams from my mobile turrets lanced into him in less than a fraction of a second.


    I mean, the beams were literally traveling at the speed of light.


    Boom!


    Liang Shao Yang, to his credit, had avoided the worst of the damage by escaping into the shadows again, but when he reemerged, he was clearly singed and scorched in places, coughing very badly.


    Aware that he couldn''t keep escaping like this for long, Liang Shao Yang quickly reached into his spatial ring when I fired upon his position again. This time, he used a Spirit Artifact to defend himself instead of fleeing into the shadows.


    "Flame Lion Fireglass Barrier!"


    I slapped my forehead in exasperation. "Why the hell are you shouting out the name of your Spirit Artifact again?"


    Blue flames gushed out of Liang Shao Yang''s spatial ring, the eerie inferno taking the form of a frenzied lion.


    The fiery lion crouched in front of Liang Shao Yang and roared soundlessly, as if it was about to pounce. But it didn''t.


    Instead, layers of gauze-like barriers of blue light manifested upon Liang Shao Yang''s body, firmly wrapping around him in a protective manner. I swear, he looked like a damned mummy, and I couldn''t help but snort with laughter when I saw that ridiculous sight.


    On the other hand, my amusement died out when my six qi beams struck the gauze-like barriers and dissipated harmlessly. Several of the barriers were burned away, but Liang Shao Yang quickly infused his Spirit Artifact with more qi to reform them.


    Looking at me fearlessly, he coldly scoffed. "The Flame Lion Fireglass Barrier is a Profound Level fifth rank Spirit Artifact. Even if I don''t do anything, you will not be able to break through the barrier, not with those pathetic weapons of yours!"


    He drew another weapon from his spatial ring which was another sword.


    "Be honored that I choose to slay you with this Dark Shadow Dagger of mine, a Profound Level fourth rank Spirit Weapon!"


    What the fuck was wrong with him, spouting all these bullcrap about his Spirit Artifacts and their ranks? Like I cared about exactly what he intended to use to try and kill me!


    Trying to suppress my irritation, I immediately drew another Spirit Weapon of my own. Liang Shao Yang melted into the shadows and struck at me, but I managed to deflect his feint with my Snow Aegis this time. While his dagger struck my shield, I drew my Azure Lotus Sword.


    I was vaguely aware the murder weapon used to kill both Kao Wen and Gray Shadow was a dagger, and Liang Shao Yang was using that same dagger right now. Later, Elder Zhao would confirm that the traces of qi on the fatal wounds that both Kao Wen and Gray Shadow sustained belonged to this Dark Shadow Dagger, but that ancillary information was of no use to me at the moment.


    Instead, I ducked down and plunged my Azure Lotus Sword into the ground, stabbing the concrete and unleashing my purified qi.


    "Enhance Armament!" I shouted.


    The entire area surrounding me instantly turned into ice. Even the shocked Liang Shao Yang was unable to disappear into the shadows in time, the entire space around his body freezing solid. The temperature of my surroundings plummeted, and for a moment it almost seemed as if winter had fallen over the space of a ten meter radius around me.


    "You¡­!"


    Even though he was caught by the ice and entombed, Liang Shao Yang was far from helpless. The blue flames of his Flame Lion Fireglass Barrier had protected his body from being turned into ice and damaged. Realizing that he was trapped nonetheless, Liang Shao Yang scowled.


    "Well, we''ll wait for the Elder Zhao and the rest of the Blood Blades to arrive, and then you can explain to Sect Leader what the hell you were doing, attacking us."


    Exhausted and wounded, I slumped down on the frozen ground, nearly unable to move. Even though I wanted to kill Liang Shao Yang, I had just used my trump card and the bastard was still somehow alive. There was no way I could kill him, not when he was protected by the Flame Lion Fireglass Barrier.


    As much as I hated it, I had no choice but to wait for Sect Leader to carry out justice on my behalf. Staring at the Dark Shadow Dagger and remembering the suspected murder weapon used in the killing of Senior Kao Wen and Gray Shadow, I nodded grimly, making sure to remember that additional charge.


    "As if I''ll let things go your way!"


    Crack!


    Even though some of the ice cracked as Liang Shao Yang fought his way out, the majority of the ice held firm. Realizing that he wouldn''t be able to break the ice in time before Elder Zhao, the Blood Blades and Sect Leader arrived, Liang Shao Yang''s expression turned ghastly.


    "You forced me into this!" he yelled.


    I buried my face in my palm. "For the last time, nobody forced you into anything. You''re the one acting like a jerk and start killing and blaming everyone when things don''t go your way! What kind fucking logic is that?!"


    Liang Shao Yang ignored me and retrieved what looked like a spherical Spirit Artifact from his spatial ring. At first, I didn''t recognize it, and then I suddenly recalled having seen it in a Chinese anime adaptation somewhere.

 165 Chapter 164: Absolute Zero

    "I''m not bluffing!" Liang Shao Yang waved his Terminator Profound Bomb wildly. "I''m really going to detonate it!"


    There was no stopping him now. The very ice that I used to imprison him also protected him, preventing anyone from interfering when he pulled the trigger. The extremely pure lightning and thunder qi swirled within the Terminator Profound Bomb, the volatile energies building up to unleash a massive destructive power that would obliterate the entire Flame Volcano and all the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members in it.


    Liang Shao Yang had gone truly insane.


    "This is your fault!" he yelled at me. "Ever since you showed up, nothing has been going my way! You keep thwarting my attempts to oust Tang Qi Hong and become the sole candidate to be the future sect leader!"


    "What attempts?" I asked dryly. "You mean, trying to assassinate her? What do you think is going to happen if Sect Leader Zi finds out about that? Not even the Great Elders can save you from his wrath."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Liang Shao Yang replied coldly. "I was¡­talking about something else."


    "Oh, you mean that time when you tried to goad Qi Hong into attacking you, so that the Great Elders can all side with you and decide that you''re a better candidate to be future sect leader?" I burst out laughing at that. "What kind of stupid logic is that? That''s based on the assumption that Sect Leader Zi and the majority of the Great Elders are idiots who don''t know how to run a sect. What, you think they''re going to go, ''oh, Qi Hong is not fit to be sect leader because she attacked Shao Yang!'' and then abandon her so that they can invest all their resources in you? They have to be really retarded to do something as stupid as that."


    "For the purpose of plot, normally sect leaders and great elders are conveniently retarded and make the most baffling of decisions," Liang Shao Yang replied, not denying my comments at all. "They will definitely side with me and invest all their resources in me if everything went according to plan!"


    "Oh, shut the fuck up!" Liang Shao Yang roared and pulled the trigger, activating the Terminator Profound Bomb. Whoops. Maybe I shouldn''t have¡­uh, triggered him.


    "Heavens¡­!" Tong Xue turned pale from fright. "He''s really going to kill us all!"


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    "Damn it¡­" Pang Feng spat, his kunckles turning white as he clenched his fists helplessly. "Is there nothing we can do?!"


    Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do. Once Liang Shao Yang triggered the Terminator Profound Bomb, there was no stopping it from blowing up. Not unless¡­


    I took a deep breath and activated my Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula to the maximum. Channeling my frosty qi into my Azure Lotus Sword, I slammed it against the ground again, stabbing the concrete with my crystalline blade.


    "Enhance Armament, maximum power!"


    "It''s useless, Fei Wu!" Tong Xue shouted. "Run away! You won''t be able to stop it even with your ice techniques!"


    "I have to try!" I snapped back. "Or everyone will die here! Besides, there''s no way I''ll be able to escape in time, will I?"


    "Um, actually¡­you can. You have those footwork techniques!"


    Okay, so maybe Tong Xue was right. But like hell I was going to abandon everyone and escape by myself. I was aware that many edgelord readers would call me stupid and claim that I had no reason to save anyone in the sect, and that I should let them all die and survive on my own. That was the most stupid reasoning I had ever heard. For one thing, Tong Xue and Pang Feng were my friends, and Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou were somewhere in the sect too, along with Elder Zhao, Elder Tie, Elder Hai Mo and all the other masters who had taught me when I was here, as well as many seniors in Blood Blades who looked after me.


    I might not be a hero and I was certainly not noble, but I wasn''t a selfish, callous bastard who would abandon everybody just to save my own skin.


    "UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    With a determined yell, I unleashed every bit of purified ice qi from my body, freezing the entire space around me. A cold and frosty aura spread out from my body, drifting over the surroundings and causing the temperature to plummet drastically. Dense fog began to condense, despite being right under the blazing, hot sun.


    Channeling my Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula into my Azure Lotus Sword, I gathered whatever purified frost qi inside my dantian and allowed the chilly, azure frost to escape my pores. Channeling the azure mist into my sword, I transformed the reality of the space around me into pure ice, and for a moment it seemed as if a harsh winter had fallen in the small area that I had subjugated. I was not immune to the effects of my own technique, and a large crystalline layer of frost formed over my body, rapidly expanding from my hair and entombed my entire physical form in ice.


    Crack!


    The ice expanded from my body, filling the space with an unnatural chill and threatening to freeze even the heavens and earth themselves.


    "So cold!"


    "What¡­what''s going on? Why does it feel like the world is about to get frozen? This¡­this isn''t any ordinary ice technique!"


    "Heavens¡­isn''t that the legendary Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula?! Only passed down to the greatest of Blood Blades?!"


    "No, it''s not just the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula¡­it''s the ultimate technique and pinnacle of the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula¡­Absolute Zero!"


    "What?! Absolute Zero? What''s that?"


    Some of the more experienced masters and elders recognized the technique, but many of the disciples were at a loss, rubbing themselves as they fought to resist the overwhelming chill that had spread across the parking lot and entrance of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. grabbing their clothing and hugging themselves, they stared at my frozen form in wonder even as they instinctively retreated from the cruel winter that had descended upon the space and was spreading its cold reach out to ensnare them in its chilly embrace.


    However, there was a limit to my Absolute Zero. When the spectators placed enough distance between themselves and me, they realized that the cold was greatly reduced and they could once again feel the heat of the blazing sun.


    "When did Fei Wu learn Absolute Zero?!" Tong Xue demanded, overawed. Pang Feng stared at him, confused.


    "Absolute Zero? What''s that?"


    The guy evidently had not been paying attention to the masters and elders murmuring around him. Then again, he was pretty out of it, having been badly hurt by Liang Shao Yang before. He was still busily recuperating.


    "Listen to the elders," Tong Xue muttered, evidently too lazy to explain. I didn''t blame him.


    Anyway, I had no idea how I was pulling this off, but I guess in my desperation I must have done what I was taught on reflex, and somehow executed Absolute Zero, which I had failed to achieve until this very moment.


    They were right when they said people experienced a breakthrough in a crisis.


    "Don''t think you can stop me with this!"


    Liang Shao Yang pulled another Spirit Artifact from his spatial ring, and fired off a flaming Phoenix Arrow from his Divine Phoenix Bow.


    However, layers of thick ice had formed on my body, turning into a natural frost armor. Even if the Phoenix Arrow could penetrate them, it could not break through my hovering Snow Aegis, which automatically flew to block Liang Shao Yang''s cheap shot. The flaming phoenix crashed into Snow Aegis and wailed soundlessly before dissipating harmlessly.


    "Fuck!"


    Liang Shao Yang smashed through the ice from my original Enhanced Armament release from my Azure Lotus Sword, but he once again found himself bound by this new ice. He hurriedly channeled his qi into his Flame Lion Fireglass Barrier to protect himself after he discovered that the earth beneath him had frozen solid and he was unable to escape into the shadows.


    "How did he freeze even the shadows?!" he growled, not really expecting an answer. "It''s¡­as if space itself has become frozen!"


    He wasn''t given much time to ponder on it. The blue flames of the Flame Lion Fireglass Barrier crystalized into ice, freezing immediately when the thick fog came into contact with them. The azure mist expanded and extinguished the blue flames swiftly, causing the roaring, frenzied lion of fire to scatter like ashes.


    It didn''t matter. Liang Shao Yang smiled coldly as he threw the Terminator Profound Bomb. It was on the verge of exploding, the volatile qi already leaving its detonating structure¡­


    Crack!


    The Terminator Profound Bomb did not explode.


    "What?!" Liang Shao Yang stared at it in disbelief.


    The Terminator Profound Bomb was presently encased in ice, and even the thunder and lightning qi that once crackled fiercely within its core had been tamed, frozen solid by the frost. Absolute Zero did not care if it was a physical object or qi, it froze everything. The qi''s energy had been sapped away by the overwhelming cold, locked away by ice and rendered into nothingness. Absolute Zero had frozen the process of qi fusion or qi fission itself, halting the arcane particles from triggering their destructive explosion.


    And just like that, the Terminator Profound Bomb shattered, both its components and the purified, volatile qi exploding into fragments of frost and rendered inert by the sheer cold. The icy crystals rained down harmlessly, resembling snow on a wintry day.


    "Impossible¡­"


    Liang Shao Yang never got to finish his sentence. His body suddenly froze.


    His arteries and veins themselves clogged, the blood solidifying within his blood vessels. Even his supposedly superior amount of qi froze, turning into a frozen sea in the middle of winter, refusing to circulate in his qi channels.


    Crack¡­!


    Liang Shao Yang couldn''t move, his eyes seeming to burst as the capillaries within his eyeballs expanded, unable to take the sudden cold. His very blood had frozen, and all over his body, his tortured blood vessels were rupturing as the solidified red crystals burst through them and into his formerly soft but now hard tissue.


    "Fei Wu!"


    "What happened?!"


    At this moment, Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou finally arrived, but Tong Xue gestured them over. seeing the wounded Pang Feng, and unable to draw closer to the territory of Absolute Zero that I had woven over myself and Liang Shao Yang, they could do nothing but obey.


    And just like that, the light faded from Liang Shao Yang''s eyes bit by bit as his body was transmuted completely into ice.


    "Liang Shao Yang is dead!"


    "Liang Shao Yang has been killed!"


    After a long moment of silence, the shocked spectators began crying out around the entrance.


    "No way¡­" Tang Qi Hong held her mouth in disbelief. "Fei Wu actually did it."


    "¡­this means trouble, doesn''t it?" Lian Rou asked worriedly.


    "Like hell it does!" Tong Xue snapped. "Liang Shao Yang attacked us first! We have every right to self-defense! Pang Feng and I can testify!"


    "Yeah," Pang Feng agreed weakly with a nod.


    "I know, but¡­will the Great Elders agree? Will they even care about what''s right or wrong?" Lian Rou looked dismayed. Tang Qi Hong nodded.


    "That''s right¡­they don''t care about justice. Fei Wu just killed a head inner sect disciple, one of the prime candidates for the position of future sect leader. A person they treasured and nurtured and invested so much resources in. Even if Fei Wu was in the right and did it out of self-defense, they might not listen¡­"


    "That''s fucking bullshit!" Tong Xue shouted. He turned to everyone. "Everyone, you saw, didn''t you? Liang Shao Yang tried to kill all of us! If Fei Wu didn''t stop him, we would have all been blown to hell by the Terminator Profound Bomb!"


    "Yeah!"


    "That''s right!"


    "Who does that bastard Liang Shao Yang think he is?! Trying to take us all with him! Even if he''s the future sect leader, he can''t just kill us like that!"


    "He doesn''t have the right to be a candidate for future sect leader!"


    "Everyone, let''s stand together! Fei Wu is one of us! We can''t let this injustice stand!"


    The crowd were riled up, shouting their approval and support.


    Even so, Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou remained grim. They knew that the sect wasn''t run on democracy or popular support. The patriarchal system was strongly embedded within the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. the Great Elders'' words were law, and even the Sect Leader had no choice but to listen to their "advice".


    There were hurried footsteps coming down from the foot of Flame Volcano. Finally, the rest of the Blood Blades, as well as the martial artists of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had arrived. They hadn''t heard the sounds of combat, and only realized it when they saw social media, which was why Elder Zhao took so long to arrive, having been engrossed in writing his report.


    But it was too late. They had arrived just in time to see Liang Shao Yang trigger the Terminator Profound Bomb, but were powerless to stop it. They could only stand by and witness their inevitable death, until I executed Absolute Zero. Even so, while they were relieved that they weren''t dead, they were still absorbing the fact that Liang Shao Yang had just died.


    "Fei Wu¡­" Elder Zhao whispered, concerned. "We''ve to protect him! We can''t let the Great Elders find out about this! Even though he saved all of our lives, they¡­!"


    "Fei Wu! Run!" Tong Xue shouted, trying not to panic. "Run now! As fast as you can!"


    "Before the Great Elders come!" Tang Qi Hong added, tears in her eyes.


    I turned to look at them, rising to my feet and breaking the ice that covered me. Calmly sheathing my Azure Lotus Sword, I shrugged.


    "Run where?"


    "That''s¡­"


    "They know where my family is. They''ll hunt me down. I''ll put my family in danger."


    "Even so¡­" Lian Rou protested. I shook my head.


    "Instead of running away, I''m going to destroy their injustice and unfair judgements."


    As if responding to my will, the area stretching about a radius of twenty meters away from me became filled with cold, biting wind, an icy will that sealed even the heavens and earth in ice. The pinnacle of Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, Absolute Zero.


    "Eh?!"


    "Snow? It''s snowing!""


    "He¡­he''s causing the world itself to change! Just with that technique alone!"


    Jaws dropped and people screamed as they watched the countless white snowflakes fall down under the bright, hot sun, and onto their shoulders and skin. The frost felt very cold and very real, convincing them beyond a doubt that this wasn''t an illusion.


    "To cause a natural phemonenon with a martial arts technique¡­to actually cause the weather to change and snow just from using Absolute Zero¡­this is the first time I''ve seen such a martial artist¡­" Elder Zhao marveled.


    "Oi, I know you''re an ice user, but don''t try to act cool!" Tong Xue snapped. "This isn''t the time to be acting cool!"


    "Uh¡­won''t he be giving us the cold shoulder if you snap at him?" Pang Feng asked somewhat uncertainly.


    I glared at them frostily. "Making cold jokes is supposed to be my job! Don''t push it, or I''ll stop you guys cold!"


    "Can you stop making puns and get the hell out of here?!" Tang Qi Hong cried. I shook my head and indicated Elder Zhao and the gathering Blood Blades.


    "Nope. It''s too late."


    The martial artists had gathered around me, as if they were supposed to capture me, but right now they were momentarily distracted by the falling snowflakes under the blazing hot sun, mesmerized expressions on their faces. A lot of them actually stretched their hands out to touch these falling snowflakes to confirm that they weren''t dreaming.


    One of them snapped out of his stupor and turned to Elder Zhao.


    "Elder Zhao?"


    Elder Zhao shook his head and gestured for him to be silent. He studied me, his expression unreadable for the moment, and then answered calmly, "Unless he attempts to run away, you don''t have to do anything."


    The person nodded and fell back into silence.


    Raising his voice, Elder Zhao continued.


    "Even so, Fei Wu is one of our own, and he just saved the sect from annihilation. Anyone who moves against him will personally answer to me."


    He had seen Liang Shao Yang pull out the Terminator Profound Bomb, and was prepared to explain everything personally to the Great Elders and Sect Leader. Sect Leader Zi would be more willing to listen to him, but the Great Elders would pose a bit of a headache, being the hypocritical, unfair bastards that they were.


    Elder Cheng Ping also arrived shortly, and he moved beside Elder Zhao to whisper to him.


    "Sect Leader and the six Great Elders will be arriving shortly."


    "I''m surprised they haven''t arrived already," Elder Zhao replied dryly. "Well, it should be fine. As long as Fei Wu stays here, we''ll think of something. Hopefully Sect Leader will help us speak to the Great Elders."


    "You have my word on that."


    "¡­Father!"


    Tang Qi Hong almost fell over when Sect Leader Zi spoke up. No one had noticed his arrival, and none of us knew how long he and his wife, Zi Da Ji, had been standing there. They might even have been there from the beginning, but¡­


    "Mother, too!"


    "That''s a great use of the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. This child certainly is gifted." Zi Da Ji was nodding in approval, a smile spreading across her face. She turned to her husband. "I don''t care what the Great Elders say. I''ll fight them if I have to. They will not be getting this child''s head."


    "I feel the same way," Sect Leader Zi agreed coolly. "This boy will become a main pillar of the sect in the future, even more so than that ungrateful Liang Shao Yang."


    His tone made it clear. If the Great Elders still favored Liang Shao Yang even after he tried to blow up the sect¡­


    Wait, didn''t mean that Sect Leader Zi and Sect Lady Da Ji had been here from the beginning, or at least from when Liang Shao Yang waved his Terminator Profound Bomb about?


    "The Blood Blades will protect him!" Elder Cheng vowed. "Like Zhao Shi says, he''s one of ours! I don''t care what the Great Elders say!"


    Tang Qi Hong relaxed a little when she saw that her adopted parents were here. Shortly after, she was joined by Zi Xiao Ji and her two bodyguards.


    "Sister Qi Hong, what happened? We saw that it was snowing, so we came over¡­"


    "I thought it was a Spirit Artifact," Zhao Shi remarked as she gave me an impressed look. "I didn''t expect it to be Fei Wu."


    "Ha ha ha!" Da Ge guffawed. "That kid is always full of surprises!"


    "Well¡­" Tong Xue quickly filled them in on what happened. As he did so, even Pang Yun came over, and when she saw the state of her brother, she nearly flipped out. Thankfully, Tong Xue''s first aid and the Spirit Pills were having an effect and Pang Feng was slowly recovering.


    Then the six Great Elders arrived. The fiery rage in their eyes (well, half of them) was so intense that it almost scorched anyone who looked into them.


    They could hardly believe that Liang Shao Yang was dead. The future successor that they had chosen, nurtured, invested so many resources in, the genius who triggered a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, the one who held the potential for a promising future for Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, killed just like that before he had the chance to blossom and flourish!


    They couldn''t forgive me for ruining the sect''s prospects.


    "Zhao Shi! Cheng Ping! What are you still standing there for?!" the fifth Great Elder yelled. "Capture Fei Wu immediately and escort him to the Fire Prison Cliff! Execute him with the Divine Lava Flames!"


    First Elder Hai Mo and many of the elders also followed, but they didn''t say it, understanding the rage of the Great Elders. The six old men looked as if they were about to topple over and die from rage. Well, half of them, anyway. A few of them looked more bemused than furious.


    "Great Elders, please wait¡­" Elder Zhao knelt on one knee and bowed his head deeply. Following his example, I also knelt down and bowed. I wasn''t going to let my superior humble himself on his own. "Fei Wu had no choice. If he didn''t kill Liang Shao Yang, the sect would have been destroyed. You should listen to the circumstances¡­"


    "That''s right!" Cheng Ping also knelt. "He''s one of our most valuable assets in Blood Blades! Don''t let your anger rule over your heart! Please consider this matter in a justful way!"


    "Please, Great Elders!" Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou, Tong Xue, Pang Feng and the overwhelming majority of Blood Blades also pleaded.


    "Are you disobeying me?!" the Great Elder bellowed.


    "No. They are obeying me."


    "S¡­Sect Leader!"


    The Great Elders trembled when Zi Shou De finally stepped out and spoke up. They were so caught up in their fury that they didn''t realize his presence.


    "No one is to touch Fei Wu. He is the hero who saved our sect." Sect Leader Zi Shou De stared sternly at the trembling Great Elders. Well, half of them, anyway. Luo Zhi Chang and a couple of the other Great Elders looked more amused than frightened or angry. "The successor that you guys pushed, Liang Shao Yang, almost destroyed the sect with his own hands today. If Fei Wu did not stop him and his Terminator Profound Bomb, the whole sect would have been obliterated." He raised his voice. "This is the true character of the candidate you were pushing to be our future sect leader. Is this the future you really envision? Self-destruction at the hands of a tyrant? I have been tolerating Liang Shao Yang''s toxic behavior because you promised that you would reform him and guide him along the right path, but what happened? Not only did you fail to deliver on that promise, the sect almost got annihilated by the one who was supposed to lead us in future. Is this your idea of a glorious future for the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? A demise at the hands of a vicious ruler?"


    "T¡­that''s¡­" the fifth Great Elder spluttered, and then he slumped down. "But¡­but even so, their statuses are different! One is just a mere Blood Blade, the other is the future sect leader¡­!"


    "If you insist on going against my husband''s decision, then I''ll remove you from your positions of Great Elder. By force, if necessary."


    A force of heat that was even more overwhelming than my Absolute Zero chill flowed out from Sect Lady Da Ji, and the Great Elders immediately shut up. Oh gosh¡­her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula was even more potent than my Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, and I instinctively knew that was a mere fraction of her true power.


    Jeez¡­


    Anyway, I nervously raised my hand and coughed.


    "Um, if I may¡­Liang Shao Yang isn''t actually dead yet."


    "Huh?"


    Everyone turned to me, bewildered. I shrugged.


    "He''s just frozen. Just melt him out of the ice, and he''ll return with a prosthetic arm later in the series."


    "Aren''t you mixing up the anime version with the original novel?" Tong Xue demanded, annoyed. "Liang Shao Yang died in the original novel. He''s certainly not coming back with a prosthetic arm in this version!"


    "Really?" I dismissed my Absolute Zero and walked over to Liang Shao Yang and tapped on his frozen body. To my utmost surprise, Liang Shao Yang''s frozen form shattered and crashed into the ground in countless icy fragments, causing me to jump back in fright. I gaped at his remains for a few moments, and then turned to stare at the horrified Great Elders. "Uh¡­whoops?"


    Yeah¡­Liang Shao Yang was dead for sure. There was no coming back from this.


    "You¡­!" the sixth Great Elder spluttered in fury. Lady Zi Da Ji quickly moved in to intervene, clearing her throat.


    "Anyway, a martial artist who has mastered the pinnacle of Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, Absolute Zero, is in no way inferior to a blacksmith who triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars. This boy is one of the successors to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s ultimate martial arts, and his status, by right, should rival that of Liang Shao Yang''s."


    "Furthermore, thanks to your failure to reform Liang Shao Yang," her husband picked up on her trail. "We almost got destroyed. If your idea of a glorious future involves getting our sect blown to hell by a psychotic leader, then you can go create your own sects. We don''t want such self-destructive behavior here."


    "You may be right about that¡­but with Liang Shao Yang gone, then what are we supposed to do now?" the fourth Great Elder asked cautiously. Everyone (except the fifth and sixth Great Elders) stared at him as if he was an idiot.


    "What do you mean what are we supposed to do now?" Sect Leader Zi asked, annoyed.


    "Um, who''s going to take over as the future sect leader?"


    "You have a problem with my daughter taking over as future sect leader?" Sect Leader Zi retorted without hesitation.


    Everyone was already aware of that. Other than the misogynistic Great Elders who had dimissed that notion and insisted on grooming a male sect leader, everyone knew of Tang Qi Hong''s talent. She was just as, if not more talented than even Liang Shao Yang, triggering a response from not one, but two Spirit Engraved Pillars. In the future, she would definitely become a blacksmith and Spirit Engraver who was just as renowned as Hai Mo.


    "And with Fei Wu as part of Blood Blades, who will dare challenge us in future?" Sect Lady Da Ji added with a devious smile. "We''ll not only be a blacksmith force, but a martial force to be reckoned with as well."


    "I think you''re giving me far too much credit," I muttered under my breath. "I''m not a genius as you guys make me out to be."


    Honestly, if it wasn''t for this crisis, I would never have been able to obtain Absolute Zero. Hell, I experienced nothing but failure, and I wasn''t confident I could replicate Absolute Zero after this event. Not unless I went through another life and death experience¡­


    "You give yourself far too little credit," Sect Lady Da Ji told me. "We''ve watched over you and noted your growth. You''re one of the best martial artists in your generation."


    "Um¡­thank you." it would be rude to continue insisting on the truth, so I decided to just thank her for the compliments.


    "Even so¡­" the first Great Elder, Luo Zhi Chang, said heavily. "The fact of the matter is that Fei Wu did indeed kill someone, even if it''s self-defense¡­"

 166 Chapter 165: Double Standards

    "Lock him up in Fire Prison Cliff for a week. Let him reflect on his actions."


    Only a week? All things considering, that was actually quite a good deal.


    "But¡­" Tang Qi Hong protested, but her adoptive father silenced her with a raise of his hand.


    "Three days, no more."


    The Great Elders glanced at each other, and then nodded. They knew there was little point in trying to push the issue. I acted out of self-defense, and Liang Shao Yang had proven to be quite the bastard, almost destroying the sect with his selfishness and tyranny. They would only make themselves look like villains if they insisted.


    "That''s even better," Luo Zhi Chang agreed. He nodded toward Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng. "Escort him right away."


    I raised both my hands in surrender, but neither of the Blood Blades elders made any move to handcuff me. They just gestured for me to follow them, and I obeyed without question. As I did so, Tang Qi Hong stepped forward.


    "Are you really going along with this injustice?" she demanded. I cocked an eyebrow at her, wishing she wouldn''t push the matter. I was already relieved that the Great Elders weren''t sentencing me to six months in Fire Prison Cliff, never mind only a week. Or three days.


    "Oi, stop that," Tong Xue grumbled. "You actually mastered Absolute Zero, and you claim that you''re not a genius."


    "There''s a difference between learning something from lots of hard work, and because of one''s talent. I belong to the former category. Don''t cheapen the amount of effort I put in by claiming I only achieved it because of talent. ''He mastered this whatever ultimate technique! Therefore he must be a genius!'' What kind of stupid logic is that? Did it ever occur to you that I mastered this technique because I worked extremely hard, and not because I''m some genius who suddenly comprehends stuff out of nowhere and pull stuff out of my ass? Excuse my language, but this attribution of everything to the person being a genius just annoys me every single time. It makes it sound like I didn''t work very hard and I got it just because I have ''talent.'' That''s kind of aggrieving."


    "The problem with so many xianxia stories is that everything the protagonist or characters achieve, they put it down to ''talent''. And then those people who couldn''t reach the same heights, they dismiss as ''lack of talent'', as if talent decides everything. That''s utter bullshit. So if you have no talent, you should just give up and stop working hard? What nonsense is that? Stop being obsessed with talent and do your best. And stop attributing everything to talent. All those stupid xianxia stories you read, they''re supposedly filled with ''talented geniuses'' or ''unprecedented prodigies'' or obscure measurements of one''s talent like bone frame or whatever, but what happens? New, even more talented geniuses appear. It begins to cheapen the meaning of talent or the word genius. Everyone is a fucking genius, but some are more of a genius than others. Then what''s the whole point of using that term to describe anybody? Main character goes to train in a sect with geniuses, but once he becomes top dog and surpasses all those geniuses, he goes out to another realm where there are geniuses who surpass those geniuses and he has to play catch-up all over again. And then after he beats them all up, he meets new geniuses who make the last batch of geniuses look like plebians. And after he crushes those guys¡­he means godlike geniuses who basically make the others look like idiots. And the vicious cycle repeats¡­"


    "Okay, okay, okay¡­stop ranting and just follow me." Elder Zhao sighed and forestalled my raving with a hand. I nodded, fell silent and fell into step. Meanwhile, everyone behind me just gaped in absolute astonishment.


    Well, that got me watched by the entire sect (not city, unlike Qin Lie), but not for the same reason that Qin Lie was watched by the entire city. And I doubted people would be praising me as a genius martial artist after that.


    "It makes me wonder if we''re actually better off with Liang Shao Yang over this guy," the fifth great elder muttered. "This fellow seems a little¡­unhinged."


    Something inside me snapped and I turned toward the great elder. Trying to calm down and not lose my temper over being compared to a psychotic murderer (are you seriously claiming that it was better to keep hold of a fucking murderer who tried to destroy the entire sect out of spite than me, even though I was willing to accept the unfair punishment?), I forced myself to bow respectfully (not there was probably a huge measure of mocking sarcasm in the way I bowed).


    "Do you mind if I ask the revered Great Elders a question?"


    All of them exchanged glances, but felt there was no harm if they allowed me this little thing, so Luo Zhi Chang nodded.


    "Go ahead."


    "If our positions were swapped¡­if Liang Shao Yang was the one who killed me in self-defense, would you have punished him?"


    "I would," Sect Leader Zi Shou De automatically said, but the Great Elders hesitated.


    "No."


    "¡­yeah, your statuses are too different."


    "Shao Yang would have been justified in killing you if that''s the case."


    "One is the main candidate to be the future sect leader as well as the head inner sect disciple, and the other is a mere Blood Blade¡­the difference is too overwhelming."


    "All because he triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars?" I pressed. The Great Elders glanced at each other, and saw no harm in admitting their biasness.


    "That''s right."


    "It displays extremely rare talent."


    "There are only thirty-eight people in the nine hundred years history of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect who were able to comprehend the Spirit Diagrams on the Spirit Engraved Pillars and trigger a response. The Spirit Engraved Pillars don''t lie, and the fact is that all thirty-eight people have become the pride of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in their respective generations. Liang Shao Yang is the thirty-ninth person, and if he didn''t die, then he would have become a great master blacksmith and Spirit Engraver as well. There is no denying this."


    "Heh¡­I see." I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath.


    So basically, their logic is that, as long as you light up those goddamned Spirit Engraved Pillars, it''s all right to go around killing people. What the fuck, man?


    I shook my head bitterly. If that was the case¡­


    "Elder Zhao, Elder Cheng, do you mind if I stop by the lake for a moment before my imprisonment?" I asked them. They exchanged a glance, and then nodded.


    "Why not?"


    "As long as you don''t try to run away, we don''t care what you do."


    "Thank you very much for your kind understanding." I cupped my hands and bowed respectfully. Unlike the Great Elders, the two outer sect elders deserved my sincere respect several times over. That was the problem with "talent" ¨C everyone just judged you unfairly on your potential, and not your character or personal qualities.


    "You''re kidding, right?" Tong Xue blurted out as he started at me in awe. My friend had caught on to what I was up to. He couldn''t help but grin wryly. "You''re really full of surprises, aren''t you, Fei Wu?"


    "What?" Lian Rou sounded confused. Pang Feng shook his head, leaning weakly on his sister, Pang Yun.


    "Have you forgotten what''s at the lake?"


    "Ah!" Zi Xiao Ji cried out when the coin finally dropped. "He wants to¡­!"


    "Sh," Zhao Shi quickly silenced her. "Don''t spoil the surprise."


    "Now this we''ve got to see," Da Ge remarked affably.


    "Eh? EH?!" Tang Qi Hong was unable to contain her shock. But I didn''t spare her a second glance. I was already following Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng up the stony path toward the Flame Volcano. To be more accurate, I was between them. The two Blood Blades elders were on either side of me, to prevent me from escaping.


    Yin Jing Jing was staring at me from a distance, bewildered at the sudden turn of events. She clearly recalled seeing me just this morning at the plaza, and she never would have thought I would become the center of a storm of attention a mere few hours later.


    Tian Jian Hao, on the other hand, couldn''t help but tremble.


    "Holy shit¡­this guy is insane! Good thing I didn''t offend him!"


    The Dark Asura Sect disciple patted his chest in relief. Well, to be honest, he had all but forgotten about the grudge he held against me over a year ago when he cut queue and got kicked away by me. for a couple of weeks after that, he nursed his grudge and tried to look for an opportunity to take revenge, but he got too busy with training and smithing lessons that the grudge slowly crossed his mind less and less. In a month, he had completely forgotten about that.


    I mean, this was reality. Unless you had plenty of time and energy to waste, it was not productive to hold a grudge, especially for a whole bloody year. Some people did, but Tian Jian Hao had better things to do with his time. Especially since Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was pretty demanding, he had to invest all his time and efforts into training, and not think too much about revenge and other stuff. That was basically what happened between me and Liang Shao Yang. Yeah, I was wary of him and treated him with caution, but I honestly had more important things to do with my time at the sect than to scheme and plot revenge.


    "I''m really sorry about this," Elder Zhao suddenly spoke up. I turned to him, surprised.


    "You have nothing to apologize for, Elder Zhao."


    "No, I¡­" he sighed in frustration. "You are one of us¡­you''re a Blood Blade, one of my precious subordinates, and yet I was so helpless¡­I almost couldn''t protect you. You''re justified in your actions, this was legitimate self-defense, and yet you''re still being punished for it."


    I waved his apology away. "I''m well aware of the double standards and unfair favoritism that the sect practices. To be honest, I think it''s the same in every sect."


    "Double standards?" Elder Cheng echoed. I nodded, wondering if he was blind to what was happening around him.


    "Just because Liang Shao Yang triggered a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, just because he displayed talent in blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, and just because he was adept at executing such sinister schemes from the shadows, he could get away with killing people. He attacked me with those Venomous Scarabs right in my face, and the Great Elders still acquitted him. He killed Senior Hao Ying, and you were ordered not to pursue the case. He even sent Gray Shadow and Black Shadow to assassinate Tang Qi Hong at Free Trade Street, but it seems the Great Elders didn''t care about that because she''s a girl. How is that fair?"


    "That''s¡­" Elder Cheng turned pale, unable to refute any of my accusations.


    "The Great Elders should be intelligent enough to realize Liang Shao Yang''s true character and the atrocities he was responsible for, but they did nothing to punish him. No one touched him. Everyone left him alone to commit yet more atrocities."


    I turned to them, but my eyes weren''t cold. I wasn''t blaming them. I knew their hands were tied by the authorities, the structure of this sect that put stupid, retarded people at the top. It was a miracle how this sect had survived until now. Probably thanks to the competency of Sect Leader Zi Shou De, but he had to work miracles with his hands tied by those idiotic, corrupted Great Elders pulling him down every single time he wanted to do something.


    "According to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s rules, anyone who dares to kill a sect disciple should be executed at Fire Prison Cliff, right? But why was Liang Shao Yang spared? So the rules apply to all the other sect disciples, but they don''t apply to Liang Shao Yang? What happens if he kills all of the sect disciples? Is he going to run the sect by himself?"


    "There truly is no such thing as fairness in this world." Elder Zhao sighed heavily. He clenched his fists. "But we''ll do our best to get justice for you."


    "Um, I already got justice for myself." I scratched my head sheepishly. "To be honest, I didn''t intend to kill Liang Shao Yang¡­"


    Actually, I wanted to pull off one magnificent stunt and then rub it into Liang Shao Yang''s face, but alas, the bloody fucker attacked me and forced my hand before I could do so. Who would have thought that he would be so easily provoked and reckless attack someone right inside the main grounds of the sect?


    "Regardless of what you intended, the fact remains that you killed him," Elder Zhao pointed out wearily. "And that''s going to have heavy consequences for our sect."


    "So what are we going to do now?" Elder Cheng asked nervously. "There''s no way Liang Yang Zu is going to let this pass¡­"


    At that same moment, right at the entrance of the sect, Sect Leader Zi was having an identical discussion with his wife and the Great Elders.


    "Sect Leader, what are we going to do with Liang Shao Yang?" the second Great Elder asked.


    Sect Leader Zi Shou De shrugged, trying his best not to make his movements look too casual (as if he didn''t care about Liang Shao Yang''s death ¨C he probably was inwardly happy that I eliminated a threat to his adopted daughter''s life without requiring him to meddle and stain his own hands). "I guess there''s only one thing to do. Give him a proper burial."


    "He is Liang Yang Zu''s son. Liang Yang Zu will surely not let this go after he finds out that his son was killed at the entrance of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect like this." The third Great Elder looked very solemn as he vocalized his thoughts.


    Sect Leader Zi snorted. "Wait, so his son can go around attacking our other disciples and try to kill them, but our other disciples are not allowed to defend themselves? If he really wants to be unreasonable, then I can''t be bothered to be courteous to him."


    "Even so, Liang Yang Zu will still be very troublesome to handle." Luo Zhi Chang frowned, not sharing his leader''s levity.


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    "The main point is that Fei Wu has a very legitimate reason for killing Liang Shao Yang," Sect Lady Zi Da Ji pointed out. "Liang Shao Yang clearly attacked not just him, but also Pang Feng and Tong Xue, and even heavily injured Pang Feng. He also tried to kill Fei Wu. As my husband said, why is Fei Wu not allowed to defend himself? We have plenty of eyewitnesses, and even visual recordings as evidence if he demands it."


    "You think Liang Yang Zu will buy that?" the fourth Great Elder grumbled cynically. "He will claim that all the eyewitnesses are from our own sect, and so we''re covering it up. And he''ll accuse us of doctoring the footage."


    Sect Leader Zi''s expression darkened. "If he doesn''t, so what? We all know what Divine Shadow Sect is after. Even you guys." The six Great Elders flinched when they heard the unspoken reprimand in his tone. Evidently Sect Leader Zi was harboring a grudge against them for siding and covering up for Liang Shao Yang despite knowing his true nature and motives. "They''ve always been looking for an excuse to attack us. If the Divine Shadow Sect wants to clash with us, then so be it. We will exterminate them with all our might."


    And that was that. Nobody could object to that. Instead, Sect Lady Da Ji smiled brilliantly as she stepped to her husband''s side.


    "The Blood Blades will be at your service."


    "I know I can count on you, dear." Sect Leader Zi returned the smile.


    While all that was unfolding, in the distance, there was one person who had collapsed far away, unable to believe what she had witnessed.


    Hu Mei Er felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at the frozen, shattered remains of Liang Shao Yang, slowly melting away under the blazing hot sun. Soon there wouldn''t be enough of him left to properly bury.


    She knew the truth about her lover, and she was aware of his motives and schemes. She had even thrown her lot with him, believing that she could one day stand at his side as his wife when he took over Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and perhaps merge it with Divine Shadow Sect.


    Hu Mei Er never expected him to meet his demise like this¡­at the hands of¡­a¡­a trash!


    "I''ll never forgive you," she whispered venomously as she clenched her trembling fists. "I swear, you''ll pay for this!"


    Turning around, unseen by the rest of her fellow disciples, Hu Mei Er disappeared into the shadows.


    *


    Back on the path of Flame Volcano, Elder Cheng Ping was expressing his same concerns to Elder Zhao.


    "A war with Divine Shadow Sect is inevitable now. Surely Liang Yang Zu will not let this go. He will definitely want revenge."


    Even though his son was the one who was in the wrong? It figures¡­typical villains.


    Elder Zhao snorted. "Let them come. If those shadowy assassins who only know how to use descipable methods to backstab people think they are a match for our Blood Blades, then we''ll be more than happy to demonstrate to them the depths of their delusions."


    "Oh, boy¡­" I muttered. I hadn''t thought this far ahead when I was fighting Liang Shao Yang, to be honest. Seriously, how much could you think about irrelevant matters when someone was doing his best to kill you? "I''ve gotten the sect in trouble, haven''t I?"


    "Liang Shao Yang had it coming," Elder Zhao assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.


    "Even so, this is going to be a bloodblath," Elder Cheng muttered under his breath, not looking forward to that conflict at all.


    "Why? Do we Blood Blades have some Blood Pool that we need to soak in while practicing blood techniques?" I asked snidely.


    "Huh?" Elder Cheng had no idea what I was talking about. "What the hell is a Blood Pool?"


    "Never mind."


    "Anyway¡­" Elder Zhao coughed. "It''s not your fault, Fei Wu. The Divine Shadow Sect would have looked for any excuse to attack and invade us. It was inevitable, the moment they set their sights on our armory. Liang Shao Yang infiltrating us from the inside was just one of their underhanded tactics. Even though we knew about it¡­"


    "¡­because he triggered a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillars, the Great Elders went mad with joy and decided to forget that he was sent by the enemy," I finished for him. Elder Zhao smiled wryly and nodded.


    "So what do you intend to do here?" he asked. I realized that we were finally within sight of the plaza surrounded by the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    Once again, I felt the presence of the dark entity. It also noticed me, and greedily lashed out with its qi trendrils, trying to ensnare me. My Snow Aegis glowed hot, the Spirit Engravings that Tang Qi Hong inscribed upon its surface shining brightly, as it formed a spiritual barrier to protect me. Like a Gellar field, an insubstantial screen completely invisible to the naked eye, shimmered around me. The qi tendrils scrabbled desperately against the arcane protection, trying to find an opening or a weak point, but so far it failed.


    The malicious, demonic entity seemed to grow ever more desperate, hammering violently against the pseudo-Gellar field with increasing intensity. I winced, but endured the mental onslaught. It shouldn''t take me too long, and the spiritual protection that Tang Qi Hong helpfully wove into my Snow Aegis should hold until I was completed.


    Swallowing, I took a brave step toward the plaza.


    "Do you mind if I spend some time here before going to the Fire Prison Cliff?" I asked the two elders. They shook their heads.


    "Be my guest," Elder Zhao said.


    "Don''t try any tricks," Elder Cheng warned. "We can''t let you escape. We can only help you so far, but if you¡­"


    "Don''t worry, I have no intention of escaping," I assured him before turning my attention back to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. The malevolent entity was still there, brushing against the edges of my consciousness and being repelled by the spiritual qi barrier from my Snow Aegis. I tried my best to ignore its creepy qi tendrils, which were whispering eerily to me, trying to tempt me into opening the walls and allowing it in.


    Like hell I would.


    "Is Fei Wu seriously¡­?" Tang Qi Hong, who had followed me along with the others, raised her hands to her mouth in shock.


    "Seems like it," Tong Xue confirmed, amused.


    "Will he really be able to do it, though?" Pang Feng wondered out loud. "I mean, the number of people who succeeded in triggering a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars in our nine hundred plus years of history numbers less than forty¡­"


    "Perhaps he will be the fortieth one," Pang Yun suggested, her eyes gleaming.


    Lian Rou laughed nervously. "That will be quite the sight¡­"


    "I believe in Brother Wu," Zi Xiao Ji declared. Everyone turned to stare at her, and she shrugged. "If it''s Brother Wu, I believe he can do it. That''s why you chose him, right? Sister Qi Hong."


    "Uh, I¡­no, I just¡­" Tang Qi Hong stammered nervously. I would like to think that she liked me because of my character and personality, and not because of any talent or potential I displayed. I was right, of course. Tang Qi Hong wasn''t such a shallow person. She would still have made the same choice and stuck by me even if I had no talent or potential or whatever.


    "Are you seriously going to try and comprehend the Spirit Engraved Pillars now?" Elder Cheng Ping asked. He looked a little anxious, probably because he had a duty to do. He also wondered if I was trying some kind of trick. "Don''t take too long, okay?"


    Elder Zhao, who was my staunch ally all this while, also looked uncertain.


    "Why now?" he asked.


    There were many reasons why, but it would take too long to explain each and every one of them. The main reason was because I finally had something that could protect me from being possessed by the demonic entity lurking under the Spirit Engraved Pillars, thanks to Tang Qi Hong inscribing those Spirit Engravings just yesterday, but obviously I couldn''t tell them about the malevolent presence dwelling at the heart of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for almost a millennium.


    That would surely give every member a heart attack.


    Instead, I smiled brightly and then sat down in the middle of the plaza, facing the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.

 167 Chapter 166: Literature Studen

    There were many magnificent diagrams and patterns engraved into the surfaces of the Spirit Engraved Pillars. The motifs ranged from living creatures such as birds and beasts, to natural environments like moutnains and rivers, to the horrifying depictions of monsters and demons, and even the embodiments of nature that included ancient trees and beautiful flowers. Each Spirit Engraved Pillar contained its own diagram and pattern, and inscribed within them was their unique enchantment. And concealed within the enchantments were secret Spirit Diagrams.


    Throughout the nine hundred odd years of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s history, there were only thirty-eight (thirty-nine if you include Liang Shao Yang) people who succeeded in deciphering the mysteries of a Spirit Engraved Pillar. Excluding the deceased Liang Shao Yang, the other thirty-eight people were all the beloved prodigies of their generations, each of them becoming a great master blacksmith and leader of their own time.


    Today, I was going to gamble and see if an untalented individual who had nothing to rely on except sheer diligence and unyielding perseverance could join their ranks, and prove once and for all that "talent" had absolutely nothing to do with it.


    Sitting down, I took a deep breath and studied the first Spirit Engraved Pillar.


    Elder Cheng Ping and Elder Zhao Shi watched me, mystified. Even though I told them that I intended to prove a point, they didn''t seem to believe that I could actually do anything to trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    I didn''t blame them. If it was that easy to trigger a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, then surely there would be way more than just thirty-nine people who succeeded in comprehending their secrets in almost a thousand years.


    "Hey¡­" Elder Cheng spoke up, but Elder Zhao held him back and shook his head.


    "Give him some time," my trusted superior told his colleague, and then returned to watching me. Elder Cheng remained unconvinced, but he nodded and fell silent. He wondered if I would be able to comprehend even a single Spirit Engraved Pillar, like Liang Shao Yang or Elder Hai Mo did. Even though these guys only attained enlightenment from a single Spirit Engraved Pillar in their lives, they were still admired greatly by everyone.


    Tang Qi Hong got two, but she was a genius who was on another totally different level. Well, one step at a time.


    Pang Feng, Tong Xue, Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou, Pang Yun, Tian Jian Hao, Yin Jing Jing and the rest of the other disciples had also arrived at the edge of the plaza, only to catch sight of me sittiing down in the middle.


    "Trying to comprehend the Spirit Engraved Pillars," Tong Xue replied as if it was obvious. Well, it was obvious.


    "I know. I mean¡­" Lian Rou groaned. "Does he really think he can waltz in there and suddenly attain enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and trigger a response?"


    "If it''s Brother Wu, he can definitely do it!" Zi Xiao Ji insisted, ever the one to have complete confidence in me. Zhao Shi and Da Ge chuckled beside her.


    "That guy is really full of mysteries," Pang Feng murmured as he shook his head, finally walking on his own without relying on his sister to support him. The Spirit Pills had kicked in and he was well on his way to full recovery.


    Taking another deep breath, I looked for the Spirit Engraved Pillar with the most obvious water motif. The one I was studying earlier that morning and had the most affinity with.


    No, seriously. Did you expect me to pick the one with monsters and demons just because Liang Shao Yang deciphered that? I was not Liang Shao Yang. I was not superior to him either. I wasn''t going to try and get one over him when I didn''t have the ability. I might as well go for something I had more confidence in, like the ones with the water motifs.


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    Regulating my breathing, I drew upon my literary knowledge, remembering the analytic skills that my professors hammered into me during my years as both an undergraduate and the even more intense seminars in graduate school. I analyzed and grasped the subtle, deeper meanings behind the water motifs and unraveled the metaphors they embodied.


    Perspiration poured down my forehead as I concentrated as best as I could, teasing out the meaning and analogies, trying to decipher the patterns and what they could mean. All the while, something monstrous scrabbled at the edges of my consciousness, creepy dark qi tendrils that poked at the arcane spiritual qi barrier that protected me from its predatory grasp. My chest tightened, and my mind sometimes went blank, but I forced myself to calm down and focus on the water motifs and patterns. I could derive meaning from them, I was certain¡­


    And then¡­the water finally moved. It took me over ten minutes, closer to fifteen (I didn''t check my cellphone for the exact timing), but the river inscribed into the Spirit Engraved Pillar began to ripple and flow powerfully, as if it was gushing down from a mountain. An azure light shimmered and shrouded over the pillar, marking it distinctly from the others.


    Everyone held their breath, witnessing what they thought was a miracle.


    "Phew¡­" I exhaled in relief, almost not believing that I managed to somehow succeed. Closing my eyes momentarily, I wiped the beads of perspiration from my forehead. That took me a lot of effort and mental energy, but I couldn''t believe I succeeded!


    It''s not over yet.


    I didn''t know who said that. My inner voice? Someone from among the spectators? Elder Zhao? Master? Or perhaps the malevolent entity that was still trying to force its way through my spiritual defenses?


    Nonetheless, I realized that he (it?) was right. Inhaling deeply, I probed the Spirit Engraved Pillar a little more, trying to unravel more meaning from its flowing image.


    The river turned into rapids, now streaming forth in increased volume and velocity. It resembled a tidal wave now, washing everything in its path away into oblivion and swirling into an enormous whirlpool. Fortunately, the violent water was constrained by an invisible barrier, almost like an aquarium tank, containing the immense power.


    The azure glow around the Spirit Engraved Pillar glowed brighter and then turned into a blinding beam of light that surged toward the heavens, piercing several clouds as it extended on and on. The waters crashed against the azure light that broke through the heavens, but the tidal waves were firmly contained by ethereal forces.


    And just like that, the violent flow ebbed and the waters calmed down, slowing down into a tranquil swirl that eventually took the form of a tranquil lake. The spectators could actually see fishes swimming within the now calm waters. Lotuses materialized above, along with a myriad of plants. But it wasn''t just on the surface of the lake ¨C lovely flowers and weeds swayed at the bottom, home to the schools of fish and other marine creatures inhabiting the lake. The spectators gaped, momentarily overwhelmed by the beauty and serenity of the majestic sight.


    "Heavens!"


    "He actually did it!"


    Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng were absolutely astonished by the sight. The former couldn''t help but grin and send the latter an I told you so look, but Elder Cheng was far too taken aback and shocked to pay any attention to his colleague.


    "Pang Feng! Report to Sect Leader immediately!'' Elder Zhao snapped, having broken out of his stupor to gloat.


    Pang Feng was also thoroughly shocked, despite half-expecting me to pull it off. He snapped out of his stupor as well, a stupid grin on his face, and then nodded.


    "Right away, sir!" he saluted, and then jumped down the mountain in a single bound.


    Bang!


    He landed on a poor slab of stone that was palced at the entrance of the sect for decorative purposes, smashing it into bits. Ignoring the stony debris, he knelt within their midst, bowed his head and yelled.


    "Fei Wu has triggered a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars!"


    Sect Leader Zi Shou De looked amused when he heard that. Rubbing his chin, he cocked his head to the side.


    "Wasn''t Fei Wu going to the Fire Prison Cliff? Why is he at the plaza and meditating under the Spirit Engraved Pillars instead?"


    In contrast, the six Great Elders, who were discussing how to deal with me, immediately fell into a stunned silence and stared at Pang Feng in disbelief.


    "Shouldn''t we go check it out?" Sect Lady Zi Da Ji asked with a smile.


    First Elder Hai Mo blinked and scratched his head. "Fei Wu? But isn''t he supposed to be a Blood Blade? Why is he poking out with the Spirit Engraved Pillars?"


    "W¡­who cares!?"


    The Great Elders couldn''t help but turn around to stare at Pang Feng, their chests heaving and their aged forms practically hyperventilating.


    "W¡­what did you say?!" the second Great Elder demanded of Pang Feng.


    "I said, Fei Wu has triggered a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillars!" he repeated patiently, as if he was speaking with a child with intellectual disabilities.


    "That''s¡­that''s¡­"


    The third Great Elder spluttered as he turned to Sect Leader and Sect Lady for directions. But the couple were gone.


    "Where did Sect Leader and Sect Lady go?!" the fourth Great Elder demanded.


    "Didn''t I say earlier?" Sect Lady Da Ji called out from above the Flame Volcano. "I suggested that we should go check it out with our own eyes. Do you slowpokes really expect us to wait for you? It''ll be over by the time you get your old bones moving!"


    "We''ll tell you all about it later!" Sect Leader added cheerfully and disappeared with a wave, his wife following him closely.


    "I¡­impossible!" the fifth Great Elder was coughing violently now, unable to believe his ears. He staggered for a moment, but his eyes shone with vigor that belied his advanced age. He exchanged a glance with his fellow Great Elders.


    Then, as one, all six of them dashed up the Flame Volcano and charged toward the plaza. It would have been difficult to believe that they were all old men nearing the end of their lifespans, not when they were sprinting at near supersonic speeds.


    "Why the hell is a Blood Blade trying to trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars? Does he want to be a blacksmith or something?"


    Elder Hai Mo was stupefied at the turn of events, but he couldn''t help but chuckle under his breath. Shaking his head, he also jogged behind the Sect Leader, Sect Lady and the six Great Elders, easily catching up with the old men.


    Obviously, at that time, I was blissfully unaware of all the commotion and was focusing on the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Now that I had triggered the response from one, I wondered if I should try the rest. I knew I wouldn''t be able to light up all nine, of course. That was ridiculous. I wasn''t some Mary Sue protagonist like Qin Lie or an unprecedented genius.


    What I did have, however, was literary knowledge. Now that I comprehended the one with water motifs, I could try another that had similar motifs. Of course, each of the Spirit Engraved Pillars had their own unique Spirit Diagrams and were all different from each other, but nonetheless, a small fraction of the remaining still had some relation to water or something.


    The one with monsters and demons were out. I sure as hell wasn''t going to touch that.


    The one with trees and flowers were out too. I had no affinity with the wood element, even if I had spend a relatively long time stuck inside Sen Lin Forest. However, with no affinity for it, even if I tried to apply my literary knowledge, I probably wouldn''t be able to analyze it as well as I could with a pillar that had water.


    I wasn''t sure how it worked, but apparently I could combine my affinity with ice element (which somewhat counted as water element in this case) with my literature student background and instinctively analyze and understand it. Yet it didn''t work for other elements. It made no sense, but there it was. A mystery that I filed in the back of my mind and would try to check it out later¡­only for me to forget it for the rest of my life, but it wasn''t important.


    What was more important was focusing on the second pillar that had some water motif on it. Even though it wasn''t a river, this one had the motif of snow. To my frustration, I realized that I should have comprehended this pillar first, because snow was a closer element to ice than water. If anything, this should be the pillar I had most affinity with.


    Calm down, I told myself. Concentrate.


    And I did. Drawing upon my knowledge regarding literature, I saw through the details. It wasn''t about the coldness or the weather. The snow was a transcient thing, it represented ephemerality. A fleeting beauty, combined with endurance.


    Before I knew it, the pillar glowed brightly in response to my thoughts. I took even less time with this fella than the first one.


    "The second! The second Spirit Engraved Pillar has lit up!"


    Yin Jing Jing shouted, her voice shrill with amazement. Sect Leader and Sect Lady were already present, watching the scene with fascination, their eyes riveted to the two glowing Spirit Engraved Pillars in front of me.


    "Holy cow¡­!" Sect Leader Zi exclaimed. "Am I seeing this right?"


    "No," Sect Lady Da Ji assured him with a squeeze of his hand. "You''re not dreaming."


    The six Great Elders, on the other hand, were still far from the sight, but they overheard Yin Jing Jing''s cries and saw the two lights bursting into the heavens.


    "The¡­the sect''s future is so bright!" Luo Zhi Chang exclaimed. I wasn''t sure if he was making a pun after seeing the twin lights punch into the air.


    "For the past thirty years, Tang Qi Hong is the only one who succeeded in triggering a response from two Spirit Engraved Pillars. It¡­it''s a pity that she is a girl." The Third Great Elder''s voice was trembling.


    "What the fuck?!" I yelled, even though I was not supposed to hear him. "So what if Qi Hong is a girl?! Gender equality, you fucking chauvinists! Don''t be sexists! You make it sound like being a girl is a bad thing! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Your patriarchal views are outdated! It''s time you accept that women are equal to men!"


    Everyone stared at me, not knowing what to make of my outburst. I ignored them plainly. Obviously they didn''t hear the misogynistic remarks the Great Elders were making. I only heard them because of protagonist''s privilege.


    Anyway¡­


    "Holy Throne!" Elder Hai Mo exclaimed, his eyes bulging at the two lights shining brightly into the skies. "What the hell is that guy doing in Blood Blades?! Shouldn''t he be a blacksmith?! It''s a waste to leave him there!"


    Uh, nope. I sucked at smithing and Spirit Engraving. He would be disappointed. The problem was that everyone assumed the Spirit Engraved Pillars would only recognize genius blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers.


    What they didn''t realize was that a literary scholar ¨C especially one who went through graduate school (even though I never completed my PhD and failed my preliminary exam) ¨C could analyze the Spirit Diagrams and patterns in the same manner. A bit of background in art history didn''t hurt, too. These diagrams were more closely related to art than they were to mechanical designs. It took a romantic to understand them clearly.


    But if you were to ask me to translate them into blueprints for Spirit Engraved gear, I''m quite afraid you''re out of luck.


    "I can''t believe two Spirit Engraved Pillars have been lit up¡­" the third Great Elder murmured, moved to tears.


    "Please give us a lift!" the fourth Great Elder pleaded with the rushing Blood Blades. Apparently the whole Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was moving toward the plaza right now, whether they were outer sect disciples, inner sect disciples, masters or elders or the venerable Blood Blades. Due to their advanced ages, the Great Elders were unable to run all the way.


    "Sure!"


    One of the Blood Blades rushed to the parking lot, dove into a car, and then drove it forward. The six Great Elders gratefully clambored aboard the hovering car, and the Blood Blade driver then gunned it, skimming above the heads of the milling sect members and speeding toward the plaza.


    Right now, one Spirit Engraved Pillar was surrounded by countless rivers, which had turned into a tranquil lake with lotuses floating on top and fish swimming underneath. Water was life, or at least that was the meaning I interpreted from that one.


    The second Spirit Engraved Pillar was surrounded by snow. It wasn''t a blizzard, but more like a picturesque painting, with trees covered by snow. A barren landscape, but even so, hardy plants were poking through the snow, surviving through the bitter winter. The snowflakes drifted slowly, each of them sparkling brightly and beautifully before their transcient lifespan was cruelly cut short. Even so, their short lives had contributed to a greater whole, an overwhelming blanket of snow.


    "S¡­Sect Leader¡­and S¡­Sect Lady¡­"


    Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng suddenly realized that the two highest-ranking members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect were present, and they quickly bowed. Sect Leader Zi merely waved dismissively and gestured for them to relax.


    "Watch," he replied shortly as he pointed at me.


    "I don''t believe it¡­"


    "It''s really him¡­"


    The six Great Elders had finally disembarked from the hover-car and were staring at me incredulously.


    "Isn''t this guy more talented than Liang Shao Yang?"


    Talent. Again. Goddamn, but I really hate that word.


    Anyway, everyone watched me carefully, their jaws dropping when a third pillar with stars began to emit light. You might think stars and celestial bodies had nothing to do with water, but the Japanese and Chinese name for the Milky Way Galaxy is River (Amonogawa in Japanese and Yinhe or Silver River in Chinese), so¡­yeah. Okay, that might be a stretch, but like I said, this is literature. So just take my word for it, okay?


    Constellations were rapidly unfolding across the third pillar, which glowed brightly as if a supernova had just occurred. The stars shone with majestic radiance, their silvery rays imbuing the plaza with gentle hues.


    "In the nine hundred plus years history of our sect, there has never been a person who could simultaneously light up four Spirit Engraved Pillars, other than our founder!" Luo Zhi Chang whispered, his voice trembling. "Do you think this boy will be the next¡­?"


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if he lights up a fourth Spirit Engraved Pillar," the second Great Elder agreed enthusiastically.


    At that moment I turned around and held both of my hands up in surrender.

 168 Chapter 167: Rules are Rules

    Everyone stared at me. I brushed past them, even though the Spirit Engraved Pillars were still glowing behind me.


    "I can''t do it," I told them with an annoyed frown. "Who do you think I am? Qin Lie? I''m not a Mary Sue protagonist who can trigger a response from all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. I''m just a regular guy who deciphered some of the meanings of a couple of pillars thanks to my training as a literary scholar in graduate school."


    I could tell that they had no idea what I was talking about, but I couldn''t care less. My priority was to leave this place as quickly as possible.


    Honestly, I had no idea what the motifs on the other Spirit Engraved Pillars were. I had tried to study the demons and beasts on that scary Spirit Engraved Pillar, but other than my scant knowledge on Dante''s Inferno and Paradise Lost, I honestly had no idea what to make of it. Furthermore, none of the other Spirit Engraved Pillars were responding to me despite my best attempts to engage them in spiritual dialogue.


    Only these three Spirit Engraved Pillars were willing to cooperate with me. The rest remained silent, their secrets closed to me. I had no choice but to give up.


    Not only that, but I could sense the cracks on my spiritual qi barrier. The creepy qi tendrils were rewarded for their relentlessness as they finally dealt minor damage to my invisible spiritual protection. If I lingered on for too long, they would smash through the spiritual aegis and grab hold of me. Then the assault on my soul would begin, and the demonic entity would possess my body, using it as a vessel to mete destruction and death upon the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    There was no way I was going to let that happen. Even if the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was my secondary sect, it was still my sect, and the people here were my friends and comrades. I wasn''t going to let them get hurt if I could help it.


    "Where are you going?" Luo Zhi Chang asked me, puzzled. I had stepped to the edge of the plaza, approaching a stunned Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng.


    "To the Fire Prison Cliff," I replied with a shrug. Turning back to Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng, I bowed slightly. "I''ll have to trouble both Elders to lead me there."


    "Eh? Why¡­?" the second Great Elder was stupefied by my response. I raised an eyebrow, feeling a little exasperated at their amnesia. Had these old fogeys gone senile or something? They were the ones who sentenced me in the first place.


    "My punishment. I''m supposed to spend three days reflecting in the Fire Prison Cliff, remember?" the Spirit Engraved Pillars continued to glow gently before the divine lights gradually faded away. "Now that I''m done here, I might as well serve my sentence and get it done and over with."


    "Yeah. Why wouldn''t I be?"


    "Screw your punishment! We''ll absolve you of that! Take as much time as you need and comprehend the wonders of the Spirit Engraved Pillars!" the fourth Great Elder shouted. "You don''t need to waste your time in Fire Prison Cliff!"


    Huh? What? Didn''t I just trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and light them up? I already engaged them in dialogue, right? Was there still a need to comprehend the wonders of the Spirit Engraved Pillars? There was still a next step after this?


    Uh oh. This was bad.


    Suppressing my panic, I tried to keep a straight face and shake my head while pretending that I knew exactly what the Great Elder was talking about.


    "No need for that." I had made sure to record the Spirit Diagrams on my glasses anyway, so if I needed to replicate them, I could rely on those. I honestly didn''t know what else I needed to do, or what I was supposed to do next in order to "comprehend the wonders of the Spirit Engraved Pillars." Not that I could tell the Great Elders and expose myself as a fraud. Moreover, I didn''t want to stay here, not with that demonic entity still battering my slowly weakening spiritual aegis. "I already got the Spirit Diagrams here." I tapped my glasses.


    The Great Elders stared at me as if I was a genius. I wasn''t, seriously. Stop looking at me like that and giving me unnecessary pressure.


    "You what?!"


    "Is that a problem? Do you want me to delete the files from my device?" I asked, feeling somewhat anxious at their reaction.


    "No, no, no!" the fifth Great Elder said hurriedly. "Keep them there! We''ll give you a personal workshop, and you may begin inscribing those Spirit Diagrams whenever you feel comfortable!"


    "Yeah, I''ll do it in the Fire Prison Cliff, if I''m allowed to work during my punishment, that is." I waved the Great Elder''s words away.


    "You don''t have to go to the Fire Prison Cliff anymore!" the sixth Great Elder assured me hurriedly. I shook my head.


    "That will not do. The rules are the rules. I broke them and I am being punished for it. Just because I triggered a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars doesn''t mean I''m suddenly above the law. Isn''t that right, Sect Leader?"


    "Hmm¡­" Sect Leader Zi stroked his chin for a second before he nodded, an amused smile on his face. "You do have a point¡­"


    "Sect Leader¡­!" Luo Zhi Chang cried out furiously, but the latter merely spread out his hands helplessly.


    "You guys were the one who asked for him to be punished, not me."


    "But¡­but¡­"


    I cleared my throat. "The rules have been established for a reason. It makes no sense to bend them or ignore my uh, ''crime'' just because I suddenly triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars. No one should be above the law, even the most prominent of inner sect disciples. We should be fair and just, and not change the rules to our benefit." I bowed my head in what I hoped was a respectful manner. "The rules exist to protect everyone, after all. The moment we start bending them and selectively ignoring them based on the defendant, we will no longer be able to preserve proper justice. And it won''t be fair to the other disciples."


    The Great Elders fell silent, at a total loss for words as they glanced at each other uneasily. Surely they couldn''t miss the subtle criticism in my words regarding their biased treatment of Liang Shao Yang.


    Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng turned to Sect Lady Da Ji, not knowing what to do. As I expected, she smiled mischievously.


    "Well said," she said with a clap. "I rarely see anyone with integrity like you, Fei Wu. I knew it was the right decision to nurture and train you. You bring honor and pride to our Blood Blades, and have set an excellent example for all your comrades to follow."


    "You over-praise me," I muttered as I lowered my head.


    "Sect Lady!" the second Great Elder protested. "But this boy¡­he''s an unprecedented genius! We can''t let him waste time in prison!"


    "It''s only three days, and I won''t be wasting my time," I muttered, crossed.


    "He''s the future sect leader! We can''t just punish him like this!" the third Great Elder added frantically.


    "Whoa there." I held up a hand to forestall any more of such talk. "Who says I''m going to be a future sect leader?"


    "¡­eh?"


    The Great Elders all stared at me, taken aback. I shook my head.


    "Like hell I''m going to be the sect leader of anything." Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was my secondary sect, not primary. I couldn''t afford to run it. "I''ll support Qi Hong, but otherwise I want to stay out of politics as much as possible."


    "Hey!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. "Don''t just push the responsibility to me!"


    "That''s right." The fifth Great Elder looked grim. "For all of her accomplishments, Tang Qi Hong is a girl. She''s not suited to be¡­"


    "Oh, shut up," I snapped, momentarily forgetting myself. Sorry, but their misogynistic attitudes pissed me off. "So what if Qi Hong is a girl? Being a sect leader has absolutely nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with one''s competence. If Qi Hong can run the sect well and bring it to greater heights, then what''s the problem? Who cares if she''s a girl? Who decided that girls can''t lead a sect? Are you stuck in ancient and medieval times or something? Stop wallowing in these outdated patriarchal thinking!"


    The Great Elders gaped at me, completely not expecting my outburst. I sighed heavily, and then continued.


    "Besides, I''m not suitable to be the next sect leader. Why are you guys making the selection based on how many Spirit Engraved Pillars were lit up, anyway? What does that have to do with leadership capabilities? A talented blacksmith doesn''t necessarily make a great leader. Conversely, you don''t have to be a genius Spirit Engraver to lead a sect to great heights. Those are two completely separate fields."


    In the distance, Sect Leader Zi nodded, somewhat disappointed.


    "And there has been a precedent," he muttered as he cast a glance at Elder Hai Mo. First Elder Hai Mo had refused to take up the leadership role as well, and Sect Leader Zi was unable to force him. So he knew it would be impossible to force me too.


    "You can''t just¡­" the sixth Great Elder protested.


    "Can''t what?"


    "¡­can''t abandon your responsibilities!"


    "My responsibility is to the Blood Blades, and to the protection of this sect." I puffed my chest out proudly "I''ll be honest, I suck at blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving. The only reason why I comprehended the Spirit Engraved Pillars is because I''m a literature student and can read and understand the visual motifs, not because I''m some genius Spirit Engraver."


    "The Spirit Engraved Pillars do not lie," Luo Zhi Chang said heavily.


    "No, they do not," I agreed. "But their responses can be open to various interpretations. What makes you think they are solely for blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers?"


    Granted, the Spirit Diagrams concealed within them were most likely for Spirit Engravers, but inscribing them into forged Spirit Artifacts was not my job. My job was only to replicate them. I knew I would do a terrible job of actually inscribing those Spirit Engravings into a Spirit Artifact¡­assuming I was even able to properly forge the vessel for that Spirit Diagram in the first place.


    "If you don''t believe me, you can ask Elder Tie."


    "Oi! Don''t put me on the spot!" Elder Tie complained hastily, waving his hands. "You''ve been a diligent student!"


    "Diligent doesn''t mean good. I screwed up a lot, didn''t I?"


    "Everyone starts somewhere," Elder Tie replied evasively, but he was unable to meet the gaze of the Great Elders.


    "Well, the point is¡­I''m not necessarily the genius blacksmith you guys seem to think I am," I declared, saving poor Elder Tie from being scrutinized. The guy was my teacher and I had learned a lot from him, after all. "I''ll use the time in Fire Prison Cliff to replicate the Spirit Diagrams I saw when communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, if you have no objections."


    "None¡­"


    The Great Elders looked helplessly at each other. They turned toward Sect Leader Zi one last time for help, but he merely continued to smile.


    "The three days will pass by really quickly," he said. I didn''t know if he was assuring me or the Great Elders.


    "Are you seriously just going to walk into prison?!" Tang Qi Hong demanded as she made her way toward me, flanked by Lian Rou and the rest. I didn''t blame her. Even Tong Xue looked stunned at my decision.


    "Why not? That''s the sentence they gave me."


    "Uh, they lifted it, didn''t they?" Tong Xue pointed out in disbelief.


    "Don''t be an idiot," Lian Rou added, trying to keep her exasperation concealed, to no avail. I merely smiled.


    "Like I said, I want to prove a point."


    "What point?" Zi Xiao Ji asked curiously.


    "That no one should be above the rules. I want to set an example, so that no more of that bullshit with Liang Shao Yang will ever happen again. That just because you can trigger a response from these stupid Spirit Engraved Pillars, doesn''t mean you are free from any punishment."


    After all, if someone like me was willing to accept the punishment despite supposedly being of higher status than the murderous Liang Shao Yang (because I triggered a response from three Spirit Engraved Pillars as opposed to his one), then what excuse would anyone else have to not be beholden to the law and escape punishment?


    With that, I turned away from my friends and toward the astonished Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng, and waited for them to lead the way.


    Elder Zhao shook his head in disbelief. "You''re really something, aren''t you? You never cease to amaze me."


    Evidently he was thinking back to when he first recruited me into the sect. Even though he thought I had potential, he never imagined that I would cause such a furor.


    Luo Zhi Chang sighed, and suddenly seemed to realize for the first time that the entire plaza was crowded with people, not just from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but several outsiders who had been drawn to the commotion. I didn''t realize they were here either, having been so engrossed in trying to comprehend the Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    "Clear the plaza!" the first Great Elder shouted.


    A male dressed in blood-red armor suddenly appeared, almost as if he teleported from somewhere. He struck an imposing figure, emanating a fearsome aura that almost suffocated everyone in his vicinity.


    "Sire."


    "Sire."


    The Blood Blades martial artists who were surrounding the plaza quickly bowed the moment they saw him. Even though I had only met this guy for the first time, I knew who he was, being from the Blood Blades.


    I had seen his photograph hanging in the Blood Blades dojo and office, after all. He was supposed to be away on a mission for a long time, so I hadn''t seen him at all the past year when I was training in Blood Blades, but I never imagined that this would be the first time I had seen him.


    "You''ve finally returned," Sect Leader Zi greeted him warmly. The man in blood-red armor nodded faintly, surrounded by Blood Blades. Even I had fallen to my knee and knelt alongside Tong Xue and Pang Feng.


    The man then nodded toward the Blood Blades to acknowledge our respect and stepped forward to stand beside Luo Zhu Chang. He bowed slightly as he cast a gaze across his surroundings, his visage intimidating but polite.


    "Everyone, please leave Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    A thick, almost tangible aura of bloodlust permeated the air as he spoke.


    All the outsiders obeyed, mumbling apologies or expressing their respect. I thought I caught sight of Wu Tuo, but why he would be here was beyond me. Not that it was any of my business. I wondered why he didn''t take the chance to meet up with Pang Feng, but again, that was none of my business.


    One by one, the outsiders left as they gave excuses, offered sincere apologies or did whatever it was that they needed. I didn''t pay much attention to them, having not even noticed their presence from the beginning, but before long, there were only disciples and masters of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect left on the plaza.


    "This lowly officer will take his leave first."


    Once his job was accomplished, the man in blood-red armor bowed toward Luo Zhi Chang and Sect Leader Zi.


    "Thank you for doing your job as always," Sect Leader Zi said, but the man in blood-red armor shook his head.


    "Just doing my duty."


    He then glanced at Elder Zhao and a faint hint of a smile crossed his intimidating visage.


    "In the time I was away, it seems that you''ve picked up quite the amazing subordinates."


    "You praise me too much," Elder Zhao told him. The man merely nodded, and just like that, he was gone, as if he was never here.


    Once he disappeared, all the Blood Blades relaxed and stood up.


    "The Colonel of the Blood Blades," Tong Xue whispered in disbelief, his legs still trembling. "Second in rank only to Sect Lady Da Ji. I never thought we would get to meet him."


    In his absence, Elder Zhao was acting vice-commander, but this was the real vice-commander who reported directly to Sect Lady Da Ji. Sect Lady Da Ji, being her husband''s personal bodyguard, rarely interfered in matters of the Blood Blades or commanded the martial organization directly, and thus this man was the de facto leader of the Blood Blades, as well as the second most powerful martial artist in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    There were rumors that he was a match for Sect Lady Da Ji, perhaps even surpassing her in combat capabilities, but because he held great respect for her and her position, he refused to challenge her.


    But he had always remained a mystery, particularly to the newest generation of Blood Blades, who had never seen him in the flesh while he was away on a particularly high-ranking mission for a year.


    "When did he return?" Lian Rou asked softly.


    "¡­he must have been back for weeks," Tang Qi Hong guessed, overawed.


    "Why did he come out today then?" Zi Xiao Ji asked nervously. Beside her, Zhao Shi and Da Ge were perspiring heavily, having also been intimated by the presence of the vice-commander. Like me, Tong Xue and Pang Feng, they had also fallen to their knees to respectfully greet him, and from their ashen complexions, I could tell that they were¡­afraid of him.


    "Three of the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars were lit up. I mean, he is after all a human like us, of course he would get curious." Tang Qi Hong was saying something that did not sound quite right. "No matter how cold-blooded and cruel he is, he is still human."


    Oi, don''t talk about our vice-commander like that.


    "Additionally, Father and the six Great Elders are all present. It''s only natural that he would come out to protect them from the other sects."


    Lian Rou nodded at Tang Qi Hong''s explanation. I frowned. When did those sects come in? I thought this was Nine-Tailed Fox Sect territory. How could outsiders just waltz in as if the place belonged to them?


    Later I would learn that the Blood Blades all rushed over to see the Spirit Engraved Pillars lighting up that they weren''t able to stop the people in Tushan City from rushing into the sect''s main grounds and watching the event. Bloody hell, what was there to watch other than a bunch of ancient pillars lighting up? Did these people have nothing better to do?


    Speaking of which, I did have something to do¡­


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    "Elder Zhao, um¡­which way is the Fire Prison Cliff? The sooner I go in, the earlier I can get out."


    "¡­true." Elder Zhao sighed, still disturbed by the presence of the real vice-commander. He smiled wryly and led the way.


    "This child¡­" Sect Leade Zi was grinning as he leaned over to whisper to his wife. "He has a bright future ahead of him."


    *


    Unfortunately, my immediate future was pretty dark. I found myself locked inside a dingy cell, with the bare necessities. Settling into the hard, uncomfortable cot, I watched as Elder Zhao swung the bars close and locked the door.


    For a moment, I regretted my impulsive insistence on obeying the law to the letter and wondered if I should have just taken the Great Elders'' offer and escape punishment. But if I didn''t set a precedent, then in the far future, people like Liang Shao Yang would exploit the corruption present within the Great Elders and did whatever they wanted.


    But with my actions, I was confident that in future, there was no excuse for anyone to bend the law and escape punishment. After all, if I was willing to accept my punishment and sit in prison despite having triggered a response from not one, not two, but three Spirit Engraved Pillars, what right did anyone else who triggered a response from one or two Spirit Engraved Pillars have to avoid punishment and bend the rules to their advantage?


    "You really didn''t have to do this," Elder Zhao told me wryly with a shake of his head. "With your achievements, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will give you whatever you want!"


    "Do you really think I''m going to behave like Qin Lie and spend an hour finding fault with everything, complaining and making demands? I''m not that sort of overbearing guy." Frowning, I shook my head.


    Elder Zhao chuckled. "Indeed. We can see that very clearly."


    "That was quite the statement you made," Elder Cheng added as he sat down wearily at the warden''s desk. "If you need anything, let us know. We''ll try our best to make your stay in here comfortable."


    "That won''t be much of a punishment then, would it?" I pointed out dryly. However, he was right. I needed something. "Do you mind providing me with a tablet and a stylus?"


    "Oh?" Elder Zhao raised an eyebrow, and immediately understood why I was asking for it. "You want to start drawing the Spirit Diagrams right away?"


    "That''s right."


    "Okay. Give me a second." Elder Cheng hopped up. "I''ll get them for you."


    "You sure don''t waste any time," Elder Zhao added with a smile. I shrugged.


    "Well, I''m going to be spending my next three days here. Since I have nothing to do, I might as well get started immediately."


    Elder Zhao laughed. "You really should consider becoming our next sect leader. Honestly, I''ll trust you to run the sect properly more than anyone else."


    "Sorry." I shook my head again and leaned against my cot. "But it''s too much of a hassle. I got things I want to do, and running a sect will take away too much of my time and energy."


    Closing my eyes, I reached for the Golden Dragon Medallion inside my pocket and gave it a squeeze.

 169 Chapter 168: Blood Blade Lang Xie

    Even so, people like Wu Tuo were more curious than amazed or impressed. They wondered how the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would fare, now that another so-called genius had popped up. Little did they know, I was no genius. I just used my literary knowledge to analyze it like any proper literature student in graduate school would.


    And even then, I could only analyze three of the nine. Clearly I was lacking a great deal.


    Anyway, none of the major sects cared about the news, and very few of them ¨C if any ¨C paid any attention to it. They just thought Nine-Tailed Fox Sect made a fuss over nothing. Come to think of it, when Tang Qi Hong triggered a response from two of the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, it wasn''t very big news outside of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I personally didn''t register the news, though admittedly at that time I was more occupied with more¡­urgent matters.


    Such as staying alive in the abyss of Sen Lin Forest that I fell into¡­


    To the less major sects, however, they took some interest. Throughout these nine hundred years, master blacksmiths had all been amazing people who had pioneered new inventions and revolutionize technology, leading the way to a brighter future after they comprehended the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and almost without exception (other than the lamentable fate of the late Liang Shao Yang, but he deserved it), they walked down the path of being a legend.


    The founder of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in particular, was known for triggering a response from four of the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. This single action had established his near mythical status in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Unfortunately, I was not Qin Lie, and I was far from being a Mary Sue genius protagonist who went around pulling off so-called "unprecedented" stunts, so I wasn''t able to trigger a response from all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. In fact, my achievement still paled in comparison to the founder of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Not that I cared, to be honest. It had never been my intention to compete with him. On the other hand, few people throughout the forty or so Spirit Engravers who triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars had succeeded in awakening three, so I was still pretty much up there. Just not on the same level as the Mary Sue Qin Lie.


    On the other hand, thanks to social media and the Internet, the news spread faster than was thought possible, but just like every piece of news, the excitement died out as people indulged themselves in reading about other news. Like those regarding demonic sects, or gossip involving the other major sects, or the most popular martial artist in Snow Valley Sect, or the biggest transfer budget of a sect trying to buy a trohy in a martial arts league¡­the usual stuff. Or the fact that Doom: Eternal was going to be released, and Google Stadia was promising a new streaming platform for gamers. Or the latest shooting incident on the other side of the world, where the Republican president insisted that gun laws did not need to be regulated because he was in league with the Rifle Association while unsincerely expressing his condolences for the victims.


    The usual, as I said. I might have triggered a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillars, but life outside the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect went on as per normal, and within a day or two, any news regarding me had all but been forgotten.


    The world didn''t revolve around me, after all. I wasn''t a typical xianxia protagonist where I needed to be showered by praises and admired by random strangers who I probably would never meet in my entire life.


    *


    At the back of the Flame Volcano area, the woods were shrouded by a dark fog. Even though it was early morning, the sun was unable to pierce the gray veil that hung over the forest, which sort of gave the place a secretive impression.


    The outer sect of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect largely resided at the base of Flame Volcano, which was at the front of the mountain, while the inner sect of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect inhabited the slopes and peak of Flame Volcano.


    But there was also a vast forest behind Flame Volcano that was only known to a few. It was also where the Blood Blades dormitory were built, and being one of the Blood Blades, I of course knew about it. I had been living there all this while.


    Next to the dormitory was the forest where we Blood Blades usually carried out our training. This was where Elder Zhao and sometimes Sect Lady Da Ji would instruct me in the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, and where the martial arts training facility were held. You know, the one left under the charge of Elder Xun Lian.


    There were strong restrictions and barriers surrounding the forest, keeping not just outsiders out but even the outer sect and inner sect disciples away. Even the outer sect and inner sect disciples were not allowed to enter this place.


    Actually, strictly speaking, Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng Ping were outer sect Elders and they were not part of the Blood Blades. They did have some authority because they were elders, which explained their links to Blood Blades, but they were technically not Blood Blades despite Elder Zhao being the acting vice-commander. Despite that, the Blood Blades obeyed him because of the authority Sect Lady invested in him, but Elder Zhao was more occupied with the running of the outer sect than actually commanding Blood Blades.


    Even he would be forbidden from entering this area unless it was an emergency.


    "Sect Leader and Sect Lady."


    "Sect Leader and Sect Lady."


    At the entrance to the ghostly forest, the silhouettes of a familiar couple appeared. Zi Shou De and his wife, Zi Da Ji, were strolling into the forest, only for four Blood Blades martial artists to suddenly appear and kneel before them, bowing their heads respectfully. Dressed in their black garbs that somehow made them look like ninjas or shinobi, complete with that traditional-looking straw hat and cloth masks that concealed most of their features except their piercing eyes, the four Blood Blades martial artists retained some air of mystery.


    Sect Leader Zi nodded at them, and the four rose to their feet swiftly, disabling the Spirit Diagrams that powered the barrier and qi defenses at the entrance to the forest, allowing the two highest-ranking members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in.


    "It''s been a while since I''ve been here," Sect Lady Da Ji remarked, looking around with a tinge of nostalgia.


    "Didn''t you train Fei Wu here just recently?" Sect Leader Zi asked. He was aware that Sect Lady Da Ji was teaching me Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, and even if he didn''t know before, he had seen me use the technique against Liang Shao Yang.


    "No. I trained Fei Wu somewhere else." A smile flitted across Sect Lady Da Ji''s lips. "Speaking of which, that boy has improved tremendously since the last time I taught him."


    "I''m not surprised." Sect Leader Zi''s smile broadened. As they walked into the forest, he glanced at one of their escorts. "Where is Lang Xie?"


    "Sire is inside," the masked Blood Blade replied.


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    "Good." Sect Leader Zi nodded again, and then headed for the interior, flanked by his wife. He frowned when he saw nothing but more trees and fog. "Uh, where are the blood pools?"


    Sect Lady Zi stared at him. "What blood pools?"


    "Um, you know¡­the blood pools that Blood Blades train in. they''re supposed to be soaking in these pools filled with bubbling bloody liquids in order to temper their bodies, improve their cultivation and grow stronger."


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Sect Lady Da Ji demanded, her brow furrowing. "We don''t have blood pools."


    "Eh?" Sect Leader Zi''s mouth was hanging open. "Then why do you guys call yourselves the Blood Blades if you don''t practice techniques related to blood and blood pools? And how do you train without blood pools?"


    "Uh, we train normally?" Sect Lady Da Ji looked as if she was getting a headache. "And I don''t know. You should ask the person who created the Blood Blades division centuries ago. I suspect he read too much Spirit Realm."


    "At least he didn''t rip off the name Blood Spear¡­" Sect Leader Zi muttered. Sect Lady Da Ji sighed and cleared her throat.


    "Anyway, this has nothing to do with what we''re here for. Focus."


    The couple continued venturing deeper into the forest, escorted by the masked and robed guards.


    Streams of deadly qi swirled around the forest, blanketing the place in an aura of violence and bloodlust. Even from this far away, both Sect Leader and Sect Lady could hear the noises of clashing blades and the aggressive exchanges of techniques as Blood Blades sparred against other Blood Blades. They weren''t holding back, with massive surges of qi and flashes of light blinking out in the distance. Several of the trees even fell over, collateral damage in the intense duels as the wielders'' blades easily cleaved through their thick trunks.


    And then, deeper within the forest were dangerous places where the miasma of qi were the thickest. Here, many Blood Blades sat cross-legged, their expressions scrunched in intense concentration as they sought to draw upon the rich, dense qi that permeated the forest. Here the qi was so pure and volatile that any mistake could prove deadly. If they slipped up and were unable to control their qi, they could accidentally blow themselves up, ripping their bodies apart from the inside. Even so, the result was a natural purification of qi and the considerable strengthening of their constitutions, so they braved the danger willingly.


    Being Blood Blades and living a life full of bloody battles, they were no stranger to immense risks and terrifying dangers. If there was a method where they could get stronger, they would choose that path without hesitation.


    Sect Leader Zi observed that place of miasma for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "This must be where Fei Wu trained his Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula," he murmured softly, almost as if he was speaking to himself.


    "Nope." Sect Lady Da Ji corrected. "The latest batch of Blood Blades haven''t been granted access to the Will''o Wisp Forest yet. They only have clearance for the training facility." She gestured toward the training facility under Elder Xun, the one where I visited with Tang Qi Hong just a few days ago. "When they get a bit stronger, they''ll get their clearance and authority updated, then they''ll be able to access the Will''o Wisp Forest."


    "Ah¡­that''s why you said you trained Fei Wu somewhere else." Sect Leader Zi nodded in understanding, recalling the lines they exchanged less than a minute ago. "A pity, wouldn''t he have benefited from training here?"


    "He would need to reach a certain level before we grant him ¨C and the other new Blood Blades ¨C access to this area. But¡­" Sect Lady Da Ji frowned. "That child exceeded our expectations. To think he attained Absolute Zero even before setting foot in here. I have no idea how he did it¡­that boy continues to surprise us."


    "Heh¡­our little Qi Hong sure has an eye for guys." Sect Leader Zi chuckled. "Although she probably didn''t realize it when she¡­um, befriended him."


    "I don''t think their relationship is that shallow," Sect Lady Da Ji chided him. "Qi Hong isn''t interested in strength, power or charm. I think she was drawn to him because of his personality, and because he''s nice. She probably never thought of developing her relationship with him for anything as superficial as benefits."


    "Qi Hong never was one to harbor such ambitions," Sect Leader Zi agreed. His expression darkened. "Unlike that Liang Shao Yang. I''m glad we''re rid of him. I was having a headache trying to find a way to persuade half the Great Elders to stop favoring him. That boy just wouldn''t change his character and even committed such atrocious crimes in the sect!"


    "In contrast, Fei Wu accepted his punishment without complaints and went through with it." There was a respectful awe in Sect Lady Da Ji''s voice. "He set an example and a precedent. In future, nobody would be excempt from punishment, regardless of his or her status, or how many Spirit Engraved Pillars they triggered a response from."


    "That kid sure is amazing¡­and I don''t mean the fact that he triggered a response from three Spirit Engraved Pillars." Sect Leader Zi smiled wryly. "He might be on the ordinary side, and doesn''t seem to have talent, but he more than makes up for it through sheer grit and determination."


    "And the force of his personality," Sect Lady Da Ji added. Sect Leader Zi nodded in agreement.


    "That too."


    As the couple continued deeper into the forest, the huge, muscular man who appeared two days ago in the plaza emerged from the depths of the forest. His body was smoldering, despite the blood-red armor he wore, fumes of qi pouring off his glowing body. Apparently he was in the middle of soaking up the miasma and training, but had halted it to tend to the two leaders of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect without hesitation.


    "Sect Leader, Sect Lady."


    When he stepped out of the shadows, the dark fog of qi seemed to tremble. Ghostly visages and images appeared in the mist, howling soundlessly and creeping the duelists out. Those who were cultivating and absorbing the pure qi shuddered violently, expressions of pain flashing across their determined faces.


    However, none of them made a sound. Sect Leader Zi nodded his head in approval as he studied them.


    Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had invested a significant amount of resources to train and equip their Blood Blades division, sparing no expense in finances and Spirit Artifacts. They also poured quite a bit of money into maintaining this training area, particularly the defenses and the miasma, growing potent Spirit herbs and medicinal plants in the area to saturate the fog with natural qi. There were a lot of people who coveted this area, and even more people who sought to step into this place to benefit from its rich, training environment, but only the elite Blood Blades were allowed here.


    Even the new Blood Blades, the f''ing new guys like me, Tong Xue and Pang Feng, were not allowed to set foot in here yet. We needed a bit more experience and strength before the vice-commander approved our access to this fearsome place.


    "What brings the both of you here?" the muscular man asked, his head lowered in deference. Sect Leader Zi snapped out of his stupor and returned to the present.


    "Lang Xie, we have something to ask of you."


    "Please speak."


    Sect Leader Zi nodded. "As you know, there are people from the Divine Shadow Sect who reside in our sect. There are also many people in Tushan City who belong to the Divine Shadow Sect. I am worried that they might seek revenge and kill Fei Wu because of what he did to Liang Shao Yang. You''re most likely aware of how skilled the assassins of Divine Shadow Sect are in the way of murder and sabotage."


    The middle-aged man nodded. "In other words, Sect Leader wishes to¡­?"


    "Keep an eye on them, but don''t provoke them unnecessarily." Sect Leader Zi paused for a moment. "I do not want any incident to befall Fei Wu. If any of them make a move against him, eliminate them."


    "I know what must be done," Lang Xie replied simply.


    "Uh, do you really?" Sect Lady Da Ji looked a little concerned. "We''re not asking you to carry out a purge, you know? Don''t go around killing people just because they come from the Divine Shadow Sect. Even among the Divine Shadow Sect, they''re divided into factions, and not all of them are working with Liang Shao Yang."


    "To my knowledge, Liang Shao Yang was only acting in concert with Hao Ying and probably Hu Mei Er, but the latter is not from the Divine Shadow Sect." Sect Leader Zi looked grave. "That''s what I meant by not provoking them unnecessarily. If they don''t pose a threat, leave them alone. No point killing people for no good reason. That will force the Divine Shadow Sect to move against us."


    "Yeah, this is the twenty-first century. Being too ruthless will backfire. And we are supposed to adhere to the laws of the Great Zhou Empire. We can''t go around wiping out large numbers of people just because we''re afraid that they will attack one of our most promising disciples. That''s basically genocide." Sect Lady Zi was solemn.


    "And we don''t want to attract the attention of the Imperial Guard and the Arbites enforcers," Sect Leader Zi added. He then smiled faintly. "But I trust you, Lang Xie. Both Da Ji and I know you will be able to handle this matter well."


    "This lowly officer obeys," Lang Xie replied as he cupped his hands. Sect Leader''s smile widened.


    "Good. We only came here to tell you of this matter."


    They could have done it with an email or phone call, but personal meetings were the best, and most secure. You could never know who was tapping your line or hacking your emails.


    "If there''s nothing else, we''ll take our leave," Sect Lady Zi responded politely. She and her husband were about to turn away when Lang Xie suddenly spoke up.


    "Sect Leader, Sect Lady, I have a presumptuous request."


    "What is it?" Sect Leader Zi asked, turning back around. Both he and his wife watched the vice-commander of the Blood Blades curiously.


    "When Fei Wu finishes serving his three-day imprisonment, Sect Leader, please have him come here so that I can train him." Lang Xie''s tone was cold and his expression gravely serious. "Blood Blades will definitely protect him, but if he has some combat capability, then it will make things a lot easier for us, not to mention he''ll be safer."


    Sect Leader Zi raised an eyebrow. "Um, you do realize that Fei Wu is already a member of the Blood Blades, right? You''re the one who hasn''t given him and the rest of the Blood Blades disciples in his batch clearance to enter this area. That''s totally up to you."


    As the vice-commander of Blood Blades, Lang Xie had total command and jurisdiction over this secret training area, more so than Sect Lady Da Ji. Of course, Sect Lady Da Ji could legally overrule him and give us all clearance, but that would be an affront to Lang Xie''s authority and it would break the unspoken agreement that they had about who ruled over what.


    While Sect Lady Da Ji was the overall commander of Blood Blades, most of her activities were confined to the inner sect, where she served as the bodyguard of her husband. The main duties of running the Blood Blades fell to Vice-commander Lang Xie, and Sect Lady Zi was careful not to overstep her boundaries.


    Don''t ask me why. Politics were a complicated matter that cofounded me. That was why I was a literature student, not a political science major.


    In any case, because Lang Xie was absent from the sect for almost a year, carrying out a vermillion-level secret mission, the bulk of the job of running the Blood Blades fell to the individual squad commanders, and Elder Zhao who was the outer sect elder ended up handling the administrative duties. However, there was always a need to continue recruiting new Blood Blades members to replenish the inevitable losses they sustained during missions and combat, so Elder Zhao ended up carrying out the entrance exams and recruitment. Fortunately, Sect Lady Da Ji was around to approve the process and the members who passed the exam, but in order to not overstep the boundaries of her authority, she was careful to leave the final approval to Lang Xie.


    So my batch, which included me, Tong Xue and Pang Feng, would only officially become Blood Blades and gain access to this Will''o Wisp Forest after Elder Zhao cleared it with Lang Xie. But Lang Xie had been so preoccupied with the situation that sprang up after I pulled the whole Spirit Engraved Pillars stunt that he hadn''t had time to look through the documents and officially approve of our membership into the Blood Blades.


    Fortunately, we still had access to the sect''s resources regarding spirit pills, armaments and equipment, thanks to Sect Lady Da Ji, or we would be in trouble. And the training facility was open to us, also courtesy of Sect Lady Da Ji, so it wasn''t all that bad.


    "I personally taught him," Sect Lady Da Ji added with a frown. "Did you not recognize the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula that he used? I was the one who imparted that technique to him, and guided him. Of course, there are limits to what I can do, since I practice Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula, which is the complete opposite, but considering the situation, what that child has achieved is very impressive."


    "Of course. That''s why I want to train him." Lang Xie looked up to meet Sect Lady Da Ji''s gaze evenly. "I am aware of the limitations holding you back when you practice Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula as opposed to the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula Fei Wu is practicing. That is why I believe I would be able to help him more than Sect Lady."


    Lang Xie was not bragging or being arrogant. He was simply stating a fact. Aware of this, Sect Lady Da Ji was not offended.


    "You''re right, of course. I''ll leave his training to you then." She merely nodded, and smiled in relief. "Even though he managed to execute Absolute Zero, it''s far from complete. I think that was a fluke. Still, it showed that child''s potential. Please ensure that he will be able to execute it at will in future, and improve his strength."


    "This lowly officer obeys."


    Lang Xie lowered his head again in deference. A hint of a smile curved across his weather-beaten face.


    "I am surprised, however."


    "Hmm? About what?" Sect Leader Zi looked puzzled.


    "I thought you would object and insist that he should not waste time on the martial way."


    "The Great Elders will surely say that." Sect Leader Zi laughed. "But I suspect that Fei Wu is more suited for this than blacksmithing."


    "Elder Tie did complain about him screwing up in smithing and Spirit Engraving." Sect Lady Da Ji looked amused. "It''s a miracle that child comprehended the three Spirit Engraved Pillars at all. I have no idea how he did it."


    "He said something about literature instead of smithing." Sect Leader Zi was thoughtful. "Perhaps the Spirit Engraved Pillars are not necessarily what we imagine them to be. If what Fei Wu says is true, then they hold much greater potential than merely smithing."


    "That child is an excellent martial artist," Sect Lady Da Ji agreed. "I''ll make sure he stays in Blood Blades, the Great Elders be damned. I will not be handing my precious subordinate over to them."


    "I''m sure they already know that," Sect Leader Zi replied dryly. He then turned back to Lang Xie. "All right. Once Fei Wu comes out of Fire Prison Cliff tomorrow, I will tell him to come here and train. In the meantime, you can speed up the process and start approving all the other Blood Blades in his batch. Fei Wu is not the only new Blood Blade."


    "Yeah, don''t just focus on him that you forget about the others," Sect Lady Da Ji added, her tone bordering on a reprimand. "There are a few promising candidates this time, like Tong Xue from the Smart Shadow Sect and Pang Feng from Cloud Sky Mountain. They also happen to be friends with Fei Wu, and I don''t think that child will take it too kindly if you neglect his friends and classmates."


    "Of course." Lang Xie nodded. "As talented as Fei Wu might be, the Blood Blades do not revolve around only one person. I''ll take care of that matter right away."


    "See that you do." Sect Leader Zi smiled and turned away. "We''ll go check on Fei Wu now."


    "Many thanks, Sect Leader, Sect Lady." Lang Xie bowed deeply once again.


    *


    While all that was occurring, I was busily inscribing Spirit Diagrams into the tablet that Elder Cheng provided.


    "Hmm, I think that''s about it."


    That was all the Spirit Diagrams I could think of. Thankfully I had a recording device in my glasses, or I would never have remembered all of them. That was one of the disadvantages of not being a genius. I didn''t have perfect memory.


    Modern technology sure as hell made things a lot easier for me.


    "Okay, maybe I should take the chance to train."


    Two of the three days had passed, and I would be let out tomorrow. Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to do anything inside my prison cell except draw those Spirit Diagrams that I saw while communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars. And now that I had completed the task, I had a whole day of nothing to do. Well, less than a day, but you know what I mean.


    "I should train¡­hmm?"


    Before I could begin training, I caught sight of something interesting. It was one of the images I had recorded with my glasses while communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, but clearly wasn''t a Spirit Diagram for Spirit Artifacts.


    "Eh¡­isn''t this¡­a martial arts manual?"


    I recognized the patterns and Spirit Engravings. As I said before, martial arts manuals were Spirit Artifacts in their own right, with the writings within them a kind of Spirit Engravings. It wasn''t surprising that some of the Spirit Diagrams weren''t Spirit Diagrams for Spirit Artifacts but for martial arts manuals. Well, technically, martial arts manuals are Spirit Artifacts, so they were essentially Spirit Diagrams for Spirit Artifacts, just not the ones you would usually imagine¡­ugh, you know what I mean. I was just confusing myself further.


    In any case, I understood that this was different from all the other Spirit Diagrams I had come across.


    "Heh."


    A grin flickered over my face. This was why it was useful being a literature student. Had I been completely invested in analyzing and comprehending the Spirit Engraved Pillars as a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver, I would have completely missed this.


    I should inscribe this into the tablet as well, and then replicate it. Furthermore, it seemed that there were three different martial arts manuals from the three different Spirit Engraved Pillars. Obviously I wasn''t going to learn all three of them. I wasn''t Li Fu Chen or some xianxia protagonist who went around learning every martial arts I encountered, and the water one especially didn''t seem useful for me. Even though water element was close to ice element, there was still a distinct difference between the two, so I couldn''t just learn water element martial arts.


    However, the snow one seemed closely linked to the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula I was learning. If my suspicions were correct, the two martial arts would prove to be compatible and complement each other, allowing me to raise my ice element martial arts to a whole new level!


    As for the constellation or stars-themed martial arts, it seemed similar to my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, but I wouldn''t be able to tell until I looked at it in greater detail. For that to happen, I needed to inscribe it down as a martial arts manual first. As it was, an image in my glasses, it wasn''t yielding the necessary information I required.


    "Well, I''ll begin that soon enough, but first¡­"


    I turned toward the shadows, my eyes narrowed.


    "You don''t have to keep hiding there. I know you''re there."


    There was a harsh, guttural laughter, and then suddenly the ground exploded as a dark silhouette drilled his way up to the surface. Recognizing that familiar drill weapon, a smile crept across my face and I stood up to face my visitor.


    "Black Shadow," I greeted him cordially. "It''s been a while."


    "You¡­" Black Shadow snarled, his ordinary-looking face twisted in feral rage. "I''ll definitely take revenge on you for killing Young Master."

 170 Chapter 169: Dark Shadow

    Clang!


    However, his drill bounced off my Snow Aegis and he staggered back, surprised. Why should he be surprised? He fought against me in Free Trade Street when he tried to assassinate Tang Qi Hong days ago, and should have known about my shield.


    Ah. I see why he was shocked. I was currently in prison, yet somehow I still was equipped with my Spirit Armaments. Come to think of it, I completely forgot about my spatial device. Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng did not ask me for my belongings, so I didn''t surrender them and just walked straight into my cell.


    A good thing I did too, otherwise I would be at an overwhelming disadvantage against Black Shadow.


    I thanked Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng under my breath. I didn''t know if they truly forgot about my stuff, or they did it on purpose, trusting me not to pull my weapons out and attempt to escape. I wouldn''t, as that would defeat the whole purpose of me putting on this show and setting an example in the first place.


    Clang!


    Sparks flew between us and Black Shadow was forced back. I withdrew my shield and swung a kick at Black Shadow, and the middle-aged man tried to duck. Unfortunately, the confined space of my cell made it difficult for him to evade and my foot connected with his temple, sending him spinning to the ground.


    However, Black Shadow was far from helpless. As he fell, he instinctively shoved his drill in my direction, forcing me back on the defensive.


    "I''m glad my drill instructor drilled all those defensive techniques into me," I muttered as I found myself pushed back by the tremendous force. Black Shadow snarled at me, his face contorted in venomous fury.


    "You won''t get away with this! You''ll regret ever killing Young Master! The Divine Shadow Sect will definitely kill you!"


    I tilted my head curiously. "The Divine Shadow Sect will kill me, huh? Not you? You sound like you''re already resigned to failure."


    Black Shadow froze for a moment, but he shook his hesitation away and dashed at me, forcing me to block his next thrust.


    "Ha ha ha!" he chortled. "You''re right! I''ll be the one who kill you, and help the Divine Shadow Sect seek retribution for the death of Young Master!"


    "Er¡­you know he was the one who attacked and tried to kill me, right? I have the right to self-defense."


    Black Shadow responded with another deadly thrust, his drill colliding with my shield in another shower of sparks.


    "You''ll never escape the retribution from the Divine Shadow Sect!"


    "Yes!" Black Shadow snapped. "That''s the fate of the weak! You exist solely for the strong to kill! You''re just cannon fodder and a stepping stone for Young Master to reach the pinnacle! Know your place, trash!"


    "Sorry to disappoint you, but the fact that Liang Shao Yang lost to me means that he''s weaker than me. So if I''m weak, then Liang Shao Yang is worse than a weakling. And if I''m trash, then what does that make him, who lost to me? Garbage?"


    Black Shadow''s expression darkened and he slashed at me with his viciously spinning drill, almost catching me by surprise. I staggered back from the impact, huffing, but the bastard continued to press on.


    "Shut your mouth!" he snarled. "You''re not worthy to disgrace Young Master''s name!"


    "And here I was, thinking that I would be free from the clich¨¦ arrogant young master thing, and then his whole sect descending upon me for revenge when I kill him in self-defense."


    Shaking my head, I sighed wearily. Seriously? Did I have to deal with this bullshit? It was essentially "how dare you fight back and defend yourself against an arrogant young master who tried to kill you? Our entire sect will take revenge on you because you refuse to submit yourself and let him kill you without fighting back!"


    Absolutely illogical and extremely hypocritical. Typical of these bastards to try and establish double standards that benefited only them.


    If I was a typical xianxia protagonist, I probably would escape somewhere, train and reach a random cultivation level higher than my current realm, then return and wipe out the sect by myself. However, that was clearly impractical and unrealistic. No matter what bullshit realm I attained, there was no way I could turn into a one-man army and waltz into a sect and exterminate the hundreds of members in it by myself.


    That was just bullshit power fantasy turned up to the max.


    Besides, I had Blood Blades and the power of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect backing me. If Divine Shadow Sect really wanted to target me, they would be in for a surprise. The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was one of the eight major sects of the Martial Arts Alliance. As powerful as the Divine Shadow Sect was, they were no match for the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and their legendary Blood Blades. To attack my sect would be tantamount to suicide.


    I doubted that was going to stop them from trying, though. And to be fair, they were shadowy assassins, so they were intelligent enough not to engage Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in a direct war and would seek for stealthy ways to kill me when my guard was down. They should be aware that attacking from the front would only end in their own deaths.


    Speaking of which, Black Shadow''s actions were a little unusual. I guess it made some sense that he was trying to assassinate me when I was inside a cell, but it was precisely because this was Fire Prison Cliff that his mission woul inevitably end in failure.


    "You do know that the Blood Blades and the elders will be arriving soon, right?" I informed him, not because I wanted him to escape but because I knew he would stick around regardless of what happened. He was extremely determined to kill me. But if I talked, I might be able to buy some time until reinforcements arrived. "You won''t be able to get away with this."


    "I know, but it doesn''t matter. I estimate that they will be here in five minutes." A smile curled over Black Shadow''s face. "That''s more than enough time for me to slaughter you."


    He could try, but I doubted it. The bastard was vastly underestimating me. All the more fool him, then. I wasn''t going to teach him to be clever.


    As an aside, the reason why it took five minutes for the elders to arrive was because Black Shadow''s timing was impeccable. He deliberately waited until the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep and when Fire Prison Cliff was not being staffed, before he attacked. As expected of a professional assassin.


    I was surprised he even managed to get past security and dig his way to the prison. Then again, he probably used that drill to carve an underground tunnel all the way here, bypassing the qi barriers and defenses on the surface. Furthermore, the prison in Fire Prison Cliff was built to keep the prisoners in, not to keep intruders out, so he would find the defenses facing weaker than usual, and was thus able to penetrate them relatively easily. No doubt Elder Zhao would take that into account when repairing the prison cell, but currently that information was of no use to me.


    Of course, that meant Black Shadow would find it near impossible to escape Fire Prison Cliff, even if he reused the route he just dug to get here, but fro his expression I was certain that he was already resolved to throw his life away, as long as he could eliminate me.


    Obviously I didn''t plan on making it easy for him.


    "Just die already!"


    Frustration was creeping up on Black Shadow''s face. He was hammering me with more frequent, faster attacks, his drill relentlessly crashing against my shield. My back was to the wall, and I was slowly crumbling under the pressure. Even though my Snow Aegis protected me from most of the impact, my arms were slowly trembling from the constant bombardment. My shield could withstand the blows, but my body could not.


    "Damn it!"


    I briefly wondered if I would be able to survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Perhaps, but I wasn''t satisfied with just taking the blows. I wanted to counterattack too. I wasn''t just going to roll over and let this bastard hit me!


    I waited for an opening, a slight pause in Black Shadow''s hail of attacks as he stopped momentarily to catch his breath. The moment he withdrew his drill briefly, I lowered my shield and lashed out with a Shadow Kick. Black Shadow tried to block my foot with his drill, which had been temporarily unpowered so that he could rest, and I only succeeded in driving him back a couple of meters. He staggered, sucked in a deep breath, and launched another attack again, forcing me back to the defensive.


    "Kuh!"


    I stumbled backward as I brought my shield down to defend myself. Once again, I found myself cornered.


    Damn it!


    Glancing at the snow "petals" attached to the core of my Snow Aegis, I cursed under my breath. Normally I would have detached the mobile qi beam turrets and fired on Black Shadow''s position from multiple angles, but the cell was too narrow and confined a space for me to launch them. Simply put, there was no space for the mobile qi beam turrets to move about. They would only get in each other''s way, and probably my way too.


    Fortunately, the mobile qi beam turrets could function as something else to.


    While Black Shadow was busily drilling my shield, I reached out and drew two of the mobile qi beam turrets. Grabbing them by the shaft, I activated them, and azure qi beams fizzled out of their barrels, forming qi blades.


    "!!!"


    Evidently Black Shadow had never seen qi blades before, and he was taken aback. Capitalizing on his momentary distraction, I slashed at him with dual qi blades, whirling around from behind my shield and grazing his arm as he fell back on reflex.


    "You¡­!"


    Black Shadow''s face twisted in fury and he renewed his attack. My hovering Snow Aegis zoomed in to block his drill, and I synchronized with its movements, spinning from behind my shield to strike with both my qi blades.


    "Ugh!"


    It was Black Shadow''s turn to cry out in pain as he fell back, finding himself cornered. He raised his drill to block my next attacks, and I executed Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike. The ground beneath Black Shadow''s feet immediately crumbled and the wall behind him shook from the tremendous impact, his legs nearly giving way under him.


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    With a determined roar, Black Shadow shoved me away with his drill, but I ducked under it gracefully before answering with a riposte that grazed his cheek, drawing blood. However, the superheated qi blade cauterized the wound, which meant there was no danger of him bleeding to death. On the other hand, the intense heat possessed unrivaled destructive power, which meant I would kill him instantly if I pierced a vital spot.


    We traded another few blows, my azure qi blades streaking into glowing blurs as I flashed and slashed them. Black Shadow met my attacks evenly, deflecting my qi blades while countering with deadly thrusts, but my Snow Aegis swooped in to block them every time. I swung both qi blades again, but Black Shadow parried them, and with a twist of his drill, sent the qi blade in my left hand flying away harmlessly, the qi blade deactivating automatically the moment it left my grip.


    Undaunted, I drew another qi blade from my Snow Aegis. There were still another three remaining, waiting for me to draw them in the event I was disarmed. Seeing that, Black Shadow scowled bitterly.


    "Fucking brat!"


    I crossed my qi blades to block his drill, and then kicked him under his guard. Normally Black Shadow would have flown several meters backward, but this was the confined space of a cell and he slammed into the wall, causing violent tremors and a cloud of dust to rain down on him. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated with his drill, forcing me back while my Snow Aegis dove in to take the blow. Almost as if I was waltzing, I spun from behind cover and slashed at him with my qi blades again.


    However, Black Shadow was a seasoned veteran who had been through many battles and prevailed in most of them. He had far more experience than me, and possessed more strength and qi. He knocked away my qi blades and counterattacked so flawlessly that he ripped a hole in my shoulder and caused me to fall back.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I could feel the blood streaming down my shoulder and dripping off my arm, red-hot pain stabbing into my nerves. Fortunately, adrenaline and endorphins were flowing through my body, so it didn''t hurt as much as it otherwise would have. I knew, however, that once the battle was over, that wound was going to sting like a bitch.


    "Hu¡­"


    Exhaling, I renewed my assault, but Black Shadow twirled his drill around, knocking me back with the ease of a veteran. A sudden smash sent one qi blade spiraling out of my hand and the other was rocked so violently that the qi beam disappeared.


    "Hah!"


    Crowing triumphantly, Black Shadow closed in and struck with his drill. Gritting my teeth, I blocked his killing blow with the barrel of my qi blade. Sparks scattered over me and Black Shadow pressed closer, exploiting the gap.


    In terms of strength, he was clearly winning. I could feel my qi blade slowly lowering and being pushed aside, and the drill drawing closer.


    Just as planned.


    The moment my qi blade was angled toward his face, I reactivated it. To be more precise, I fired the qi beam turret, and the devastating blast hurtled out of the barrel and burned a hole through Black Shadow''s face.


    "Argh!"


    Howling in pain, Black Shadow staggered back, stunned. Not wasting the opportunity that my trick earned me, I reached out and grabbed a fourth qi blade, activated it and hacked off Black Shadow''s arm in one smooth motion. The drill the dismembered arm was holding crashed heavily onto the ground and bounced off, leaving small craters and huge cracks on the concrete.


    "UGH!"


    Black Shadow cried out, clutching his stump. There was no blood, especially because the superheated qi beam of my qi blade had cauterized his wound, but it was enough to send him into shock. Without hesitation, I struck and stabbed him with my qi blades, pinning him to the ground. Black Shadow writhed, cursing and bellowing in murderous rage.


    His qi built up, the assassin obviously trying to use a powerful technique to free himself of his restraints. However, I wasn''t going to give him the chance.


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    Reaching out, I snatched the final two qi blades mounted on my Snow Aegis, activated them and slashed the helpless Black Shadow, carving two cauterized trails of fatal wounds across his body. Black Shadow''s mouth gaped soundlessly and he collapsed, his eyes losing their light as he slumped into death.


    For good measure, I flicked both my qi blades and decapitated him to ensure that he was really dead. There was no telling if he was just pretending to be dead. I was not taking anything for granted. The man was a professional assassin. I didn''t want to get stabbed in the back when I lowered my guard and turned around or something.


    "Fei Wu! What happened?!"


    Finally Elder Zhao rushed into the Fire Cliff Prison, perspiration pouring down his face. He was followed shortly by a squad of Blood Blades, each of them armed to the teeth with high-ranked Spirit Weapons.


    "Oh¡­seems like I had an uninvited visitor."


    Panting from the exertion, I staggered to the opposite wall and leaned against it to catch my breath. Deactivating my qi blades, I inserted them back into my hovering Snow Aegis and closed my eyes to rest.


    "How did he get in?" Elder Zhao demanded, astonished.


    "Looks like he dug his way into the cell," one of the Blood Blades observed, noticing the hole in the floor.


    "Yeah, there was quite a hole in the prison''s defense," I confirmed and opened my eyes to grin weakly at Elder Zhao. "Seems like you''ll have to redo the defenses of this prison from the ground up."


    *


    "Senior Liu Fu! Please!"


    Hu Mei Er was pleading with the inner sect disciple named Liu Fu, while he was smithing Spirit Artifacts in his smelting furnace.


    "No."


    "Why?!" Hu Mei Er demanded. "Isn''t Shao Yang your junior from Divine Shadow Sect? How can you just act as if his death has nothing to do with you?"


    Liu Fu stopped for a moment to stare at the beautiful girl coldly. "So what if we''re both from Divine Shadow Sect? Junior Shao Yang was reckless and arrogant. He offended people for no reason and attacked a Blood Blade member in broad daylight. He got what he deserved."


    Returning his attention to his smelting furnace, he snorted.


    "Even worse, that Blood Blade he tried to kill turned out to be a genius who can trigger a response from three of the Spirit Engraved Pillars. He was really overestimating himself."


    "Are you really not going to take revenge for your fellow sect member?" Hu Mei Er cried out in disbelief.


    "Fellow sect member?" Liu Fu smiled coldly. "If we''re talking about fellow sect member, isn''t Junior Fei Wu a fellow sect member as well? Why are you asking me to kill him?"


    "Are your bonds with the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect stronger than your bonds with the Divine Shadow Sect?"


    "Maybe. So what if they are? It''s none of your business." Liu Fu continued smithing his current project. "Besides, you seem to misunderstand something about Divine Shadow Sect."


    "¡­eh?"


    Hu Mei Er suddenly felt a chill. Liu Fu turned his head to stare at her with glacial eyes, his silvery pupils devoid of any warmth.


    "Do you think the disciples of Divine Shadow Sect have any loyalty to each other? We''re trained to be assassins." He leaned closer, dropping his voice into a whisper. "We were forced to kill each other from young. In the Divine Shadow Sect, the only way to ascend the ranks and survive is to climb atop the corpses of your fellow sect disciples. It''s completely different from the big happy family that the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has here."


    Hu Mei Er couldn''t help but shudder. Liu Fu continued fixing that wintry gaze on her.


    "In other words, Liang Shao Yang''s death benefits me. I am more inclined to thank Junior Fei Wu than take revenge for Junior Shao Yang. Besides, it would be suicide to target Junior Fei Wu now, especially since he''ll surely get the protection of Blood Blades for being such an asset to the sect after triggering the response from three Spirit Engraved Pillars. Rather than provoke the guy, I would rather befriend him."


    Hu Mei Er swallowed, unable to refute his points. She took a deep breath, whirled around and stomped out of Liu Fu''s workshop. The latter watched her leave, and then return to smithing, his expression remaining unreadable.


    Zhao Yu and Wang Tong, despite also being from Divine Shadow Sect, weren''t willing to help either.


    "Don''t you know that Blood Blades will purge you guys?" Hu Mei Er had demanded. "They will eliminate anyone related to the Divine Shadow Sect!"


    Zhao Yu had laughed at that. "You think this is ancient China? You''ve been reading too much Spirit Realm. Sect Leader is not that ruthless and tyrannical. He''s not going to kill people for belonging to the wrong sect, not when they did nothing wrong. This is the twenty-first century. Nobody is going to behave like barbarians and resort to killing for such obscure reasons."


    "Besides, what does Divine Shadow Sect have to do with you?" Wang Tong had asked. "You''re not from Divine Shadow Sect. What goes on in our sect is none of your business."


    Despite being from Divine Shadow Sects, all these disciples had found the warm, friendly environment of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect a lot more hospitable and to their liking. They were extremely glad to be in a place where they didn''t have to worry about their lives daily, and where they could live peacefully without being forced to kill anyone.


    They had no intention of returning to Divine Shadow Sect.


    Hu Mei Er gritted her teeth and stalked off, almost in tears.


    If nobody was going to help her take revenge for her beloved Liang Shao Yang, then she had no choice but to take matters into her own hands.


    "Ah¡­!"


    With a cry, Hu Mei Er suddenly realized something.


    "Now that everyone''s attention is focused on Fei Wu, doesn''t that mean no one is paying much attention to Tang Qi Hong right now? The security around her should be lower than usual."


    Clenching her fists tightly, Hu Mei Er smiled for the first time in days and began drawing up a heinous plan in her mind.


    *


    In a mountain range far away from Tushan City, towers and pavilons stretched endlessly, forming a small castle-like compound. They seemed virtually covered in shadow, the darkness shrouding over them like natural cover.


    Many martial artists with dark, cold eyes ghosted in the spaces between the buildings, not bothering to exchange a greeting or even a glance with each other. They all seemed wrapped up in their own world, focusing on their own survival¡­or more accurately, they remained wary of each other even though they were from the same sect.


    As Liu Fu pointed out, the environment in Divine Shadow Sect was such that they were raised upon the principle of strong killing the weak. Only those ruthless enough to murder their erstwhile comrades and climb atop the heap of those corpses were able to survive. As such, they could not trust each other.


    Moreover, the movements of the martial artists were stealthy and soundless. Despite the large volume of movement, there wasn''t even a single footstep that echoed throughout the grounds. There wasn''t even the sound of breathing.


    The martial artists of Divine Shadow Sect had perfected their stealth skills and honed their assassin techniques to near perfection.


    Inside one of the towers, the biggest one in the compound, a dark-haired middle-aged man stood up straight, his expression grave.


    "Shao Yang is dead," Liang Yang Zu spoke up to Di Shi Jiu, who managed half of the sect. He had personally visited the latter''s chambers to discuss this matter, but found Di Shi Ju less than accommodating.


    The thin, balding old man merely looked up in a disinterested manner.


    "So what? He is your son. You can do whatever you want, but it has nothing to do with me."


    Despite the cold tone, there was an edge of mockery in his words. Liang Yang Zu stiffened, but he concealed his rage easily enough.


    "You also agreed to the plan of having Shao Yang infiltrate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Liang Yang Zu''s eyes blazed frostily with what seemed like black flames. He seemed to be emanating a vicious and formidable aura even without putting in the effort to intimidate people. "Now that he is killed, are you really not going to do anything about it?"


    "Why should I?" Di Shi Jiu responded flippantly. Liang Yang Zu twitched imperceptibly.


    "My son has been killed. If Divine Shadow Sect does not make a move regarding this, then our reputation will be ground to dust."


    "Your son attacked a fellow sect disciple in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and tried to kill him. The other party was only acting out of self-defense. Your son deserved what he got." Di Shi Jiu snorted nonchalantly. "If you want to do something about it, you can take your subordinates and resolve the mater yourself. My Dark Shadow Faction will stay out of it."


    Liang Yang Zu closed his eyes and sighed through gritted teeth.


    "Fine."


    He turned away slightly, but then stopped.


    "What if Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and Blood Blades purge our Divine Shadow Sect''s presence from Tushan City? Are you still not going to act?"


    "Zi Shou De will not do that," Di Shi Jiu replied without any hesitation. "He''s not that stupid. On the contrary, he''s intelligent enough to not go around unnecessarily provoking people. He won''t kill my Dark Orchid Pavilion, unlike some retarded sect master in some other story."


    Liang Yang Zu twitched again, obviously disappointed that this card failed, but skilled enough to conceal his emotions.


    His shoulders slumped and he sighed as he began running through several numbers in his head. If Di Shi Jiu and his faction would not assist him for the reputation of the Divine Shadow Sect, then he had no choice but to use that¡­


    On the other hand, Liang Yang Zu had sort of anticipated this. As Liu Fu correctly pointed out, the Divine Shadow Sect members displayed no loyalty to each other. They were wary of each other and often looked for ways to kill each other in order to ascend the ranks. In fact, Di Shi Jiu was most likely celebrating in his heart now that the son of one of his rivals, who would most likely pose a huge challenge to the candidancy of taking over the Divine Shadow Sect in future, had been eliminated. He could push his own candidate forward.


    Liang Yang Zu had hoped to recruit Di Shi Jiu not because he wanted the sect to show a united front or because he sought solidarity, but because he required Di Shi Jiu''s faction''s power in order to mount a successful attack on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. More importantly, he needed to check Di Shi Jiu''s power and prevent him from growing too strong and influential. The attack was sure to reap a horrifying bounty of casualties, and he didn''t want to leave his faction vulnerable to being backstabbed by Di Shi Jiu''s Dark Shadow Faction after eradicating the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    No, if they were going to take losses, he was going to make sure Di Shi Jiu suffered the same amount of losses too.


    However, Di Shi Jiu was too crafty to fall for that. Fortunately, Liang Yang Zu had another ace up his sleeve.


    "How about this? I would like to hire your Dark Shadow Faction for this raid."


    If loyalty and solidarity did not appeal to Di Shi Jiu and his shadowy assassins, then perhaps money and material goods would.


    Retrieving a tablet from his pocket, Liang Yang Zu ran through some numbers and then displayed the screen to Di Shi Jiu. The balding old man stared at the screen for a few momoments, his inky black eyes almost swallowing the figures in their bottomless depths, and then he grinned with relish.

 171 Chapter 170: Redo

    "Well, your sentence is over. Three days are up. It''s too much trouble to find you a cell to stay for the next few hours, so do us a favor and get back to the dorm."


    "Yes, sir."


    With that, I headed back toward the Blood Blades dormitory, feeling as if I was at a loss at what to do next. Well, I could just start inscribing the martial arts manual that I just discovered through the recordings in my glasses.


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    The alternative was to go to the base of Flame Volcano, sit down underneath a Spirit Engraved Pillar and start shouting out the names of whatever Spirit Diagram I was inscribing into a Spirit Tablet. I assure you, the tablets we used were a lot more hi-tech. we were using electronic tablets with stylus, screens and computing components, not some random piece of stone like the one Qin Lie was using. You would think that with nine hundred years, their world would progress in terms of technology, but no, for some reason most fictional fantasy stories remain in historical stasis, stuck in medieval levels of technology for millennia.


    It made no sense, but whatever. That wasn''t my problem. Those were unrealistic fiction. This was reality. There was no use trying to look for logic in fiction.


    Besides, I wasn''t Qin Lie. I didn''t have "talent that was peerless and unparalleled." That was the problem with not being a Mary Sue protagonist. I had to do things the hard way.


    Unfortunately, when I reached my apartment, I realized something was amiss. A small disturbance in the surrounding qi, almost imperceptible to anyone who had not mastered Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths. Fortunately, because I had learned that technique, my Heaven and Earth sense had sharpened to the point where I could detect even the most miniscule of changes. Of course, understanding what those changes were was another thing entirely.


    However, the qi I was sensing was way too obvious to be anything else.


    "Seriously, guys? You''re watching me from the shadows? I''m a Blood Blade too, you know? I can defend myself."


    "Begging your pardon, Junior Fei, but it''s safer this way."


    "Oi, stand up. Seniors, please don''t be like this!"


    "No," the lead senior ¨C I recognized him as Senior Zhu Zhang ¨C replied. "You''ve to be aware of your status right now, Junior Fei."


    "What status?" I grumbled. Okay, maybe Tang Qi Hong and Liang Shao Yang had the same status, and I was aware that they were sometimes protected by Blood Blades bodyguard, but it wasn''t all the time. Come to think of it, Zi Xiao Ji always had Da Ge and Zhao Shi protecting her as well, following her wherever she went, so it wasn''t unusual.


    That didn''t mean I wasn''t uncomfortable with it. I preferred having my privacy, so I made a mental note to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.


    "You triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars," Zhu Zhang pinted out. "Three of them, in fact. So¡­"


    "That means nothing. I don''t see Qi Hong or Liang Shao Yang being shadowed by bodyguards 24/7."


    "Oh, the situation is a little different this time. We''re just temporarily guarding you for the time being. You see¡­you kind of complicated the situation by killing Liang Shao Yang." Zhu Zhang hesitated a little. "The Great Elders are concerned that you would be targeted by the Divine Shadow Sect for revenge. Even Sect Leader thought it was a good possibility."


    "I hope he didn''t order a purge," I muttered, recalling what a certain retarded sect master in a specific story did.


    "No, we''re not murderous barbarians," Zhu Zhang assured me. "We don''t make enemies unnecessarily and kill innocent people just because they''re associated with a particular sect. But we''re not going to risk your safety either, so we''ll be keeping an eye on you."


    "¡­right."


    I sighed and was about to open the door into my apartment when my smartphone buzzed. Suppressing a second sigh, I swiped the screen and saw that I received an email from Sect Leader Zi.


    "Hmm? Isn''t this¡­?"


    I frowned. Sect Leader Zi was asking me to meet at my earliest convenience¡­which meant he wanted me to meet him immediately. Being the sect leader, it was only natural that he was aware that my sentence was up and I had just been released.


    "I''m going to meet Sect Leader Zi," I informed the Blood Blades who had been detailed to be my bodyguards for now, and then moved immediately. Using my footwork techniques, I sprang ahead of them. Even though I was moving pretty fast, credit to the four of them, they managed to barely keep up with me.


    I did have to slow down a little for them to maintain the punishing pace. As unenthusiastic as I was about having bodyguards, I knew that they were acting under orders, and as a fellow Blood Blade, I didn''t want to make their lives difficult.


    We managed to reach the top of Flame Volcano in short order and I pulled to a stop right in front of the gigantic villa in which Sect Leader Zi Shou De and his immediate family resided in. Tang Qi Hong didn''t seem to be present, but then again, with the main threat to her life (Liang Shao Yang) gone, there was no need for her to stick around and rely on her adopted mother''s protection. I was sure that her parents had assigned a few bodyguards to keep an eye on her, just in case.


    The guards at the entrance of the villa, fellow Blood Blades who I recognized instantly, immediately lowered their weapons. One of them seemed to be listening to his com bead, and he nodded after a few seconds, pulling back to open the gates.


    "Sect Leader has been expecting you," he told me.


    "Thank you, Jing Wei," I told him, and then stepped into the courtyard between the gates and the main house.


    As I expected, I found Sect Leader Zi waiting for me inside the house, studying a tabet. I recognized the tablet as being of the same model and brand (Android) I was using during my time in prison, though I couldn''t tell if it was the same exact one I used. Sect Leader Zi glanced up from the screen when I stepped into his study room, a faint smile on his face.


    "Fei Wu. Good to see you. I hope you''re all right?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine." knowing that he didn''t summon me just to check on my condition, I fell silent and waited for his next line.


    "I''ve been looking through the Spirit Diagrams you copied from the Spirit Engraved Pillars." Sect Leader Zi waved the tablet. Ah, so it was the tablet I was using during my stay in Fire Prison Cliff. "And you certainly are very fast."


    "Thanks." Even as I responded uncertainly, I could hear a "but¡­" trailing off at the end of his sentence.


    "I''m very sorry to ask this of you so soon after you''ve been released from Fire Prison Cliff, but can you redo them?"


    "¡­eh?"


    Of all the requests, I never expected this one. Redo the Spirit Diagrams? Why? The guy obviously hadn''t watched Rebuild of Evangelion. You can (not) redo.


    "Did I screw up?" I asked nervously. Sect Leader gave me a somewhat kind smile, and nodded wryly.


    "To put it simply, yes. You only copied the Spirit Diagrams without understanding them. As such, they are pretty¡­powerless. They don''t contain the enchanged abilities that Spirit Diagrams normally possess. You need to comprehend them before you replicate them, or these diagrams are pretty, uh, worthless."


    He sure as hell didn''t hold anything back. I felt as if I was being stabbed in the chest several times as he tried to inform me as gently as he could.


    "It''s understandable. You tried to replicate all of them in three days. But Spirit Diagrams and Spirit Engraving aren''t something so simple. Don''t be impatient."


    Standing up from his desk, he glanced at the huge window behind him, which gave him a great bird''s eye view of Tushan City below, at the foot of Flame Volcano.


    "Fei Wu. In the past, those who comprehended the wonders of the Spirit Diagrams were neither impatient to understand the true meaning behind them, nor were they in a hurry to immediately inscribe them on a tablet."


    Ouch. That was exactly what I did. No wonder I screwed up. Wincing, I asked hesitantly, "So I''m supposed to take a bit more time to understand them?"


    "Correct." Sect Leader Zi clasped his hands behind his back. "The people of the past would first commit the Spirit Diagrams to memory ¨C though you have an advantage there because of your video recordings and photographs ¨C and then proceed to slowly comprehend it. Usually they take a few months to study and comprehend the Spirit Diagrams, or even years if necessary. Only then would they slowly begin to understand the mysteries of the Spirit Diagrams concealed within the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Such understanding cannot be achieved in merely three days."


    "Whoops," was all I could manage.


    Sect Leader Zi turned back to me, his voice soothing.


    "There is no need to rush. Take your time. Quickly coming out with results is not productive and will not get you anywhere. You need to comprehend what you''re seeing, not just copy them. It''s not just a matter of simply copying down what you see. You need to disassemble and analyze the intricacies of the Spirit Diagrams bit by bit, and then comprehend the totality of them, how these separate components add together to produce a greater whole that is more than the sum of its parts. Just simply regurgitating what you''ve seen is not enough."


    Why the hell did Sect Leader Zi sound like my graduate school advisor? That was the same reason why I failed in graduate school, just blindly memorizing theory and regurgitating them, applying them and citing academic sources without truly understanding the different nuances and having a deep comprehension of their conceptual arguments, merely skimming the text superficially and not getting past the surface of what was written.


    I had spent too much time in this timeline that I had forgotten to work on that flaw of mine. Then again, nobody would think to apply such academic rigor learned only in graduate school to stuff in a martial arts world filled with pseudo magic.


    "You need to proceed gradually, take this one step at a time, and slowly explore the mysteries of the Spirit Diagrams. You need to invest a good amount of time to truly understand the meaning hidden within, not just a few days."


    I sighed, feeling a sense of dread. "In other words, I''ll have to return to the Spirit Engraved Pillars and activate them again."


    "Correct." Sect Leader Zi nodded again. "And spend more time sitting under them and studying the Spirit Diagrams they offer."


    God damn it, I sure as hell wasn''t going to spend months or years sitting under the Spirit Engraved Pillars just to understand Spirit Diagrams! My goal wasn''t to be a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver, it was to be a martial artist!


    I was content being a Blood Blade. I didn''t want to waste too much time on being a damned blacksmith or Spirit Engraver. I wasn''t Li Yao. I had different goals and aspirations.


    And before the readers could jump on me and criticize me for being narrow-minded and stuff, claiming that being a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver would make me a stronger martial artist¡­uh, no. It did not. Sure, it would help me in that I would be able to somehow forge more powerful weapons for myself, but as I said, having powerful weapons were pointless if I myself wasn''t strong or skillful enough to wield it. And already my past year in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had proven over and over again that I didn''t have the talent for smithing, no matter how hard I tried. I would be at best an above average blacksmith, not someone who could forge a legendary Spirit Weapon.


    I wasn''t a Mary Sue, after all.


    Furthermore, think about it realistically. In reality, did you need to learn how to forge guns and rifles in order to be a good soldier? Yeah, you learn the basics of gun-stripping and cleaning your rifles, and assembling your rifle, and I certainly already grasped the basics of maintaining, repairing and sharpening my weapon. But you didn''t have to be an armorer or a gunsmith to be a good soldier. Nor did you need to master smithing to be a good swordsman. Blacksmiths and swordsmen were two separate vocations for a good reason.


    And I wanted to be the latter, not the former.


    As for those who would definitely ask, "why can''t you be both?" it was because I didn''t have the talent, nor did I have the time to master both. Look above where I already stated that I would never be more than an above average blacksmith. I would rather invest all that time into sharpening my martial arts. Already I had to take out quite some time from learning martial arts because of my personal project regarding my Snow Aegis, and engraving Spirit Diagrams on my battle-automata, and if I spend more time on smithing, I might as well give up on martial arts. Not to mention, I only completed Snow Aegi with Tang Qi Hong''s help. I would never be able to do it on my own¡­


    ¡­wait.


    I suddenly had an idea.


    "Sect Leader, do you mind if I assemble a discussion group? A¡­group of, um, I guess, academics and blacksmiths? I would like to share the Spirit Diagrams with them, and ask them for help in comprehending these Spirit Diagrams."


    If I couldn''t do it on my own, then what happened if I asked for help?


    "Qi Hong has also triggered a response on the Spirit Engraved Pillars before. I''m sure her input will be invaluable."


    "I see¡­" Sect Leader Zi''s eyes widened, as if he had never thought of that idea. "A research group, in other words. That''s a brilliant idea! Why didn''t anyone think of that?"


    That was a very good question. Why didn''t the idea of a collaborative effort ever occur to anyone in this timeline? In my previous timeline, that was how academic discussions and research and development projects worked. That was how archeologists and scientists worked. We didn''t just sit down individually and meditated under a site. We formed groups and worked together on historical sites or scientific projects. A team of engineers gathered together to work on a blueprint ¨C that was what my brother and friend/roommate (both of whom were engineers) told me. Nobody just sat down in his office and came up with a blueprint on his own. Even in literature, history and academic stuff, scholars engaged in dialogue. No one just stayed in his own bubble, isolated from feedback and discussion, and pretended to comprehend the mysteries of academic theory on his or her own.


    Dialogue. That was the focal point of modern academic environment. Everyone was in dialogue with one another, discussing theories with one another. Networks. Discussion. Collaboration. We had moved past a world where everything was individual achievements and enlightenment. If I wanted to truly understand these Spirit Diagrams, it was pointless to just sit down and medidate on my own. I needed to discuss with like-minded people and get feedback and ideas.


    "Certainly, Qi Hong would be a great idea. So would Hai Mo. A few of the elders¡­yes, I would love to personally participate too."


    Sect Leader Zi.


    "I can''t believe I never thought about that. Or anyone, for that matter. It''s something that''s so blindingly obvious!"


    "Well, most wuxia and xianxia settings emphasize on individual effort," I pointed out dryly. "So that the protagonist can hog all the credit to himself and be praised for his achievements, which he attained all on his own without any help or assistance from others. It''s to put the protagonist on a pedestal and show off how much of a genius he is, to comprehend something that no one can comprehend before, to do everything on his own. People love reading about overpowered protagonists who become godlike or legendary¡­that explains the massive wave of Mary Sues infecting the Internet."


    "¡­huh?"


    Sect Leader Zi was staring at me, baffled. I cleared my throat and quickly shook my head.


    "Nothing. I was merely thinking who I should ask. Maybe Lian Rou might help too."


    "Yes, yes." Sect Leader Zi was eager to get the ball rolling. "I''ll get this collaboration group organized as soon as possible. Perhaps with our combined efforts, we''ll be able to comprehend the Spirit Diagrams you accessed for us."


    In other words, I still needed to go to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Well, I should be able to keep them activated for short spans of time before my spiritual defenses failed against the malevolent entity staying there.


    I wondered if I should tell Sect Leader Zi about that. Perhaps we would be able to come up with a countermeasure against it.


    "Um, there''s one more thing I need to tell you."


    I briefly informed Sect Leader Zi, and he stared at me in disbelief.


    "None of the other people who comprehended the wonders of the Spirit Engraved Pillars ever mentioned anything like that before."


    "Yeah, they weren''t compatible with the malevolent entity, which was why it didn''t bother to possess them."


    "Then what makes you different?"


    That was a good question. One I wasn''t sure I could answer. I could tell him that I was a member of the Heaven and Earth Sect, which was quite a huge secret, but¡­


    "It''s probably because of the martial arts I practiced."


    "Huh? Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula?" Sect Leader Zi raised an eyebrow. "Why would that make you more compatible with this¡­demonic entity that''s living underneath the Spirit Engraved Pillars?"


    "No, not Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. My main martial arts, from my primary sect¡­"


    Sect Leader Zi looked as if he wanted to ask the identity of my main, primary sect, but he hesitated. It was sect policy not to pry into the backgrounds of the disciples who joined them, not unless they posed a threat (like Liang Shao Yang) or were already well known. As long as you had the ability and showed promise, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would recruit you without question.


    "I see." Sect Leader Zi paused for a moment. "You said Qi Hong helped install a spiritual barrier function in your Snow Aegis, which helped to guard against this demonic entity?"


    "Yeah, that''s correct," I confirmed.


    "Show me your Snow Aegis. Perhaps I can upgrade it for you."


    "Really? Thank you so much!" without any hesitation, I passed my Snow Aegis over. Sect Leader Zi took a look at it, and hten nodded.


    "Give me an hour, and I''ll upgrade it and return it to you. In the meantime¡­" he picked up his cellphone and dialed a number. "Great Elder Luo Zhi Chang? Are you free right now? Good. I need you to¡­"


    Taking a deep breath, I glanced outside the gigantic window behind Sect Leader Zi, my eyes stopping on the plaza with Spirit Engraved Pillars at the foot of the Flame Volcano below. Even though I wasn''t very enthusiastic spending too much time on Spirit Engraving and smithing, at least this burden would be a lot easier to bear now, since I was currently sharing it.

 172 Chapter 171: Research Group

    "I dunno. Have you discussed it with Great Elder Luo yet?"


    "Not yet¡­"


    There was a flurry of activity as everyone sought to analyze the Spirit Diagrams that I had managed to trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Earlier, I had arrived on the plaza with the others, and I succeeded in triggering a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Communing with them, I was able to project the hidden Spirit Diagrams into the open like a holographic projector. And now tech-adepts of the Adeptus Mechanicus¡­uh, I mean technicians of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect were bustling about, setting up hi-tech equipment such as screens, hololiths, digital auspexes and long-range vox-receivers.


    The blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers selected by Sect Leader Zi Shou De had also gathered on the site to observe the Spirit Diagrams beamed onto the screen.


    "Oh¡­so there is this way too¡­I never thought of it."


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    One of the Great Elders nodded, bemused, as he stroked his white beard. He stared at the Spirit Diagram that was now projected and recorded on the screen. The river was flowing gently, fish and marine plants rustling within its tranquil depths.


    "In the past, we believed that only the person who was able to trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars would understand the Spirit Diagrams concealed within. We never thought to have him share his experience and discuss it with us for conclusions. We thought those who weren''t able to trigger a response would be completely useless in deciphering the mysteries of the Spirit Diagrams, since they weren''t able to open up a pathway into communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    In other words, the people who communed with the Spirit Engraved Pillars in thhe past were considered special, and they were supposedly the only ones who would ever be able to understand the mysteries within. What arrogance.


    Shaking my head inwardly, I took a deep breath and suppressed my weariness with a smile. "No, I don''t believe that. Everyone should have a fair chance at studying it. Sure, perhaps not everyone can trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, but that doesn''t mean only those who can will be able to analyze the mysteries."


    I wasn''t clear with the details, but from what I heard, Liang Shao Yang did not dare to spend long periods of time to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillar and comprehend the mysteries it guarded. The demons would have attacked his spirit consciousness and hurt him psychically. It was a different assault from the demonic entity dwelling beneath the plaza, but still a very real threat nonetheless. My point, though, was that whether it was me or Liang Shao Yang, just because we saw the Spirit Diagrams, didn''t mean we comprehended them, or would be the only ones who could understand them. Similarly, just because other people weren''t able to trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and commune with them didn''t mean they would never be able to comprehend them.


    Teamwork. If I joined a collaborative effort with other people and sought their help, they might be able to spot what I missed and fill in the gaps for me, while I kept the Spirit Diagrams activated long enough for them to study it.


    Sensing a sturdy sensation from my Snow Aegis, I glanced down at it and studied the glow. True to his word, Sect Leader Zi had upgraded the spiritual defense of my Snow Aegis and now I could barely feel the demonic entity below my feet, his psychic tendrils and spiritual invasion rendered uselss by the invisible spiritual barrier that my Snow Aegis erected over me. I couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that I could stick around for longer than last time.


    I was still wary of sticking around in the plaza for too long, though. I wasn''t the type to take unnecessary risks.


    Behind me, the Great Elders and First Elder Hai Mo were discussing with Tang Qi Hong and a group of young inner sect disciples, which included Zi Xiao Ji and Lian Rou.


    "The aquatic environment filled with marine life must mean something. Perhaps water is life. That might be the hidden meaning."


    "Yet the aquatic environment is always changing. The fishes are always changing ¨C do you notice how they''re different from a minute ago?"


    "Could this be the passage of time?"


    "Maybe¡­the lives of the fish and plants are causing the ture core of the Spirit Diagram to always be in flux. It is constantly changing the energy of the internal Spirit Lines. But that''s normal, isn''t it? For all Spirit Diagrams."


    "That''s right. These changes often happen whenever the Spirit Diagram functions alongside the corresponding Spirit Arts. These changes and flux are what grants the Spirit Diagram its power and its own individual soul!"


    "That''s why Spirit Diagrams are perceived to be living objects."


    Overhearing the discussion between the young and the old, I couldn''t help but smile. The younger generation were fully of vitality, searching for fresh, creative ways and innovative interpretations of ancient texts, formulating new ideas and conceptions, but sometimes they tended to be too impulsive and liberal with their interpretations. The older generation, on the other hand, despite being more rigid and stubbornly set in their ways, were able to rein the former''s impulsive streak in while providing invaluable knowledge and advice with their wealth of experience and wisdom. Having the two groups working in concert proved to be a brilliant idea.


    Credit went to Sect Leader Zi, because it was only through his efforts that this was made possible. He also stepped in to meditate conflicts between the two groups as well as encouraged flexibility and discussion rather than have one group shut out the other totally. I could see why he was the sect leader.


    Tang Qi Hong observed the flowing water and took note of several of the patterns. Turning to Elder Hai Mo, she discussed her hypothesis with him.


    "I think I understand now. The Heavenly Nine Winding River Diagram on the inside is one with the enormous body of water on the outside. The changes in the water will cause the core Heavenly Nine Winding River Diagram to constantly change as well. If I cannot understand the connection between the two, particularly the way they interact with each other, then I probably won''t be able to truly comprehend the Spirit Diagram."


    Elder Hai thought for a moment, and then nodded.


    "You''re right, there''s definitely a connection between the two. A mutual dependency¡­an ecosystem, perhaps? Maybe we''re looking at the Spirit Diagram from the wrong angle. We''ve always been assuming that they are separated into two parts ¨C the core and the outer layer. What if they are not meant to be separate, but exist as a single, coherent ecosystem?"


    "Ah¡­!" Tang Qi Hong''s eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. "You''re right! I didn''t think of that!"


    Stepping in, I observed the Spirit Diagram more intensely and picked out a pattern. Elder Hai was right¡­if he didn''t mention his opinion, I would never have noticed it. Getting excited when I spotted the connection, I hurried over and flashed my tablet toward them. On the holographic screen, a single line was lit up, marked in blue.


    "Look! These two Spirit Lines are actually one line! When the line outside moves, the line inside also moves in accordance as well! They are actually one Spirit Line, not two! That''s why, if you stimulate the Spirit Line outside, it will naturally cause changes in the inside as well! You''re right, it''s a single ecosystem!"


    Taking a deep breath, I analyzed the spiritual metaphor and tried to concretize the image into words.


    "Just like in a living ecosystem¡­if the water is affected, the fish and the aquatic plants living in the water will be affected as well. Like, um, pollution. If toxic material is dumped into the water, the fish and plants will die too!"


    Tang Qi Hong winced. "Could you use a less macabre metaphor?"


    "Sorry." Looked like I had delved too much into ecocriticism under one of my literature professors. "Um, how about this? If the water is clean and filled with more oxygen, it would help the plants and fish become fresher and stronger. And if it''s clear enough for sunlight to pass through, then the plants inside can photosynthesize better."


    Now I was bullshitting with my limited environmental science knowledge, but no one knew.


    "Hmm¡­I guess." Tang Qi Hong nodded, convinced. "That might be the secret to it! We should record this down!"


    "Already did." I waved my tablet at her.


    "Sounds good. At this rate, we''ll be able to make a breakthrough."


    The project leader, Sect Leader Zi, was personally supervising the research and he looked pleased with our progress.


    We had been working on this for nine days now, arguing, coming up with hypotheses, poking holes in each other''s theories and figuring out new stuff. There were also attempts to replicate the Spirit Diagram, and even though none of them had been successful, I had the feeling we were getting closer to the finished article.


    Honestly, having a group help out was excellent. We had come a lot further and achieved this much in a much shorter time than if I were to sit here and meditate on my own. Hell, I doubted I would be able to figure anything by myself.


    Staring at the glowing Spirit Diagram that was projected by the Spirit Engraved Pillar with water motifs ¨C the first one I triggered a response in ¨C I wondered if I would finally be able to replicate the Spirit Diagram on a tablet.


    Well, one thing at a time. For now, I should focus on completing the current step first before jumping ahead to the next. Pulling my thoughts together, I tried to recall the discussions we had so far and apply them to the Spirit Diagram that was currently swirling above us, filled with life and vitality. As the Great Elders noted, the Spirit Diagram had its own soul.


    And now our job was to find out how to recreate that soul.


    *


    While we were focused on researching and studying the Heavenly Nine Winding River Spirit Diagram, Lang Xie was occupied with matters of his own. He was standing outside the Will''o Wisp Forest, silently watching the Blood Blades training within.


    This time, the training was a little different. A few of the Blood Blades were actually practicing with their battle-automata, having completed their Spirit Engravings on their battle puppets and binding the mechanical warriors to their will.


    "Sire."


    Shen Cha appeared from the shadows and knelt respectfully before Lang Xie, who only gave him the most cursory of glances.


    "How is the situation outside?"


    "¡­" Shen Cha closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them, and spoke up, his voice muffled by his mask. "Divine Shadow Sect is making their move. They have been raiding our shipments and trying to intercept our Spirit Artifact cargoes. Fortunately, the Imperial Guard mobilized and beat them back, but we sustained quite a few losses."


    Lang Xie''s eyes darkened, but his expression remained unchanged. Even so, a bloodthirsty aura seemed to emanate silently from him, saturating the forest with his bloodlust. Even Shen Cha shuddered at the force of it.


    "I see," the vice-commander of the Blood Blades said quietly. "So they really intend to declare war on us."


    "Yes." Shen Cha nodded in confirmation. "They are preparing for total war, and from our intelligence, they have mustered a formidable number of troops. About a five hundred men, at least. Not only that, they are calling upon old alliances and gathering other sects to side with them in the upcoming conflict. This will no longer be a war between two sects, but between several."


    "We will not involve other sects in our own matter," Lang Xie declared fiercely. Shen Cha merely nodded, but did not object. Instead, he moved on to the next report.


    "Many of our foreign ambassadors have also been attacked as they travel in and out of Tushan City. It appears that Divine Shadow Sect has stationed troops outside Tushan City as well. We''ve been rooting them out, but they have proven to be¡­elusive. We only managed to eradicate three cells so far, but I believe there are at least twelve others."


    "It''s best if we stop our ambassadors and officials from venturing outside for the moment." Lang Xie sighed. "And the students too. We''ll have to stop them from leaving Tushan City, even if it''s to go to school. I''ll discuss this matter with Sect Leader Zi."


    "Yes, sire."


    "I also need to request him to put a stop to inner sect and outer sect disciples going outside to look for Spirit Materials, and halt the flow of Spirit Artifacts into our branches outside Tushan City." Lang Xie turned to look at Shen Cha. "I''ll assign you more squads. Patrol the city and even Water Margin Town to track down as many Divine Shadow Sect bases. Not just here, but also outside Tushan City. Destroy them all."


    "Roger that, sire."


    "We''ll destroy these bases and force them to keep sending more people over, to drain their resources and whittle down their numbers a little at a time." Lang Xie was almost murmuring to himself. Shen Cha stared at him.


    "Wouldn''t they launch an all-out attack eventually?"


    "Yes, they would. Even so, I feel as if they are provoking us. But we must not fall for their provocations." Lang Xie sighed heavily. "It will not be easy for us to attack the Divine Shadow Sect''s headquarters. We can only force them to come to us. I want to make use of defender''s advantage in Tushan City."


    "I concur."


    Lang Xie and Shen Cha spun around, only to see Sect Lady Zi Da Ji strolling toward them. She raised a hand to forestall them from formally greeting her, and then waved for them to continue the discussion.


    "I think it''s a good plan. I would much rather preserve our home ground advantage than attempt to invade their headquarters and end up walking into a trap. No doubt the Divine Shadow Sect will have some nasty surprises waiting for us if we do. I have no doubt that their headquarters will be heavily guarded and booby-trapped."


    Lang Xie looked grim. "The Divine Shadow Sect is renowned for being able to kill anyone in every kind of circumstances, and they have trained to operate in complex terrains and making use of it to their advantage. We''ll have to stay on high alert if we want to prevent ourselves from losing any more of our sect members."


    "If we continually destroy their bases, we''ll force them to act eventually while whittling down their numbers at the same time," Sect Lady Da Ji pointed out. "I think your plan is a good and practical one."


    "Thank you for the praise." Lang Xie bowed his head. "But I''ll also devise counterattack strategies and preemptive strikes to speed up the process."


    "My husband is in talks with the royal family and the Imperial Guard, but it seems they don''t want to get involved in conflicts and disputes between martial arts sects. We might have to resolve this matter ourselves."


    "In other words, prepare for the worst case scenario, huh?" Lang Xie muttered under his breath, but he had already anticipated that. Sect Lady Da Ji nodded.


    "That''s right. I''ll be counting on you, Lang Xie."


    "You can count on me, my lady."


    "I know I can." Sect Lady Da Ji smiled. Then noticing the troubled expression on Shen Cha''s face (even though he was wearing a mask, so I assume she detected him by the disturbance in his qi), she continued. "Don''t worry. I don''t think Divine Shadow Sect will fight us to the death. The sect itself has been split into several factions, and I''m sure that apart from Liang Yang Zu, none of the other leaders would be willing to throw away everything and risk their lives to take revenge for someone who isn''t their son. Even Liang Yang Zu isn''t insane enough to sacrifice Divine Shadow Sect just for his one son."


    "Revenge for Liang Yang Zu''s son is only an excuse," Lang Xie said coldly. "Their true motive is to conquer Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and plunder all of our resources, master blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers for their own ends. That''s why they sent Liang Shao Yang to infiltrate our sect and grab the leadership. Now that the subtle approach had failed, they are resorting to the more direct approach. It was only a matter of time."


    "That''s right. But when they come, we''ll be ready for them." Sect Leady Da Ji turned toward the Will''o Wisp Forest and noticed the army of battle-automata dueling each other and other Blood Blades. "I see you''ve finally implemented the battle-automata component into the official Blood Blades training regimen."


    "It was First Elder Hai Mo''s idea," Lang Xie admitted. "He had the foresight to see what a formidable fighting force they would be." He paused for a moment, a hint of a smile curving over his weathered face. "I heard it was that boy Fei Wu who brought these battle-automata back to the sect."


    "That''s right," Sect Lady Da Ji confirmed with a smile. "That boy is really full of surprises. He found these battle-automata in the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb and brought all of them back. A fortuitous timing, to be honest. I never thought we would be using them so soon after the Blood Blades have finished imprinting their own Spirit Diagrams on them and programming them as their personal battle puppets."


    "Yeah. Elder Zhao was considerate enough to leave a few for me, but it''ll take me a while to engrave my personal Spirit Diagrams into them." Lang Xie coughed, almost in embarrassment. Spirit Engraving wasn''t his forte, after all.


    "That is fine. You have more important matters to tend to."


    "Thank you." Lang Xie glanced at the battle-automata, his usually unreadable expression having a hint of warmth. "We really have to protect that boy, don''t we? He''s turning out to be a promising spark for the future of our sect."


    "My husband and I certainly have high hopes for him," Sect Lady Da Ji agreed. Lang Xie turned toward her.


    "Is Fei Wu still researching the Spirit Diagrams at the Spirit Engraved Pillars right now?"


    "Yes. Why?" Lady Da Ji frowned. Lang Xie took a deep breath.


    "When he has time to spare, ask him to come see me. As I said before, I want to train him. Helping out with Spirit Engraving is good and all, but he needs to improve his combat capabilities as quickly as possible."


    Glancing into the distance, Lang Xie clenched his fists.


    "After all, the boy won''t be able to contribute to our sect if he''s killed by Divine Shadow Sect."


    "Certainly." Sect Lady Da Ji turned away. "I''ll pass on the message."


    As she took her leave, Lang Xie turned toward the waiting Shen Cha.


    "That will be all. I''ll be counting on you."


    "Yes, sire." Shen Cha bowed, and then disappeared into the shadows.


    *


    Back at the plaza, I was focusing on the Spirit Diagram that was beaming from the Spirit Engraved Pillar. We were doing this one at a time, because it never paid to be too greedy and too impatient.


    "Elder Hai and Qi Hong are right. They are linked. Everything is all linked! It''s one gigantic ecosystem¡­"


    The fishes were swimming closer to me now¡­or was it an illusion? I couldn''t tell. They were getting bigger, drawing closer¡­


    "??"


    Bubbles were around me. For a moment, I found myself surrounded by algae, weeds and aquatic plants. A single fish sped toward me, its jaws open, and then it swam past me.


    I turned around, surprised by its proximity, but the fish was already far behind me, darting across the water like a plane.


    Then I realized that I was no longer on the plaza. All the others were gone, Tang Qi Hong, Elder Hai, Sect Leader Zi¡­everyone.


    "¡­eh?"


    When did I get underwater? No, was this an illusion? I was hallucinating, right? This was probably a mental illusion that the Spirit Engraved Pillar cast on me.


    But it had never done this before.


    What should I do? Maybe this is the next stage in the communion process¡­a necessary stage for me to comprehend the true meaning of the Spirit Diagram¡­of the Heavenly Nine Winding River Diagram!


    Excitement bubbled inside me and I glanced around, trying to find clues, or anything that might help me understand what was going on.


    That excitement, however, was replaced by fear and tension when I realized I couldn''t breathe.


    "Ugh¡­!"

 173 Chapter 172: Drowning

    I desperately clawed through the water, kicking as forcefully as I could to propel myself toward the surface. Even back in both timelines, I was a terrible swimmer. I could float, and I wasn''t afraid of the water, but my swimming instructors were pissed off at me always dog-paddling instead of doing proper breaststroke or freestyle.


    Hey, if it worked, it worked. Why should I care if dog-paddlng was ugly and embarrassing? As long as I didn''t drown, it achieved the purpose of keeping me alive and my head above the water.


    To be clear, I wasn''t panicking. I knew that panicking would cause me to drown. Forcing myself to stay calm, I kicked in a manner that replicated the movements my instructor taught me as best as I could remember, but I was never able to reach the surface. I calmly swept my arms across, like how I was taught, but no matter how high I went, I was never able to reach the surface.


    Then I realized that I couldn''t see any surface. It was water everywhere. And the water extended for what seemed like an infinite length above.


    "Glub¡­!"


    Damn it¡­my consciousness was rapidly fading. I was already unable to see much beyond five meters in front of me, the edges of my vision clouded by darkness.


    This was an illusion, right? Then why did it feel so real? I knew it was an illusion, yet my body was insisting that this was a very real, physical phenomenon. That I was really drowning. Even when I closed my eyes, I could still feel the water pressing against me, the moisture that saturated everywhere around me.


    Not good¡­at this rate, I''ll really drown!


    I couldn''t believe I was unable to break out of the illusion. This was on a higher tier than the Sea of Fire in the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb. Even if I tried to extend my Heaven and Earth sense out, I was unable to detect anything. The qi was everywhere, a literal sea of qi that submerged and threatened to drown me.


    Wait¡­didn''t the qi mean this whole thing was real? Then when did I get underwater? I was pretty sure I was on the plaza before this. Did I get teleported here? Was this under the plaza? That couldn''t be ¨C I should be able to see the plaza above if that was the case, but there was no sign of the surface anywhere!


    Yet, my senses were telling me this was no illusion. I was beginning to doubt if this was an illusion. If it was an illusion, then it was one that was on a completely different level from anything I had faced before.


    "Ugh¡­"


    The darkness at the edge of my vision had reached the center of my eyes now. And my movements were growing weaker. My legs were losing their strength. Even though I was holding my breath to prevent myself from swallowing water, I was sinking and not floating.


    Or something. Obviously I was not an expert in drowning. I only knew the basics from my instructor.


    There was something unnatural about this water. Perhaps it was a Spirit Formation, a trap to drown its victims. Then the question was¡­how did I fall into this trap? When did I end up in here? Was the Spirit Engraved Pillar booby-trapped? If so, then why did the trap only activate now and not when I was communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillar all those weeks ago?


    Those questions were academic in any case. My consciousness was rapidly fading, my limbs had grown leaden and I was no longer able to move them. I felt a sensation of sinking, and water was gushing into my nose and water. I needed oxygen, and I needed it now¡­but my lungs were being filled with nothing but water despite my best efforts to keep them out.


    I was going to drown.


    But this isn''t right!


    If this was an illusion, then it shouldn''t affect me. Illusions were classified as spiritual or qi attacks. My Snow Aegis should have protected me from the attack, should have stopped any illusion from reaching my mind and affecting me.


    Then how was I affected by this illusionary attack? Was it real then? Was it really not an illusion but a physical phenomenon?


    Even so, my Snow Aegis would protect me from physical and qi attacks from the material world as well. I would never have ended up in this situation if my Snow Aegis functioned properly and shielded me from this!


    Then there was only one explanation. This wasn''t an attack, or at least my Snow Aegis did not recognize it as one. Either way, it was of scant comfort to me. At the rate things were going, I was going to drown regardless of whether this was intended to hurt me or not.


    Damn it!


    "Pathetic."


    "?!"


    My eyes flew open when I heard the voice. That sounded like Master. Yet, when I glanced around, I couldn''t see anyone. Nothing but fish, algae and marine life around me. And of course the darkness that was encroaching upon my vision.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Bubbles billowed out of my mouth as I slowly sank toward the bottomless depths of the illusionary river.


    Of course Master wouldn''t be here¡­


    "Have you not learned anything from what I taught you?"


    Master''s voice again. I wasn''t sure what he was talking about, and it was pointless in any case. I wouldn''t be able to¡­


    Oh, wait. Now I remembered. Master did teach me martial arts. Not just any martial arts, but mystical ones with qi and stuff. And qi was basically magic.


    If so¡­


    My eyes opened wider and I unleashed the qi from inside my body. The water around me immediately froze.


    But I was not merely encasing myself in ice. Wrapping myself in a qi bubble, I found that I was able to breathe once again. Gulpling large amounts of air into my lungs greedily, I almost fell ¨C except that there wasn''t any ground to fall on, only water 360 degree around me ¨C while gasping and heaving. Steadying my breathing after a while, I glanced around, my vision clearing up, but as usual, I didn''t see anyone. Just fish and plants.


    There was no sign of Master, and I no longer heard his voice. Was that a hallucination as well? My subconscious taking the voice of my master to save me while I was in mortal danger? Or did his ghost leave, satisfied now that I was alive?


    "What am I thinking, didn''t he go and get reincarnated already? How can his ghost still be around?" I muttered to myself, shaking my head. More importantly, I should find out where I was, and how to get out of here.


    There was no clue, no hint, nothing. Just fish, water and plants. Looking up, down, left and right, I couldn''t find anything that would lead to a way out. Instead, I felt increasing despair when I realized there was no way out.


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    I was trapped in an eternal ocean, with no surface or bottom, a vast body of water that stretched for infinity. I might as well be in outer space.


    Closing my eyes, I reached out with my Heaven and Earth senses, but felt nothing but water qi everywhere. As I suspected, I was trapped inside an infinite space that stretched on forever. I was enclosed in an ocean of qi, with no way of getting out.


    "There has to be some sort of trick," I muttered, feeling frustrated. Damn it. Not being a genius was so troublesome. If I was Qin Lie or Li Fu Chen or one of the usual xianxia protagonists, I bet I would have broken out of this formation without a sweat, but as a completely ordinary guy. Even if I did this the hard way, I might still find myself trapped within this ocean forever.


    That was a scary thought.


    "Calm down," I told myself, trying not to hyperventilate. "There has to be a way out of here. If there is a way in, there definitely has to be a way out."


    Besides, the Spirit Engraved Pillar sucked me into this formation for a reason. It must want something from me. As long as I could figure it out, I would be able to escape this formation, and get a ton of protagonist benefits while at it.


    I glanced around again, but once more I saw nothing that could help my situation. Just more fish and plants¡­


    Wait¡­fish?


    Taking a moment to observe the fish, I began to pick out individual differences. Yeah, I had noticed the difference earlier, but I had been too engrossed in trying to find the surface or an exit. I had completely overlooked the fish and plants while probing around for the surface and trying to get a feel for the distance.


    In the first place, I had been assuming that this whole thing was an illsion and had dismissed the fish and plants as not real. That was stupid of me.


    So if I treat the fish as living organisms¡­


    Suddenly, Elder Hai and Tang Qi Hong''s words sprang back to my mind. About how the Spirit Diagram was a living ecosystem. An environment in itself. If that was the case, then I should be treating the fish as separate from the water.


    And just as I suspected, the fish had their own qi. Each of them were different, individual organisms with their own qi signatures and lifeforces.


    This is no longer on the level of an illusion¡­


    My research groupmates were right. The river, fish and aquatic plants were all part of a single ecosystem. Surrounded by such vibrant life and an amazing variety of plants and fish, I understood how real the environment was.


    In other words, that meant I had somehow gotten inside the Spirit Diagram. This was the Spirit Diagram as manifested in reality. Not just a mere representation or an image, but the actual concept of the Spirit Diagram¡­


    No, diagram was no longer the correct word. This was basically a Spirit World, or at the very least, a Spirit Environment. A self-contained world, with its own ecosystem and everything.


    And I had been drawn inside it for some reason. Maybe I wasn''t the only one. Perhaps all the other research group members were sucked inside like I was. I prayed that they wouldn''t drown and they would find a way to survive by conjuring an air qi bubble like I did. Perhaps I didn''t have to worry about them as I might be the only one drawn into this Spirit World. If that was the case, then I was selected because I was the one who triggered the response in the Spirit Engraved Pillar. I didn''t like feeling special, but that would guarantee the safety of the others. I would rather I brave the dangers myself than expose any of my sect mates to unnecessary risk.


    After all, I was the one who suggested the idea of leading a group and I was the one who triggered a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillar. If anything happened to the others, it would be my responsibility, and a heavy one at that.


    In any case, there was no point worrying about that now. Either they were trapped like me inside this Spirit World, or they weren''t. Either way, I would only find out once I escaped this Spirit World. My priority should be to find an exit.


    No. my priority was to comprehend the true meaning behind the Spirit Diagram. Not only would I be able to perfectly replicate it once I got out, I was certain that would be the only route of escape for me. Both goals were linked. By finding out the true meaning of the Spirit Diagram ¨C no, Spirit World ¨C I would be able to get out of here.


    "So I know the fish are real, and not merely an illusion. What''s next?"


    As I was asking myself the question, I noticed one of the fish looking at me. It was flapping its fins somehow, hovering in the water, its lidless eyes staring at me unblinkingly. It would have been creepy if I hadn''t known what sort of creatures fish were. Of course they didn''t have eyelids.


    The fish caught my gaze, and then it turned and swam away. As if realizing that I wasn''t following, it stopped after a few meters ¨C quite a distance for someone as short and tiny as it ¨C and turned to stare at me again.


    This time, I got the hint. The fish wanted me to follow it. As I swam (dog-paddled, more like it, but hey, that still counts as swimming, right?) toward the fish my glasses magnified its form to tell me more. It was a bright orange, looking like the goldfish I won in a street fair or night market. You know, the ones where they set up booths and stores, and there was one where you''re supposed to catch goldfishes with little nets? I had one when I was a kid, to my mom''s chagrin, but my dad was happy enough to buy a fish tank for me to keep the goldfish in it. I remembered my brother and I adding more fish, from guppies to a couple of angelfish, but that was beside the point.


    So yeah, that was a goldfish. I recognized it as a goldfish.


    Catching up with the goldfish, I saw the little guy turn and swim away. It might be tiny, but I was pretty slow because of my tiring way of dog-paddling. Yeah, it was pathetic, but there was a reason why I hated swimming. I was never good at it, and I couldn''t be bothered to get good at it. It just wasn''t my thing, you know?


    The goldfish was patient, though, often stopping to wait for me. After what seemed like hours of swimming, I finally caught sight of what appeared to be our destination.


    "Hey¡­isn''t that¡­?"


    My jaw dropped when I saw the thing from a distance. A palace reared into view, its majestic architecture stretching for what looked like miles. East Asian-styled towers that wouldn''t look out of place in ancient China or Japan, towering over vast compounds. And within the pearly white walls, courtyards of beautifully grown aquatic flowers bloomed in myriad colors, gently swaying with the flow.


    For a moment, I was suddenly reminded of the Dragon King''s Palace from Japanese folklore. The legend of Urashima Taro, which everyone should know. Well, for those who don''t, it basically involved a poor fisherman who saved a turtle, and was rewarded by being allowed to visit the Dragon King''s palace. In some versions of the folktale, Taro married the Dragon King''s daughter, the sea princess, and in other versions he was just invited to a fancy banquet. But regardless of what version, what remained consistent was that after spending a few days (three days in most of the versions) in the palace, Taro began to miss home. So he begged the Dragon Princess, Otohime, to let him return home in the surface. She reluctantly agreed, and when he reached the beach, he realized that during his brief stay in the palace, many years (some say a few hundred) had passed in the surface and everyone he knew was long dead. To top it off, he couldn''t return to the Dragon King''s Palace underwater.


    Too long, didn''t read? It sucks to be Urashima Taro. Poor dude.


    Anyway, I fervently prayed that I wouldn''t end up like him. You know, spend a few days here, and then return to the real world, only to find that a couple of centuries had passed. I would rather see my family and friends again than have fun in the palace¡­or learn the mysteries of the Spirit Diagram. The reason why I was doing this was for my friends and family, so losing them just for the comprehension of the Spirit Diagram wasn''t worth it. I would rather return emptyhanded to my family and friends than to enjoy a luxurious stay here and become a master Spirit Engraver (which was never my ambition to begin with, anyway).


    Don''t mistake the means for the ends.


    The goldfish continued on, unaware of my thoughts. I followed it in my clumsy manner of dog-paddling, and suddenly found myself at the entrance, where two dragon guards stood. They had dragon heads and green scales, but were humanoid. Meaning they were standing on two legs (if you could be considered "standing" underwater, that is), and had arms. Clawed, scaly fingers held spears, and they were standing rigidly in disciplined postures, their tails tense and unmoving. They stared at me unblinkingly with their yellow, reptilian eyes, and crossed their spears to bar me entry.


    The goldfish stopped in front of them and gestured with their fins, but they appeared unmoved, merely curling their jaws into ferocious snarls. To its credit, the goldfish was unintimidated and continued pressing them with its silent gestures.


    Well, it would be difficult to talk underwater, after all.


    No sooner had the thought crossed my mind when a rich voice cut across the water.


    "It''s fine. Let them in. I''ve been expecting them."


    A man in golden and white robes drifted through the courtyard, surrounded by occasional bubbles. He looked as if he was in his fifties, with dark hair and a handsome face lined by age. But I was pretty sure he was much, much older than sixty. Several times older, in fact. There was a wisdom about him that spoke of agelessness.


    This guy was an immortal (or xian, to be exact).


    "What are you two doing? You''re being rude to my guests."


    The man''s voice was sharp now, possessing an edge almost akin to a sword, and even I flinched. The two dragon guards glanced at each other, and then reluctantly withdrew their spears and bowed their heads apologetically and respectfully. The goldfsh ignored them and sped past the gates and into the courtyard.


    I hesitated a little, but when the golden robed man greeted me with a friendly smile and beckoned me with a wave of his hand, I swam through as well.


    "Hello, young man," the middle-aged man greeted me affably. "I''ve been expecting you."


    "Who are you?" I blurted out, forgetting my manners. Instead of being offended, the middle-aged man''s smile spread and he extended both hands warmly.

 174 Chapter 173: The Dragon King’s Palace

    "What the hell, man?!" Long Shen demanded, visibly taken aback. "Why are you screaming like that all of a sudden?!"


    "B¡­but¡­" I protested in panic. "If this is the Dragon King''s Palace and if you''re the Dragon King, then by the time I get out of this Spirit World, a few hundred years would have passed in reality and my friends and family would all be long dead!"


    "They won''t be if they are cultivators," Long Shen pointed out, crossed. "Cultivators live very long lives. Most live for hundreds of years, some even live for over a thousand or two thousand years. They''ll be fine."


    "Uh, I don''t think that''s how cultivation works," I muttered. "It helps you live a longer life by maintaining hygiene and staying healthy, but it doesn''t make you an immortal."


    "That''s all academic, anyway." Long Shen coughed. "Don''t worry. Time flows here the same way as in the outside world. So if you spend three days here, only three days will pass in the outside world. You don''t have to worry about uncoordinated time and temporal paradoxes or temporal dilation and all that nonsense here."


    "Really?" I felt relieved. "Thank you!"


    "Don''t thank me yet." Long Shen grinned mischievously. "It also means that if you''re stuck here for years, that same number of years would have passed outside in the outside world. There is no convenient cultivating or training here for decades and then coming out to find out that only a few days or months have passed."


    "Dude, we''ve already ripped off a bunch of xianxia stories. I don''t think we need to rip off Xian Ni or Renegade Immortal as well."


    Especially given how ruthless Wang Lin turned out to be (though he''s much better than Lin Feng from Peerless Martial God), I certainly had no intention of emulating him. Granted, Wang Lin had very good reasons for becoming ruthless, and he wasn''t evil, which made him way, way, way better than an asshole like Lin Feng, but he was a little too cold-blooded for my liking. That wasn''t to say I was in the pacifist camp where people should spare those trying to kill you, but he was¡­well, never mind. This had nothing to do with the current situation.


    For some reason people wanted protagonists to exploit loopholes and become overpowered, then cry and rage when they don''t. Like, seriously, if I gain a Deus ex Machina or a cheat item right from the start, then there was no tension in the story, I would be winning every battle and not needing to fear for my life. There was no need to read on because quite obviously I would never die and lose because I had miraculous healing water.


    Even now that I had a void storage device that allowed me to theoretically store infinite amounts of water from the spring, it honestly wasn''t worth the trouble falling through the abyss and spending months fighting demonic creatures to reach the spring and return home. Besides, I had no idea how to get there. I was unconscious when the river swept me away from the Hydra, and from what my classmates told me, the Glacial Gemstone trap no longer worked after that one time it was triggered, so there was no way to get to the abyss again, and no one had any idea how to get back down there or they would have dispatched a rescue party to look for me in the first place.


    "Are you done?"


    Evidently I had been rambling to myself, for Long Shen was patiently watching me and waiting for me to finish. I immediately shut up and nodded.


    "Sorry."


    "It''s fine." Long Shen turned away. "Since you''ve come all the way here, you might as well come in."


    I followed him into the palace, and into a magnificent hall filled with gleaming marble pillars and a lot of ostensible decorations. Chains of shiny pearls hung from the ceiling, with a single chandelier lighting up the whole place. On closer inspection, I saw that the chandelier itself was composed of countless pearls.


    Yeah, well, pearls were produced by oysters, and oysters were marine creatures. Though I was wondering how I ended up in the sea instead of a river ¨C there was a huge difference between the two, the sea was saltwater and river was freshwater ¨C I was wise enough not to ask and make a fool of myself. No doubt Long Shen would laugh at me without answering.


    "Please, take a seat."


    Long Shen gestured affably toward a luxurious couch in the hall, which looked as if it was made out of silk. He then took his place in an immense throne, settling comfortably into his embroidered seat and leaning back against the red and gold cushion.


    "Er¡­"


    "I know you have many questions." Long Shen raised a hand to forestall me. "But none of them matter. What you need to focus on is achieving enlightenment and comprehending the Spirit Diagram engraved in the pillar."


    "Aren''t we already inside the Spirit Diagram?" I muttered. Long Shen merely grinned in reply.


    "What do you think?" he asked mysteriously. I knew it. The old bastard wasn''t going to give me a straight answer. I had to figure everything out on my own.


    Taking a deep breath, I glanced around. I had no idea where to start, and while I could feel immense amounts of qi emanating from Long Shen, I doubted I was supposed to start probing him. My host might be putting on a friendly fa?ade, but the power he exuded was intimidating to the extreme. His gaze was intense.


    "You''re looking at the wrong place," he told me unnecessarily, his grin spreading a little wider. "I''m not the one you should be focusing on."


    "Then what?" I demanded, but Long Shen shook his head and wagged his finger at me, as if he was lecturing a petulant child.


    "You don''t seriously expect me to be handing you the answer on a silver platter, do you? That will defeat the whole point of you comprehending the Spirit Diagram. No, you''ll have to achieve enlightenment on your own."


    I frowned. Something wasn''t right about this whole situation, but I couldn''t put my finger on it. Then the coin dropped.


    "If that''s the case, then why invite me to your palace at all? Why allow me to set foot inside your main hall?"


    "What are you talking about?" Long Shen was still sporting that cryptic smile, which was beginning to get on my nerves. "You''re the one who found your way here. I might not be able to give you any hints, but I''m not going to deliberately obstruct you either."


    "I found my way here?" I repeated incredulously. Long Shen merely continued to smile, but said nothing.


    Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and thought back. How did I get here? Right, the goldfish led me here. But that was because¡­


    ¡­because I noticed something different about the goldfish. And I made the conscious decision to follow it. And my gamble paid off. The goldfish led me here, after I acknowledged it as my guide.


    Was that what Long Shen meant when he said I found my way here?


    Assuming that I was right, what was the next step? What was I supposed to do, now that I was in the Dragon King''s palace? Wreck the place?


    No. The Dragon King was too powerful. I knew instinctively that Long Shen was practically on the level of a god. With that much qi flowing around him, he could easily crush me with a single finger, as if I was nothing more than a mere ant.


    Violence was not the solution.


    Think¡­what did I do? The goldfish¡­there has to be a clue¡­


    Then I remembered. The reason why I discovered the goldfish to be different was because I reached out with my Heaven and Earth senses and detected its presence. I ignored the tremendous amounts of qi crushing all around me and focused on the little guys swimming around me.


    Could I not do the same here?


    Calming myself down, I kept my eyes closed and reached out with my Heaven and Earth senses. Ignoring the godlike amount of qi that swirled around Long Shen, I felt for other sources of qi. It took me several seconds, but I was rewarded for my efforts when I detected faint amounts of qi all around me ¨C qi that did not come from Long Shen.


    They were coming from the palace. The very architecture of the Dragon King''s Palace itself.


    Opening my eyes, I glanced up and studied the structure of the palace. To my astonishment, there were countless images inscribed and sculpted into the very fabric of the walls and ceiling. These were no mere images. I could sense a vibrant flow of qi running along those vivid lines, seething with arcane power.


    Isn''t this the Spirit Diagram all over again?


    Reminded of when I was communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars in the outside world. This was another level of Inception. Spirit Diagrams within a Spirit Diagram. Someone had been watching too many Christopher Nolan films¡­his Dark Knight Trilogy was still the best, though.


    In any case, I realized something different about these Spirit Diagrams. They weren''t simply the same water motifs as the one I saw in the outside world. They depicted humans. Lots of humans moving and fighting and attacking.


    No. I was mistaken. The Spirit Diagrams weren''t featuring lots of humans. They were depicting a single human. The same guy was being replicated and reproduced over and over again throughout the walls and ceiling.


    But his movements were different.


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    To my astonishment, I realized that the guy was executing various martial arts stances, postures and attacks. These were all martial arts techniques!


    Right¡­when trying to inscribe the Spirit Diagrams into the tablet during my stay in Fire Prison Cliff, I found out that there was a Spirit Diagram for a martial arts manual. This must be the true essence of the martial arts manual!


    Just like with the Spirit Diagram for Spirit Artifacts, I was unable to successfully reproduce the martial arts manual. It was only natural ¨C the martial arts manual was a Spirit Artifact in its own right. If I wasn''t able to comprehend its essence, or its true meaning, I would merely be superficially replicating the diagram, but it wouldn''t be a real Spirit Diagram that possessed power. It would be an inert object that didn''t really do much other than show fancy pictures.


    "I see. So this is how it is¡­"


    Standing up, I traced the movements of the man, trying to record everything with my glasses. To my lack of surprise, my glasses weren''t working in this Spirit World. All of its hi-tech functions had been rendered offline and I couldn''t activate them.


    That made sense. I was not allowed to cheat. I had to understand the martial arts on my own, without any technological assistance.


    "So how do I understand it?"


    Just staring and studying the images was insufficient. I needed to do something. I needed to try out the movements and practice the techniques I was seeing right in front of me.


    "Your majesty." Lowering my eyes, I turned to face Long Shen with a request. "I would like to borrow an empty room¡­"


    My words trailed off when I realized that Long Shen was no longer present. He and his fancy throne had vanished, replaced by a wall inscribed with images of the guy executing more of those fluid martial arts.


    Glancing around, I saw that the silk couch I was seated on a few seconds ago had vanished as well. I was no longer in the extravagant hall with the pearls and chandelier, but an enclosed room. I say enclosed, but it felt as if the room was stretching out forever, a vast, infinite space. At the same time, I could see the walls and ceiling all around me, keeping me contained.


    It was a surreal sensation, to say the least.


    "Well, it doesn''t seem like I have a choice. The only way to get out of this place is to comprehend these techniques."


    I moved my foot, and felt the water lap around it. Even though I had maintained the qi bubble around me, I could still feel the tremendous amounts of water crushing down on me. It wasn''t the physical water pressure where tons of water weighted down on me at obscene depths, but just an ocean of qi enveloping me.


    Makes sense. This is a water-based martial arts, after all.


    So if I wanted to comprehend it, I would need to get used to the water. Well, easier said than done.


    Sighing heavily, I proceeded to begin copying and mimicking the moves I saw all around me.


    At first I was just going through the motions and not achieving anything other than to embarrass myself and feel foolish. I was glad I was doing this by myself without an audience, or everyone except me would be rolling on the floor, banging the concrete and howling with boisterous laughter while I wished I could dig a hole and bury myself in it.


    "This isn''t right¡­"


    The same problem of merely copying, merely mimicking the motions but not actually understanding the truth behind them, or grasping the fundamental essence that they were constructed upon.


    Hmm, an analogy would be me just copying and pasting text from a source and just quoting the original author without properly understanding the fundamental concept and framework underlying his argument. A criticism my professor had made of me more than once. It was one thing to read a book, but quite another to understand it.


    Now, you must be wondering that if I knew my flaws, then why wasn''t I doing anything to correct them?


    Because it was easier said than done.


    What did it mean to understand something? How do you grasp the conceptual framework and underlying essence of an argument or Spirit Diagram or martial arts, concretely? I couldn''t just write this off as "I understood the essence." It wasn''t a simple process like that. If anything, few people ever understood the deeper meanings or concepts. That was why not everyone could be a PhD student, and also why not everyone could be a master Spirit Engraver or master blacksmith or whatever. Only those who truly understood could become a master martial artist. There was a reason why so few of them existed. The vast majority just didn''t have the ability to grasp the true essence of techniques.


    And it wasn''t as simple as "stages" or "levels." Unlike what Li Fu Chen would tell you, it wasn''t about reaching the peak stage or the trance stage, nor was it always an uncomplicated, linear process of understanding. Hell, how did you even categorize your understanding of a concept? If you understand 100%, it''s peak stage, if you understand 200% it''s trance stage? In the first place, what did 100% even mean? Could you quantify a concept, or your understanding of a concept?


    Even then, most people interpret a certain concept differently. While I wasn''t as extreme to the point of claiming there was "no correct interpretations" or that "every interpretation is correct" ¨C I acknowledged that some interpretations are more valid and persuasive than others, and that you can mistakenly interpret something or come up with a wrong interpretation ¨C I was aware that there was no "single correct" interpretation. Different masters would have different interpretations of the same concept or technique, their own styles, experiences, personal biasness, affinity and other factors subtly changing the way they understood, interpreted and executed the technique. This was not to say there was an infinite number of ways to interpret a single technique or concept. The form and basic concept would always be the same. There would be a consistent underlying characteristic that identified that technique as that specific technique. However, that same technique would never be identical among the different masters executing them. Some masters would emphasize the speed. Some would put a bit more power into executing the technique. Some would focus on the flow of qi. The form and effect would be similar, but never identical.


    E. H. Carr''s analogy about the mountain was particularly relevant here. As a history (and literature) student, I appreciated his quote. "It does not follow that, because a mountain appears to take on different shapes from different angles of vision, it has objectively either no shape at all or an infinity of shapes. It does not follow that, because interpretation plays a necessary part in establishing the facts of history, and because no existing interpretation is wholly objective, one interpretation is as good as another, and the facts of history are in principle not amenable to objective interpretation." Obviously not all interpretations are equal, and some are more correct than others, but at the same time, we cannot discount the different shapes from different angles of vision either, and no one interpretation is the objective truth of understanding the concept. True comprehension of a concept or martial art technique wasn''t simply copying and comprehending it in an identical manner as your master. Yes, of course your master would have a much more accurate interpretation of it than a novice or an amateur like you, but even his interpretation was not wholly objective, and would be subtly altered by his own personal bias and appearance. The most important thing was not to search for that objective truth or interpretation, but come up with your own that was as close to that objective truth as possible. Striving to be as perfect as possible, yet acknowledging that you would never be able to achieve perfection.


    It sounded paradoxical, but paradoxically, only by recognizing that you would never be able to truly understand something would you be closer to completely comprehending it. In other words, if you claimed to have completely comprehended a concept, the sad truth was that you most likely had not. Unlike what the martial arts or xianxia stories would have you believe, in reality there was no such thing as achieving a Trance Stage or fully comprehending a martial arts technique in its entirety. There would always be new stuff to discover, new things to explore. Martial arts was not a dead, inert concept that you could master by adhering rigidly to what the manual told you, or what your master taught you. It was a living thing, an evolving concept that transformed fluidly with the times, and responding accordingly to different requirements and environments.


    Hence there was no one single objective truth or single correct interpretation of the concept or technique. As long as I recognized that, I had taken the first step toward comprehending part of something with limitless potential.


    Whatever the case, the first step to understanding was reading. After eading, applying. Even if it wasn''t enough, those were the first, indispensable steps that you could not skip. Everything began from reading and mimicking. If you didn''t at least read, then forget about understanding. How could you comprehend something if you didn''t try to look and read it?


    So regardless of whether I understood the true essence, I couldn''t skip this step. I still had to read and "learn" through copying. Otherwise I would be stuck here, worse off than before. One thing at a time, one step at a time. Once I finished reading the movements, I could begin trying to understand them. But to even start on that, I had to read and try them out.


    "Like this?"


    I repeated a maneuver that I saw on the ceiling, throwing my fist out while spreading my legs to balance myself. The punch looked off somehow, and I frowned, studying the lack of qi billowing from it. It wasn''t a matter of simply infusing my fist with qi and punching ¨C I wasn''t trying to launch qi blasts or something.


    There was something different about this technique from normal punches (otherwise why would I bother learning it, or why bother devising the n-th iteration of a punch or qi blast?). I just couldn''t put my finger on it.


    Undaunted, I carried out punching a few more times, trying to get a feel. Perhaps it would come to me during practice or something.


    I spent the next half-hour repeating the movements, hoping for an epiphany or something. Of course, nothing so convenient came and I slowed down, feeling a little discouraged. Like someone once said, doing the same thing over and over again while expecting differnet results was the very definition of insanity.


    My professor would be yelling at me if he could see me. Clearly I still hadn''t learned my lesson. Ugh.


    "Damn it!"


    I punched the air (or water, to be exact), more out of frustration than because I was trying to learn the movements. As I did so, the water in front of me compressed and rippled, and for the first time, I saw the raging whirlpool of bubbles that I had overlooked when I was overly engrossed with repeating the maneuver countless times.


    "Eh¡­?"


    Something about the water struck me as obvious, yet I still couldn''t put my finger on it. For a few seconds, I continued to watch the raging bubbling of water, displaced from my punch, before it slowly calmed down and retuned to normal.


    And then it hit me.


    "Ah¡­"


    I see. So that was why I was underwater. That was why the Spirit Diagram pulled me underwater. I had known that this particular spirit Engraved Pillar was water-based, hence all of the river motifs, but it never occurred to me to look at the water as an essential step to comprehending the true essence of the Spirit Digram.


    This wasn''t an illusion. That was why my Snow Aegis didn''t protect me. It was never meant to be an attack. The Spirit Engraved Pillar had no intention of drowning me ¨C such an outcome was a result of my own defiency, not because of any malice on the part of the Spirit Engraved Pillar. It merely invited me into its own Spirit world to engage me in dialogue.


    No, to teach me. To communicate with me.


    "Water¡­water, huh?"


    I repeated the maneuver, this time paying close attention to the way the water flowed around me. Then I understood.


    The key to comprehending the true meaning, the true essence of this martial arts lay in the flow of water around me, and how the water was affected by my movements and vice versa. If I could grasp that, then¡­

 175 Chapter 174: Emergence

    "Fei Wu! Are you all right?"


    Tang Qi Hong was immediately at my side as I blinked groggily, trying to rise to my feet. It felt as if I had just woken up from a long slumber.


    "I guess so," I murmured, still a little dazed.


    "You guess?" Lian Ro repeated incredulously. I nodded awkwardly. Trying to make sense of my surroundings, I asked the one question that mattered. To me, anyway.


    "What happened?"


    "You don''t remember?" Tang Qi Hong asked, astonished. I blinked, an idea forming in my mind, but nonetheless I shook my head.


    "Remember what?"


    "¡­you were in a trance for nine days."


    This time, it was Sect Leader Zi who spoke up. He had arrived, flanked by the Great Elders, all of whom were staring at me curiously. I shifted uncomfortably under those intense gazes, feeling as if I was being examined under a microscope.


    "A trance?"


    "You had the privilege of attaining enlightenment from the Spirit Engraved Pillars!" Luo Zhi Chang exclaimed excitedly. "You moved beyond just triggering a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillar and was actually properly communing with it! The qi around you¡­it indicated that you attained enlightenment and finally achieved true comprehension of the meaning behind the Spirit Diagrams!"


    I stared at him and the enthusiastic Great Elders for a moment, and then shook my head. Inwardly I felt amused as I popped their bubble, but I was careful and tactful enough to not let it show on my face.


    "There is no single true meaning behind the Spirit Diagrams. Different people will have different interpretations of it and will inscribe them differently."


    "That''s¡­"


    The second Great Elder sounded disappointed, but Sect Leader Zi seemed more pleased than dissatisfied, raising a hand to forestall any comment the former would make. He turned to me, a slight smile curling across his face.


    "So¡­how did you interpret the Spirit Diagram in the Spirit Engraved Pillar?"


    This guy¡­he understood completely. No wonder he was the sect leader. I was amazed that someone as intelligent and wise as him wasn''t able to trigger any response from the Spirit Engraved Pillar.


    "Do you mind giving me a tablet?" I asked. For such matters, it was far better if I demonstrated it rather than merely talk about it.


    Sect Leaer Zi nodded. "Certainly." He then turned and gestured for one of the technicians to come over. A guy in a white lab coat hurried over, producing a new, empty tablet, and I accepted it gratefully with a bow.


    "Thanks."


    "Not at all!"


    I then sat down and began inscribing the Spirit Diagram I had seen during my nine days in the Dragon King''s Palace¡­or the Spirit World that the river-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar invited me into. It took me a few hours, but I didn''t budge from my position, continuing to sketch quickly and impatiently with the stylus and replicating everything from memory.


    No, it as not as simple as merely regurgitating what I had remembered during my nine days in the Spirit World.


    "¡­"


    I was adding my own style, subtly and unconsciously altering the Spirit Diagram according to my experiences and personal biasness. There was no such thing as an "original" concept. Throughout the years, the concept and essence of the Spirit Diagram had evolved and changed continually, surviving the ravages of time by adapting. No one could claim to be able to replicate the Spirit Diagram as it first existed thousands of years ago or whenever it was first invented.


    The predecessors who inscribed the Spirit Diagram before me had interpreted it differently, and those who followed after me would add their own experiences and styles to the Spirit Diagram. It was an ongoing process that would continue to transform and change the Spirit Diagram according to the accumulated lived experiences of the myriad of people who continued to preserve it.


    To be sure, there was a similarity between the Spirit Diagram. There was an essence, a basic foundation of the concept that remained consistent throughout the ages, otherwise there would be nothing to preserve. While the Spirit Diagram now was very different from the past iterations, it wasn''t as if it was a completely new thing altogether. There were still shared patterns that linked it to its precursors, a strong consistent similarity that remained in all versions. The alterations might not be slight, having been wrought to allow the Spirit Diagram to remain relevant in whatever temporal context it found itself used in, but their purpose was not to transform the Spirit Diagram into something completely new, otherwise there was no meaning in replicating and learning it. We might as well invent a totally new Spirit Diagram from scratch.


    Yet, the changes were inevitable. Nothing survives the passage of time unchanged. Dinosaurs went extinct. Technology evolved. Modern humans were not the same as humans from a century ago, or even a decade ago, never mind millennia ago.


    While those thoughts flashed through the surface of my mind, I focused on inscribing what I had learned into the tablet. As the hours slipped past, my pace grew faster and faster, almost as if the knowledge was pouring out of my mind. At first it was a trickle, then it thickened to a stream, and now it was a raging current.


    "This¡­"


    The research team had stopped their job momentarily to watch me. Later I would learn that they had made good progress while I was meditating, but right now the question of what they were doing all this time didn''t even cross my mind. So focused on inscribing the Spirit Diagram I was that I was barely aware of the outside world at all.


    And finally¡­I was done. Breathing heavily and perspiring a lot, I rose shakily to my feet and handed the tablet to a stunned Sect Leader Zi. He accepted it and looked through the tablet, gasping when he saw the mystical glow. His hands trembled as he absorbed the faint but potent aura of qi that was shrouding it.


    "You¡­you produced a martial arts manual!"


    "Nah, I merely replicated what I learned from the Spirit Engraved Pillar."


    Sect Leader Zi was barely paying any attention to me, sweeping his finger across the screen to view as much of the Spirit Diagrams I had engraved into the tablet with a stylus. His jaw dropped and he glanced at me.


    "This is the long lost martial arts techniques¡­of the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula! How did you¡­?"


    "I couldn''t replicate it exactly," I told him truthfully, aware that my own personal experiences, history and biasness had altered it subtly. "But this is what I obtained from the Spirit Engraved Pillar."


    I didn''t mention going inside the Spirit World. I wasn''t sure if they would believe me, or they would just dismiss it as an illusion I was undergoing while I was meditating.


    "Huh? Martial arts manual?"


    "It''s not a Spirit Diagram for a Spirit Artifact?"


    "I mean, martial arts manuals are counted as Spirit Artifacts, but this isn''t what we were expecting¡­"


    The six Great Elders were glancing at each other, visibly disappointed. The fifth Great Elder strode forward and grabbed my shoulders, almost shaking me.


    "What about the Spirit Diagram for Spirit Artifacts? The Heavenly Nine Winding River Spirit Diagram? Did you manage to comprehend that?"


    Who cares?


    At least that was the first retort that came to my mind, but I suppressed it and politely shrugged out of his rude grip.


    "Sorry, but that''s the only thing I managed to comprehend during the nine days."


    "Are you kidding me?! A martial arts manual? Not a Spirit Diagram for a Spirit Artifact?! You spent nine days meditating and that''s all you managed to get?"


    "Well, I am a martial artist, not a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver." The sixth Great Elder was testing my patience, but somehow I managed to bite back a caustic retort. What was the matter with these old fogeys?


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    We all turned around when we heard the delighted laughter. Sect Lady Da Ji was sauntering into the sect, clutching her stomach in amusement. She stepped to my side and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder while glaring icily at the Great Elders. Even the venerable old men found themselves intimidated by her frosty gaze.


    "Have you old men gone senile?" Sect Lady Da Ji''s voice was soft, but filled with frightening power. The Great Elders trembled from listening to her tone alone. "Do you have any idea how valuable this Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula is? It''s a legendary martial art, one of the most powerful water-type martial arts in the history of the Great Zhou Empire. The Martial Arts Alliance will kill to get their hands on this. In fact, I''m sure Xiao Zhang of the Reunion¡­I mean, of Wu Ling Academy, will pay a high price to acquire the contents of this martial arts manual if he learns of it. can you imagine how powerful our sect will become if we have our martial artists from the Blood Blades learn and master this Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula?"


    "Our standing among the eight major sects will rise, probably making us the top sect, if not the second. Higher than even the Celestial Creature sects."


    Sect Leader Zi mused as he stepped forward to back up his wife. The great elders shrank back, realizing their error.


    "¡­yeah, that''s amazing¡­"


    "Sorry, we got too carried away with forging Spirit Artifacts that we forgot the significance of martial arts."


    "Even though we are renowned for blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, don''t forget that we are at heart, still a martial arts sect." Sect Lady Da Ji glared at the six Great Elders while they mumbled their apologies, red-faced. "And Fei Wu here has just helped us gain an unsurmountable amount of strength with just this martial arts alone."


    "O¡­of course."


    "Heh." Sect Leader Zi chuckled as he glanced at me. "Fei Wu really is a Blood Blade through and through."


    "That''s a given." For some reason, Sect Lady Da Ji looked smug.


    "What about the Heavenly Nine Winding Rivers Spirit Diagram?" the fourth Great Elder asked uncertainly. "Are we supposed to give up?"


    "We can continue researching even without meditation and whatnot." Tang Qi Hong looked a little annoyed. "We got this far without Fei Wu''s help, and he already contributed a lot by triggering a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and beaming the Spirit Diagram. We can handle the rest ourselves. Why are you trying to rely on Fei Wu alone? Do you really expect him to do all the work and comprehend the Spirit Diagram by himself?"


    "That''s the whole reason why we set up this research group in the first place isn''t it?" Zi Xiao Ji interjected cheerfully.


    "That''s right." Sect Leader Zi stepped up to back up both his daughters. "This is a group effort. We''ll only succeed if we work together. We can''t just rely on Fei Wu alone. Genius or not, the sect does not revolve around one person alone. The sect is made of many different people. We all have our own part to play."


    "And Fei Wu has done his part admirably." Sect Lady Da Ji glanced at the martial arts manual that her husband passed to her. She nodded at me with a warm smile. "I''m proud to have a subordinate like him in the Blood Blades."


    "Speaking of which¡­" Sect Leader Zi was already thinking one step ahead, his face set in a deep, thoughtful expression. "When will you be able to start teaching the Blood Blades with water affinity the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula?"


    "Um, about that¡­" I raised my hand uncertainly. "I apologize if I''ve caused any misunderstanding, but I haven''t mastered the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula. I''m not sure if I can teach it. I doubt I can use it myself."


    "What do you mean?" Luo Zhi Chang asked, looking taken aback. As did the other five Great Elders, and I turned toward them sheepishly.


    "I was only able to comprehend the essence and basic concepts of the martial arts and record it down, but possessing the knowledge of the martial arts and mastering it for practical use are two completely different matters."


    "Ah." Sect Lady Da Ji understood. "You understand the theory and concepts behind the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula, but you aren''t able to actually use it, nor did you have any practical experience of executing those techniques."


    "Correct. All I did was study the concepts and theory, and learned the essence of the martial arts, but I didn''t actually practice it in real life."


    If it was so easy to master martial arts just by meditating and imaging the movements in one''s mind, then anyone could be a martial artist without needing to actually practice or do physical training. Martial arts weren''t just spiritual techniques that increased one''s cultivation ¨C they were actual physical movements that you had to execute in reality.


    "I might have to practice them in reality and execute them in the physical world to try them out, but as I thought, theory and practical are different. Additionally, I don''t think I''ll be able to succeed. I don''t have a strong affinity with water element. My affinity is with ice element."


    Although the two elements were linked closely, they were different (otherwise why bother categorizing them differently?). Ice was water element with a lot more yin qi infused into it. Perhaps I had cultivated too much yin qi, so my current constitution was not suitable for the more balanced water element, which required roughly equal amounts of yin and yang qi.


    "It''s fine. You succeeded in recording and producing the martial arts manual. Now it''s our turn to do something about it." Sect Leader Zi pondered for a moment, and then turned to his wife. "I believe we have several masters in the Blood Blades who have strong affinity to water element. Liu Sui, was it? If we ask him¡­"


    "Yes. Liu Sui is one of the more talented water-based martial artists. I''ll get him to study this right away." Sect Lady Da Ji raised the martial arts manual that I had produced. She glanced at me. "Sorry, Fei Wu, but I''ll have to trouble you to make more copies of this."


    "I can do that." I nodded. "I''ll make about another five copies in the next three¡­no, two days. Then I''ll return here. Perhaps I''ll be able to do something about the other Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    "More martial arts?" Sect Leader Zi couldn''t conceal his excitement. "Excellent. We''ll be counting on you then."


    I gulped, not sure if I could take the pressure or handle the weight of expectations from the adults. "I''ll do my best, but no guarantees."


    "Don''t worry," Sect Lady Da Ji assured me gently. "You have already done more than enough. Anything else is just an extra."


    *


    While I busied myself over the next few days to make a few more copies of the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula (which I couldn''t learn because of my constitution), and prepared to meditate to comprehend the martial arts techniques concealed within the other two Spirit Engraved Pillars willing to commune with me, stuff happened with other people.


    The plaza was open to everyone, despite being cluttered with machinery and hi-tech equipment. It wasn''t as if the research team was monopolizing the plaza and keeping it to themselves. While they did their research, many of the outer sect disciples and inner sect disciples frequently entered the plaza to try their luck with the Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    Of course, there was a group of Blood Blades (which included my good friends Tong Xue and Pang Feng, as well as Zi Xiao Ji''s personal bodyguards Zhao Shi and Da Ge, and of course Sect Lady Zi Da Ji herself as she watched over her husband) guarding the plaza and making sure there weren''t any outsiders or strangers slipping in among the enthusiastic disciples. The attacks from the Divine Shadow Sect had intensified outside the sect, but thanks to the Blood Blades, we were apparently razing their bases around Tushan City and rooting them out one at a time.


    Thanks to that, the territory of Tushan City was safe for Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members, but we couldn''t guarantee their safety if they left the protected area of Tushan City. Those who risked the journey outside were assaulted by Divine Shadow Sect despite the best efforts of the Blood Blades.


    Thankfully, that didn''t affect the outer sect and inner sect disciples of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect who wanted to enter the plaza to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars. As long as they didn''t do anything that might harm the people researching or meditating on the plaza, the Blood Blades generally left them alone.


    That didn''t mean the Blood Blades let their guard down, though. Despite being few in number when compared to the Blood Blades patrolling the city and watching out for assassins from the Divine Shadow Sect, they remained vigilant for any threats.


    Among those included the inner sect disciples Pang Yun ¨C Pang Feng''s sister and Di Xuan, who was Sect Leader Zi''s direct disciple. I wasn''t sure why he wasn''t part of the research group, but apparently Di Xuan was working on his project. Now that he was done, he alternated between meditating and helping out with the research group, under close supervision of Sect Leader Zi.


    Tong Xue was helping to watch out for threats, when he suddenly found himself approached by the normally arrogant Yin Jing Jing. He was surprised when she took the initiative to speak to him on her own accord.


    "Tong Xue, I heard that you are quite familiar with Fei Wu?"


    "Familiar? We''re classmates who go to the same school. Why?"


    Tong Xue looked at her suspiciously, correctly deducing that Yin Jing Jing had an ulterior motive for talking to him.


    Yin Jing Jing shuffled uneasily and glanced away, unable to meet his stern gaze.


    "I have a friend who will be coming to Tushan City in a while. She plans to bring her two juniors to hire a blacksmith in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to help forge two custom-order Spirit Artifacts." Yin Jing Jing was unable to conceal her embarrassment. "As you know, our sect is currently in conflict with Divine Shadow Sect. the outer sect is busily dealing with assassins and assailants from Divine Shadow Sect while the inner sect elders are occupied with participating in the research group to comprehend the Spirit Diagrams that Fei Wu is helping project into holographic recorders¡­"


    "Who?" Tong Xue asked, tilting his head curiously.


    "Um¡­my friend is Lu Li. Her two juniors are the two sisters from the Ling Clan¡­"


    "Lu Li?" Thanks to being in the Smart Shadow Sect, Tong Xue was aware from the intelligence they gathered of the identity of Yin Jing Jing''s friend. "You''re friends with that Lu Li from the Dark Fiend Valley Sect?"


    "Um, yes. The Snow Valley Sect has always maintained cordial relations with the Dark Fiend Valley Sect."


    Yin Jing Jing continued to shift uncomfortably under Tong Xue''s watchful stare.


    "Okay¡­so why are you bringing this up to me?"


    Tong Xue looked bewildered as he scratched his head.


    "What do you expect me to do? If they want to come, they can come. Nobody''s stopping them, right? It''s not as if they''re affiliated with the Divine Shadow Sect. No one is going to attack them if they set foot in Tushan City."


    "Their visit will be complicated and delayed because of the security measures the Blood Blades put up." Yin Jing Jing looked a little stricken. "You know how the immigration department is being flooded with detainees. I''m afraid Lu Li and the Ling sisters will be stuck in a cell for days before they will finally be permitted to visit the sect¡­"


    "Uh, okay¡­then, as I said, what do you expect me to do?"


    Tong Xue continued to look bemused.


    "I''m begging you, please bring this up to Fei Wu. I believe that as long as he gives the okay, then my friends will be allowed into the city and into the sect grounds without any trouble or delays. It''ll make matters so much easier for them." Yin Jing Jing was pleading with him now. "The task is mainly to help the Ling Clan sisters forge Spirit Artifacts. I had promised to help Lu Li a long time ago, but I didn''t expect the sect to come into conflict with Divine Shadow Sect, you know?"


    "No one expected us to," Tong Xue replied dryly. "Do you think Sect Leader Zi and Lord Lang Xie are picking a fight with Divine Shadow Sect for no reason?"


    "No, but¡­as you know, Fei Wu''s words carry the most weight in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect at the moment. His words carry even more weight than the Sect Leader''s words right now. If he just gives the word¡­"


    "Um¡­aren''t you misunderstanding something?"


    Tong Xue burst out laughing, much to Yin Jing Jing''s infuriation.


    "What''s so funny?"


    "You, of course!" Tong Xue guffawed. "What do you think this is, Spirit Realm? Fei Wu is not Qing Lie. Who says his word carries the most weight in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect right now? You think we''re running nepotism or something? Even if he''s recognized for his contribution, it''s not as if he suddenly became the sect leader or something. Fei Wu is not in any position to give orders. Sure, he can make a request, but everything will be approved by the Sect Leader or Sect Lady in the end. There is no favoritism. And knowing him, he''s incorruptible. There''s no way he''ll pull strings to bypass the security measures that the Blood Blades put in place just for your friends. He''ll just tell you to warn your friends to be patient and to cooperate with the security procedures and screening."


    Yin Jing Jing was stubborn. "Can''t you at least ask him?"


    "Why don''t you approach him yourself?" Tong Xue gestured toward me. Even though I was working hard on trying to comprehend something from the snow Spirit Engraved Pillar, I had been eavesdropping and had overheard the conversation from a distance. "See for yourself."


    "But¡­" Yin Jing Jing faltered. I felt sorry for her, so I stopped whatever I was doing and headed over, along a suspicious Lian Rou, who was glaring at the Snow Valley Sect disciple, presumably because she had the nerve to approach her precious Tong Xue.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t help you. Lord Lang Xie isn''t going to compromise just because I ask him to."


    "Why?" Yin Jing Jing demanded. "You''re the favored son of the sect right now. Your words should hold a lot of weight¡­"


    "No, they don''t," I told her bluntly. "I''m just a normal disciple like you, except that I''m also a Blood Blade and it is my duty to ensure the safety of the sect."


    "¡­" Yin Jing Jing stared at me in disbelief.


    "Don''t you know?" Tong Xue was shaking his head. "One of the first things Fei Wu requested was for no special treatment, no favoritism. He asked to be treated like all the other disciples. He didn''t want power or authority. He didn''t want the elders or Sect Leader to obey him or treat his words as if they were sacrosanct."


    "Why should they?" I snorted. "I''m just a regular guy."


    "See?" Tong Xue gestured, vindicated by my words.


    "Yin Jing Jing." Lian Rou was trying hard to contain her anger. "Just tell your friends to go through with the immigration protocols like everyone else. If they have no malicious intent, if they have nothing to hide, then there''s nothing for them to be afraid of. They won''t get special treatment just because they''re your friends."


    Yin Jing Jing glared at her, her eyes turning red, and then she spun away and walked off with a huff.


    "Well, that went well," I remarked with a shake of my head. "Why do people think I have the highest authority or something? I''ve got to set the record straight¡­"


    Tong Xue and Lian Rou exchanged wry glances, and the both of them sighed audibly.


    "Just go back to meditating under the Spirit Engraved Pillars," Lian Rou told me sharply. Raising an eyebrow, I turned back and returned to the spot I occupied a few minutes ago to resume my meditation.

 176 Chapter 175: Snow and Stars

    I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered as the blizzard blew against me with a vicious howl. Hail pelted me as large drifts of snow descended everywhere, drowning the entire area in white. I couldn''t see anything for miles around except for white, white and more white.


    The sub-zero temperature wasn''t helping much either, and my fingers and toes had gone numb a long time ago. Trudging clumsily through the thick, white sludge of snow, I squinted through the shower of snow and raised my hands to my eyes, half-protecting my face from the merciless hail. Damn, but these things hurt.


    As I expected, my glasses didn''t work here either, but I had ceased caring about that since I stepped foot in this place. The only thing I cared about was finding a way to get out of this damned place since I was literally freezing to death. My body wouldn''t stop shivering, my fingers and toes felt as if they were about to fall off, and my face was coated in a layer of frost.


    This was hell. It had to be. I was reminded of the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation. Okay, maybe that one was worse, but this snowy environment was close. Very close.


    If I hadn''t gathered my qi and used it to envelop myself in a protective aura, I would have frozen to death long ago.


    "Damn it," I murmured, my teeth chattering uncontrollably as I glanced around the area helplessly. I knew what I had to do. I had already tracked down the signs, and I could see the Spirit Diagram embedded in each snowflake, the countless snowflakes drifting lazily around me as if mocking me. All I had to do was piece them together, find some sort of coherent pattern, and I would be able to grasp the essence of the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body.


    The final pieces were falling into place. I staggered toward the last bits of snowflakes, studying them as they fell and melded with the countless other snowflakes, becoming part of a greater whole. Yet at the same time, I could sense the necessary components, their contribution to the tundra that was spreading across the plain.


    "I see¡­so that''s how it is."


    Drawing an icy breath that scraped my lungs raw, I steeled my resolve. Even though I had an affinity with ice element, the damned icy hell was still as cold as¡­well, hell. My affinity with ice wasn''t going to protect me, but then again, that was probably the point.


    The snow-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar was putting me through a trial. If it was that easy to understand and comprehend the Spirit Diagrams it concealed, then it obviously wouldn''t be called a trial. Just because I had an affinity with it didn''t mean it was going to go easy on me. No, it was precisely because of my affinity with ice that the Spirit Engraved Pillar was harder on me than it would have been on others.


    Damn it.


    To be honest, even if I put the final pieces together, I still wouldn''t be able to understand the "true" essence of the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body. As I said before, this wasn''t a simple matter of discovering the objective truth or true essence of the martial arts. The Spirit Diagram, like the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula, was open to various interpretations. As I said, some interpretations were more valid than others, but that didn''t mean there was only one right answer.


    And the moment you thought you had a complete grasp and totally understood the true essence of a concept, you most likely hadn''t fully comprehended it at all.


    Even so, I was fast reaching the stage where the Spirit Engraved Pillar was satisfied with my level of understanding. I just needed¡­


    Then I felt the chilling sensation. A sensation so cold that even the extreme temperatures and snow around me couldn''t compare. A terrifying chill that ran through my spine and caused my already shivering legs to buckle.


    "You¡­"


    Even before turning around, I already knew the source of that terrifying, icy sensation. A dark shadow lurked at the edges of my peripheral vision, but now that it was close to hunting me, it no longer saw the need to hide itself.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I looked up and spotted the shadow. It seemed insubstantial, flickering out in and out of existence, yet somehow maintained a humanoid form, with intangible arms and legs. A head-like protrusion swayed above the main body, with creepy gray patches standing out against the black form to resemble eyes and a mouth.


    "You found me out," the shadowy figure said, its tone mocking and taunting. I didn''t reply, merely staring at it.


    The shadow took a step forward, and seemed to collide with something invisible. Sparks flew between it and a shimmering screen, which appeared to materialize out of nowhere, keeping the shadowy being at a distance.


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    I recognized the shadowy figure. It was the malevolent, demonic existence that resided in the abysmal depths under the plaza, sealed by the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars in a spiritual prison that entombed it for eons.


    The shadow scrabbled at the barrier, causing more sparks to ignite. Undaunted, it dug its shadowy claws into the shimmering screen, and to my horror, began to slowly rip it apart.


    "Ths is quite the powerful spiritual barrier, you know." The shadow was chuckling as it gradually tore the protection that my Snow Aegis offered into shreds and clawed its way inside the blizzard-shrouded world. "What an impressive Spirit Artifact. To have kept me at bay for so long¡­this master must offer his compliments to whoever forged it."


    Well¡­I forged it with the help of Tang Qi Hong and Sect Leader Zi, the latter two helping with engraving the Spirit Diagrams that had kept the damned demonic existence out of my mind for so long. But I doubted that he was truly interested in knowing about that.


    "You''re good, I''ll hand you that," the shadow smirked as it drew closer. "To have kept me out for so long. Unfortunately, you got complacent and let your guard down in the end."


    "¡­"


    I didn''t dignify the thing''s gloating with a response. The shadow sneered with its formless mouth, its eyes narrowing slightly. I could sense from the qi some¡­confusion. But the shadow brushed it off and took another step forward.


    "While you were busily engaging in your business with the Spirit Engraved Pillars and learning their wonderful secrets, I haven''t been idle. I tirelessly looked for ways to circumvent that troublesome defense of yours, a method to disassemble and break it apart."


    The hole that passed off for its mouth widened into a grin filled with jagged teeth.


    "And I finally succeeded! Your body¡­I''ll be taking it!"


    I merely stared at the shadow, as if waiting for him to come at me. The demonic entity stared at me for a second, his expression diminishing slightly, as if he was disappointed with my lack of fear or despair.


    "Oh, well. I finally get a taste of freedom after so many centuries!"


    Then the shadow lunged at me.


    Crack!


    "?!"


    The shadow suddenly found himself thrown back by a new barrier, which shimmered into existence before him. He struck the snow and rolled, leaving a white trail as he skidded across the ground. Cursing in fury, he slowly rose to his feet and stared at the new barrier, where an astronomical number of snowflake patterns hovered to constitute it.


    "This is¡­a new barrier?! When did you create it?"


    I merely smiled, but did not reply. I wasn''t stupid enough to give away vital information to my enemy.


    To be honest, I had only just devised and created the new barrier a few hours ago, just barely making it in time to defend against the malevolent entity. I had been aware for some time now his efforts to break past my Snow Aegis''s spiritual defenses, and detected the slight cracks and breaches that he succeeded in making. Knowing that he would eventually succeed, I had begun taking steps to counter his invasion.


    Initially, I toyed with the idea of approaching Sect Leader Zi to help upgrade my barrier or change the patterns to confound the demonic entity the moment he broke through. But he was busy with researching the snow-patterned Spirit Diagram that I had projected into the hololith, and I was occupied with meditating to comprehend the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body concealed within the Spirit Engraved Pillar at any rate.


    So I decided to gamble on the secrets hidden within the Spirit Engraved Pillar. I figured that if I managed to get some information regarding the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body, I would be able to apply it in practical terms, to upgrade my defense. So I endeavored to learn the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body as much as I could, while experimenting with it and combining it with the spiritual aegis that my Snow Aegis generated.


    Realizing that I could combine the various snowflake patterns with the barrier, I could


    And the gamble had paid off. I had won the bet. It was a close run, but totally worth it.


    Of course I didn''t tell the demonic entity that. I merely continued to smile at him with my arms crossed, as if challenging him to try again.


    "This barrier¡­it seems a bit weaker because it''s not a single wall, but comprised of many different units joined together." The shadow stared at the snowflakes, and reached out with his hand, only for it to be repelled by the snow. Ice began spreading rapidly over his arm, encasing it it in frost. The demonic entity stared at his frozen arm, fascinated, and then turned to look at me. "A trap, huh¡­I knew it. The fragility was too obvious."


    I merely shrugged, but did not elaborate or launch into an explanation. This wasn''t Bleach, after all, and I wasn''t stupid enough to explain my technique to my enemy so that he could come up with a countermeasure.


    Bragging was a fatal flaw, after all.


    "¡­seems like I have no choice but to withdraw." The shadow''s voice sounded a little sluggish, especially as he glanced down at his arm again. The ice had spread from his arm to his shoulder and was rapidly expanding across his chest and his torso. Despite his best efforts, the demonic entity could not break the ice with his qi. "Fighting in this place is disadvantageous to me."


    I watched quietly as he retreated, and then breathed a sigh of relief. Closing my eyes, I fell onto the snow, sitting down despite the dampness that seeped through my pants. Yeah, snow did that to you especially since it melted the moment it came in contact with your body heat.


    Not that I cared. My legs were too weak to prop me up at the moment.


    "Phew¡­"


    As I exhaled, I reached out and probed with my Heaven and Earth senses to ensure that he was gone. As I did so, I caught a whisk of the lingering qi he left behind.


    "This¡­"


    I paled considerably when I understood what he meant when he said, "fighting in this place is disadvantageous" to him. Ths demonic entity wasn''t at full strength ¨C his power had been diminished greatly when he fought to intrude into the Spirit World of the snow-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar. Probably cut by half, or more.


    Furthermore, the reason he couldn''t break the ice wasn''t because he was weaker than me. It was because the Spirit Engraved Pillar''s Spirit World rendered the very concept of ice invincible within its sphere of influence. As long as the shadowy being stayed within the Spirit Engraved Pillar''s realm, he was bound by its rules and terms.


    I lucked out here.


    On the other hand, I learned something. Even though the demonic existence was so much more powerful than me, I had ways of denying him his goals. I could set the stage and dictate the terms on which we fought.


    I could win even though I was so much weaker than him. Not every victory relied on brute force or overwhelming strength, after all. Using the environment or terrain to my advantage, making good use of sound strategies and intelligent tactics, I could outsmart my foe and drive him back.


    However, I knew that I had to confront him directly one day and destroy him once and for all. As long as he continued to remain underneath the plaza, he would pose an incredible threat to me.


    "¡­hah¡­"


    Shaking my head, I sighed. For now, I should just focus on learning the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body and inscribing it into a martial arts manual. For the sake of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect¡­and now, also for my own sake as well.


    *


    When I woke up, I found myself sitting cross-legged in the plaza. The moment I rose to my feet, the Great Elders turned to look at me expectantly. I squirmed under their gazes nervously, but then nodded to a nearby technician, who handed me a tablet.


    "Are you feeling all right?"


    As ever, Tang Qi Hong was more concerned about my health and wellbeing than if I had succeeded in attaining enlightenment and comprehended a Spirit Diagram. She and Lian Rou hurried over to check on me.


    "Yeah."


    "Good job," Sect Leader Zi said as he approached. "Would you perhaps want to rest first?"


    I shook my head. "No, let me inscribe the Spirit Diagram first, while it''s still fresh in my mind."


    The Great Elders eagerly crowded around, impatient to see what I would come up with this time, with not a single word of concern. They didn''t even put on a polite fa?ade and inquired whether I was tired or not, their minds clearly engrossed on the tablet that the technician passed to me. Even though I felt drained, I picked up the stylus and began inscribing the Spirit Diagram I had just learned immediately.


    It took me a few hours, but as usual, I managed to finish it before I collapsed. Staggering to my feet, I passed the completed tablet to Sect Leader Zi. He glanced through it, and then nodded at me with a big smile.


    "Well done," he told me. "Now go get some rest."


    "I''ll get a few more copies done tomorrow."


    "Take some rest," Sect Leader Zi repeated, and I knew from his tone that it was not a request. Saluting, I began trudging toward the edge of the plaza. I momentarily wondered if I should inform him of the demonic entity, then decided it could wait.


    For now, I really wanted to fall into my bed and sleep for an entire day.


    "What¡­this is¡­"


    The Great Elders had eagerly all but snatched the tablet out of Sect Leader Zi''s hands and were devouring it, only to be disappointed when they realized what it was.


    "Another martial arts manual?"


    "This isn''t a Spirit Diagram for a Spirit Artifact¡­?"


    "Again?"


    "A martial arts manual is a Spirit Artifact," Sect Leader Zi informed them plainly, trying his best to hide a smirk. Fortunately, the Great Elders were too beside themselves to notice, groaning and grumbling amongst themselves.


    "Did you really not see any Spirit Diagrams for Spirit Artifacts¡­I mean proper Spirit Artifacts like Spirit Weapons, equipment or Spirit Armaments?"


    "Who cares about Spirit Artifacts?" I snapped wearily, an edge creeping to my voice because of the exhaustion. For heaven''s sake, I had just spent two weeks enduring the bone-chilling cold in a blizzard-wreathed Spirit World and just finished attaining enlightenment, and even took another few hours to inscribe what I had learned without rest. So I was pretty cranky and forgot my manners. "I''m a martial artist, not a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver!"


    The Great Elders were taken aback by my response. The fifth Great Elder frowned, but before he could reprimand me, a giggle cut through the air.


    "Fei Wu has a point, you know?" Sect Lady Da Ji sauntered, stopping the conflict before it could begin. "He is an honorary member of the Blood Blades and one of our greatest combat asset. Of course he would focus on martial arts. Do you have a problem with that, venerable Great Elders?"


    "N¡­no. Of course not."


    As the chief Great Elder, Luo Zhi Chang was wise and tactful enough to quickly diffuse the situation. He glared at the other five, who took the hint and began to fall into line, coughing softly. He then bowed polteily to me.


    "Apologies, these senile old men did not mean what they said. Please don''t take it to heart."


    "No, I''m the one who is sorry for snapping," I responded quite honestly. Luo Zhi Chang waved his hand frantically.


    "You''re too kind. We don''t deserve such treatment."


    "And this is quite the find." Sect Leader Zi nodded at the tablet that he had retrieved from the disappointed Great Elders and passed it to Sect Lady Da Ji. She took it and read it, and it didn''t take her more than a few seconds before she widened her eyes.


    "This¡­" she turned to stare at me. "Isn''t this the legendary Heavenly Snow Terminus Body?"


    Most of the Great Elders looked blank, but many of the other members of the research team present tensed up and whirled around to stare at her and the tablet in her hand, forgetting their duties. While they were technically blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers, they still possessed fundamental knowledge of martial arts and seemed to have heard of it.


    "That''s¡­" Tang Qi Hong gasped nearby. Lian Rou''s eyes were bulging so much they almost popped out of her sockets, and Tong Xue had to steady her.


    "Haven''t I heard that before?" Pang Feng murmured with a frown, looking amazed.


    "The Heavenly Snow Terminus Body!" Zi Xiao Ji exclaimed in excited astonishment, repeating what her mother had said for good measure.


    "Um, yeah?" I answered uncertainly. Sect Lady Da Ji swallowed.


    "If the Snow Valley Sect learns of this¡­especially the Frozen Cloud Seven Immortals¡­they''ll do everything within their power to obtain it from us."


    "¡­huh?"


    At the mention of the Snow Valley Sect, I glanced around, but didn''t see Yin Jing Jing. That was good, or there was no telling what would happen if she was present. Sect Lady Da Ji seemed to have noticed this too.


    "Don''t tell anyone about this, at least not yet." She sighed. "The Snow Valley Sect, and the Frozen Cloud Seven Immortals have always been coveting the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body because it is a type of cultivation technique that tremendously boosts their ice and frost-based martial arts. It''s a little different from Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, and is more compatible with the frost-based techniques honed by largely female practitioners."


    "Male practitioners can learn it too, can''t they?" Sect Leader Zi pointed out with a frown.


    "Of course. Martial arts don''t distinguish between genders." Sect Lady Da Ji looked grim. "But that doesn''t change the perception or biasness of the Snow Valley Sect''s Frozen Cloud Seven Immortals. They''ll definitely want to lay claim to this and monopolize this for their sect."


    I snorted. "Well, too bad for them, I''ll be able to mass produce copies of the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body for the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Yes." Sect Lady Da Ji smiled darkly. "I don''t care what the Snow Valley Sect says. This will be a huge boon for ice-based martial artists such as yourself. There''s no way I won''t disseminate the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body to the ice-based martial artists in our renowned Blood Blades." She glanced at me. "Do you think you can learn it?"


    Evidently she remembered that even though I was able to inscribe the martial arts manual for the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula, I was unable to learn it. Fortunately, this time the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body fell right into my alley.


    "I believe so. But¡­" I gestured toward the martial arts manual. "It''s not complete."


    "Incomplete? What do you mean?"


    Sect Lady Da Ji flipped through the martial arts manual, and then her eyes widened when she saw that I was right.


    "No¡­the martial arts manual in itself is complete. It''s a proper martial arts manual with qi and spiritual power. But the techniques themselves¡­I see¡­so that''s what you meant." She glanced at me. "Do you have any idea why?"


    "I have one," I admitted. "The Heavenly Snow Terminus Body is not meant to be learned on its own, but in conjunction with other martial arts." I paused for dramatic effect, hooking everyone''s attention and enjoying their annoyed expressions as I drew the seconds out. "Such as the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, for example."


    "I see. So in other words, the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body can be likened to being the second part or an advanced level of Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. It makes sense, given how it''s concealed within a Spirit Engraved Pillar that constitutes the origin of our sect."


    "It''s just a guess," I reminded her. "I won''t know if I''m right until I actually try it out. There''s every chance I might be mistaken."


    "Even so, there''s no other option than to experiment and try it out." Sect Lady Da Ji closed her eyes, thinking for a moment. Then she opened them and looked at me approvingly. "I''ll be counting on you."


    "Please leave it to me!" I smacked my chest in what I hoped was a show of confidence, then strode off toward my dormitory.


    Despite my promise, I was currently dead on my feet, and right now the thing I wanted the most was sleep.


    *


    I was given three days to rest, and I spent them inscribing more martial arts manuals for the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body to distribute them around. What free time I had, I devoted it to experimenting with Heavenly Snow Terminus Body with Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. As both Sect Lady Da Ji and I observed, there were gaps in the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body, missing components that rendered it incompete.


    The manual itself was complete, otherwise it wouldn''t be emanating qi and having a soul of its own. That meant the nature of the technique was meant to be incomplete. Why, the reason could only be because it was meant to be a latter part or something that complemented another existing technique, to add onto it and improve it.


    And I suspected that it was the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula.


    Of course, this meant that even if Snow Valley Sect got their hands on Heavenly Snow Terminus Body, it would be useless to them unless they somehow had access to Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. At least I thought so, but when I mentioned that to Sect Lady Da Ji, she laughed at me.


    "Na?ve," she said with a chuckle. "What makes you think they won''t have any ice-based martial arts that can complement Heavenly Snow Terminus Body? A Snow Valley Sect martial art that is the counterpart of our Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula? Are you sure the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula is the only frost-based martial arts compatible with the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body?"


    I wasn''t able to refute that. Clearly I was still very inexperienced when it came to matters of martial arts.


    After those days of rest, I resumed meditating under the third and last Spirit Engraved Pillar that was able to trigger a response in. The one with star motifs.


    I wasn''t going to spend too much time elaborating on my time within there. It took me three weeks this time, and I found myself stuck in what seemed like outer space, filled with an astronomical number of stars. As there was no atmosphere, the stars did not twinkle or blink. They hung in the void like miniature suns, blazing hotly or simmering coolly, depending on what kind of stars they were.


    The red giants burned the brightest, depleting their stores of hydrogen fuel at an alarming rate. These stars lasted mere millions of years before sizzling out in a devastating supernova. And then there were the blue stars that maintained their cool glow for trillions of years, hanging in the space and watching entire galaxies come and go. Black holes that remained invisible, having sucked all the light in its vicinity, quiet supermassive neutron stars that were among the densest existences in the universe while emitting gamma rays. And then there was the vividly colored nebula, streaking comets and clouds of dust.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t a cosmologist, so I wasn''t very knowledgeable about the details regarding stars and galaxies. What little knowledge I possessed regarding them was gleaned off from the massive amounts of military science fiction novels I had read.


    Even so, I found that I could somehow manipulate the arrangement of the stars and ordered them according to my will in interesting ways. When I did so, I felt subtle changes in the qi around and within me. Clearly the flow of qi was aligned with the stars and myriad celestial bodies that remained suspended in the void.


    After days of experimenting, I found that I could produce certain effects by rearranging the stars. Apparently the stars in the star cluster moved around randomly, and I was supposed to oscillate them, or to be more precise, control them and arrange them into a star path.


    I wasn''t sure how to explain what a star path was, but it resembled a star chart or map. Basically a bunch of stars moving in several circular layers, one outside another.


    The basic step seemed to be controlling seven stars to spin in seven circles, adding one at a time. Essentially I controlled the first star and set it to spin in a small circle, then guided a second star to spin in a bigger circle around the first star, and then a third star to spin in a yet bigger circle around the second star, and the fourth star to spin in a bigger circle around the third star, and so on and so forth. The optimum number was seven stars to pull off the basic technique.


    "What''s this? Am I supposed to be Mo Fan from Versatile Mage now?" I muttered to myself as I coordinated the movements of the stars and finally added a seventh star. Instead of purple lightning or orange flames, nothing happened.


    That was anticlimactic.


    On the other hand, I suddenly realized what the problem was. This wasn''t magic. I wasn''t a versatile mage. Of course aligning the stars and controlling them to spin in circles wasn''t going to produce elemental spells.


    No, this was a martial arts technique. And it wasn''t jst any martial arts technique. Recognizing the similarities with my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship, I suddenly realized that this was actually a sword technique.


    "Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship."


    Breathing the name of the technique, I retrieved a sword from my Snow Aegis. Not Azure Lotus Sword ¨C that wasn''t a sword meant for practicing and experimenting ¨C just a normal sword that I could get for free even if I was an outer sect disciple (as a Blood Blade I had access to higher quality Spirit Swords, but I had demurred for obvious reasons, especially since I owned my Azure Lotus Sword). Trying out the concept I just grasped, I succeeded in executing the Celestial Seven Stars Stance, causing seven streaks of holy light to pierce across the void.


    "Wow¡­amazing."


    I stared at the effects, thoroughly impressed. If I were to execute this sword technique in the outside world, it would have been devastating. I couldn''t wait to understand enough to leave the Spirit World and begin inscribing it in a tablet. Then I would begin the arduous and challenging process of combining the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship with the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship to create new, more powerful and destructive techniques.


    It took me three weeks to comprehend the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship, longer than either the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula or Heavenly Snow Terminus Body, but I felt that it was worth it.


    "Fei Wu!"


    When I snapped out of my meditation and returned to full wakefulness, I staggered and almost fell over. Tang Qi Hong quickly caught me before I could strike my face against the concrete.


    "You should take better care of yourself," she chided.


    "That''s what you''re here for, isn''t it?" I joked. Tang Qi Hong flushed a little, and lightly hit me.


    "Don''t even joke like that!"


    Exhaling wearily, I was too tired to give a retort. Instead, I looked around for the technician. But none of them shuffled forward to give me a tablet.


    "What did you get this time?" the second Great Elder asked eagerly. "A Spirit Diagram for a Spirit Artifact?"


    "Well¡­"


    I wasn''t given a chance to answer. Sect Leader Zi stepped in and waved the Great Elders back. He also gestured for the technicians to keep their distance.


    "Fei Wu, rest. You can do the Spirit Diagram tomorrow."


    "Eh? But¡­"


    "Qi Hong, bring him back to his dorm. Make sure he gets some sleep." He glanced at my other friends, particularly Tong Xue and Pang Feng. "Both of you, keep an eye on him as well. Protect him well."


    "Yes, Sect Leader!"


    Both Tong Xue and Pang Feng saluted and hurried over to help me, thus allowing Tang Qi Hong to be free.


    "But¡­" I began.


    "Dude, you look terrible. Just listen and get some rest."


    I had no idea how pale and gaunt my appearance was, but according to Tong Xue, I looked like a walking corpse. Since I was dead exhausted, I didn''t argue further and allowed my friends to support me back to my dormitory room.


    I didn''t even take a shower or anything. The first thing I did after walking through the door was to drop on my bed, and even before my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.


    *


    "He''s really overworking himself, isn''t he?"


    Tong Xue shook his head as he watched me sleep. Yeah, I was fast asleep at that time and unable to hear what my friends were saying, but thanks to protagonist privilege (or more accurately, I gathered the information from Tong Xue after I woke up and was able to roughly piece together the conversation they had, or what happened while I was asleep), I could provide a fairly reliable account.


    Assuming Tong Xue didn''t lie to me, of course.


    "Yeah. Fei Wu looks like he''s going to die." Tang Qi Hong sounded angry. "He should take care of himself more!"


    "That''s why we''re here," Pang Feng pointed out. "To make sure he doesn''t kill himself by mistake."


    "He can''t keep relying on us!" Tang Qi Hong protested. "One day he''ll have to depend on himself what will happen if we''re not around?"


    "Hopefully he''ll make friends he can depend on." Tong Xue smiled dryly. "Don''t worry, Qi Hong. Fei Wu won''t kill himself."


    "¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong looked unconvinced, but before she could argue further, Tong Xue and Pang Feng began to exit the room.


    "Let him rest. We shouldn''t disturb him. He spent so long meditating without any rest, sleep or food that he needs as much time to recover as he can get."


    Tang Qi Hong spared me one last glance before she sighed and followed my two friends out of my room. Neither Tong Xue nor Pang Feng left, though. They remained outside the door, like security guards keeping an eye out.


    "You guys¡­" Tang Qi Hong understood their intentions, but she shook her head in resigmation nonetheless.


    "You should head back to the plaza," Tong Xue told her gently. "The research team will need your help."


    "We''ll watch over Fei Wu," Pang Feng assured her.

 177 Chapter 176: Bloodbath

    I passed the tablets to Sect Leader Zi Shou De and waited nervously as he skimmed through the first one. There was no need for him to look at the others. They were all identical copies of the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship.


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    After sleeping for twenty-four hours straight (well, it was closer to twenty rather than twenty-four, to be honest), I began the tedious work of inscribing the Spirit Diagrams that I had learned while communing within the Spirit World of the star-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar. Even though I was technically supposed to be on a break, I ended up working through most of it. Of course, I also took the opportunity to train and improve my martial arts.


    I wouldn''t say I had gotten very far with combining Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula with Heavenly Snow Terminus Body, or Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship with Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship, but it was early days yet, so I wasn''t worried. I wasn''t a genius, so it would be ridiculous to expect me to succeed in just three days.


    "Oh¡­the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship!"


    Sect Leader Zi brightened up. Nearby, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji leaned closer to look at the tablets curiously, her expression a mix of awe and approval.


    "Not bad. That''s another long-lost legendary martial arts." She glanced at me. "Is it an incomplete one that needs the learner to already possess knowledge of an existing sword-type martial art, just like the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body and Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula?"


    While I was busily communing with the other two Spirit Engraved Pillars, Sect Lady Da Ji had passed the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula to the water-based martial artists in Blood Blades to learn it, but they hadn''t had very much success. At first we thought the martial art itself was complicated and required more time to comprehend and learn, but after my revelation regrding the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body, those elite Blood Blades martial artist discovered that the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula was another complementary martial art, and they had begun to combine it with the existing water based techniques that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect already possessed.


    However, the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship was different.


    "That sounds excellent!" Sect Lady Da Ji marveled, delighted. "This will be an excellent addition to our repertoire!"


    I could understand her joy. Sword techniques were different from elemental techniques in that anyone could learn them. It didn''t matter if I used ice-based martial arts or Tang Qi Hong used fire-based martial arts or Zhu Jiao used earth-based martial art or Bai Ning Xue used lightning-based martial arts. All of us could perfectly learn Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship. The catch, of course, was that we had to specialize in swordsmanship.


    This wasn''t a problem for disciples of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, who were frequently taught to master a variety of weapons thanks to the Nine Heavenly Armaments techniques. But for those who had focused on one weapon, such as the spear, or the axe, or a whip, or archery, it would be difficult for them to pick up a new weapon.


    On the other hand, that was the strength of the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship. Divided into the basic, intermediate and advanced stages, any martial artist could theoretically just learn the basic stage and proceed from there. They didn''t need to know any prior understanding or mastery of the sword. Of course, having a solid foundation for swordsmanship would make it a lot easier to learn Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship, as with everything else, but it wasn''t mandatory.


    Too long, didn''t read? Anyone could start learning Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship regardless of background or elemental affinity.


    While Sect Lady Da Ji was delighted, there were a bunch of old fogeys who weren''t. Instead, they were massively disappointed.


    "Another martial arts manual?"


    "Where are all the Spirit Artifacts'' Spirit Diagrams?"


    "Just our luck¡­for the person to have triggered a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillars to be a martial artist instead of a Spirit Engraver¡­"


    "What was that?" Sect Lady Da Ji turned to look sharply at the murmuring Great Elders and the lot of them fell silent immediately.


    "Of course it''s great! It''s so awesome!"


    "Glory to our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    "We''ll become the mightiest martial arts sect indeed!"


    These old men¡­they really changed their tune quickly. Not that I blamed them. I would definitely start singing a different song if that would save my skin.


    Ignoring the Great Elders, I turned my attention back to the plaza. Surprisingly, the technicians were packing up the equipment and disassembling the hi-tech devices we were using to analyze and research the Spirit Engraved Pillars. The research team were breaking up and leaving the plaza, carrying their laptops and various belongings with them.


    That made some sense. From what I had heard, the research team planned to bring everything back to their individual or shared workshops. Now that I was done with communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, there was little reason for them to remain on the plaza. We had recorded holo-picts and holographic maps of the Spirit Diagrams and Spirit Engraved Pillars, and they could just work on them in the comfort of their own laboratories.


    "Now that we''re done with this¡­"


    Sect Leader Zi turned to me with a broad smile. He bowed exaggeratedly and beckoned me over with a hand.


    "Follow me. I will lead you to the back of the mountain to the Blood Blades'' training area. Well, I know you know where it is, but hear me out. Lang Xie happens to be there today, so I''ll introduce you to him. He wants to personally teach you."


    "Lord Lang Xie?" I repeated, dumbfounded. For one thing, I didn''t need Sect Leader Zi to lead me there. Like he said, I already know where the Blood Blades'' training area was. Hell, I even made use of the place for my own martial arts training regularly, especially the training facility. A month ago, the only place in the training area I (and Tong Xue, Pang Feng and the rest of our batch) was barred from was the Will''O Wisp Forest.


    But that restriction had been liftedbefore I started working on the Spirit Engraved Pillars and comprehending the Spirit Diagrams required for the three martial arts manuals. Lang Xie had sent us an email notification officially informing us that we were now "true, authentic" Blood Blades and were allowed into the Will''O Wisp Forest, which even Elder Zhao was not allowed inside.


    Pang Feng and Tong Xue had been there while I was communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, during the times when they weren''t having their shifts to watch over me. They told me nightmarish stories of their experiences training inside Will''O Wisp Forest, but I had dismissed them as gross exaggerations. If it was that harsh and painful, then how were they still alive?


    Looked like I was about to find out for myself today.


    "We''ve already discussed this," Sect Lady Da Ji assured me. "You''ll see what I mean when you get there."


    "Uh¡­okay."


    I had a bad feeling about this, but I had little recourse other than to obey. So I followed the Zi couple to the back of the mountain where Will''O Wisp Forest awaited threateningly.


    As always, the woods behind the grounds of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect were shrouded in ghostly, flickering flames of spectral qi.


    "Where are the pools of blood?" I asked, looking around in astonishment. I wasn''t expecting actual will''o wisps. In my mind, I thought there would be pools of blood of various sizes spread across the forest, blood so thick they bubbled and produced a noxious bloody mist. But that was because I had been reading too much Spirit Realm.


    "I asked the same question when I came here." Sect Leader Zi chuckled, only for him to be smacked by Sect Lady Da Ji.


    "You''re the sect leader! You should know better!" she chided.


    Well, there was nobody bathing in pools of blood and putting on terrifying experiences, but I could see tormented martial artists writhing and heaving inside the thick miasma of ghostly flames. they were seated inside segments of the forest, absorbing the pure natural qi that was produced by the medicinal herbs and spiritual plants in the forest, and using it to nourish their cultivation.


    Even though I could barely see their expressions, I could tell from the clogged, sluggish circulation of their qi that they were in great pain. Natural qi warred with their innate qi, suppressing, conflicting, and raging inside their bodies. And their physical bodies were undergoing pretty drastic changes, being tempered by the ferocious natural qi and strengthened.


    In other words¡­doping. With so-called spiritual steroids.


    "Uh¡­" I muttered, but before I could say anything, a couple of martial artists materialized out of nowhere and bowed their heads reverently.


    "Greetings, Sect Leader, Sect Lady."


    "Oh, hey, guys." Sect Leader Zi waved at them in a friendly manner. "I''m looking for Lang Xie. Is he around?"


    "Sire is inside," one of the two guards replied politely. He then turned and gestured for us to follow, leading the three of us deeper into the ghostly forest.


    Along the way, I saw many of my seniors and colleagues and nodded deferentially to greet them. They waved at me, and then returned to their training. There were various training regimens, from sparring to meditation/cultivation, to practicing techniques, to fighting against battle puppets that I would normally only see inside the training facility.


    Or at least I thought they were battle puppets and training dummies, but the qi swirling within them was all wrong. On closer inspection, I realized that I was right. These weren''t battle puppets but actual demonic creatures and magical beasts, herded and grown in Will''O Wisp Forest to provide field experience and practical training for the Blood Blades in here. One was a massive Chimera-type beast, with a lion''s head and a cobra''s tail. It lashed out with a claw, forcing one of the training Blood Blades to jump back as he parried it with a high-grade Spirit Weapon.


    Clang!


    Even though that was a high-quality Spirit Shield, the poor guy was flung back. His teammates spread out and assaulted the Chimera with their myriad of Spirit Weapons, but they were unable to pierce its armored, scaly hide.


    A scuttling sound to my left told me there was a Kumonga, or Giant Spider, clashing with another group of Blood Blades. A nightmarish howl to my right informed me that another group of Blood Blades were being hunted by a vicious pack of Lunar Wolves, which were deadlier than the Silverbacked Wolves I had faced in the abysmal levels of Sen Lin Forest.


    It was a bloodbath.


    Many of these magical beasts and demonic creatures lay dead, blood pooling underneath their carcasses. I saw a Lunar Wolf, gutted, as it lay sprawled on the ground, its jaws weakly snapping open and shut. Even though it was dying, it was determined enough to snag an unwary Blood Blades martial artist and bring him down with it.


    There were also casualties on the Blood Blades'' side, with human martial artists lying unconscious in pools of their own blood, and even some of them had lost their limbs. They could be reattached with the medical facilities that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had, but I was pretty sure it was a traumatic experience no one wanted to go through.


    The guard brought us to a particularly wide area where Lang Xie was fighting on his own against a gigantic Horned Dragon. A few martial artists lay on the ground, bleeding out at an alarming rate, but whether they were dead or alive, I couldn''t tell. Ignoring them, Lang Xie continued to grimly combat against the Horned Dragon.


    The roaring, armored beast lunged at him, but a sword flashed out and suddenly the Horned Dragon''s head rolled off, separated from the rest of its body.


    You''ve got to be kidding me¡­


    I gaped at Lang Xie, who was calmly wiping the blood off his blade. That middle-aged man cut off the head of a heavily armored Horned Dragon with a single hit?!


    "Greetings, Sect Leader and Sect Lady. And¡­Fei Wu."


    The voice startled me. It wasn''t Lang Xie who spoke up, but someone else, and her voice sounded very familiar.


    Turning around, I spotted a familiar figure slipping out of the ghostly flames and standing before us. I immediately recognized her as Elder Hai Mo''s wife, Hai Rong.


    "Lady Hai," I said as I bowed. She giggled and quickly gestured for me to lift my head.


    "Dispense with the niceties," she ordered. Then she turned to Sect Leader Zi and Sect Lady Da Ji. "What can I do for you today?"


    "We''re here for Lang Xie," Sect Leader Zi explained, but his wife didn''t care. Taking Hai Rong''s words at face value, she stepped forward and cupped her hands around her mouth.


    "Lang Xie! We''ve brought the boy to you!"


    Lang Xie placed his sword in his spatial device and turned toward us. After a short nod to acknowledge the Zi couple''s presence, he then turned to look at me.


    I immediately sensed a thick, bloodthirsty aura washing over me, almost like a river. Staggering a little, I gritted my teeth and stood my ground defiantly.


    For a moment, I had a vision of a ferocious dragon swallowing me whole, its jaws closing in on me and sinking its fangs into my flesh. My mind was rattled by the psychic shock, and I was suffocating, drowning in a sea of blood¡­


    Bloody hell¡­just from his killing intent alone¡­Lang Xie was truly formidable. I had always thought the term "if looks could kill" was something that only happened in fiction, but with Lang Xie''s strength, I had no doubt he could really pull it off.


    But I was''t so pathetic as to die from him merely looking at me.


    Gritting my teeth again, I steeled my resolve and gathered my spiritual strength within me. The basic concept of the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body that I had learned over the last couple of weeks, combined with the resilient Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, allowed me to muster an icy defense that rapidly formed over my mind and spirit.


    Knowing that this was a test, I didn''t use Snow Aegis.


    Even so, despite the ice forming over my body and my eyes glazing over behind my glasses, the vicious and malevolent killing intent seemed to penetrate my frosty defenses and strike deep into my mind, and the deepest part of my soul. No matter how desperately I fought to resist the spiritual invasion, I found myself mentally eroded by the draconic waves. My chest constricted as I fought to breathe in the suffocating sea of bloodlust that threatened to overwhelm and drown me. Even so I continued to clench my fists and weave more layers of spiritual defenses around my mind, erecting thick walls of frost and constructing a spiritual citadel to keep the invader out.


    And just like that, the bloodthirsty aura that had flooded over me suddenly retreated like a tidal wave and instantly vanished.


    "Huff¡­"


    I doubled over, coughing and heaving. Squeezing my eyes shut, I struggled to force the qi inside my body to circulate once more, to relax my tensed and locked limbs, and to stand up straight. Exhaustion soaked my mind, but I fought not to collapse on the spot, despite my qi circulation having been clogged up.


    Breathing heavily, I raised my head and glanced at Lang Xie.


    This guy was extremely powerful. One of the strongest martial artists I had ever met. He was nearly able to overcome me completely with his killing intent alone. Never mind his bloodthirsty aura, if he made an actual, physical move, I most likely would not be able to defend against his attacks.


    This single experience told me the vast gulf between our strengths, of how truly formidable someone at the pinnacle of martial arts was.


    No wonder the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect made it to the position of the eight major sects! With such battle prowess, we could hold our own even against the Celestial Creature sects!


    "Lang Xie, how is he? Am I right?" Hai Rong asked with a smile. The fuck? Have you been talking about me behind my back, lady?


    The vice-commander of the Blood Blades nodded, and his lips twitched a little. That was the closest he ever got to smiling.


    "He''s not bad at all."


    Uh, dude¡­those words rang hollow, especially now that I was pathetically trying to catch my breath and desperately doing my best to not topple over.


    "He didn''t lose consciousness at all. He has a strong, indomitable spirit."


    "I told you so." Hai Rong''s smile widened. "If we train him properly, he''ll be a great asset to the sect and the Blood Blades."


    "I believe you." Lang Xie nodded and then pointed at somewhere in the forest. "Strip bare and soak in that blood pool."


    "¡­say what? What blood pool?"


    I stared at him blankly. Lang Xie''s expression twitched and he stabbed his finger in the direction he was pointing.


    "That blood pool. Are you blind?"


    "Stop messing around!" Sect Lady Da Ji smacked him across his head. "There is no blood pool! We''re not the Armament Sect, and you''re Blood Blades! Not Blood Spear!"


    "Someone has clearly been reading Spirit Realm too," Sect Leader Zi remarked flippantly. Sect Lady Da Ji turned on him.


    "Not you too! Get serious!"


    Lang Xie coughed sheepishly and tried to look serious, but he had ruined the effect earlier with his poor imitation of another Lang Xie from Spirit Realm.


    "Okay, okay. Um¡­for starters, cultivate there."


    He pointed toward a particularly thin miasma that enveloped a segment of the forest. He turned to me, his expression strict.


    "I assume you know how to absorb natural qi and integrate it into your body?"


    Know how to absorb natural qi? Dude¡­that was pretty much the essence of Heaven and Earth Formula''s Heaven and Earth Absorption. I daresay I could do it better than almost everyone else here, with a few exceptions of course.


    But I wasn''t the type to brag. So I merely nodded.


    "Then begin right away."


    "Yes, sire."


    I stepped into the miasma and sat down cross-legged in the middle. Closing my eyes, I began to absorb the natural qi from my surroundings and circulate it around my body, carefully melding it with my own innate qi.


    "Ugh¡­"


    The ghostly fog began to sear my flesh and burn aggressively, unleashing an astonishing amount of heat.


    "Ouch¡­!"


    I winced, but didn''t budge. The mist seemed to enter the pores on my body, dissipating and seeping inside me. For some reason it felt like a swarm of Fire Ants had just crawled over me and was biting my flesh. My blood churned inside me, disturbed by this invasion, and my mind slowly blanked out as I experienced the sensation of being devoured.


    Fortunately, I was not a stranger to pain, and I was able to endure it. Hell, this was nothing compared to the icy hell I had experienced in the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation or the blizzard spirit world conceptualized by the snow-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar.


    In fact, I actually benefited more from enduring it. I could feel my body slowly strengthening as it was being nourished by the ghostly fog.


    "What is the thickness of the spiritual essence in this fog?" Sect Leader Zi asked after watching me for a moment.


    "It''s not that high," Hai Rong assured him. "It''s meant for newcomers like Pang Feng and Tong Xue."


    "Eh?" Sect Leader Zi raised an eyebrow. "So it has not been diluted?"


    "No." Hai Rong shook her head. "I didn''t dilute it. Pang Feng and Tong Xue had come here nine days ago. Tong Xue was crying when he tried to absorb the miasma but Pang Feng endured it stoically without a sound."


    "Well, Pang Feng comes from Cloud Sky Mountain and practices the Golden Indestructible Body, which emphasizes the durability of one''s body. So I''m not surprised." Sect Lady Da Ji nodded, somewhat impressed.


    Lang Xie, who had been watching the whole thing without a single word so far, suddenly spoke up.


    "Come out."


    My eyes flew open and I stared at him, dumbfounded. "Eh? I haven''t finished absorbing the natural qi yet¡­"


    "It''s fine, just come out." Lang Xie beckoned me over impatiently. Scratching my head, I obeyed and stood up to walk out of the mist. He swept his eyes over me coolly, and then said, "I underestimated you. Will''O Wisp with low spiritual density doesn''t give you many benefits. You should try that Will''O Wisp instead."


    He pointed at a miasma that was blazing brighter, the ghostly flames illuminating the trees surrounding it with an eerie glow.


    I gulped and glanced at Sect Lady Da Ji. She spread her arms helplessly.


    "Don''t look at me. I may be the commander, but that''s in name only. In here, behind Flame Volcano, even I listen to Lang Xie."


    "¡­all right."


    Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the fog.


    Even though I was mentally prepared, I found myself assailed by a scorching agony that was several times worse than the last one. Gasping, I forced myself to stagger to the center of the fog and sat down. Closing my eyes, I began to meditate and use the Heaven and Earth Formula breathing methods to control my qi and absorb the searing Will''O Wisp qi.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    The terrifying pain felt like I was being boiled alive in a cauldron of superheated sulfur or something. It was literally hell.


    On the other hand, I could feel vitality, profound power slowly seeping into my body, nourishing me. The ghostly Will''O Wisp pressed in all around me, devouring and burning my flesh and boiling my blood. Dozens of laser knives cut right to the bone, causing me to flinch. I gritted my teeth as I tried not to shriek from the pain.


    Fortunately, the human body was pretty adapatable. It took me a while, but I was able to get used to the pain. Closing my mind to the searing heat and stabbing knives, I breathed deeply and drank in the amazing power that the Will''O Wisp provided. Natural qi surged through my veins, merging with my innate qi and strengthening my qi vessels.


    I could feel a massive amount of power building up inside me, the two tidal waves of qi colliding and merging. It was almost like nuclear fusion, the aggressive collision of hydrogen atoms to combine into helium atoms and unleashing tremendous amounts of heat energy.


    "¡­uh oh¡­"


    Even though my body was slowly adapting to the pain, gradually strengthening and becoming more robust, the rate at which I was absorping the pure natural qi was spiraling out of control. I felt as if there was a caged star inside my dantian, my qi vessels almost rupturing as they were no longer able to contain the power.


    My vessels almost cracked as what seemed like molten lava poured through them, and this time I was unable to hold back a scream.


    "Not good!"


    "What do you mean, ''not good''?" Sect Leader Zi demanded as he rounded on Lang Xie. "I hope you didn''t get overzealous and threw him into a Will''O Wisp of utmost spiritual density or something! It''ll be stupid if he ends up losing his life in training!"


    "Uh, well¡­" Hai Rong looked a little uncomfortable. "You''re right, this is a Will''O Wisp that is produced with extremely high spiritual density and is saturated with very pure qi." She glanced at me in concern. "Even Pang Feng couldn''t take more than a few seconds after entering this fog. He was forced to leave. But this boy¡­"


    "Fei Wu is over-diligent and too hardworking. He doesn''t know his limits. It''s possible he''ll end up killing himself if he forces himself to absorb everything."


    Sect Lady Da Ji looked grim. Sect Leader Zi paled at that.


    "We''ve got to get him out of there!"


    "Worse." Lang Xie had a bitter expression on his face. "That''s not the problem. The problem is that he has already absorbed far too much qi¡­he has really exceeded my expectations. But the thing is that, his body is unable to contain and handle that amount of purified qi. He''s basically like a nuclear bomb about to blow."


    "Do something!" Sect Leader Zi hollered. "Help him before he blows himself up!"


    Lang Xie took a deep breath and spoke calmly, but even though he appeared to be soft, I could hear him as clearly as if his voice was ringing loudly across the forest.


    "Can you hear me, Fei Wu? Right now you''re on the verge of Demonic Possession. The qi you''ve absorbed is rampaging throughout your body, and you''ve absorbed far too much qi that the amount far exceeds the pace of your body strengthening. Your body won''t be able to handle that amount of purified qi and will tear itself apart if you allow this to continue."


    Yeah, no shit. Even if I didn''t overhear the conversation between the adults, I was aware of what this was, having been a practitioner of Heaven and Earth Formula. It was my mistake. I got too greedy and absorbed far more natural qi than my body could handle.


    They were right when they said greed was a deadly sin. To be fair, this was the first time I was experiencing Demonic Possession and having my qi run wild inside my body. Usually I would be able to control it, so I was taken aback by this.


    "The only way for you to survive is for you to discharge all the qi out of your body. Understand? If you have a technique, unleash all that rampaging qi out at once before it destroys you."


    "Heh¡­" perspiration was dripping down my face as I rolled about in agony. Climbing shakily to my feet, I nodded briefly. "I knew that was the answer."


    "¡­eh?" Sect Leader Zi''s eyes widened. Before he could say anything else, I let out a yell and punched the ground with everything I had.


    Boom!


    In an instant, the entire segment of the forest froze over, the trees entombed in ice and their leaves encrusted in frost. The ground itself turned into a barren tundra, after having caved in.


    Rather, there was no ground. When I unleashed the rampaging qi inside my body, I pretty much destroyed the earth and left a freezing crater in the forest.


    "This¡­"


    Hai Rong gaped at the misting crater. It was almost three meters deep and ten meters in diameter. I was panting at the center, my fist buried in the dirt.


    The Will''O Wisp fog had all frozen over, along with the medicinal plants and spiritual herbs in the vicinity. This was quite the expensive blunder, but fortunately I wouldn''t be the one taking responsibility. Even more fortunately, it didn''t seem like Sect Leader Zi or any of the adults cared about the blatant waste of resources.

 178 Chapter 177: Aurora

    Lang Xie stopped when he heard Hai Rong speak up. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to stare at her.


    "There is still potential for this child to get stronger. But we need to teach him the right way of absorbing qi." She turned to me with a gentle smile. "Fei Wu, your method of absorbing qi¡­where did you learn that from?"


    "My primary sect."


    I didn''t elaborate. Hai Rong got the hint, and didn''t pursue further. Like every elder in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, they didn''t care about your background or which primary sect you were from or any secrets you held provided you didn''t intend to harm the sect.


    "I see. You need to slow down and absorb bit by bit, not so much in one go. If you do, you''ll gradually grow stronger. You cannot rush it or you''ll end up harming yourself. Your body won''t be able to take it, like earlier."


    "Yes, ma''am." I nodded obediently.


    "You need to be patient. Only the martial artist who patiently cultivates, trains and don''t look for shortcuts will grow stronger. Without developing a solid foundation first, if you rush, you''ll hurt yourself. It''s like building a house. If your foundation is weak, then no matter how many high-quality materials you pile on top, it will collapse under a single breeze. However, if your foundation is strong, then your house will survive even the worst hurricanes."


    I highly doubted that, having seen what a tornado could do to even the most solidly built of houses, but obviously I wasn''t going to contradict Hai Rong and embarrass her in front of all the other adults.


    "Give him a few hours of absorbing the natural qi," Hai Rong told Lang Xie. "Leave him to me. I''ll monitor this child to ensure he doesn''t do anything reckless. Once we''re done, I''ll let you know and you can begin the next phase of your training."


    "I''ll be counting on you then." Lang Xie nodded. He then turned to Sect Leader Zi and Sect Lady Da Ji. "You heard Rong. I''m sure Fei Wu is in good hands."


    Sect Leader Zi nodded. "We''ll leave him in your care then."


    "Don''t overdo it," Sect Lady Da Ji reminded the Blood Blades pair. "This child might be tough, but he tends to¡­work too hard."


    "Yes, Sect Lady. Don''t worry, I''ll watch over him to make sure nothing bad happens." Hai Rong was smiling, but for some reason I felt a chill run down my spine.


    What is this lady scheming?!


    Trying to suppress a shudder, I maintained a poker face and refused to display any panic. Hai Rong glanced at me, her smile growing wider, as if she knew about my anxiety and was amused at my pathetic attempts to conceal them.


    "Well then¡­shall we get started?" she asked as she gestured for me to follow her to what seemed to be an even denser spiritual fog in Will''O Wisp Forest.


    *


    When did I¡­?


    I had no memory of getting into a snow-filled place. The last thing I remembered was meditating in the Will''O Wisp Forest that was the training grounds of the Blood Blades, listening to Hai Rong''s directions and forcing myself to take things slowly. I couldn''t be greedy, not if I wanted to avoid another near-death episode where my qi vessels were almost ruptured.


    At some point of time, I had probably passed out while trying to assimilate that much pure qi into my system, my body and mind shutting down to better cope with the invasive arcane energies that were melding with my own.


    But that didn''t explain how I was teleported to a snowy area hundreds of kilometers away.


    "Lady Hai?" I called out tentatively, but got no answer. Frowning, I rose to my feet and looked around, but saw no sign of any of the Blood Blades who had accompanied me during training in the forest behind Flame Volcano.


    Clearly, I was alone in what seemed like a deserted, snowy landscape that extended for miles and miles.


    "How did I get here?"


    That was the important question. During my four years in this new timeline, I had seen quite some strange things, but none as mysterious as teleportation.


    This place reminds me of something¡­


    Something stirred in my memories, and after thinking deeply for a few moments I suddenly realized that it bore an uncanny resemblance to the Spirit World I was in when communing with the snow-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar a few weeks ago.


    "Ah¡­this must be my meditative landscape, something that my mind conjured up."


    I hit my palm with my fist as I suddenly understood it. While cultivating, my subconscious must have taken over and consumed my mind, and I was brought here. My physical body might still be sitting in the Will''O Wisp Forest, but my mind had been spiritually transplanted into a Spirit World despite me no longer sitting under the Spirit Engraved Pillars in the plaza on the other side of the Flame Volcano. It might not even be the same Spirit World as the one I visited before.


    Regardless, it was as cold as hell.


    "Brr¡­!"


    Wrapping my hands around me, I trudged through the snow, hoping to find some clues to break out of this mental landscape or Spiritual World. Usually when you find yourself dropped into such a world, the intention was to get out of it, not to hang around for too long.


    Otherwise I might die spiritually. I pictured my physical body lying on the ground, drooling and staring blankly into the sky with a spastic expression while the surrounding Blood Blades looked on in horror. Yuck. That was not a pleasant image to envision.


    "How do I get out of here?!"


    Trying to suppress my panic, I looked around for more clues. There was nothing around me but snow for miles around. There wasn''t any trees, no hills or cliffs, nothing. Just flat land covered in snow. The only thing that wasn''t snow was the stars shining brightly above me, twinkling as their light passed through the imaginary atmosphere.


    And the aurora. The damned aurora.


    Oh, and the snow. Countless snowflakes were drifting down on me, the wind howling as it engulfed me in a blizzard, and I could almost see each individual crystalline snowflake dancing toward me. I reached out and caught a fluff of them, watching the snow stain my hand white. It felt cold to the touch, my fingers almost freezing over and trembling from the frosty contact.


    "Hu¡­"


    Glancing up and dropping my hand to the side as the snow slid off my fingers, melting slightly from my body heat, I studied the stars. I recognized the starscape, with the constellation of Orion and his three-star belt distinctively taking their place in the sky.


    But that didn''t really provide me much of a clue, other than that this Spirit World was built off the knowledge I possessed of the material world.


    Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and reached out with my Heaven and Earth senses. The snow was emanating small amounts of qi, as well as the stars and the celestial bodies hanging in the sky above me. But beyond all of them, I could sense greater qi from the aurora, drowning out the miniscule auras of qi with a ferocious glow.


    It was almost like the sun, overshadowing every other star during the day with its immense glow and unrivaled proximity.


    But what does the aurora mean?


    That had to be some meaning to the aurora, a reason why it was hanging so distinctively above me and emanating such a glow.


    No, in the first place, why was I here? Why snow? Why the stars? They reminded me of the time I spent learning Heavenly Snow Terminus Body and Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship, to comprehend them so that I could inscribe the stuff I learned into martial arts manuals. After reaching that level of understanding, I had sought to put the knowledge in practice, to ensure my body was capable of executing those techniques in the material world as well.


    Needless to say, I had yet to succeed, but I was sure I would eventually triumph if I kept trying. I might be slower and require more time than geniuses and prodigies, but I believed in hard work. As long as I refused to give up, as long as I continue to diligently practice, I might even be able to surpass those so-called geniuses and prodigies one day.


    For now, though, I had to work with what I had, taking one step at a time and comprehending the phenomenon before me.


    Pushing my glasses up as I briefly opened my eyes to take another look at the aurora, a thought occurred to me.


    "The Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship is meant to be a sword technique." Reaching for my spatial device, I pulled out the sword I used for training. Or I intended to do so, but I found nothing inside my Snow Aegis except my Azure Lotus Sword. In other words, this Spirit World wanted me to practice this with my Azure Lotus Sword. Fine by me. "If I want to understand this phenomenon, I will have to do it with a sword."


    Drawing my Azure Lotus Sword, I adopted the first stance, or at least I hoped it was the first stance in what I understood so far regarding the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship. There were seven techniques, seven different strikes, for the basic stage. I prepared to execute all seven of them in one go.


    The snow flew and was blasted off my my strikes, fluttering helplessly as I swung my sword and blew them across the snow-white plains. It wasn''t perfect ¨C I wasn''t a Mary Sue like Li Fu Chen who could achieve trance stage by practicing for a few days or whatever ¨C but it was at least a competent display of what I had learned so far.


    For a moment, nothing happened.


    "!!"


    I winced as the blizzard seemed to intensify, the cold deepening and biting further into my skin. I was still dressed in my usual training attire that I wore in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but I suspected the cold had nothing to do with my lack of winter gear.


    This was a Spirit World, after all. No amount of clothing or protection would guard me against the extreme temperatures. If anything, my Snow Aegis would have protected me from the cold, but if it didn''t, then there was a good reason.


    This wasn''t a threat or attack. It was a Spirit World shaped by my own mind, meant to strengthen me rather than hinder me. Therefore my Snow Aegis saw no reason to shield me from the howling winds and subzero temperatures.


    Nothing happened.


    Well, that was to be expected. What was I expecting? That I would get out of this Spirit World after I executed the seven basic strokes? If it was that easy, then whatever this was wouldn''t have bothered dragging me into this Spirit World in the first place. I doubted I was supposed to start mastering the intermediate steps right away. Everyone knew that you couldn''t just master the intermediate stage right away, not until you polished the basic stage.


    Obviously I was far from flawlessly executing the basic techniques and mastering them, but I could practice and polish them without needing to go into a Spirit World. No, this was something else. I was missing something, something that would deepen my understanding¡­


    "¡­"


    Glancing around, I swiped my sword, cutting the snowflakes. Pointing my sword at the aurora, I unleashed a Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike, an immense blast of qi hurtling out of my blade and slicing the flickering aurora. For a moment, the celestial bodies lit up, as if illuminated by the sudden appearance of a sun, and then¡­


    The aurora wasn''t the least bit affected, just flickering lightly and dancing in the night sky as before, as if I hadn''t attacked it.


    "Hmm¡­if that''s not the solution, then¡­"


    I was about to try something else when I noticed that there was something amiss with the aurora. It was growing ever stronger, as if it had just consumed my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike and turning it into nourishment.


    Pushing my glasses up my nose ¨C which was deactivated as with every time I entered one of these damned Spirit Worlds ¨C I suddenly realized something. Yeah, the aurora definitely absorbed the qi from my attack and was growing off it.


    If that was the case, then what if I absorbed the aurora?


    As if responding to my thoughts, the blizzard intensified and I felt myself being pelted violently by hail and snow. The snowstorm was growing stronger and I found myself shrouded by a damp coat of snow. If I didn''t focus and draw my qi around me, I would have been entombed by the ice and froze to death.


    "Hu¡­"


    Exhaling, I watched as my breath immediately misted in front of my face, clouding the lenses of my glasses for a second. This pain¡­this agony¡­I was reminded of my time absorbing qi from the Will''O Wisp in the Blood Blades'' training area behind Flame Volcano.


    Right. While I was stuck in this Spirit World, my physical body was out there in the real world, absorbing the nourishing pure natural qi produced by the medicinal plants and spiritual herbs in the Will''O Wisp Forest.


    "This sucks," I muttered before raising my sword. Closing my eyes, I began drawing on the qi from the aurora. Even without opening my eyes, I could sense the flow of the qi, the bloodthirsty energy from the aurora spiraling down to be drawn into my blade. The familiar sensation of being burned alive hit me, only this time it was more like be frozen alive, but either extreme sensations brought about nothing but excruciating agony.


    "Ugh!"


    Gritting my teeth, I endured the blazing qi that coursed through my veins like molten lava, dropping to my knees on the snow. Despite the agony racking my body, I kept my sword raised, continuing to absorb more of the qi from the aurora.


    "I knew it¡­" I muttered through clenched fist. "This aurora¡­it''s not just any aurora, but the spiritual manifestation of the natural, purified qi in the Will''O Wisp Forest!"


    Normally, one could not just absorb natural qi from the surroundings and meld it with one''s qi. The qi found within human bodies was too different from the natural qi in the environment, and fusing them would be like trying to weld iron to plastic. You could probably pull it off, but it was end up a fragile contraption that would fall apart any time. Not exactly conducive for a martial artist to have such weakly melded together qi inside his body.


    However, this natural qi was different from the surrounding qi. This purified natural qi had been specially processed and produced by selected spiritual herbs and medicinal plants. This natural qi produced by the plants had blended in with the environment and turned into a different type of natural qi that could be easily absorbed by humans and assimilated into their innate qi. I guess calling it natural qi would be inaccurate, but technically there was no other way of calling it. It was still natural qi, just one produced by specific spiritual herbs and medicinal plants. Then again, nature itself was an ambiguous term. Even in my past timeline, some natural plants had innate medicinal properties and could help humans with diseases and wounds. Most natural plants, however, did not, and some were even toxic. It was something like that here.


    If this qi wasn''t produced by these specific medicinal herbs and spiritual plants, then we would never have been able to absorb and assimilate it. At most we could absorn the natural qi, and then unleash it in a volatile reaction to produce highly destructive power. Just like what I had been doing all this while, especially with Seismic Step.


    "Ugh¡­AAAAAAH!"


    I howled in agony as my veins began to bulge and protrude out of my skin. Or was it my qi vessels? Whichever they were, I could feel myself dropping to the ground and it took me every ounce of self-control and discipline not to topple over in the snow and roll about. Hell, even that was a bad idea. The snow was actually freezing my knees, penetrating the fabric of my clothes (though I had no idea how I was wearing clothes in the Spirit World, but as long as I got to preserve my dignity, I wasn''t going to question it) and I dreaded to think what sort of pain I would experience if my whole body was to drop and roll about in the snow.


    My eyes flew open and I gaped at the aurora that was swirling into my sword in a vortex. Gripping the hilt of my Azure Lotus Sword, I sucked in a deep breath and swung it, unleashing most of the aurora qi in a Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike.


    But the qi wouldn''t leave the blade.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Not this shit again¡­I thought I had learned from my previous mistake and cautiously sucked the qi a bit at a time. I was really regulating the pace at which I was sucking the natural qi and ensuring I wasn''t being too greedy or impatient.


    But the aurora had taken control over my body and was gleefully rushing into my body of its own accord. Worse, it was refusing to leave my body even though I was prematurely trying to discharge it. I was taking no risk this time, getting ready to unleash it as best as I could, but the damned qi clung to my qi vessels and body like a shroud, refusing to let go. Latching onto my innate qi, it began to devour the former, but my innate qi refused to go down without a fight, and both types of qi clashed against each other within me in a deadly conflict.


    I''m going to die at this rate¡­


    Then it occurred to me that maybe I was going about this the wrong way. If the solution was just to absorb natural qi from the Will''O Wisp, then there was little point in throwing me into this Spirit World. I could just have done it the normal way.


    No, there must be another condition somewhere¡­


    This is the Spirit World for both the snow-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar and the star-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar. Then¡­


    Deciding to gamble everything on this move, I swung my sword again. This time, I didn''t just use Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike. I combined it with Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C First Celestial Star Stance!


    The aurora vanished in a beautiful conflagration that swept across the snowy plains and vaporized all the snow in a second, turning frost into steam instantly. Panting as I gripped my sword, I glanced about me, my vision blinded by the scalding steam that billowed about me in a nefarious fog. Drawing my qi to protect myself, I swung my sword again.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C Second Celestial Star Stance.


    In that single movement, I disintegrated the threatening steam that was scorching my flesh and rendered the landscape clear again. Blinking, I glanced around, momentarily blinded as golden and red light lanced into my eyes. My glasses, being deactivated in this Spirit World, didn''t automatically darken to protect my eyes¡­


    And just like that, the next time I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in the Will''O Wisp Forest again. The fog around me had gotten a lot less dense, probably because I had absorbed a massive amount of spiritual qi from it.


    Furthermore, I realized that the brightness wasn''t caused by the qi or anything. Unlike the Spirit World, it was still daytime. Probably early afternoon, given how high the sun was still up. It was hovering at its zenith.


    That was why I was blinded. Having been used to the night sky in the Spirit World, my eyes required some time to adjust to this new brightness. Funnily enough, that was the Spirit World, so why my eyes had physically adjusted to the darkness in there was beyond me. Not that I was going to spend too much time thinking about arcane stuff like that.


    I briefly wondered how many days had passed. Glancing at my cellphone, I was relieved to see that not many. Actually, it had only been about half a week since I first began cultivating and absorbing the Will''O Wisp qi from this spot.


    Breathing heavily, I staggered forward, but was surprised to see that my movements were fine. I thought my limbs would have fallen asleep from a lack of use in four days, but I felt as if I had been moving a lot. Actually¡­since when was I standing? I thought I had been sitting all this time, but I was currently on my feet.


    What had my physical body been doing while my mind was trapped in the Spirit World?


    "Well done."


    Hai Rong clapped her hands as she approached. She glanced at the blazing miasma around me, which had lost a little of its luster, and smiled despite the faint glow. I wasn''t sure why she was so delighted, but had a bad feeling about this.


    "This is one of the purest and densest spiritual qi Will''O Wisp in our Blood Blades training ground, and you absorbed it without a problem in just four days. Not only that, it seems that you''ve attained some understanding of your martial arts?"


    I suddenly realized that I was gripping my Azure Lotus Sword tightly. I had no idea when I drew it in the physical world, having only unsheathed it in the Spirit World. Were the two worlds linked, or was my physical body doing the exact same thing as my Spiritual body when I was meditating and cultivating?


    "I guess it''s finally safe for the boy to begin the next stage of training?"


    Lang Xie suddenly appeared, emerging from the shadows of the Will''O Wisp Forest, his expression as strict as ever.


    "Of course." Hai Rong nodded and turned to the vice-commander. "He''s all yours now." A smile crept over her face. "Give him the hardest challenge you can find."


    "After he has rested and recovered. He''ll need a bit more time to assimilate all that qi and practice his new techniques."


    Evidently Lang Xie was aware of my breakthrough in merging the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship with the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship. He nodded at me in approval, and then gestured for me to follow him.


    I gulped and obeyed.


    This time, we were moving out of the miasma-covered areas and into the deeper part of the Will''O Wisp Forest. I recognized the place as where the other Blood Blades trained against the demonic creatures and magical beasts that were bred here in the forest behind the Flame Volcano, to provide practical combat experience.


    It was also the area where I first saw Lang Xie cut down a Horned Dragon with one stroke. I briefly wondered what happened to the injured Blood Blades laying unconscious (or dead) around him back then.


    "We''ll start small, as a warmup, to give you a taste of what is to come. This isn''t a very high-ranked magical beast, but it''s still dangerous if you let down your guard."


    Stepping to the side, Lang Xie beckoned for me to enter the forest deeper. I understood his intentions. He didn''t want to scare the magical beast away and wanted me to face it on my own.


    That was fine.


    "Am I allowed to use weapons?" I asked Lang Xie. He snorted.


    "Of course. We are Blood Blades. We specialize in using weapons. What''s the point of being protectors and martial artists in a Spirit Armament forging sect if we don''t learn how to use our weapons in combat?''


    He had a point. I nodded and kept my Azure Lotus Sword drawn. Stepping into the forest, I immediately detected the presence of a mid-ranked magical beast. It was slinking around in the shadows, watching me with a predatory gaze.


    Smiling, I glanced in its direction. I recognized this bloodthirsty and shadowy aura. I had faced against a magical beast like this before.


    "Hello, Shadow Leopard."


    Realizing that it wasn''t able to conceal its presence, the Shadow Leopard lunged out from the trees it was concealing its silhouette in, its claws outstretched. I watched it fly toward me, almost as if in slow motion.


    Four years. It had been almost four years since I had fought a Shadow Leopard. Obviously this was a different Shadow Leopard ¨C I had outsmarted the previous one and tricked it into fighting a Diamondback Crocodile, and then finished it off with underhanded tactics when it was grievously wounded.


    To be honest, a Shadow Leopard was still a dangerous creature. Even though I was undoubtedly stronger now, the ferocious magical beast could kill me if I let my guard down. There was no such thing as martial artists becoming immune to attacks from "lower-level" opponents just because they attained a certain level. All weapons could kill you, regardless of how high your cultivation level was. Yeah, you could probably muster a better defense and be more durable, but reality was never quite accurately captured by numbers and levels. You didn''t simply "lose HP" if you get attacked, and the damage couldn''t be quantified as "losing this much HP" or "losing this little HP." Nor could an attack be quantified as causing x amount of damage.


    If it hit you in a vital spot like say, your throat, or heart, or even head, even a single bullet or blade could kill you. It would put me in good stead to not underestimate my opponent regardless of his/its "level" or "rank." Those were arbitrary numbers assigned to give an estimation of the threat level or strength, not to lure you into false illusion that you would definitely win against a lower-leveled enemy in every single encounter.


    With that in mind, I showed the Shadow Leopard no mercy. Slashing with my Azure Lotus Sword, I decapitated the Shadow Leopard in a single strike.


    The immense body streaked past me, and then toppled over, blood spurting from its headless neck like a geyser. The Shadow Leopard''s head landed a few meters away, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop. The Shadow Leopard''s feral eyes stared blankly at the afternoon sky, still not realizing that it was supposed to be dead.


    "Excellent."


    Lang Xie was watching from afar, and despite keeping that cold, nonchalant expression on his weathered face, his tone sounded impressed. He approached me and nodded approvingly.


    "To be able to dispatch a rank 5 Shadow Leopard in just one hit¡­you''ve surpassed my expectations yet again." a hint of a smile curled across his grizzled lips. "Looks like Rong is right. I should give you the hardest challenge I can find."


    "Please spare me¡­" I muttered weakly under my breath. Lang Xie merely cocked his head.


    "Nope. This is for the sake of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. we need you to become as strong as possible¡­especially when they attack."


    "¡­they?" I repeated incredulously. There was something about the way he said it that told me the "they" he mentioned wasn''t simply the enemy I currently had in mind. "Who''s they? Divine Shadow Sect?"


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    "Yes, but not just them."


    "Huh?" I watched Lang Xie with a frown. "Who else would want to attack us?"


    Lang Xie closed his eyes briefly, but didn''t reply. After a few moments, he sighed and opened them to stare at me intently. I couldn''t help but feel a chill run down my spine.

 179 Chapter 178: Entry into the sec

    Lu Li stood at the entrance to the city and stared at the closed gates in dismay. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, troubled, before glancing at her two companions.


    The two Ling sisters, who obviously had never appeared before, and therefore I had completely no idea who they were nor had I ever met them before, stood nervously outside the gate, mingling with the long queue of visitors.


    The first sister was Ling Yu Mei, and she wore a long, blue skirt. Around her waist was a light purple ribbon, and her left hand was holding an exquisite leather handbag. Her usually beautiful face was weighed down with weariness as she watched at the long line of visitors entering through the checkpoints at a snail''s pace.


    Ling Yu Xuan, the second sister, was wearing a fiery red miniskirt in contrast. The short fabric only covered partway to her thighs and revealed her long, snow-white legs. Already many of the male members of the queue were caught sneaking peeks at her.


    One of the sisters was simple and elegant, and the other was hot and attractive. Thanks to this particular combination, they had attracted the attention of many Nine-Tailed Sect martial artists who were serving as security guards right now.


    "Don''t you know who I am? I''m Dark Fiend Valley Sect''s Lu Li. Please allow me to enter!"


    Lu Li snapped coldly at the guards, but being Blood Blades, they were immune to her charms and arrogance. The first security guard merely gazed back frostily.


    "Sorry, ma''am, but there''s a line. Please stay in line and wait patiently like all the others."


    "You dare compare me to the others?" Lu Li flared up.


    "Hey! Who do you think you are?" someone from the front of the queue barked at her angrily.


    "Yeah!" another agreed. "So what if you''re from the Dark Fiend Valley Sect? You think you can cut the queue because your sect is powerful?"


    "Even the martial artists from the Celestial Creature Sects and other seven major sects are queuing up without complaints or demanding for favorable treatment! Aren''t you ashamed of yourself?" another person shouted.


    Lu Li recoiled, the arrogant bitch not having expected the crowd to turn against her. She stupidly thought that they would support her because of her ethereal beauty and gladly lay down their lives for her like the lowly peasants they were.


    Trying to hide her embarrassment, she turned to the Ling sisters.


    "Weird," she remarked. "In the past, the gates to Tushan City would normally be left open. All martial artists were free to enter."


    Thanks to that, everybody who wanted to step inside Tushan City had to undergo strict security checks and inspection to verify their identity and ensure they would no pose any threats before they were allowed into the city.


    "There will be no favoritism. If you want to enter Tushan City, you''ve to agree to these security checks. Otherwise, you''re free to leave."


    The security guard, who was part of Blood Blades, firmly declared. Lu Li gritted her teeth and balled her hands into fists.


    "Well then, hurry up!" she hissed impatiently.


    The Blood Blade stared at her coldly. "We''re trying our best, ma''am. So if you could please stop distracting us for even a moment, the process would go a little faster."


    Lu Li was about to retort, but the glare from the other members in the queue silenced her. While she muttered curses under her breath, the Ling sisters accompanying her gazed at the walls of Tushan City curiously.


    This was the first time Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan was visiting Tushan City. They looked a little nervous, not just from Lu Li''s attitude, but also from the sheer number of people queuing up.


    The process was slow, but it eventually became Lu Li and the Ling sisters'' turn. The security guards checked their identity documents to ensure they weren''t lying, scanned their belongings with an x-ray machine, and then waved them through a metal detector. Once they verified their identities, the guards then returned their Spirit Weapons and other metallic tools to them.


    "This is all so pointless," Lu Li grumbled.


    "They''re at war with Divine Shadow Sect, so it''s understandable," Ling Yu Mei suggested nervously as she glanced around. Even though business was going on in the streets as usual, there was an air of tension.


    Lu Li glanced at her, and she winced. Ling Yu Mei was reminded of Lu Li''s master. The three of them were the disciples of Jiu somebody from the Dark Fiend Valley Sect. In certain ways, Lu Li reminded her of her arrogant old master (or mistress, if you really want to differentiate between male and female masters).


    Lu Li didn''t seem to pay Ling Yu Mei''s words much attention, though, and merely nodded as if the latter had a point.


    "Even so, this level of security and caution¡­isn''t it overdoing it?"


    "I heard they pissed off Divine Shadow Sect," Ling Yu Xuan said as she raised her smartphone. "It''s all over the news in social media." she giggled. "Even gambling websites are accepting bets on who will win."


    "Hmph." Lu Li snorted indifferently, clearly not giving a fuck about this matter. "Who cares? If people want to waste their money, that''s their business."


    "Er¡­that''s not the point¡­"


    Ling Yu Xuan shook her head and then sighed. From experience, she knew it was almost impossible to converse with Lu Li. Instead, she sought refuge in chatting with her sister. Turning to Ling Yu Mei, she smiled.


    "Sister, do you think the person you''re looking for will be found in here?"


    "Yu Mei, you''re looking for somebody?"


    That piqued Lu Li''s interest and she turned to give Ling Yu Mei a quizzical stare. Ling Yu Mei shrank back.


    "Well¡­"


    "Who? Don''t tell me¡­that brat Qin Lie?"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The Ling sisters stared at each other for a moment, baffled. Then Ling Yu Xuan turned back to Ling Yu Mei.


    "Um¡­who is Qin Lie?"


    "You know! Yu Mei''s beloved fianc¨¦! The guy she''s in love with since young¡­well, maybe not since young, but she has always been taking care of that trash when they were children, because he''s not mentally sound?"


    "¡­I''ve never heard of anyone called Qin Lie, and I don''t remember taking care of anyone mentaly handicapped."


    Ling Yu Mei''s tone was as quiet as ever, but firm. Lu Li raised an eyebrow.


    "Fine, keep pretending then. You know as well as I do that you''re still pining for that brat. As long as he doesn''t do anything stupid, he and Elder Li Mu should be able to stay safe."


    "Who is Elder Li Mu?" Ling Yu Xuan asked, puzzled.


    "I really have no clue who this Qing Lie is," Ling Yu Mei added, a touch of exasperation evident in her gentle voice.


    Lu Li muttered something under her breath, but had no time to waste on arguing, so she just shook her head impatiently and changed the subject.


    "Never mind. Let''s go. We will go to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and ask Jing Jing about that matter."


    Ling Yu Xuan watched her nervously, being slightly afraid of her senior. She hid behind her elder sister, but Ling Yu Mei didn''t respond much other than to fall into step next to Lu Li. The trio then proceeded through the districts of Tushan City, catching a bus. Normally this would be a good chance to do window-shopping and gaze at the dazzling number of shops on their way to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but no one in their right mind was going to waste their time by walking a two-hour journey to the entrance of the sect.


    Public transport existed for a reason. Might as well make use of it.


    The bus took about forty minutes to ferry them to their destination, and they alighted at the stop about a hundred meters away from the main sect grounds. The trio then strode toward the entrance to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Again, the territory of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was zealously guarded by a team of Blood Blades martial artists, who stopped the trio from setting foot. Admittedly, the male martial artists were moved by the beauty of all three girls, but they were disciplined enough not to let their lust get the better of them, and merely bowed coolly in acknowledgement.


    "Can I help you?" the more senior of the two guards asked.


    "I want to see Yin Jing Jing," Lu Li replied coldly without preamble or a polite greeting.


    "I''ll contact her right away," the senior of the two guards responded without hesitation and reached for the office phone. Dialing a number, he called Yin Jing Jing''s extension and briefly spoke into the receiver. After a few seconds, he hung up and turned to Lu Li. "She says she''s on her way, so please wait for a moment."


    The rest of the team silently watched the trio, though more for visual pleasing reasons than security reasons. Lu Li was the perfect embodiment of an ice queen, her beauty otherworldly and frosty while dangerously emanating an aura that warned people of the risks of approaching her frivolously. Ling Yu Mei was elegant and calm as water, standing there coolly without allowing anything to affect her. In contrast, Ling Yu Xuan, despite her revealing outfit, was nervous and timid. She simply pursed her lips and stayed silent, watching the guys warily.


    After a while, as promised, Yin Jing Jing showed up, briskly striding over to the trio and waving at them cheerfully. "Senior Lu, Ling Clan''s sisters! You''re finally here! Come, let''s talk inside."


    "I''m afraid I can''t allow that." the senior guard stepped in and held up a hand apologetically. He bowed slightly. "You can talk with your friends outside, but you''re not allowed to bring them into the sect grounds. Orders from the elders."


    "They are my friends!" Yin Jing Jing protested angrily.


    "Even so." The guard smiled bitterly and spread his hands helplessly. "The rules are the rules. Even inner sect disciples are not allowed to bring their close friends into the sect grounds as of late. Heightened security measures. I''m sure you understand."


    "Damn that Fei Wu!" Yin Jing Jing snarled furiously. "Because of him, the sect rules have changed again and again! In Sect Leader and the six Great Elders'' eyes, it''s as if he''s more important than Nine-Tailed Fox Sect itself!"


    The guard''s expression turned cold, probably because he was my comrade and a fellow Blood Blade. "This has nothing to do with Junior Fei. The security measures are in place because of Divine Shadow Sect''s attacks. They have been sending martial artists and assassins to target our disciples and masters. We can''t afford to be lax with our security and put the lives of everyone in the sect at risk. Besides¡­" his eyes narrowed. "Junior Fei is the future of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Without him, we''ll be doomed."


    Dude, you''re exaggerating. Even without me, the sect would endure, survive and prosper. I wasn''t such an indispensable person that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect completely relied on me to stay alive. If I was gone, then someone would simply take my place. Like Tang Qi Hong, for example. Honestly, stop exaggerating.


    "If that''s the case, we should not force the matter." Ling Yu Mei smiled politely and nodded apologetically to the guards. "Let''s not trouble them."


    The guard''s expression softened and he bowed. "I''m really sorry. This is our job, after all."


    "Let''s go. We''ll talk outside." Lu Li didn''t mind at all. Yin Jing Jing hesitated and then sighed heavily.


    "Give me a moment." She then quickly raced into the inner courtyard of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s grounds and toward the Blood Blades'' dormitory. Stopping at the ground level, she looked up and began yelling. "Tong Xue!"


    Tong Xue stuck his head out of the window of his apartment as he glared down on Yin Jing Jing. "Yes?"


    "My friends are here." Yin Jing Jing glared back.


    "So?" Tong Xue scowled, as if to ask, "how''s that any of my business?"


    "How are things on your end?" Yin Jing Jing snapped impatiently. "Have you approached Fei Wu and asked him about the matter yet?"


    "Are you mad?"


    Tong Xue gaped at her for a moment, and then shook his head in disbelief.


    "Even Fei Wu himself has rejected your request. You heard what he said. He asked for no favorable treatment, and is unlikely to approach the elders for help or permission. And he personally told you that he will not compromise the safety of the sect for your friends."


    "Hmph! If that''s the case, then we''ll abolish our deal!"


    Tong Xue stared at her blankly. "What deal? I don''t remember ever striking any deal with you?"


    "The one regarding your wife, Lian Rou''s family matters? My Snow Valley Sect will return the two mines we claimed from her sect to her clan."


    "Uh¡­I have no idea what you''re talking about. For one thing, we''re not married yet, and for another, Lian Rou never mentioned anything about mines or disputes between her clan and your sect." his frown deepened. "And why would you have the authority to give away mines that your sect owns, anyway? Do you expect me to believe that?"


    "I can show you the documents and all that." Yin Jing Jing crossed her arms arrogantly. "If you don''t believe me, that''s fine. Don''t blame me when Lian Rou dumps you later."


    Tong Xue smirked. "Don''t you know? The reason why I love Lian Rou is because she isn''t as shallow as that. And if you''re so sure of yourself, then you shouldn''t mind if I check with her on this matter, right?"


    Even if what Yin Jing Jing said was true, Tong Xue was not obligated to help Lian Rou''s family. He was in love with her, not her family and her family''s potential assets. And there was no benefit to him whatsoever.


    Yin Jing Jing panicked when Tong Xue disappeared back into his room to retrieve his smartphone. She began waving her arms frantically.


    "No! There''s no need! You''re right! I must be mistaken! I mixed the matter up with something else! Sorry!"


    To be honest, Yin Jing Jing had naively believed that Tong Xue would stupidly believe her over every matter regarding Lian Rou, for his love for the comely inner sect disciple was famous throughout the sect. Thus she had forgotten that Tong Xue was from the Smart Shadow Sect and was intelligent enough to see through her lies.


    As such, she had concoted a lie that she based off Spirit Realm, hoping that Tong Xue would buy the story that she had read elsewhere. Unfortunately this was not to be.


    "Look, I''ll give you and Lian Rou several hundred gold coins if you go persuade Fei Wu to let them in!"


    "It''s pointless," Tong Xue pointed out impatiently. "Even if I convince Fei Wu to let your friends in, he has no authority regarding this matter. You''ve to bring it up with Lord Lang Xie, or Sect Leader, or at least one of the Great Elders. Fei Wu is just a kid like us. You''re deluded if you think the sect obeys his every whim or word."


    "Ugh¡­"


    Yin Jing Jing was on the verge of exploding. Seeing her frustration, Tong Xue sighed heavily and raised both his hands.


    "Got it. I''ll try talking to him, but no promises, all right? Don''t blame me if we fail to get your friends into the sect."


    Clutching his head in despair, Tong Xue shrank out of view and moaned to himself. He recalled how I was currently training in the Blood Blades'' Will''O Wisp Forest at the back of Flame Volcano. As I had yet to come out, he wouldn''t have the chance to speak to me.


    As Blood Blades, Tong Xue was officially granted permission to access the Will''O Wisp Forest at the same time as me, but he was extremely reluctant to return there, especially after the horrendous experiences he suffered while trying to absorb the dense spiritual qi miasma produced by the forest''s medicinal herbs and spiritual plants.


    "Ugh¡­this sucks¡­I really don''t want to go to the back of the mountain¡­"


    Groaning, Tong Xue slumped against the wall and buried his face in his hands.


    *


    "GUOOO!!!"


    "Whoa"


    I hit the ground, dodging the Horned Dragon''s jaws, which snapped shut above me.


    The Horned Dragon twisted its serpentine neck around and sought to clamp its jaws around me again, but I used a footwork technique to avoid it. Breathing heavily, I swung out with my Azure Lotus Sword.


    Icy qi billowed out of my blade before glimmering with stellar essence.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C First Celestial Star Stance!


    Even though I failed to penetrate the diamond-hard armored scales of the Horned Dragon, my sword strike still dealt a blow with the force of a meteor and caused the massive behemoth to stagger backward. It shook its head groggily, and then turned back to snarl at me vengefully, its claws lashing out in retaliation.


    I flipped myself over the claws, twisting my body in midair and then thrusting my Azure Lotus Sword forward.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C Second Celestial Star Stance!


    Like a shooting star, my sword pierced the Horned Dragon''s forehead. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but then one of the horns that curled from its skull cracked and broke off, landing on the ground with a soft thump.


    "Grr¡­?!"


    Unfortunately, it didn''t seem like I had inflicted any lasting damage on the Horned Dragon. Instead, it seemed more enraged than in pain.


    Bellowing furiously, the Horned Dragon darted across the forest with a speed and agility that belied its immense size. I was forced to use Duo to evade its charge, and materialized behind it. With a determined yell, I held my Azure Lotus Sword with both hands and swung it downward with all my might.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C Third Celestial Star Stance!


    The powerful blow rocked the Horned Dragon, causing it to sprawl forward when it was caught with its guard down.


    The formidable magical beast was quick to recover, however, spinning around to face me with its feral maw snapping uncontrollably. I jumped back, barely staying out of the Horned Dragon''s range while simultaneously evading its whip-like tail.


    Crash!


    Several of the trees were sent toppling over as the Horned Dragon bulldozed its way through with brute force. Squaring myself, I spun about to meet its charge, meeting brute strength with unyielding power.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C Fourth Celestial Star Stance!


    My sword collided with the Horned Dragon''s thick skull with the force of a meteor, my blade howling thunderously as the qi blast shrouding it exceeded the sound barrier, sending sonic booms reverberating across the forest. The unyielding blade smashed through the frontal armored scales and pierced the Horned Dragon''s face, drawing a large geyser of blood that spurted high into the night sky.


    "!!!"


    Incredibly, that did not kill the Horned Dragon. Bellowing bestially, the immense demonic creature swiped at me with its claws, and I was forced to parry it. Despite blocking the direct hit, I was sent flying backward, crashing into trees and coughing out blood as my internal organs absorbed the tremendous shock and were ruptured.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    I didn''t have time to dwell on the pain, however. The Horned Dragon was already surging toward me.


    Rolling away, I barely avoided being crushed by the massive weight of the Horned Dragon as it descended upon my position. Jumping to my feet, I deftly delivered a counterattack at the exposed part of its unarmored belly.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C Fifth Celestial Star Stance!


    "GUUOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!"


    The Horned Dragon shrieked deeply as it flailed about desperately, blood billowing from the raw, gaping hole in its stomach. I hadn''t just stabbed it in the gut, but unleashed a devastating amount of qi into its insides, causing heavy internal injuries. Even if they were fatal, they should be enough to incapacitate the monster.


    However, I knew I couldn''t afford to underestimate the behemoth. Correcting my stance, I held my sword parallel to the ground and faced the thrashing Horned Dragon.


    As I expected, it recovered quickly and charged at me once again.


    This time, I met it squarely on its own terms, thrusting my sword forward with a burst of stellar qi. Silver light streaked across the forest and smashed right into the Horned Dragon''s head, breaking its other horn and knocking it flat on its back.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C Sixth Celestial Star Stance.


    The Horned Dragon, to its credit, rolled back onto its feet and bounced back quickly. Snarling, but obviously grievously wounded, it darted toward me one last time. A final display of defiance, or staking everything on this attack to achieve its revenge, determined to drag me down to hell with it.


    Either way, the Horned Dragon was still a highly dangerous foe, even when fatally injured.


    "Huff¡­"


    I drew a deep breath and held my sword with both hands again. Before the dragon could reach me, I swung my sword and unleashed a powerful blast of qi that engulfed it and nearly disintegrated its entire body.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike ¨C Seventh Celestial Star Stance.


    The final strike, and thanks to the other injuries I had inflicted on it before, the accumulated damage overwhelmed the Horned Dragon''s defenses and it simply ceased to vanish.


    Well, most of it, anyway.


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    Walking toward the remains of the Horned Dragon, I picked up the biggest slab of meat I could find and stored it in my Snow Aegis. I would eat it later, to try my luck and see if I could get anything from it. Unfortunately, I suffered nothing but pain and didn''t get any ability from the Horned Dragon, which meant I stupidly ate it for nothing. Oh well. It was pretty much like a gacha. Just because I could consume demonic creatures'' meat unprocessed didn''t mean I would definitely gain an attribute or ability of the demonic creature. As before, I didn''t get anything but pain. I didn''t get anything from the Lunar Rabbit, Ghost Bear, Kraken and a bunch of other demonic creatures I had consumed over the years, and I began to avoid it because the pain was just not worth it, especially if the demonic creature didn''t have any useful ability.


    Of course, I didn''t know that at that time, and remaining blissfully unaware, I decided to try my luck (only to suffer for it later). Oh well.


    "Well done. Well done!"


    Hai Rong strolled into the area, glancing at the remains of the Horned Dragon. If she had seen me pocketing the slab of meat from the Horned Dragon, she gave no indication that she did so, or chose to ignore it.


    "Thanks," I muttered weakly as I staggered toward her. The blow from earlier had been vicious and I was certain that I had suffered heavy internal injuries. Probably broke a couple of ribs, and suffered some shock to my lungs and stomach. I would need to visit the infirmary for a bit, or at the very least rest for the night.


    "Don''t look so sad. You did well! You actually succeeded in slaying a Horned Dragon! That''s a feat very few Blood Blades can claim to have achieved."


    "So did Lord Lang Xie," I pointed out sourly. "And he did it in one strike. I needed seven attacks to eliminate that Horned Dragon."


    Hai Rong smacked me across the back of my head.


    "Why the hell are you comparing yourself with the vice-commander of Blood Blades? Lang Xie is the strongest martial artist in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect at the moment, on par with, or even surpassing Sect Lady Da Ji! He has decades of experience and cultivation over you! Don''t even dream of competing with him, at least for the next five years!"


    "Five years?" I repeated incredulously. I thought she would just tell me not to compete with Lang Xie, but she had added a timeframe for some reason.


    "Your batch is pretty talented," Hai Rong admitted. "Not just you, but even the other disciples from your generation are on course to surpass the older generation, given your current rates of growth. I don''t know if it''s because of the artificial qi, or because of the resources provided by Wu Ling Academy, or modern technology, but your generation is growing at an unprecedented rate. It won''t be long before you guys take over."


    "I''m sure you guys will figure a way to stay on top, given your wealth of experience and wisdom," I assured her. Hai Rong chuckled.


    "You flatter us." she then beckoned for me to stand up and leave. "Your training is done for the day. Get those injuries checked in the infirmary. Once you''re healed up, we''re going to resume training tomorrow."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    As I clambered to my feet and staggered toward the exit of the Will''O Wisp Forest, one of my colleagues rushed past me. We nodded at each other as a greeting, and then he went straight to Hai Rong.


    "Instructor Hai, today is the day new members will return to absorb the spiritual qi from the Will''O Wisp fogs. Lord Lang Xie is not around, so we need you to take charge."


    The guy, who I recognized to be Tong Shi, bowed politely and respectfully. Then he turned to glance at me.


    "Also, there''s a guy called Tong Xue who wants to speak to Fei Wu. He says he has something important to discuss with him."


    "Why are you telling me this?" Hai Rong looked perplexed. "Do you think Fei Wu requires my permission to talk to his friends or something?"


    Tong Shi blinked for a moment, and then shrugged sheepishly.


    "Um¡­I thought you were still in the middle of training."


    "Oh, no. I''ve just finished." After assuring him, I bowed to Hai Rong. "I''ll take my leave then, and go speak to Tong Xue while at it."


    "Oh¡­speaking of Tong Xue¡­once you''re done speaking to him, ask him to come see me." Hai Rong had a sinister smile on her otherwise motherly face. "If I recall, it''s his turn to train in the Will''O Wisp Forest today."


    Not just him specifically, but all of our new batch. Having just undergone a hellish training regimen myself, I couldn''t help but feel sorry for Tong Xue, Pang Feng and the others.

 180 Chapter 179: Experimen

    "You had something to talk to me about?" I asked, remembering what Tong Shi told me earlier. Tong Xue nodded.


    "Yeah. Do you remember that time Yin Jing Jing asked you about her friends? When she mistakenly thought you had the authority to give permission to people coming in and out of the sect? She wanted me to ask you about it again."


    I groaned. "I already told her I can''t do anything about it. I don''t have the authority to give such orders, and even if I did, I''m not going to compromise the safety of the sect if a friend asked me to. Hell, she''s not even my friend to begin with!"


    Now that I thought about it, Yin Jing Jing was an arrogant bitch who looked down on me and largely ignored me because she thought I was inferior. Not just me. She looked down on just about everybody, delusionally believing in her superiority. If she didn''t have this favor to ask of me, she would never have spoken to me.


    Actually, she didn''t even speak to me. She tried to get her request indirectly through Tong Xue, in a roundabout manner. For someone making a request, she didn''t even have the courtesy to approach me directly.


    I was even more determined not to help her. Well, it wasn''t as if I was in any position to help her to begin with, anyway.


    "What was it that she wanted again?" I asked, just to be sure. "Yin Jing Jing said something about a Lu Li from the Dark Fiend Valley Sect or something."


    "And the Ling sisters." Tong Xue nodded. "Dark Fiend Valley Sect''s Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan are also now in Tushan City. They have visited Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to get our help in forging two appropriate Spirit Artifacts."


    "Never heard of them." I shook my head. "Never heard of Lu Li either, to be honest."


    "Of course you wouldn''t," Tong Xue replied dryly. "Not unless your real name is Qin Lie or something."


    "Qin Lie?" I repeated, bewildered. Tong Xue waved his hands hastily.


    "Never mind, nothing."


    "Well¡­anyway, why can''t they just submit an order form online? They could just submit through the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s official website. There''s no need for them to take the trouble to travel all the way here. If I''m not mistaken, we even provide free delivery."


    "Under normal circumstances," Tong Xue reminded me. "But right now we''re at war with Divine Shadow Sect. All delivery and crafting services have been suspended. We woldn''t be able to give them what they want even if they ordered it online."


    "How would I know? You should ask them, not me."


    "I will if I get the chance, but I doubt I''ll ever run into them." closing my eyes, I thought for a bit. Hell, never mind Lu Li and the Ling sisters, I was planning to avoid Yin Jing Jing if possible. If that bitch thought I was a pushover, she was highly mistaken. She had ignored me and looked down on me throughout the past year in the sect together, and now she expected me to just say yes to her request? Never mind I couldn''t fulfil it, but even if I could, her attitude still irked me.


    Yeah, yeah, I was petty. But I wasn''t a doormat either. I knew that if I showed weakness and gave in too easily, Yin Jing Jing would begin to take me for granted in future and expect me to fulfil her other requests. She would begin to badger me over every little thing.


    Like hell I was going to roll over and let her do that.


    Tong Xue seemed like he read my mind, for he smiled wryly.


    "Good luck."


    "Thanks."


    Before I could say anymore, Hai Rong''s voice floated over from inside the Will''O Wisp Forest, barking out harshly.


    "Tong Xue! Are you not done chit-chatting yet?"


    "Coming!"


    Tong Xue turned a little pale when he heard Instructor Hai. He groaned and stifled a flash of panic on his face.


    "Damn it¡­she''s going to throw me against a Spirit Tiger. Or was it a Shadow Leopard this time? This is going to hurt."


    "Good luck." It was my turn to wish him luck and I had the feeling that he was going to need it a lot more than me.


    "See you."


    Waving, Tong Xue steeled himself and disappeared into the foggy interior of Will''O Wisp Forest. I watched him for a moment, sympathizing with him ¨C especially because I had undergone similar training earlier, and then turned around.


    There was no point wasting any time lingering around here. I headed straight to my workshop with a weary sigh. Upon my "promotion" to premier disciple after I triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, the Great Elders sought to move me from the Blood Blades dormitory into the inner sect disciples'' sanctum as well as offered me a new, state-of-the-art workshop.


    Obviously I refused. I was too lazy to move everything from one place to another, and I had already grown comfortable with my current workshop. Additionally, I had absolutely no intention of leaving the Blood Blades. My conception of martial arts manuals from the Spirit Engraved Pillars instead of schematics for new Spirit Artifacts (well, martial arts manuals count as Spirit Artifacts, but the Great Elders were expecting something more¡­concrete) had further cemented that. So they left me alone after that, much to my relief.


    Opening the door, I spotted my four Castellax battle-automata waiting for me inside. I had completed the Spirit Engravings on three of them, but the fourth was only half-done. Thanks to the matter regarding Liang Shao Yang, as well as the Spirit Engraved Pillars and communing with them to get those martial arts manuals out, my progress with the battle-automata had been delayed somewhat. I spent whatever time I could, but having spent weeks in the plaza, trapped in Spirit Worlds while meditating, I scarcely had the time to return here to resume my work on the battle-automata.


    In contrast, almost all the Blood Blades had finished their Spirit Engravings on their battle-automata or battle puppets by now. The only exception was Tang Qi Hong, who was busy with the research team gathered to study the Spirit Diagrams beamed from the Spirit Engraved Pillars when I triggered them, but she wasn''t a Blood Blade, so there was no pressure on her. Well, nobody pressurized me either, but I wanted to get them done sooner rather than later.


    After working on the fourth battle-automata for an hour, I took a break and collapsed on my bench to take a short rest.


    "Man¡­I just want to be done already."


    Sighing, I pressed my cheek against the cool metal while grumbling to myself. All this hard work and tedium had further confirmed the fact that I was not meant to forge Spirit Artifact or engrave Spirit Diagrams. I didn''t have the talent for it like Tang Qi Hong did, and I just couldn''t stand sitting at the desk working on an object.


    Reading, I could do. Writing, I was more than capable of. That was how I became a graduate student. But there was a reason why I didn''t major in mechanical engineering like my younger brother in my previous timeline. There was a reason why I wasn''t a science or physics major. I just couldn''t cope with hands-on stuff or practical experiments.


    I was all about theory, not practical.


    Speaking about theory¡­


    "Hmm¡­interesting¡­"


    I somehow recalled what happened when I nearly lost control and entered a state of Demonic Possession back in the Will''O Wisp Forest. That was right, there was something that struck me. While the pure natural qi from the surroundings merged with my purified innate qi, it triggered a volatile reaction so powerful that my body was almost ripped apart. If I hadn''t discharged it, my internal organs would have ruptured and I would have literally blown up.


    And even when I discharged the qi from my body, it left a destructive effect equivalent to when I executed Seismic Step.


    "Qi Fusion."


    This was different from Qi Fusion Stage. Actually I had no idea why they named the stages and realms as they did, but it was supposed to sound more powerful than the preceding stage.


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    To be honest, it sounded pretty arbitrary to me, but I didn''t care about that right now. Instead, I focused on the phenomenon.


    "Earlier, that fusion of two different qi produced a powerful discharge of destructive energy. As if it''s nuclear fusion¡­so qi fusion¡­"


    If what I was thinking was correct, then I could perhaps do something with this discovery. Not with my body, but replicating it with a Spirit Weapon, and making a bomb. Obviously it wasn''t practical to convert martial artists into living human bombs who died after unleashing all that energy, but if I could replicate the effects in a Spirit Weapon and even amplify the destructive power, then we would have quite the formidable armament in hand.


    Closing my eyes, I ran through the numbers in my head. If the process was really qi fusion as I conceptualized, then the human body was the containment field. Normally, if we followed the training methods of Blood Blades under Instructor Hai Rong''s guidance, we should be able to contain that latent energy, and as a living vessel for that powerful qi, our bodies would gradually adapt and strengthen to contain it.


    Just like that, we martial artists housed increasingly powerful qi while our bodies gradually adapted to contain it, like living qi reactors. Fortunately, the process of qi fusion didn''t take place all the time, or we would never be able to catch up with the acclimatization. It only occurred when we absorbing qi in the Will''O Wisp Forest.


    But what if I could contain the two different types of qi and separate them temporarily until I activated them, and upon activation I could cause the two types of purified qi to fuse, and then unleash all of that destructive power at once?


    I could probably create a miniature nuclear bomb.


    "Yosh!" I suddenly sat up straight, brightening up and excited. "Let''s try that!"


    Rummaging around my workshop, I found the two purified qi crystals I needed. Taking some time to purify the qi inside those crystals but ensuring they remain inside them, I then used them as fuel for my pseudo nuclear bomb. Consulting the books that the sect lent me, as well as Google and Internet resource on my smartphone, I began to build a Spirit Bomb that relied on this principle of qi fusion. Unfortunately, it was unprecedented and I had to improvise.


    "Like this? No¡­how about this?"


    It took me many failures, but after a few hours, I finally had some semblance of a bomb. Unfortunately, it was still incomplete. Even though it looked spherical, with Spirit Diagrams etched over its silver surface, it clearly contained volatile power within. And no, it was definitely not the Terminator Profound Bombs. It worked on a completely different principle, and I didn''t base it off some ancient design. I was using scientific principles that I had learned from my previous timeline and applying them to this timeline.


    Admittedly, most of the scientific principles I had learned were from science fiction rather than proper science lessons in university. But I still managed to figure something out, so it all turned out fine in the end.


    Or almost fine¡­


    "I''m still lacking a few materials¡­"


    My shoulders slumped a little and I visited the website. Apparently the materials I needed were currently out of stock in the sect, which meant I had to visit the commercial district in Tushan City to replenish them.


    "Aw¡­just my luck¡­"


    I really didn''t want to leave the sect. Not because it was dangerous, mind you. Tushan City was as safe as could be, especially with the security measures that Lang Xie and Blood Blades placed. So I didn''t have to worry.


    Speaking of safety, my family was unharmed and unaffected by all the commotion. Even though Divine Shadow Sect was at war with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect because I supposedly killed Liang Shao Yang, they were never interested in me. Their goal had always been to conquer Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and take our resources for themselves. They couldn''t care less about me.


    Thanks to that, they weren''t aiming for my family for revenge against me. One reason was that if they acted against my family, who were not part of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, they would incur the wrath of the Imperial Guard, who would go after them. They couldn''t afford to make other enemies now, when they were fighting against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    The small fortunes within the big misfortunes, I guess.


    In any case, if I wanted to complete the bomb and try it out, I would need to get the materials from the city. Of course, given my current status, I could just order it and the sect would procure it for me, and personally deliver it to me by the next day.


    But that didn''t sit well with me. The sect was currently busy with a lot of things, and I didn''t want to disturb them further.


    "I guess I''ll go down to the shopping district and pick them up tomorrow."


    Making that decision, I decided to retire early and headed to bed. It was already night, and we had a semi-curfew. Even though Tushan City was, for all intents and purpose, a safe place firmly within our hands, the sect had stipulated that we not take risks. Having request that I not be treated favorably, I couldn''t go and ruin that by breaking the rules.


    "This had better be worth it."


    Looking at the half-completed Spirit Bomb on my bench one last time, I then switched off the lights and headed for my apartment.


    Oh, and as I mentioned earlier, later that night when I feasted on the Horned Dragon''s meat, nothing happened except me spending the next fifteen minutes in agony. This was why I rarely ate demoinc creatures unless I was really desperate for an attribute I wanted, and even then, there was an extremely low chance of gaining that attribute.


    Don''t worry. If the plot demanded that I get a specific attribute for something further down the line, I was sure I would get it. Otherwise I wasn''t going to turn into an overpowered protagonist with hundreds or even thousands of special attributes from eating so many different demonic creatures. Nothing so convenient would happen in reality.


    *


    The silvery moonlight was unable to pierce the blood-red fiery miasma that shrouded the forest like ghostly will''o wisps. What light penetrated the dense fog turned scarlet and imbued the creepy trees with an aggressive hue.


    Dark shapes darted across the forest, the demonic creatures and magical beasts living within moving from place to place either steathily or speedily. Here, separated from civilization by a magical border, this was their territory. The only humans who dared approached their home were reckless idiots or Blood Blades desiring practical combat experience. Regardless of who they were, the magical beasts did not hesitate to attack them to drive them out of the Will''O Wisp Forest.


    But even these deadly beasts avoided the two human silhouettes that were standing somewhere near the edge.


    Lang Xie had just arrived not long ago, striding past the entrance to Will''O Wisp Forest and scaring a pack of Dire Wolves who had thought to nestle there. Stopping under one of the trees, he waited for a few moments before the second figure appeared.


    Hai Rong tilted her head slightly to acknowledge his presence.


    "How was he?" Lang Xie asked quietly. Hai Rong snorted.


    "Look for yourself." She gestured toward the clearing where I fought the Horned Dragon. The remains were still there, the poor Horned Dragon''s corpse yet to be taken apart by scavengers and decomposers.


    "That''s¡­the Celestial Seven Stars Swordsmanship. No¡­it has been modified, but I can see traces of them in there." Lang Xie was studying the wounds on the Horned Dragon''s corpse intently. "He has changed it¡­combined it with another sword-type martial arts."


    "You can tell?" Hai Rong sounded impressed.


    Lang Xie nodded. "Yeah. This boy really surpasses imagination. I never thought he would be able to kill a Horned Dragon. I looked through the past missions he had taken, and it seems he even went to the Void Ring last year to hunt a Void Whale. If I''m not mistaken, he went through a similar experience in Sen Lin Forest during his middle school years, but unfortunately I don''t have access to Wu Ling Academy records, so I don''t know much about that."


    "In other words, he''s used to fighting demonic creatures and magical beasts. More so than human opponents." Hai Rong mused softly. Lang Xie shook his head.


    "That might not be the case."


    "Hmm?"


    Hai Rong glanced at Lang Xie in surprise, but the latter continued in an almost indifferent tone.


    "Again, I don''t know the details, but when he was still in middle school, he was responsible for killing over a hundred martial artists in the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect. And that was without receiving artificial qi like the other students."


    "Right¡­Liang Shao Yang was also killed by this boy." Hai Rong looked as if she wanted to curse herself for missing that fact. "Even though he was from the Divine Shadow Sect and was trained in the arts of killing and assassination¡­in a direct fight, he lost to Fei Wu."


    "Of course. Even though Liang Shao Yang was trained by Divine Shadow Sect, he was not a Blood Blade. On the other hand, Fei Wu is a Blood Blade." Lang Xie sighed. "If only I had returned earlier and officially approved of him joining the Blood Blades and granting him access to the Will''O Wisp Forest. He might have grown a lot stronger if he didn''t waste the year."


    "I wouldn''t say he wasted the year." Hai Rong smiled. "He seemed to have gained quite a bit of combat experience fighting inside that Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb a few months ago, and even got a haul of battle-automata from there."


    "¡­"


    "What is it?" Hai Rong caught the look on Lang Xie''s face, and the latter shook his head.


    "No, it''s just that¡­a few months ago, Heavenly Fiend Sect was in an uproar. Li Xue Wu, the sect patriarch''s son, was killed, along with a good number of disciples from that sect. In fact, other than Yan Qing Wu, almost all of the elite disciples were slain during the expedition into the tomb. The Heavenly Fiend Sect patriarch, Li Tian Zun, was furious, and vowed to track down the murderer and destroy him." Lang Xie paused for a moment and stared at the remains of the Horned Dragon.


    "I see." Hai Rong smiled again. "And you suspect that Fei Wu might have been responsible for the deaths of Li Xue Wu and all those disciples from the Heavenly Fiend Sect."


    "I''m saying it''s a possibility," Lang Xie said carefully.


    Well, it wasn''t just a possibility. It was literally what had happened. Obviously I wasn''t going to tell them, not only because I wasn''t privy to their conversation at that time, but also because I wasn''t the type to brag. Plus that would get me into trouble if Li Tian Zun, also known as Tian Sha Tian Zun, found out about that.


    The less people knew, the better.


    "What made you consider that possibility?" Hai Rong asked as she raised her eyebrow. She knew Lang Xie wouldn''t mention it if he didn''t think it likely.


    Lang Xie almost smiled. "From the intelligence I gathered, the Heavenly Fiend Sect discovered that Li Xue Wu and the elite disciples had been frozen to death. And among the younger generation who explored the tomb, who uses ice techniques?"


    "I''m pretty sure Fei Wu isn''t the only one who uses ice techniques," Hai Rong pointed out reasonably.


    "Call it a gut feeling, but¡­" Lang Xie''s mouth twitched a little. "When I read the after-action report regarding the expedition, Qi Hong, Xiao Ji, Zhao Shi and Da Ge mentioned something curious. That the technique Fei Wu used to immobilize Incendiary Ifrit Sect''s Ling Qing Zhu was the Ninety Yin Ice Hell Formation. And the ice technique that killed Li Xue Wu and his fellow Heavenly Fiend Sect disciples was the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation."


    "Oh¡­" Hai Rong grinned as everything fell into place. "Of course. That boy¡­he continues to surprise me."


    "Well, it''s just intuition. I don''t have concrete proof yet. But I''ll continue to keep an eye on him." Lang Xie nodded. "If he really was the one who killed Li Xue Wu and the elite disciples of Heavenly Fiend Sect, then¡­that fact alone bodes extremely well for his future as a Blood Blade."


    That was flattering and all, but little did I know, unfortunately, that my actions would have further repercussions down the road. Not that I regretted it, of course. The bastard tried to kill me, after all. But even so¡­sometimes I wished there was a more elegant solution than just killing everyone who tried to kill me, a way to end this vicious cycle of revenge and hatred.

 181 Chapter 180: Scorned

    "Ah¡­um¡­Fei Wu, was it?"


    "That''s right." I nodded. Evidently Wu Tuo knew who I was, especially since videos and photographs of me have been disseminated throughout social media after my success in killing Liang Shao Yang and triggering the response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars. I wasn''t very fond of my newfound fame, but I had to live with it.


    "How can I help you today?" Wu Tuo rubbed his hands in delight. I hesitated and produced my smartphone to consult the list of stuff I needed. Fortunately, the website I had visited yesterday conveniently provided a list, and off memory I remembered what I had and did not have. Detailing the Spirit Materials I needed, I watched as Wu Tuo enthusiastically jotted them down.


    "Oh, and a few qi crystals. The purest ones you can find."


    "Roger that." Wu Tuo beamed and raised his head to look at me. "Would that be all?"


    "Yeah. I think." I hesitated for a moment, trying to see if I had missed anything, but it didn''t seem like I had.


    "Good. I''ll be with you in a few moments. Please have a seat."


    Wu Tuo led me to the VIP room where Tang Qi Hong and I stayed at during our last trip here. I bowed and thanked him before settling down on the sofa. Knowing that he would need some time to prepare all the necessary Spirit Materials, I whipped out my Kindle and began reading the latest Black Library novel.


    "Here you go."


    "Thank you very much!" shutting my Kindle, I jumped to my feet and bowed gratefully. After accepting the Spirit Materials and placing them in my Snow Aegis, I reached for my wallet, but Wu Tuo shook his head.


    "You''re an inner sect disciple of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Your payment has already been settled by the sect."


    "Whoa. That was fast."


    Well, since I didn''t have to spend any money, I had no complaints. I just smiled in relief and thanked Wu Tuo again before leaving. He sent me off with a smile and a friendly wave and I returned to the sect.


    The problem was to magnify the explosion several times over¡­no, several hundred times over, to make the sacrifice of the Spirit Bomb worthwhile. Since the damned thing obviously cost quite a lot of resources to make, I had to ensure it paid for itself in terms of the effects. Unfortunately, I needed to test them out to ensure they worked ¨C the usual field tests. It would be the height of folly to try it in an actual battle, only to realize I had screwed up and the weapon was completely useless. Of course, this would be expensive, but¡­


    Good thing the sect is paying for my experiments, huh?


    Thanks to the financial backing of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I wouldn''t have felt the pinch in my wallet as I otherwise would as a private inventor.


    As I made my way back to the sect, I suddenly came across three girls who were heading in the same direction. I didn''t pay much attention to them, even though they were supposedly beautiful enough to draw stares from most of the male pedestrians. You know, the usual clich¨¦ about every guy in their vicinity staring at them because of their beauty. Honestly, in reality, nobody cares. At least I didn''t. I was too absorbed in my thoughts to notice them.


    Unfortunately, they noticed me.


    "Um¡­"


    Ling Yu Mei approached me uncertainly. I glanced up at her, taken aback. Don''t blame me, I hardly expected a random stranger to suddenly walk up to me and say hello for no reason. Furthermore, I didn''t recognize her at all.


    "¡­who?"


    "Sorry¡­I thought you were someone." Ling Yu Mei shook her head, then frowned as she studied me. Despite realizing her mistake, she refused to give up, and continued scrutinizing me as if my features would somehow change if she stared hard enough.


    "Um¡­"


    "Ah¡­I''m so sorry!" Ling Yu Mei hastily bowed, her long black hair flying up as she bent ninety degrees and perpendicular to the ground. "I didn''t mean to be so rude! It''s just that you remind me of someone, and I¡­"


    "Sister?"


    Ling Yu Xuan was approaching us cautiously, wondering what Ling Yu Mei was doing. Her older sister waved her hands frantically.


    "My bad¡­just hang on for a second." She turned back to me. "I''m sorry, but do you mind taking off your glasses?"


    "Yes, I mind." Even though I could see perfectly well without them, thanks to¡­several experiences in Sen Lin Forest and cultivating, I didn''t want to part with them. Especially since my glasses were feeding me data on my surroundings and scanning the crowd around us for threats. I could see the numbers indicating their pulse, body temperature, height and weight, as well as an infrared spectrum that represented their qi.


    "Oh¡­"


    Ling Yu Mei''s face fell, and I suddenly felt bad. Sighing, I nodded for a moment and took my glasses off.


    "There you go."


    "Ah¡­!"


    Ling Yu Mei''s eyes widened. Even Ling Yu Xuan showed some sort of shocked expression, her jaw dropping.


    "You are¡­!"


    "¡­are¡­?" I repeated, befuddled. Ling Yu Mei blinked, and shook her head.


    "No, sorry. You just look so much like him."


    "Like who?"


    Even though I asked, I really didn''t want to know. I wanted to get out of this awkward situation and return to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect as soon as possible.


    Before Ling Yu Mei could reply, however, a sharp voice cut harshly across the district.


    "You¡­! Aren''t you Qin Lie?!"


    "WHO?!" Ling Yu Mei, Ling Yu Xuan and I all chorused in astonished unison as we stared at the furiously approaching Lu Li.


    "Qin Lie!" Lu Li repeated vehemently as she jabbed a finger in my chest. "Stop pretending, you bastard!"


    "Who the fuck is Qin Lie?!" I roared.


    "Yu Mei''s former fianc¨¦!" Lu Li insisted stubbornly, glaring at me. "Master has already forced you to dissolve your engagement three years ago, but you refuse to give up and followed her all the way here to continue stalking her? How dare you!"


    "Who is Yu Mei?" I demanded, but I got my answer in the next second when Ling Yu Mei jumped in.


    "He''s not my fianc¨¦! And I never had any fianc¨¦ to begin with! Please stop talking nonsense, Senior Lu!"


    She then quickly turned to me and bowed apologetically.


    "I''m sorry for the rude behavior my senior has shown you. Please forgive her. She''s in a bit of a bad mood."


    "Stay away from him!" Lu Li imposed herself between Ling Yu Mei and a stunned me.


    "Um, what is going on here?" I asked, stil completely lost.


    "Senior Lu has mixed up reality with a xianxia story she read," Ling Yu Xuan replied quietly. "Please don''t mind her."


    "Okay." I sighed. "If there''s nothing else, then I''ll take my leave."


    Meanwhile, Lu Li and Ling Yu Mei were still arguing.


    "If he really isn''t your fianc¨¦, then why did you approach him? You obviously still have feelings for him, don''t you?!"


    "That''s wrong!" Ling Yu Mei cried. "He just resembles the person Cousin talked about, that''s all!"


    "I think he is that person," Ling Yu Xuan added.


    "Cousin?" I repeated, staring at the two sisters. They nodded and Ling Yu Mei approached me with her smartphone out.


    "Do you happen to know our cousin, Ling Qing Zhu?"


    Now that was a name I had heard of before, but I wasn''t sure if it was the right one. Taking a deep breath, I suppressed my shock. "Ling Qing Zhu from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect?"


    "Yes! Have you met before?"


    For some reason, Ling Yu Xuan had gotten excited.


    "Um¡­yeah. I guess." I scratched my head awkwardly, remembering that we hardly parted on friendly terms.


    "In the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb?" Ling Yu Mei pressed, also growing as excited as her sister. I stared at her.


    "How did you know?"


    "This!" Ling Yu Xuan waved her smartphone at me. I stared at it, confused, until I recognized the photograph of the person on the screen as myself. "You look so much like him that I thought it might just be you!"


    "Not to mention, this is Tushan City and you''re from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," Ling Yu Xuan added as the pieces fell into place for her as well.


    I studied the picture, feeling a little embarrassed. Apparently Ling Qing Zhu or someone had snapped a photograph of me in the ancient tomb and uploaded it online on social media. Coincidentally it was a picture of me without my glasses.


    That was right. During the expedition to the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb, my glasses were broken during my fight with Li Xue Wu and the Heavenly Fiend Sect (if I recall correctly, it was Li Xue Wu who smashed my glasses). I had to repair it with duct tape, but obviously that wasn''t the best way of repairing it, and my glasses occasionally came loose and slipped apart. During the time my picture was taken, I had taken off my glasses to redo the duct tape and adjust my falling apart glasses. It was only until I ran into Tang Qi Hong again after the encounter with Ling Qing Zhu that the girl I like helped repair and restore my glasses fully.


    The photograph of me was obviously taken after the fight with Ling Qhing Zhu and before I met up with Tang Qi Hong and the others.


    "¡­um, yeah. I guess. Small world, huh?"


    "You''re Cousin Qing Zhu''s benefactor!" Ling Yu Xuan exclaimed in delight.


    "I¡­uh, what?"


    Now that was something I didn''t expect. While my mind was struggling to catch up with all that was going on around me, Ling Yu Xuan nodded and bowed politely.


    "Thank you very much for saving Cousin Qing Zhu. We really appreciate it."


    "Huh? No¡­I didn''t do anything?"


    Except suck some of the frosty pure yin qi that was threatening to freeze poor Ling Qing Zhu to death, but that wasn''t a big deal. But apparently Ling Qing Zhu remembered that and even told her cousins about it. Still, I was pretty surprised. I had never expected to encounter Ling Qing Zhu''s cousins. Like I said, it was a pretty small world.


    "My name is Ling Yu Mei, and this is my younger sister, Ling Yu Xuan. As you probably already surmised, we are Cousin''s Qing Zhu''s cousins." Ling Yu Mei politely bowed and introduced herself. I nodded and returned the favor.


    "Fei Wu. Uh¡­I guess I was helped by your cousin in various ways as well."


    Even if it wasn''t direct, I did benefit from some of the pure yin qi that I absorbed from Ling Qing Zhu.


    "I hope your cousin is fine. Is she still suffering from the effects of the pure yin qi?"


    "A little, but she has it under control for now." Ling Yu Mei looked moved, apparently because I seemed concerned for her cousin. Though in actual fact I didn''t give a fuck about her, and had totally forgotten about her.


    Obviously I wasn''t going to tell her that, though, so I nodded sagely instead.


    "That''s good."


    The two Ling Sisters were staring at me with renewed respect, but this must have touched a nerve in Lu Li, for she strode in.


    "Don''t get too ahead of yourself!" she snapped, grabbing both Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan and dragging them away. "I don''t care who you are, but you''re not worthy of Ling Qing Zhu! You must be deluded if you ever thought you stood a chance with her! Don''t even dream of marrying someone as powerful as Qing Zhu!"


    "That thought has never crossed my mind," I told her honestly and dryly. Hell, I had even forgotten about Ling Qing Zhu before these girls showed up.


    But Lu Li wasn''t paying any attention to me. She carried on ranting and ranting angrily.


    "Never mind Qing Zhu, you''re not even worthy of the Ling Sisters! Get your face out of here! I don''t want to see you anywhere near them! You''re just a lowly trash from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! Don''t delude yourself into believing that you can ever associate with the respectable women of the Ling Clan! You''re just a toad lusting after a swan!"


    I felt like slapping her, but I just reined in my temper and nodded politely to the Ling Sisters, who were absolutely appalled by their senior''s caustic words.


    "Senior Lu! Stop it! Please stop it!"


    Ling Yu Mei was pleading with her, but Lu Li continued to glare at me challengingly, as if daring me to defy her.


    Ignoring her, I spoke to the Ling Sisters.


    "There you have it. I''ll be taking my leave first. Send my regards to your cousin."


    "Yeah, we will. I''m so sorry for what my senior said. Her attitude is inexcusable."


    "Why are you apologizing to trash like him? He''s insignificant and will never amount to anything." Lu Li was going on a tirade now. Wow, there was something wrong with that bitch. "Such trash is beyond your notice. You and your cousin will be better off with men of higher statuses."


    "Look, lady," I snarled, exasperated. It was a miracle I hadn''t snapped and punched her. I didn''t care if she was a girl. I was all for gender equality, after all, and if she had attacked me, I would have struck without hesitation. However, as a martial artist, I was aware of the need to control myself and not resort to violence so easily. "I don''t even know who the fuck you are." Okay, perhaps my language was a bit crude, but at that point I was already doing an admirable job of not allowing my baser instincts to control myself."


    "You don''t need to," Lu Li sneered. "I know who you are. That''s more than enough. Now get lost!"


    Trying not to look at the onlookers, many of whom had gathered to watch the commotion ¨C Lu Li was making quite the ruckus ¨C I turned my back on the trio and hurriedly walked back to the sect entrance. I had enough of that bitch. There was no reason for me to stand there and listen to her toxic insults. Scowling, I glared at one of the onlookers, who had snapped a picture, presumably to upload it on social media.


    Damn these bastards. Instead of filming or photographing the event to comment on it on social media, they could at least step in and help. But no, getting views and likes online was more important than offering assistance to someone in need.


    This world was going to hell.


    As I passed through the entrance, I ran into the next person I least wanted to encounter.


    "Ah! Fei Wu! There you are!"


    Yin Jing Jing bounced up toward me, a frown on her pretty face. But remembering herself, she changed her expression to one of respectful politeness.


    "I''m sorry, but I have a request for you."


    "If it involves getting your friends in, then I''m afraid I can''t help you," I told her bluntly. I was already in a bad mood after being insulted and scorned by that bitch Lu Li, and my temper was fraying. "Take it up with the Great Elders, Sect Leader or Sect Lady."


    "Um¡­that''s¡­I already sent an email, and Sect Lady just replied." Yin Jing Jing glanced at the guards at the entrance of the sect, who were glancing at their smartphones. They looked up, met her gaze and nodded.


    "What did she say?" I asked, though inwardly I didn''t give a damn. I honestly didn''t want to get involved with Yin Jing Jing and her friends.


    "She says the decision is up to you. She should have CC-ed you the email too." Yin Jing Jing glanced down.


    Surprised, I retrieved my smartphone and saw the gmail alert. Clicking on it, I saw that Yin Jing Jing wasn''t lying. Sect Lady Da Ji had CC-ed me the email she sent to Yin Jing Jing, and I literally received it a minute ago.


    "I''ll leave Yin Jing Jing''s friends to your discretion. Handle them however you want."


    There was a wink emoticon for some reason, and I stared at the message, stupefied. Then I glanced at the guards, and they nodded to confirm that they had received the same instruction.


    "We''ll await your orders," Jing Wei said. As usual, he was the senior guard on duty.


    "Orders?!" I grumbled. "I''m not going to give anyone any orders!"


    "Um¡­so please!" Yin Jing Jing bowed. I glared at her, tempted to just say no, only to see the trio I had ran into earlier walk up to us. Yin Jing Jing noticed them too, and she quickly straightened up and ran to them.


    "Lu Li! Yu Mei! Yu Xuan! Sorry for the delay, I''ll get it sorted right away!"


    "Please do." Lu Li''s voice was cold. "We''ve been waiting for a few days now."


    Yin Jing Jing quickly turned back to me, trying to conceal her usually arrogant expression under a mask of humility.


    "Please, Fei Wu. Don''t worry, it won''t be for free. I''ll make sure to pay you back."


    "I don''t need you to pay me anything," I replied wearily. That much was true. Whatever I needed, the sect could give to me. I hardly needed anything Yin Jing Jing had to offer. But I was tactful enough to refrain from that.


    "Eh¡­?"


    Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan stopped to stare at me. I waved at them absent-mindedly, pointedly ignoring a shocked Lu Li.


    "Um, Senior Jing Jing, the person in charge you were referring to¡­is it Sir Fei Wu?"


    "Yeah, that''s right. You know him?"


    Yin Jing Jing turned to Ling Yu Mei, surprised. At her admission, both sisters'' eyes went wide. As for Lu Li, she suddenly turned very, very pale. Her pallor was so white it was almost as if she had turned into a ghost.


    "Oh?" the pieces began falling into place for me as I looked from Yin Jing Jing to the Ling sisters and Lu Li. "Are you all friends?"


    "That''s right. Lu Li and the Ling sisters are my friends, and I''m hoping you''ll give them permission to enter the sect grounds."


    She glanced at the guards at the gates, but they merely watched me.


    "Your orders, Junior Fei Wu."


    "Why are you asking for orders?" I grumbled, crossed.


    "Sect Lady commands it," Jing Wei explained. I grimaced and scratched my head before turning to the Ling sisters.


    "Um, you guys want to get Spirit Weapons, right? Customized, individualized, made to order Spirit Weapons forged by the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    "That''s right." Ling Yu Mei nodded. "We wanted to order online, but the website was down. So Senior Lu called in a favor with Senior Ying Ying and asked her if she has any connections, and if she could pull some strings to help us."


    I snorted and turned to look at Yin Jing Jing, who was beginning to look very uncomfortable. That bitch talked big even though she didn''t have the authority or status to pull that off.


    "Please¡­" she begged. Obviously she was hoping that I would give her some face. "I''ll definitely pay you back somehow. I''ll owe you a favor!"


    "There''s no need for that. The Ling sisters can come in." I nodded at Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan. The two of them looked very delighted and they exchanged excited glances. "I''ll ask Elder Tie if he can help out with this request."


    "Thank you very much!"


    "Than you so much!"


    The Ling sisters bowed deeply and enthusiastically, their faces literally shining with joy. I shook my head and held up both hands.


    "Nah, this is nothing. Come on, let''s go in."


    Yin Jing Jing breathed a huge sigh of relief and she stepped in ahead of the two sisters and me. Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan followed me through the entrance. Having heard what I said, the guards quietly allowed me through the gate. Lu Li was about to follow us in, when the guards at the gate suddenly stood in her way, barring her entry.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" Lu Li demanded, her expression turning frosty.


    "I''m sorry, but Junior Fei Wu said nothing about letting you in. He only allowed the Ling Sisters in." Jing Wei turned to look at me. "What should we do about this lady, sir?"


    "Why are you asking me¡­?" I was about to ask, then the coin dropped. I suddenly understood why Sect Lady left the decision to allow them to my discretion (and I saw why she included that winking emoticon), and why the guards were looking to me for instructions.


    Earlier, there onlookers were all taking pictures and filming the event where Lu Li was kicking up a fuss and insulting me in public. No doubt they had uploaded it into social media for the whole world to see.


    And Sect Lady and most likely the guards ¨C my fellow Blood Blades ¨C had seen the video or at least the photographs and had some idea of what was going on.


    "She can wait outside of the sect." I smiled. "I''m sorry, but she''s not allowed to take a single step into our sect. After all, our sect isn''t worthy enough for her to set foot in."


    "Understood." Jing Wei saluted sharply. "I''m sorry, Miss, but please wait outside."


    "You¡­" Lu Li''s expression was extremely ugly.


    She was Jin Liu Yu''s direct disciple, and possessed a distinguished status in the Dark Fiend Valley Sect. very few people dared to provoke her, even amongst the Seven Valley Sects.


    For a very long time, she was the only one who behaved arrogantly toward everyone else, because most people were of a lower status than her. Or so she believed. In any case, very few people would spurn her.


    Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had already rejected her once, but she didn''t expect us to reject her again today. She felt humiliated and extremely incensed.


    "You heard the order from the future sect leader," Jing Wei remained neutral and indifferent to her fury. "I''m sorry, but I suggest you wait in the Starluck Caf¨¦ over there. Perhaps the waiters there will be worthy enough to serve someone of your distinguished status."


    There was enough sarcasm dripping out of his last sentence to fill a bowl of tanna tea. I couldn''t help but hide a smile, but there was still something that annoyed me.


    "Senior Jing, I am not the future sect leader. I have no intention of becoming the future sect leader."


    "Future Blood Blades commander then."


    "Dude¡­" I couldn''t help but bury my face in my palm. "Please¡­just stop."


    "Fei Wu! What is the meaning of this?!" Yin Jing Jing demanded, rounding on me furiously. "Are you doing this on purpose?"


    "Have I offended you before?" Fury was also written all over Lu Li''s cold and arrogant face. "I don''t remember meeting you before. I would really like to know why you are singling me out specifically?"


    "Are you seriously asking me that?" I asked, completely taken aback by how she could maintain a straight face. This girl was absolutely shameless if she really planned to pretend nothing had happened.


    "We have a recording of what you said, if you really need us to jog your memory." Jing Wei held up his smartphone. Accessing the social media site, he played back the entire video of Lu Li insulting me. The cold and beautiful girl went incredibly still, and once again her snow-white complexion went another shade paler.


    Yin Jing Jing stared at her friend in shock.


    "Lu Li, you actually said all that¡­? To the future sect leader? Did you not realize that he''s the person in charge that I was trying so hard to persuade to grant my request?"


    Lu Li bit her lip. "It''s his fault for trying to get so close to the Ling Sisters, and for stalking them. I only said the truth."


    "Can you please leave the area?" Jing Wei''s voice had grown sharp and colder than even Lu Li''s expression. His killing intent radiated so fiercely that even the cold-blooded woman unconsciously took a step back. "You are blocking the entrance. As I suggested earlier, perhaps you might find the Starluck Caf¨¦ a more appropriate place to wait¡­then again, if even our future commander is considered trash in your eyes, then you should probably leave Tushan City and search for a worthier place."


    "I am not your future commander," I reminded him wearily.


    Yin Jing Jing was clutching at her temples and was on the verge of tearing her long hair out from vexation. Good thing she didn''t have rabbit ears or those would have fallen off.


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    "Lu Li, I can''t help you if you offend the person with the most influence and brightest future in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    "Besides, I don''t even know you ladies. Today is the first time I''ve ever met any of you." I was shaking my head. "I don''t know why you insist on slandering me, but I''m not a stalker."


    "Should we have her leave the city?" Jing Wei asked, venom dripping out of his voice. "Since we obviously are not worthy enough to host someone as distinguished as this lady. Plus she seems to think we are a city of criminals, so it''s in her best interest to leave before she gets stalked by anyone here."


    "No need to go that far," I quickly told him when I saw the alarmed expressions on the Ling Sisters'' faces. "Just have her wait outside the sect grounds. And keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn''t try anything funny."


    "Do you really think I am the type of person who will sink so low as to do something despicable in your sect''s territory?" Lu Li asked icily.

 182 Chapter 181: Request for Spirit Armaments

    There were computer terminals available for guests to use, as they usually had to fill out an online form for submission, which included details on what features, abiltiies or powers they wanted for their customized Spirit Armaments.


    Normally, after they submitted the order, the requesters would then have to arrange an appointment with the blacksmith in charge of forging their weapons. So I guess, in a way, the Ling Sisters were vindicated in their decision to personally visit Nine-Tailed Fox Sect after all. Come on, man, I wasn''t an official or qualified blacksmith. I had no idea how the actual blacksmithing and administrative processes went. I was finding out about many of them today.


    Why were the requestors required to meet the blacksmith?


    Well, simply put, while most people could essentially use the mass produced, not-customized or non-individualized Spirit Weapons (as I had been doing with the cheap, low quality swords I often ordered from the sect), if you were going to invest so much money into personalizing your Spirit Weapon, you might as well go all the way. The blacksmith would tailor-make a Spirit Weapon just for you alone, designing it based on your elemental affinity, level of qi (basically whatever stage, but wouldn''t that become obsolete and redundant if you advance in stages and grow stronger?), fighting style, the martial arts and techniques you learned, both your physical and spiritual constitutions, and the way you channel your qi. Oh, and your physical size, stature and ability, so that the weapon would be of the optimum size, length and weight for you.


    Additionally, in many cases, the blacksmith might ask for secrets, such as trump cards or other secret arts or techniques the requester learned and used, to better customize and personalize their individualized Spirit Armament. In order to forge a Spirit Weapon that was hundred percent compatible (though I suspected that figure had been grossly inflated and exaggerated), the blacksmiths would be privy to the requester''s secrets, but would be sworn to an oath not to leak any of those to anyone else. Being blacksmiths rather than actual martial artists, they wouldn''t be able to copy and learn those martial arts even if they knew about their secrets, anyway, and the fighting was largely done to the Blood Blades, not the blacksmiths, so there wasn''t that much of a protest agasint this practice.


    Even my glasses'' recording functions were sealed the moment I stepped into these rooms.


    After leading the Ling Sisters and Yin Jing Jing into one such private room, I stayed by the door and bowed politely.


    "Please wait for a while. I''ll go ask Elder Tie to come."


    "Immediately?" Ling Yu Mei looked shocked. I glanced at her dryly.


    "Thank you. We really appreciate it."


    Ling Yu Mei lowered her head, humbled. I waved her gratitude away and stepped out of the door.


    "Don''t thank me yet. Wait till I actually get the job done first."


    "Wait!"


    Before I could leave, however, Yin Jing Jing called out to me. I stopped and turned to look at her with a perplexed expression, wondering what she could want. Before she could say anything, however, someone else showed up.


    "Ah, here it is! Room 109, right?"


    Tang Qi Hong''s voice traveled down the corridor, accompanied by hasty footsteps.


    "Yeah, Tong Xue told me it was Room 109 and that Fei Wu will come today." This time it was Lian Rou. She paused for a moment, and I imagined her turning around. "Right?"


    "Right," Tong Xue confirmed. "That''s the information I got."


    Where is he getting all his information from? I wondered wearily, but kept my question to myself even as the trio popped up visibly in the corridor.


    "Ah, Fei Wu! You''re really here!" Tang Qi Hong hurried over toward me. I smiled bitterly and greeted her, Tong Xue and Lian Rou as they approached. Inside the room, just beyond the door, Yin Jing Jing seemed a little uncomfortable at being interrupted while the Ling Sisters continued to look dazed. Their eyes widened in recognition when they caught sight of Tang Qi Hong


    Well, it was natural. Tang Qi Hong was the star of the sect long before Liang Shao Yang or I had come around.


    "Yeah. What''s up? Do you need me for anything?"


    "Oh, we heard the news." Tang Qi Hong was fidgeting, her hand inside her pocket, and I immediately recognized the pink edge of her smartphone case peeking out. Clearly she had seen the whole thing on social media.


    Bloody hell, I hadn''t even checked Facebook yet, and already 90% of the sect had watched or read about the event on the website. The information age was really scary.


    "Are you all right?" Tong Xue asked, his expression serious. "That bitch really had a go at you, didn''t she?"


    Yin Jing Jing cleared her throat inside the room, causing him to jump. He quickly looked apologetic.


    "Sorry, I mean¡­that lady had quite the sharp tongue, didn''t she?"


    "Who does she think she is?" Lian Rou flared up. "I don''t care if she is the direct disciple of the leader of the Dark Fiend Valley Sect. No one gets away with being so rude to our fellow sect member, and insulting him like that."


    I wanted to point out that if I hadn''t triggered the Spirit Engraved Pillars or achieved anything, and had remained a normal outer sect disciple, nobody would have been outraged by Lu Li''s words. Hell, they might even agree with her. If you were just an insignificant member that nobody knows, it was all right if outsiders abused you, but the moment you gained some status in the sect, everyone would be leaping to your defense.


    As much as I enjoyed pulling one over that bitch, Lu Li, I couldn''t say I was entirely comfortable with the way society operated.


    "She''s my friend," Yin Jing Jing said coldly.


    "So?" Lian Rou retorted. "Anyone can insult us, just because she''s your friend?"


    Yin Jing Jing flushed. "That''s not what I mean¡­"


    "It''s fine." I held up my hand. I didn''t want to waste time squabbling over such trivial matters, not when I had more important issues to deal with. "Just let it go. Anyway, I''m about to go see Elder Tie now, so I''ll catch you guys later if it''s nothing important."


    "Don''t mind if we sit in?" Tang Qi Hong asked as she smiled sweetly. For some reason, she was on her guard, especially when she glanced in the direction of the Ling Sisters. Um¡­I hope it wasn''t because she was jealous or anything, that would be the most ridiculous premise, especially since I only literally met those two for the first time today.


    "No, of course not." Even as I consented, I was bewildered. But there was something in Tang Qi Hong''s gaze that made me uneasy. As I said, I highly suspected it was jealousy, but that made no sense. In that case, she might as well ban me from all contact with any woman, including her best friend Lian Rou.


    Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan quickly rose to their feet and greeted the two inner sect disciples and single Blood Blade politely, acknowledging their higher statuses. I remembered how humble their attitude was when I spoke to them.


    Though I wasn''t aware of it at that time, it turned out that the two Ling Sisters had come from a small town somewhere in the peripheries of the Great Zhou Empire. A town named Ling Town, if anyone cared. In any case, they felt like small fish who had just left a pond and ventured into an ocean when they were recruited into the Dark Fiend Valley Sect. That was why they were timid whenever they were confronted with the core disciples of such major sects. This put them in contrast with Yin Jing Jing''s arrogant attitude.


    "How about asking Qi Hong to forge your Spirit Artifacts?" Lian Rou suggested as she stepped into the room beside Tang Qi Hong. "Si Qi can also forge Profound level Spirit Artifacts. She was the one who forged the artifacts for the Dark Asura Sect Leader."


    "With Fei Wu''s help," Tang Qi Hong added unnecessarily.


    "I didn''t do much," I muttered under my breath. "And I''m not very good at smithing."


    "You make a good assistant, though," Tang Qi Hong assured me.


    "Yeah!" Lian Rou carried on with an enthusiastic nod. "Qi Hong might be slightly less proficient than an inner sect elder, but among the inner sect disciples, no one is able to surpass her in blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving."


    "Heh¡­"


    Both Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan marveled.


    "Um¡­" Yin Jing Jing cleared her throat again. "I had promised Lu Li that I would definitely get an inner sect elder to forge their Spirit Artifacts."


    "And where is that Lu Li now?" I asked sarcastically. Yin Jing Jing flushed, but she pointedly ignored me.


    "I mean, yes, Senior Tang is extremely good, but I didn''t want to trouble her. Moreover, I still want you to explain yourself!"


    She directed that question at me. I raised an eyebrow.


    "Explain what?"


    "Do you really have to be that petty?" Yin Jing Jing was inadvertently raising her voice. "I know that Lu Li has said some harsh things to you, but did you really have to bar her from setting foot inside the sect?"


    "On the other hand, did this Lu Li really have to insult me and throw false accusations at me?" I countered.


    "No, but¡­" Yin Jing Jing refused to falter but Tang Qi Hong cut her off.


    "Are you serious?" Glaring at her, the premier inner sect disciple of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect stepped in between us, her hands on her hips and her eyes blazing. "Yin Jing Jing, right? Your friend, Lu Li, insulted our fellow Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member ¨C one of the most promising martial artists in our generation, called him trash and slandered him in public, humiliating him in front of everyone outside. And when she was called out, she didn''t even apologize or show any remorse, but tried to pretend as if she didn''t do it. Even when Jing Wei showed her the video, she still did not apologize. She''s lucky we didn''t kick her out of the city, and you still want to complain that she was banned from entering the sect? Are you listening to yourself?"


    "That''s¡­" Yin Jing Jing had turned frightfully pale and was shrinking back.


    "Not only that, you want Fei Wu to explain himself?" Tang Qi Hong''s tone remained level, but there was an iciness to it that would freeze even the most infernal regions of Hell. "I know that you''re the daughter of the Snow Valley Sect Leader, but you have to remember that this is Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, not your Snow Valley Sect!"


    Yin Jing Jing looked even smaller than what seemed possible.


    "Liang Shao Yang''s status isn''t lower than yours, right? And what happened to him?" Tang Qi Hong was on a roll right now, ranting before anyone could stop her. "He is Liang Yang Zu''s son. Not long ago, he was the focus of everyone''s attention and the future successor to the sect, according to the Great Elders. His status, talent and level were all greater than yours. And now he''s dead, and that''s it. Did anything happen to Fei Wu?"


    "Well¡­plot happened," I muttered, but nobody paid any attention to me.


    "Senior Tang, I didn''t mean that. It''s just¡­I just thought he didn''t need to be petty." Yin Jing Jing was stammering nervously now.


    "Petty? Your friend didn''t even apologize for insulting or slandering him! If she doesn''t show him even the most basic of courtesy, why does Fei Wu need to be polite to her? As I said, it wouldn''t be surprising if he threw her out of the city gates. I would have done that if I were him! Fei Wu is already being pretty restrained, considering!"


    "I don''t think I have the authority to throw her out of the city gates anyway¡­" I began, but Tong Xue jumped in.


    "Actually, you do," he informed me. "Sect Lady has told all the Blood Blades that anything regarding Lu Li and the Dark Fiend Valley Sect should be left to your discretion." He smiled ominously. "If you give the order, the Blood Blades will throw her over the walls of the city if we have to."


    "And feed her to the Titans roaming outside?" I joked. Everyone stared at me.


    "What Titans?"


    "Never mind." I cleared my throat. "Anyway, there''s no need for that."


    Yin Jing Jing looked so pitiful that she was lowering her head and staying mercifully silent. The Ling Sisters glanced at each other, then prostrated themselves at my feet all of a sudden.


    "Oi!" I snapped. "Don''t do that!"


    "Please accept our apology in the place of Senior Lu!"


    "She really didn''t mean what she said! Please understand!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s expression softened and she and Lian Rou quickly pulled both sisters back up to their feet.


    "It''s not your fault," she told them gently. "And we don''t need an apology from you. You''re not the ones who did anything wrong. If anything, you should tell your senior to apologize personally to Fei Wu, especially if she wants to resolve this amicably."


    "Given her attitude and extreme pride, I doubt she will," Tong Xue said dryly, only for Lian Rou to shoot him a glare.


    "Well, if there''s nothing else, I''ll be going now." I turned to leave. "I''ll be back."


    As a matter of fact, it took me thirty minutes to go up to Elder Tie''s office, speak with him, and then to escort him back to the grand hall. Leading him to Room 109, I briefly filled him in regarding the request.


    "I see." Elder Tie was nodding. "Why are you asking me?"


    "Um¡­should I have asked someone else?" I asked nervously. Elder Tie laughed.


    "No, no. that''s not what I meant. With your current status, you could have asked any of the inner sect elders and they would obey without question. I was just curious as to why you choose me over all the rest."


    "Uh¡­to be honest, well¡­" I shrugged. "Because you''re my teacher?"


    "Oh¡­right." Elder Tie nodded as he stroked his chin. "That''s right. You don''t really have much direct contact with the other inner sect elders."


    That was true. The only inner sect elder I interacted with was Elder Tie Jiang. I usually communicated with the outer sect elders like Elder Zhao Shi and Elder Cheng Ping more. I guess I did speak to Elder Hai Mo a little, but he was the first elder and had the most reputable status out of all the inner sect disciples, so I wasn''t very comfortable approaching him.


    As awkward as it was to admit it, the only reason why I approached Elder Tie was because he was the only inner sect elder I was familiar with. I didn''t really give the matter much thought, just went with the first person who popped into my mind.


    "It''s fine." Elder Tie chuckled when he saw my apologetic expression. "I appreciate your candid answer. Since you''ve made the request personally, I''ll give it my all."


    "You don''t have to¡­" I paused when I realized what I was saying. "I mean, that would be great, but don''t feel like you''re under heavy pressure."


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    "That''s the responsibility of a blacksmith," Elder Tie reminded me, his expression growing severe. "Don''t forget what I taught you. The moment we begin smithing and forging, we''re to put in all our efforts. Our products deserve nothing less."


    I broke into a wide smile. "I knew you would be the best choice."


    Elder Tie laughed again. "Too late, when I already know the truth."


    We reached Room 109, and Elder Tie nodded at the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples waiting in the room with the Ling Sisters.


    "Sorry, kids. You guys will have to leave for a few moments." Elder Tie turned to me. "I''m sorry, but you as well, Fei Wu."


    "No problem," I assured him. "I know the oaths we have to take when accepting a request from a customer."


    "That''s good." Elder Tie nodded, and raised his voice for the others to hear. "I''ll have to talk with the two requesters alone in private and confirm their specific needs. Of course, it would not be polite if you were to overhear some of these."


    "We understand."


    The other four Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples, including Yin Jing Jing, flooded out of the room. Elder Tie nodded toward me one final time before he stepped into the room, closing the door and sealing the interior from the outside world.


    "Oh, right. Fei Wu. There''s something I would like to talk to you about." Tang Qi Hong stepped toward me.


    "What is it?" I asked, adjusting my glasses as I turned to her.


    "If you would like, I want to hire you as an assistant again. I know you''re busy, especially with your Blood Blades duties and martial arts training, but¡­"


    "Sure. Let me know."


    It was true that I was busy, but I wasn''t the type to say no to a friend in need, so I nodded. Trying to rearrange my schedule in my head, I decided to take a gander.


    "What project do you have in mind?" I asked. Tang Qi Hong paused for a moment.


    "To be honest, I don''t know," she admitted. "The requests for Spirit Artifacts have dried up now that we''ve shut down the online order system, and we haven''t been reaching out to many customers. Since we''ve finished the request from Dark Asura Sect, there isn''t much for us to do."


    "Then why are you asking me to be your assistant?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. Lian Rou kicked me in the shin, or tried to, but I dodged on instinct.


    "Take the hint, idiot!"


    "¡­"


    Okay, I think I got it. And I might have the solution for it.


    "Speaking of which," I said carefully. "I do have a project I''m working on. I''ve just gotten the spirit materials today. If it''s all right with you, I would like to ask you for advice regarding them."


    That was actually a good idea, given how I sucked at forging and Tang Qi Hong was pretty much the top blacksmith in our generation. She might be able to raise the chances of success and I wouldn''t need to waste too much spirit materials on failures. She might even be able to contribute better than the Internet with her talent and wealth of experience.


    "Oh?" As I thought, Tang Qi Hong''s interest was piqued. "What project are you working on? A new Spirit Weapon?"

 183 Chapter 182: Women

    Inwardly, I wondered if Tang Qi Hong had any relation to Tang Si Qi, but I''m pretty sure the latter was from a totally different universe altogether. Plus that was fiction and this was reality.


    "Do you actually know the Ling Sisters?" Tong Xue rubbed his chin as he asked me quietly. "That can''t be right. There''s no way you would know those two girls."


    "I don''t," I told him in an annoyed tone. "But I feel affronted by your assumption that there''s no way I would know them. Do you think I''m a hikkikomori or something? Couldn''t I have met them somewhere else, before we entered Wu Ling Academy? Or do you have access to my memories and know every single person I have befriended or not befriended? On what basis are you making that assumption?"


    "Sorry. It''s all Yi Yuan''s fault." Tong Xue held up both his hands.


    "Who''s Yi Yuan?" Lian Rou demanded.


    "A fictional character," I told her with a shake of my head and then continued on before she could press further with her question while ignoring the confused expression on her face. "Come on, Tong Xue, you know that story is full of holes, and the characters all act like idiots for some reason. Like Liang Shao Yang, for example."


    "Yeah, they''re always jumping into illogical conclusions and make the most baffling decisions ever." Tong Xue nodded in agreement. "I mean, do you remember the line he used when he was talking about Qin Lie/Qin Bing? On one hand, he claimed that Qin Lie could not possibly know the sisters, and assumes that he has never met them before. Then in his next line, he suggests that Qin Lie fancies the two sisters because he''s a man and is prone to lust. Which makes no sense ¨C if Qin Lie, who according to him, has never met the Ling sisters before and don''t know who they are, how the fuck would he know they are beautiful and fancy them?"


    "Yeah, and instead of questioning the illogical conclusion, the girls all accepted Yi Yuan''s statement as the truth." I shook my head in exasperation. "Like¡­come on, use your brain a little. If they just thought about it, they would realize how Yi Yuan''s statements contradict each other. But no, the author wanted to create drama for the sake of it, and a lot of the awkward situations Qin Lie gets into just seem very contrived."


    "Easier said than done," I muttered, suddenly realizing that I was about to be put in that exact same position. And after criticizing Qin Lie for not standing up for himself, I couldn''t very well lie down like a doormat and allow Yin Jing Jing to trash-talk me either, or it would make me look like a hypocritical fool. Fortunately, nothing of that sort happened. Yet.


    "What are you guys even talking about?!" Tang Qi Hong snapped, her patience fraying. "From earlier, the two of you have disappeared off into your own world, talking nonsense that the rest of us don''t understand!"


    "Like I said, we''re talking about a xianxia webnovel we''ve read," I quickly assured her. "It''s nothing important. You don''t need to know, not unless you''re interested in reading Spirit Realm. Oh, maybe you might want to watch anime."


    "Xianxia?" Tang Qi Hong made a face. "No thanks, that''s not my kind of thing. I would rather read Peerless Concubine, The Demonic King Chases His Wife or Phoenix Against the World. Or Peerless Alchemist and Mesmerizing Ghost Doctor."


    Ah. So Tang Qi Hong was one of those girls who love to read about those female protagonists who were former marine/assassins/martial artists/top doctors/geniuses who somehow died despite their overpoweredness and still ended up being reincarnated itno the body of a young noble girl who was considered trash and unable to cultivate, and then indulge in a whole lot of face-slapping with skills and techniques that most of the time had nothing to do with their former skills (even the ex-top doctors strangely don''t seem to use modern medical skills but mystical fantasy medical skills akin to magic).


    Well, given how I read quite a bunch of trashy xianxia stories with overpowered Mary Sue protagonists (like Li Fu Chen), I supposed I was in no position to judge her. So I merely smiled and nodded politely.


    "Why are we talking about books again?" Lian Rou asked, still as confused as ever. I shrugged as I glanced at her.


    "Actually, why are you here? Did you and Tong Xue have some business with me as well?"


    "What? We can''t drop by to meet a friend?" Tong Xue protested. I cocked my head as I stared at him suspiciously.


    "It''s not the action, but the timing. If you wanted to chat, you could have just sent me a message and we will hang out later. Why look for me when I''m occupied with taking care of potential clients? I thought you might have an urgent matter."


    "Oh, no, no urgent matters." Tong Xue hastily waved his hands. "Sorry for raising a false alarm. Yeah, you''re right, the timing was bad¡­"


    "They were just curious and wanted to see who the clients were, and why you were entraining them," Tang Qi Hong muttered under her breath. Both Tong Xue and Lian Rou stared at her, aghast and mollified.


    "You too, Qi Hong!" Lian Rou cried out. "You could have just talked to Fei Wu afterward, but you wanted to see him as soon as possible! You were just looking for an excuse to meet him!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s face immediately turned red and she almost fell over as she threw her hands out frantically.


    "No¡­that is! No!"


    I sighed as I watched the whole thing. What the fuck was this? A teenage high school love comedy? Why was everyone behaving like hormonal teenage anime characters and resorting to such clich¨¦ dialogue and reactions?


    "A¡­anyway, we thought you would kick all three girls from Dark Fiend Valley Sect out of Tushan City after being insulted like that." Tong Xue hurriedly returned to the topic. "We were surprised when you just barred Lu Li from the sect entrance and allowed those two girls in. And even personally approached Elder Tie to help them forge Spirit Armaments."


    "Is there any reason I shouldn''t have done that?" I asked, puzzled. Why were they making such a big deal out of this? "They needed help, so I might as well do what I can. Besides, they were not the ones who insulted me. They shouldn''t get punished for something their senior did."


    "That''s true¡­"


    "Hah!" Tang Qi Hong looked smug for some reason. "You should know Fei Wu''s character by now!"


    "Yeah, he''s a nice guy." Tong Xue agreed. "We''ve all known that for a while." He sighed and glanced at the room. "How boring."


    "What exactly were you expecting?" I asked icily.


    "Oh, nothing. I was wondering if you might fancy the two sisters. We''re all men, so I understand how you feel." Tong Xue looked a little embarrassed as he laughed nervously. "Those two sisters are very beautiful. Their temperament is extraordinary. It''s only natural that any guy would be attracted to them. I''m just saying this from a normal man''s perspective. Even if I''m not, I''m sure there will be similar rumors floating around."


    Lian Rou pulled him by the ear and began dragging him away.


    "Sorry," she called out as she glanced over her shoulder at a stunned me. "I should have known better than to go along with Tong Xue''s rubbish."


    "That''s what I get for being a nice guy?" I muttered, astonished, as I watched them go. "I was just doing what other normal people would have done."


    "Don''t listen to Tong Xue," Tang Qi Hong assured me. "He''s just talking rubbish, as always. We all know you well enough to know you''re not that type of person."


    No sooner than she said that than Yin Jing Jing suddenly looked up from her smartphone. All this while she had paid no attention to our conversation, having sunk deeply into communicating with someone else with her mobile device. However, now, she glanced up from her brightly illuminated screen, her eyes darkening.


    I had no idea what was going on, but she was glaring at me coldly, almost as if she wanted to kill me.


    "Fei Wu! Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan are the direct disciples of Dark Fiend Valley Sect''s sect leader. Don''t even think about wooing them! Blacksmithing may be one thing, but if you dare demand anything improper from them, then I''ll never forgive you!"


    "What the fuck are you talking about?" I snapped, irritated by her high and mighty attitude. "Why the hell would I woo them? I already have someone I like."


    Tang Qi Hong flushed a little pink, but she stood firmly by my side to return Yin Jing Jing''s cold gaze evenly. "Who gave you the right to speak to Fei Wu like that, Yin Jing Jing? Know your place!"


    Yin Jing Jing faltered a little, but she continued to display a fierce defiance. Fortunately, before she could say anything she regretted, Elder Tie Jiang walked out of the private room.


    "What''s going on?" he frowned and turned to Yin Jing Jing, recognizing her voice when he opened the door. "Why are you making such a ruckus?"


    "N¡­nothing."


    Yin Jing Jing glared at me before she swiftly stepped into the private room. She looked seriously at Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan.


    "Did that bastard ask for anything improper or anything? Did he¡­did he do anything improper to you while you''re inside the private room?"


    "B¡­bastard? Who?" Ling Yu Mei looked confused. Then she frowned. "Elder Tie was a gentleman. I would ask you not to speak of him in that manner."


    "Ah¡­no, not Elder Tie!" Yin Jing Jing quickly backtracked. "Of course I''m referring to that bastard, Fei Wu!"


    Both sisters exchanged confused glances, then they shook their heads.


    "Why would he? He was outside the private room the whole time. How would he have been able to do anything to us?"


    "Also, don''t you think you''re being awfully rude to someone who we asked a favor from?" Ling Yu Xuan retorted, forgetting her nerves for a moment.


    "Ah¡­" Yin Jing Jing looked a little surprised, but then she waved her hand dismissively. "Who cares?"


    "I do."


    Yin Jing Jing froze when Elder Tie pushed the door slightly ajar to glare at her. Even though the room was sealed from outside to prevent eavesdropping and anyone from overhearing the contents of his discussion with the Ling sisters, leaving the door open would have deactivated the seal and Spirit Diagrams enchanting the room.


    "You are to apologize to Fei Wu immediately."


    "¡­I¡­I''m sorry."


    Realizing that there was no way she could crawl out of the hole she dug for herself, Yin Jing Jing shamefully bowed her head and apologized, but I could see the hatred and fury flashing in her eyes. Tang Qi Hong frowned when she noticed that too.


    "What do you have against Fei Wu? And why are you making all these accusations?"


    "No, that''s¡­Lu Li warned me to make sure he doesn''t lay a hand on the Ling sisters. She thinks he''s highly suspicious¡­"


    Ah, so that was what she had been reading on her smartphone. They must have been communicating on an app, and Lu Li had been feeding Yin Jing Jing lies about me. And the latter had only been too happy to believe them, because¡­well, apparently her jealousy of my newly ascended status, despite the both of us entering Nine-Tailed Fox Sect at the same time, had led her to see only the worst in me, so as to vindicate her dislike and envy.


    I doubted she would go as far as to assassinate me, though. That was way too extreme, and only happened in badly written xianxia novels, not reality. Besides, even if Yin Jing Jing wanted to kill me, she had neither the skills nor resources to. She could try to hire an assassin, but with the security measures Blood Blades had put in place, the assassin would fail. And I couldn''t kill her or imprison her just because of what a fictional character from a story did. That was not going to hold up in court. "Oh, I killed her because I know she will kill me in future. How do I know that? Because I''ve read xianxia stories, and so I know her character archetypes¡­"


    Yeah, as if the judge would buy that. Moreover, she was just not worth the trouble and effort, and I was sure she would self-destruct before long without me lifting a finger. All the same, I was going to stay wary of her and keep an eye out.


    It was not good to underestimate an enemy (or potential enemy in this case).


    "Miss Jing Jing. Fei Wu is our cousin''s benefactor. He saved her life. That''s why, if possible, I would like you to be less hostile toward him."


    "¡­"


    When even Ling Yu Mei said so, Yin Jing Jing had no choice but to swallow her pride and withdraw. She nodded and bowed, this time a little more sincerely. I wondered how much of it was because of Ling Yu Mei''s statement, and how much of it was because Elder Tie had just intensified his glare.


    "I apologize for my remarks. I have gone too far."


    "It''s fine." I mean, what do you expect me to say? Imprison her for six months for "slandering" me? I wasn''t that petty or tyrannical. Yes, her attitude pissed me off, but I was too much of an adult to make a mountain out of a molehill.


    Yin Jing Jing was somewhat relieved. She then rose to her feet and turned to the Ling sisters.


    "All right. Lu Li may have gotten impatient while waiting outside. We should leave first." Yin Jing Jing nodded and led the two sisters down the corridor. When she passed by me, she warned me in a low tone again. "They belong to the Seven Valley Sects. You have better not get any funny ideas, or don''t blame me for not going easy on you!"


    Bam!


    Yin Jing Jing almost shrieked when my palm struck the wall in front of her, and she fell back to land clumsily on her rump.


    "Not going easy on me?" I sneered as I planted a foot right between her trembling legs and leaned down to glare at her. "I would like to see you try. How exactly do you plan on not going easy on me? You want to have a match now?"


    "Uh¡­no¡­I¡­" Yin Jing Jing''s eyes had widened in fear now, especially when she realized that she had just made a terrible mistake. Despite trembling violently, her arrogance surfaced. "You¡­you wouldn''t dare! My mother is the sect leader of Snow Valley Sect! If anything happens to me, she and the sect will not let you off!"


    "Have you forgotten where you are now, Yin Jing Jing?"


    It was Elder Tie''s voice, and it had gotten so chilly that the girl shivered. The elder lowered his head to regard her with a cold, hard look.


    "Are you threatening our future Blood Blades commander? Inside our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect itself? I don''t care if your mother is the sect leader of the Snow Valley Sect¡­here, you are nothing more than an outer sect disciple. And you seek to threaten Fei Wu? Is there something wrong with your head?"


    "Even if something happens to you, what is Snow Valley Sect going to do?" Tang Qi Hong added. "Declare war on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? For your sake?" she smiled. "You should remember the treaty. The moment you set foot in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, we don''t care about your past, your status or background. If you''re an outer sect disciple, we''ll treat you as one. We don''t care who your parents are, even if you''re the imperial princess herself!"


    "You¡­you¡­!" Yin Jing Jing was wailing.


    "The treaty states that whatever happens to you here inside the sect is your responsibility. That''s the same position we took with regards to Liang Shao Yang, which is why Divine Shadow Sect still hasn''t been able to gather enough justification to invade us, or rally any of the other sects to their cause." Elder Tie was smiling now, but his expression must be below zero. "And Liang Shao Yang was in a more favorable position than you, was he not? If we''re not afraid of Divine Shadow Sect, why would be afraid of your Snow Valley Sect?"


    "You won''t get away with this¡­!"


    "And you think you can get away with threatening one of the brightest prospects of our sect? Wake up, girl. This is not your Snow Valley Sect. this is Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. If you don''t like it here, if you can''t accept our terms, then you''re more than welcome to leave."


    Yin Jing Jing blinked back tears, unable to refute Elder Tie''s words. She slowly stood up, and then quickly left without another word. The Ling sisters glanced at her worriedly, and then they turned to bow apologetically toward me.


    "Please don''t take Miss Yin''s words to heart. I''m sure she''s just confused¡­"


    "I bet Senior Lu has been filling her head with nonsense." Ling Yu Xuan sighed after her sister apologized. "The two of them are so similar¡­even I find their arrogance oppressive sometimes."


    "Little Sis!" Ling Yu Mei reprimanded her, but Ling Yu Xuan stuck out her tongue, as if to say, "but it''s true!" the older sister then turned back toward us, bowed one last time, then pulled her younger sister with her to chase after the departing figure of Jing Yin Yin.


    "They are really an interesting pair, those two sisters."


    Elder Tie suddenly said after the trio left. Both Tang Qi Hong and I turned to stare at him. He shrugged as he turned back to us.


    "As you probably know, I can''t reveal their secret techniques and go into details, but suffice to say, they make an intriguing combination." He nodded in the direction where the girls left. "The older sister uses water, and the young sister uses fire. But despite the polar opposite elements, their qi don''t conflict with each other. On the contrary, the sisters'' watery and fiery qi seem to enhance each other''s powers."


    "Uh¡­are you sure you should be telling us that?" I asked, remembering the rules that we were bound to.


    "As long as I don''t go into the details and reveal any secrets, it''s fine. I''m just saying an observation, not talking about any concrete techniques." He smiled. "Well. I should get going then. I need to forge the Spirit Weapons for both girls."


    "Do you need me to assist you?" I asked, feeling a little responsible because I was the one who approached him with the request, after all.


    "You?" Elder Tie scoffed. "Go focus on your martial arts."


    "Elder Tie," Tang Qi Hong quickly interjected. "Fei Wu might not be good at blacksmithing, but he makes an excellent assistant. I''m speaking from experience. He has assisted me in forging Spirit Artifacts before."


    "Oh?" Elder Tie raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Interesting. Well, you were always a hard worker, so I can''t say I''m not surprised. But assisting is completely different from actually forging a Spirit Artifact."


    "Um, yeah, I''m asking if you need assistance¡­"


    Elder Tie waved my words away. "I already have assistants of my own, so don''t worry about it." he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Focus on your martial arts for now."


    "¡­sir."


    I exchanged a glance with Tang Qi Hong. Ironically, after this, we were planning to head back to my workshop so that I could show her my Terminator Profound Bombs¡­ahem, I mean, my Spirit Bombs, and ask her to help me with them.


    "Do you mind telling us what weapons they requested for?" Tang Qi Hong asked.


    While the blacksmiths were supposed to keep the techniques and martial arts of their clients a secret, the type of weapons being forged was fair game. After all, it would be impossible to keep that a secret. The Spirit Weapons would have to undergo packaging, auditing, delivery, and other administrative and logistic processes, all of which were obviously undertaken by the lower-ranking disciples of the sect. The elders wouldn''t have time to package and deliver their products on their own, after all, and relied on their assistants, who in turn depended on an entire network of logistics and support staff to help spread the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect brand all over the Great Zhou Empire.


    "That''s the strange thing." Elder Tie frowned. "The elder sister, Ling Yu Mei, requested for hoops. She said, preferably more than two circular hoops."


    "Hoops aren''t a weapon?!" I blurted out, astonished. Okay, maybe the anime adaptation showed her using hoops but I still did not expect that. Like, that was quite a lot of hoops to jump through before you could use them as weapons. Actually, how did you use them as weapons? From what I remembered, she sliced through enemies with the hoops, but how the fuck did that work? And why not just use normal swords?


    "I don''t know," Elder Tie replied wearily.


    "How about the younger sister?" Tang Qi Hong was trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.


    "Hmm, it was a bit more practical. She like hammers."


    "Hammers?" both Tang Qi Hong and I glanced at each other. Well, certainly hammers were more practical as weapons, but a slender girl like Ling Yu Xuan wielding hammers and smashing her opponents to bits¡­somehow it was difficult to imagine.


    Perhaps she was looking for Spirit Weapons that were compatible with her fiery element. But if that was the case, she could to the same thing with any other weapon, like swords or arrows. It didn''t have to be hammers.


    Well, I had no idea what techniques the two sisters learned in the Dark Fiend Valley Sect, and I cared even less. So I just nodded.


    "Elder Tie, if you need any assistance, please let me know." Bowing politely, I then took my leave. Similarly, Tang Qi Hong bade Elder Tie farewell before following him.


    "Those sisters are a bit¡­eccentric." She remarked.


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 184 Chapter 183: Martial Arts Alliance

    Yin Jing Jing, Lu Li and the Ling sisters entered a hotel whose entrance seemed to be carved out of green jade. The color gave off an ethereal shine, no doubt to attract undecided tourists into booking a room within its lavish interior.


    The four of them were then directed toward one of the biggest reception rooms, which had clearly been reserved for them. The room was already occupied, but the four of them entered naturally without drawing any ire.


    This hotel, the Seven Valley Hotel, was actually a cover for the base for the Seven Valley Sects. All seven sects from the Seven Valleys usually gathered here, either for a brief sojourn in Tushan City, or for more¡­secretive purposes.


    The four girls approached the center of the reception room, where an old man with red hair was guffawing boisterously as he spoke to Cloud Sky Mountain Sect''s Wu Tuo. The moment the red-haired man spotted them, he leaned back in his chair and grinned.


    "You girls are finally back! So how was it, at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    "Brother Shi, I''ll take my leave first. Don''t hesitate to let me know if you need anything else."


    Wu Tuo stood up with a smile. Shi Jing Yun nodded and also rose to his feet to escort his friend to the lobby.


    "All right. I won''t keep you then. We''ll continue discussing that matter next time. For now, we''ve no choice but to wait."


    "Understood. Stay on guard, bro."


    With a smile, Wu Tuo left Seven Valley Hotel. After watching him disappear into the busy street outside, Shi Jing Yun then returned to the reception room. Already the girls were making themselves feel at home, with a waitress serving them coffee and cakes.


    "Uncle Shi, is that Cloud Sky Mountain''s Wu Tuo?" Lu Li was ogling in the direction where Wu Tuo had disappeared in.


    "That''s right." Shi Jing Yun beamed. "Don''t let his appearance deceive you. Back during the war between Cloud Sky Mountain and Dark Asura Sect, Wu Tuo''s brother was killed by one of their masters. Wu Tuo personally broke into Dark Asura Sect without any support from Cloud Sky Mountain, defying his sect leader''s orders, and murdered the Dark Asura Sect master responsible for his brother''s death. While that master was still celebrating his victory, mind you."


    "Whoa¡­"


    Lu Li and the others gaped at him.


    "That''s amazing," Ling Yu Mei said quietly.


    Lu Li and Yin Jing Jing, despite having heard the story in the past, were still impressed and astonished. Yin Jing Jing, in particular, raised her voice in surprise.


    "Eh? But he didn''t look that fierce?"


    "Ha ha ha ha!" Shi Jing Yun guffawed. "Why would he? You''re not his enemy. There''s no reason for him to bare his fangs toward you." as he quieted down, he smiled gently. "Speaking of which, Jing Jing, I''m here to tell you something."


    Yin Jing Jing tensed up, already anticipating that. As if he hadn''t noticed, Shi Jing Yun continued.


    "Do you remember when you left Snow Valley Sect? You promised your father that you will obediently return to the valley and continue training your martial arts if you still have not become an inner sect disciple in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect after a year."


    When they heard that, the Ling sisters exchanged a glance, recalling what Elder Tie and Tang Qi Hong said when they scolded Yin Jing Jing earlier. They clearly reminded her of her status as an outer sect disciple.


    Of course, they were wise enough not to say anything.


    "You should have gone back a long time ago," Lu Li said coolly and somewhat indifferently. "You were doing fine when you were training in martial arts, but you just had to stop out of spite against your father and ran off to learn blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving. You even boasted that your talents are extraordinary and that you will be able to comprehend the mysteries of the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Now, even after a year, what exactly have you achieved? From what I can tell, you''re just wasting your time."


    "Stop nagging!" Yin Jing Jing snapped. "You''re so annoying. Fine, I''m ready to go back to the valley once we''ve settled our business here. Are you happy now?"


    She was still bristling after the harsh reprimand and bitter reminder from both Tang Qi Hong and Elder Tie. Therefore, she had already resolved to leave Nine-Tailed Fox Sect even before Lu Li or Shi Jing Yun said anything. At least there she would be spoiled, pampered and treated like the princess she was. Nobody would be able to scold her (except her Dad, clearly, which was what led to her running away in the first place).


    "Speaking of which, how did it go?" Shi Jing Yun seemed to be a good mood. He smiled at Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan. "Did an elder from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect agree to forge Spirit Artifacts for the both of you?"


    "Yeah." Both Ling Sisters nodded. Shi Jing Yun sighed and shook his head, his smile fading as he shot a glare in Lu Li''s direction.


    "Good. I was worried at first, because Lu Li had to go and insult the current future sect leader and offend him. Good thing he wasn''t a petty or small-minded person, or he would have kicked all of you out of the city."


    "I was only speaking the truth," Lu Li said coldly. Shi Jing Yun looked as if he wanted to slap her, but he controlled his temper.


    "I believe Lu Li," Yin Jing Jing quickly put in. "Men are not to be trusted." She glanced at the Ling Sisters. "They''re always¡­lusting after women."


    "So you don''t trust me?" Shi Jing Yun raised an eyebrow. Yin Jing Jing quickly shook her head and hands.


    "No, no! Uncle Shi is different! You''re not like other men!"


    "¡­"


    Shi Jing Yun didn''t know if he should be offended or flattered. He decided not to respond. Yin Jing Jing wasn''t aware of his conflicting emotions, and she continued.


    "But that Fei Wu! I know he''s planning something! He seduced Senior Tang! Of course he will have his sights on the Ling Sisters!"


    Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan glanced at each other, exasperated, but they were too exhausted to correct the rampaging Yin Jing Jing. Furthermore, their senior, Lu Li, was nodding in agreement, and they did not dare to speak up against her.


    Shi Jing Yun, on the other hand, had given up on convincing the two bitches. He sighed and waved his hand dismissive.


    "You don''t have to worry about him. You won''t be staying at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for long anyway." He then stroked his chin as he pondered over something, and then nodded. "Try your best not to get involved with the members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Jing Jing, I also advise you to leave Nine-Tailed Fox Sect as soon as possible. Xiao Mei and Xiao Xuan, once you get your Spirit Artifacts, I''ll arrange for you to immediately leave Tushan City."


    Or¡­you could, you know, take the delivery option. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect provided delivery services, after all. Either Shi Jing Yun was unaware of that option, or he had reason to believe that we wouldn''t be able to offer it in the future.


    Clearly it was the latter, for all four girls were stunned by his statement. They stared at him in astonishment, as if expecting him to elaborate.


    Shi Jing Yun''s bitter smile faded away completely and he turned grim. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is in deep trouble this time."


    "What''s going on?" Lu Li demanded with a frown.


    "That''s¡­" Shi Jing Yun hesitated for a moment, before he finally came to a decision. Sighing, he shook his head. "The Martial Arts Alliance¡­you know about them, right? They are the greatest authority of martial arts sects in the Great Zhou Empire. All the orthodox sects are governed by them. We are united in our goal to fight demonic sects."


    "Yeah, but Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is part of the Martial Arts Alliance, isn''t it?" Ling Yu Xuan pointed out, still puzzled.


    "Officially, yes." Shi Jing Yun nodded. "But because of their¡­status as the biggest provider of Spirit Artifacts and supplying both the Martial Arts Alliance and the Imperial Guard with Spirit Armaments, they have been largely granted unparalleled autonomy and freedom. They are virtually an independent sect when compared to even the other seven major sects."


    "I find it hard to believe that the Martial Arts Alliance will just grant them so much autonomy because of that. If anything, I''m surprised they didn''t subjugate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and split it among the other sects."


    Ling Yu Mei just said something terrifying. What the hell?! You were going to subjugate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect because we supplied you with weapons? Wasn''t that basically biting the hand that fed you? What stupid logic was that?


    "Yes. The Martial Arts Alliance wants to rein them in¡­to disband the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and spread its resources all over the Alliance. They are afraid that the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will monopolize all of the Spirit Weapons and Spirit Armaments industry, or that the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would become too powerful and leave the Martial Arts Alliance. They can''t afford to let that happen."


    "Why would the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect leave the Martial Arts Alliance?" Lu Li asked. "They can''t possibly fight all the other orthodox sects and demonic sects on their own."


    "I don''t know." Shi Jing Yun sighed heavily. "That''s what the higher-ups are afraid of. I don''t know what reason they have to believe it will happen. Perhaps it''s just politics. Maybe the various orthodox sects in the Martial Arts Alliance have gotten greedy and want Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers for themselves¡­as well as the Spirit Armaments that they forge and will forge in future. Most likely they fear Nine-Tailed Fox Sect becoming too strong and want to rein them in and destroy them before they become a threat."


    "Why would they become a threat?" Lu Li was genuinely confused.


    "Because they''ll inevitably become stronger." Shi Jing Yun lowerd his voice. "You''ve heard of the commotion that the boy named Fei Wu caused. He has shown quite a bit of promise by triggering the response from three of the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and killed Liang Shao Yang in self-defense. Before then, a few years back, he was responsible for the deaths of over a hundred demonic martial artists in the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect. and that was when he was still in middle school. I know it sounds extremely illogical, but many of the older generation fears his growth."


    "They''re giving that trash too much credit," Lu Li sneered. Yin Jing Jing nodded. The Ling Sisters stared at them quietly, looking as if they wanted to slap the two bitches, but refrained from doing anything that would jeopardize their safety.


    "Of course, he''s not the only reason. Honestly, despite what Liang Yang Zu says about Fei Wu being a threat and murdering his son, he''s just one guy. The Martial Arts Alliance will hardly overreact because of him alone. There will be many sects and factions wanting to take him as their subordinate or disciple after they destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but that''s about the extent of it. No, it''s not just the boy. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s Blood Blades have been steadily growing stronger over the years, and are now a powerful force to be reckoned with. Add to this boy, who I hear is earmarked to be the next commander of the Blood Blades in future¡­you can see why the old geezers are running around with their pants over their heads."


    Shi Jing Yun paused for a moment, and then continued.


    "There are many people who do not want to see Nine-Tailed Fox Sect transcending the eight major sects and becoming the top one. They want to maintain the balance of powers, to ensure that no single sect dominates the rest. And if that leads to the destruction of one of the eight major sects, so be it. After all, there will be many replacements. No doubt Divine Shadow Sect or Cloud Sky Mountain, depending on what they achieve in this battle, will step up to fill the void."


    At this point, Shi Jing Yun stopped talking. He merely cast a glance across the four girls in the room.


    They weren''t stupid. They clearly understood what he was driving at. After pondering for a moment, Lu Li finally spoke up with a question.


    "So the reason why Wu Tuo came was because he wanted to discuss about this? Are the Seven Valley Sects and Cloud Sky Mountain getting ready to fight Nine-Tailed Fox Sect beside Divine Shadow Sect?"


    "Wu Tuo wanted to know the Seven Valley Sects'' stance. He also wants to know what the other members of the Martial Arts Alliance would do¡­whether we would support Divine Shadow Sect, help Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, or remain neutral."


    "What is our stance?" Yin Jing Jing asked curiously.


    "I am still waiting for a response from your father." Shi Jing Yun stared at her first, and then he turned to Lu Li and the Ling sisters. "As well as your masters. They are probably debating on what to do now, and will inform them when they come to a decision. Once all of the leaders of the seven valleys have come to a decision, then only will I know what to do."


    "So that''s why you''re saying that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is in deep trouble this time." Lu Li smiled coldly. Shi Jing Yun nodded.


    "If Nine-Tailed Fox Sect fails to resolve this¡­then it is very likely that their sect would be annihilated."


    The four girls had already heard the intention, but even so the statement was sobering. They glanced at each other uncomfortably.


    "Their sect will be annihilated," Shi Jing Yun repeated solemnly. "Every single Blood Blades martial artist will be slain and executed, and the blacksmiths will be imprisoned before they are divided among the other sects in the Martial Arts Alliance."


    He paused for a moment, allowing that to sink in, and then his shoulders slumped.


    "And this is their best case scenario."


    Wait, what? So what''s the worst case scenario? Everyone dies? That was stupid, because if they ended up killing even the blacksmiths, then what was the whole point of attacking Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in the first place? And who was going to produce and supply the Martial Arts Alliance Spirit Weapons from now on? It was like attacking a munitions factory because you were afraid they were getting too powerful, but then slaughtering everybody who knew how to assemble munitions, which meant you would have no munitions in the long run despite your early success. That was extremely short-sighted. Not to mention illegal.


    The Imperial Guard would never stand for it. The royal family would intervene and do something about that before that could happen.


    Ling Yu Mei seemed to remember as much and raised them.


    "The royal family won''t allow that. They''ll send the Imperial Guard to intervene and protect the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. The Martial Arts Alliance would be the one who get destroyed if we commit such atrocious war crimes!"


    "Oh, that''s why the Martial Arts Alliance is looking for an excuse to justify their invasion." Shi Jing Yun''s smile had turned extremely sardonic. "They are going to accuse Nine-Tailed Fox Sect of producing and concealing weapons of mass destruction, and Sect Leader Zi Shou De of being a tyrant, and will declare this as a war on evil¡­a war to promote democracy and freedom. If they phrase it that way, then even the royal family is powerless to act, because of the very legal constitutions that bind them to protecting freedom."


    The irony of their accusations had never occurred to the Martial Arts Alliance bastards, it seemed.


    Unfortunately, while all these conspiracies were unfolding within hidden bases throughout the Great Zhou Empire, I remained blissfully unaware of the calamity that awaited us. At that time, I was still focused on inadvertently producing those Weapons of Mass Destruction that the Martial Arts Alliance claimed we had (despite knowing that we didn''t, which was why they dared to attack us in the first place ¨C who in their right mind would charge an enemy with a nuke?).


    *


    "You know what nuclear fusion is, right?" I asked. My memories from my previous timeline had mingled with my memories from this current timeline, and as such I was unclear which scientific knowledge and technology was from the previous non-xianxia timeline, and which was from this current timeline.


    "Of course I do." Tang Qi Hong frowned, though she didn''t seem very familiar with the term. That made sense. Even in the previous timeline, not many people would know about it in great detail unless they were well-read. "Um, it''s the process that takes place inside the sun, correct? Something that produces lots of energy. I know that much."


    I nodded, accepting her rough summary of the process. It was close enough, but I needed to elaborate so that she could help me.


    "It''s the collision of two hydrogen atoms and fusing them them into helium atoms. The process produces a lot of energy."


    "Ah, that''s right!" Tang Qi Hong nodded vigorously. Yup, it seemed that this timeline also knew what atoms and periodic table elements were. Good enough for my purposes. However, she frowned. "Why?"


    "I was hoping to replicate the process, but with qi particles." I held up a couple of qi crystals that I had left on the bench. "What if we fuse the qi particles between the two crystals? That would generate a tremendous amount of energy."


    Tang Qi Hong turned pale.


    "Of course it would!" she shouted. "You would end up destroying the continent with that amount of firepower!"


    "Oh¡­so it is possible." I was grinning. Tang Qi Hong gaped at me, turning extremely pale.


    "You¡­you can''t possibly be thinking¡­"


    "Why not?" I shrugged. "Aren''t martial artists always striving to become godlike warriors whose power can level entire continents, reshape mountains and vaporize seas? What''s the difference between using a Spirit Weapon to do it, and a martial artist using his techniques to do it?"


    "If the Spirit Weapons fall into the wrong hands¡­!" Tang Qi Hong cautioned. "Anyone will be able to set them off!"


    "What, so people shouldn''t learn martial arts just in case the wrong people learn those techniques and start killing everyone? No¡­if demonic martial artists possess that amount of firepower, then wouldn''t ordinary people need a weapon to fight back? Is it wrong to give them that chance, or should they resign themselves to being killed because they were ''weak''?"


    "No, that''s not what I mean¡­ugh!"


    "Well, in any case, only Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would have access to these weapons. I have no intention of selling them to anyone else. They are more for deterrence."


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    At that time, I had no idea how prophetic my words would be. I swear, I really wasn''t creating these Spirit Bombs because I knew that we would be invaded by the Martial Arts Alliance. That had never occurred to me. The only reason why I wanted to do so was because of my memories from my past timeline regarding nukes and the epiphany I received when absorbing the purified qi in Will''O Wisp Forest and merging it with my own.


    "Now, let''s get started." I began piecing the qi crystals next to each other and assembling them. Right now I was still experimenting because I didn''t have a clear idea of how to pull it off, only working on the snippets of suggestions from Google (but the Internet still didn''t have any information on how to manufacture such destructive weapons because they hadn''t been invented yet).


    "Do you think I''ll help you with something so crazy?!" Tang Qi Hong demanded. I smiled and shrugged.


    "That''s fine. You don''t have to help me if you don''t want to. I''ll just try building it myself."


    "Ugh!" Tang Qi Hong clutched her head. "If I leave you to do it alone, you''ll just blow yourself up! Damn it, you''re so unfair!"


    That was not my intention, to be honest¡­


    "Fine! I''ll help!"


    Complaining angrily, Tang Qi Hong stomped over and snatched the components from my hands, beginning to study them as intently as she did whenever she was forging something. I watched her, relieved that she didn''t, uh¡­explode from anger.

 185 Chapter 184: Danger

    "Hmm?" Tang Qi Hong glanced in my direction, and her eyes widened when she saw the sparks flying from my "product" in a violent manner, filling the space with a golden conflagration. "You idiot! Didn''t I tell you to be careful when measuring and mixing the two qi crystal powder?! Why did you use too much?!"


    "I was sure I only used two grams of each," I muttered, but it was pointless making any excuses and trying to defend myself when the stuff was right about to blow. I watched the growing conflagration with trepidation. "What should I do?"


    "You should get out of here!" Tang Qi Hong turned toward the door. "Grab the remaining qi crystals and leave the workshop! Or we''ll get caught in the blast!"


    I knew why she wanted me to grab the qi crystals. If I left them where they were, they would get caught up in the explosion and blow up too, leading to a volatile chain reaction that woulde demolish this entire area of Flame Volcano.


    However, I was reluctant to leave my workshop to destruction. I had a lot of stuff in here, especially products that I had worked on. And I didn''t want to have to go through the trouble of procuring new tools and equipment, even if the sect was willing to give them to me and pay for the damages. Not only would I cause trouble for the sect, the administrative process was a long and tedious one (requiring a lot of waiting), the elders would just tell me to focus more on martial arts, and I would get my blacksmithing rights revoked.


    Not that I had many blacksmithing rights in the first place, but¡­


    "What if I freeze them?"


    "Huh?!" Tang Qi Hong spun around to glare at me. "What are you talking about?! Your ice techniques wouldn''t be able to stop the power of the explosion! Get out of here before you get killed or seriously hurt!"


    Even though I didn''t intend to ignore her, I was focusing my icy qi into the glowing qi crystals (or their powdered form, rather) and enveloping them in ice. As Tang Qi Hong warned, my frost technique was insufficient to stop the expanding firepower of the explosion, and I could see the layers of ice cracking immediately, unable to endure the blast.


    Oh, gosh. I didn''t expect 4 grams of 2 different types of powdered qi crystals to produce an explosion this powerful. I briefly wondered how much more powerful it would be if I was to use a hundred grams of qi crystals for my Spirit Bombs.


    Provided I survived this, of course. At this rate, I would most likely get killed by my own failed experiment before I could succeed in creating a working product.


    No choice then¡­


    Absolute Zero.


    I didn''t just freeze the explosion and entomb it in fragile ice. Instead, I froze the very particles in the qi crystals, leeching all the heat and kinetic energy that caused the particles to vibrate and stopped them cold. Literally. Not just at the level of cold, but totally stopped the particle movement at the molecular level.


    To my surprise, I actually succeeded. The particles stopped moving, and the explosion diminished. Sighing a breath of relief, I began breaking the frozen crystals apart and dividing them quickly to prevent another volatile reaction, while maintaining their frozen state.


    "¡­eh?"


    Tang Qi Hong had sensed the burst of frosty qi and the sudden drop in heat energy. Being a user of fire techniques, she was naturally more attuned to the change in temperature and sensitive to heat. Therefore, when the explosion was stopped, she realized it immediately. Curious, she stepped back into the workshop to gape at me.


    "What did you do?" she demanded, almost in awe.


    "I stopped the explosion," I replied simply.


    "I know that!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. "How did you do it?"


    Shrugging, I showed her the frozen crystals of the qi pwder. Tang Qi Hong stared at me.


    "Your ice techniques are on a totally different level," she remarked, shaking her head. "I honestly can''t think of anyone more powerful than you with regards to ice techniques. I know you learned Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula from our sect, but that alone shouldn''t have allowed you to attain this level in such a relatively short time."


    Tang Qi Hong was more correct than she knew. The only reason why I was able to improve my Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula and reach such a high level was because I had combined it with the Yuan Yin portion of my Heaven and Earth Formula. Mastering that part had allowed me to purify my frosty yin qi to an insane level, and it had a tremendous effect on my other ice technqiues. Sort of like a buff, if I were to use game terms.


    "Sorry about that. I''ll be more careful next time."


    As I broke the qi crystals apart and ground them into powder again, I apologized for giving Tang Qi Hong a scare.


    "It''s fine." Tang Qi Hong sighed. "Everyone makes mistakes. But we can''t afford to slip up here, because a single small miscalculation will lead to a dangerous explosion. I don''t think either of us would have survived if you didn''t manage to stop that."


    I lowered my head sheepishly and nodded. I couldn''t keep relying on my Absolute Zero to save us. I ought to be more careful when handling such materials. Again, I was reminded of why I was destined to never be a blacksmith. I just didn''t have the capacity for exact measurements or a feel for practical, hands-on work.


    I was always more of a theory guy. Then again, I managed to make it this far with my martial arts, so I guess rather than theory, I was just good at some things and bad at others. I was aware that many readers were upset that I wasn''t a perfect Mary Sue who excelled at everything ¨C somebody complained that I wasn''t an expert alchemist, and another whined about how lame I was when I failed to master blacksmithing, as if it was so easy. Hey, I was good at martial arts and studying. Wasn''t that enough? Why did I have to become a master alchemist or blacksmith as well? I wasn''t some unprecedented genius who exceled at everything I dabbled in.


    Sometimes, people had the most ridiculous and unreasonable expectations.


    "Okay, let''s try again."


    Rubbing my forehead, I proceeded to dismantle and reassemble the qi crystals. This time, I made sure to measure the exact amount. Using my glasses, I managed to check the precise quantity of qi powder rather than just estimating. I mean, I did that earlier, but apparently I was off by 0.2 grams or something. Just that small decimal place made a lot of difference.


    Who would have thought? Good thing I wasn''t a math major. All these numbers and decimal places were driving me crazy. I was okay with calculus, algebra and trigonometry, admittedly, but everything else from matrices to integration to differentiation confused the hell out of me. That was why I ran off to the humanities.


    Speaking of which, why am I even trying to build a Spirit Bomb in the first place?


    Well, the simple answer was because I could. Actually, it seemed that I couldn''t, which was why I ended up asking Tang Qi Hong for help. But it was fun, you know? Who wouldn''t want to build a bomb, especially one that was basically on the level of a nuke? Imagine if we had access to nukes in this martial arts world.


    That would be insane!


    After a few hours of experimenting and assembling, Tang Qi Hong called it a day.


    "I don''t think we''ll be able to finish. And since the process of building such a weapon is so dangerous, it''s best that you don''t overexert yourself and lose focus. I need you in top shape if you want to keep going. So make sure you rest."


    "Yes, Qi Hong." I saluted somewhat flippantly as she gave me instructions. She rolled her eyes in disapproval.


    "All this trouble for a one-use Spirit Weapon? I don''t see the point. Why are we investing so much time, energy, effort and resources into a Spirit Weapon that can only be used once?"


    "Well, once we refine the process and find out the correct way to build it, it won''t take as much time, energy and effort," I assured her. "And it probably shouldn''t require as much resources. Most of that is being taken up by our¡­uh, lack of success so far. Once we find the right method, I''m sure it''ll be much easier."


    "I hope we find it soon," Tang Qi Hong moaned. "Right now we need to find a way to build a successful containment field, one that''s strong enough to keep the qi powder in a stable condition. Otherwise the damned thing will detonate prematurely, or blow up when we''re moving it from place to place."


    I had heard Tang Qi Hong mention that earlier, while we were busily working on the shell of the Spirit Bomb, and nodded judiciously.


    "We''ll find a way," I promised. Tang Qi Hong smiled wryly.


    "I''m sure we will. I just hope it''ll be worth all this." she turned to leave my workshop, and I accompanied her, because I was heading toward my dorm. Escorting her partway, I stopped right at the place where we were going to part.


    "I''ll see you tomorrow then."


    "Yeah. Stay safe." Tang Qi Hong waved at me before she disappeared in the direction of her private villa. I watched her vanish from view before I resumed my journey back toward the Blood Blades dormitory.


    "??"


    Suddenly there was a chime from my smartphone, and I retrieved it from my pocket on reflex. There was a notification on the screen, informing me that I received a text message from Tong Xue. Frowning, I tapped the app and expanded across the screen.


    "Be careful, my friend! From the intelligence department in Blood Blades, we''ve discovered a few things."


    Using my thumb and fingers, I quickly typed a reply on the touch-screen.


    "What did you find out?"


    The reply came almost immediately. Most likely Tong Xue was holding onto his smartphone at the moment. Since it wasn''t his shift, I guessed that he was probably lying on his bed in his dorm room, resting or slacking off.


    "Divine Shadow Sect''s Blood Shadow has infiltrated Tushan City. Apparently he killed a couple of guards and gave the rest of them the slip. We''re trying to locate him right now."


    "I should help," I typed in reply. The response was immediate.


    "No."


    Before I could reply, Tong Xue was sending another reply. I was formulating a response that included an argument on why I should help when his next message appeared. Sighing, I abandoned my efforts momentarily to read what he had to say.


    "Blood Shadow''s target is you. From what we''ve gathered, he is far more powerful and terrifying than Gray Shadow and Black Shadow combined. I know that you''ve defeated Black Shadow, but Blood Shadow is several times stronger than him."


    Well, I kind of expected that. However, I wasn''t going to just sit around and let the Blood Blades protect me. I was one of the Blood Blades myself, and I was more than happy to take the fight to the enemy if I had to.


    I was about to express that intention to Tong Xue, but his next reply came in pretty quickly. Damn, but he was a fast typist.


    "So don''t let your guard down. It seems that Liang Yang Zu has prioritized your death because he wants revenge for you killing his son."


    "Bring it on," I muttered under my breath as I lowered my smartphone. Glancing into the distance, I frowned and tried to reach out with my qi senses. Despite my Heaven and Earth sense, I couldn''t detect any hostile presence.


    It was only natural. The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was heavily guarded by Blood Blades, the most powerful martial artists in our sect. Unlike the guards posted to the gates, who were more often than not lower-ranking warriors, the sect grounds themselves were protected by veterans and experienced professionals of Blood Baldes.


    Even Blood Shadow would find it difficult to break into the sect proper.


    "Normally, I would say that it is best if you leave Nine-Tailed Fox Sect immediately, but¡­I don''t think that''s possible. We''ve also received alarming news regarding the Martial Arts Alliance. Apparently, Divine Shadow Sect isn''t the only one attacking us. Dark Asura Sect, the Seven Valley Sects, and Cloud Sky Mountain are all scheming against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "What are they scheming?" I typed in response, even though I was sure I knew the answer. There could only be one reason why they were scheming against us.


    "In the future, they will most likely combine forces and attack Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. That''s why we''re readying for war."


    "¡­"


    I took a deep breath, weary and wary. This was just getting better and better. Not only was a renowned assassin sent after my head, the sect was going to be attacked and surrounded by enemies. Oh, yay.


    "What is the Imperial Guard going to do about it?" I replied silently, my fingers flying over the touch keyboard. After sending that, I immediately sent a second message. "Surely the royal family isn''t going to let them do what they please?"


    "Apparently they''re requested to remain neutral. The Martial Arts Alliance is formulating a legitimate reason to attack us, which would force the royal family to withhold their Imperial Guard and forbid them from acting."


    Damn¡­what sort of legitimate reason could they come up with? Ironically, I was unaware of it at that time, but it was some poor excuse about us harboring weapons of mass destruction, which they knew we didn''t have.


    But what they didn''t know was that I was about to build those very weapons of mass destruction to fend off their invasion. Karma had a way of biting those bastards in the ass sometimes.


    "Well, the royal family will most likely sort out the legalities and come to our aid¡­eventually, but you know how all this bureaucratic red tape and nonsense go. It might take months before they are finally able to move."


    By that time, it would be too late for Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Not unless we were able to hold out against a massive siege from almost a dozen different sects.


    Welp, there was nothing I could do about it, so I headed back to my room, jumped into bed and fell asleep, all the foreboding thoughts pushed to the back of my mind. There was no use worrying about it, not unless I had enough strength to destroy several sects by myself (with Blood Blades'' help, I mean). For now, I had best focus on finishing those Spirit Bombs I was trying to craft. If I wasn''t mistaken, they might be the only hope Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had of surviving.


    At least there was a single good thing that happened that night. When I dropped onto bed, I suddenly received a social message notification. Apparently Elder Tie had posted on Facebook a couple of photographs regarding the Spirit Weapons he was forging for the Ling Sisters. He was showing off the Fire Demon Stone, Water Spirit Jade and Water Fluorite that he had his assistants bring, and titled the album "Work in Progress."


    Dude¡­shouldn''t you be working on forging those Spirit Weapons instead of taking pictures and uploading them on social media?


    Despite the reprimanding thought that ran through my mind, I couldn''t help but smile wryly as I dropped my head against my pillow and swiped the screen of my phone to black it out.


    *


    Within the main sect hall at the peak of Flame Volcano, the next day, Sect Leader Zi Shou De, his wife Sect Lady Zi Da Ji, the six Great Elders, the dozens of inner sect elders including the Chief Elder Hai Mo, Blood Blades'' Lang Xie and Hai Mo''s wife, Hai Rong, had all gathered within it. If I had seen the scene, I would have likened it to the senate in the Star Wars prequels.


    Sect Leader Zi rose from his seat to call attention to him. Everyone stopped talking and whispering and focused on his distinguished figure.


    "The reason why I''ve gathered everyone here today is to explain the current situation. Simply put, we''re in quite the crisis this time. That''s why I need to brief and update you on what''s going on now, and discuss what we will do going forward." he glanced at Hai Rong and tilted his head respectfully in her direction. "Mrs. Hai, please."


    Everyone''s eyes swiveled around to Feng Rong, who stood up and nodded before she launched into her briefing.


    "We''ve gained the upper hand ever since we''ve begun the war against Divine Shadow Sect." She smiled. "Blood Blades have killed over eighty-seven martial artists from Divine Shadow Sect outside Tushan City. In contrast, our casualties only number six."


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    Her expression was full of pride. This was practically a one to fifteen kill ratio, which was extremely impressive. It also illustrated why Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was one of the eight major sects, and why Divine Shadow Sect was not ranked among them.


    The six Great Elders and the dozens of inner sect elders were all nodding in approval.


    "If it was just Divine Shadow Sect alone, we believe that Blood Blades will be able to defeat them easily. Even if Di Shi Ju and Liang Yang Zu personally lead from the frontlines, they still will not be able to overturn their loss."


    It was at this point when Hai Rong faltered somewhat, and her bright eyes began to cloud over with worry.


    "But recently, Dark Asura Sect and Cloud Sky Mountain have also gradually stopped trading with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Many of their lower-ranking martial artists have also evacuated from Tushan City. I fear this is a sign of things to come."


    The moment she said that, the elders'' expressions all changed.


    "Blood Blades have discovered that the seven Valley Sect Leaders have been meeting more frequently recently. They are discussing highly classified matters. It''s not just them. Even the demonic sects are on the move. From the river to our east, there has been quite a bit of movement, with what seems like an armada being assembled."


    "The demonic sects?" the second great elder echoed. "Who?"


    "Incendiary Ifrit Sect."


    The great elders all sank back against their seats, looking as if they had aged decades.


    "Why?" the third great elder murmured weakly.


    "Isn''t it obvious?" the first Great Elder, Luo Zhi Chang, was bitter. "Fei Wu''s appearance has caused many people to feel uncomfortable. They''re worried that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will grow much stronger and become harder to deal with in future. Already we''ve a fair amount of autonomy and independence even within the Martial Arts Alliance. The people in charge are afraid that we will become powerful enough to break away from them and declare our own independence. The other seven major sects are worried that we will surpass them and become a superpower ranked above them. With the promise Fei Wu has displayed so far, it''s looking likely that he will lead Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to heights previously unimagined."


    Dude, you''re giving way too much credit. I was just one guy. There was a limit to what I could do on my own. And I had no intention of leading Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, in any case.


    Unfortunately, nobody bothered to ask what I wanted. The sects attacking us just made their assumptions on their own. And admittedly, it wasn''t unreasonable that they wouldn''t believe me if I told them the truth.


    "Furthermore, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has grown stronger over the years, especially recently. Blood Blades'' strength has also caused a lot of people to become wary of us." The fourth great elder added heavily.


    "Not only that, Divine Shadow Sect''s swift defeat and eighty-seven casualties have cemented that fear of us," Hai Rong agreed. "Even though Divine Shadow Sect isn''t one of the eight major sects, their power is not to be underestimated and they are still ranked pretty highly. So when we crushed them so overwhelmingly¡­"


    "A lot of people started getting more afraid of us," Sect Leader Zi concluded, and Hai Rong nodded silently.


    "If the ten or so sects join forces, will our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect be able to handle their attack?" Sect Lady Zi Da Ji asked.


    Her husband, the six Great Elders, and even Hai Rong smiled bitterly when they heard her question.


    The answer was obvious.


    To be honest, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect could destroy Divine Shadow easily by itself. Even if they allied with Dark Asura Sect, the two sects were still no match for Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. never mind them, even if the Seven Valley Sects combined forces, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect might just barely be able to fight against the seven of them.


    But ten sects? If all ten sects decided to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect together, there was no chance of victory. And that wasn''t even taking into account the suspicious movements of the demonic sects such as Incendiary Ifrit Sect.


    "Are they really attacking us because of Fei Wu?" the fifth Great Elder lamented. "That makes no sense. They didn''t move when Liang Shao Yang showed up, but now they decided to attack us when Fei Wu triggered the response from three Spirit Engraved Pillars?"


    "You know as well as I do that they''re merely using Fei Wu as an excuse," Luo Zhi Chang pointed out. "The Martial Arts Alliance have always coveted our sect and resources for a very long time. It was only a matter of time before they act to curtail our independence and autonomy and destroy us. They''re just making up excuses to legitimize their claim. What weapons of mass destruction? Anyone sensible will know that they''re just spouting bullcrap!"


    "But that bullshit is enough to stop the royal family and Imperial Guard from aiding us," Sect Leader Zi muttered warily. "I''ve spoken to his highness, and he says it''ll take his legal team some time to work through the technicalities. But once they find a loophole or flaw, they will immediately move to act, and they''ll take our side."


    "That''s good to know," Sect Lady Da Ji said dryly. "Except that they''ll need months to do that and pass the motion in court. Unfortunately, I don''t think we have months."


    "We''ll do our best," Hai Rong promised. "We will turn this into a siege, and Tushan City is a fortress. We''ll hold them off for a year if we need to. Hopefully by then the Imperial Guard will be able to reinforce us."


    "Even then, we''ll suffer quite heavy losses." Sect Leader Zi sighed. Raising his head, he gripped the armrests of his chair tightly. "Let''s hope it doesn''t come to that."

 186 Chapter 185: Sinking Ship

    Tang Qi Hong continued to help me with the Spirit Bomb, and we made good progress, which culminated in a successful field test somewhere at the back of Flame Volcano. Even though we used minute amounts of qi powder, we ended up carving a crater tens of meters deep into the earth, and several times as wide.


    "This is insane!" Tang Qi Hong exclaimed, her jaw dropping in awe as she stared at the smoldering crater, which looked as if a meteorite had just impacted agasint the ground at near-light speed (of course, that would have nuked the entire city if it was traveling at even 70% of the speed of light, but never mind the details). She turned to gape at me. "This is enough firepower to kill about ten Pure Spirit Stage practitioners! And you intend to increase the power behind it? I didn''t think you were serious, but you really just revolutionized the Spirit Armament industry!"


    "It couldn''t have been possible without you," I told her humbly and bowed. "Thank you very much for your help."


    "Hmph, don''t worry about it." Tang Qi Hong huffed and turned away, slightly embarrassed. "Just be grateful that I''m around, or you would have blown yourself up several times over! Next time, if you''re doing something this dangerous, let me know beforehand!"


    She was more right than she knew. I shuddered to think what would have happened if she wasn''t around. i probably would be lying around in the ruins of my workshop in several pieces¡­and that was if I was lucky enough to not have my remains disintegrated completely by the insane firepower of my Spirit Bombs.


    "What are you going to name these Spirit Bombs?" Tang QI Hong asked, loking at them with admiration.


    "Terminator Profound Bomb."


    "Really?" Tang Qi Hong made a face. "Are you seriously going to rip off Spirit Realm and give such a tacky name to your invention?"


    No, I wasn''t. Guess Tang Qi Hong foud me out. And honestly, she was right. There was no way in hell I would really name my invention Terminator Profound Bomb, as much as I wanted to make fun of Spirit Realm. Instead¡­


    Oh gosh, how I missed my teenage years. Anyway, fact of the matter was that the Mirrodin block had left a strong, lasting influence on me, and I was going with Sunburst from the Fifth Dawn expansion. Not to mention I was forging Spirit Artifacts, and the Mirrodin block coincidentally was the one that first placed emphasis on artifacts. Yay.


    "That''s a good name." Tang Qi Hong was nodding in approval, no doubt mistaking the reasoning behind my name to have something to do with the fearsome power of the sun. Having no reason to disabuse her of the notion, I merely smiled.


    "Thank you."


    "Well, I''ll come around and help you build more of them," Tang Qi Hong assured me. "I can''t wait to see Father''s and Mother''s expressions when we show them the final product."


    "They will be blown away," I joked, and she grimaced.


    "I hope you''re not being literal."


    Of course, I wasn''t, but I couldn''t help but tease her.


    "Anyway, I''m going to meet up with Lian Rou for now." She stopped when she saw my expression. "What?"


    "Do you guys plan to go shopping today and relax a little?" I asked, somewhat worriedly.


    "Huh? No, of course not. Why would we do that?" Tang Qi Hong looked at me strangely. "Even if we did, how is that your business? I''m allowed to socialize however I want with whoever I want."


    "That''s not what I meant," I quickly placated her. "It''s just that Nine-Tailed Sect is at war with another sect, and there''s a terrifying assassin from Divine Shadow Sect on the loose in Tushan City, so it''s best not to go to Free Trade Street where someone tried killing us last time."


    Tang Qi Hong snorted. "We''re not that stupid. After what happened last time, why would I ever step into Free Trade Street again, especially in a time of turmoil like this? And why the heck would we be allowed to leave the sect grounds by ourselves anyway?"


    "To trigger the kidnapping clich¨¦. You know, in xianxia stories, the girls always get kidnapped when they go out on their own and the guys have to go save them from the evil villain."


    "What?!" Tang Qi Hong lightly punched me. "That''s so misgynistic! What kind of dumb logic is that? Only incompetent writers resort to such chauvinistic tropes to write a story. They seem to treat female characters as nothing more than one-dimensional objects that just exist for the protagonist to add to his harem, after saving them. It''s as if all female characters will fall into danger when stepping out of their homes, and for some reason despite being described as strong, intelligent and talented, they can''t protect themselves and always, always have to rely on the male protagonist to come save them. I''m sick of those kind of stories!"


    Uh, okay¡­maybe it was a bad idea to mention that. I seemed to have flipped a switch in Tang Qi Hong and now she was going on a tirade. Admittedly, I agreed with every word of what she said, especially since I was an advocate of gender equality. Cue all the readers jumping in and flaming me for being a social justice warrior and telling me that SJW bullshit has no place in my story. Never mind it''s my story and not theirs¡­


    "You should read less of those stories," Tang Qi Hong was telling me. I couldn''t help but smirk at the hypocrisy.


    "Yet you continue reading all those reincarnated heroines who end up in the bodies of nobles or generals or royal princesses'' trash daughters? Heroines who are top assassins, divine doctors, expert martial artists, ex-marine or special forces, all rolled into one?"


    "Hey! It''s fun to read them!" Tang Qi Hong coughed. "Anyway, don''t worry. Lian Rou and I won''t be setting foot out of the sect. We''re not that stupid. We know what''s going on with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and the other sects."


    Yeah, given how they hadn''t given in to teenage drama and all that angst bullshit, I guess I can trust them on that. Otherwise they would have been abducted by Blood Shadow, who would lure me, Lang Xie and Hai Rong into a trap. On the other hand, Blood Shadow and all the other martial artists wouldn''t be interested in me, because I was too insignificant and weak. They probably just wanted to aim for Lang Xie and Hai Rong and destroy Blood Blades.


    Fortunately, that wouldn''t happen as long as we took the right precautions, and it seemed that unlike most xianxia heroines, Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou were behaving sensibly for once. Sighing in relief, I then packed up the remains of our experiment while wondering how much I could increase the firepower if I added a few more grams. This was the result of just four grams. I wondered how much more destruction my Sunburst could wreak if I used a hundred grams.


    It wouldn''t be as simple as multiplying it by twenty-five times. If I''m not mistaken, it would be amplified way more than just twenty-five times. Unfortunately, I wasn''t a mathematician or a trained chemist (or alchemist) so I didn''t know. All I had was my knowledge of history and literature, and it was because of history that I knew to invent the Sunburst.


    If the ten sects from the Martial Arts Alliance came for us, I would be waiting to give them an explosive welcome.


    *


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to build a second, improved one. Over the next few days, the Blood Blades were mobilized as the sect heightened security in response to the increasing number of enemies. Not only did we have to protect the walls at the front of Flame Volcano that surrounded Tushan City, we also had to be aware of the fleet of Incendiary Ifrit Sect that was slowly sailing along the huge river at the back of Flame Volcano. The river actually led to the Will''O Wisp Forest, but was dammed off by one of the walls.


    "This isn''t good." Lang Xie was murmuring to himself as he briefed us Blood Blades. "We may have to split our forces."


    "With ten sects coming to our gates, even the Blood Blades are stretched thin." Hai Rong sighed. "I''m trying to track down Blood Shadow and a group of Divine Shadow Sect assassins who have infiltrated the city, while you''re manning the defenses of the gate. Perhaps I should divert my unit away from pursuit and¡­"


    "There is no need to."


    Sect Lady Zi Da Ji glided into the room. At once, everyone stiffened and sat up straight, trying to look sharp and smart. Sect Lady Da Ji didn''t pay us much heed, though, striding to the front of the room and taking her place between Lang Xie and Hai Rong. She finally turned to face us, her beautiful face and dark eyes gleaming.


    "I will personally take charge of the defense of the river gate and repel the Incendiary Ifrit Sect fleet."


    "Sect Lady!" Hai Rong uttered, shocked.


    Sect Lady Da Ji smiled warmly as she glanced at her subordinate with steely eyes, a firm aura enveloping her and causing everyone in the room to gulp.


    "I am the official commander of Blood Blades, after all. It makes no sense for me to stay out of the fighting completely."


    "But your duty is to protect Sect Leader¡­!"


    "I can do that best by repelling the invaders before they ever get close enough to threaten him," Sect Lady Da Ji pointed out. "Besides, we have you and Lang Xie in the sect itself. And even if you leave for your respective tasks, I''m sure my husband will be more than capable of taking care of himself, provided he''s not reckless enough to step out of the sect grounds. With you trying to track down Blood Shadow, I daresay he won''t be able to slip into the sect, and the chances of him and the other assassins breaking into our territory proper are slim. On the other hand, if we allow the Incendiary Ifrit Sect to break through our backdoor¡­"


    There was no need for her to elaborate. We all knew what she was going to say.


    "Are you going by yourself?" Lang Xie asked quietly. Sect Lady Da Ji''s smile widened.


    "I alone am more than enough for the likes of Incendiary Ifrit Sect."


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    "Even so, I cannot allow you to go alone." Hai Rong glanced at the assembled Blood Blades before her. "I''ll assign you a squad."


    "I volunteer!" I raised my hand. "My ice techniques should be useful against the fire techniques from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect."


    This statement wasn''t made without basis. I had fought their prodigy disciple, Ling Qing Zhu, evenly, and even managed to immobilize her. If she showed up again, I should be able to hold her off while Sect Lady Da Ji took care of the masters.


    "Good idea." Sect Lady Da Ji nodded approvingly. "I''ll bring Fei Wu''s squad then."


    "Um, I don''t have a squad¡­" I glanced at Tong Xue, who nodded. Pang Feng was absent for some reason ¨C apparently he had gone off for Cloud Sky Mountain business when the rumors started flying, and knowing his delicate position, neither of us sought to pursue the matter. "Tong Xue and I are the only people in our team."


    "I''m in," Tong Xue said immediately, raising his hand. "I''ll be happy to accompany Sect Lady Da Ji into battle."


    "That''s good enough." Sect Lady Da Ji smiled gratefully at the both of us.


    Hai Rong sighed. "I''ll be assigning squad 4 to you, my lady. In addition to those two." She turned to look at me, Tong Xue and squad 4. "You children had better take care of yourself. Don''t do anything reckless."


    "I''ll take good care of them," Sect Lady Da Ji assured her, but Hai Rong didn''t look convinced.


    "That''s what I''m afraid of." She sighed heavily and fixed her stern gaze on us. "Do not let Sect Lady Da Ji do all the fighting. I know I told you not to be reckless, but make sure you step in and support her as much as possible. Sect Lady Da Ji tends to try and fight everyone on her own, so make sure you rein her in and keep her from doing anything stupid."


    "Hey!" Sect Lady Da Ji snapped, annoyed. "I''m right here, I can hear you, you know?"


    "That''s exactly why I''m saying it," Hai Rong replied coolly. Sect Lady Da Ji sulked.


    "You do know I''m the commander of Blood Blades, right? I''m ranked higher than you! At least give me some face!"


    "I will if you stop doing stupid things."


    "HEY!"


    Lang Xie coughed, stopping the two squabbling women in their tracks. The vice-commander rose slowly and nodded at squad 4 plus two.


    "We''ll be counting on you, Squad 4, Fei Wu, Tong Xue, and my lady." He quietly turned away to leave the room. "The rest of you, let''s resume our duties. I sense a few powerful martial artists lurking just outside the gate."


    "We should get going then." Sect Lady Da Ji nodded toward the direction of squad 4 plus two (I was relieved they didn''t just integrate us into squad 4 as that would require us to train together, and we didn''t have a clear rapport and understanding with them yet). "Blood Blades of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, we march to battle!"


    A few minutes later, we found ourselves on the walls overlooking the river. The moment we reached the rampart, Sect Lady Da Ji turned to us, her expression solemn.


    "Be careful, kids," she instructed. "This place¡­"


    Boom!


    A gigantic fireball slammed into the fortified walls and exploded, blasting a huge chunk of concrete and metal and sending it dropping into the river with a huge splash. The crater burned, an inferno spreading rapidly across the ground and searing us with intense heat. Several of us instinctively took a step back.


    "¡­is extremely dangerous," she finished, her eyes blazing fiercely as the flames raged behind her.


    With that, she turned to look down on the lead ship below. Two gigantic fireballs had materialized on either side of the ship, levitating above the river and causing its watery surface to vaporize into steam.


    "Hah! This is the rumored impenetrable fortress of Tushan?" one of the demonic martial artists on the ship burst out laughing. "Don''t make me laugh!"


    Too late for that¡­


    "The wall got destroyed so easily!"


    "¡­"


    Sect Lady Da Ji studied the passengers aboard the ship for a moment, and then shook her head.


    "You''re so happy after merely chipping our wall? Aren''t you celebrating too early?"


    "You are¡­!"


    The martial artist''s face turned extremely pale when he caught sight of Sect Lady Da Ji, recognizing her noble bearing. Trying to suppress his fear, he stopped trembling when he caught sight of nothing more than a single squad accompanying her in the defense of this part of Tushan City. He then smirked arrogantly.


    "¡­ho¡­I''m a bit disappointed. That''s all the forces you have left in Tushan City? A tiny fragment of the revered Blood Blades? For a place under Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s protection, the security appears to be a little light."


    "There''s no need to worry," Sect Lady Da Ji replied coolly. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of the hellish bloodthirsty aura that emanated from her beautiful figure like demonic flames. "I am here. There is no greater security than this."


    "I see¡­"


    The lead martial artist''s vein twitched in his temple, but credit to him, he managed to maintain his cool.


    "We''re rather being looked down upon and vastly underestimated, aren''t we?"


    Sect Lady Da Ji shrugged flippantly. "If you want to interpret it that way. However, shouldn''t you be honored that you forced me, of all people, out of the inner sanctuary of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!" the demonic martial artist erupted in laughter. "Do you really think we wouldn''t expect that? Our legendary sect leader himself has arrived!"


    "Enough, Qiu Niu."


    An old man in white and maroon robes, with a long crimson cloak billowing about behind him, stepped forward, his right hand curled into a symbollic gesture. In his left hand, he held a blazing spear, and the two gigantic fireballs appeared to respond to his will.


    "You are¡­" Sect Lady Da Ji frowned slightly. Even though she did not display her emotions, I could tell that she was a little shocked.


    The first demonic martial artist laughed.


    "That''s right! This is the legendary master and sect leader of Incendiary Ifrit Sect, the Golden God of Fire."


    "I told you that''s enough, Qiu Niu." The Golden God of Fire sighed as he raised his fingers to the front of his face. "I missed on the first strike." Shaking his head, he lamented to himself. "I must be getting old."


    "That''s quite the¡­original name," I remarked dryly. Sect Lady Da Ji didn''t seem to have heard me, her attention focused on the old man below.


    "What is the legendary Golden God of Fire, Ling Huo Shen, doing here? You can''t possibly be allying the Martial Arts Alliance to attack our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, can you?"


    "You''re right," Ling Huo Shen agreed. "We are not here as allies of the Martial Arts Alliance. However, as you know, the Incendiary Ifrit Sect has close ties with the Fire Valley Sect of the Seven Valley Sects. Not to mention, my two nieces are currently in the Dark Fiend Valley Sect. They have approached us for a favor, and so I accepted it."


    "¡­I bet in return, the Martial Arts Alliance will ignore their criminal activities and close one eye on whatever they do in future," Tong Xue muttered darkly.


    "The Imperial Guard won''t, though." I scowled, wondering what the point of this was, but Tong Xue had an answer to that.


    "It''s still one less enemy they have to worry about, and a very powerful enemy at that."


    Having been confronted by the Martial Arts Alliance and seeing Nine-Tailed Fox Sect assailed on all sides, I could see what he meant.


    "I see." Sect Lady Da Ji didn''t appeared moved. She merely cocked her head to the side and smiled. "So you''ve come here to seek your deaths."


    "Such insolence!" Ling Huo Shen roared and launched his two massive fireballs at us. Squad 4, Tong Xue and I jumped back on reflex, raising our qi to create defensive barriers, but Sect Lady Da Ji merely threw out a hand.


    Kaboom!


    The explosion seemed to momentarily engulf the fortress wall for a moment, blinding us in smoke and embers. I coughed when I accidentally inhaled some of the smoke, and dropped to my knees, heaving and weezing.


    Fortunately, I found that I was still on solid ground. Despite the size of the enormous fireballs, they failed to destroy the castle wall. Most likely Sect Lady Da Ji had repelled them or something, but I didn''t see the move she used.


    I did sense the sudden surge of qi that emanated from her, though. From my Heaven and Earth sense, it felt like a wall of fire.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    The lead demonic martial artist from earlier was laughing at the destruction of the wall. Though it hadn''t entirely collapsed, there were two huge craters gouged out from the once formidable-looking structure.


    "That will teach you for being arrogant! Did you think you''re invincible, Mrs. Zi Da Ji?" Qiu Niu planted his hands on his hips. "Our sect leader is the Golden God of Fire, an ascetic who had isolated himself in the mountains to train for decades."


    Sect Lady Da Ji was shaking her hands, which were smoldering. Two more fireballs were launched from Ling Huo Shen, and she was forced to jump into the air and strike them away with her hands, but despite her elemental affinity with fire, she felt a flash of pain. Surprised, she spun away, her hands scorched.


    Fortunately, her actions were more than enough to deflect the massive fireballs away from the wall and spinning uncontrollably toward the heavens.


    "And right now he is the only person in the world capable of using¡­"


    Sect Lady Da Ji produced a sword and slashed the second fireball, dissipating it, but the force of the resulting explosion caused her to careen from the air helplessly. Flipping her body gracefully, Sect Lady Da Ji deftly landed back on the seared ramparts, her hands shaking.


    "¡­the Divine Fire, Pure Yang Flames."


    While I studied the old man, somewhat in awe, Tong Xue spoke up somewhat wryly.


    "That''s not true. His daughter, Ling Qing Zhu, has learned the Divine Fire, Pure Yang Flames from him as well."


    Qiu Niu looked a little stunned, and he coughed in embarrassment.


    "So what? That doesn''t change the fact that he''s currently the second most powerful fire martial arts practitioner, second only to Lie Yang Fen Tian of the Blazing Sun Sect!"


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Ling Huo Shen was guffawing as he gripped his spear, a torrent of liquid inferno blazing around him in a protective aura. "I''ve heard that Lady Zi Da Ji of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is also capable of fire martial arts, and her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula is renowned throughout the Great Zhou Empire, but it seems that it''s still no match for my Divine Fire, Pure Yang Flames!"


    "It''s true," Sect Lady Da Ji conceded. "Your Divine Fire, Pure Yang Flames are truly powerful." She raised her burned hand and tested her fingers, studying her injuries grimly. "I made a mistake in underestimating them."


    "Hah!" Ling Huo Shen crowed. "My Pure Yang Flames are an ancient Divine Fire. Even with your elemental affinity to fire, if you tried to take them on bare-handed, you''ll only end up severely hurting yourself!"


    "Ineed." Sect Lady Da Ji nodded. And then she smirked. "But at this level¡­I see why you''ll always only be second to Blazing Sun Sect''s Lie Yang Fen Tian."


    "What did you say?!" Ling Huo Shen screeched, slamming his spear against the deck of his ship.


    "To be so arrogant after summoning only two tiny fireballs¡­" Sect Lady Da Ji sighed, and raised her sword. Almost instantly, nine enormous fireballs, which dwarfed the two that Ling Huo Shen had conjured, appeared, blazing ferociously like miniature sus in the sky. "And you dare to claim that my Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula is no match for your pathetic Pure Yang Flames?"


    "Im¡­impossible¡­!"


    Ling Huo Shen and the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members were all gaping at the nine gigantic fireballs that hovered intimidatingly in the sky. However, Sect Lady Da Ji didn''t give them the chance to admire the terrifying view and swung her hand down without hesitation, mercilessly bombarding the small armada with the fireballs.


    Boom!


    The entire river flashed into steam, the water vaporizing instantly from the sheer heat. In less than ten seconds, eight of the nine ships that had sailed into Tushan River, trying to seek access into our city, were obliterated, both men and structure incinerated in an instant. The charred remains of the ships sank quietly into the waves, and I was hardly able to see any corpses even with the enhancements in my glasses.


    The majority of them had been burned into ash.


    "Amazing¡­"


    "Unbelievable¡­"


    Beside me, Tong Xue and squad 4 were murmuring under their breaths, staring at the standing Sect Lady Da Ji in awe.


    I realized then that she wasn''t exaggerating when she said that she alone would be more than enough to destroy the invading Incendiary Ifrit Sect forces. Nor was she trying to raise a fact. She was simply stating a fact.


    The sole surviving ship bobbed about, its frame scorched and blackened by the flames. Ling Huo Shen was standing on the deck with his legs splayed about and breathing a bit heavily. Lowering his arms, which he had raised in a defensive posture over his head, he glared up at Sect Lady Da Ji.


    Earlier, he had countered Sect Lady Da Ji''s fireball with Divine Fire of his own, barely protecting the ship he was on, as well as its passengers. Unfortunately, he was unable to do the same for the rest of his armada, which resulted in the fleet being almost wiped out.


    Unfortunately, there was no turning back for him now.


    "You vixen¡­" he snarled. "I won''t forgive you! I swear, I''ll destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect today, by any means necessary!"


    Dozens of gigantic fireballs hovered behind him, aggressively responding to his will and swirling around to bombard the walls of Tushan City.


    "Oh? So you can conjure more of those fireballs, after all." Sect Lady Da Ji''s lips curled into a smile. "But¡­shouldn''t you avoid showing off in front of a true master?"


    Another nine fireballs, even bigger than most of Ling Huo Shen''s fireballs combined, materialized behind her.


    The two bombardments clashed, resulting in another devastating explosion that vaporized more river water and almost sent the ship flying. In the castle walls, a shockwave hurled us off our feet, knocking us down below.


    "Kuh!"


    I managed to land on my feet somewhat clumsily, and staggered for a moment before I finally regained my balance. It appeared that I had been separated from the rest, and Tong Xue and the majority of squad 4 were still atop the battered ramparts.


    On the other hand, the sole surviving ship was sinking fast, most of its structure having caught fire. The occupants, aware of the danger they were in, hurriedly jumped off the sinking ship, and some of them landed on the fortification that guarded Tushan City, earnestly launching into combat against Tong Xue and squad 4.


    A few landed on the bank where I was on, and I recognized Ling Qing Zhu as being among them. They didn''t hesitate when they spotted me, drawing their weapons and charging. Flames burst into life, circling their blades and bodies.

 187 Chapter 186: Fight Fire with Fire

    But the legendary God of Fire defended himself admirably by striking out with his smaller but numerically superior fireballs, causing the flaming projectiles to detonate in midair. Fire filled the once-blue sky, giving it a vicious, orange tinge.


    Sect Lady Da Ji''s fireballs might be much bigger, but they were limited to just nine, whereas Ling Huo Shen''s constellation of fireballs almost numbered as many as the stars in a clear night. Even so, it seemed that Lady Da Ji had the upper hand in firepower, but the quality of Ling Huo Shen''s Divine Fire was higher than hers. As expected of the Pure Yang Flames, even when smaller than the larger Nine-Tailed Fox fireballs, they packed an almost equal amount of firepower.


    Boom!


    Another explosion rang through the riverside, causing the fortification walls to reverberate violently from the impact. Despite the devastating tremors, both sides were caught up in a desperate battle, with squad 4 and Tong Xue engaging the survivors of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect fleet. Flames and blood gushed out in the air as they clashed, Spirit Weapons glinting as they reflected off the bright light of the fire or dull crimson of blood techniques.


    "Tong Xue! Guys!" I yelled while dodging a torrent of fire from my end. Hitting the ground, I rolled up and summoned Snow Aegis, which blocked a rush of golden flames that incinerated the grass and ground around me.


    "It''s useless to call out to them. they won''t be able to reinforce you." one of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members chuckled as he steppe forward, swinging his sword to blast ineffectually against my huge snowflake-shaped shield. He was just wasting his qi. "Our sect leader, the God of Fire, has personally come to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. We are all aware of the reputation and strength of Lady Zi Da Ji. That is why Sect Leader Ling has personally come to the frontline, for the sole purpose of occupying the Queen of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in combat. While she''s distracted by him, it''s an easy matter for the rest of us to subdue the Blood Blades."


    "You think your Incendiary Ifrit Sect is capable of defeating us Blood Blades? Especially after our Sect Lady has destroyed the majority of the fleet?"


    Despite being taken by surprise, the speaker scoffed at me. There was something about his cocky, self-assured grin that disturbed me.


    "Who says the Incendiary Ifrit Sect will be the one to subdue the Blood Blades? Have you forgotten that we aren''t your only enemy?"


    A chill ran down my spine when I suddenly understood what he meant.


    "This is a diversion!" turning to Sect Lady Da Ji, I yelled. "The Martial Arts Alliance is launching a simultaneous attack on the sect while the Incendiary Ifrit Sect distracts and keeps us bogged down in battle here!"


    "Too late!" the Incendiary Ifrit Sect member sneered as he swung his sword, unleashing another torrent of fire at me. "Even if you know now, there''s absolutely nothing you can do about it!"


    To my horror, I realized that he was right. There was no way we could simply disengage from combat and run off to reinforce Lang Xie, Hai Rong and the rest of the Blood Blades. That would leave our back open to attack, and the remnants of the Incendiary ifrit Sect were powerful enough to wreak havoc on our backline. We couldn''t afford to leave them alone to rampage through the River Gate and stab us in the back while fighting the other sects.


    Glancing above, it seemed that Sect Lady Da Ji had realized the trap, but she could do nothing about it. Right now, she was being suppressed by Ling Huo Shen''s Divine Fire, his Pure Yang Flames actually increasing in intensity and numbers. She was completely focused on dodging in midair, weaving through the multiple bombardments and obliterating those fireballs she wasn''t able to entirely dodge. Even as she flung out nine more massive fireballs of her own, Ling Huo Shen was able to defend himself with more fireballs, the superior quality of his smaller infernos able to neutralize the massive fiery projectiles in mutual destruction.


    Sect Lady Da Ji frowned, a bead of perspiration trickling down her pretty face, but she refused to be perturbed by the current crisis. She had taught us Blood Blades to retain our cool and stay calm in the face of all situations, and right now she was exemplifying that to the letter. Noticing the concerned expressions of squad 4, she shouted out without turning to us.


    "Do not panic! Do not falter! Right now, our duty is to defeat these invaders from Incendiary Ifrit Sect! Do not let your mind wander and focus on our current mission! We''ll worry about the rest of the sect only after we complete our mission!"


    "Yes, Sect Lady!"


    Pushing their worries out of their mind, squad 4 and Tong Xue doubled their efforts, roaring ferociously and momentarily driving the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members back, almost taking them by surprise.


    However, seeing that Ling Huo Shen was suppressing and even overwhelming Sect Lady Da Ji with the sheer volume of fireballs, the Incendiary Ifrit Sect rallied and fought just as fiercely. Casualties were mounting on both sides, but I was heartened to see that our enemies were bearing the worse brunt of it.


    Unfortunately, while Tong Xue and Squad 4 were faring well atop the fortifications, I was alone in the riverbank, fighting against a numerically superior number.


    "This is checkmate!"


    Gloating, the crowing speaker slashed at me, his blade blazing with a weaker version of the Divine Fire that Ling Huo Shen was using. The flames dissipated harmlessly against my Snow Aegis, which held its ground firmly even as the demonic martial artist smashed against it. Holding onto my shield, I refused to yield even as my legs buckled slightly under the impact.


    My current opponent was physically stronger than me, it seemed.


    "Heh! A Qi Fusion Stage practitioner trying to go against a Pure Spirit Stage practitioner like me? How laughable!"


    "So?"


    Before I even completed my question, a qi beam from one of my mobile turrets and punched a hole through my assailant''s head. He crumpled to the ground, a cauterized crater in both the back of his skull and his astonished face. He didn''t even know what hit him.


    Good. I finally didn''t have to listen to his annoying prattle. Stepping over his corpse, I faced the rest of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples. Above, Sect Lady Da Ji continued to weave and evade the nework of detonating fireballs, whirling around to narrowly dodge one while slashing another one with her sword. Throwing her other hand out, she launched a fireball at Ling Huo Shen, but he struck it away with his spear, splitting it in half.


    The two halves of the immense fireball slammed into the river, throwing up steaming geysers. The cloud of steam was immediately dissipated when he punched through it with another volley of fireballs, forcing Sect Lady Da Ji to withdraw once again.


    Damn it, I had never seen Sect Lady Da Ji so pressured. I had heard legends of the venerable God of Fire, and it seemed that he lived up to his reputation as one of the strongest fire-based martial artists in the Great Zhou Empire.


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    But he was only ranked second, even with this much skill and power. I dreaded to think how much more powerful Lie Yang Fen Tian was.


    "Idiot. You shouldn''t underestimate that person. He''s Fei Wu, the current prodigy of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    This time, it was Ling Qing Zhu who spoke up. She took a step forward, bowing a bit apologetically.


    "Even though you saved my life that time in the tomb, we are meeting as enemies today. I hope you will not resent me. We are both only doing our jobs. I will not hold a grudge against you if you defeat me, and I hope you will not either."


    "That man¡­the Golden God of Fire, Ling Huo Shen, is your father, isn''t he?" I asked calmly. Ling Qing Zhu paused for a moment, frowning, and then nodded.


    "So what if he is?"


    I smirked as I pushed my glasses up my nose. Taking a deep breath, I yelled as loudly as I could.


    "Hey, respectable Sect Leader of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect! I''m going to kill your daughter, you know? Are you fine with that?"


    "You¡­!"


    Ling Huo Shen''s eyes widened and he spun around. Earlier, he had been directing a huge volume of flames at Sect Lady Da Ji, but he paused around to glare at me, his crimson pupils blazing in anger.


    "What did you say?!"


    "I said, I''m going to kill your daughter," I replied calmly.


    "Who''s going to kill me?!" Ling Qing Zhu snapped. Grabbing her Crimson Lotus Sword, she lunged at me. A torrent of flames spun rapidly around her blade as she thrust it at me, a killer technique that would have punched a hole in steel walls several meters thick and melt the metal. If she had used this technique the last time we met, in the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb, she would surely have killed me.


    However, the me right now was completely different from the me then.


    Absolute Zero.


    "!!!"


    Ling Qing Zhu forced herself to stop, but she wasn''t able to make it in time. Just like Liang Shao Yang before her, she found herself trapped in unbreakable ice. It wasn''t simply entombing her in an ice coffin. Her very blood froze, and her qi stopped flowing, having been leeched away by the sheer coldness of my technique.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    Ling Qing Zhu struggled momentarily, but within seconds she was completely frozen solid. Her eyes widened inside the ice, and I had to admire her strength. To think she was strong enough to resist my Absolute Zero concept slightly and still retain a modicum of consciousness within the absolutely paralyzing ice.


    My mobile beam turrets then shifted to aim at her. As an expert, Ling Huo Shen could not mistake the destructive qi gathered within them for anything else.


    "You¡­!" he growled.


    "If you don''t call your forces off, I''ll kill your daughter."


    "Scoundrel!" he roared. "Is this how an orthodox sect fights? Where is your honor?! Have you sunk so low as to taking hostages now?"


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" I couldn''t help but laugh. "Oh, man¡­the sheer hypocrisy is hilarious. You gang up with ten other sects to invade us, and you want to talk about honor? You drive us into a corner, and yet you expect us to fight in a just manner? What kind of fucking bullshit is that? That''s double standards, isn''t it? You hypocritical bastards won''t hesitate to swoop down and resort to despicable means to get what you want, but when someone else turns around and does it to you, you start complaining about the lack of honor and justice? Just listen to yourself!"


    "!!!!"


    "Hmph. Not to mention you''re a demonic sect, aren''t you?" Tong Xue scoffed as he slashed one of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members. "What right do you have to preach to us about honor and justice in the first place?"


    "¡­kuh!"


    Unable to argue with us, Ling Huo Shen exploded into a rage.


    "Qing Zhu!" he bellowed. "Hang in there! After I''m finished with this vixen, I''ll come and save you! And I''ll kill you, brat, after I''m finished with your mistress!"


    Swoosh!


    "!!!"


    Out of the smoke, Sect Lady Da Ji abruptly emerged and slashed at Ling Huo Shen''s exposed back with her sword. Whirling around in reflex, Ling Huo Shen just barely managed to parry her blade with the shaft of his spear, but so great was her strength that he found himself hurled hack, tumbling helplessly in the air.


    Spinning around to face him, Sect Lady Da Ji swung her sword, re-igniting it with crimson flames. Another nine fireballs materialized behind and above her again.


    "Who did you say was going to finish who?" she asked coldly.


    "Vixen¡­" Ling Huo Shen growled furiously. "Get out of my way!"


    "Sect Leader Ling, don''t worry! Leave your daughter to me!"


    "We''ll save her!"


    The remaining masters and disciples of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect assured him, turning around to glare at me.


    "Go!"


    "Don''t let a single hair get harmed on Mistress!"


    A good number of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples on the wall actually turned their backs on the Blood Blades fighting them and jumped off, all of them eagerly diving toward me with their flaming blades.


    "What the?!"


    "Oi! Don''t just run away like that!"


    "How shameless!"


    "Trying to snatch the glory away like that?!"


    "We were here first!"


    The remaining Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples and masters, upon seeing their comrades abandon the battle with the Blood Blades, also spun around and dove at me too, aggressively channeling their qi into their fiery techniques.


    "As long as Sect Leader Ling allows me to marry his daughter in future!"


    "No, I''m going to be his future son-in-law!"


    "For the sake of my future father-in-law!"


    "¡­how shameless." I couldn''t help but gape at the approaching reinforcements. "I know Lady Ling Qing Zhu is quite the catch, but aren''t you guys too desperate?"


    "He he he¡­" Ling Huo Shen had finally arrested his tumble and was straightening himself. Gripping his spear as he summoned more fireballs for his confrontation against Sect Lady Da Ji, he chuckled in relief. "Then I''ll leave it to you first."


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Tong Xue''s eyes flashed dangerously.


    "Turning your backs on the opponent¡­aren''t you underestimating us too much?"


    "You''ll regret this."


    Squad 4 were unamused at the sudden turn of events as well, but being well-trained and disciplined, they did not hesitate to exploit the opening I just created for them. While the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members were distracted by the idea of glory, my comrades descended upon them, stabbing them in the back and killing them instantly.


    "Ugh!"


    "Argh!"


    "NOOO!"


    "It''s a trap!"


    The surviving Incendiary Ifrit Sect members, realizing that they had just made a fatal mistake, spun around to fight the pursuing Blood Blades off, but half of their number had already been slaughtered. On the other hand, the survivors on the ground, which was still a good number, were able to reinforce them, but the battle had spilled onto the riverbank instead of atop the fortified walls. On the other hand, I was no longer alone.


    "Good thinking," Tong Xue praised me as he landed nearby. "In just one move, you completely turned the tables on the enemy!"


    "Not good!"


    Ling Huo Shen''s eyes widened when he realized the predicament his subordinates were in. turning around, he cried out.


    "My daughter! I''m coming for you now!"


    However, he stopped when a single sword cut through the space where he would have been had he continued forward, and he withdrew.


    "This kid¡­it was a trap!"


    One of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members cried out in fear as he desperately defended himself against a Blood Blade, and found himself ground onto the scorched earth.


    "Good job creating chaos like that. I really didn''t think you had it in you to take a hostage." Tong Xue was shaking his head.


    "Desperate times call for desperate measures," I replied coolly as I directed my mobile turrets to fire off another barrage of qi beams at frantically escaping Incendiary Ifrit Sect members. "We can''t afford to be picky with our methods."


    "That''s right." Tong Xue glanced up at the sky, where Sect Lady Da Ji was confronting the distracted Ling Huo Shen, the both of them ringed by golden flames and orbiting fireballs. "Sect Lady is currently having difficulty overcoming the Pure Yang Flames of the Golden God of Fire. So you''re using this tactic to distract that old man."


    "If you don''t stop fighting, I''ll kill your daughter!" I called out to emphasize my point. Ling Huo Shen risked a glance over his shoulder.


    "If you so much as harm a hair on her head, I''ll kill you!"


    "Then withdraw!"


    Ling Huo Shen gritted his teeth, weighing the odds, but realizing that he could not afford to back down here. Not when he had already promised the Martial Arts Alliance to carry out this diversion. He couldn''t very well abandon the mssion he had been assigned just for his daughter alone. As much as he loved her, he knew as well as she did that the moment they both stepped into the battlefield, he was not allowed to show any favoritism toward her.


    So many of the other Incendiary ifrit Sect disciples and masters had already died, fallen to the blades of the Blood Blades or the apocalyptic fireballs of Sect Lady Da Ji. He couldn''t just give up the mission for the sake of his daughter alone. It would be extremely unfair to the other sect members who had sacrificed their lives in this battle.


    "I swear, I''ll definitely get revenge for this!" he vowed. I merely glance up at him silently, running through the options in my head.


    Right now, I couldn''t kill Ling Qing Zhu. Yet. Never mind that she was too powerful to kill ¨C right now she was resisting my Absolute Zero, and I had no doubt that if I tried to attack her now, I would break her out of the ice and inadvertently help her instead. But her father didn''t have to know that. In any case, the moment I killed her, all hopes of negotiating with Ling Huo Shen and forcing the Incendiary Ifrit Sect to retreat would be lost. I couldn''t allow a moment of spite or blind fury to rule over my judgement, or we would lose everything.


    Killing Ling Qing Zhu would make things worse. The old man would definitely fly into a rage and start rampaging around, killing everyone and destroying everything in his path. That would create a bigger headache.


    "Try it," Ling Huo Shen snarled again, slicing apart another of Sect Lady Da Ji''s fireballs and risking another glance at me. "I swear I will kill you. Nothing in this world will ever be able to protect you from my wrath if you kill her. No god, no Buddha, no demon, nothing. I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth myself!"


    Boom!


    "!!!"


    Ling Huo Shen spiraled back, his robes smoldering a little as he barely defended himself against another of Sect Lady Da Ji''s fireballs. She hovered between him and me, her gaze intense and murderous. Even though her killing intent was not directed at me, I couldn''t help but feel a hellish chill grip the base of my spine.


    "From now on," she declared calmly. "Don''t even think about taking another step forward. I will not allow you to touch any member of my sect."


    She narrowed her eyes, which glowed crimson in a second. As if responding to her will, nine gargantuan fireballs materialized in the air again.


    "Hmph." Ling Huo Shen snorted as he turned back to face her, several streams of Divine Fire waving about behind him. "What a bag of hot air!" raising his hand, he conjured another dozen or so of those smaller fireballs.


    Thrusting his spear forward, he launched the numerous fireballs simultaneously. Sect Lady Da Ji scowled and retaliated with her own, but while most of them disappeared in explosions as they collided violently with her nine fireballs, a few slipped past the net and blazed toward her like comets. Sect Lady Da Ji kicked off the air and dodged the pursuing fireballs, elegantly weaving through the skies like a celestial fairy.


    Her movements were so graceful and flawless that I was momentarily distracted, looking up to watch her. It was too bad that Tang Qi Hong rejected me, but I guess the good thing was that I didn''t have such a terrifying woman for my girlfriend''s mother. If by any chance I got married with Tang Qi Hong, I would have to ensure I never piss off my potential mother-in-law, or I would be incinerated faster before I could say, "sorry."


    That was when I noticed a stray fireball diverting from the others and streaking in my direction.


    "!!!"


    No, it wasn''t a stray fireball. It was homing toward my position of its own accord. Evidently Ling Huo Shen had been aming for me. This was his aim from the start! His attack against Sect Lady Da Ji was merely a smokescreen to cover up his true intentions!


    I gathered all my qi to Snow Aegis and flung my shield up to block the fireball. The Pure Yang Flames detonated against my azure, crystalline shield, throwing my scorched Spirit Armament back. Buffeted by the explosion, I was knocked over, but I instantly caught up and threw my hands out while my Snow Aegis hurtled back uncontrollably. I managed to catch it, burning my fingers when they came into contact with the superheated material, and winced.


    Fortunately, Snow Aegis didn''t seem to be too badly damaged. I could clear away the scorch burns during regular maintenance, and its core systems and most of its surface had remained intact.


    "That Spirit Shield actually withstood a direct hit from my Pure Yang Flames?!" Ling Huo Shen exclaimed in astonishment.


    "¡­"


    Sect Lady Da Ji continued hovering in the air as she glanced in my direction in concern, but when she saw that I was all right, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    "That was close!" Tong Xue gasped as he staggered back. Despite blocking most of the attack from the Divine Fire, furious embers had sparked off from my shield and rained down on the riverbank, burning several of us. The explosion had been so powerful that the blast had knocked us off our feet, and the surviving Blood Blades and Incendiary Ifrit Sect members were currently climbing back to their feet, singed and stunned.


    "That old man really is powerful¡­" one of the squad 4 Blood Blades marveled, shaking his head and coughing.


    However, the intense heat that seared across the riverbank had also melted the ice that entombed Ling Qing Zhu. Possessing the same elemental affinity and having learned the same martial arts techniques of her father, Ling Qing Zhu was able to draw upon and absorb the Pure Yang Flames from him, revitalizing her qi and regaining her energy. In an instant, she broke free of the ice and collapsed onto the scorched ground.


    "Huff¡­cough!"


    "Qing Zhu! Are you all right?!" Ling Huo Shen demanded, concerned. "Are you injured anywhere?"


    "I¡­I''m all right, Father." Ling Qing Zhu looked up weakly and gave him a thumb''s up. Her father breathed a sigh in relief.


    While his attention was focused on her, Sect Lady Da Ji appeared behind him.


    "You''re supposed to be fighting me, yet you still dare to be distracted?"


    "?!"


    Ling Huo Shen barely turned around in time to intercept the merciless strike from her blazing sword, catching the fiery blade with the shaft of his spear. Despite gripping his spear with both hands, he found himself thrown backward. The tremendous impact caused tidal waves to surge out of the river, splashing over the riverbank and momentarily flooding the places. The Blood Blades and Incendiary Ifrit Sect alike all scrambled to higher ground.


    I joined them as well, knowing there was way too much water for me to freeze all at once, and not exactly eager to get wet.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    Ling Huo Shen crashed back onto the single surviving ship that was being buffeted by the violent waves all around. He skidded across the deck, leaving skid marks, and finally arrested his momentum by plunging his spear into the ground.


    "Huff¡­"


    Straightening up as droplets of steaming river water rained down on him, he glanced up at Sect Lady''s descending figure, her sword still blazing brightly and vaporizing the water around her into an ethereal mist.


    "Hmph!" Ling Huo Shen snorted coldly as he plucked his flaming spear from the deck to welcome her intrusion in a dignified manner.


    Sect Lady Da Ji landed gracefully on the deck opposite him, and swung her sword to unleash the flames on its blade. An inferno ravaged the battered boat, surrounding the two combatants in a volcanic-like ring of fire.


    "I remember saying this before."


    The flames on her sword intensified as Sect Lady Da Ji spoke, and the inferno surrounding them seemed to expand even more ravenously than before. Her usually blue eyes turned crimson as she channeled her fiery qi throughout her body and activated Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula again.

 188 Chapter 187: Pure Yang Flames

    "Ugh¡­what overwhelming brute strength¡­"


    He exhaled as perspiration dripped down his face, trying to calm himself down.


    "As expected of the sect lady of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect¡­she really lives up to her name. She really is exceptionally powerful."


    After he brought his quivering under control, he raised his other hand, curling his fingers as he gathered qi into them.


    "However¡­in terms of qi, my Divine Fire will not lose to her Fire Fox Formula!"


    He conjured a new torrent of flames and blasted streams of Divine Fire at Sect Lady Zi Da Ji, who swung her sword to unleash another nine gigantic fireballs. The ship shuddered as explosions rang through its deck, huge chunks of it blasted out of its battered frame or otherwise incinerated completely. Waves of water splashed onto the fires on the deck, only to vaporize into steam instantly from the sheer heat.


    Back on the riverbank, with Ling Qing Zhu''s revival, the tide of battle had reversed and she was almost single-handedly holding squad 4 back. The surviving Incendiary Ifrit Sect members rallied around her, their morale boosted and their fighting prowress instantly increasing. An inferno circled us, incinerating two unfortunate Blood Blades who weren''t able to get out of the way in time. The rest of them found themselves trapped by an ever-narrowing ring of fire.


    "Gather around me!" I commanded. Tong Xue complied without hesitation, and after a moment of glancing at each other, the rest of squad 4 obeyed. I raised my Snow Aegis to block another torrent of flames from the Incendiary Ifrit Sect, who were trying to fill the ring of fire with deadly flames as well, and then drew my Azure Lotus Sword.


    "Whoa! Where did you get that sword from?" Tong Xue demanded, his eye bulging as he goggled the treasure Spirit Sword.


    I didn''t reply, and instead plunged my sword into the ground. Unleashing my qi in a massive burst, I froze all the flames around us. The barrier my Snow Aegis conjured succeeded in protecting the tight circle of Blood Blades, and thanks to that they didn''t get caught in the expanding ice as well. The frost rapidly spread out, not only devouring the flames but also catching a couple of unfortunate Incendiary Ifrit Sect members too slow to retreat and freezing them solid.


    "You¡­!"


    Ling Qing Zhu frowned when she saw that. Gritting her teeth, she swung her Crimson Lotus Sword and incinerated the ice, but I immediately plucked my Azure Lotus Sword from the ground and countered her attack with my own.


    Boom!


    "Please leave Ling Qing Zhu to me," I told my fellow Blood Blades. "You guys go take care of the rest."


    Fortunately, nobody seemed overly upset about me giving orders. Even though they were technically my seniors, it was clear that none of them would be able to match Ling Qing Zhu. Or perhaps they could, but they would have great difficulty overcoming her, and was thankful that the extremely arduous task was palmed off to somebody.


    Namely, me.


    "I must apologize again."


    Ling Qing Zhu incinerated a swathe of ice with a swing of her Crimson Lotus Sword, burning the earth right in front of her again. While freezing the approaching stream of flames into ice, I raised my eyebrow.


    "Even though you saved my life, and even helped my cousins with their request regarding Spirit Armaments, we''re ordered to attack you and your sect."


    Yeah, now that I thought about it, the Seven Valley Sects were pretty shameless. The Ling Sisters and Lu Li from the Dark Fiend Valley Sect came all the way here to ask us to forge Spirit Armaments for them, and then after receiving them, they turned around and backstabbed us. Or joined the rest of the Martial Arts Alliance in attacking us. I would have felt aggrieved if I was the one forging their weapons. No doubt Elder Tie would be furious if he learned that the Ling Sisters would end up using the Spirit Weapons he forged for them against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect itself.


    On the other hand, I doubted he would forge them in time, and that they would be part of the invasion force. The two Ling Sisters, while beautiful and talented, weren''t powerful enough. They would get slaughtered by even the lowest-ranking members of Blood Blades. Somehow it seemed more prudent that they would retreat and disappear back into the sect once they received their Spirit Armaments rather than join the fight.


    "If you know, then why the heck are you attacking us?" I asked dryly. Ling Qing Zhu looked a little conflicted.


    "Orders," she replied simply. "I can''t go against my father."


    "What admirable filial piety!" I exclaimed, sarcasm dripping from my voice. Then again, what exactly did I expect from a demonic sect?


    No, Incendiary Ifrit Sect doing this was still fine. At least they were open about this and didn''t look for justifications to explain their motives. The real villains were the Martial Arts Alliance, with their hypocrisy and backstabbing. Coming up with all that bullshit about us harboring weapons of mass destruction to legitimize their conquest of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect just so they could steal our resources and enslave our blacksmiths, while hypocritically spouting about justice and honor¡­yeah, I would sympathize with the Incendiary Ifrit Sect more than the so-called orthodox sects of the Martial Arts Alliance.


    Ling Qing Zhu did not reply. There was no point conversing any further. Both she and I were aware that words were meaningless. In truth, only deeds mattered. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her sword and charged forward.


    "This again, huh?" I murmured under my breath. Had she not learn her lesson from earlier?


    Absolute Zero!


    I allowed my qi to spread out from my body, freezing the space around us in an instant the moment she stepped into my territory. Ice rapidly reached out to wrap around Ling Qing Zhu once again, seeking to entomb her in absolute immobility.


    Honestly, given what happened earlier, I would have thought that Ling Qing Zhu would be warier of charging straight at me again, lest I use Absolute Zero again. She probably thought I could only use such a terrifying technique once, and gambled on that. Unfortunately, she had underestimated me.


    "!!!"


    My eyes slightly widened when I saw the flames spreading from her body to counter the Absolute Zero concept¡­I mean technique, vaporizing the ice and canceling out the energy-leeching effects. Ling Qing Zhu hurtled onward, swinging her Crimson Lotus Sword.


    It appeared that I was the one who had underestimated her. Well, given how Ling Qing Zhu was a prodigy of her Incendiary Ifrit Sect, of course she wasn''t stupid enough to repeat the same maneuver if she wasn''t confident of countering it. And it wasn''t like I was Li Fu Chen, who could automatically defeat her the next time we met because of protagonist power.


    Yeah, that Mary Sue bastard, despite supposedly being outmatched by a so-called Six Star Bone Frame when he first encountered Yan Qing Wu, started to effortlessly defeat her in every subsequent encounters. The same thing with Su Mu Yu. Despite hyping her up as this invincible Six Star Bone Frame when he first met her, in subsequent encounters, he automatically counts as defeating her without even fighting her.


    Anyway, it was pointless talking about that. I had to stand my ground firmly and intercept Ling Qing Zhu''s strike, which blew me away and sent me rolling on the ground. Jumping to my feet, I parried Ling Qing Zhu''s next attack, and the ground around me exploded as flames ravaged the space. The fires burned brightly for a few moments before my Absolute Zero took over and froze them, but as before, my victory was short-lived.


    "You¡­really have gotten stronger, haven''t you?" Ling Qing Zhu murmured, perspiration dripping down her face as she strained with the effort of attacking me again, while I desperately blocked every single one of her strikes, each proving lethal if I let allowed it to hit me.


    "I could say the same about you," I retorted as I warded off another of her attacks. Even though I had increased my strength somewhat significantly, I was still barely able to match Ling Qing Zhu blow for blow. Clearly she had recovered from the incident in the ancient tomb and had even gotten stronger. "At least you found a way to neutralize all that pure yin qi."


    Ling Qing Zhu flinched, but she said nothing, replying instead with a vicious strike that drove me back a few steps.


    "I have yet to thank you for that," she finally spoke up as we sprang apart in a shower of sparks. Lowering her sword, she indicated our battling comrades with her head. "I''ll give you a chance. Take your friends and run. I will persuade your father to allow your little group to escape through the river. That way, you might survive the demise of your sect."


    "You think I''m going to run away while my sect gets invaded by those Martial Arts Alliance bastards?" I snapped incredulously.


    "No." a tinge of sadness appeared on her beautiful face. "But it was worth a try. If anything, I was hoping that you would survive. I have yet to pay you back for saving me."


    "Screw that." I tightened my grip on my sword. "I didn''t help you so that you can be in my debt or because I was expecting a favor. I was only doing the right thing. So don''t hold back out of any guilt or gratitude. That''s disrespectful."


    "I know." Ling Qing Zhu adopted an aggressive stance, raising her sword in a way that her blade was parallel to the ground. "It really is a pity." She smiled. "If you survive this, then the Martial Arts Alliance has just made themselves one hell of a terrifying enemy."


    "You give me far too much credit," I protested. Well, at least she wasn''t the type of person who would adopt the stupid "you''ll definitely be a threat in future! I must kill you now at any cost so that I won''t have any regrets in future!" attitude.


    Ling Qing Zhu lunged at me again, unleashing a torrent of flames with her sword. I swung my Azure Lotus Sword in response, freezing her flames with ice. I would have brought my Snow Aegis down to block her attack, but that would mean giving up my ability to counterattack (shields aren''t exactly known for their attacking abilities, after all). It would have been easy to defend against Ling Qing Zhu, but my goal wasn''t to go into the defensive and bog her down.


    My aim was to defeat her.


    Our swords clashed again, sparks scattering around us as our blades collided. Our qi smashed against each other, covering the landscape in alternating fire and ice, embers and frost appearing and disappearing in turns.


    "Damn it¡­" I heard Tong Xue gasp behind me. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is under attack! We have to hurry and finish the battle here and return to reinforce them!"


    I understood his concern. Every minute wasted here was a minute that benefited the Martial Arts Alliance. While I was under no illusion that the meager combined strength of squad 4, Tong Xue and mine would make a difference to the overall war effort, Sect Lady Da Ji on the other hand would contribute greatly to the defense of our sect if she wasn''t occupied with this bastard.


    We had to find a way to end this as early as possible.


    "Sorry," I told Ling Qing Zhu.


    "Huh?" she gaped at me in shock, but credit to her, she did not let her concentration falter. Instead, she redoubled her efforts and charged at me again, blazing through my Absolute Zero and striking at what she thought was my weak point.


    At that moment, all six of my mobile turrets banked and fired a volley of qi beams. Distracted by her opponent in front of her, Ling Qing Zhu did not see the attack coming until it was too late.


    "Argh!"


    All six qi beams punched cauterized holes through her body, and she toppled over from the pain and shock. Striding forward, I stabbed down with my Azure Lotus Sword.


    "Qing Zhu!" The Golden God of Fire hollered, having turned around when he heard her cry out and spotted me subduing her. His eyes widened in horror and he glared at me. "You bastard!"


    Before he could launch one of his monstrous fireballs at me, Sect Lady Da Ji swiveled and wove through the network of flames and got right under his guard. As expected of one of the top martial artists in the Great Zhou Empire, Ling Huo Shen barely brought his spear down to block her incoming blade, and a shockwave from the impact buffeted their surroundings.


    However, Sect Lady Da Ji had anticipated that.


    While her blade crashed against the shaft of Ling Huo Shen''s spear, she brought her other hand forward and drove a flaming fist right into the God of Fire''s gut. The piledriver connected with devastating effect, and a tsunami actually rose to gobble up the quaking ship. Blood spurted from Ling Huo Shen''s mouth as he staggered for a moment, and then he was sent hurtling across the air before slamming into the formidable walls of Tushan City''s fortress and vanishing in an explosion.


    "¡­"


    All the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members and Blood Blades gaped at the astonishing scene, unable to see what had just happened.


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    "Sect Lady Da Ji is really scary¡­" one of the Blood Blades murmured.


    "Yeah, as expected, she''s amazing," another agreed.


    "This should resolve everything." Tong Xue breathed a sigh of relief and smiled while batting away one of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members. To be fair, the latter was too shocked to continue fighting or defending himself, and the morale was plunging when they saw their leader take a fatal hit. Tong Xue didn''t hesitate in subduing him, though. "No matter how powerful the Golden God of Fire is, he won''t be able to withstand a hit from Sect Lady Da Ji''s Fire Fox Fist."


    "Please¡­"


    I glanced down when I heard the plea. Ling Qing Zhu was looking up at me helplessly and pleadingly. I hadn''t killed her, merely stabbed the sword into the ground next to her head. I had done that more to distract her father more than anything.


    "Please don''t kill my father¡­"


    "If he withdraws, then nobody else will have to die," I told her plainly.


    Now people might be questioning why I didn''t kill her. Honestly, I had no reason to kill her. In our battle, I could sense that Ling Qing Zhu had no intention of killing me. She was just trying to incapacitate me, but I detected no killing intent from her. If she had no intention of killing me, then there was no reason for me to kill her.


    I wasn''t a psychopath who went around killing people because they offended me, or over the most trivial of reasons. I could sympathize with Ling Qing Zhu and somewhat understood her circumstances. And since there was no danger of me dying from her attacks, then I honestly had no reason to kill her.


    My six qi beams had struck her in non-vital spots. I had carefully aimed with my glasses'' targeting system and severed tendons and deal enough damage to incapacitate her, but I was careful not to hit anything vital.


    That said, I wasn''t above using her as a hostage to secure the safety of the sect if necessary.


    "Your father won''t die from that," I told her coolly. She closed her eyes in relief.


    In the huge crater at the foot of the crumbling wall, Ling Huo Shen lay amidst rubble, trembling and groaning in agony.


    "Ugh¡­ah¡­"


    He coughed out some blood as he wheezed and heaved, unable to get up. While he lay helplessly on the debris, Sect Lady Da Ji slowly approached him, her fist still clad in demonic fire. She was literally walking on water, having hopped off the boat and was crossing the river toward her downed opponent.


    "I have shattered your entire ribcage," she informed him calmly. "And you''ve suffered heavy internal damage."


    Each step she took sent ripples across the river''s surface. In spite of all that vaporization from the flames that turned a lot of the river to steam, there was still plenty of water left.


    Despite her calm exterior, Sect Lady Da Ji was hurt. There was no doubt about it. Her left fist was bleeding and scorched, having been burned by the Divine Fire when she punched the Golden God of Fire. As distracted as he was, he was still quite the formidable opponent.


    However, Sect Lady Da Ji showed no sign of pain despite her injuries.


    "I''ll let your men carry you back so that you can recover."


    She stopped for a moment to glare at the wheezing and gasping Ling Huo Shen.


    "In exchange¡­from this day onward, you''re not allowed to set a single foot in Tushan City ever again."


    One of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members swiftly jumped to Ling Huo Shen''s side, crouching next to him in concern.


    "Lord God of Fire, are you all right?"


    "Ugh¡­" Ling Huo Shen coughed out some blood and remained lying helplessly on his back. Beads of perspiration formed over his face. But he managed to gasp out instructions. "There''s medicine in¡­my pocket¡­"


    The Incendiary Ifrit Sect subordinate did not hesitate. Reaching in, he slipped a hand into Ling Huo Shen''s pocket and retrieved a red, spherical Spirit Pill.


    "Are you talking about this?" he asked, raising it with his fingers.


    Tong Xue and the Blood Blades watched, the rest of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members having withdrawn upon the fall of their master and no longer posing much of a threat. While one would be tempted to massacre them, that would merely drive them into a corner and force them into a desperate fight for their lives, a skirmish we could ill-afford now that the rest of the sect was under attack. The best case scenario for both parties was that the Incendiary Ifrit Sect retreat, so that the Blood Blades could return to reinforcing their comrades within the sect.


    "That''s¡­correct¡­"


    Ling Huo Shen was clearly in agonizing pain.


    "Hurry¡­hurry and feed that to me."


    "¡­!"


    While the subordinate obediently fed the groaning Ling Huo Shen the red pill, Tong Xue''s eyes widened.


    "Something''s not right!" he gasped, especially when he had a better view of the red pill. "That''s not a healing pill!"


    "Huh? Then what is it?" I demanded, even though I already had an inkling of what it was. If it wasn''t healing medicine, then it could only be one thing.


    Tong Xue had arrived at the same conclusion.


    "Don''t tell me that''s¡­"


    A steroid. Some type of performance enhancement drug that would allow Ling Huo Shen to dope and temporarily increase his abilities while erasing the pain. It was very similar to the Qi Burst Pill that Qi Fu Ren of yesteryear took when fighting against me.


    No, it was probably the same type of Qi Burst Pill¡­


    Having recognized it too, Tong Xue went into a panic.


    "Sect Lady!" he shrieked. "Hurry and stop him! That''s not ordinary healing medicine! It''s one that grants the user a great burst in power for a short period of time! It''s the Flaming Red Pill!"


    Oh, well¡­the Flaming Red Pill was the same type of medicine as a Qi Burst Pill, so I wasn''t entirely wrong there. It was just specialized for fire-based martial artists, that''s all.


    "Huh?"


    The subordinate looked up, but he was too late. He had already fed Ling Huo Shen the Flaming Red Pill.


    "Good observation skills," Ling Huo Shen remarked as he suddenly sat up, his teeth crushing the Flaming Red Pill into shards. He nodded at his subordinate, who obediently retreated. What? Were you expecting him to kill his subordinate for no reason other than to emphasize his villainy? Nah, reality didn''t work that way. Real people were a lot more complex than one-dimensional murderous villains who killed for no real reason.


    "!!!"


    We all jumped back instinctively when we felt the beginnings of a solar flare surge from Ling Huo Shen''s body.


    "It''s a pity, though¡­you realized it too late!"


    Boom!


    The entire space vanished in a terrifying conflagration, which turned the ground into molten earth and the concrete-alloy fortified walls red-hot. Sect Lady Da Ji narrowed her eyes, and the next second she lunged forward without hesitation, blasting across the river to thrust her flaming sword toward Ling Huo Shen''s heart.


    Water droplets splashed about around her wildly as she charged through it, and she actually gracefully used the suspended water droplets as footholds or launching pads to propel herself forward faster than before.


    But even Sect Lady Da Ji was too late.


    Laughing in a sinister manner, Ling Huo Shen rose to his feet, his eyes blazing crimson. The distance between him and Sect Lady Da Ji was so large that he had time to dramatically recover and stand before she could reach him. A torrent of flames burst out of his body, turning into a miniature sun that enveloped everything in devastating flames.


    "!"


    Despite her natural affinity with fire, even Sect Lady Da Ji was stopped dead in her tracks and blown away by the sheer power.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Roaring with laughter, Ling Huo Shen ascended, becoming a true Golden God of Fire. Raising both his hands, he reveled in the flames that engulfed him, delighted by the surge of power that his doping had granted him.


    "Ah¡­this sensation." He marveled. "This power¡­it really is a joy to experience! Should I share this delight with you, the burning sensation of the Pure Yang Flames?"


    The next instance, the whole place vanished in heat and light. Never mind Sect Lady Da Ji, all of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect disciples and the Blood Blades were forced to evade the torrents of golden flames that burst out of his body, incinerating large swathes of the riverbank and the forest outside Tushan City. Friend or foe, the devastating flames made no discrimination. Anyone unfortunate enough to get caught in the blast was rendered into ash immediately, regardless of whether they possessed a natural affinity to fire or not.


    Only one place was left untouched. The place where Ling Qing Zhu lay. It was only natural. Ling Huo Shen was going this far because of his daughter. It would be tragic irony if his final, desperate move ended up killing the daughter he was trying to save.


    "Bastard¡­" one of the squad 4 members growled as a bead of perspiration dripped down his face. "Pure Yang Flames, Golden Light Armor¡­how powerful! Is¡­is this the second-most powerful fire-based demonic martial artist in decades, the Golden God of Fire''s strongest stance?"


    The flames were so strong they actually incinerated a huge chunk of the wall, creating a breach. The Blood Blades could only watch helplessly as our fortified walls burned, and an entire section of it crumbled.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­" I murmured.


    Sect Lady Da Ji darted across the river, weaving and dodging the Pure Yang Flames that Ling Huo Shen blasted at her.


    "You''re pretty good at dodging," the Golden God of Fire remarked casually as he raised his spear, firing off another bombardment that the sect lady evaded effortlessly. "But just dodging alone isn''t going to be enough!"


    Swinging his spear, he let out a bellow and jumped high into the heavens. Sect Lady Da Ji immediately paused to watch him, as did the Blood Blades, who had no idea what he was trying to achieve.


    "What¡­?"


    "What is he planning on doing?" Tong Xue murmured in shock.


    "Don''t ask me," I muttered, just as baffled as they were.


    Like a phoenix soaring into the skies, the Golden God of Fire shot up until he almost seemed like he had reached the sun. Hovering at such a high altitude, he seemed to call upon the powers of the sun to conjure an ocean of fire.


    Well, actually, now that I thought about it, he was using his Pure Yang Flames to blast himself toward the heavens like a rocket. It would be great if he accidentally overshot and fly thousands of kilometers away ¨C that would solve our current crisis ¨C but as usual, life never worked the way we wanted it to.


    "¡­"


    Sect Lady Da Ji paused as she studied Ling Huo Shen''s hovering form, but she neither looked impressed nor amused. Her lips were set in a grim line, her eyes cautiously locked onto his blazing, golden form.


    "Ha ha ha ha!"


    The Golden God of Fire was laughing, his form enveloped by raging golden flames, as he stared down on us. His red cloak fluttered, though whether it''s from the current generated by hot air heated by his golden flames or because of dramatic effect, I couldn''t tell.


    "Blood Blades, and members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Today will be the day of your demise. This old man will use my Pure Yang Flames and send every one of you demons into hell!"


    "A demonic sect leader calling us demons. Now I''ve heard everything." I shook my head and sighed heavily.


    "Uh, well¡­" the rest of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members exchanged wary glances. At least they had some awareness that they were in a demonic sect.


    "And aren''t you afraid of the side effects?" I called out. "The consequences of doping are very serious, you know?"


    "Hah!" Ling Huo Shen spared me a spiteful glance. "Brat, do you really think your provocation will work on me? I''ll kill every single one of you, and then bring my daughter back to the sect for medical treatment!"


    "Couldn''t you just bring her back without killing us?" I countered. The Golden God of Fire blanched for a moment, and then snorted.


    "Oh shut up!"


    Raising his hand, he conjured a gigantic fireball that dwarfed everything he had summoned before. It was several times larger than even all of Sect Lady Da Ji''s nine massive fireballs combined. It was so huge that it blocked out even the sun.


    "That''s¡­that is¡­"


    Tong Xue gasped as he goggled upward at the rapidly expanding fireball. Never mind blocking out the sun, the damned thing was growing to be larger than a house.


    No, larger than a building. The bloody thing was becoming as big as a damned stadium!


    Sect Lady Da Ji stood her ground as she watched the gargantuan fireball fill the space of the sky above Tushan City. I understood her concern. The damned fireball had enough power to level and incinerate the whole city if we allowed it to hit!


    "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Ling Huo Shen was doing the clich¨¦ villain laugh now.


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s Zi Da Ji¡­aren''t you supposed to be very strong?" he mocked. "If you still have any moves left, bring them out!"


    Sect Lady Da Ji gritted her teeth.


    "All of you will get caught up in it! Everyone, gather around me, right now!"


    "All of you can immediately go to the Sanzu River and repent!"

 189 Chapter 188: Embers

    "Don''t worry," the Golden God of Fire assured me with a sardonic smile. "Friendly Fire is off."


    I glanced at the charred remains of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect members who were too slow to get away in time. "Uh¡­really?"


    "Well, it''s not 100%," Ling Huo Shen admitted. "But I''m confident I will be able to adjust and rein in the flames enough to avoid hurting her. Besides, I''m not aiming at her."


    He was right. The immense fireball was sailing toward Tushan City right now.


    "We can''t let that hit!"


    Swearing under her breath, Sect Lady Da Ji darted forward and slashed with all her might. Her blade caught against the massive fireball, and by the heavens, she actually succeeded in stopping it for the moment.


    However, blood was beginning to stream from her mouth and eyes as she fought desperately against the irresistible force of the massive, sun-sized fireball. Her arms were beginning to blister from the sheer heat despite her elemental protection against fire.


    "Fool." The Golden God of Fire mocked, his crimson eyes blazing and his mouth set in a grim line. "You''re just a vixen from an upstart sect. Do you really think you will be able to block the Pure Yang Flames?"


    "Upstart sect?" Sect Lady Da Ji shot back. "Our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is still one of the eight major sects in the orthodox way, even if the Martial Arts Alliance has betrayed us. Whereas what is your Incendiary Ifrit Sect, compared to the likes of the Blazing Sun Sect or Heavenly Fiend Sect? You''re just a second-rate demonic martial artist!"


    "Second-rate demonic martial artist?" Ling Huo Shen sneered. "Hah! It must be humiliating for you then, to die to an attack from a so-called second-rate demonic martial artist!"


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Sect Lady Da Ji''s legs and arms buckled as she was unable to keep the fireball from pressing on any longer. A fact that did not escape the arrogant Golden God of Fire''s notice.


    "Hmph! Resistance is futile. You should just surrender!"


    Sect Lady Da Ji gritted her teeth as more blood ran down her mouth and chin, and the delicate-looking skin on her arms and legs were scorched by the sheer heat.


    "This old man will watch as your bones get burned to ash!" Ling Huo Shen sneered derisively again.


    "All of you, escape!" Sect Lady Da Ji ordered. The Blood Blades had followed her earlier orders and gathered around her, remaining nearby behind her as she desperately fought to hold off the massive fireball.


    "Escape to where?" one of the Blood Blades asked dryly. "There''s no place to run."


    Sect Lady Da Ji closed her eyes briefly.


    "I don''t think it''ll be enough. We''ll probably get incinerated before any of us get far enough, never mind the civilians."


    "Besides, how are we supposed to escape, when the Martial Arts Alliance is attacking from the opposite side?"


    "Yeah, we have to stop this right here and right now."


    "Are you deaf?" Sect Lady Da Ji shouted. "This is an order! All of you, get away right now! Evacuate the city as best as you can! If the Martial Arts Alliance sees this attack they''ll naturally run instead of staying to fight!"


    "Except that they won''t get away in time and will likely get caught up in the blast too." Small comfort that was, that most of our enemies would die with us, but we would rather not die at all and get completely wiped out if possible.


    "Shut up and listen to me!" Sect Lady Da Ji snapped at the poor Blood Blade who said that, even though he only voiced what everyone else was thinking.


    "Everyone, please help me!" pushing up my glasses as I studied the fireball, I made a plea. The readings on my glasses were off the scale. The quantity of qi, the temperature, the energy, everything was beyond the measuring scope of my glasses. This was most likely the most powerful attack I had ever experienced in my short life. In fact, my glasses were on the verge of breaking, its sensors already going haywire. "Please help me bring Sect Lady Da Ji back!"


    "Huh? What are you¡­?"


    "I have a way to defend against that attack." I smiled to conceal that lie. Honestly, this would cause my death, but the alternative was to see the city destroyed. All my friends were in the city. Tang Qi Hong. Tong Xue. Lian Rou. Pang Feng. Elder Zhao. Elder Tie. Sect Lady Da Ji. Sect Leader Zi. Zi Xiao Ji. Zhao Shi. Da Ge. Maybe even Lang Xie, although I didn''t know him very well, he still taught me a bit of stuff.


    Like hell I was going to let everyone die here. Not in this manner!


    "What are you planning?"


    "I have the most powerful shield in the Great Zhou Empire," I replied as I summoned my Snow Aegis. The snowflake-shaped shield spun rapidly toward me, responding toward my will and imposing itself between the fireball and the city. It hovered just behind Sect Lady Da Ji. "What do you think I''m going to do?"


    Catching my drift, the rest of the Blood Blades nodded. They dashed forward and grabbed hold of a stunned Sect Lady Da Ji and bodily dragged her away. For a terrifying moment, the sun-sized fireball streaked forward, but my Snow Aegis rose to meet it.


    Bang!


    Steam immediately filled the air in the form of a dense fog as my icy qi spread across the immense fireball. But so powerful and hot was a technique of this magnitude that my efforts were as futile as sprinkling a flaming house with a cup of water. I might as well be throwing pebbles into the sea for all I was doing.


    Even so, I refused to give up.


    "Uwaaaah!"


    Placing my right hand against my Snow Aegis, I activated Absolute Zero. To my relief, I managed to succeed in freezing a small portion of the fireball.


    But only a very tiny portion. The rest of the immense fireball immediately filled the gap, overrunning my ice and washing me with sheer heat. I was beginning to yield, my skin blistering and burning from being in such close proximity to the fireball despite the arcane protection from my Snow Aegis.


    "Argh!"


    "The idea isn''t bad, but you don''t have the qi needed to pull it off."


    A voice whispered into my ear from behind, startling me. Glancing over my shoulder, my jaw dropped.


    "Sect Lady Da Ji?"


    "You''re not the only one who wants to protect the sect and the city." She placed a hand on my spine. "I''ll give you a little bit of help."


    I suddenly felt an increase in qi as Sect Lady Da Ji poured her qi into me. Making use of the sudden influx of qi, I converted it into ice qi and fed it to my Absolute Zero technique. To my surprise, it was actually working. The ice was spreading rapidly across the fireball, freezing it and slowly neutralizing it bit by bit.


    "What?!"


    Hovering high above us, Ling Huo Shen noticed that something was amiss. But he was too late.


    "That''s enough."


    "?"


    Before I understood what was happening, Sect Lady Da Ji abruptly pulled me and my Snow Aegis back, causing me to stumble in midair. Tong Xue and another Blood Blade quickly moved in to catch me as I fell.


    "From now on, it''s my turn."


    Brandishing her sword, Sect Lady Da Ji cut through the gradually freezing fireball. Even though I failed to completely freeze it with my Absolute Zero, I had clearly done enough damage and weakened it to the point where the commander of the Blood Blades was able to cleave through it and destroy it with her sword.


    "Impossible!"


    Ling Huo Shen gaped at the incredible sight, but he wasn''t able to react in time when Sect Lady Da Ji sped toward him. He swung his spear down quickly, unleashing another torrent of flames, but she cut through them as she sped toward him before slashing with her sword. The Golden God of Fire quickly brought his spear down to intercept her blade, but¡­


    Slash!


    "Kuh¡­!"


    He was too slow.


    The Flaming Red Pill might have boosted his qi and allowed him to ignore the pain, but it didn''t enhance his physical strength and reflexes, nor did it heal his previous injuries. As a result, he was too slow to respond to Sect Lady Da Ji''s attack.


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    Despite doing his best to block her blade with his spear, Sect Lady Da Ji''s sword darted past the shaft and opened a massive wound across his chest. Even with the effects of the Flaming Red Pill, which was slowly dying out in any case, the Golden God of Fire couldn''t withstand such a fatal wound. Blood spurted from his torso as he was cleaved from shoulder to hip, and he crashed onto the ground, unable to control the movements of his limbs.


    "Ugh¡­no way¡­this can''t be¡­!"


    "F¡­father!" Ling Qing Zhu cried out when she saw him plummet onto the ground.


    "Sect Leader!" his surviving subordinates shouted.


    Bang!


    Ling Huo Shen vanished in a shower of dust and rubble as he slammed into the earth, carving a crater in the ground. Even as dust billowed across the riverbank, concealing his battered form from view, his daughter and the rest of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect raced toward his position.


    Apparently one of the subordinates had treated Ling Qing Zhu''s wounds, which was how she was able to move again. It wasn''t as if the Flaming Red Pill was the only medicine they had. Already one of the subordinates was kneeling beside the downed Ling Huo Shen, applying emergency first aid and sealing the horrendous injury to stem the bleeding.


    "You didn''t die from that?" Sect Lady Da Ji swung her sword to flick the blood away from her blade, and then sheathed it. "How tenacious."


    Then she collapsed.


    "Sect Lady!"


    "Sect Lady Da Ji!"


    Immediately, the Blood Blades and I rushed forward to catch her before she hit the ground. She gazed at us tiredly.


    "You all did well," she murmured as she struggled to stand, but almost fell. We caught her and supported her.


    "¡­"


    This was not good. Sect Lady Da Ji had obviously sustained grievous injuries during the battle against Ling Huo Shen. She needed medical treatment immediately.


    "We''ve to bring her back to the infirmary," I said. The rest of the Blood Blades nodded.


    "But what about them?" Tong Xue asked, jerking his head in the direction of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect.


    "¡­they are no longer a threat. If they''re stupid enough to attack us, then we''ll wipe them out." I closed my eyes briefly and shook my head. "But they can''t afford to die here. They can''t afford to let their sect leader die here."


    As it turned out, I was right. The Incendiary Ifrit Sect looked like they were retreating.


    "I''m sorry." Ling Qing Zhu bowed. "But let''s leave this matter as it is. We will withdraw from the battle after sustaining unacceptable casualties. My father''s life is in danger, and obviously we will prioritize saving him."


    "That''s fine with us." Sect Lady Da Ji was still conscious, so she continued to take command. "But if you try anything funny, like leave even one of your members behind to sneak in, I will return and destroy your sect."


    "This lowly servant does not dare." Ling Qing Zhu kept her head bowed. She glanced at her fellow Incendiary Ifrit Sect members, who nodded in compliance. "Every single one of us will withdraw. The Incendiary Ifrit Sect will no longer get involved in this war."


    "That''s good enough for us." Sect Lady Da Ji stared at her coolly. "Then leave as soon as possible. Your father might still be alive, but given his current condition, it''s likely that he might not last much longer."


    "Understood. Thank you very much."


    Ling Qing Zhu expressed her gratitude, snuck one last glance at me, and then ordered the surviving members of her sect to board the last remaining ship and sail off. They had already bundled her father aboard the ship and were putting out the fires while doing their best to preserve his life. Thanks to the miraculous skills of their medic, Ling Huo Shen''s life was no longer in immediate danger, but to recover fully, they required more advanced medical facilities.


    Facilities that they presently did not possess. Looked like they had to rush back to their sect as quickly as possible.


    Even though Incendiary Ifrit Sect was a demonic sect, we were aware that Ling Huo Shen was somewhat honorable, by demonic sects'' standards at least. He will definitely remember that we spared his life and allowed his daughter and surviving sect members to escape, and so would not provoke us in future. Even if he did go back on his word like a typical demonic martial artist, he would require a very long time to recover from his fatal injuries that Sect Lady Da Ji dealt to him. Half a year, probably, or an entire year if he wasn''t lucky.


    By then, the war between Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and the Martial Arts Alliance should have already been settled. Hopefully.


    "Let''s return." Sect Lady Da Ji glanced at Tong Xue, who was consulting his smartphone. "If what you say is true, then we''ve to hurry back and reinforce the sect."


    "Yeah." Tong Xue was beaming a holographic tactical display from his smartphone. All of us could receive regular tactical updates and orders from our smartphones, and get a rough understanding of what was occurring throughout the battlefield.


    Currently, the hologram that Tong Xue displayed for us to see were marked with many red contact icons, which indicated enemy contacts. Our forces were represented by blue icons, and they looked frighteningly few when compared to the sea of red battering at our gates. To my shock, I saw that there were a few red icons within Tushan City itself.


    "Blood Shadow has been spotted," Tong Xue informed me grimly when he caught sight of where I was staring at. "Elements of Blood Blades are currently pursuing him and engaging him in battle, but as you know, he is pretty powerful."


    "He can''t be as powerful as the Golden God of Fire," Sect Lady Da Ji snorted before she staggered. We caught her before she fell over.


    "We should bring you to the infirmary." I glanced at the other red icons outside the city. "Sect Lady Da Ji, please rest for now and recover. Leave Blood Shadow and the enemies within the walls to us. We will need you when the rest of the Martial Arts Alliance attacks in full force."


    "¡­"


    Sect Lady Da Ji was silent for a moment, and then she sighed heavily.


    "As much as my emotions tell me otherwise¡­you''re right." She glanced at the leader of squad 4. "Shi Hao, bring your squad back to the dorm and rest. Lang Xie might need you to reinforce the wall later, so get as much rest as you can and treat whatever injuries your squad has. Don''t worry, I''ll inform him that it''s my orders later."


    She was already sending the message through her smartphone. She wasn''t calling him because he might potentially be embroiled in a battle with Blood Shadow right now.


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    "You guys too." Sect Lady Da Ji turned to me and Tong Xue. "Get yourselves patched up, and make sure you''re ready for the next phase of invasion. If it''s just Blood Shadow, I believe Lang Xie and Hai Rong will be more than capable of handling him."


    "Sure. But please allow us to escort you to the infirmary first."


    "You kids¡­" Sect Lady Da Ji smiled at me and shook her head. "I''m not that old that I''ll require you children to worry about me yet. I can take care of myself."


    Despite her words, she allowed us to talk her into bringing her back to the infirmary, and we only left for the dorm after we made sure she was being seen by a doctor in our sect.


    "Wow¡­I didn''t think we would really clash with the Incendiary Ifrit Sect¡­" Tong Xue groaned. "They really live up to their reputation, don''t they?"


    "Indeed," I agreed. But I remembered that Ling Qing Zhu hadn''t really given her all, and held back when fighting me. Thanks to that, I didn''t expend as much of my qi as I thought I would have. Even when I used a lot of qi to counter Ling Huo Shen''s immense fireball, I ended up using Sect Lady Da Ji''s qi to make up for what I had lacked, which left me with plenty of reserves to spare. "We were lucky they retreated, and even luckier that Sect Lady Da Ji took the battlefield personally."


    "Yeah. I dread to think what would have happened if Sect Lady Da Ji wasn''t there to fight." Tong Xue shuddered. "We would have been wiped out!"


    "I''m sure Vice-commander Lang Xie or Instructor Hai Rong would be able to figure something out," I replied. "Sect Lady Da Ji isn''t the only powerful martial artist in Blood Blades, after all."


    "You''re right." Tong Xue nodded in agreement. He glanced in the distance, where we could sense outbursts of qi. "Well, this is only the beginning. Let''s get whatever rest we can before we''re thrown into another round of battle."


    "Yup." I had no complaints. As an experienced soldier, I knew that it was important to grab whatever rest we could, whenever we had the chance. An exhausted, unfocused soldier was a dead one in a battlefield.


    However, when Tong Xue glanced at his smartphone again, he suddenly turned pale. Noticing his hands tremble as he gripped his smartphone tightly, I couldn''t help but feel some alarm.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked nervously.


    Tong Xue glanced, his expression darkening.


    "Earlier, Lian Rou and Qi Hong went to one of the areas under siege to provide support to the beleaguered Blood Blades there, to supply them with new Spirit Weapons and even some martial support."


    "That''s good." I nodded in approval. With the sect under attack, we were going to need everyone to help out, not just the Blood Blades.

 190 Chapter 189: I want them dead!

    "Huh? What are you talking about?"


    "No, nothing. We should hurry."


    "Agreed. I won''t allow Lian Rou to come to any harm!" Tong Xue growled determinedly. The two of us immediately ran off in the direction of wherever Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou went. However, before we got very far, Elder Zhao appeared.


    "Where do you two think you''re going?"


    The both of us skidded to a stop as he stared at us sternly, and bowed respectfully. Elder Zhao studied us for a moment, and then sighed.


    "I received instructions from Sect Lady Da Ji. You two are to return to your dorm and rest."


    "But¡­but¡­Lian Rou and the others¡­!" Tong Xue blurted out.


    "They''ll be fine," Elder Zhao assured him. "They have Blood Blades protecting them. And they''re just helping out, they are not actually fighting."


    "I see." Tong Xue breathed a sigh of relief. Then he frowned. "Wait, isn''t their location being attacked by Blood Shadow right now?"


    "Your information is out of date," Elder Zhao informed him, but just to be sure, he retrieved his smartphone to confirm. "Seems like Lang Xie and Hai Rong arrived to drive him away in time before we took any casualties."


    "That''s good." Tong Xue looked extremely relieved. I was sure my current expression mirrored his, but I didn''t say anything.


    "In fact, they should be heading back about now." Elder Zhao glanced at his smartphone. "They were only supposed to hand over supplies and fresh Spirit Armaments to the Blood Blades fighting on the frontlines. They should have finished their job a while ago by now. Shen Cha and the intelligence department should be tracking Blood Shadow down right now."


    "Divine Shadow Sect''s Blood Shadow¡­one of the three Shadow Guards¡­" Tong Xue sighed heavily. "He''s the most powerful of the three. For someone of his strength to sneak inside Tushan City, we''re in pretty deep trouble."


    "You know them too?" Elder Zhao was surprised. Tong Xue looked annoyed.


    "Intelligence is my speciality, remember? Of course I would know them. And we even defeated Gray Shadow and Black Shadow, didn''t we?"


    "Um, wasn''t Fei Wu the one who killed both Gray Shadow and Black Shadow?" Elder Zhao glanced at me. I merely lowered my head humbly.


    "We did it as a team. All of Blood Blades deserve the credit."


    "Liar! You fought Black Shadow when he invaded your cell in Fire Prison Cliff and killed him by yourself!" Tong Xue snapped.


    "Then why were you taking the credit for killing them earlier?" Elder Zhao asked dryly, which caused him to stammer uncertainly.


    Unfortunately, we had barely taken a few steps before we heard a cry from Elder Zhao. The both of us quickly spun around.


    "Elder Zhao? What happened?" I demanded.


    Elder Zhao was looking pretty pale as he stared at the screen of his smartphone. He raised his head to look at us, his complexion ghastly.


    "Qi Hong and Lian Rou¡­when they were on their way back to the sect grounds¡­they were attacked and abducted."


    "¡­what?" Tong Xue''s normally gentle expression turned sharp. Elder Zhao scowled as he read the tactical update on his screen again.


    "Hu Mei Er was escorting them back to the sect¡­or she was supposed to, but she led them elsewhere. The Blood Blades stationed nearby reported that they heard a battle, but by the time they rushed over, all three girls were missing."


    The name Hu Mei Er provoked something at the back of my mind, but for the life of me, I couldn''t place my finger on what was bothering me.


    Right, Hu Mei Er was Liang Shao Yang''s lover, and the two of them were pretty intimate. She was also Tang Qi Hong''s rival, but after she got into a relationship with Liang Shao Yang, she rarely tried to compete against Tang Qi Hong. However, she had kept a low profile after my duel with Liang Shao Yang, which resulted in his death. I hadn''t paid much attention to her after that, but from what I knew, she was grieving heavily for that bastard.


    Well, considering they were lovers, it was only natural. Even so, she was still a fellow sect member. If she was in danger, I should help her. Of course I was going to priotize Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou over her, but I couldn''t just abandon Hu Mei Er as well.


    "The two of you, go inform Sect Leader. I''ll arrange a squad of Blood Blades and dispatch them to look for the three girls." Elder Zhao''s scowl deepened. "I bet this has something to do with Blood Shadow. But why kidnap them instead¡­?"


    Elder Zhao had a point. Blood Shadow was a top assassin. He specialized in killing and murder. Why would he kidnap the three girls? Maybe Tang Qi Hong, especially since she was the adopted daughter of Sect Leader Zi and Sect Lady Da Ji ¨C he might want to demand a ransom in the form of someone''s life. Even then, it made no sense. Was he going to demand for my life or something? While I would be more than happy to trade my life for Tang Qi Hong''s, it struck me as odd that he would resort to such a roundabout manner.


    No, there was something amiss about this whole thing.


    "Understood." Tong Xue gritted his teeth and rushed off toward the peak of Flame Volcano. I made to follow him, but Elder Zhao called out to me.


    "Fei Wu, follow Tong Xue. Make sure he doesn''t do anything reckless."


    "Understood."


    Nodding my head to show my compliance, I then followed Tong Xue while Elder Zhao dashed off in the opposite direction, probably to assemble a squad.


    The guards in front of the main pavilion at the peak, upon recognizing us, withdrew to allow us to enter. We then proceeded to the main hall where Sect Leader Zi was monitoring the battle through an array of monitors and pict-screens.


    "The two of you¡­" Sect Leader Zi glanced up, but he did not seem surprised to see us. "What''s up?"


    "Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong!" Tong Xue gasped. "They''ve gone missing!"


    "Hu Mei Er too," I added.


    Sect Leader Zi''s shoulders sagged, and he nodded. Evidently he had already received the latest news through the tactical updates and such. He glanced at one of the monitors, his expression severe, before turning back to us.


    "So I have heard."


    "Your orders, Sect Leader?" Tong Xue pressed.


    Sect Leader Zi pursed his lips as he glanced back at the monitor. I noticed that it was displaying a text message, which was presumably sent straight to his phone or email.


    "Blood Shadow has sent us an ultimatum," he said. "He calls for Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to surrender to the Martial Arts Alliance. If we do not comply, then he will kill Qi Hong and Lian Rou."


    I raised my eyebrow when I noticed that Hu Mei Er''s name was missing. Was she able to escape, or had Blood Shadow already killed her as a demonstration? I was sure Sect Leader Zi didn''t just forget about her or dismiss her presence.


    "That''s¡­"


    "Unacceptable," Sect Leader Zi cut Tong Xue off. "Their terms of surrender are unacceptable. If we surrender, they will kill every member of Blood Blades and imprison the blacksmiths, so as to divide them among the Alliance later. It''s as good as allowing our sect to be destroyed."


    "Even then, we''ve to do something!" Tong Xue insisted.


    "We will." Sect Leader Zi took a deep breath. "You''re both part of Blood Blades, correct?"


    I nodded.


    "All right. Head to the back of Flame Volcano and notify Lang Xie about this matter. He should be overseeing the battle from there. Ask him to personally handle this matter." Sect Leader Zi clenched his fists tightly. "Right now, he and Hai Rong are probably the only ones able to fight on par with Blood Shadow. Tell him to kill Blood Shadow, and this is a direct order from me."


    "Understood." Tong Xue was determined.


    "What about Sect Lady Da Ji?" I asked. "Does she know about this?"


    Being Tang Qi Hong''s adopted mother, I was sure Sect Lady Da Ji would literally fly into a rage, dive down the mountain, track Blood Shadow down and tear him apart with her two hands. Or burn him into ash.


    "No, not yet. Currently my wife is resting." Sect Leader Zi stared at us sternly. "I would like to keep it that way. The both of you should be aware of how heavily injured she is after fighting someone of the Golden God of Fire''s caliber. I don''t want her to overexert herself and worsen her wounds. We need her to recover for the real battle. Besides, Lang Xie and Hai Rong are most familiar with Blood Shadow''s tactics. I would rather leave it to them."


    "Understood." The both of us nodded.


    "All right. Hurry!" Sect Leader Zi glanced at the screen worriedly. "There''s no telling what Blood Shadow will do if we keep him waiting for too long."


    "How do we know where he is?" I asked.


    Sect Leader Zi smiled wryly and indicated the screen. "He gave us a venue, a place where he wants us to declare our surrender. I''m pretty sure he will be lurking nearby."


    I frowned. There was something else Sect Leader Zi was not telling us, but I wasn''t sure what it was. Nonetheless, he was right. There was no time to waste, and we had to hurry before that bastard harm a hair on Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou.


    While we hurried toward the Will''O Wisp Forest ¨C or more accurately, the base camp set beside the Will''O Wisp Forest ¨C Tong Xue clenched his fists angrily.


    "I won''t allow anyone to hurt my Lian Rou!"


    "Yeah, yeah." I sighed tiredly. "I don''t get it, though. I don''t mean to sound¡­callous, but I''m surprised Blood Shadow took the girls as hostages instead of killing them. Surely he doesn''t really believe that the sect will surrender just because he has the adopted daughter of the sect leader in his hands? Something''s not right."


    Tong Xue paused for a second, his brow furrowing. "No, you''re right. What you say makes sense. Even if he took hostages, while would he take Lian Rou and Hu Mei Er along? They''re useless to him. He would have killed them and take only Qi Hong as a hostage. She''s the only important one ¨C the others aren''t worth much to the sect."


    Of course Lian Rou was worth a lot to him, but he was being objective. He was the only one who valued Lian Rou over everything, but the sect wouldn''t destroy itself just for a few girls. Hell, even if I was the one who got captured, I highly doubted the sect would just roll over and surrender to its demise in exchange for my life.


    None of us was worth that much.


    Pushing my glasses up as we ran, I chewed on my lip.


    "The only recourse for us is revenge. If he kills them, he must be aware that we will do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Nothing will be able to hide him from the sect''s wrath. Even if we get destroyed by the Martial Arts Alliance, we''ll definitely take him down with us. He has to know that."


    "Then what is this whole thing about?" Tong Xue demanded uneasily. "You''re right, this just seems way too strange."


    "Well, maybe Vice-Commander Lang Xie will know what to do." I sighed. It was best to leave this in the hands of an adult. Technically I was an adult in a kid''s body, but even when I was in the military, I was only a rifleman. I wasn''t even a NCO, having stayed at a low rank throughout my years. "He''ll provide us with orders."


    Tong Xue nodded in agreement. Seeing his worried expression, I forced a reassuring smile and tried to cheer him up.


    "Don''t worry. Blood Shadow is one of the three Shadow Guards of Divine Shadow Sect, right? I''ve already killed Gray Shadow and Black Shadow. It''ll be fun if I can claim credit for killing all three Shadow Guards."


    Not only that, I would end up dealing a huge blow to the morale of Divine Shadow Sect, which might be immense in allowing Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to survive.


    It didn''t take us more than a few minutes to reach the base camp set up at Will''O Wisp Forest. We bundled down the stairs, flashed our ID to the Blood Blades guards serving as sentries, and waited for them to allow us inside. Upon entering the command center, we found Lang Xie and Hai Rong monitoring the battlefield through an impressive array of screens and holograms.


    "You''re both here." Lang Xie didn''t even look up as we entered. "I''ve got the gist of it from Sect Leader Zi."


    "Yeah¡­Blood Shadow." Hai Rong''s normally beautiful face was filled with worry. "That guy is an elder-level expert, a top assassin trained by the prevous Divine Shadow Sect lord, and a true monster. He''s known for being a bloodthirsty berserker who goes crazy over the sight of blood, and leaves countless victims in his wake."


    "So either he''s a Khornate cultist screaming, ''blood for the blood god!'' or he''s an Eversor Assassin," I muttered. No one paid any attention to that, so I gathered my courage and tried to look as confident as possible. "Well, I''ve killed his comrades, Gay Shadow¡­I mean, Gray Shadow and Black Shadow. I''m sure I''ll be able to fight him¡­"


    "No!" Hai Rong raised her voice unconsciously. She turned to glare at me. "Gray Shadow and Black Shadow are nothing compared to Blood Shadow. They''re practically just there to fill the numbers. He''s much more powerful than the both of them combined. In fact, Blood Shadow might be more difficult to deal with than even Liang Yang Zu."


    "Nonetheless, Sect Leader has ordered us to kill Blood Shadow," Lang Xie said calmly. "And we''ll do that."


    "How?" Hai Rong rolled her eyes. "Easier said than done."


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    Lang Xie smiled coldly. "Since when has there existed a person who the Blood Blades is unable to kill?"


    "¡­true," Hai Rong conceded. She sighed wearily, and then turned to stare at us. "All right, you two. Leave this to us. You both should get some rest, because we''re going to deploy you in section 4 tomorrow."


    Section 4 was a part of the wall that overseeing the mountains to the north. A small but presumably powerful detachment from the Martial Arts Alliance were approaching from that direction, but they wouldn''t be here for the next few days even though they were traveling in a mechanized convoy. The mountain path was treacherous and hard to navigate, after all.


    "No."


    Hai Rong looked at Tong Xue in shock, as if he had suddenly transformed into Yi Yuan or something.


    "What do you mean, no? Are you going against your superior''s orders?"


    "Please allow me to participate in this mission to rescue Lian Rou!" Tong Xue bowed deeply as he pleaded.


    "The opponent this time is too powerful," Hai Rong reminded him. "You''ll only be in danger if you come along."


    "That''s fine!" Tong Xue insisted. "To me, Lian Rou''s life is more important than anything else. I am willing to sacrifice anything for Lian Rou, even my life."


    Hai Rong looked moved. "Kid, you''re not too impressive in other aspects, but the fact that you can throw away everything for the woman you love, I admire you for that."


    "Thank you for the praise, Instructor Hai," Tong Xue responded as he kept his head bowed. Hai Rong then nodded before she turned to me.


    "What about you?"


    "I would like to participate as well," I replied stoically. It wasn''t that I didn''t want to be outdone by Tong Xue, but I was truly concerned for Tang Qi Hong''s wellbeing.


    "Seems like you also have a close relationship with Qi Hong." Hai Rong sighed and nodded. "I don''t think we''ll be able to stop you. Even if we order you to keep out of this, the both of you will come in secret anyway."


    She gave me far too much credit for that. Honestly, if she and Lang Xie ordered me to stay away, I would have obeyed and left it to them. I believed in my two superiors and was confident that they would be able to rescue Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou and was aware that they wouldn''t want me tagging along for a good reason. There was no reason to undermine the adults.


    Perhaps that had something to do with me mentally being an adult and not as prone to reckless proclamations and actions.


    In the end, however, everything was up to Lang Xie. Hai Rong, Tong Xue and I couldn''t help but turn to look at him.


    We knew that Lang Xie''s response would be of utmost importance. As the vice-commander of Blood Blades and second only to Sect Lady Da Ji, he had overall authority over the military arm.


    "Lang Xie¡­" Hai Rong whispered softly.


    "Please save Lian Rou''s life, sire!" Tong Xue dropped to his knee and begged.


    For some reason, Lang Xie turned to me, his expression unreadable. I wasn''t sure what he wanted, but I felt as if I had to say something.


    "Please save Qi Hong and Lian Rou, sire," I requested him, also dropping to a knee and lowering my head humbly. Then rage surged forth from within and my eyes blazed behind the lenses of my glasses. "As for Blood Shadow and his Divine Shadow Sect comrades¡­I want them dead."


    Lang Xie actually curled his lips slightly at that.


    "That''s a given," he replied. Then his brow furrowed a little. "But as Hai Rong says, this will be extremely dangerous. I cannot guarantee the safety of you two if you insist on tagging along. Given Blood Shadow''s strength, he''ll be able to kill you with on hit."


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ll risk it!" Tong Xue assured him.


    "I survived a direct attack from the Golden God of Fire," I said half-truthfully. To be honest, if Sect Lady Da Ji hadn''t infused me with her qi, I would have been completely obliterated by his immense fireball. Then again, he wouldn''t have that amount of firepower if he hadn''t ingested the Flaming Red Pill, but that was all academic in any case. "I''m sure I''ll be able to survive an attack from Blood Shadow, who is clearly not as strong."


    Neither Lang Xie nor Hai Rong looked shocked at my declaration, presumably because they had already learned of it through the tactical udpates, or were informed of it by Sect Lady Da Ji herself. Either way, I was relieved to see that they did not question my claim.

 191 Chapter 190: It’s a Trap!

    I recognized the place as where the Blood Blades hunted down the Divine Shadow Sect. This was where I slew Gray Shadow, and where the rest of the Blood Blades wiped out so many of Divine Shadow Sect''s members, who had unwittingly used this abandoned mansion as their base. I didn''t expect to be back here after half a year.


    Being abandoned, the floor was covered with dust and cobwebs, and faint traces of blood lingered, those stains that weren''t cleaned out by the cleaning crews half a year ago. The empty mansion appeared to be deathly still under the silvery moonlight.


    For some reason, Blood Shadow chose not to reside inside the mansion and was waiting in the courtyard outside. He was wearing a hideous mask, probably to make himself look terrifying (though I suspected that his real face beneath the mask would probably be more grotesque and scarier than the mask), and sitting on the grass under the trees.


    Nearby, beside one of the trees, both Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou were present, tied up and bound tightly to their respective trunks by what seemed like blood-red snakes. They watched Blood Shadow in terror as he stirred.


    The old man opened his eyes and stared in the direction of the entrance. He narrowed them, his pupils shrinking in a predatory manner and gleaming with murderous bloodlust. A cold smile spread across his wrinkled face.


    Blood-colored tendrils seemed to snake out of the shadows cast across the courtyard, slithering underneath the moonlight like living things.


    "They''re finally here," Blood Shadow rasped, his voice thin and reedy. He seemed to melt into the shadows, disappearing from view.


    Perhaps because of that, the atmosphere around the mansion seemed to grow even more frightening. However, unaware of his antics, Lang Xie''s group approached the mansion cautiously, looking out for Blood Shadow.


    "This is the place, huh? I remember attacking Divine Shadow Sect here half a year ago. I didn''t think I would be returning."


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    But clearly she had been one of the ninja-dressed Blood Blades with wide bamboo hats and a cloth mask who came with me and Tong Xue to wipe Divine Shadow out from Tushan City back then. I guess none of us really knew each other back then.


    Hai Rong shook her head as she calmly entered the premises of the derelict mansion. Even though she clearly didn''t like the place, she was still the first person who entered the courtyard, gesturing for me and Tong Xue to stay back.


    As our instructor, she couldn''t allow us to risk ourselves and so took point. If we were ambushed, she would stand a higher chance than either of us to survive the attack.


    Even so, Tong Xue and I followed behind her, staying close. Let it not be said that we shirked from danger.


    While we did so, Lang Xie remained hidden. He had concealed himself in the darkness and was silently monitoring the situation. The moment Blood Shadow or any of Divine Shadow Sect members showed up, he would immediately launch his own ambush.


    "So you''re Instructor Hai from Blood Blades?"


    Blood Shadow''s voice hissed from the shadows. Tong Xue and I exchanged a glance and kept our eyes out, but despite my Heaven and Earth senses, I still couldn''t pinpoint his exact location.


    Rather, it felt as if Blood Shadow was occupying the entire space. His presence seemed to extend over the mansion, filling each and every inch with his qi. It was almost as if he wasn''t human, but a gigantic invisible monster.


    Oh boy¡­we''re way in our heads this time¡­


    Gulping, I kept my eyes peeled, but to no avail.


    "And¡­what''s this? You''ve brought children with you?" Blood Shadow laughed, still unseen. "Has Blood Blades been reduced to such a pathetic state that you''re forced to rely on children to fight your battles?"


    "Nah, we just thought you weren''t worth the manpower," I replied. I bet Blood Shadow was narrowing his eyes at my remark, for the next words he spat out of his mouth were dripping in a caustic tone.


    "You''ll regret that."


    I shrugged. "Maybe. I don''t mind taking the place of the current hostages. Perhaps you''ll find that you''ll have more leverage using me as a hostage over the girls."


    "Ah¡­" Blood Shadow sounded as if he suddenly understood. "So you''re Fei Wu, that boy with so much promise, the one the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect pinned the hopes of their future on." He chuckled. "Well, you have spunk if nothing else."


    "So how about it?" I asked. Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou watched me from the trees where they were bound to, and shook their heads desperately. Apparently they had been gagged, but I couldn''t see any cloths in their mouths.


    No. from both my glasses and my qi senses, I could detect their qi being clogged up and hindered by something. Blood Shadow must have injected them with something that blocked the circulation of their qi and not only prevented them from using teir techniques, but also robbed them of their ability to move or speak.


    No wonder their restraints seemed pretty¡­loose. A single snake-like blood tendril was binding their waists to the tree trunks, but that was all. I could easily freeze and break it if I was given the chance. Knowing Blood Shadow, however, I wasn''t careless enough to rush forward and seize them. Tong Xue too was resisting the urge to dash forward as well, clearly knowing that the notorious assassin would have laid some traps.


    Blood Shadow burst out laughing.


    "Why trade hostages when I can take all of you as hostages?"


    "Are you underestimating me?" Hai Rong snarled as she drew her Spirit Weapon, which was a short sword. "Hurt any of the children, and I swear I''ll kill you."


    "Oh, but you shouldn''t move carelessly." Blood Shadow mocked, still invisible. "You don''t want anything to happen to these girls, do you?"


    As if to illustrate his point, the snake-like blood tendrils tightened around Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou''s waists. Hai Rong stiffened, but she lowered her sword a fraction.


    "If you refuse the exchange, then we''ll kill you." I turned to Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou, who were watching me and Tong Xue, frightened and in anguish. "We''ll make sure to avenge your deaths, at least."


    "Ha ha ha! You talk big for a youngster!" Blood Shadow guffawed. "Do you really think you have the ability to kill me and avenge your women''s deaths?"


    "No, but Instructor Hai does."


    Blood Shadow snorted. "I''m sorry to disappoint you, but your instructor isn''t strong enough to kill me. That''s why¡­" his amusement was audible. "I''ll be able to take all of you as hostages."


    "You can try," Hai Rong snapped.


    "Oi!" Tong Xue whispered urgently. "Don''t provoke the lunatic! What will you do if he really kills Lian Rou and Qi Hong?"


    "As I said," I replied simply. "We''ll avenge them!"


    "What use is that if they''re dead?"


    "Psychological warfare, dude," I hissed back. "Just play along and hope that he calls our bluff, and we''ll all be able to get out of this alive."


    Tong Xue wisely fell silent after that.


    "And besides," Blood Shadow was continuing, not paying any attention to the exchange between my friend and me. "Why would I want to take a guy hostage? I would much rather take these beautiful girls hostage instead."


    That was when I realized something. Glancing at Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou, I swept my gaze across the other trees and saw that they were empty.


    "Where''s Hu Mei Er?" I demanded as the coin finally dropped. "There are only two of the hostages. Where''s the third?"


    "Hmm? Was there supposed to be a third girl?" Blood Shadow mocked me. "I''m sorry, but I don''t remember. Perhaps I''ve already sucked her dry?"


    Tong Xue frowned. "Something''s not right. Hu Mei Er shouldn''t be¡­"


    Thinking hard, I shook my head and decided to bite the bullet. Raising both my hands, I stepped forward and indicated that I was unarmed. Even though I couldn''t see Blood Shadow, I could feel his scornful gaze on me.


    "Brat, I don''t care if you''re unarmed. Like I said, I have no intention of exchanging hostages. If you want these girls back, you''ll have to persuade your sect to surrender to the Martial Arts Alliance." He snickered. "These girls are blacksmiths and not Blood Blades, so they won''t be killed. I can''t guarantee that the fates awaiting them would be better than death, though¡­"


    I took another step forward, and reached out with my qi. In an instant, all the blood tendrils in the area were frozen, including the ones that bound Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou. As the ice shattered, Tong Xue darted forward and snatched both of them.


    "You¡­!"


    Blood tendrils snaked out from the shadows to strike the three of them, but I raised a hand and froze the blood appendages into ice.


    "¡­!"


    I felt the spiritual feedback surge into me as I struggled to stop Blood Shadow''s attacks. Hai Rong was right ¨C this bastard was extremely powerful. More so than Gray Shadow and Black Shadow combined. It was taking me everything just to stop his attacks in his tracks, never mind coming up with a counterattack.


    "You actually stopped my attacks?" Blood Shadow sounded shocked. "A brat who''s merely at the Qi Fusion Stage?"


    "That''s the problem with you guys, always obsessed with stages and realms." I shook my head. "A person''s strength cannot be quanitified or categorized so neatly. Just because I''m weaker than you doesn''t mean I automatically lose when you attack."


    "We''ll see about that!"


    "No." I turned to Tong Xue, who nodded. "Hurry and get out of here!"


    The ice around me shattered, spraying me with frosty fragments and I quickly used Tui to retreat. Blood Shadow seemed to attack me, but noticing Hai Rong approaching, he suddenly held back and I sensed a disturbance in his qi.


    "Where is Lang Xie?" he suddenly asked, as if only just remembering that we wouldn''t be the only ones sent to deal with someone of his caliber. I could feel the assassin''s gaze rest upon an unharried Hai Rong. "Lang Xie is nearby, isn''t he? I know he wants to kill me. I know he will definitely come here!"


    "You flatter yourself too much," Hai Rong smirked.


    "Is that so? Then you''ll pay for underestimating me!"


    There was a surge in Blood Shadow''s qi and I could feel his killing intent explode. This time, hundred of blood tendrils gushed out of the shadows, streaking toward me. My qi senses told me that they were much stronger than the previous attack.


    If I tried to freeze them with Absolute Zero like I did earlier, they would simply break free of the ice and stab into me, killing me instantly.


    Swoosh!


    Whistling sharply, the blood tendrils streaked toward me at incredible speed. There had to be hundreds of them, and I was suddenly reminded of a swarm of snakes. While the majority were aimed at me ¨C most likely because I had been mouthing off earlier and deliberately provoking the old bastard ¨C several of them detached from the main horde to strike at the stationary Hai Rong and the fleeing Tong Xue.


    Cocking my head to the side calmly, as if the blood tendrils were no more than a hindrance, I conjured my Snow Aegis. The barrage of blood tendrils banged against my snowflake-shaped shield with tremendous impact, causing it to shudder, but my Spirit Armament refused to break. Infusing it with qi, I then launched the mobile turrets, which separated from the core and sailed about, blasting qi beams into the courtyard.


    "Ugh!"


    Blood Shadow swore in pain. That was one of the weaknesses of his technique. While he seemed to be everywhere in this space, it also meant that I could hurt him if I struck any spot in this place even while firing at random.


    "You brat!"


    Staggering, Blood Shadow came into view, his bloodied figure finally becoming visible.


    "There you are," I remarked, as if I was merely observing a dinosaur exhibition in a science museum.


    "I''ll kill you!" Blood Shadow''s eyes were narrowing terrifyingly on me, his bloodthirst increasing exponentially. More blood tendrils surged into the air, aiming for me, but my Snow Aegis blocked them while my six mobile turrets fired more qi beams that forced the shadowy assassin to dodge. "I swear, I''ll definitely kill you!"


    "The feeling''s mutual, old man," I told him coldly.


    Unfortunately, before I could say anything else, Lang Xie''s voice suddenly rang out from the top of a tall building that was stationed next to the abandoned mansion.


    "Hai Rong, Tong Xue, Fei Wu! Leave this mansion and return to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect immediately!"


    "Huh?"


    Hai Rong turned to stare up at Lang Xie, completely shocked. Currently she was also holding back a good number of the blood tendrils with her Hundred Flower Spherical Shield, and was making good progress to help me fight against Blood Shadow.


    That was why she was taken aback when Lang Xie ordered her to retreat. There had to be a mistake. There was no way Lang Xie would order her to retreat.


    "What are you talking about, Lang Xie?" she demanded angrily. "Why should we¡­?"


    "Di Shi Ju is here. Liang Yang Zu is here. Even Yuan Tian Ya is here."


    Atop the tall building, Lang Xie looked down on the triumphant Blood Shadow, his voice devoid of any emotion.


    "It''s a trap. They set this up to lure both you and me here so that they can kill the both of us."


    "That''s¡­" Hai Rong gasped in disbelief.


    "This can''t be good," I muttered under my breath.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me!" Tong Xue growled as he turned extremely pale. He skidded to a stop when someone suddenly appeared in front of him.


    "You''re called Tong Xue, aren''t you?" a middle-aged man stepped forward, a smile on his face. I recognized him from photographs on the Internet. That man was none other than Yuan Tian Ya, the sect leader of Dark Asura Sect.


    So Dark Asura Sect was in league with Divine Shadow Sect! Well, we sort of knew that already, but even then it was still a little of a shock.


    "You may leave. You''re from Smart Shadow Sect, aren''t you? They are a subsidiary of Divine Shadow Sect, so it''s pointless to kill you if you''re one of us."


    "Hah!" Tong Xue glared at the person. "I''ll renounce my membership from Smart Shadow Sect if I have to. I want nothing to do with you Martial Arts Alliance bastards! I''m a member of Blood Blades, a disciple of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    "Well said!" Hai Rong shouted from a distance.


    "Not that it''s going to help us much," I muttered, but I had arrived to take Tang Qi Hong from an exhausted Tong Xue. Even though he was a skilled martial artist, it wasn''t as if he could jump around while carrying two immobilized girls.


    "You''re still young, so I''ll forgive you for your foolishness." Yuan Tian Ya studied the girls, and then turned away. "And we''re not in the business of kidnapping and killing children anyway."


    Wow¡­I couldn''t believe that we caught a lucky break there. Yuan Tian Ya must be clinging to some delusion that he was from an orthodox sect under the Martial Arts Alliance and thought he was acting out of some obscure code of honor and justice, but the hypocrite had done nothing but stand aside while the girls were kidnapped without helping them or stopping Blood Shadow. If he thought this absolved him of his crime, he was dead wrong.


    However, evidently the goal of the adults was to lure Lang Xie and Hai Rong into a trap and kill the both of them. So Yuan Tian Ya obviously justified their actions by reasoning that the children would never get hurt in the first place and was willing to stand aside to let us pass so that everybody present could focus on killing the two adults.


    "You bastard¡­!" Tong Xue growled, but Lang Xie stopped him.


    "The both of you¡­Fei Wu and Tong Xue." Lang Xie was staring at us. "Get out of here. Return to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. This is an order."


    "But what about you?" I demanded. Hai Rong swore at me, something that I didn''t feel comfortable repeating here.


    "Don''t forget your fucking objective!'' she snarled. "You''ve rescued Qi Hong and Lian Rou! Now bring them both back to safety! Don''t discard the real objective halfway! Besides¡­" she put on a brave smile for our benefit. "We''ll be able to handle these scoundrels. Leave this matter to the adults."


    "We''ll buy you as much time as possible, and then pull back once we know you''re safe," Lang Xie told us calmly.


    That was enough motivation for us to run.


    "Senior Lang Xie, are you really going?"


    All of a sudden, Blood Shadow''s gruff voice sharpened. It seemed to pierce our ears like knives, causing us to wince.


    Lang Xie, who was about to retreat now that Tong Xue and I had ran off, paused in midstep and turned to stare at Blood Shadow emotionlessly.


    "Who are you?"


    We never got to hear the answer, because we moved out of earshot.


    While we ran toward the direction of the sect grounds, where most of the Blood Blades were patrolling and present to reinforce us, a familiar figure stepped out from the trees in front of us.


    "Whoa!"


    Tong Xue skidded to a stop, tightening his grip on Lian Rou to ensure she didn''t fall out of his arms. I repeated the maneuver with a little more success, having mastered my footwork techniques a long time ago.


    "You are¡­" I began with a frown. "Hu Mei Er? What are you doing here?"


    "What do you think?" Hu Mei Er smiled glacially. Behind her, more martial artists descended. From their black, shadowy garb and the insignia on their robes, I recognized them as discples from the Divine Shadow Sect. "Taking revenge for Shao Yang."

 192 Chapter 191: Old Grudge

    "You¡­you planned this all along," I spoke up uncertainly. "You volunteered to escort Qi Hong and Lian Rou back to the sect grounds after they helped out with resupplying the Blood Blades with Spirit Armaments, but you were actually scheming to lure them into a trap and kidnap them!"


    "They didn''t suspect a thing," Hu Mei Er agreed, her pretty face crinkling into a sneer. "When their guard was down, it was but a simple matter for me to strike. Before we were halfway back, I stabbed them with poison. Don''t worry," she added when she caught sight of my expression. "It''s not a fatal toxin. It was from Lord Blood Shadow. It''ll only immobilize them for a few hours, but they''ll be fine once it wears off." she smiled, her expression ugly when compared to her usual beauty. "We don''t want to accidentally kill the hostages, after all."


    "You¡­!" Tong Xue shouted. "You betrayed Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    Hu Mei Er shrugged callously. "My loyalties don''t lie with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect anyway. Obviously I''ll honor my relationship with my future husband more than the sect."


    Despite myself, I couldn''t help but snort in laughter. "Your future husband? Liang Shao Yang?"


    "What''s so funny?" Hu Mei Er demanded.


    "You," I replied honestly. "Did you really think Liang Shao Yang was serious about his relationship with you? He was merely making use of you."


    "Shut up!" Hu Mei Er snapped. "You know nothing about him!"


    "I do know he tried to kill me, though," I pointed out. If Hu Mei Er didn''t want to hear the truth, then I wasn''t going to argue with her. That said, she might be right. I didn''t know Liang Shao Yang as well as she did. It was entirely possible that he was truly and sincerely in love with her. He had even given up wooing Tang Qi Hong to be with her.


    Perhaps he did really love her.


    Nonetheless, it didn''t change the fact that Hu Mei Er wanted revenge for him, which led to my current predicament.


    "That still doesn''t justify you betraying Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and joining Divine Shadow Sect to kill your fellow disciples!" Tong Xue protested hotly.


    "Shut up!" Hu Mei Er snapped again, this time her anger directed at him. "This has nothing to do with you!"


    "Considering you''re trying to kill him too, I would say it has everything to do with him," I muttered dryly. Hu Mei Er seemed to take my words seriously, for she shook her head.


    "I only have business with you." she pointed at me. "Junior Tong Xue and Junior Lian Rou can go."


    "What¡­?" Tong Xue''s jaw dropped.


    "He''s from Smart Shadow Sect anyway, which is a subsidiary sect of your Divine Shadow Sect. Didn''t your sect leader, Blood Shadow and the Dark Asura Sect leader say something about leaving him alive? Or do you plan to go against your own sect leader?"


    "¡­"


    The Divine Shadow Sect members looked at each other, but no one objected. Given what Yuan Tian Ya said earlier, it seemed that they were telling the truth about Tong Xue.


    Unfortunately, Tong Xue was far from flattered.


    "I''ve renounced my membership from Smart Shadow Sect," he growled defiantly. "I''m part of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and a member of Blood Blades. If you want to harm any of my comrades in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I will fight you."


    Watching the scene unfold before my eyes, I couldn''t help but be struck by the stark contrast between Tong Xue and Hu Mei Er. One was formerly from a subsidiary sect of the enemy, but was willing to give all that up and risk his life fighting to defend the woman he loves, as well as his comrades. Another was a member of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but betrayed us and joined our enemies in order to take revenge for her lover.


    I wasn''t sure what to make of it. One thing was for sure, though. I held even greater respect for Tong Xue than before.


    "Even so, you''re not the target of my vendetta. They are." She pointed at me and Tang Qi Hong. "I don''t care what you do. As long as you don''t attack us, we won''t kill you. But if you insist on getting on our way, then we''ll eliminate you as well, regardless of our orders."


    "Try it if you dare!" Tong Xue snarled, but I stopped him with a shake of my head.


    "Tong Xue, take this chance and bring Lian Rou to safety." I began to hand Tang Qi Hong over to him. "And Qi Hong too. I''m counting on you to bring both girls to safety. I''ll delay them as long as I can, but I''ll be depending on you to call for backup."


    "That''s¡­" Tong Xue looked conflicted, but I stared at him earnestly.


    "Please. I understand how you feel, but our priority is to get Qi Hong and Lian Rou to safety. You''re the only one I can count on for this."


    "Ugh¡­make sure you don''t die!"


    Tong Xue saw the wisdom of my words. With both immobilized girls present, we couldn''t fight to our true potential. We would be too busily distracted with keeping them safe and protecting them that we wouldn''t be able to unleash all of our strength.


    "Who says you can bring her?" Hu Mei Er swung her fan and a blast of qi seared through the space between me and Tong Xue, causing both of us to jump back while still hanging tightly onto our respective girls.


    "You¡­!" Tong Xue growled as he skidded a safe distance away.


    "I said I have a vendetta with you two." Hu Mei Er pointed at me. And then I realized that she was pointing at Tang Qi Hong as well. "Both you and Tang Qi Hong. I want the both of you dead as payment for Shao Yang''s death."


    "Why?" I demanded. "Qi Hong has nothing to do with Liang Shao Yang''s death! I was the one who killed him!"


    "She was the indirect cause. After all, you never would have fought Shao Yang if it wasn''t for her sake, right?" Hu Mei Er rested her murderous gaze on Tang Qi Hong''s immobilized figure. "And if I''m honest, I''ve always held a grudge against her ever since she first joined the sect. Usurping my place and stealing my thunder¡­if that bitch was never part of the sect, I would have been the treasured child and the most beautiful girl in the sect!"


    Ah¡­so jealousy was rearing its ugly head here. I took a deep breath and straightened while gesturing to Tong Xue with my head to retreat. However, my friend continued to hesitate and he finally shook his head.


    He was going to stay and fight with me, even if that meant risking Lian Rou''s safety. He was aware that Lian Rou would never forgive him if he left her best friend in the lurch. Admittedly, if I was in his position, I would probably do the same.


    Upon finishing her wailing and whining, Hu Mei Er then glared at me and Tang Qi Hong, her usually dazzling blue eyes terrifying and filled with bloodlust. Pointing at us, she callously hissed out a single order.


    "Kill them both!"


    As one, the Divine Shadow Sect assassins leaped forward to obey.


    *


    "Who are you?"


    Hai Rong furrowed her brow as she glared at Blood Shadow, studying the mask he wore so intently her gaze almost bore holes through the layer of synthetic skin concealing his real face. Her expression grew solemn as several possibilities occurred to her.


    Possibilities that were distinctly disturbing.


    Despite the number of experts and skilled killers occupying the mansion, the atmosphere seemed to become even more oppressive than before.


    Lang Xie, who had turned to leave a few seconds ago, suddenly turned around, his attention captured by Blood Shadow''s single sentence.


    "Who are you?" he asked again.


    Venomous hatred blazed in Blood Shadow''s eyes as he met Lang Xie''s gaze evenly, and he spat.


    "You don''t need to know who I am. All you need to know is that I respect Master. All these years, the only reason why I endured the harshest of agonies, is so that I can kill you, Lang Xie!"


    "Master¡­?" Lang Xie whispered, his eyes slightly widening in realization. Blood Shadow sneered sardonically.


    "That''s right. Master¡­who you killed! You unfilial senior!"


    He then raised a hand and conjured a bloodthirsty technique, causing dozens of crimson chains to descend from the sky.


    "Heavenly Lock!"


    The crimson chains weaved around each other, taking the shape of a gigantic claw that smashed down upon Lang Xie''s position. Before Lang Xie could begin to dodge, however, a second figure appeared atop the building.


    He was a thin and shriveled man who looked about sixty years old, clad in a simple gray robe, and wielded a skeletal sword that shone an ivory white.


    "Di Shi Jiu!" Hai Rong shouted the moment she caught sight of him. Her expression turning into panic for a second, she spun around to yell at her vice-commander. "Lang Xie, be careful!"


    However, Lang Xie didn''t seem to be the least perturbed. Instead, his killing intent intensified when he matched his murderous gaze with the almost relaxed expression that Di Shi Jiu wore. A bloodthirsty aura rolled out from his body and enveloped him in a thick, crimson mist, and the strong iron tang of blood filled the air.


    "Di Shi Jiu!" he growled.


    "Where do you think you''re looking?" Blood Shadow sneered. The crimson chains, with the gigantic claw in the center, continued to hurtle toward Lang Xie, seeking to crush him under their tremendous weight, or at least bind him.


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    Lang Xie didn''t even spare the claw or chains a single glance. Throwing out a hand in the vague direction of the attack while keeping his eyes on the recently appeared Di Shi Jiu, he launched a blast of blood-red qi. The qi immediately transformed into a blood-red spear and streaked toward the claw, obliterating it upon impact and scattering the rest of crimson chains with a terrifying howl that echoed throughout the night.


    "!"


    Blood Shadow retreated as the spear hurtled through his broken blood claw and continued to speed toward his chest. Gathering all of his chains back, he managed to conjure a blood shield, which almost crumbled as it absorbed the collision with the blood spear.


    Meanwhile, without paying any attention to Blood Shadow, Lang Xie was biting his finger and drawing a single drop of blood. The droplet of blood drifted toward his chest before glowing brightly, like a crimson spark that set a forest aflame.


    A few seconds later, the blood-red light solidified into blood-red Spirit Armor around his chest and torso. The Spirit Armor continued to spread across his body, covering his chest, back, shoulders, arms, stomach and thighs. Before even five seconds had passed, Lang Xie was already clad in a full-body armor not dissimilar to that of Wu Xing''s Five Elements Royal Armor.


    The Spirit Armor gleamed a bloodthirsty red, the Spirit Engravings inscribed into its surface glowing in an arcane manner. Everyone present instinctively took a step back when they sensed the potent power emanating from the armor and the mystical patterns engraved into it.


    "Impressive¡­as expected of the legendary vice-commander of Blood Blades, Lang Xie." Yuan Tian Ya''s voice was filled with grudging admiration as he stalked out of the shadows, his expression grim. "What a terrifying display of power. Even so, I can''t walk away today. Blood Blades are Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s sword and shield. Once Blood Blades are eliminated, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will instantly fall apart. The usually renowned blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers will all become captives of the Martial Arts Alliance and imprisoned in their cells, forging armaments for us."


    "You think the Royal Family will stand to the side and allow you to do that? They will send the Imperial Guard to crush you." Hai Rong sounded defiant. Yuan Tian Ya merely laughed sinisterly.


    "Why would they? We have ample justification for this. We''re doing this so as to not allow you to amass weapons of mass destruction to threaten the safety of the Great Zhou Empire."


    "You lying bastards!" Hai Rong shouted. "You know we don''t have any weapons of mass destruction! When the royal family finds out¡­"


    "Why would they?" Yuan Tian Ya scoffed cruelly. "Once all your precious blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers are imprisoned, we can¡­uh, forge the evidence we need. The royal family will not be able to do anything."


    "¡­"


    Lang Xie remained silent, refusing to be provoked by anything their enemies said. Yuan Tian Ya didn''t care.


    Instead, he used a footwork technique and appeared in front of Hai Rong, taking her by surprise. As she tried to defend herself, Yuan Tian Ya didn''t attack. Instead, he casually turned away and suddenly departed.


    He was heading toward Lang Xie.


    "Blood Shadow, you only need to trap Blood Blades'' Instructor Hai. You can leave Lang Xie to us," Yuan Tian Ya ordered.


    As if on cue, the co-leader of Divine Shadow Sect, Di Shi Jiu, suddenly swung his bone sword at Lang Xie.


    The sword seemed to metamorphize into a brilliant flash of light, surging across the courtyard in destructive fashion and uprooting the trees.


    That wasn''t all.


    Every building in the vicinity that was in the bone sword''s path suddenly crumbled and toppled over. Amidst the exploding debris, a single eerie white sword beam lanced through the dust and explosions like a dragon. It rammed and knocked the collapsing buildings aside as it charged straight at Lang Xie.


    While the dragon occupied Lang Xie''s attention, Di Shi Jiu seemed to have disappeared. Surprisingly, it was Yuan Tian Ya who was following the eerie white sword beam, diving in its wake and striking at Lang Xie.


    Lang Xie conjured a second blood spear that was much larger than the first and hurled it at the incoming sword beam. The crimson projectile pierced through the white lance and exploded violently, hurling more rubble aside from the sheer force.


    However, Di Shi Jiu burst out of the explosion and punched Lang Xie, but the latter was ready for him. Raising a gauntleted arm, Lang Xie intercepted Di Shi Jiu''s strike, and the two men vanished in a cloud of dust and stone, the earth unable to withstand the tremendous impact of their collision and the violent qi that swirled around them.


    Hai Rong was unable to pay much attention to them, having troubles of her own. Facing Blood Shadow after the both of them sprang apart after a vicious exchange, sparks flying between them, she skidded to a stop and glared coldly at her opponent.


    "Who are you, Blood Shadow?" she demanded frigidly. "Or¡­am I perhaps supposed to address you as Senior or Junior?"


    Blood Shadow grinned, and his murderous intent dissipated slightly. Surprisingly, his eyes turned gentle as he met Hai Rong''s murderous gaze evenly, and he shook his head.


    "If you want to, you can address me as Senior."


    "I know who you are now!" Hai Rong tensed when realization dawned on her. There was only one other person who could be her senior, but long ago, he had already¡­


    But if what this man was saying was true, then¡­


    "How are you still alive?" she gasped in disbelief.


    "The murderer of our master, Lang Xie, is still alive. So how can I die first?" Blood Shadow chuckled frostily. "We were all raised and taught by our master since we were young. Not only did Lang Xie fail to be grateful, he even betrayed and killed him. After being taught by Master for so many years, I am obligated to seek revenge for him, as his true disciple!"


    "Master deserved to die," Hai Rong snorted callously.


    The gentleness in Blood Shadow''s eyes vanished completely upon hearing her cruel dismissal. His aura surged with murderous intent as he clenched both his fists.


    "Bitch! You deserve to die too!"


    His shadow seemed to detach from him, wriggling in a disturbing manner and taking a life of its own. Emerging from the ground, it seemed to solidify as a blood-red demon, which then swooped down on a stunned Hai Rong.


    "This is¡­Blood Arts: Materialization?!" Hai Rong''s eyes widened in shock. She was unable to dodge in time, and could only hold up her Spirit Shield to block the attack. But the blood demon was so powerful that its one punch sent her helplessly hurtling out of the courtyard.


    With an inhuman cackle, the blood demon dropped into a crouch before springing up in a single bound and pouncing after the defenseless, spinning Hai Rong.


    Blood Shadow observed the fight for a moment, a smile curling across his face.


    And then he disappeared from the courtyard as well.


    *


    "Seriously?"


    I stared at the group of Divine Shadow Sect assassins in astonishment. All of them were crouching on the ground, immobilized, unconscious or dead. To be fair, they were frozen by a ton of ice, so I couldn''t blame them.


    Even so¡­


    "You guys are so pathetic that you actually got defeated by me off-screen?"


    "Seriously?" I couldn''t tell if Tong Xue was questioning my remark or agreeing with me. From the way he was staring at the fallen Divine Shadow Sect assassins instead of me, I was pretty sure it was the latter.


    Tong Xue had gotten used to my strange sense of humor, after all.


    "What the hell did you do?!" Hu Mei Er demanded, in the center of the ice, shivering violently. She wrapped her arms around her body, which emphasized her ample bosom, and desperately used her qi to stop the spreading of the ice that was creeping up her gorgeous body.


    I shrugged. "Stopping you guys cold."


    If looks could kill, I had no doubt I would be lying on the floor right now. To be fair, though, if looks could kill, I would have murdered Hu Mei Er with a gaze much earlier, so it wasn''t as if it was a good thing. Would have made things a lot easier.


    "I miscalculated," she swore. "I didn''t think you would grow this powerful in just a few months!"


    "You talk as if you know exactly how strong I was a few months ago," I said sardonically. Hu Mei Er stared at me in shock and I shrugged. "What makes you think I was displaying my real strength, even when fighting against Liang Shao Yang?"


    "There''s also the fact that you overestimated the power of your Divine Shadow Sect allies," Tong Xue added, shaking his head in disappointment. Probably because he didn''t get to fight at all, since I downed all of them with a single technique. "Have you forgotten the strength of Blood Blades? We''ve been kicking the Divine Shadow Sect''s ass all this while and winning one-sidedly, to the point where they have to beg the Martial Arts Alliance for help just to fight evenly with us!"


    The situation was a lot more complicated than that, to be honest, but I wasn''t going to take the wind out of my friend''s sails. So I said nothing.


    "As if I''ll let this end here! I''ll kill you! I swear, I''ll definitely kill you, even if I don''t get to kill anyone else!"


    Before we could stop her, Hu Mei Er grabbed a Qi Burst Pill and popped it into her mouth. I began wondering where these guys get all their doping drugs and steroids from. Someone ought to clamp down on those illegal activities.


    Unfortunately, it was too late in Hu Mei Er''s case. In an instant, her qi swelled and exploded, and she broke free of the ice. Her body shimmered with pink qi and she lunged at me, thousands of razor-sharp Sakura petals dancing in her wake.


    "Thousand Sakura Petal Scatter!" she shouted, thrusting her sword at me.


    Her blade never reached me.


    Clang!


    "Kuh?!"


    Hu Mei Er''s eyes widened as her blade bounced off my Snow Aegis. She stumbled for a second, losing her balance. Being a martial artist, however, she was able to almost instantly recover her balance and straighten herself.


    It wasn''t enough.


    At the moment when she was off balance and helpless, that was when she was most vulnerable and unable to dodge. Call me despicable, but I had no intention of wasting time on her, so I didn''t hesitate to attack.


    The six mobile turrets that had detached from Snow Aegis earlier hovered about and fired a concerted volley, the qi beams puncturing holes in Hu Mei Er''s body as she tried to right herself. As she was off balance, she was unable to dodge, and the qi beams hit her with deadly precision, punching bloody cauterized craters through her vitals.


    Her heart, her chest, her shoulders and her hips.


    With a cry, Hu Mei Er fell, her body jerking in spasms and her eyes staring up lifelessly. Her nose was missing, having been disintegrated by the qi beam, a cauterized hole smoldering in the center of her once beautiful face.


    "¡­!"


    The Divine Shadow Sect members recoiled in horror, realizing that they had just pissed off the wrong person.


    "Too late," I said as I turned to them.


    This might strike you as odd. I was merciless when killing Hu Mei Er, yet I spared Ling Qing Zhu''s life. Well, the reason was simple. Ling Qing Zhu was clearly holding back when she fought me. While we traded blows, I realized clearly that she had no intention of killing me. I was never in any danger of dying ¨C she might have sought to incapacitate me, but because of her misplaced gratitude toward me for saving her life during that expedition into the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb, she felt that she owed me and therefore couldn''t bear killing me. Respecting that, I decided to let her and her fellow Incendiary Ifrit Sect members live if possible. Of course, I did end up killing a few of her fellow discples, but such casualties were inevitable during a battle of life and death.


    On the other hand, Hu Mei Er quite clearly aimed to kill me. Unlike Ling Qing Zhu, who restrained herself, Hu Mei Er did everything in her power to kill me, and threatened Tang Qi Hong''s life as well. The Divine Shadow Sect assassins were the same. If I wasn''t able to defeat them, they wouldn''t have hesitated to murder me.


    That was why I showed them no mercy, gunning them down without a second thought.


    Adjusting Tang Qi Hong in my arms as she mumbled something incoherently, I turned to Tong Xue, who was also carrying Lian Rou.


    "Let''s get out of here."


    "Leaving so soon?"


    The both of us immediately jumped back as someone smashed the ground where we were standing on a few seconds ago.


    Blood Shadow slowly rose to his feet, a cynical smile spreading over his masked face.

 193 Chapter 192: Against All Odds

    "You¡­" Blood Shadow snarled, then snorted. "Well, it doesn''t matter. Brat, you''re on the must kill list, so I won''t let you go like Tong Xue."


    "That''s exactly my point!" I bellowed, catching him off guard. Blood Shadow actually looked molliefied, completely taken aback by my reaction.


    "What¡­?"


    I didn''t let him finish.


    "You''re supposed to be a skillful, veteran assassin with decades of experience, right? Yet why are you making such stupid amateur mistakes?" I then did a mocking pretense of him, waving my hands dramatically. "''Leaving so soon?'' What the fuck, dude? If your goal was to kill me, why did you have to go announce your presence so loudly and forewarn us that you were coming, instead of just catching us unaware and stabbing us in the back? Like what any professional assassin would do ¨C kill the target before he even realizes what hit him!"


    "That''s¡­" Blood Shadow trailed away, realizing that I was right. He shrugged. "For dramatic purposes?"


    My jaw dropped. Amazing¡­this guy had a sense of humor too?


    "It doesn''t matter anyway," Blood Shadow continued. "You won''t be able to survive the night. You''re far too weak!" he grinned. "I was just giving you a chance. It wouldn''t be fun if I kill you instantly. I want to watch you struggle."


    "Yup, you''re definitely not a professional assassin." I sighed and shook my head. "Real assassins don''t think about fun."


    "Oh, shut up!"


    Blood Shadow snapped and then softly whistled in a low tone. Thousands of blood tendrils seemed to snake out of the night and charged toward me at once.


    "This sucks¡­" I muttered, getting a headache. Using Absolute Zero, I froze everything within ten meters with my concept. The blood tendrils all turned into ice and stopped just centimeters short of me. I panted heavily, using all of my qi to stop the blood tendrils while simultaneously bringing my Snow Aegis down to help me.


    "The same trick won''t work twice!"


    Having survived the barrage from my mobile turrets earlier, Blood Shadow deftly jumped away and disappeared into the shadows. However, I could still detect him with the infrared vision installed in my glasses and I directed my mobile turrets, firing qi beams on his position with uncanny precision. Blood Shadow was forced to withdraw several of his blood tendrils to defend himself.


    Having no intention to inform him of my capabilities, I continued to bombard his position, forcing him to retreat. As my mobile turrets spun about wildly in midair, I quickly withdrew, joining Tong Xue as we tried to escape.


    I knew I wouldn''t be able to hold Blood Shadow off for long.


    "The whole plan is falling about," I complained to Tong Xue, who grimaced and nodded sourly as he hefted Lian Rou in his arms.


    Originally, the plan we concocted with Lang Xie and Hai Rong was that I would momentarily distract Blood Shadow. When he attacked me, then Lang Xie would immediately assassinate Blood Shadow from behind (which was why I made a big fuss about Blood Shadow not being a professional assassin and pulling such amateurish stunts). Meanwhile, Hai Rong and Tong Xue would then seize the opportunity to rush toward Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou to release them.


    At least that was what we decided. Unfortunately, as a famous general once said, no battle plan ever survived contact with the enemy.


    As it turned out, this whole thing had been a trap, one elaborately planned out by the late Hu Mei Er. I was so glad I killed that bitch. It was all her fault that we were running the risk of getting killed. We never would have expected Di Shi Jiu and Yuan Tian Ya to show up!


    If I wasn''t mistaken, Hu Mei Er must have secretly led all these members of Divine Shadow Sect inside Tushan City for this assassination mission! For her to pull this off¡­she must have been scheming with Divine Shadow Sect and perhaps the Martial Arts Alliance for a long time now. Since when did she betray us?


    Ever since Liang Shao Yang died by my hands?


    "Where is Lord Lang Xie and Instructor Hai?" I asked rhetorically, casting my glance around for the two adults, to no avail.


    Tong Xue shook his head bitterly as he tightened his grip on Lian Rou.


    "Lord Lang Xie is currently occupied by Di Shi Jiu and Yuan Tian Ya. Even if they somehow fail to defeat him, there is still Liang Yang Zu hiding nearby. Instructor Hai is currently fighting a shadow conjured from Blood Shadow''s blood."


    "How do you know all that?" I asked, astonished. It was a rhetorical question, and I wasn''t really expecting a reply.


    Tong Xue smiled sourly. "Smart Shadow Sect''s techniques. I had netflies scattered into the atmosphere to keep tabs on them." he held up a cogitator gauntlet, which projected holographic images that displayed Lang Xie and Hai Rong fighting for their lives against their respective opponents, and one screen even showed Liang Yang Zu hiding in the bushes, waiting for his chance to ambush the unsuspecting Lang Xie.


    "What the hell?! Are you supposed to be an assassin from the Vanus temple now?"


    "The what temple now?" Tong Xue repeated incredulously. I shook my head.


    "Never mind. Anyway, keep an eye on them. And take Qi Hong." I passed Tang Qi Hong to a bewildered Tong Xue. "Go! I''ll distract Blood Shadow for now. His target is me."


    "But you¡­" Tong Xue protested even as he obediently shifted Tang Qi Hong over his shoulder. I grinned.


    "¡­won''t die so easily."


    Tong Xue stared at me for a moment, and then he nodded, as if saying that he trusted me. He then sped away just as Blood Shadow smashed the ice and summoned a new swarm of blood tendrils to launch at me again.


    "You think you can get away?" he snarled, throwing a bunch of serpentine blood tendrils at the fleeing Tong Xue. Before any of them could reach him or the girls, six brilliant qi beams seared through the air and incinerated them, vaporizing the blood.


    "You think you can chase them?" I responded sarcastically.


    Blood Shadow''s eyes narrowed. "Brat, don''t think too highly of yourself! And worry about yourself before you try and save your friends!"


    He had a point. Thousands of blood tendrils were whipping mercilessly toward me, stretching out as if to ensnare me.


    Pushing my glasses up my nose, I smiled.


    Closing my eyes, I reached into my mind, allowing my consciousness to sink into the freezing tundra that formed the bedrock of my soul. Gathering as much pure qi as I could, and remembering the lessons from the snow-patterned Spirit Engraved Pillar, I used the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body in conjunction with the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula. This time, I didn''t just use Absolute Zero, but combined Absolute Zero with Heavenly Snow Terminus Body.


    My freezing qi gushed out of my body, which was being slowly coated with a layer of frost. Extreme cold flooded out from my spiritual sea and into reality, altering the world itself. With me as the core, the world around me distorted as it froze and reality itself turned into ice. The courtyard was transformed in an instant, turning into a snow-white tundra.


    The blood tendrils were unable to withstand the extreme cold, every single one of them turning into ice before fragmenting into powder and crumbling away from existence. Crystalline and sparkling ice expanded across the whip-like contusions, turning them from crimson-red to azure-white. They resembled nothing more than frozen sculptures before their demise, lending to their frozen forms a transient beauty that couldn''t last long.


    The icy concept spread from my body and continued to freeze not just the blood tendrils or Blood Shadow''s techniques but the entire courtyard, altering the very landscape itself. Winter had descended upon us a few months too early. Such was the power of Absolute Zero that I could even change the very weather itself.


    It wasn''t just any winter, but the coldest winter that Tushan City had ever experienced.


    The mansion was coated in ice, with icicles beginning to dangle from the eaves, and a layer of frost solidifying thickly over the roof. Even the ground beneath our feet had become slush with snow, which was actually pretty hard.


    "Br¡­"


    Even though Tong Xue managed to escape to a safe distance, he could still feel the unnatural chill this far away. His teeth were chattering and his face had grown pale. If he hadn''t drawn his qi about him, he wouldn''t have been able to move, and might even end up frozen along with the mansion and poor trees surrounding me.


    "¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou couldn''t speak, even as their bodies were covered by frost, and their long hair encased in ice as well. They could only look at me in surprise.


    Underneath his mask, Blood Shadow''s eyes widened in shock, but then they narrowed ferociously, blazing demonically. Unfortunately for me, he wasn''t affected by my enhanced Absolute Zero technique, what with his superior strength and amount of qi. Glancing nonchalantly at his frozen blood tendrils that were crumbling away into nothingless rapidly, he shook his head and scowled.


    "You really are a skilled young man. To think you''ll be able to reach this level of ice technqiues at such a young age¡­it''s just too bad¡­"


    Blood Shadow dashed toward me, a dense bloody aura shrouding his body. I used Tui on reflex, widening the distance between us, and causing Blood Shadow to miss with his first attack. His fist smashed the ice on the ground, and for a moment it seemed that he had elevated the temperature and returned it to normal, neutralizing my technique.


    "!!!"


    Jumping back as far as I could, I watched Blood Shadow cautiously.


    "Isn''t this bloody cheating?" I complained as Blood Shadow pulverized the ice I had so painstakingly created.


    Honestly, I shouldn''t have expected anything different. I was still a greenhorn, a sapling who had yet to grow. In contrast, Blood Shadow had decades of experience and cultivation. He was probably at his peak, a powerful martial artist on par with Yuan Tian Ya and the sect leader of Snow Valley Sect or Dark Valley Sect. As much as I hated to admit it, he was a topnotch martial artist in the Great Zhou Empire, even if his assassination skills left something to be desired.


    However, he was speaking the truth when he said he could easily kill me anytime he wanted. That begged the question then.


    Why hadn''t he killed me already?


    Using my footwork techniques, I did my best to weave through the frozen courtyard, dodging and evading Blood Shadow''s relentless attacks. Thankfully I had my Snow Aegis, which bombarded the assaulting Blood Shadow from above and sometimes forcing him to veer away from launching what would otherwise be a lethal strike. Despite our combined efforts, I was under the impression that Blood Shadow was closing in on me, slowly tightening the noose around my neck ¨C a noose that he placed on me a long time ago without me realizing it.


    But as long as I was alive, there was still hope. And I spent the next few seconds simultaneously evading while cracking my head to think of a strategy that I could use against such a powerful foe. If only Instructor Hai would return and help me out!


    Wait¡­didn''t Tong Xue say that she was fighting a shadow that Blood Shadow conjured? If it was powerful enough to keep her occupied, then Blood Shadow must be investing quite a lot of qi into it to maintain it. Otherwise there was no way the renowned Hai Rong would be unable to defeat it. If Blood Shadow was splitting his strength to deal with both me and Instructor Hai at the same time, then perhaps I might have some hope of beating him!


    First, I focused my Heaven and Earth sense on Blood Shadow. Yup, he was the real thing. Unlike before, when he spread his presence out, which made him vulnerable to my multiple qi beams, Blood Shadow''s qi and presence was concentrated around his physical form right now.


    That meant, if I delivered an attack powerful enough, I would be able to defeat him. Or at the very least, drive him back.


    Glancing up at my mobile turrets, I began formulating a plan.


    "Still haven''t given up yet?" Blood Shadow taunted as he dove at me, striking with his fist. I managed to bring the core of my Snow Aegis up to deflect his punch, but both my Spirit Shield and I were battered away from the sheer impact.


    That was too close! I realized, gasping as I hit the ground and rolled back to my feet. Thinking he could exploit my moment of weakness, Blood Shadow dove to finish me off, but he suddenly pulled back as six deadly qi beams criss-crossed the air in front of him.


    "Oh? A feint? Very clever." He smirked as he hopped to safety and stared at me admiringly before glancing at the hovering mobile turrets. "You almost got me there."


    I clicked my tongue, despite knowing it wouldn''t be that easy. If Blood Shadow hadn''t pulled back out of reflex, I would have nailed him and everything would have been fine. Unfortunately, as I was finding out, Blood Shadow was proving to be quite the formidable opponent. Those years of experience were really giving him an overwhelming edge.


    There was no way I could hold out for much longer.


    "Huff¡­"


    Drawing a deep breath, I began to stumble back, and my mobile turrets followed me, the DRAGOON system kicking into protector protocols.


    "He he he!"


    Blood Shadow was laughing as he charged at me in an almost playful manner. The bastard was toying with me. He really believed that I was nothing more than an infant, and he intended to play me like a child and drive me to despair before taking my life.


    While it was true that he had every reason to believe that, I was going to ensure he paid dearly for underestimating me.


    "Come on! Don''t tell me that''s all you have? Surely you still have several tricks up your sleeve? Pull them out for me to see!"


    I couldn''t help but smirk.


    "You''ll regret it if I do resort to using my trump card."


    Blood Shadow''s eyes narrowed at what he perceived to be an affront, as I knew he would. "We''ll see about that. Try it!"


    "Make me!" I sneered. Blood Shadow grinned under his mask.


    "My pleasure!"


    He then charged forward, weaving through the volley of qi beams that my mobile turrets spat at him and reached me. He then struck out triumphantly, trying to pulverize my Snow Aegis.


    "Is that all you have?"


    Gritting my teeth as I struggled to withstand his punch with Snow Aegis, I reached out with my right hand and drew my Azure Lotus Sword. Before Blood Shadow realized what was happening, I slashed at him.


    "!!!"


    Blood sprayed in the air and Blood Shadow stumbled back. He gaped at the ice that was rapidly spreading over his arm.


    Unfortunately, I had only nicked him. It was nothing more than a slight graze, and even the bleeding had stopped because of the ice that was quickly expanding over his arm. I swore under my breath.


    "Damn it, I was hoping I could at least take one of your arms."


    "Nice try." Blood Shadow turned back to grin at me. He flexed his fist, about to shatter the ice that now encased his arm. "But¡­"


    I didn''t give him the chance to finish his sentence or free his arm. I was immediately springing at him, slashing my Azure Lotus Sword down with all my might.


    "!!!"


    Blood Shadow caught my blade before it could cleave him in half, both his palms pressing firmly onto it and stopping it a few centimeters away from his mask. Ice still continued to encase his left arm, but it didn''t seem to affect his strength at all.


    The ground beneath his feet crumbled and exploded as my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike expended its qi uselessly against Blood Shadow, but despite his fingers and palms bleeding from the tremendous blast, he continued to hold onto my blade tightly.


    Swearing under my breath, I tried to free my sword, but he clamped his bleeding fingers onto my blade tightly, refusing to let go.


    What a monster! He had just received the full blast of my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike, and he was still virtually unscathed. Save for the cuts on his hands, there wasn''t so much a scratch or bruise on the rest of his body!


    "Impressive, but it''s not enough¡­"


    "Enhance Armament!"


    Yelling, I unleashed my frosty qi and entrapped the stunned Blood Shadow in a tomb of ice. While he uttered an oath and tried to stagger back, I was able to pry my sword free from his grip and used Tui to escape.


    Blood Shadow was not so fortunate. He found himself completely enveloped in ice, his body locked in a thick block of frost.


    "It won''t work!" he snarled, already breaking free and shattering a good chunk of the ice. He then smiled. "I''ll admit, you''re a very impressive youngster, with a keen strategic sense and having mastered such advanced techniques at so young an age. No wonder they call you Lang Xie''s successor." He shook his head slowly. "If you survive, you''ll surely lead Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to glory and allow it to achieve heights otherwise unimagined, allowing it to surpass the other seven major sects in the Martial Arts Alliance."


    He sighed and shook his head dramatically.


    "It''s a pity, though, that the Martial Arts Alliance is afraid of that. Well, they aren''t afraid of you specifically, and I''m sure they would rather recruit you into their own ranks than eliminate you. But too bad you''re Lang Xie''s disciple." His smile widened. "And I''ve sworn revenge against Lang Xie. If you want to blame anybody, blame him for killing your grand master (basically grandfather-master, the master of my master)."


    I paid no attention to him and plunged my Azure Lotus Sword into the ground.


    "Enhance Armament!" I yelled, unleashing my frosty qi and trapping Blood Shadow in a block of ice again.


    "This technique again?" Blood Shadow raised an eyebrow as he smashed his way out of the ice, as I knew he would. "It won''t work. You won''t be able to defeat me with this, no matter how many times you use it."


    "I know," I replied. "But it was never my intention to defeat you with this technique."


    Blood Shadow frowned, sensing that something was amiss. Sensing a great amount of qi, he glanced down at his feet and saw a spherical device that glowed fiercely.


    "W¡­what is this?"


    I didn''t reply. There was no point in telling him that the Spirit Bomb was my prototypical Sunburst, one of the first few of its model that I completed with Tang Qi Hong''s help. No doubt if she was here, Tang Qi Hong would also recognize it, but currently she had been ferried by Tong Xue to a distance far away enough to be safe from the explosion.


    "You bastard¡­!"


    Recognizing the tremendous amount of qi that was threatening to blow up from the Sunburst, Blood Shadow desperately shattered the ice and tried to escape.


    But he was too late. There was too much ice for him to free himself in time. Before he could smash away the last vestiges of ice that was holding him down, the timer of my primed Sunburst went off and it detonated.


    BOOOOM!


    A thunderous explosion blasted across the mansion''s premises, tearing a massive hole in the earth with apocalyptic impact, a conflagration that expanded violently like a sun having gone supernova, and engulfed Blood Shadow.

 194 Chapter 193: Scorched Earth

    "Did you do it?" Tong Xue asked, almost as if he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. The shockwaves buffeted him and he struggled to remain standing, being weighed down by Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou. The ice that coated the two girls shattered, falling onto the ground like snow, dispersing immediately into frosty powder.


    "Nope." I shook my head, a little disappointed. "I was hoping that would kill him, but I guess he''s still quite the powerful dude. Well, at least he went out with a bang."


    "The hell?! Even after an explosion that powerful?!"


    I shrugged and continued to watch, my lenses darkening to filter out most of the bright light of the devastating detonation and protecting my eyes. Within a single blast, the extremely powerful shockwave had erased the ice, shattering them into countless fragments and vaporizing them instantly from the sheer heat.


    Not only the ice, but the few blood tendrils that had remained intact despite being frozen had also disintegrated from the blast.


    "Ugh!"


    Blood Shadow was groaning. As the bright light and inferno died away, even after blossoming into a tiny mushroom cloud, his broken body slowly became visible under the diffusing flames. He looked completely mangled and mauled, white bone exposed into the air after having his flesh and raw muscle melt off them. In fact, most of his bones had been charred black from the sheer heat. It was harder to find any place where there was still skin attached.


    "Wow¡­I totally nuked him."


    My jaw dropped a little. Even I had totally underestimated the terrifying strength of my newly invented Sunburst. It was too bad I had just used the only remaining prototype I had after field-testing the other one, or I would toss it to finish off the sorry-looking Blood Shadow. Admittedly it would be overkill, but I refused to let my guard down with this bastard.


    Blood Shadow let out a moan. Tong Xue studied him for a moment, his eyes widening when he realized something was wrong.


    "Where''s the blood?"


    "Hmm?"


    I glanced at him, not comprehending. Tong Xue gestured Blood Shadow with a jerk of his head ¨C since both his arms were occupied in carrying Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong. On closer inspection, particularly with the help of the readings on my glasses, I understood what he was driving at.


    Astonishingly, despite the severe injuries that Blood Shadow had clearly sustained, he wasn''t bleeding a lot. The readings in my glasses indicated that he had only lost a relatively small amount of blood.


    I frowned. Something wasn''t right here.


    Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou were also staring at Blood Shadow in dread, but for different reasons. Blood Shadow''s hideous mask had been blasted off and incinerated, revealing his true face. Don''t ask me why, but for some reason Blood Shadow''s nose and ears were cut off. Probably the author of Spirit Realm had some background explanation or something that had to do with Lang Xie''s past, but I honestly couldn''t care less.


    "Tong Xue," I instructed calmly, still feeling disquiet over Blood Shadow surviving a direct hit from a nuke. Well, a mini-nuke, but you know what I mean. "Take Qi Hong and Lian Rou and leave this place. Right now."


    "What about you?" Tong Xue asked.


    "I''m going to finish this guy off," I replied. As if to suit my words to the letter, my six mobile turrets hovered behind me for a moment before speeding upward and unleashing a barrage of qi beams that punched several holes through the grievously injured Blood Shadow, causing him to shriek in excruciating pain.


    "Are you sure? I think you''ve incapacitated him enough. It should be safe to leave him here." Tong Xue had a point, but my intuition told me that it wasn''t that simple.


    "This guy¡­I don''t know why, but my instincts are telling me there''s more to him than what meets the eye. The fact that he''s still not dead even after I nuked him means that he''s hiding something. Don''t dally, otherwise we''ll all die here."


    "You might be right." Tong Xue suddenly paused, as if remembering something. "Earlier, Blood Shadow executed his Blood Arts: Materialization, so I think he was only fighting with fifty percent of his power. The other fifty percent of his power manifested in the form of his Blood Arts: Materialization, using half his soul as the core and his shadow as the body. That shadow is fighting with Instructor Hai right now and must be carrying the other fifty percent of his power!"


    "And you''re only telling me this now?" I asked dryly, trying not to sound too annoyed. Tong Xue scowled defensively.


    "I only just remembered it myself! You can''t blame me! I was too busily trying to escape and stay alive while saving Lian Rou at the same time! I have a lot of other things on my mind all this while!"


    "Fair enough," I conceded. "And if you want to save Lian Rou, please go now. And take Qi Hong with you."


    Before Tong Xue could obey, however, the two of us spun around when we sensed something dreadful approaching. A scarlet blood shadow was howling violently as it rushed back toward our direction at top speed.


    "Bloody hell, looks like we''re too late," I grumbled grimly.


    Fortunately, it seemed that the blood shadow wasn''t dashing toward us. Rather, it was rushing straight for Blood Shadow''s mangled body, which remained motionless.


    Even more fortunately, Hai Rong was trailing it, adamant on not allowing it to escape. From her expression, she must have seen the explosion and mushroom cloud that my Sunburst caused earlier, and she nodded at me gratefully.


    "Damn it!"


    Tong Xue still jumped away, just in case, carrying Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou with him. I glared at him, and catching my expression, my friend nodded and began his escape at top speed. Fortunately for him, the blood shadow ignored him and continued rushing toward its master.


    I immediately understood what it was trying to do. If Blood Shadow fused with his blood shadow (okay, that sounded weird, I know), he would regain fifty percent of his strength, and more than likely heal from his wounds. Even though he would still only be at half-strength, he would continue to remain a formidable opponent. I still remembered what a struggle he forced us into earlier, almost killing me despite my Snow Aegis.


    And that was when he was fighting with only fifty percent of his strength!


    We had to stop him before he drew upon his remaining power to recover.


    Highly aware of that, I quickly stepped between the blood shadow and Blood Shadow''s true body. The blood shadow struck out mercilessly, but Snow Aegis drifted between us and its attack clanged ineffectually off my shield. In retaliation, the six mobile turrets streaked upward and fired a volley of qi beams that punctured cauterized holes through the blood shadow, but being an inhuman puppet created from blood and shadow, it only staggered and faltered a little from otherwise fatal wounds that would have killed a normal human being.


    The blood shadow only required a few seconds before it righted itself and charged toward me again, desperate to break past me and reach its true body.


    Unfortunately for me, I had not intended for the six qi beams to deliver the killing blow. They were but a diversion for my real attack.


    Plunging my Azure Lotus Sword into the ground, I yelled, "Enhance Armament!" the Spirit Engravings on my blue blade glowed brightly as they activated under my command, and the entire barren landscape was frozen in ice again. Even the blood shadow was ensnared, entombed within an ever expanding block of ice that resembled its coffin.


    "Well done!" Hai Rong praised me. She was still wielding that sword of hers, which emitted an immense amount of qi. She stabbed the frozen blood shadow, and I saw it shudder while simultaneously feeling its qi diminish significantly.


    "You¡­!"


    Blood Shadow spat out another mouthful of blood. He shut his eyes for a moment, forcing his mauled body to gather qi, and despite the excruciating pain that wrecked him, he excuted his technique.


    "Return with Blood Escape!" he roared.


    Clearly this was a last resort technique that Blood Shadow was reluctant to use. He was hoping that his blood shadow would return to him without him using this technique, for it agonized him greatly to execute it in his current state, and forced him to expend more qi that he couldn''t affod to, especially with someone of Hai Rong''s caliber returning to confront him. Nonetheless, he recognized that if he continued to hold back, he might really die.


    With a sickening splash, the blood shadow exploded into seven streaks of blood-colored lights and surged underground, through the cracks created from my Sunburst''s explosion earlier. They sped in different directions, smashing the ice that I had so recently created, and escaping through various crevices.


    "Damn it!" I cursed, but I was helpless to do nothing but watch as each and every light traveled underground before vanishing back into Blood Shadow''s real body.


    Every time one of those lights entered his body, his severely weakened qi would recover somewhat, and his body would heal a little. When all seven blood-colored lights merged with his real body, all of his injuries were healed, flesh seeming to materialize from the blood and solidifying over his bones. While he still seemed very pale and I could sense the amount of his qi being significantly lesser than before, in terms of physical condition he seemed to have restored himself completely. Nonetheless, he couldn''t conceal his current weakness and was hobbling unsteadily.


    Even so, his formerly hollow eyes had regained his terrifying, murderous gaze and he glared at us.


    "I''m going to kill all of you!" he howled furiously. The next second, he actually vanished from existence, his physical body morphing into crimson smoke and misting over the crater where he was lying on a few seconds ago. I could only gape as a terrifying spherical aura that was blood-red appeared and weighed down heavily upon the entire ruined courtyard.


    "Go ahead and try it!" Hai Rong mocked him with cold laughter. "We''ll see who dies! Do you really think you can defeat me after you withdrew your blood shadow? Now that you''re using your real body to fight me, you''re vulnerable to my attacks!"


    Raising her finger to her mouth, Hai Rong bit down and drew a drop of fresh blood before spreading it across the blade of her sword. The demonic aura that shrouded her Spirit Sword suddenly intensified to the point where the Blood Blades instructor''s killing intent actually dwarfed that of Blood Shadow''s.


    "Wait a minute," I protested, annoyed. "If you have such a powerful technique, why didn''t you use it earlier?"


    And don''t give me that excuse about Blood Shadow having that 50% blood thing flying around. Hai Rong could still have obliterated it easily with her powered up blade, and then proceed to finish off the weakened Blood Shadow''s true body afterward. I had no fucking clue why she decided to hold back, and potentially cost Tong Xue and me our lives.


    Of course, Hai Rong didn''t answer my question. Granted, this might be a qi-consuming technique and she didn''t want to expend too much of her strength when there was no guarantee of victory. Now that Blood Shadow had been reduced to less than half of his original strength, her odds of winning had risen considerably, so she thought it no longer necessary to hold anything back.


    "Blood Arts: Soul Shackle!"


    Hai Rong slashed her sword in the air. At first, I wondered what the hell she was doing, waving her sword when her enemy was so far away. But her flashing blade left crimson streaks in the air, visible lines that coalesced into an arcane pattern. Within seconds, the streaks of blood intersected in the air to form a blood-red net.


    I shuddered unconsciously when I felt the soul-shackling, potent power emanating from the newly materialized blood-red net.


    "Trap him!"


    Hai Rong pointed at Blood Shadow, and responding to her will, the blood-red net fell onto Blood Shadow, imprisoning him. I realized that it didn''t just physically restraint him, but the arcane patterns woven into the fabric of the blood-red net were glowing fiercely to shackle his qi and spiritual consciousness, restricting his power.


    "You!"


    Blood Shadow growled defiantly and struggled to break free from the blood-red net, only to find himself unable to use his qi efficiently.


    To be clear, he could still use his qi, but not as much as before. Clearly, losing more than half of his original qi had put him at an overwhelmingly disadvantage. I now understood why Hai Rong held this technique back for so long. If it had been the Blood Shadow at full strength, he would undoubtedly have broken free within seconds.


    However, even if this spirit blood net was ineffective against Blood Shadow at his peak condition, it was more than enough to overwhelm both me and Tong Xue. Tong Xue and I were struggling to remain standing, our spiritual consciousness tensing unconsciously from a deep-sated fear upon seeing the blood-red net materialize. Even though the spirit blood net wasn''t aimed at us, it continued to emanate a chilling, terrifying aura that caused our throats to constrict and our souls to shrink back in fear. Tong Xue stumbled back while my knees buckled.


    "Fei Wu! Tong Xue! Grab one girl each and leave this place as soon as possible!" Hai Rong ordered, snapping the both of us out of our stupor. Shaking our heads, we nodded and quickly made to obey, trying to avoid meeting her gaze. Right now, Hai Rong''s beautiful eyes were shining with a lethal light that made us uncomfortable despite her killing intent directed elsewhere. If I had taken a closer look, I would have realized how bloodshot her eyes were.


    "Take care, Instructor Hai!"


    Tong Xue complied immediately, and passed me Tang Qi Hong as soon as I reached him. With his burden lightened, he was able to move faster than before, but with my footwork techniques I was able to keep up with him.


    As much as I loathed to leave Hai Rong behind by herself, I was keenly aware of how much of a burden I would be if I remained behind. Both Hai Rong and Blood Shadow were top experts of the highest pedigree. I was just an amateur bumbling into a high-level fight I had no place meddling in. It was sheer luck that I had survived against Blood Shadow thus far.


    If only I had another Sunburst¡­I could have blown up the heavily wounded Blood Shadow and finished him once and for all. Unfortunately, I only had one of the prototypes left after using the other one for a field test. Once I returned to my workshop, I should return to making more of them. They really saved my life.


    My Snow Aegis hovered behind me, the mobile turrets returning to dock with the core, and I grabbed it as it shrank back into the snowflake-shaped tiny portable device that allowed me to carry it on my person wherever I went, shoving it into my pocket.


    While we ran, I did several rough calculations. I was fighting against Blood Shadow at half-strength, and I was still completely outmatched. If it were not for my Sunburst, I might even be killed, despite the defensive capabilities of my Snow Aegis. And as much as I hated to admit it, while the qi beams from my DRAGOON system could wound Blood Shadow and hurt him badly, they were not enough to decisively defeat him and drive him back. In all likelihood, I would just make him mad and he would pulverize me to the ground once he got serious.


    The idiot was going to regret underestimating me and holding back instead of professionally doing his assassin job and using all his strength to kill me from the start. Typical idiot antagonist, in other words.


    Well, it worked in my favor, so I couldn''t complain.


    In any case, the blood shadow had returned to Blood Shadow, and he had fully recovered, which brought me back to square one. Worse than square one, considering I was no longer armed with my Sunburst.


    Best to leave Blood Shadow to Instructor Hai then. Right now, it would be incredibly difficult for me to pose a threat to the fucker. If I insisted on staying and taking potshots at the bastard, I would only become a burden to Hai Rong.


    That was why I complied and carried Tang Qi Hong with me, following Tong Xue back to the relatively safe grounds of the sect. More Blood Blades would be present, and they would help us protect the two girls. And we could even provide the necessary first aid.


    No, wait. I couldn''t help but frown at that. Dark Asura Sect''s Yuan Tian Ya was here, both Di Shi Jiu and Liang Yang Zu from the Divine Shadow Sect were also here, with the latter still hiding somewhere in the shadows. The bastard clearly wasn''t seeking revenge for his son, or he would have emerged to kill me long ago. As I suspected, he was only using Liang Shao Yang''s death as an excuse to justify his attack on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. He clearly thought nothing of me, the adults writing me off as an insignificant kid who wouldn''t pose a threat to any of their plans.


    Right now, they were only scheming to eliminate Blood Blades.


    In other words, Lang Xie and Hai Rong. Cut off the heads of Blood Blades, and the rest of the body would fall in short order. Of course, there was still Sect Lady Zi Da Ji to consider, and her prowess was not inferior to that of Lang Xie''s. Even so, just getting rid of Lang Xie and Hai Rong alone would reduce our combat ability significantly.


    Damn it!


    "Yuan Tian Ya, Di Shi Jiu, Liang Yang Zu¡­who else? Someone said something about Smart Shadow Sect as well. So Smart Shadow Sect has joined the fight as well?"


    Then again, Smart Shadow Sect was a subsidiary sect of Divine Shadow Sect, a tiny branch, so I guess I could just count it as part of Divine Shadow Sect.


    Good thing Tong Xue was still on our side.


    As if he heard my musings, Tong Xue turned around, his expression grave.


    "I suspect the Seven Valley Sects and even Cloud Sky Mountain are also in this as well," he declared quietly. I felt a chill clamp down around my heart.


    "Are you sure about that?" I asked uneasily. Tong Xue shrugged.


    "Sure as sure."


    The chill turned into a blizzard, freezing not just my heart but also my spine while turning my stomach into ice.


    If Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is assaulted on all sides by more than ten sects, then how are we supposed to defend against that?


    No matter how I racked my brain, I could only imagine one outcome. There was no way Nine-Tailed Fox Sect could stand against so many enemies, even if we were one of the eight major sects. We might be powerful, but we were far from invincible.


    "Fei Wu!"


    Suddenly, Tong Xue skidded to a stop, his grip tightening over Lian Rou. While carrying Tang Qi Hong, I joined him, already understanding the reason for his abrupt halt. I had already detected the presences of martial artists long ago with my Heaven and Earth senses, but Tong Xue had evidently picked them out with his netflies.


    "I sense them." closing my eyes briefly, I reached out with my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. There were surges and wild fluctuations in the qi of countless martial artists all around us, the intense sound of combat echoing from afar as Spirit Weapons and techniques clashed. "They''ve already invaded the city."


    "Yes, but worse." Tong Xue was grimmer than I had ever seen him in our years of friendship. "We''re being followed."


    "We''ve been followed ever since we went into the courtyard. That''s how Hu Mei Er and the Divine Shadow Sect assassins found us. They''re probably keeping their distance because they saw us get rid of the first wave so easily, and even survived the onslaught from Blood Shadow." I pointed out, not unreasonably.


    "You knew this and you didn''t tell us?" Tong Xue''s brow furrowed.


    "I thought you knew," I replied sheepishly. "What with your netflies and other Vanus clade gear¡­I mean spy gear."


    Tong Xue looked a little embarrassed. "You give me too much credit." But he frowned and shook his head before jerking it toward the roof of a nearby building. "Let''s go up there and take a look for now."


    "Even though there''s people following us?" I asked, bewildered. Tong Xue grinned and shrugged.


    "You''re the one who said they wouldn''t dare attack us. For now, anyway."


    With no argument against that, I followed him, the both of us jumping from contusion to contusion, until we reached the rooftop of the building.


    Gazing down from so high, the scenery in the distance shocked me and chilled my blood. Even though we were currently located in a fairly secluded area that was some distance away from the bustling city area, we still had a good view of Tushan City.


    "They really made it inside our walls," I whispered in dread.


    Below us, houses and buildings burned, their structures immolated by manmade fires. Even as Blood Blades clashed with enemies, there were even more martial artists slipping past their lines and venturing deeper into the city.


    "They''re not from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," Tong Xue sighed softly when he caught sight of those martial artists.


    "No shit," I muttered.


    Taking a deep breath, I momentarily closed my eyes and reached out with my Heaven and Earth senses, but Flame Volcano and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect were too far away for my senses to reach. They remained dark under the night sky, seemingly untouched by the conflagrations that blazed throughout the city districts.


    "What should we do now?" Tong Xue''s face was ashen. "Can Blood Blades really survive this?"


    I swallowed, unable to give voice to the thought that was occupying my mind. I didn''t want to say it, because I had the feeling that I would be bringing the inevitable into reality by vocalizing what I thought. And I didn''t want to believe it either.


    I had only been here for a little over a year, but I had gotten close to the people here, and this place felt like my second home, more so than even Wu Ling Academy.


    However, there was one thing clear enough for me.


    "We return to the sect, ensure the girls are safe, and then make our last stand with everybody there."


    Tong Xue looked at me silently, his expression complicated. I could tell that he was warring inside whether to remain and die together with the sect, or whether he should just take Lian Rou in the opposite direction and flee together with her. He would tell me to come with him, but he knew me well enough that I wouldn''t be persuaded to abandon Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Friendship over love. That was currently the mental conflict violently raging inside his mind right now.


    "Four years ago, when Lian Rou came to visit Smart Shadow Sect, it was one of the lowest points in my life. I had disobeyed my seniors and practiced a forbidden technique in the sect, and as a result, ruined my muscles and qi vessels. Not only would I be unable to strengthen myself, I would even grow weaker over time."


    Tong Xue finally spoke up as he looked at Lian Rou gently. I frowned, my vein twitching in my temple as I worried over the copyright issues regarding his backstory, and worse, the inconsistencies during my timeline.


    "I don''t remember that happening."


    "It was during the time when you were in Sen Lin Forest. You know, after you fell into the abyss when fighting the Behemoth."


    I called utter bullshit, but obviously I didn''t say that. Besides, Tong Xue had a point. Evidently a lot of things occurred in Wu Ling Academy and the sects of the students enrolled within it while I was busily trying to survive inn the abyss.


    My classmates just didn''t tell me about it. And they had no reason to. Furthermore, it was partly my fault for not asking and assuming nothing happened. The world didn''t revolve around me, after all. Even after my disappearance, life went on for the rest of my classmates.


    "Then I was demoted from the most talented martial artist in Smart Shadow Sect to a mere guide. Everyone taunted and bullied me during those months. I was looked down upon by the people I once thought to be less talented than me, and I disappointed the seniors and masters who had offered me the chance to join their sect and had great expectations of me."


    "I''m surprised you didn''t quit the sect," I said. Tong Xue smiled wryly.


    "Even if I did, where I would go?"


    I had no answer to that, and so said nothing. Nodding, Tong Xue continued.


    "It was during that time when Lian Rou visited Smart Shadow Sect. As her guide, I was ordered to bring her around the nicest places in my sect."


    "Is your sect a tourist attraction or something?" I scowled. "I thought it was supposed to be a top secret sect for spies and espionage."


    "Maybe." Tong Xue shrugged. "The locations might be a smokescreen, a cover to distract people from our real base."


    "Fair enough." I nodded. Tong Xue then continued.


    "Lian Rou was our classmate, so she was aware of my condition, but she did not look down on me at all. While I brought her around, I felt some peace from her cheerfulness, and it was that peace of mind that motivated me to succeed in cultivating that forbidden technique in the end." He looked at me. "And I recovered just in time before you finally showed up at the second exam in Sen Lin Forest, and even got stronger than before."


    "The time matched perfectly," I agreed, recalling the time when I ran into my classmates in Sen Lin Forest.


    "I met her during the the lowest point of my life, and fell for her. That''s why¡­I''ll do whatever it takes to protect her."


    "So are you going to leave Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, to save Lian Rou''s life?" I asked, aware that Lian Rou was shaking her head desperately, not wanting Tong Xue to do this.


    "If I do so, she will never forgive me." Tong Xue smiled bitterly. "And where will we go? I have renounced my place in Smart Shadow Sect. For better or for worse, I''m now a fully fledged member of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and one of the Blood Blades. I will have to live and die with the sect. In any case, we''ll just be hunted down if we try to escape anyway."


    Lian Rou relaxed a little at that, but I was still bewildered by his babbling.


    "Um, okay? So why are you telling me all this? Are you trying to raise a death flag or something? Don''t die on me, man."


    Tong Xue chuckled at that. "You might be right, you know. I probably have raised a lot of death flags before this, and as things stand, none of us are going to make it out alive. If I''m going to die, I want to at least tell my story to someone before I disappear from this world. I want you to know about me, at least, so that if I''m dead, someone still remembers me." He grinned. "If anyone''s going to survive this, it''ll be you."


    "Because I have plot armor?" I replied dryly. Tong Xue laughed.


    "You know it."


    "Well, no one is going to die," I declared fiercely. "You''re not going to die, Lian Rou is not going to die, Qi Hong is not going to die, and I sure as hell don''t intend to die." I jerked my head in the direction of our pursuers. For some reason, they had split off, having been spotted by a nearby patrol of Blood Blades, who were moving to intercept them. "Seems like our stalkers have lost interest in us. Let''s go."


    Tong Xue nodded, and then paused when his netflies picked up something else.


    "A new group is heading in our direction."


    I sighed. "They just keep coming, don''t they?" Drawing a deep breath as I pondered our next move, I came to a decision. "Let''s split up. You go this way, I go that way. That way, we might be able to confound our pursuers and shake them off."


    In reality, I had detected a familiar presence in the group and strongly suspected their target was me, so I decided to have Tong Xue go a different way so that he wouldn''t get drawn into the conflict. I wanted him and Lian Rou to be safe, at least.


    Tong Xue looked at me suspiciously, and I covered it up with a hasty, "hurry up! Don''t waste time!" before jumping off the building and heading in the direction I suggested.


    "Make sure you don''t do anything reckless!" Tong Xue hollered from above before he also jumped down from the building, but in the opposite direction, and disappeared toward the route I pointed him in.


    I smiled vaguely, and didn''t reply, not trusting myself to make another lie. Instead, I proceeded toward the direction of the new group of people.

 195 Chapter 194: Love versus Loyalty

    The confrontation was inevitable.


    Especially since I recognized the qi signature of that person, someone who I was very familiar with. He was bringing an entire entourage along with him, and they were headed in my direction. Though I could normally outrun them with my footwork techniques, if I was carrying Tang Qi Hong, I wouldn''t be able to outpace them. They knew where I was, and would catch up to me in no time.


    Of course, I could just hand Tang Qi Hong to Tong Xue and get him to carry both her and Lian Rou to safety, but he would have suspected something was amiss and insisted on sticking with me to face the enemy together. Furthermore, if I remember the script correctly, this person''s target was also Tang Qi Hong, and the present group would split off a small division to send after Tong Xue and pursue him to retrieve her.


    She was better off sticking with me.


    I briefly considered several possibilities, but knew that it was inevitable. If whoever was writing this story wanted something to happen, it would happen no matter what steps I took to avoid it. I wasn''t a mathematician, so I couldn''t calculate the exact probability of escaping my pursuers, but even someone who was too obsessed with the humanities to scoff at the over-reliance of mathematics and numbers to quantify reality was aware that my chances of getting away from the approaching group were pretty low. No matter which route I took, they would catch up eventually, much like how events rearranged themselves to ensure Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou got kidnapped even though they did the smart and logical thing and didn''t, for the most idiotic reason ever, just stupidly go to Free Trade Street where the former got assaulted by Gray Shadow and Black Shadow a mere few months ago. So while there certainly were differences, there were also inevitabilities.


    I could only hope there would be some differences, like Tong Xue not behaving exactly like Yi Yuan, and unknown elements like Hu Mei Er suddenly appearing and changing the script completely. But this time, it didn''t seem there would be any chance of that.


    "¡­"


    Realizing that Tang Qi Hong wanted to say something, I lowered her gently. She was staring at me intently, her beautiful eyes brimming with emotion. Clearly she wanted to say something, but Blood Shadow''s restraining technique prevented the words from spilling out of her mouth. Even though her lips were moving, no sound came out.


    Taking a deep breath, I knelt by her side and placed a finger on Tang Qi Hong''s neck. Even though I probed her qi vessels with my spiritual qi, because I wasn''t a doctor or healer, I had no idea what was going on.


    "Sorry, I have no idea what happened to you, but I''m guessing you''re being incapacitated by some blood restrainment technique from Blood Shadow. I don''t know how to neutralize it, and I don''t know which spirit medicine to use, so we''ll have to wait until I bring you back to the infirmary for Doctor Yi Sheng to treat you."


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes rapidly moved as she stared at me, obviously trying to convey some message through her eyes, but obviously I didn''t understand eye language, and I couldn''t read minds, so I had no idea what she wanted to say.


    "Relax, Qi Hong. I''ll bring you back to the infirmary first. After that, you can tell me whatever you want. I promise I''ll listen, okay?"


    Not wanting to waste any more time, I scooped her up in my arms and began to hurry down the path I had jumped down onto from the building earlier. Using my footwork techniques, I began to move in the direction of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect as quickly as I could.


    But as I suspected, I wasn''t able to outrun the group currently pursuing us.


    The moment I burst out of a secluded alley and into the junction of a street that would normally be bustling under normal circumstances, I couldn''t help but pause for a fraction of a second to take the astounding view in.


    The buildings were burning all around us. Civilians were screaming and fleeing, Blood Blades were struggling desperately as they fought against invaders, the sounds of their combat echoing throughout the street. Fortunately, most of the combatants were currently embroiled in their own fraught struggles, and were unable to pay attention to me.


    Unfortunately, our pursuers were not among those currently engaged in battle.


    Right at the opposite end of the street, the figures of three people appeared. And as I thought, they were standing in my way.


    "I knew it was you." I sighed in resignation when I confirmed the familiar presence that I had been detecting this whole time.


    Pang Feng, Pang Yun and the owner of Great Nature''s Heart, Wu Tuo, were standing in a thin row under an immolated building, their silhouettes illuminated by the blazing fires. They watched me quietly, waiting for me to approach them.


    "Pang Feng," I greeted him with a somewhat severe expression. "Where have you been all this while? Blood Blades have been mobilized to protect Tushan City. Yet you were nowhere to be found, and absent in your duties."


    Pang Feng didn''t reply. His features were illuminated by the flickering flames, and I could see him maintaining a difficult expression. His normally hard features looked as if they had been carved into rock, and his huge body emanated a rock-like, immovable aura. He raised his head and stared at me, emotions warring in his steely eyes.


    I felt a chill run down my spine. Even though I was hoping against hope that Pang Feng would follow Tong Xue''s example and stay true to the Blood Blades and adhere to his duty to protect Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, it appeared that he had let me down.


    Gritting my teeth, I tightened my grip on Tang Qi Hong in reflex. I knew Pang Feng''s purpose, or could at least guess it.


    "Pang Feng, I found the person for you. Don''t forget our promise." Wu Tuo chuckled as he casually Pang Feng''s shoulder. Then he turned away. "I still have other matters to attend to, so I''ve to leave first. Remember what I said earlier."


    "Wait," I growled, feeling incensed. All that kindness and flattery he gave me and Tang Qi Hong several months ago were gone now, nothing but hollow words from a fair-weather man. "What are these other matters you are talking about? Do you really intend to destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    Wu Tuo hesitated for a moment, and then he smiled sadly. Without dignifying me with a reply, he merely nodded a greeting in my direction and calmly left.


    As soon as Wu Tuo departed from the scene, several shadows suddenly sprang out from within the immolated buildings that stood on either side of the street.


    "You¡­!"


    I narrowed my eyes when I recognized them, my glasses magnifying their features and recording their faces. These shadows were all shop attendants of the Great Nature''s Heart shop, but they also doubled as martial artists from Cloud Sky Mountain. All this time they had been occupying Tushan City and doing business here, but today they had bared their fangs at us.


    Several of them followed Wu Tuo into the distance, but the rest remained behind, wielding Spirit Weapons and slaughtering the martial artists who were still inside the buildings on both sides of the street.


    Bam!


    I flinched as a spear flew past me and nailed a hapless martial artist behind into a concrete wall. He had just jumped out of a blazing building, presumably to escape the hellish flames, but ended up making himself an easy target for the staff of the Great Nature''s Heart shop. Spinning around, I recognized him as one of the civilians living in Tushan City, a vendor who ran a ramen shop that I frequented.


    "Are you all right?"


    "Please¡­help us¡­"


    Even as a chill ran down my spine at the wanton murder, I reached out with my Heaven and Earth senses and picked out familiar presences all over the street. People I had met before in Tushan City, mostly ordinary civilians with some knowledge of martial arts.


    Wu Tuo had brought his Cloud Sky Mountain martial artists here to massacre them indiscriminately.


    "Hang in there!" I shouted as I raced toward the ramen uncle, but I was too late. Before I reached him, he had expired, slumping helplessly against the spear that pinned him to the wall. My knees buckling I swore under my breath. "Fuck!"


    "Have we gotten everyone here?"


    "Yes, all the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect people here have been accounted for."


    "A clean purge."


    "Good. Then let us go."


    The sounds of fighting have finally died down and the Cloud Sky Mountain martial artists calmly walked out of the buildings. There were dozens of them. Right after they emerged into the open, they respectfully saluted Pang Feng and Pang Yun. Then they immediately moved toward the direction where Wu Tuo had departed in.


    "Who says you can go?"


    My fury surged out of me, manifesting in icy qi that spread across the entire district and immediately freezing the flames, turning them into ice.


    "!!!"


    The Cloud Sky Mountain martial artists realized something was amiss, and they all tried to leave, but the vast majority of them was caught in my Absolute Zero technique, their bodies turned into ice and shattering into bits. The very few surviving members stared at me in horror, and quickly sped off in different directions before I could catch them.


    "Yun''er! Behind me!"


    Pang Feng quickly shouted and shoved his sister behind him. He gathered all his qi and coalesced it into a defensive technique, managing to withstand my Absolute Zero, but just barely. A thick layer of frost hung over his crossed arms and his hair, dripping into icicles and he heaved heavily, almost dropping to a knee.


    "Brother!" Pang Yun shouted.


    "Young Master!" the fleeing shadows of the Cloud Sky Mountain Sect suddenly stopped and spun around to check on him.


    "Did you think you can just waltz out of here unscathed after slaughtering the people of my sect?" I asked them coldly, ignoring the fallen Pang Feng and stepping toward them. Their momentary hesitation proved to be their undoing and they were caught in the ice. Their screams were cut short before they shattered into numerous frost fragments. "If you have the audacity to come in here and kill my comrades, then be prepared to suffer the consequences."


    In the blink of an eye, there were no longer anybody left within the buildings which lined the two sides of the street. The civilians had all been murdered and massacred cruelly by the despicable Cloud Sky Mountain Sect martial artists, and I had killed them in turn, avenging the civilians'' deaths. I had to admit, I did not remember reading about this, but perhaps it was because of my selective memory remembering only the important plot points and named characters. It was too bad I didn''t have an eidetic memory, or I certainly would have taken steps to protect the civilians here. To be fair, I doubted I would have been able to accomplish anything on my own.


    Crack!


    In an instant, the ice that I had manifested in reality shattered and scattered into countless fragments. Pang Yun rose to his feet once more, his body unharmed and imposing. I had the sudden impression of a mountain rising to stand in my way.


    "Junior Fei, leave Senior Tang here and flee."


    A look of helplessness was etched onto Pang Yun''s tiny face.


    "Divine Shadow Sect, Dark Asura Sect, Cloud Sky Mountain, and the Seven Valley Sects have all moved. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is definitely finished. It''s impossible to save the sect. Leave Senior Tang to us and take this opportunity to flee from the city. Perhaps you''ll be able to survive."


    She sighed dramatically. However, that only served to irritate me more.


    "Who are you again?" I blurted out.


    "Are you serious?" Pang Feng snapped. "She''s my sister, Pang Yun! How could you have forgotten about her?"


    "How cruel!" Pang Yun protested, wincing. "I mean, you''re right, but even so¡­don''t you think you''re being rude?!"


    "I''m rude?" I scoffed, unable to believe her audacity. "You''re complaining about me being rude after you just stood aside and did nothing while your fellow sect members murdered members of your secondary sect."


    I was aware that Pang Feng and Pang Yun were originally from Cloud Sky Mountain, which was their primary sect. Honestly, it wasn''t unusual that their loyalties to Cloud Sky Mountain would be stronger than their ties to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Even so, that pissed me off. Especially considering what I had just seen and heard. Clearly Wu Tuo of Cloud Sky Mountain had entered Tushan City and took charge of Great Nature''s Heart shop just for this day alone.


    "One of you was a member of Blood Blades while the other was an inner sect disciple. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect provided you both resources to help with your training and invested a lot in your careers, and this is how you''re going to repay the sect?" my frosty qi almost exploded out of my body, encasing the space around me in ice. "And you have the cheek to lecture me about being rude? You pair of bloody ingrates!"


    Pang Yun lowered her head shamefully, unable to look me in the eyes as she quietly responded with an almost inaudible voice.


    "We have no choice."


    I snorted glacially. "Oh, you always have a choice. You just picked the path that seemed easier, instead of choosing to fight to the death for the sect, like Lord Lang Xie, Instructor Hai and even Tong Xue did."


    "So you''re saying that we should have chosen to die?" Pang Yun snapped.


    "You haven''t even tried fighting for the sect, so why do you think it''s a given that you''ll die?" I retorted. "Do you really think our sect is that weak that we would lose to all these bastards?"


    "If you truly can''t see that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is doomed, then you''re clearly deluded." Pang Yun shook her head sadly.


    I didn''t bother to argue with her. Neither of us was going to convince the other, so I coolly returned to the topic at hand.


    "What will you do if I refuse to hand Qi Hong over?"


    Pang Yun suddenly walked out from behind a burning house. He narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowing deeply.


    "Yun''er," he instructed in a low voice. "Find Wu Tuo. Leave this matter to me."


    "Don''t do it! Brother, you know that Junior Fei is also one of the sect''s people, and isn''t he one of your good friends? He might even possibly be the future hope of the sect." Pang Yun was pleading with her brother frantically. "The sect has nurtured us for so many yeaars and I odn''t want to see it destroyed like this! Please, at least leave some form of hope for the sect to recover and restore itself! Brother, I beg you!"


    "As long as he is willing to put down the person he is holding, he can leave," Pang Feng replied, his tone low and firm.


    I watched my former friend, not sure why he was doing this. We were comrades who fought side by side in the past, weren''t we? Did that bond mean nothing to him? Why was he going through such lengths and why did he forsake the sect we fought so hard to protect?


    "Junior Fei, please put Senior Tang down. I beg you!" Pang Yun had turned to me now, her voice trembling. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is doomed! I swear, I''m telling the truth! You and Senior Tang are both on the execution list! If you bring her with you, death is all that awaits you! Wu Tuo promised my brother that as long as he is willing to return to Cloud Sky Mountain, he''ll protect Senior Tang''s life. If you leave Senior Tang with us, she will live. But if you insist on taking her with you, both of you will definitely be hunted down and killed mercilessly!"


    "Do you really believe that?" I couldn''t help but burst out laughing. Both Pang siblings stared at me in shock, as if I had gone mad.


    Really? Did they not realize how that statement makes no sense whatsoever?


    "Come on, use your brain a little." I paused as I studied Pang Yun''s tiny form. "Oh, sorry. You have quite the small head, and Pang Feng is too much of a musclehead, so I might be expecting a little too much from you."


    Pang Feng''s brow furrowed deeper, but he let my insult slide.


    "What are you talking about?!" Pang Yun demanded. I sighed and shook my head, wondering why they couldn''t see the obvious.


    "Kill, kill, kill¡­is that all you xianxia characters can think about? ''Oh, this person is talented, he must die!'' ''Oh, this person will become a threat in future, I must kill her before then!'' What kind of stupid logic is that? Do you just go around killing people just because they are smarter or more talented than you? Wouldn''t it be more logical to, you know, befriend the person and benefit from cooperation instead of shortsightedly killing anyone who''s smarter or more talented than you?"


    If that kind of logic worked in the real world, then people would be murdering the valedictorians of rival universities. Think about it ¨C "oh, that person has a much better business sense than me and will most likely become a CEO in future. I must kill him before he can threaten my future business!" ¨C What kind of idiot will come to that deluded conclusion? Wouldn''t it make more sense to strike a partnership with the guy and benefit from his business sense so that the both of you can grow rich instead?


    Or even better ¨C "that guy is getting into Stanford/Harvard University. He clearly is a genius. I must get rid of him now before I have any regrets later!" Why? Why the fuck would you kill a person for getting into an Ivy League university over you? Why not recruit him into your just starting business, or network with him, or learn from him? Why resort to killing someone just because he was more talented than you?


    At least that was still better than the "trash" premise. "You''re insignificant trash, therefore you must die!" this was prevalent especially in the female elite doctor/marine/top martial artist/assassin protagonists who reincarnated into trash noble daughters stories. If the protagonist was really as insignificant and trash as you keep making them out to be, why the hell are you investing so much resources, time and effort into trying to kill them instead of just leaving them alone (since if they are insignificant, they pose no threat and it would be a waste of time thinking about them in the first place)? And why, despite failing to kill your target and getting your faces slapped after every failure and the protagonist gaining new abilities that completely crush the reasons for labeling her trash in the first place, did you not learn your lesson and comprehend that your target is not the insignificant trash you made her out to be? So that you can have an excuse to continue trying to kill the protagonist over the most absurd reasons in order for her to slap your face for the umpteenth time?


    "Um, what does all that have to do with anything?"


    I realized that the Pang siblings were staring at me in astonishment, and that I had deviated from the main topic at hand with all my ranting.


    Clearing my throat, I forced myself to focus on the relevant reason.


    "Think about it clearly. Why are they invading Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? They want our resources and blacksmiths. They want to enslave our blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers and force them to forge Spirit Armaments and Spirit Engraved Gear for them."


    I then jerked my head toward the immobilized Tang Qi Hong.


    "And tell me, what is Qi Hong known for?"


    "She¡­" Pang Yun hesitated. I didn''t bother to wait for her to finish.


    "That''s right." I nodded my head dramatically, as if anticipating her answer. "Qi Hong is a peerless blacksmith and Spirit Engraver, the top inner sect disciple of our sect with limitless potential and incredible talent for forging Spirit Armaments."


    "¡­"


    Pang Feng stared at me, as if waiting for me to get to the main point. Oh, for Heaven''s sake! Can''t you figure it out on your own? Do you really expect me to explain every single thing to you?!


    "Dude, use your brain. If their goal is to capture and enslave the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers to forge Spirit Armaments for them, then why the fuck would they kill the geniuses from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? It''s like butchering the goose before it lays any golden eggs. If they kill Qi Hong, who are they going to get to forge the Spirit Artifacts? All the second-rate inner sect disciples? Or third-rate outer sect disciples? Whoops, I forgot that you guys are indulging in wanton slaughter of the outer sect disciples and elders. But if you''re going to kill us all, who will be making your Spirit Artifacts for you? And after the current enslaved and imprisoned blacksmiths grow old and die, who''s going to forge the artifacts when they are deprived of their freedom and can''t pass down their skills?"


    It was pretty simple logic, yet for some reason all these sects were so short-sighted and stupid that they somehow couldn''t see where they were fucking up. Let''s face it, they were killing for no good reason other than so that they could clearly be portrayed as the fucking villains here, for the protagonist to destroy them later in the story.


    The problem was that Zhu Jiao wasn''t in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, so I didn''t know how that was going to work out.


    No matter. The only, more blindingly obvious option was that Wu Tuo had been lying to the na?ve, gullible Pang siblings.


    "Think about it. If we follow this logic, then it''s obvious that Wu Tuo is lying to you. He''s feeding you this Tang Qi Hong is on the execution list bullshit to trick you into returning to Cloud Sky Mountain Sect with him. They never intended to kill her as it would defeat the entire purpose of invading Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in the first place!"


    Pang Feng and Pang Yun fell into a stunned silence, unable to refute my statement.


    "Besides, you claim that you want to save and protect Qi Hong, but if Wu Tuo is lying to you, do you really think she''ll be safe and happy with you?" I snorted icily. "Most likely she''ll be imprisoned by Cloud Sky Mountain and live out the rest of her life in captivity, deprived of her freedom and forced to forge Spirit Artifacts for your sect. She''ll basically be little more than a slave, being worked by your sect to her death. Is that your idea of saving and prorecting Qi Hong?"


    Again, both Pang siblings kept quiet, unable to counter anything I said. However, after a few moments, Pang Yun broke the silence.


    "Even so¡­even so, it''s still much better than her dying! Even if she ends up imprisoned for the rest of her life, it''s much better than her dying! As long as she''s alive, there will always be hope!"


    I sighed irritatedly. "Were you not listening to anything I said? I already told you there''s no way they will kill Qi Hong. they need her alive to forge artifacts for them, otherwise why would they go through so much trouble to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    "No, I mean¡­as long as she''s under Cloud Sky Mountain, my brother and I will definitely ensure her happiness and safety! We''ll make sure she isn''t locked up and find a way to give her freedom! We''ll make sure nobody abuses her!"


    Trying not to scoff, I gnawed on my lip and sighed again. "You must be really na?ve if you think you''ll be able to protect Qi Hong just because your sect takes custody of her. I doubt Wu Tuo and your masters will allow her any freedom. Your status might be pretty high in Cloud Sky Mountain, but I know you still aren''t in any position of power to do anything about that."


    "I''m telling you, my brother will definitely find a way! He''ll do everything within his power to ensure Senior Tang''s happiness and wellbeing!"


    Pang Yun paused dramatically for a few tense seconds, before blurting out.


    "Because¡­my brother loves Senior Tang! He has always loved her! He has already loved her for many years, but I''m the only one who knows about that!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s eyes widened briefly in surprise, her heart being sucked into a turmoil. Seriously? She didn''t know?


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!" I couldn''t help but laugh. "You''re the only one who knows about that? Just how dense can you be?"


    Pang Feng, who had been as calm and steady as a rock all this time, was looking pretty embarrassed now, and he flushed a deeper crimson as I had a laugh at his expense.


    "Tong Xue and I knew long ago that he was in love with Qi Hong!" if I could throw up my hands, I would, but I was occupied with carrying Tang Qi Hong. "Half the guys in the sect are in love with Qi Hong! What makes you think you''re the only one who knows about your brother''s unrequited love for her?"


    To be honest, there was a trace of bitterness in my voice, because I shared that same unrequited love. Tang Qi Hong had been clear when she rejected me indirectly, that she would accept no notions of romance and focus on working hard to succeed the sect. It wasn''t just Pang Feng nursing a one-sided crush. I had been, too.


    And this girl had the gall to assume that her brother''s feelings were stronger than mine, and that he would do a better job of protecting Tang Qi Hong?


    Yeah, I was definitely seriously hacked off. But I wasn''t going to be dragged into this teenage angsty romance drama. I had more important things to do. Calming down, I realized something. I had been arguing with the Pang Siblings over Tang Qi Hong''s wellbeing all this while, but none of us had thought to ask the actual person for her personal opinion.


    "You know what¡­let''s ask the person herself." I gently put Tang Qi Hong down, between me and the Pang siblings. "We''re just arbitrarily and selfishly deciding things for Qi Hong even though she has the right to make her own choice. I say we should leave it to her to decide. Whether I leave her or not is not for me to decide. Let''s see what Qi Hong herself wants."


    "How are we going to do that?" Pang Feng demanded, having realized that Tang Qi Hong couldn''t speak, because she had been quiet this entire time. She tried to say something, her mouth opening and closing, but no voice came out, and her honey-brown eyes grew frustrated.


    "Like this." I took a deep breath and looked Tang Qi Hong in the eye. "If you want to go with Pang Feng and Pang Yun, please blink three times and I''ll leave you with them. otherwise, if you choose to stand and fight with me to the bitter end to protect Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, then don''t blink." Realizing that it was unreasonable to expect her not to blink at all, I quickly added, "I''ll give you about thirty seconds, and count down. So if you blink less than three times within that timeframe, we''ll take it as you refusing to go with them. Fair?"


    Tang Qi Hong blinked once, as if nodding. The Pang siblings exchanged a glance, and then agreed quietly.


    "Sounds fair to me."


    "We''ll let Senior Tang decide."


    "Yeah, but I should say this in advance. If you choose to stand and fight with me, then I can''t guarantee that you''ll survive." I decided to point out the obvious, just in case the Pang siblings cried foul for some inconceivable reason. "But if you choose Pang Feng, then you''ll definitely survive. Even so, that''s up to you to decide."


    Pang Feng glanced at me, surprised, but I shrugged, as if to say that I was only pointing out the truth. There was no point sugar-coating it.


    We then turned to Tang Qi Hong, Pang Feng and Pang Yun tensing up as they scrutinized her for her response.


    Tang Qi Hong stared back, and hurriedly blink once before I could start. Then as if to say that I can begin the countdown, she stared at me.


    Taking a deep breath, I began.

 196 Chapter 195: Shameless Hypocrites

    Of course, the latter option would certainly entail a high chance of death, but I knew Tang Qi Hong well enough to be confident that she would rather choose to fight to the death to protect her sect, even if the effort proved to be futile. The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was her home, and Sect Leader Zi Shou De and Sect Lady Zi Da Ji were her adopted parents, and Zi Xiao Ji her adopted sister. There was no way she was going to abandon them!


    Once I reached ten (yeah, I know I ended up counting up instead of down, but let''s not sweat the details), Tang Qi Hong suddenly blinked once.


    Pang Feng and Pang Yun relaxed, joy spreading across their faces. I scoffed inwardly when I caught sight of their expressions. Weren''t they happy too soon? Then again, I couldn''t help but feel a bit of tension. What if I had been mistaken?


    "Yeah, in the face of death, no one will be able to maintain their calm," Pang Yun murmured to herself. I had to confess that she had a point. In the end, most people would want to live. Honor and love were concepts that, though noble, were intangible at best. Whereas if you were dead, then it was over for you. Honor wasn''t going to keep you alive ¨C rather, it was more often than not going to cause your death. As such, it wouldn''t be surprising if Tang Qi Hong chose to live over nobly sacrificing herself for her sect, obligations be damned.


    However, I knew Tang Qi Hong very well, and as such I said nothing while inwardly suppressing both a smirk and a slight tinge of worry that I might possibly be mistaken. Unlike me, the Pang siblings were completely confident.


    From their point of view, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was most definitely doomed. There was no way we would survive the invasion of ten different sects, and we would certainly be destroyed and our assets divided and distributed among the other sects.


    Despite me pointing out that it was highly unlikely that the other sects would kill Tang Qi Hong because she was too talented a blacksmith for them to wastefully kill off, and that would defeat their purpose of invading the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in the first place, the Pang siblings believe that Tang Qi Hong would trust their words over mine. That was why they thought she would immediately jump at the chance for survival.


    They were extremely rude, clearly thinging something along the lines of "as long asTang Qi Hong wasn''t stupid, she would naturally choose to follow the Pang siblings, and choose to continue living with them."


    As I expected, Tang Qi Hong didn''t blink again. She continued to stare at me, almost fiercely, as if demanding that I hurry up with the counting. I forced myself to calm down and count accurately, and for good measure, even after I reached thirty, I counted another ten, to forty.


    Tang Qi Hong did not blink a second time.


    "There you have it," I said with a shrug as I turned to the Pang siblings. Tang Qi Hong relaxed and exhaled wearily, finally allowing herself to blink.


    "Impossible¡­"


    "No way¡­"


    The Pang siblings were absolutely flabbergasted. They exchanged a stunned glance, and then turned back to Tang Qi Hong, who glared at them defiantly. The premature celebration died down on their faces, their joy replaced by utter disbelief.


    I told you bastards so. I told you she wouldn''t go with you. Inwardly, I was relieved to confirm that I knew Tang Qi Hong a lot better than the pair of idiots.


    "Are you really seeking death?" Pang Feng blurted out, but obviously Tang Qi Hong couldn''t answer. She merely glared at him stubbornly, rage boiling in her usually warm eyes. Pang Feng couldn''t mistake the displeasure in her expression and his heart sank.


    Pang Yun was also not satisfied with the outcome, and she spoke up, raising her voice. "Senior Tang, only my brother can guarantee your life! If you refuse to come with us, then you might not even survive tonight!"


    "Don''t you get it?" I asked, my tone dripping with contempt. "Qi Hong does not want to become a slave, imprisoned by your sect and forced to forge Spirit Weapons for them. There are more important things to a martial artist than one''s life. Like honor, values, moral code, freedom, independence, and integrity. One would rather die free than live like a slave under tyrants!"


    Pang Feng snorted. "What bullshit. What use is honor and righteousness if you''re dead? If you''re dead, everything is over. Your moral code won''t bring you back to life!"


    "But if you compromise your values, then what is the point of living?" I countered. "Are you going to live the rest of your life as a villain, at the expense of others, changing and discarding your values as you see fit? What kind of life is that? And you call yourself a martial artist?"


    Tang Qi Hong furiously glared at the Pang siblings, as if she totally agreed with me. Her eyes blazed with righteous fire, and I was sure she was telling them that they should be ashamed of themselves.


    Evidently, Tang Qi Hong felt betrayed by them. After everything the sect had done for them, nurturing them, investing significant amount of resources in developing them, and protecting them from danger, they turned their backs at the first sign of trouble and abandoned the sect so easily. The callous ingratitude was unforgivable.


    With a shrug, I confronted the two Pang siblings. "I will honor her decision," I declared, and even though I already knew the answer, it was still a matter of protocol to ask them. And it was polite, too. "What about you two?"


    Pang Yun sighed heavily and shook her head. She glanced at Pang Yun. "Brother, are you still going to force the matter?"


    Pang Feng suddenly moved in front of me, his stature resembling a towering mountain. He cast a dark stare at me and spoke in a low tone. "I don''t care how she looks at me. I just want her to live! That''s why, I don''t care whether she wants to or not, as long as I believe that my actions will ensure her survival, I will behave accordingly!"


    "What makes you think I won''t ensure her survival?" I snorted. "And what right do you have to force your decisions upon other people?"


    Ignoring me, Pang Feng issued an order to his sister. "Yun''er, leave first. Go find Wu Tuo and the rest. I''ll only need a moment."


    "All right." Pang Yun nodded. She knew her brother well enough to realize it would be useless to persuade him. Before she left, she had a request of her own. "Brother, Junior Fei is the hope of the sect. so please don''t kill him."


    She knew how strong her brother was, and thus she was highly confident in his strength. She obviously believed I was no match for him. Hah! What a deluded fool.


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    "Fine. I promise that I won''t kill him." Pang Feng took a deep breath and stared at me sorrowfully. "We were friends, after all, comrades who fought side by side. But even so¡­even if I don''t kill him, there will definitely be others who will. There is absolutely no way that he will be able to escape from Tushan City."


    "You underestimate my power," I sneered in a manner reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker. Of course, neither of the Pang siblings paid any attention to me. Wow, I was really getting pissed off at them underestimating me.


    "Whatever, he just cannot die by your hands! I won''t allow you to kill even a single person from the sect!" Pang Yun shouted.


    "All right, all right. I promise." Pang Feng relented wearily, surrendering to his sister''s selfish wishes.


    While watching the scene, I couldn''t help but burst out laughing at the two. Shaking my head, I slapped my forehead with my palm.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you two?" I was so incensed that I couldn''t restrain myself. "Both of you are such shameless hypocrites! Just listen to what you''re saying, and tell me you honestly don''t believe you''re not being shameless." I pointed rudely at Pang Yun and mimicked her to the best of my ability, pitching my voice.


    "''Don''t kill Junior Fei and leave some hope for the sect!''"


    Then I pointed at Pang Yun and imitated him, bringing my voice down as low as possible.


    "''I won''t kill him, but others will.''"


    Then I jabbed my finger at Pang Yun again.


    "''Okay then. Just don''t kill him yourself.''"


    Throwing my hands up, I began yelling furiously, unable to contain my anger at the sheer hypocrisy.


    "Just listen to yourself! You clearly know that nobody will be alive after your traitorous attacks, and you speak about ''hope'' and plead with your brother to ''don''t kill''!" what, you think you will be absolved of your betrayal if your brother is not the one who killed me? You are an active and knowing participant in this treachery, and you jolly well know that no one is going to survive this, but it''s okay as long as you''re not the one who does the actual killing and dirty your hands with blood? Your hypocrisy is just immeasurable!"


    While Pang Yun recoiled, shocked by my harsh reprimand, I rounded on Pang Feng.


    "And you! If you''re going to pull this fucking bullshit, then why even go to the pretense of listening to Qi Hong?"


    I tried to mimic him.


    "''I love Tang Qi Hong and will listen to her choice.''"


    Then I gestured toward Tang Qi Hong, who was still lying on the ground, immbolized, and probably taken aback by my yelling and antics.


    "She clearly told you to fuck off, and how do you respond? ''Okay then. I will take you by force.'' Really? You have no honor. You can''t keep your word, can you? And you call yourself a man?" I threw my hands up in exasperation. "What the fuck is wrong with both of you?!"


    The Pang siblings gaped at me for a moment, looking like the utter buffoons that they were. Then Pang Feng closed his mouth.


    "Hurry and go, Yun''er," he instructed severely. Pang Yun snapped out of her stupor and nodded. She glanced at me and Tang Qi Hong one last time before she sighed heavily and turned around to leave as quickly as she could.


    The moment she disappeared, the imposing aura that shrouded Pang Feng''s body suddenly felt several times heavier. He stood in front of me like a towering mountain, and I was somehow reminded of an immovable object.


    Well, if Pang Feng was an immovable object, then I was an unstoppable force. I couldn''t help but wonder what would happen when we clash.


    But before that happened, I couldn''t help but feel disappointed. Even though I was somewhat aware of what the outcome of this would be, I was hoping that it would deviate somewhat. After all, Tong Xue did not follow the Yi Yuan route and betray the sect. Instead, he renounced Smart Shadow Sect and stayed true to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, which was the complete opposite of what Yi Yuan did in the original story. Furthermore, Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou weren''t complete idiots like the original characters in Spirit Realm and engaged in unnecessary, ridiculous angsty teenage romance drama, and then decided for some unfathomable reason to go back to a dangerous place where Tang Si Qi had been attacked by Gray Shadow and Black Shadow months ago when the sect was currently at war with Dark Shadow Tower. You know, a lot of the scenes and events in Spirit Realm were pretty contrived and absurd, now that I thought about it. Thankfully, reality did not work that way, and the kidnapping and betrayal inevitably happened, it wasn''t identical to the contrived and forced manner in which Ni Cang Tian hammered his plot through. There were plenty of differences, and I was hoping against all odds that Pang Feng would take a leaf out of Tong Xue and Tang Qi Hong''s book and behave sensibly like them instead of pulling this ridiculous stunt.


    But I guess everyone wanted to see me fight him, and so the story had to develop in a way that we would have a reason to fight. I was really reluctant to fight against my friend, someone I had trusted and fought alongside over the last year or so, but if he insisted on being brain dead, then there was nothing I could do.


    I picked Tang Qi Hong up and placed her on a safe place in a distance, while closing my eyes briefly to feel for any nearby martial artists. It would be utter stupidity if I fought Pang Feng to defend Tang Qi Hong, only for someone to swoop by and abduct or assassinate her while we were too busily battling each other. Thinking for a bit, I activated my Snow Aegis and used it to shield her, the Spirit Armament hovering above her protectively.


    With that settled, I then turned toward Pang Feng and cocked my head. My shoulders slumped when I realized that this was the first time we were in a fight, for real. I mean, we did spar, but we never disagreed to the extent where we actually came to blows.


    "Fei Wu, I shall ask you one last time." Pang Feng looked at me seriously. "Will you not hand her over to me?"


    "Qi Hong has clearly made her decision," I replied somewhat coldly, glancing at Tang Qi Hong, who nodded in confirmation. "She doesn''t want to go with you, and she doesn''t want to be enslaved by Cloud Sky Mountain. I will respect her choice."


    "To seek life is the right choice. To seek death is ignorance!" Pang Feng yelled.


    "Don''t give me that bullshit," I snapped irritably. "Let''s be honest, you''re just ''in love'' with Qi Hong because you want her body. You should stop the nonsense about wanting her to live and be honest with yourself."


    "You¡­!" Pang Feng''s face turned red. A terrifying surge of qi burst out of his body, coalescing in a golden light. I merely sighed and waited for him to charge at me.


    Of course, I was not idle too. I narrowed my eyes and channeled my frosty qi, and the temperature around me plummeted as fog began to billow about the street. When I took a step forward, the concrete froze under my foot. While I approached the charging Pang Feng, the blazing flames that immolated the buildings on either side of me gradually faded away, their heat sapped away by the mystic chill that blew around me.


    We collided in the middle of the street, with Pang Feng raining down a barrage of punches on me. I used Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps to evade his attacks, dodging them by the narrowest of margins and sliding to the side before he could hit me. Deflecting his arm to the side before he could shatter my skull (despite promising his sister Pang Yun not to kill me ¨C yeah, the bastard really was not a man of his word), I rammed my elbow into his chest and caused him to stagger.


    With a roar, Pang Feng swiped at me with a vicious hook that would have laid me low, but I managed to bend my back to avoid it, and then sprang back up with a counterattack in the form of a kick that struck his midriff and sent him staggering a few steps back.


    Realizing that I couldn''t withstand his attacks for too long, I quickly used Tui to retreat, pulling back to a safe distance and making use of my superior speed and agility to prevent myself from getting caught by Pang Feng''s punches.


    "You think you''re safe as long as you stay away from me?" Pang Feng sneered. Raising his hand, he manifested his qi into a spiritual technique.


    Rock-hard fists materialized in the night sky above me and streaked forward like shooting stars, smashing toward me while leaving a trail of sonic booms in their wake.


    I merely tilted my head to the side and watched them descend. In an instant, the space around me froze, my concept of Absolute Zero freezing everything in place and leaving the plummeting rock fists suspended in midair. They weren''t just suspended, but entombed in ice before shattering into countless frost fragments.


    "Amazing," I remarked as I pushed my glasses up my nose. "You really are powerful."


    Pang Feng had turned pale when he saw how easily I had stopped his attacks. He glared at me spitefully.


    "Are you being sarcastic?"


    "No," I replied honestly.


    Gritting his teeth, Pang Feng intensified his barrage, and bit by bit, the rock-hard fists were smashing through my defenses. This time, I was unable to freeze them in time. The rock-hard fists were coming so fast and hard that they almost reached me before I could freeze them in time. At first, I was able to stop all of them, but I realized that they were getting closer and closer, until I was no longer able to hold the tide back.


    Sighing, I conjured a glacial wall in front of me. Made of thick, dense ice, the glacial wall served as a shield and momentarily halted the rampaging hail of rock fists. I could feel tremors reverberating as they smashed into the ice barrier with the force of meteors, cracking the dense surface despite my best attempts to infuse it with my qi. Undaunted, the rock fists continued to hammer through my last line of defense.


    Fragments of ice crumbled away as the rock fists violently collided with the glacial wall, gradually breaking it apart. At first, a tiny cobweb appeared, then more of them, linking and merging with each other to form a gigantic cobweb of cracks that threatened to tear my shuddering ice shield apart from the continuous blows.


    If I had Snow Aegis, it would be a different story, but the joke would be on both me and Pang Feng if someone swooped in and stole or assassinated Tang Qi Hong right from under our noses, so I had no choice but to assign Snow Aegis as her guard. As such, I could only rely on this glacial wall for my own defense.


    Despite infusing the glacial wall with my qi, I couldn''t help but stagger, my knees buckling as I was no longer able to withstand the ferocious blows.


    "I told you that you''re powerful," I growled through clenched teeth. Pang Feng didn''t reply, too busy trying to kill me.


    Sighing heavily, I reflected on how Pang Feng was truly worthy of the title of being Cloud Sky Mountain''s genius, for he was one of the strongest and fiercest martial artist in my generation that I had ever faced. Not even Liang Shao Yang could compare to his relentless onslaught of attacks, but then again Liang Shao Yang was a pathetic, spineless wimp who could only rely on sneak attacks and deceit to defeat others.


    Maybe he was on par with Zhu Jiao. Of course, Zhu Jiao was better, but Pang Feng was probably just below him. Then again, Zhu Jiao had the overwhelming advantage of being the protagonist. All geniuses would fall before him like Six-Star Bone Frame "geniuses" wilting like mere weeds in front of Li Fu Chen.


    The night was lit up by Pang Feng''s golden fists, the golden qi glow around them illuminating the darkness. Pang Feng himself was a golden figure who was pummeling my shield with his golden fists. Okay, you get the picture. In any case, at some point of time, he had closed in and joined his barrage of rock fists with his own two fists.


    His presence was an added boost to the offensive. Within a dozen blows, he actually shattered the glacial wall and smashed past the hurtling fragments to strike me in the chest.


    If readers were expecting me to use Tectonic Shift or whatnot, they were to be sorely disappointed. After all, I was not Qin Lie. I didn''t know he could use ice until long after I started my path to being a martial artist, and that whole Absolute Zero concept was a pure coincidence, but obviously I didn''t have geocentric magnetism or Heavenly Thunder Sacred Body or lightning techniques like Qin Lie. I wasn''t some genius protagonist who could master multiple elements like Qin Lie or Fan Mo. I was just an ordinary guy who learned extraordinary techniques.


    For now, I was going to just rely on the basics.


    Just as Pang Feng''s golden fist smashed through my chest, my body shimmered and disappeared. His eyes widening, Pang Feng whirled around, but I delivered a Shadow Kick right into his face, causing him to stagger.


    "Whoa, you really were trying to kill me, weren''t you?" I grumbled as I hopped back to maximize the distance between us. "What would you have done if I didn''t dodge that? Your fist would have gone through my chest and destroyed my heart!"


    Pang Feng stared at me sourly. "It doesn''t matter, does it? You''ll die anyway. You will never be able to escape the ten sects coming to destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Since you''re so determined to die with the sect, it makes no difference if you die by my hands or by the hands of the martial artists from the other sects. Besides¡­" Pang Feng cast a glance at the nearby Tang Qi Hong. "As long as you are alive, you''ll continue to threaten my love for Senior Tang."


    Ah, jealousy. He was envious of my relationship with Tang Qi Hong, and knew that to stand a chance with her, he would have to kill me. Except that if he killed me in front of her, he would effectively end any chance of getting together with her, because Tang Qi Hong would never forgive him for murdering me.


    Then again, I already knew that he was an idiot, so I wasn''t surprised that he didn''t think things through.


    "Well, I didn''t expect anything less, but why bother to promise your sister then if you never intended to keep it?"


    Pang Feng stiffened. "What she doesn''t know won''t hurt her."


    "Uh¡­" I glanced at Tang Qi Hong. "You do realize you''re trying to kill me in front of Qi Hong, right? What makes you think she''ll keep it a secret for you?"


    As I thought, Pang Feng never thought of that. He frowned, evidently struggling to think his idiotic plan through, and finally gave up.


    "Doesn''t matter. What is Yun''er going to do when she finds out? Kill me?" he snorted. "She''ll forgive me and move on. Besides, you''re right. Even though she knows no one will survive the purge, least of all you, she insists that it''s all right as long as I''m not the one who kills you. That''s very hypocritical of her."


    "Now that''s something we agree on." Using Tui again, I flickered out of existence before Pang Feng could punch me again.


    Pang Feng turned around, trying to track me, but I delivered a low kick that caused his leg to buckle. He swung his arm wildly, almost catching me, but I made use of my superior speed to escape to safety.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I could feel my leg throbbing from that last kick. Obviously Pang Feng was physically stronger and sturdier than I was, so it was disadvantageous for me to continue fighting him barehanded. I needed a weapon.


    Jerking my right hand in front of me, I snapped my fingers and yelled, "Come!"


    Pang Feng apparently thought I was calling for him, and he indulged happily, lunging at me with another of those terrifying gold fists cocked back to strike a lethal blow.


    At the same time, my Azure Lotus Sword materialized into existence as it slid out of the spatial device portion of Snow Aegis and then streaked toward me. While I spun around to evade Pang Feng''s devastating punch by a hair''s breadth, I reached out and grabbed my Azure Lotus Sword with my right hand before slashing at my opponent.


    Crack!


    The collision of our qi exploded and Pang Feng was actually hurled back by my counterattack, his body tumbling helplessly in the air for a few moments before he eventually righted himself and landed on his feet and knee.


    "Of course¡­" Pang Feng murmured as he raised his head and studied me. "I forgot that you''re a swordsman."


    "¡­"


    I watched him grimly, noting that he was unscathed despite taking a direct hit from my sword at pointblank range.


    As if he noticed my curiosity, Pang Feng slowly rose to his feet. His body was glowing golden, his qi coalescing protectively over him. Underneath his ripped clothes, I caught a glimpse of golden armor, which melded almost seamlessly with his body. To my astonishment, even Pang Feng''s skin had actually turned golden.


    I wondered briefly if the golden armor was a Spirit Armament, or a part of his body.


    "Let''s see if your sword can penetrate my armor, or if I''ll be able to crush you first!"


    With a roar, Pang Feng charged at me again. I wasn''t stupid enough to confront him in a head-on duel, so I used my footwork techniques to run rings around him, evading his attacks and striking as he sped past. However, I couldn''t find any gaps in his defense to exploit ¨C his golden armor seemed to deflect my sword no matter where I sought to pierce him.


    Pang Feng spun around and grabbed for me, as if determined to grapple with me. It was understandable ¨C he was much slower. Even if he possessed tremendous attack power, it would be useless if he couldn''t get a clean hit on me. He would have to rely on stillness and steadiness and look for an opportunity to land a hit.


    As for me, I was playing a dangerous game ¨C not willingly, of course. I was highly aware that all it would only take one clean hit to grievously wound me, or potentially kill me. Unlike Pang Feng, I didn''t possess a formidable defense. I had superior speed, but if I wanted to break through that armor of his, I would need to channel more of my qi into my attacks. That meant sacrificing some speed and making myself more vulnerable to Pang Feng''s hits.


    But I would have to risk it eventually. As good as my stamina was, I couldn''t keep running around like this indefinitely. I would need to end this battle eventually.


    "!"


    Pang Feng''s fist almost took my head off, but I managed to duck my head back. Spinning around, I thrust my sword forward, but it harmlessly bounced off Pang Feng''s chest. He countered with a punch from his other arm, but I managed to dodge it by a millimeter. Whirling to the side, I decided not to retreat this time and poured the qi that would otherwise be used for speed into my Azure Lotus Sword. Inhaling deeply, I struck with all my might.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike!


    "!!!!"


    Pang Feng recognized the threat and he immediately raised both his arms up to block my strike. The moment my blade made contact with the golden glow suffusing his arms, our volatile qi exploded upon the violent collision and sent the both of us flying apart.


    "Kuh!"


    "Ugh¡­!"


    I skidded to a stop and swung my glowing sword, taking a deep breath and glaring through the smoke. Similarly, a few dozen meters away, Pang Feng also just barely managed to skid to a stop, and he lowered his fuming arms.


    "That was a powerful blow," he admitted, shaking his trembling arms. "But if that was your trump card, then your defeat is inevitable. You''ll never be able to break through my defenses."


    So he said, but I focused my eyes on his smoking arms, and my lenses magnified the view conveniently for my view. I could see a huge scratch on his arms where I had struck them, with a trail of blood leaking profusely from the wounds. The golden glow had diminished slightly, but while Pang Feng restored his golden armor and glowing skin by infusing them with his qi again, he was unable to suppress the bleeding.

 197 Chapter 196: Fight between Friends

    "What did you say?" he thundered. I frowned, taken aback by his sudden fury, which had nothing to do with me standing in his way of "saving" Tang Qi Hong.


    "Huh? I said, I believe I found the chink in your armor¡­"


    "There." Pang Feng jabbed a finger in my direction. "You said chink, didn''t you?"


    "Yes¡­?"


    "Fucking racist!" Pang Feng roared. "How dare you use such a racist word?! Are you alienating your Chinese readers?!"


    "What the fuck are you talking about?" I shot back, completely confused. "What racist word?"


    "Chink!" Pang Feng snapped. "Don''t pretend you don''t know! You know that chink is a derogatory word used to refer to Chinese."


    "Uh¡­you''re overthinking it," I replied with a shake of my head. No wonder people were whining about social justice warriors. They took offense at literally everything, even a normal word that was originally not used in such an abusive manner. "Chink just means an opening, or a vulnerability. I''m not using it in any other manner."


    "Don''t say that word!" Pang Feng bellowed.


    "All right, all right." I sighed and shook my head, not wanting to argue too much with him. This was getting ridiculous, and I had more important things to worry about than persuading a social justice warrior about the intracities of language. "Anyway, let''s return to the main issue at hand. I believe I found a gap in your armor. Happy?"


    Pang Feng merely lunged forward and assaulted me like a wild beast, his rock-hard fists smashing toward me. Using Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I effortlessly evaded him, deftly dancing around his immense bulk and striking out with my sword.


    I wasn''t randomly slashing at him, though. With Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I was able to see the flow of his qi and how it circulated around his body. Presently, I could see that it was spread unevenly across his body in a protective layer, thickening and hardening wherever I struck him. The qi wasn''t consistent or stagnant ¨C it was fluid, ever changing and adapting to minimize waste of qi. There were several soft spots or vulnerabilities, but they disappeared as qi gushed over the areas, leaving new places open for a few seconds before those were too protected as Pang Feng spun around to deal with me or defend against my sword.


    I knew it. So there were still weaknesses I could exploit!


    However, I didn''t have time to capitalize on my momentarily advantage. Despite staggering, Pang Feng''s thin layer of qi had still absorbed most of the impact, and he lashed out to grab my foot. I quickly propelled myself away and flipped my body in midair before landing a few meters away. Pang Feng lunged at me, and I stabbed my Azure Lotus Sword into the ground.


    "Enhance Armament!" I shouted. Ice spread out from the ground and enveloped the charging Pang Feng, stopping him in his tracks.


    For only a few seconds.


    With a bellow, Pang Feng smashed his way out of the ice and continued charging at me. Like a wild bull rampaging through a poor china shop, he shattered the surrounding ice and sent it raining down in snow-like crystals. The freezing ice had no effect on Pang Feng''s glowing golden armor, which was totally unscathed despite my best efforts.


    He threw a punch that would have obliterated my head and chest, but I dodged it, bringing up my leg in reflex to kick him in the solar plexus. However, Pang Feng had anticipated that and hardened his defense. He swung his arm down, forcing me to whirl away to the side, and I jumped over his leg as he swept it out to kick my feet out from under me.


    "Hah!"


    Pang Feng threw another punch, but I agilely landed on his arm before jumping high into the air as he withdrew it. Spinning wildly, I descended with the intention to kick, and Pang Feng brought up both his arms to defend himself.


    But I kicked above and behind his guard, slamming my foot against his collarbone, where I pereceived a single weak spot. Pang Feng grunted in pain and his knees buckled, but he lashed out with his hands to grab me, but I was already spinning away and whipping out my other leg to kick him in his now exposed chest and smacking my foot against another vulnerable area. Pang Feng staggered back from the tremendous blow, heaving.


    "You¡­!" he growled, but I didn''t bother listening to him. Grabbing my sword with both hands, I swung it down to unleash a second Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike at pointblank range. My attack was a pretty big move, so Pang Feng had the time to react, bringing up both his arms to defend against the strike.


    Ka-boom!


    "Ugh!"


    Pang Feng skidded a few meters away, his feet gouging out huge chunks of concrete from the ground. He lowered his trembling arms, blood trailing from more wounds, but immediately hardened his defenses again.


    "Huff¡­"


    I adopted an aggressive stance, holding my sword parallel to the ground. Around us, rock and ice shimmered into existence, each of them in their respective territory and clashing ferociously in a vicious elemental battle.


    If there was a crowd of specctators around, they probably would be making stupid comments, like they always did in Peerless Martial God. Fortunately, we were in the area where Cloud Sky Mountain was formerly responsible for. Earlier, Wu Tuo and his subordinates had killed every civilian and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member in the area, so there was no one present to perform the stupid role of commenting about how I shoud be getting my ass kicked by the talented and renowned Pang Feng like how it always happened in Peerless Martial God.


    Wu Tuo had evidently tracked me down to this area - I recalled how he, Pang Feng and Pang Yun were chasing me halfway through Tong Xue and my retreat from the Divine Shadow Sect mansion. I realized I must have passed through this area with Tong Xue, Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou by sheer coincidence, and when they detected our qi, Wu Tuo and the Pang siblings immediately moved out to intercept me.


    By fortuitous chance, I had chosen to land in the district where Cloud Sky Mountain formerly governed, and they capitalized on the opportunity to surround me. But seeing that I was alone (I was glad that I told Tong Xue to go ahead of me in the opposite direction) with Tang Qi Hong, Wu Tuo had relaxed and let his guard down, leaving immediately. He had left me for Pang Feng to deal with, because we were supposedly friends.


    Wu Tuo must have reckoned that Pang Feng would be able to persuade me based on our friendship, or if worst come to worst and we clashed, he believed that Pang Feng ¨C the most talented martial artist of his generation among Cloud Sky Mountain Sect ¨C would definitely be able to defeat me in a battle.


    Pang Yun had also chosen to leave because she also, like Wu Tuo, had complete confidence in her brother''s martial ability.


    Unfortunately, neither of them had been to Wu Ling Academy, and thus they had not actually seen me fight. And obviously they didn''t bother to watch recordings of my matches or do their research on me, or they would a bit more worried. Well, you know what they say about the frog and the well, and while Wu Tuo was definitely strong, he was but a big fish in a small pond. The Cloud Sky Mountain wasn''t even a major sect.


    "Huff¡­"


    Pang Feng took a deep breath, and then he stomped forward with a yell.


    "Golden Stone Art: Third Style! Landslide!"


    "What are we playing, Pokemon now?" I demanded as I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.


    Pang Feng paid no attention to my jab. He swung both of his arms instead, spinning them around like gears. Chunks of golden light clumped together, manifesting in the shape of sharp, golden rocks, and he unleashed them at me all at once. They were literally creating a landslide, a stream of rolling rocks that gushed violently toward me to bury me under tons of stone.


    There was no way in hell I would allow myself to get hit by something that heavy and dangerous.


    Plunging my Azure Lotus Sword into the ground once more, I yelled, "Enhance Armament!" and infused my qi into the blade. Azure qi swept from my arms and into my Treasure Spirit Sword before surging outward and encasing the entire space around me in ice. In a second, the rampaging landslide was completely frozen in place.


    However, Pang Feng was not polite enough to wait for me to stop his technique. Unlike Wu Tuo and Pang Yun, he had actually fought side by side with me before, and had witnessed my techniques and skills. Thus he wasn''t going to make the same mistake of underestimating me. However, he wasn''t going to swoop so low and rely on other people''s assistance to defeat me.


    As a friend, he wanted a fair, one-on-one match.


    Crashing through the shattering ice, Pang Feng threw another punch at me, but I stood my ground and deflected his fist with my Azure Lotus Sword while ducking his other fist. Kicking him to push him a step or two back, I used Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps to pinpoint a weak point in his golden armor. Catching sight of what seemed like a huge hole, a swirling maelstrom of qi that was unstable and not yet solidified, I thrust my sword forward just as he blocked my other kick, and stabbed him right in that churning circle of qi.


    "Kuh!"


    Pang Feng staggered a few steps back as a huge portion of his armor simply disintegrated, revealing his golden skin underneath. A drop of blood trickled from the place where I stabbed him, but fortunately his golden armor had absorbed most of the force or it would have been a much more severe injury.


    "What is this technique?" Pang Feng frowned, trying to fight both his fear and anxiety. He had never heard of a sword technique that could have punched through his armor and destroy it so easily. Not even Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship contained such immense power!


    I merely smiled and slashed at him again, following the lines of qi that I could see with my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, and opening up a wound in his more vulnerable flesh that was no longer clad in dense spirit armor.


    "So incredibly secretive. Not only were you hiding your swordsmanship, you were also hiding such a powerful martial arts technique!"


    "Say what?" my jaw dopped. "Since when did I ever hide my swordsmanship? I''ve always been using swords in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, you know? If you don''t believe me, you can ask Tong Xue, hell, even Zhao Shi, Da Ge and Zi Xiao Ji, if you don''t believe me."


    Pang Feng remained calm, golden light gradually condensing within his eyes, as he continued on, probably because he was reciting from a script rather than actually responding realistically. "But did you truly think that you would be able to beat me just because you''ve cultivated so many martial arts? Only if you wholeheartedly focus on a single martial art can you truly wield its immense powers! As for you, who dabbles in everything, you will never be able to sense the true essence of a single martial art!"


    As he said this, Pang Feng tore off the tattered remains of his golden armor, as well as his shirt. Oh boy¡­the fujoshi are going to go wild over this scene.


    But more than that, I couldn''t help but throw my hands up in exasperation.


    "What the fuck are you talking about?!" I yelled. "Who told you I learn many martial arts!? I only learned two or three at most, but that''s about it! And I fuse them all together into a single martial art! I don''t dabble in everything! Are you mistaking me for Qin Lie, who can wield about three or more spirit elements at the same time!?"


    Pang Feng hesitated a little, and then he looked sheepish.


    "Whoops, wrong story!"


    "Wrong story, my ass!" I grumbled. "Can we stop talking about Spirit Realm and its absurdities and focus on the present?"


    "You''re right." Pang Feng nodded. A layer of golden qi that resembled molten metal seemed to flow over his glowing body before solidifying. I couldn''t help but blink in surprise as a new golden armor formed over his body.


    "You''re getting rid of your previous Spirit Armor to don a new one."


    "Well, you destroyed the previous one, so I have to replace it." Pang Feng shrugged. "Don''t worry, it''s not more powerful, otherwise I would have used it from the start." His glowing eyes narrowed. "I know from experience that it''s not wise to underestimate you."


    "That makes you a hell lot wiser than any enemies," I commented dryly.


    Pang Feng didn''t reply and he dashed forward to punch me again. Having detected his qi and reading its flow, I knew where his attacks would come, what techniques he would use and how he would move. I evaded him almost effortlessly, despite being highly aware of how devastating receiving just one attack would be. Pang Feng was extremely strong. It was akin to trying to dodge blasts from a BFG9000. Sure, the projectile might be slow enough for me to strafe and dodge, but it was immensely powerful where it would pretty much obliterate me if I take a direct hit.


    And there were no healing items I could pick up to restore my health. This wasn''t a game, after all. Hence my issue with power levels ¨C people just seem to think reality could be neatly quantified into levels when only games do that.


    "Stop moving around and dodging!" Pang Feng complained as his fist grazed the air where my head had been, and I jumped over his kick before delivering one of my own to his gut. He cursed and punched at me again, but I was already whirling away.


    "What, and let you hit me?" I scoffed. Pang Feng looked a little embarrassed when he realized how stupid and whiny his demand sounded. "Let''s be honest, if you can''t even defeat me, what makes you think you''ll be able to protect Qi Hong better than I can?"


    "You''ve a point." Pang Feng conceded. At that, a flash of inspiration struck me.


    "Why don''t you just leave Cloud Sky Mountain and join us? I''m sure if we work together, we''ll be able to repel any enemy trying to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. That''s why you joined Blood Blades, right? To protect the sect and your sister. And Qi Hong."


    There was a momentarily glint of hesitation in Pang Feng''s eyes, just as I hoped, but it was gone in a second and he shook his head.


    "With ten sects invading the sect? Not a chance. Even if we work together, even with Tong Xue helping us out, there''s no way the three of us can fight off the combined power of ten sects. Be more practical and accept reality."


    "Even so, Tong Xue chose to side with us and fight to the death for the sect," I persisted. "Why are you derelict in your duty?"


    "Because¡­living on is the most important thing."


    "With your help, our chances of surviving will increase," I pointed out. Pang Feng faltered for a little, but rationality overruled honor and friendship, and he shook his head. I realized he was also thinking about his sister as much as Tang Qi Hong. He didn''t want to protect just Tang Qi Hong, but his sister Pang Yun as well.


    "I''m choosing the path where we have the most chances of survival," he declared. He closed his eyes guiltily. "I''m sorry."


    "You don''t have to apologize. We all have our beliefs and paths." I shook my head before dodging another of his punches. "We will fight for what we believe is right, like we are doing right now." I smiled. "Just don''t hold a grudge if you get defeated."


    Pang Feng chuckled. "I could say the same to you!"


    "Oh, I won''t hold a grudge against you," I assured him. "After all, it''s not like you''re Qi Fu Ren, and you''re bullying me for malicious reasons. Even though I don''t agree with you, I still understand where you''re coming from and why you''ve chosen to act the way you did."


    "Thank you." Pang Feng momentarily stopped his attack to look at me seriously. "I really appreciate it."


    Then he struck, but I had seen his attack coming from far away with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps and dodged it easily.


    "But even so, that won''t change my mind. I will bring Tang Qi Hong with me, even if she ends up hating me!"


    "Then I''ll just have to stop you."


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    His fist met my blade, and ice spread around his knuckles. Pang Feng unleashed a burst of qi to shatter the ice, but I had jumped up using footwork and kicked him in the face, causing him to stagger. Another thrust from my sword at one of those swirling maelstroms of qi that I could perceive with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps was enough to obliterate his second armor and send him staggering back, and I followed up with a kick that almost knocked him off his feet.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Pang Feng righted himself before dropping to a knee, breathing heavily. I capitalized on the moment to finish him off, but he suddenly launched an uppercut. If I hadn''t detected his abrupt ambush with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, he would have punched a hole through my body.


    "Wow¡­you even managed to avoid that¡­"


    Pang Feng shook his head and forced a bitter smile as I vaulted away and landed a safe distance from him. I shrugged.


    "Still want to go at it?"


    "¡­"


    Pang Feng closed his eyes for a moment and slowly rose to his feet.


    "Sorry, but I''m going to make a selfish request." His eyes wandered away from me and rested on Tang Qi Hong, who was still being guarded by my hovering Snow Aegis. "Let''s finish this fight with the next attack. Otherwise our fight is going to attract unwanted attention from the other sects, and they''ll come in here and abduct Qi Hong when we''ve weakened and wounded each other."


    He then faced me seriously.


    "Let''s both use our most powerful attacks and decide this once and for all."


    "Fine." I gripped my Azure Lotus Sword and nodded, confronting Pang Feng evenly. I honestly didn''t have too much time to waste over this, so I might as well accept his request and get this done and over with. Pang Feng was still a friend, and as such I trusted him not to pull any despicable moves. He might be a bloody hypocrite, but he wasn''t scheming enough to backstab me.


    Pang Feng dropped to a stance and gathered as much golden rock qi into his fist as possible. The ground beneath his feet crumbled and I could see the stones elegantly rising into the air, drifting along his qi and weaving around him in a beautiful pattern. A few of the stones actually levitated behind him, seeming to form angelic wings. I could see a gargantuan terracotta warrior manifest behind him, its immense figure intangible and shimmering.


    "Amazing," I said, impressed. "I''m sorry, but I don''t know any fancy tricks like that. All I can do is channel all my qi into my sword."


    As I mentined that, my azure sword glowed black as all my qi gushed into it. Pang Feng raised his head, and he probably saw a black, demonic dragon hovering behind me in the same manner as his terracotta warrior.


    This was my ultimate attack, Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike.


    "Let''s do this."


    I nodded in agreement, and the both of us charged at each other.


    From a distance, it looked as if a golden cloud and a black cloud had collided with each other before exploding fiercely, demolishing the buildings on either side of the street.


    *


    The smoke and black and white qi slowly faded away.


    Both Pang Feng and I stood a few meters away from each other, having rushed past our opponent and not turning around.


    "Ugh!"


    Blood spurted from my mouth and I dropped to a knee, clutching my chest. Panting heavily, I leaned on my sword and forced myself to remain conscious. Damn, but I had taken quite a bit of damage from that attack.


    Pang Feng raised his hand and watched quietly as his golden armor crumbled and faded away. He clenched his fist and turned around. Blood streamed down his face and chest, and he wavered for a moment, but remained standing.


    "¡­"


    Tang Qi Hong studied the both of us from a distance, still protected by my Snow Aegis, which had stopped the blasts from the collision of our qi from reaching her. It was clear from her gaze that she was shocked by what she had just witnessed.


    "Damn it," I muttered as my vision swam. After all that big talk, and I lost to Pang Feng?


    However, Pang Feng did not share the same opinion as me. Even as he remained standing, he set his eyes on me.


    "It''s your victory," he declared.


    "Huh?" I turned around, only to see the last of Pang Feng''s armor disappear and he collapsed, the golden glow of his skin vanishing completely. He hit the dirt facedown, unmoving. My injuries forgotten, I forced myself to my feet and rushed to his side, checking to make sure he was all right. "Oi! Hang in there!"


    To my immense relief, Pang Feng was still alive. He was breathing shallowly, but he had taken a lot of damage. Well, I just used Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike on him, so obviously he wouldn''t come away unscathed.


    "Phew¡­" After I exhaled, I began to apply emergency first aid. First, to staunch the bleeding. Of course, this being reality, there was no magic spirit pill where I could feed him and he would heal in a few minutes. And I didn''t know any healing techniques like Teacher Yi Liao or Qing Xin Xia or members from the Green Dragon Sect.


    Fortunately, Pang Feng''s life was not in any danger. I sent his phone a message, and got up. Since Pang Feng was part of Cloud Sky Mountain, I doubted any of the invading sects would go after him. They should have been informed of his defection from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and rejoining Cloud Sky Mountain, at least if Wu Tuo had been competent enough.


    "Let''s go."


    Not knowing any medical techniques, I still needed to get Tang Qi Hong treated, so I picked her up and carried her back toward the direction of the sect.


    Tang Qi Hong glanced worriedly at Pang Feng, and I smiled reassuringly.


    "Pang Feng is fine. He''ll be all right. I''ve applied first aid, and when he wakes up, he''ll return to Cloud Sky Mountain. He won''t be in any danger."


    I had left him a message on his phone, telling him that I would keep Tang Qi Hong safe, and that he should take care of himself and return to Cloud Sky Mountain immediately.


    Tang Qi Hong closed her eyes, looking a little relieved. At least she was much better than a certain Tang Si Qi, who only cared whether Qin Lie won and couldn''t be bothered about the original Pang Feng''s wellbeing, and was only interested in who was the "true victor" instead of, you know, worrying if Pang Feng was still alive, or his condition after falling and creating a huge crater in the earth. Then again, what do you expect from xianxia stories, where the heroines cared nothing about other people except the protagonists, and treated every other side characters as fodder?


    A good while later, Pang Feng finally woke up. He reached and felt for the patches and bandages I had put on him, and smiled wryly.


    "Even after fighting almost to the death, you still took care of me." He shook his head. "Fei Wu, you really are an idiot. I guess that''s why we''re friends."


    Sitting up, he stared at the sky bitterly and raised his bandaged hands.


    "Huh¡­I guess I lost, huh?" he then caught sight of his phone beside him, and swiping the screen, saw the text message I had left for him. He glanced through it and then shook his head again before staggering to his feet. "Fine, I''ll listen to you, since you won."


    As he trudged back toward Cloud Sky Mountain, he glanced back at the devastated remains of the street and raised an eyebrow.


    "Those techniques that he used¡­they weren''t just ice techniques from Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula or Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship. Especially that last sword strike¡­it was neither Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship nor Nine-Tailed Frost Fox. And his evasion techniques, that was not from either of those¡­"


    Suddenly he recalled something he read from long ago. A lost technique that allowed one to evade flawlessly, and even allowed one to read the opponent''s qi and pick out weaknesses and openings.


    Touching his chest, his eyes widened.


    "Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps¡­why does Fei Wu know Heaven and Earth Formula?!"


    From what Pang Feng remembered, Heaven and Earth Formula was the martial art of the evil, demonic sect, Heaven and Earth Sect. A sect that had struck terror into the Martial Arts Alliance and the civilians of the Great Zhou Empire just years ago, and it took the combined might of the various orthodox sects in the Martial Arts Alliance to bring down the former sect leader, Tian Mo. Tian Mo himself was the Absolute One, a tyrannical demonic martial artist who massacred entire villages and towns just to achieve supremacy.


    Even the Imperial Guard had trouble fighting against the Heaven and Earth Sect.


    "Why does Fei Wu know a martial art from such a terrifying demonic sect? What is his relationship with the Heaven and Earth Sect?"


    Pang Feng felt disturbed as he returned to Great Nature''s Heart. The moment he stepped inside, he pushed those uneasy thoughts out of his mind and walked past Wu Tuo, who was currently giving a group of Cloud Sky Mountain sect martial artists orders. The group was gathered around a holographic tactical display, which presented a map of Tushan City. It didn''t take a genius to tell that they were busily strategizing an assault on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Pang Yun was among the group, and she stood up when she caught sight of Pang Feng trudging past them.


    "Brother!"


    "Oh!"


    "Pang Feng!"


    Wu Tuo and the other martial artists turned to look at him, taking in his sorry state, the bandages and his injuries. Wu Tuo looked extremely astonished.


    "Are you all right?"


    "Yeah." Pang Feng didn''t elaborate. Wu Tuo studied him for a moment, and realized something was missing.


    "Where''s Tang Qi Hong? What happened? Did you decide to let her go?"


    He could hardly conceive that Pang Feng would lose to a "nobody" like me. As I said, they were like frogs in a well, only comparing their martial artists'' strength against people within the same sect and not bothering to find out about other sects.


    Clearly, Wu Tuo had thought that Pang Feng had decided to let Tang Qi Hong go and respect her decision. Earlier, when Pang Yun returned, she had briefly explained what happened, and how I asked Tang Qi Hong to decide for herself. But that didn''t make sense. Pang Feng took too long to return if that was just the case, and it also didn''t explain the injuries.


    So Wu Tuo probably dismissed it as Pang Feng having a change of heart in the middle of the battle, and forfeiting the match to respect Tang Qi Hong, for some obscure reason. Either way, the thought of Pang Feng losing never crossed his mind.


    "I lost," Pang Feng replied in a single quiet sentence. "I lost to Fei Wu."


    "What¡­?" Wu Tuo''s jaw dropped. Pang Feng didn''t elaborate and moved on, but Wu Tuo stood in his way. "How¡­?"


    "He was stronger than me," Pang Feng answered simply. He didn''t share any of his worries or speculation about me being from the Heaven and Earth Sect. He knew the implications of that, and that if the news of me being linked to a demonic sect went out, I would be in trouble. The Martial Arts Alliance had largely ignored me for now because I was deemed insignificant (I wasn''t Qin Lie, after all), but if they learned that I had connections to a demonic sect, they would seek to hunt me down, kill me or "bring me to justice" like the hypocrites they were.


    As much as we fought earlier, we were still friends, and Pang Feng still held some regard for me.


    Shoving past a stunned Wu Tuo, Pang Feng continued on toward the back of the Great Nature''s Heart.


    "I''m injured and need some time to recover. Please don''t disturb me."


    Everyone could only watched, astounded, as Pang Feng emotionless walked out of the room without another word.


    "This is the first time Pang Feng has lost to someone from his generation," one of the martial artists murmured in disbelief.

 198 Chapter 197: Crossroads

    But the conflict was inevitable. Pang Feng refused to budge, and I couldn''t just let Tang Qi Hong go. Sure, she would survive, but she would be condemned to a life worse than death, enslaved by Cloud Sky Mountain and forced to forge Spirit Artifacts for them while being in captivity. As much as I wanted to believe that Pang Feng would somehow mitigate that, I knew that unless he became the next sect leader, it would be decades before Tang Qi Hong would regain her freedom. If she did regain her freedom, at that.


    I decided to gamble everything on my plot armor and hope that I would find a way of reversing the situation. Besides, we still had Sect Lady Zi Da Ji in the main sect grounds. If there was anyone who was capable of turning the situation around, it was definitely her. and Lang Xie, who was supposed to be on par with her or maybe even above her in terms of martial ability, was counted as the strongest orthodox martial artist in the Great Zhou Empire, so if the two join hands, we could throw back the combined forces of the ten sects assaulting us.


    Or so I hope, but deep down I knew I was being overly na?ve.


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    Even so, without any other goal, my own thought right now was focused entirely on returning to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I had to find a way to link up with Sect Lady Da Ji, and hope she had a plan to counterattack. Even if we lost the sect tonight, we were going to take as many bastards as we could to accompany us to the underworld!


    "¡­"


    Those thoughts sort of disappeared when I caught sight of more burning buildings while traveling down the district. From the distance, I could see the fires blazing ferociously, and the smaller, dark shapes of martial artists from Dark Asura Sect, Divine Shadow Sect, Cloud Sky Mountain and the Seven Valley Sects massacring civilians and combatants alike, rounding up the members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and slaughtering them in the open.


    They were not going to get away with this. I vowed inwardly in my heart, fury and vengeance building inside to near uncontrollable levels.


    We had reached one of the nearer districts to the sect ground, and Flame Volcano finally came into view. I paused and stared at Flame Volcano through my glasses, my lenses automatically magnifying its image for me to see it clearly.


    The first thing I noticed was that it was dark. Very dark. There was no trace of lights.


    Something''s not right.


    I felt a chill run down my back. There should be lights on, even late into the night. Flame Volcano, in particular, housed the inner sect disciples and elders, who didn''t adhere to any timetable. At any point during the day, you would at least see lights on and forging fires in the workshops and labs of inner sect disciples and elders who worked no matter what time of the day or night it was. I had to admit to being one of them, working until wee hours in the morning and going to bed at 7am after staying up the entire night (and most of the morning).


    Even so, many of the public facilities would remain illuminated, for communual use and all that. Unless there was a total blackout, the lights in the public facilities would never go out!


    The alternative, of course, was that the facilities were all destroyed¡­


    I shook my head violently, refusing to believe that. Even if there were ten sects assaulting our city, we couldn''t possibly fall this soon. We were built to withstand a siege. Sure, even though the ten sects had invaded the outlying districts of our city, Flame Volcano was a natural fortress. We should be able to endure the invasion for at least a few weeks, if not months.


    There was no way Flame Volcano would fall under a single night!


    "Damn it."


    I studied Flame Volcano intensely, as if hoping that just by looking, the volcano would suddenly come back to life. But it remained completely shrouded in darkness and still. There was no movement, nothing.


    Biting my lip, I contemplated my options. If I turned back now, where would I go? There was no alternative place to go to. I could return home, but the ten sects would track me and Tang Qi Hong down, and I would have to fight pursuers off along the way. And my home was much further from Tushan City from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s main grounds.


    Furthermore, I knew for sure that the ten sects weren''t stupid. The Martial Arts Alliance would have all the public transport systems and railways guarded. To try and get to a bus or train station would be to walk right into them and get caught. And Tang Qi Hong was in no condition to move on public transport anyway ¨C we would attract far too much attention, the Martial Arts Alliance would swoop in, and the both of us would be imprisoned and enslaved until the royal family got off its ass and sent the Imperial Guard in to clean up the mess.


    I glanced at my phone, but I didn''t receive any new messages, not from Tong Xue or the sect elders. They obviously had more important things to do than to reply to my messages, and given the circumstances, I imagined that they would be receiving thousands of new messages from countless civilians trying to find out what to do. They wouldn''t have time to filter through the messages to look for my text message or call.


    And that was the optimistic scenario. The other possibility I considered was that they were all dead.


    "Well, no use thinking too much about it," I muttered to myself as I spared Flame Volcano one last glance and continued toward it. There should still be Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and Blood Blades fighting. I was sure Sect Lady Da Ji and Lang Xie were still alive, at least. I was going to meet up with them and we were going to find a way to take back our sect from these greedy, jealous bastards.


    Or perhaps they would want us to retreat and escape, seeking refuge under the royal family. In any case, I would rather move with them as a huge group than to go on my own. I didn''t even know where the royal family was, and I would need someone to follow. It was all and well saying I would fare better escaping on my own, but I highly doubted I could fight off an army from ten orthodox sects by myself, while carrying an incapacitated girl.


    Speaking of which, Tang Qi Hong needed medical treatment as soon as possible, and I wasn''t going to be able to provide her by running along the shadows and avoiding everybody. The only doctors I could trust were those in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Otherwise any clinic or hospital I went into was bound to be under the jurisdiction of the Martial Arts Alliance, and¡­well, you know what would happen if I walked right into them.


    "Damn it¡­" closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, and then opened them with more determination. "Let''s do this."


    Tang Qi Hong looked at me inquisitively, still unable to speak, but I didn''t respond to her questioning gaze. Instead, I took off, hugging the shadows and zipping through the dark roads toward Flame Volcano.


    Seeing that I was going back to the sect, Tang Qi Hong relaxed. I bet she didn''t want to part with her adopted family and her friends, and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had been her home for years. Of course she wouldn''t want to abandon the sect and run away by herself. And I promised to take her back, otherwise why did I fight against Pang Feng and make all those declarations? I didn''t want to be a hypocrite like the Pang siblings.


    Nope. Back to the sect, it was.


    Unexpectedly, after fifteen minutes of weaving through the shadows using my footwork techniques and Shadow Steps (bet you forgot about that particular martial art a long time ago), I heard the roar of an engine and quickly pressed my back to the wall while holding Tang Qi Hong as close to me as possible. We cautiously waited as the vehicle zoomed past on the road, trying to navigate rubble and broken concrete while maintaining its reckless speed.


    "That''s¡­!"


    I recognized the design of the vehicle. Wasn''t that Da Ge''s car? The one he used to chauffeur Zi Xiao Ji around?


    As if to confirm my guess, my glasses captured the images of the driver, magnified them and sharpened them. There, Da Ge was in the driver''s seat, fighting with the protesting steering wheel and slamming the gear abruptly while the engines grinded in complain, while Zhao Shi was leaning in the passenger''s seat, watching out for enemies. In the back, Zi Xiao Ji seemed to be accompanied by a good amount of passengers, and it looked pretty cramped.


    "All right!"


    I felt immense relief and I quickly jumped out into the open, a good distance away to avoid being mowed down (though, with my footwork, I could very swiftly evade the onrushing car ¨C I had come a long way since dying in that accident that transmigrated me to this timeline. Da Ge''s eyes widened briefly and he slammed his foot on the brakes, bringing the car to a violent, squealing stop.


    "Are you an idiot?!" he roared, winding the window down to stick his head out. "If you want to kill yourself, don''t involve other people in your suicide attempt!"


    "No, wait!" Zhao Shi stopped him. "Aren''t they Fei Wu and Tang Qi Hong?"


    "Eh?!" Da Ge blinked and he did a double take when he took a good look at us. I would have waved at him, but I was busily carrying Tang Qi Hong. "You''re right!"


    "Sister!" Zi Xiao ji scrambled out of the car, kicking the back door open and running toward us. "What happened?"


    "Blood Shadow happened," I replied. When Zi Xiao Ji gave me a bewildered look, I promptly elaborated. "He used some blood technique to incapacitate her, and somehow immbolized her body. She can''t speak or move."


    "I think I know how to treat that," Zhao Shi spoke up. She frowned at me. "So should you. We''re all Blood Blades."


    "I only learned Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula," I reminded her. "Lord Lang Xie didn''t have the chance to teach me any blood techniques before¡­this happened." I indicated the fires, grisly deaths and destruction around us with a jerk of my head.


    "True." Da Ge nodded. "Get on."


    I carried Tang Qi Hong into the car, where a bunch of other passengers waited in the cramped compartment. Realizing that I could barely fit inside, and if I forced my way in, Zi Xiao Ji wouldn''t be able to ride with us, I emerged out again.


    "Eh?" Zi Xiao Ji looked at me, confused. "What are you doing?"


    "After you," I replied. Zi Xiao Ji nodded, still not comprehending, and she stepped into the car. Then she realized there no more space when she tried to squeeze in.


    "Oh no," she murmured, her face paling.


    "What is it?" Zhao Shi asked, and then turned around. "Oh."


    The other passengers glanced at each other worriedly, and I realized they were about to beg us not to leave them behind. They evidently recognized me and Tang Qi Hong as having a high status in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and were resigned to Da Ge and the rest prioritizing us over them, but my conscience would not allow such a thing.


    "It is fine," I assured them. "I''ll go on foot." Then I suddenly realized something. "Where were you guys going, anyway?"


    "Back to the sect." Da Ge nodded at the passengers. "We were picking up refugees and strays and bringing them back to our sect for shelter."


    "We''re a rapid response and rescue unit," Zhao Shi added. She glared at Zi Xiao Ji. "Even though it''s dangerous, our mistress insisted on coming along."


    "Well, it was her idea in the first place," Da Ge pointed out. Zi Xiao Ji puffed her chest out proudly and nodded.


    "But thanks to that, it seems we can''t fit you in," Zhao Shi remarked rather pointedly. Zi Xiao Ji''s face fell.


    "I think Xiao Ji made the right decision," I assured the daughter of the sect leaders. "From what I can see, she''s applying first aid, and she''ll be able to treat Qi Hong." Zi Xiao Ji''s expression improved tremendously. "I''ll leave them to you guys and move on foot. I''ll see you back in the sect. Besides¡­" I glanced around. "I might want to check the districts out and gather some intelligence on the enemies'' movement, so that I have something to report to Lord Lang Xie and Sect Lady Da Ji when I return."


    "Lord Lang Xie?" Zhao Shi frowned. "Has he returned yet? I thought he was with you, and the last thing I heard, he was fighting off the leaders of Divine Shadow Sect and Dark Asura Sect. I didn''t know he was back."


    "¡­you''re right." I had totally forgotten about that. It felt like ages ago, since I had been so occupied fighting Blood Shadow, and then Pang Feng, and moving on foot for what seemed like hours, I completely forgot that Lang Xie had troubles of his own. Since I hadn''t seen him for a long time, I had assumed that he had already defeated his enemies and returned to the sect. I guess the sect leaders of Divine Shadow Sect and Dark Asura Sect were not to be underestimated. "Nonetheless, Sect Lady Da Ji is still around, and I gather she''s coordinating our counterattack?"


    "If there''s a counterattack to be executed." Da Ge looked grim, his normally affable smile visibly absent. "The sect might not survive the night."


    "It will!" Zi Xiao Ji insisted, her cheeks red. "We will not fall to these despicable orthodox sects who only want our resources for themselves!"


    "I''m wiith Zi Xiao Ji," I agreed, even though my rational mind told me that Da Ge was telling the truth. "We can''t let them get away with this. Even so, if we have to, we''ll escape to live to fight another day, and any information I can get back might be important."


    "Don''t be reckless," Zhao Shi warned. She glanced at the district further down. "We''ll be taking the long way, but if you''re moving on foot, you''ll probably cut through the Rainbow Valley Road. That''s where the Dark Fiend Valley Sect people are. According to the reports from the Blood Blades who were in the area about an hour ago."


    "What happened to the Blood Blades there?" I asked, even though I could guess the answer. Zhao Shi''s solemn expression told me everything.


    "MIA¡­or dead."


    "Let''s hope they managed to escape and will meet up with us later," I said, forcing a calm I didn''t feel. Glancing at the terrified refugees and inert form of Tang Qi Hong, I took a deep breath. "Well, I''ll see you guys then. We should get moving."


    "Good luck," Da Ge told me. "And Godspeed."


    "We''ll be seeing you." Zhao Shi made the sign of the Aquila.


    "Stay safe, Brother Wu!" Zi Xiao Ji added worriedly. "We''ll come back for you."


    "Don''t," I replied. "By the time you come back here, I''ll be long gone. I''ll meet you back at Flame Volcano."


    "Roger that." Da Ge wasted no time gunning the engine, and the car shot off, disappearing from view around a bend. I watched the now empty space for a minute, and then began jogging in the direction of Flame Volcano, but not too fast that I would deplete my stamina.


    It was going to be a long journey, and I should pace myself accordingly. I didn''t want to be out of breath when I inevitably encountered another enemy.


    *


    Under the darkness of night, tragic screams rang incessantly about Rainbow Valley Road. The stench of blood hung heavily over the streets as merciless killers added yet another dispassionate murder to their tally, uncaring of whose lives they took, civilian or combatant.


    Atop the tallest skyscraper in the vicinity, which provided a bird''s eye view of the bloodsoaked district, several figures stood arrogantly near the edge as they condescendingly watched the scene of carnage unfold below them. they watched coldly as the people within the buildings were mechanically rooted out and slaughtered, hunted down in the apartments they had foolishly sought refuge in, deluded that their killers would never find them locked inside a room.


    "Lu Li has been by Grandma Jiu''s side for a very long time, so she is quite used to seeing such horrors. That''s why she remains so calm and unmoved." Shi Jing Yun chuckled as he cast a glance at Lu Li before turning back to the Ling sisters. "Yu Mei, Yu Xuan, are you two all right? I don''t think either of you are used to this yet."


    Atop the rooftop of the imposing skyscraper, Shi Jing Yun stood beside Lu Li, Ling Yu Shi and Ling Yu Xuan. They were all watching the martial artists from the Seven Valley Sects massacring the civilians and members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect below. Shi Jing Yun was supposed to be the leader, and he was using his position to slack off and flirt with the three beautiful girls.


    Lu Li''s gaze was as cold as frost, her eyes not displaying even the tiniest trace of emotion. She snorted as she watched the massacre below, as dispassionate as ever.


    "The strong eat the weak. This has always been the truth since the beginning of time. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect can only blame themselves for their own demise today. They were arrogant for many years, iinsisting on retaining a large amount of autonomy and independence from the Martial Arts Alliance and refusing to subordinate themselves. They didn''t respect those more powerful than them, nor were they willing to obey orders passed down to them that weren''t from the royal family. They prospered for so many years and were slowly rising up."


    WHAT FUCKING BULLSHIT IS THAT!?


    I would have yelled that if I was present, but obviously I wasn''t. But that logic was baffling. The strong eat the weak? What kind of nonsense was that? So only martial artists were allowed to live? They didn''t need farmers, artisans, mechanics, engineers, merchants, blacksmiths and service industry staff to live? If you eat all the farmers, who''s going to grow crops for you? If you kill all the blacksmiths ¨C like what you''re doing right now, who''s going to forge weapons for you?


    In the end, an army who was willing to respect and cooperate with blacksmiths who do their best to forge the best weapons for clients on equal ground was going to be more powerful and hold the advantage over an army who enslaved blacksmiths and forced them to forge subpar weapons for them. And they obviously had not studied history. In many civilizations, farmers had taken arms to protect themselves and overthrow kingdoms and armies through bloody revolutions. The whole strong eat the weak was just bullshit. It didn''t matter how strong you were ¨C when 90% of your population was farmers, if you abuse them, piss them off, and oppress them in tyrannical manners, they would riot, raise a revolution and overthrow your rule, no matter how strong your military was.


    That was why the Qin Dynasty fell after mere decades, after the tyrannical Qin Emperor oppressed his subjects to the breaking point. The Edo government too had to placate the peasants rather than just massacre them with samurai, when there were famines and taxes. And during the Sengoku Jidai, farmers actually took arms and became part of the army, and it was a time where the lower ranks usurped the higher ranks (gekokujou) ¨C it didn''t matter how strong you were or how individually skilled you were in martial arts. An army of farmers armed with spears or muskets would run you through or gun you down with overwhelming numbers. And the French Revolution too ¨C it consisted of the common people getting fed up with the corrupt royalty and nobility, and they overthrew them and executed the royal family after a bloody revolution. The common people, not the military. Not through arms or strength or martial skill, but commoners rallying together for a single purpose.


    Let''s be honest. Piss off the majority of your population, and no matter how powerful your army was, you would be shooting yourself in the foot. No matter how strong and skillful your soldiers individually were, they still needed eat. They still needed to be armed with weapons, armor and ammunition. They still needed people to handle logistics such as transporting supplies or selling and buying stuff. They needed barracks and tents to live in. And who provided all these food, weapons, armor, ammunition, supplies, transports, barracks, tents and more? The common people. If you were going to kill and "eat" them just because you were strong and weak, you were going to starve yourself to death before long. And external enemies who treated their commoners well would step in, take advantage of your stupidity, and conquer your once-great empire. Such stories were common throughout history. Look at the Mongolian Empire. They had strong soldiers and a terrifying army, but because they didn''t have the support of commoners and proper logistics, they stretched themselves too thin over the decades of conquest and ended up falling apart in the end.


    The authors writing these wuxia and xianxia novels and spouting this "strong eat weak" logic definitely did not learn history ¨C kind of ironic, since they were always setting their stories in historical settings.


    Lu Li continued, because I wasn''t there to correct her highly inaccurate and untrue logic.


    "Unfortunately, there isn''t even a single invincible martial artist within the sect able to defend themselves. Although Lang Xie is strong, he still has yet to reach that level. That''s why the fall of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is inevitable."


    Excuse me? Lord Lang Xie, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji and even Instructor Hai Rong were all formidable martial artists that were stronger than most of the people from the invading sects put together. Was something wrong with Lu Li''s brain? Or was she clearly deluded?


    Fortunately, Shi Jing Yun shared my view. He glared at Lu Li and shook his head with a snort.


    "If we had given Nine-Tailed Fox Sect twenty years¡­no, ten years, they will transcend the other major sects and become the most powerful sect in the Martial Arts Alliance. They have Tang Qi Hong, who shows the most promise in forging spirit armaments in decades. And they have Blood Blades, who has always been getting stronger, especially recently. In fact, Blood Blades are stronger than the military branches of all the other seven major sects, and they have proven that over and over again. Not only that, they have just recruited that young man¡­was his name Fei Wu? I heard that he made it to the finals in Wu Ling Academy''s tournament last year, and attained a high level of Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula."


    Lu Li''s expression grew cold when she heard my name. Shi Jing Yun noticed it, but he continued sternly.


    "And Lang Xie is much stronger than you think. Even when Liang Yang Zu, Di Shi Jiu and Yuan Tian Ya attacked together, they were still unable to kill him. I had just received the news a few minutes ago, but Lang Xie has already escaped."


    Lu Li looked a little shocked. "Is Lang Xie truly that terrifying?"


    "Let me put it this way. Right now Lang Xie is currently the strongest martial artist in the Great Zhou Empire." Shi Jing Yun sounded confident. "The Sect Leader of Dark Asura Sect, the Sect Leader of Cloud Sky Mountain Sect, and even the Sect Leaders of the four Celestial Creature Sects are not even close to being Lang Xie''s equal in a one-on-one fight! It''s precisely because of Lang Xie''s overwhelming prowess that Bood Blades are becoming increasingly terrifying. Not only that, we still have Zi Da Ji, who''s said to be his equal in combat, and the overall commander of the Blood Blades! Although Lang Xie has surpassed her recently, she''s still a force to be reckoned with. I heard that she had convincingly defeated the Sect Leader of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect earlier today!"


    He sighed and shook his head.


    "Moreover, with promising new disciples entering the sect such as Fei Wu, Tong Xue, and even that Pang Feng from Cloud Sky Mountain, the Martial Arts Alliance had gotten alarmed at the potential growth of the sect as a whole, and that''s why the various sect leaders have come to an unanimous decision to ally together and eradicate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect once and for all!"


    And in doing so, decide to ally with a demonic sect and overlook their crimes just to destroy a fellow orthodox sect. Yeah, you''ve got to love the hypocrisy of the so-called just and honorable Martial Arts Alliance.


    Lu Li, to her credit, was stunned speechless. Beside her, Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan looked very uncomfortable. They, like me, were probably scoffing at the absurd logic and realized the sheer hypocrisy of the Martial Arts Alliance.


    No doubt they wanted out of this chicken shit outfit. There was brutal reality, and there was bullshit reasoning that was contrived just to throw the protagonist in the most ridiculous crises for the sake of drama and plot. This most definitely fell into the latter.


    Shi Jing Yun sighed, recognizing their worries.


    "You''re probably right," he told them in a low voice while Lu Li was still too stunned and dumbfounded, trying not to let her hear him. "That''s the reason why the other six major sects, with the exception of Snow Valley Sect, are not participating. All of them are starting to have second thoughts about the Martial Arts Alliance. After all, if they can so callously resort to such atrocities and crimes right under the nose of the Great Zhou Empire, who''s to say they won''t be next? What if they become more powerful? Then the Martial Arts Alliance will immediately gather a group of sects to destroy them because of their greed, paranoia and selfishness. This also isn''t good for the future of the Great Zhou Empire. If you are always stunting the growth of your fellow countrymen and orthodox sects out of fear of them growing more powerful than you, the empire and martial artists will stagnate, and one day, when an external enemy from the other empires or kingdom attacks, we will be overrun very easily."


    "We have to do something." Ling Yu Xuan was horrified when she realized that Shi Jing Yun was right. If the Seven Valley Sects became too strong, what if the Martial Arts Alliance got afraid of them and convinced the remaining six major sects to destroy them? Then there was no way they would be able to defend themselves.


    Moreover, after participating in this massacre, it wouldn''t be surprising if none of the other sects in the Martial Arts Allaince allied with them. They would call it karma and relish in the destruction of yet another major rival.


    The selfishness and ugliness of these hypocritical martial artists had been made clear for her to see.


    Ling Yu Mei sighed heavily. "There''s nothing we can do, is there?"


    "No," Shi Jing Yun agreed. "The higher-ups are too short-sighted and blind to their own greed, desires and selfishness that they have backed themselves to a corner. When the time comes, we would be attacked if we try to overstep our boundaries. If we don''t want to get destroyed, we''ve to comply by the rules and restrictions placed on us by the Martial Arts Alliance. Unlike Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, who fought for their freedom, autonomy and independence, we have to obey the Martial Arts Alliance and stunt our own growth. The moment we try to be ambitious and increase our power, even slightly, like the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, the Martial Arts Alliance will immediately destroy us."


    Clearly Shi Jing Yun did not approve of the methods and decisions of the sect leaders of the Seven Valley Sects. He had seen the consequences and ramifications of playing into the Martial Arts Alliance''s hands, and saw nothing but trouble and increasing restraints. They would have to toe the line now, or their invasion of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would not be justified. And thanks to that, they would have to forever shackle their own growth.


    Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan looked even more dismayed than before. Shi Jing Yun forced a smile.


    "Don''t worry. I''m sure your generation will figure something out. It''s too late for us old folks to change anything, but your generation shows a lot of promise. Perhaps you''ll reform the Martial Arts Alliance before it''s too late."


    He then turned away.


    "And as such¡­I''ll be leaving this sector to you, Lu Li. I''ll be checking the other areas out."

 199 Chapter 198: Loser Lu Li

    "She didn''t want to come," Lu Li replied coldly, scorn dripping from her voice. "After staying in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for over a year, she seems to have softened. That''s why she doesn''t want to participate in the elimination of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "I know how she feels," Ling Yu Mei whispered, her tone gentle and understanding. "She must have developed strong ties to the people here."


    Even so, Yin Jing Jing could not go against the decision of her father, and the sect leaders of the Seven Valley Sects. Now that they had decided to destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, nothing Yin Jing Jing said would sway them, and she was lucky they didn''t force her to kill her former Nine-Tailed Sect comrades. That would have truly broken her heart.


    "Is there a need to kill everyone like this?" Ling Yu Xuan was horrified when she saw a Dark Fiend Valley Sect martial artist cut down a fleeing civilian. "A lot of the people here are not martial artists. They are just ordinary people. Can''t we let them go?"


    "They are part of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Therefore they must die." Lu Li was as indifferent as ever. "That was the order from the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "The royal family won''t stand for this. If they find out, they will send the Imperial Guard to subdue the Martial Arts Alliance."


    Ling Yu Mei looked grim, but Lu Li merely laughed mockingly.


    "The Imperial Guard? Do they really think they''re a match for the Martial Arts Alliance? All the stronger warriors are from the martial arts sects. The Imperial Guard comprises of ordinary soldiers. They will be wiped out if they try to take us on."


    That wasn''t very accurate. The Imperial Guard trained its soldiers in various martial arts, and many experts and masters in the orthodox sects were former Imperial Guardsmen who had retired or quit the military, hoping to look for better pastures or careers. They were definitely more than a match for the Martial Arts Alliance, though admittedly, Lu Li had a point. If the Imperial Guard clashed with the Martial Arts Alliance, both sides would suffer grievous casualties. It was entirely possible that the royal family would not want to risk that.


    However, they could not allow the Martial Arts Alliance to run rampant within their empire and do whatever they wanted and killed whoever they wanted, or their reputation and integrity would be suspect, and the morale of civilians elsewhere would fall. Riots would ensue, especially if they didn''t handle this matter competently.


    Ling Yu Mei knew this all too well, but she kept quiet when Lu Li scoffed at her worries. She could only look away slightly and knitted her fingers anxiously.


    She recalled the few people she had met, which included me for some reason. I didn''t know why, but it probably had something to do with me helping them meet up with Elder Tie and convincing him to forge their Spirit Artifacts for them.


    "Huh? Isn''t that Fei Wu?"


    Ling Yu Xuan suddenly shouted in excitement and pointed downward. The other two girls followed the direction of her gaze and caught sight of my figure hurrying along the street, trying to keep to the shadows but failing to because of all the bright fires that both immolated the surrounding buildings and illuminated the district as clearly as it would have been during daytime. I glanced up and waved at them, my glasses having spotted them a few seconds ago.


    Ling Yu Mei was stunned when she saw me, recognizing me. I had no idea how she did that all the way up in the skyscraper, not when she wasn''t wearing the same glasses with hi-tech functionalies as I was. Well, she probably conveniently spotted me for dramatic effect, I guess? Because screw logic for plot device.


    Doubt filled her eyes, in any case, and she was undoubtedly wondering why someone of my status was wandering around an enemy-held district on my own. I couldn''t tell her it was because I didn''t fit into Da Ge''s car. Now that I thought about it, I should have hitched a ride by clinging onto the top of the car or risk suffocation by hiding in the boot, but neither of those options were practical, to be honest.


    "Fei Wu? He''s Fei Wu?" The temperature of Lu Li''s voice dropped several dozen degrees. "So he''s the Fei Wu who refused me entry into the main Nine-Tailed Fox Sect grounds, not allowing me to take even a single step inside?"


    "Um¡­yeah, seems like him¡­" Ling Yu Xuan replied cautiously.


    "He''s on the hit list!" Lu Li sucked in a deep breath, uncharacteristically enthusiastic. Frosty qi was spilling out of her blue eyes. "I''m going to kill him!"


    Honestly, why was the Martial Arts Alliance trying to kill me? I was just an insignificant person who showed some promise. Normally the more sensible thing to do was try and recruit me into some compliant sect in the Martial Arts Alliance and make use of my potential instead of¡­you know, killing me for no reason other than because I was the protagonist and the story strived on conflict. Not unless they already knew my relationship to the Heaven and Earth Sect, but given how I didn''t see any official declaration or condemnation of me learning demonic martial arts techniques on the Internet or the news, I highly doubted that.


    In any case, Lu Li showed no hesitation. She drew her sword and suddenly jumped down from the top of the skyscraper. Which would normally be suicide, but being a martial artist in a xianxia setting, she was capable of qigong and could thus defy gravity and fly. In any case, she landed right in front of me, carving a crater in the concrete ground.


    "Oh!" Instead of being shocked by her abrupt appearance, I clapped my hands sarcastically. "Classic superhero landing! Impressive!"


    Meanwhile, high above, the Ling Sisters were thrown into turmoil at the sudden turn of events. They glanced at each other uncertainly.


    "What should we do?" Ling Yu Xuan asked. "Fei Wu not only helped us with our request for a Nine-Tailed Fox Sect elder to forge customized Spirit Armaments for us, he also saved our cousin, Qing Zhu. It doesn''t feel right if we help Lu Li kill him."


    Ling Yu Mei was similarly distressed, and extremely reluctant to take part in this wanton, cold-blooded murder.


    "This person is the benefactor of Cousin Qing Zhu and helped us. It will be difficult for me to fight him." Ling Yu Mei took a deep breath and finally spoke up. Ling Yu Xuan nodded in agreement.


    "Yeah, that''s right. Although we don''t know him very well, I strongly believe that he''s a good person. Let''s just watch for now."


    This the two sisters merely spectated from the top of the skyscraper instead of jumping down in a suicidal manner like their senior.


    "Are you Fei Wu? Fei Wu of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?" Lu Li stomped from the crater toward me and blocked my way, though given my footwork techniques, I could easily go around her and escape. Especially now that I was free of the burden of carrying Tang Qi Hong around, which meant that I could move a lot faster than before. But for some reason, seeing Lu Li pissed me off, so I hung around and nodded. She watched me with an icy expression. "Have we met each other in the past before?"


    "We sure did." I rolled my eyes. "Have you already forgotten the incident when you ran into me on your way to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect entrance?"


    "Have I killed any of your relatives?" Lu Li demanded, ignoring me.


    "Um¡­no?"


    "Then I want to know why you specifically ordered your fellow Blood Blades to bar me from taking even a single step into Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!" Lu Li shrieked.


    I gaped at her for a moment, not believing how shameless, arrogant and self-centered she was. Shaking my head, I gestured toward her.


    "Because you insulted me and slandered me. come on, don''t tell me you''ve totally forgotten how you called me a lowly trash and accused me of stalking the Ling Sisters even though I had never met them before. Though, come to think of it¡­" I paused for a moment and frowned. "You did pretend to have a short memory and ''forgot'' about your insults and accusations just mere seconds after I barred you from the sect. I suspect you''re doing this on purpose, though."


    "Good! Very good!" Lu Li was laughing for some reason, which made me wary rather than amused. I could actually feel the temperature plummet around her, and being a user of ice techniques, that was saying something. "You are right! I did all that! But you deserve it, you lowly trash! You fucking stalker!"


    The deadly blade of her sword glowed with frosty light as she channeled her qi into it, gripping the hilt tightly.


    "Oh boy."


    I sighed and pushed my glasses up my nose in resignation. It seemed that this bitch had gone mad. No matter what I said, she would insist that she was in the right, and that I deserved to be abused. Well, I begged to differ, but resorting to a shouting match wasn''t the pinnacle of maturity. In any case, Lu Li seemed more interested in settling our differences through more physical, violent means than the exchange of harsh language.


    Cocking my head to the side to relax the stiff muscles of my neck, I studied Lu Li while my glasses gave off incomprehensible readings and charts regarding her qi, body temperature, heart rate and other irrelevant values that were of no value to my current situation. Then I raised my head and glanced in the direction of Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan.


    Apparently they had no intention of intervening. Fine by me. Even though I didn''t know them very well, I held no grudge or feelings of hostility toward them. If they had no intention of hurting me, then I certainly had no plans to touch them.


    Assured of that fact, I then focused all my attention on Lu Li. While I did so, I was suddenly aware of the lack of life around us. It appeared that all the people here had been slaughtered. The only remnants were the people from Dark Fiend Vally Sect, or from one of the other six Valley Sects. They were moving forward to surround me, to cut off any route of my escape. Or so they thought, but I could still easily break out of their encirclement.


    But I didn''t want to. They had conveniently gathered around for me to eliminate all of them in one fell swoop. I couldn''t have asked for anything better.


    "So you''re the ones who purged this area," I remarked, my voice filled with disgust. Lu Li merely sneered as she infused her deadly blade with more of her frosty qi.


    "And now you''ll be joining them in hell," she vowed.


    "Yare yare." I shook my head and sighed. While I initially cut through this route with the belief that I would be saving time through a direct path back to Flame Volcano, it seemed that I would be delayed a little.


    Lu Li was going to be a lot of trouble.


    Frosty light shimmered from the sword in her hand. Icy air was drifting from her body and clouding the entire area in fog. I could detect the merciless ruthlessness that permeated every square centimeter of the dense fog, which was unfolding murderously toward me.


    Evidently Lu Li also practiced ice-based martial arts, and she was an expert at it. I wondered why she was in the Dark Fiend Valley Sect instead of the Snow Valley Sect, or perhaps the Seven Valley Sects all learned the same type of martial arts, which explained their close relationship to each other. And she was pretty powerful.


    However, Lu Li was probably on the same level as Tong Xue, Pang Feng and Liang Shao Yang. At most, she was at Liang Shao Yang''s level, no stronger than that. I didn''t know what realm or stage she was, and I didn''t care, and honestly it wouldn''t matter. It was just a rough estimate. There were a lot of other factors that would determine the outcome of a match. Liang Shao Yang, for example, might be superior to her in terms of amount of qi and physical strength, but Lu Li might be better at comprehension of her technqiues and speed.


    Thus this whole realm and power levels and stage thing was bullshit to begin with. It wasn''t as simple as someone opening x number of natal palaces, or achieving a fixed amount of qi. How do you quantify qi in the first place? And how much qi was equivalent to what stage? And how did that account for other factors, such as one''s physical strength, speed, mastery of one''s individual martial arts or experience?


    Regardless, I was confident that I could defeat Lu Li. There was no way she was stronger than Pang Feng, and I had just defeated my friend. Lu Li was obviously a lot less durable and much more fragile than he was. If I could get a couple of hits in, she would be lying in the dirt.


    The same could be said for the surrounding Dark Fiend Valley Sect martial artists surrounding me. Even so, I couldn''t underestimate them. Concepts like "weaker" and "stronger" did not solely decide the outcome of a match. Even a weaker martial artist can take a stronger one by surprise and kill him, especially if the latter stupidly underestimated him. All humans died. The only difference was how they died.


    "Kill him!" Lu Li shrieked.


    "You want to kill me?" I smiled coldly. Even though I had been wounded during the fight with Pang Feng, the immense amount of qi in my body had allowed me to recover somewhat. I had been snatching a few moments of recuperation during my long trek back to Flame Volcano, convalescing whenever I had the chance to do so. As a result, I was almost fully healed by now, an effect that surprised even myself. And I honestly doubted that Lu Li could defeat me if I was at full strength, but even so I was determined not to underestimate her. That didn''t mean I was above taunting her. Psychological warfare was just as important in combat as martial arts. "You don''t have the power to do so."


    Without even moving, I allowed the frosty qi to gush out of my body, which overpowered even Lu Li''s icy technique. My Absolute Zero technique was much more powerful than her pathetic ice technique, and the charging Dark Fiend Valley Sect martial artists were all caught in it and froze to death before they could reach me, their entombed figures becoming statues for a few seconds before they shattered into countless fragments.


    "!!!"


    Lu Li would have died in the same horrible way if she hadn''t been an ice-based martial artist. As it was, her affinity with the ice element allowed her to withstand my Absolute Zero, but she was stumbling away, ice rapidly spreading across her body.


    "You?! How¡­?"


    "What? You can''t accept reality? You can''t imagine that you would ever be defeated by lowly trash like me?" I scoffed as I urst through the fog and kicked her, sending her flying. Lu Li struck the ground, blood spurting from her mouth. The rate at which my Absolute Zero ice was spreading over her body accelerated.


    "Kuh!"


    Lu Li gripped her sword tighter and it released another thick, icy fog that shrouded her. This time, right after Lu Li''s entire silhouette was enveloped within the fog, ice flowers blasted out from inside the fog, streaking toward me in a lethal fashion.


    Each ice flower was meticulously sculpted in exquisite detail, beautiful but deadly. Not only that, but each ice flower possessed a tremendous amount of frost qi. They sped toward me, forcing me to draw my Azure Lotus Sword from Snow Aegis and cut through them. Our frost qi collided violently, but I managed to disperse Lu Li''s aggressive elemental energy.


    "Fool!" Lu Li''s voice echoed coldly from somewhere inside the frost, its owner unseen. "Did you really think you can compete against me in ice techniques? Yours is still lacking by a huge margin!"


    A barrage of gleaming ice flowers were launched from within the dense fog, transforming into a violent hailstorm that descended murderously upon me.


    I chuckled as I saw the sight, almost mesmerized. "You think you''re the only one who can create ice flowers?"


    Within the fog, I sensed Lu Li stiffen. Even if I couldn''t see her, I could still track her presence and precise location with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, and mark out her vulnerable spots. Unlike Pang Feng, they were everywhere. It would be but a simple matter for me to defeat her.


    But I didn''t want to just defeat Lu Li. I wanted to humiliate her.


    Dashing forward, I used Snow Aegis to shield myself from the barrage of ice flowers. I charged right into the fog and thrust my sword at a stunned Lu Li, who never thought I would be able to find her inside her shrouded qi. She tried to deflect my Snow Aegis as I bashed her with my shield, but it was a feint to draw her sword away. While she staggered from the impact, I thrust my sword forward, exploiting an opening.


    Credit to Lu Li, her reflexes were amazing. She immediately twisted away to avoid a strike to her vitals, but my Azure Lotus Sword still pierced her shoulder. That was sufficient. Grinning, I yelled at the top of my voice.


    "Release Recollection!"


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    "What the hell?!"


    Lu Li was screaming as thousands of frost flowers suddenly bloomed, icy lotus that grew all around her, trapping her inside a glacial lake with lotus blossoms sculpted entirely from ice. Her body vanished, encased within the icy, flowery tomb, and I yanked my bloodied Azure Lotus Sword from her, whipping it to send her filthy blood spraying to the side.


    "Told ya." I couldn''t help but sound smug as I sheathed my sword. To be honest, I was tempted to kill her, but I knew that the Ling Sisters would intervene and stop me before I could, and I didn''t want to waste time fighting against them.


    So I left Lu Li frozen inside the lake of icy lotus flowers and departed the Rainbow Valley Road without any further obstacles in my way.


    "Ling Yu Mei! Ling Yu Xuan! Stop him for me!" Lu Li suddenly shrieked from within her frozen coffin.


    Damn, but she sure was tenacious. I reflected that it was only her affinity with ice and her high mastery of frost techniques that allowed her to not only survive but to withstand my Release Recollection technique (another skill I picked up from Master Eugeo¡­cough). Anyone else in my generation would have died from that. Well, almost anyone else, anyway.


    But to think that Lu Li could still retain her consciousness and still issue orders.


    Fortunately, if it was just the Ling sisters, I could just easily avoid them with footwork techniques and I doubted they would be able to catch up with me. If it had been earlier, when I was still carrying Tang Qi Hong around, I would be at a massive disadvantage and slowed down by my burden (I disliked the word, but I couldn''t think of a better alternative). Now that I handed Tang Qi Hong off to Zi Xiao Ji and her bodyguards, I could move freely and swiftly. There was nothing to hold me back from escaping the Ling Sisters. I had also mercilessly eliminated all the other Dark Fiend Valley Sect disciples in the vicinity, which Ni Cang Tian completely forgot about in the original story when Qin Lie fought Lu Li (I found it hard to believe that the Seven Fiends Valley practitioners just continued to hide in the buildings and let Qin Lie go after he trapped Lu Li with his Geocentric Magnetism technique and Lu Li resorted to asking only the Ling Sisters to help while forgetting that she practically had an entire army in the area under her command and only called them with a bloody horn after she lost ¨C did they not notice that a vicious fight was taking place right in the district they were cleaning out and had to be summoned by a horn? No way), so I didn''t have to worry about pursuers as well. And because I had read Spirit Realm, I knew how the Ling sisters would react.


    Atop the skyscraper, Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan exchanged glances. They both looked very helpless, and they decided to just obey for now, jumping down from the skyscraper and landing in front of me to block my path.


    "I''m extremely sorry, but we cannot let you go." Ling Yu Mei looked very apologetic and guilty, and she conjured a stream of water.


    Ling Yu Mei nodded briefly as she summoned a series of fire that hovered around her like will''o wisps. She also looked awkward and uncomfortable as she whispered softly. "I don''t dare to ignore Senior Lu''s orders, so I can only stop you. Sorry."


    "It''s not your fault." I waved the sisters'' apologies away. "You''re only doing as you''re told. I would have done the same in a similar situation."


    "Hurry!" Lu Li shrieked impatiently. I could sense her trying to fight her way out of the ice that ruthlessly encased her, but it would hold for a long while. Even so, I couldn''t dither here for too long. Even if Lu Li didn''t break out of the ice in time, she could still call for reinforcements (though I doubt her smartphone would work inside the ice) and if Shi Jing Yun returned, I would be in a world of hurt. Even I wouldn''t be able to escape that guy, not with my current skills.


    Ling Yu Mei seemed to have realized the same thing too, judging from the slight shift in her expression when she heard Lu Li''s order. She chewed on her lip for a second before seeming to come to a decision.


    "Sis, block him!" Ling Yu Mei instructed, even as her eyes blinked continuously. She suspiciously seemed to be sending some kind of message to Ling Yu Xuan.


    Fortunately, both sisters seemed to be thinking the same thing. Their relationship had to be really deep if they could practically read each other''s minds. Even I wouldn''t be able to do that with my brother, and I briefly wondered what trials the two sisters must have gone through to achieve that kind of near-telepathic connection. In any case, Ling Yu Xuan understood immediately the instant she saw Ling Yu Mei''s eyes, and she nodded.


    Then all of her fireballs suddenly launched themselves at me.


    I blocked them effortlessly with Snow Aegis, but it was a feint. Both sisters were now charging headlong at me for some reason, water and fire circling their respective hands. I was amused, and readied to use a footwork technique to evade them, extremely confident that neither of them would be able to touch me.


    However, I noticed that neither of them was emitting any killing intent at all, and having read the original book, I was aware of their plans. So I smiled slightly and remained where I was, not budging even an inch.


    As I suspected, right before the two sisters reached me, they suddenly split up and rushed past me, one going past my right and the other going past my left, and continued straight on behind me.


    They had gone past me on purpose.


    "Damn it! He dodged us!" Ling Yu Xuan shouted dramatically as she hurriedly turned her head around.


    "Don''t let him escape!" Ling Yu Mei yelled as a perfect follow-up that would convince Lu Li that her sister was telling the truth.


    I glanced back and nodded my thanks to the two sisters, and then disappeared from Rainbow Valley Road without any hesitation, using my footwork techniques to beat the hell out of there.


    Behind me, Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan put on a performance, acting as if they were pursuing me relentlessly.

 200 Chapter 199: Fortress

    "How many civilians have we succeeded in rescuing?"


    Even though Sect Leader Zi Shou De''s voice seemed devoid of emotion, his hands were trembling slightly as he suppressed his rage and despair at seeing the city under his jurisdiction razed to the ground, and the people he was supposed to protect massacred.


    The six Great Elders, and the dozens of inner sect elders, which included Hai Mo, had all gathered onto the summit of Flame Voclano and were perched atop a manmade platform overlooking Tushan City. The city, which used to nestle at the foot of the mountain, was now immolated by hellish flames, which cast a red glow in the dark night.


    Even this high up, they could still hear the screams and shrieks of the innocents, those who were unable to make it to shelter in time, echoing throughout the fallen city.


    Zi Shou De looked grim as he took an amplivisor and magnified the image of the city below to confirm what the holographic screen behind them was displaying. Countless Nine-Tailed Fox Sect manufactured aerial drones were buzzing over the city, capturing the images real-time, and almost everyone present turned their heads away, unable to watch as the numerous martial artists wearing the various robes and uniforms of their respective sects roam throughout the devastated districts of the city, hunting down civilians and combatants.


    At that time, I didn''t know about it, but none of the martial artists or combatants fighting in the city so far were Blood Blades. The Blood Blades had been conducting rescue and evacuation missions, escorting scores of terrified refugees into the main sect grounds for them to seek shelter. They were prioritizing the lives of the civilians over destroying the enemy.


    However, many of the citizens in Tushan City, though not Blood Blades, were still martial artists. A few of them chose to stand and fight, and sporadic skirmishes broke out in countless places. Despite their courage, many of them were slaughtered to a man, and the surrounding urban areas were reduced to rubble.


    Worse, there were even more martial artists gathered outside Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, surrounding the main sect grounds and even Flame Volcano itself.


    Zi Shou De had given the order for all Blood Blades and remaining civilians and refugees to pull back deep into the sect. He had halted all rescue and evacuation operations, knowing that they wouldn''t be able to make it into the sect grounds by now.


    "Chen Dong Ling." The First Great Elder, Luo Zhi Chang, turned to one of the inner sect elders. "Is there any news from Lang Xie and Hai Rong?"


    Chen Dong Ling shook his head, his expression ominous. "They have yet to return, and they aren''t responding to my calls. Perhaps they have¡­encountered a crisis."


    Everyone turned pale when they heard that.


    Lang Xie and Hai Rong were the pillars of Blood Blades, and along with Sect Lady Zi Da Ji, they formed the trinity upon which the entire strength of Blood Blades was built upon. They were responsible for dispatching Blood Blades to destroy their enemies. Now, with only one out of the terrifying trinity left, their combat power had been greatly reduced. The already dismal hopes they had for getting out of this crisis were now sinking into the abyss of despair.


    "What do we do now?" the second Great Elder asked softly, his complexion ashen. Zi Shou De understood his fears.


    They were just blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers. While many of them did have some background in martial arts, such as Tang Qi Hong, who learned how to fight under Zi Da Ji, they had dedicated most of their lives to specialize in forging Spirit Artifacts and Armaments. As such, their comprehension of martial arts was not as deep or profound as specialized martial artists.


    If they were forced to fight to the death, they would most likely be massacred within minutes. Only Zi Da Ji and the Blood Blades would stand a fighting chance, and without Lang Xie and Hai Rong''s support their combat strength had diminished.


    "We''ll fight," Zi Da Ji declared simply, her eyes fierce and determined. "If they think we''re an easy target, we''ll prove them wrong. We''ll make them pay as much blood as possible for taking our resources and territory."


    "I expect nothing less." Her husband nodded in approval. "We will make them pay in liters of blood for every centimeter of territory they take from us."


    "Lang Xie will be safe," Luo Zhi Chang added to reassure the others, and most of all himself. "He is stronger than any one of us can imagine." He nodded apologetically at Zi Da Ji. "I mean no offense, but even you, my lady."


    "None taken," Zi Da Ji replied. "It is the truth, after all."


    "Yeah." Luo Zhi Chang sighed a breath of relief. "Unless the top martial artists and experts of the four Celestial Creature sects have also joined in, then no one should be able to stop him if he wants to escape. Even if the most powerful martial artists of these ten invading sects mobilize, they will still not be able to kill him. Lang Xie''s strength has surpassed even his master at his prime!"


    Everyone nodded in agreement, feeling the faint stirrings of hope rise up from the pit of despair once more.


    "What about Fei Wu? He has also gone missing. I wonder if he was caught up in all this." Elder Tie Jiang looked a little worried.


    "I heard from my younger daughter Xiao Ji that he''s on his way back. He was returning on foot, though, so he might take a bit more time than necessary. He might already be back in the sect by now. Otherwise¡­" Zi Shou De glanced at the surrounding martial artists who had surrounded Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. "With this many people surrounding the sect, he won''t be able to make his way in. But I''m sure if they''ve caught him and killed him, they would have announced it online to break our morale or as a form of psychological warfare. As long as there''s no news of him, then it''s most likely good news." He cracked a smile. "The same goes for Lang Xie and Hai Rong. As long as our enemies say nothing about them, then it means they''re still alive. They will never pass up the chance to gloat over us and deal a blow to our morale if they succeeded in killing either of those two."


    "Qi Hong is safe, I trust?" Hai Mo asked, concerned. "If I''m not mistaken, the reason why Fei Wu went out was to help rescue her."


    Both Zi Shou De and his wife looked immensely relieved. "That''s right," the sect leader affirmed with a smile. "Qi Hong is resting and receiving treatment in the infirmary. I''m also pleased to say that Lian Rou has also been rescued. Tong Xue brought her in before Xiao Ji and her bodyguards carried Qi Hong back. However¡­" he hardened his expression. "I am disappointed to say that their abduction was caused by treachery within our ranks. Hu Mei Er betrayed them and led Divine Sect martial artists to them."


    There was a collective gasp of disbelief.


    "Hu Mei Er¡­did?"


    "But why?"


    "Impossible¡­"


    The elders were looking at each other, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Zi Da Ji shook her head.


    "Mei Er was close to Liang Shao Yang. After his death¡­she must be plotting revenge against those people involved in his death. Kidnapping Qi Hong, luring Fei Wu out¡­this was all part of her elaborate scheme."


    "That bitch!" one of the elders snarled. "She won''t get away with this!"


    "She didn''t," Zi Da Ji assured him with a sardonic smile. "According to Tong Xue, Fei Wu has killed her."


    "She deserves it," the elder snorted coldly.


    "Regardless, we''re being pinned in." Hai Mo brought everyone''s attention to the scene below, where the martial artists from the various sects encircled their territory, brandishing weapons. "They''ll be breaking into our sect anytime soon."


    "They can try," Zi Shou De replied callously. He turned to Zi Da Ji. "How are the preparations for our defense?"


    "Ready. I''ve mobilized all the surviving Blood Blades, and we have quite the surprise prepared for our¡­guests." Zi Da Ji had a sly smile on his face.


    Tie Jiang nodded, a smile also spreading across his face. "And this surprise is all thanks to Fei Wu. We''ve to thank him when he gets back."


    "If he gets back," one of the elders muttered under his breath.


    "He''ll definitely be back." Zi Da Ji turned to him with an arched eyebrow that caused him to stutter. "I personally bestowed Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula on him, and inducted him into Blood Blades. Even Lang Xie recognizes his strength. Just like Lang Xie and Hai Rong, that boy will definitely survive and return alive."


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if he turns the tide." Tie Jiang chuckled. "Just like all those typical xianxia protagonists."


    "They''re preparing for an attack, aren''t they?" Hai Mo asked uneasily when he saw the martial artists milling around the entrance of the sect. "If I''m not mistaken, they wish to capture us alive, because they still need us to forge artifacts and armaments for them."


    "Yet they''re trying to kill Qi Hong and Fei Wu?" Zi Shou De frowned. "That makes no sense."


    "Well, in Fei Wu''s case, it makes sense," Zi Da Ji pointed out sourly. "The reason why they are hunting down martial artists in Tushan City and killing Blood Blades still in the city is because they want to deprive us of our fangs and claws."


    She didn''t mention that they had failed to kill a significant number of Blood Blades, and the majority of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had pulled back to the sect''s main grounds after escorting and protecting refugees. That very act of caring for civilians might have been what saved the lives of countless Blood Blades.


    "The moment Blood Blades is exterminated, and the moment all the remaining martial artists in Tushan City are killed, we blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers will have no way of fighting back at all, and they''ll be able to do whatever they want with us." one of the elders mused gravely. Zi Da Ji smiled coldly at that.


    "If they think they can exterminate Blood Blades, they''re deluded." She raised a hand. "We''ll raze them before they will touch you guys."


    The elder turned to study Zi Da Ji. "I appreciate your confidence, Sect Lady, but do you really think your Blood Blades will be able to hold out against such an overwhelming force?"


    Zi Da Ji''s smile merely widened. "Just watch."


    "They''re coming!" Luo Zhi Chang warned when he heard a roar. Below, the martial artists from the ten invading sects charged into the hallowed grounds of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    They never made it in.


    A line of battle-automata stepped forward, each of them controlled and manipulated by a member of the Blood Blades. Mass-reactive shells spat from Mauler bolt cannons, blasting into the horde of martial artists and detonating inside their bodies, ripping them apart from within. Scores of martial artists simply disintegrated in bloody pieces as the savage shells tore them apart.


    That wasn''t all.


    Those Castellax battle-automata that were equipped with plasma cannons launched superheated blobs into the crowd of invading martial artists, unleashing the fury of the sun in their ranks. Dozens of them screamed as they were incinerated by the superheated plasma, many of them simply ceasing to exist as they were enshrouded within the deadly blasts.


    However, a few of the martial artists had survived and were recklessly charging at the lumbering, slow Castellax battle-automata, bringing their Spirit Weapons to bear. Treasure Spirit Weapons, they were enough to penetrate the thick adamantium hide of the battle-automata and cleave them into pieces.


    If they were able to hit them, that is.


    Thallax battle puppets burst from between the ranks of Castellax battle-automata, flaying into the invaders with arc beams from their lightning guns, or superheated pellets of energy from their phased plasma-fusils. Many more martial artists died before they could reach the lines of the mechanical, emotionless battle-automata.


    Those that reached clashed with the first line of Thallax battle puppets. Credit to the invading martial artists, they managed to hack and cut down a good number of Thallax battle puppets. But the surviving Thallax battle puppets closed ranks and whipped out their chainblades, mercilessly eviscerating the thrashing martial artists and cutting them apart. Amidst the fighting Thallax battle puppets, their controllers emerged, battle-hardened veterans of Blood Blades smashing the already thin enemy line apart and routing them.


    A good number of martial artists faltered, their morale breaking, and they fell back, but the Blood Blades pursued them and mercilessly cut them down from behind, wiping them out in a flawlessly executed sweeping advance.


    "Fall back! Fall back!"


    "Damn it! The Nine-Tailed Fox Sect actually have an army of battle puppets?!"


    "Why didn''t anyone tell us about this!?"


    "I lose twelve squads! Twelve whole squad!"


    The martial artists from the sects surrounding the fortress that was Nine-Tailed Fox Sect territory suddenly realized they had made a terrible mistake, and wisely did not send a second wave in to commit suicide. Realizing that they had bitten off more than they could chew, they quickly retreated to a safe distance, out of range of the Castellax battle-automata''s powerful weapons. Even with their Steel Spirit or body hardening techniques, they were not able to survive the powerful onslaught from the ancient battle-automata designed to combat martial artists.


    "How terrifying¡­"


    "This is the true strength of Blood Blades?!"


    "You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    Licking their wounds, they maintained a safe distance, while the commanders in each sect gathered to review their plans.


    Above, at the peak of Flame Volcano, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji turned to the stunned elders with a dazzling smile on her beautiful face.


    "What did I tell you?" she smirked.


    *


    Meanwhile, I was cursing myself for not having brought my battle-automata with me.


    To be fair, I had been distracted, which meant they were far from ready. I had taken them out of my Snow Aegis and left them in my workshop to work on my Spirit Engraving on them. But if you remember, I was distracted from finishing the Spirit Engraving on my four Castellax battle-automata because of all the thing with the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, learning new martial arts, and now this whole thing with Divine Shadow Sect.


    Then this whole stupid invasion.


    Whoops. If I returned to my workshop, that was the first thing I was going to do. Finish up the Spirit Engraving so that I could set them upon the enemies of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. These bastards were going to pay for invading Tushan City and massacring innocent civilians!


    Just a single cohort of cybernetica constructs would be enough to turn the tables on the ten invading sects. If I wasn''t mistaken, most of my fellow Blood Blades should have the battle-automata I sold to them, and I wondered why they hadn''t used them yet. At that time, I didn''t realize that I hadn''t seen any of the other Blood Blades yet, which was why I didn''t see their accompanying battle-automata. The martial artists who I saw were normal civilians, non-Blood Blades, who had chosen to make their last stand against the invaders and¡­got killed.


    Well, for now, I''ve to find a way to get back to my workshop¡­


    Just when the thought passed my mind, I skidded to a stop. I had finally emerged into a street near the entrance of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s main grounds, and could see it from afar, thanks to my glasses and its enhancing vision capabilities. Upon catching sight of the figures gathered outside the sect, I was suddenly glad that I didn''t just dash straight for the entrance.


    Wu Tuo, Cloud Sky Mountain Sect martial artists, Shi Jing Yun and a massive crowd of martial artists from the Seven Valley Sects were currently guarding the outer entrance of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Apparently a fierce battle had just taken place not too long ago, and I could see corpses lying strewn about near the entrance. They were literally in pieces. At first I was concerned, but seeing through the blood, I was relieved that they were dressed in the robes and uniforms of the other martial arts sects. None of them was of Blood Blades.


    So far.


    "¡­!"


    Wu Tuo, Shi Jing Yun and their martial artists were all arguing with each other in an animated fashion. I could hear them bickering even from this far away, even though I couldn''t make out the words. Too bad that I didn''t have hearing aid that would enhance my ears the way my glasses helped to magnify images for my eyes.


    Even so, from the tension evident from the heated exchange between the two groups, I understood that something had gone awry and they were practically blaming each other. Evidently their first assault had failed, and was thrown back right into their faces, and they were trying to find a party to assign blame.


    Typical.


    While I relished their anger, I was also disappointed. Even though I had finally made it this far, now I realized that it was impossible for me to return to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. At least not through this way.


    Backtracking cautiously to ensure that Wu Tuo and Shi Jing Yun didn''t notice that I had stumbled across them, I sought temporary refuge in a deserted building that was pretty far away. Unfortunately, the building wasn''t as empty as I thought. When I first set foot inside it, I was hit by the stench of blood, which made me gag.


    "Ugh¡­"


    My eyes widened when I caught sight of the six corpses inside the lobby. Grimacing, I turned away. I might have gotten used to seeing death, but that didn''t mean it was pleasant to look at. And the foul stink was something I would never get used to. Trying to ignore the dead bodies and stench of blood I settled down on a broken sofa, its fabric perforated during a vicious fight that had taken place inside here earlier, and most likely led to the deaths of the unfortunate six people I saw lying strewn about in the center of the huge lobby.


    "Oh boy¡­what do I do now?"


    I considered my options. Having navigated around after seeing Wu Tuo and Shi Jing Yun, I had discovered that all the roads leading toward Flame Volcano had been secured and guarded by enemies. I was definitely not going to make it past them.


    That meant I had to find an alternative route ¨C a route that our enemies had yet to discover.


    "Fuck! This is not going to be easy!"


    I cursed under my breath. This wasn''t funny. When I caught sight of Wu Tuo, I already had an idea of what those bastards were scheming. That chubby guy, pretending to treat us well and acting so polite, only to backstab us like this! I should never have gone to his Great Nature''s Heart shop and bought spirit materials from him!


    Taking a deep breath, I calmly assessed the situation. The enemies were definitely scheming something, that was for sure.


    Most likely they planned to eliminate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s combat strength inside the city and control Tushan City first. Then, with all the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers cornered and trapped inside Flame Volcano, they would round them up and capture them.


    Normally, they wouldn''t want to kill the blacksmiths because they clearly wanted to enslave them. Worse, they also coveted the assets, wealth and resources that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had amassed over the years.


    The greedy bastards.


    I wondered how they planned to divide Nine-Tailed Fox Sect amongst themselves. There were ten sects, and not enough wealth to go around, and surely the corrupt Martial Arts Alliance would want a piece of a pie for themselves. But of course the ten sects who participated in this invasion would get the majority of the slice. They would lay claim to spirit materials, spirit ores, spirit medicine, Spirit Armaments, Spirit Artifacts, equipment, and then split Tushan City, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and Flame Volcano amongst themselves, as well as dividing up the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers.


    I had to find a way to stop them. If I could link up with Sect Lady Da Ji, then perhaps I would find a way to coordinate a counterattack from outside¡­


    At that moment, my smartphone rang and I jumped up in shock. Damn, if it had rang when I was near Wu Tuo and Shi Jing Yun¡­I should have put the damned thing in silent mode!


    Cursing myself for my stupidity, I picked it up and answered. To my surprise, the call was from Sect Lady Da Ji.


    "Sect Lady?"


    "Hah! Fei Wu! I knew you would still be alive!"


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    For some reason, Sect Lady Da Ji sounded triumphant. I could hear murmurs from the other side of the phone, but I couldn''t make out what they were. That was fine. They were not the most important thing at the moment.


    "Is everyone in the sect all right?" I asked instead. "Did Qi Hong make it back safe? Xiao Ji and the rest? Tong Xue and Lian Rou?"


    Sect Lady Da Ji chuckled. "Fancy you worrying about others instead of yourself. Of course they are fine. They all safely made it back to the sect. We''re all worried about you. Where are you right now? Did you make it back to the sect too?"


    There was doubt in her last sentence. Evidently she knew that if I was in the sect, she would have known of it. Without any reason to lie, I quickly filled her in on what happened, and what I saw, including Wu Tuo, Shi Jing Yun and their respective sects gathered around Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and blocking every avenue in.


    "You''re right. My husband has ordered everyone to fall back into the main sect grounds, and none of us can go out. Unless we use the¡­never mind. We haven''t resorted to escaping yet. We still think we can hold this ground against the enemy."


    "That sounds great." I felt relief wash over me, as well as a large flare of hope. "Is there anything I can do on my end? Subterfuge or something¡­or counterattack?"


    "Nah¡­not by yourself." Sect Lady Da Ji overruled that. "You''ll be a sitting duck wandering around the city by yourself. Sooner or later one of their patrols will run into you and you''ll be killed. No, it''s best if you return to the sect as quickly as possible."


    "How?" I asked incredulously. "I told you, they have all the roads blocked."


    "Well, the roads aren''t the only way into the sect, right?" I could almost hear the smile in her voice as she gave me a hint. "Whe you were inducted into the Blood Blades, we should have given you the secret handbook."


    "Ah¡­you''re right." I nodded, suddenly aware of what she was talking about. When Lang Xie officially recognized my entry into Blood Blades, Sect Lady Da Ji had passed me the secret handbook. It was so secret that I wasn''t allowed to tell Pang Feng and Tong Xue about it, and given what happened with Pang Feng, I guess that was a good thing. Though I doubted he would have let even Cloud Sky Mountain know about it.


    Pang Feng still had a shred of integrity in him, even if he wasn''t necessarily loyal or reasonable. He did have his own reasons for doing what he did, so I didn''t blame him.


    "I''ll be with you shortly."


    "Good." Sect Lady Da Ji sounded satisfied and she hung up.


    Closing my eyes, I traced my memory for a moment, but nothing came to mind. It was too bad I didn''t have a good memory. Resigning myself, I reached for Snow Aegis and retrieved the secret handbook from my storage device. Flipping it open, I went straight to the page that displayed the secret passageways in Tushan City.


    It was a map that displayed a labyrinthine network underground. Tracing the various networks with my finger and taking note of Flame Volcano in the center, I tried to orientate myself. To my relief, I located a secret passageway nearby that seemed to lead to one of those underground tunnels connecting each other to Flame Volcano.


    There was even one that led to outside the city, and I suspected that in the worst case scenario, Sect Leader Zi Shou De would order everyone to evacuate through that way.


    "Looks like this is the nearest path¡­"


    I exited the building and followed the map that indicated that the entrance to that nearest passageway was in another building a few blocks down. I stayed close to the shadows, stealthily making my way toward that building in nerve-wrecking moments, often stopping and pressing my back against the wall when I thought I heard patrol sweeps or sensed the qi of an enemy martial artist at the edges of my peripheral senses.


    "¡­phew¡­"


    It took me a bit longer to reach the building than I expected, but the caution paid off. Apparently no one had caught me skulking around. I snuck into the building before anyone could notice there was a single member of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect still running around in the outskirts of Tushan City, and found myself in an empty lobby.


    Like the other buildings, there were a couple of corpses here as well, the grisly remains of martial artists who desperately fought back against the overwhelming numbers of the invaders. I bowed my head slightly, hoping that they would rest in pace, and swearing to take revenge for them inside my head, then hurried past them.


    After all, I wouldn''t succeed in avenging them if I got caught and killed by the bastards.


    The secret book beamed out a holographic projection of the labyrinthine network, displaying it in 3D and thus making it easier for me to find where the passageway was. On a two-dimensional plane, it was hard to tell where exactly in the building it was other than providing a bird''s eye view from above indicating that it was inside this building, but the spiritual holographic image indicated that the passageway was located in the basement of this building.


    I tried to descend the stairs as quietly as possible, though if there was anyone already inside this building they would have picked up my presence long ago. As it was, I couldn''t detect the qi of anyone with my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, so I knew I was safe for sure. Whoever murdered the poor people in the lobby had left long ago, seeking fresh victims to murder elsewhere.


    I was alone for now.


    Right at the basement, I found myself looking stupidly at what seemed like a storeroom. There was no door, despite the holographic image insisting that it was. Sighing, I followed the map and stopped right in front of wall where the door should be, scratching my head and wondering if someone thought it was a good idea to prank me.


    "Bloody hell."


    Swearing, I kicked the wall in frustration. Something seemed to ripple from the wall and a beam of qi swept past me, stopping to scan my secret book.


    Then, the beam withdrew, and to my utmost surprise, the wall slid open with a gentle rumble. My jaw dropped as I stared into the dark passageway concealed beneath the concrete, and a set of stairs leading into the abyss below.


    "¡­"


    I suddenly had a bad feeling about this. Having watched too many horror movies, I knew it was not a good idea to walk into the darkness like this, not if I wanted to live a long, happy life.


    Unfortunately, any qualms I had were squashed when I heard heavy footsteps thud into the lobby above me, and a gaggle of voices.


    "Didn''t we already come here earlier? We''ve already cleaned this place out. See? The bodies are still here."


    One of the trespassers complained. His companion rebuked him.


    "Shut up and sweep the area. The lord ordered us to check the places we''ve cleared every two hours, to make sure there are no stragglers hiding inside them after we left. You don''t intend on disobeying him, do you?"


    "No, but why bother?" the other guy grumbled.


    Muttering a curse under my breath, I quickly but quietly strode into the passageway and descended down the stairs.

 201 Chapter 200: Into the Darkness

    Being almost blind while shrouded in utter darkness wasn''t the only thing that terrified me. It was the complete absence of life. With my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I could sense qi everywhere I went. On an ordinary day, I would be surrounded by vibrant life and active qi, the presences of people and martial artists going about their daily lives or angaging in whatever activities they desired, even at a distance.


    I had never felt so utterly alone and isolated before. It was as if someone had cut off all my senses and put me inside an empty labyrinth, where I was doomed to wander alone for all of eternity, with no human companion, nothing. Hell, never mind human companion, I couldn''t even detect the life of vermin, insects, bugs, anything.


    The whole place felt sterile and completely bereft of life. At least during my time in Sen Lin Forest, I wasn''t isolated. There were lots of magical beasts and demonic creatures inhabiting the forest with me. No matter how deep I was within the abyss, I could always detect the faint presences of magical beasts in the distance.


    This was the first time I felt truly isolated, cut off from the rest of the world, alone and completely on my own.


    Swallowing, I pushed up my glasses with my free hand, which was supposed to be holding onto the plasma pistol¡­except that I did not own a plasma pistol. For some reason, I was half-expecting Genestealers or Genestealer Hybrids to emerge from the shadows, lunging at me and tearing me apart with their flashing claws¡­


    No, no. wrong story. I wasn''t in an underhive city built during the 41st millennium. I was in a xianxia world. There would be no foul xenos hybrids dwelling in the underground tunnels of Tushan City, no mutants with extra arms and eyes scurrying around here and seeking shelter from the tyrannical Imperium, no underground Chaos Cults carrying out their heretical rituals, no underhive gangs waging wars against each other.


    I hope.


    Besides, Tang Qi Hong was already delivered safely back to Flame Volcano, from what I heard anyway. That was good. I moved better on my own. Better one person stumbling around in the dark than two, or it would be the blind leading the blind.


    Actually, where was I? I just knew this was the passageway, but it branched off to a web of corridors, each leading in different directions. I stopped at a junction, unsure of where to take. No, I didn''t even know where the hell I was.


    "I need a light," I muttered, regretting not storing a flashlight inside my storage device. No doubt it would have come in handy now, and I could rely on the light to read the map in the secret handbook¡­


    Wait, what?


    "I do have a light," I exclaimed in realization. Two of them, in fact. Retrieving my smartphone, I activated the flashlight option and cast a faint, luminous glow on the barren corridors before me. The nightvision adjusted and the green tinge vanished, to allow my vision to better adjust to the sudden glare. Bringing out the secret handbook, I displayed the 3D holographic map of the labyrinthine secret passageways, which illuminaed the entire area in a gentle blue light.


    "Wow¡­it even has a GPS function," I murmured when I caught sight of an icon that indicated my position, made out of a circle on top of a triangle. To ensure that I was correct, I moved a few paces forward, and was vindicted when the hovering icon shifted further along one of the blue-tinted 3D paths. "That''s really convenient!"


    Celebrating inwardly, I skimmed through the map and picked out the best and fastest route to take. Wanting to get out of this creepy underground labyrinth as quickly as possible, I broke into a jog and followed the shimmering holographic map.


    At this rate, it shouldn''t take me more than an hour to reach the sect.


    A few minutes into my journey, however, the hairs on the back on my neck stood and I felt a prickling sensation, as if something was watching me. I quickly spun around, wondering if I had really seen a dark shape dart away at the edges of my periphereal vision, but despite shining my smartphone''s flashlight on the area, I picked out nothing.


    "¡­"


    I held my breath for a few moments, glancing around nervously and tightening the grip on my secret handbook. I had sheathed my Azure Lotus Sword in order to both consult the map and wield my smartphone, so I was practically unarmed at the moment.


    After a tense few seconds, I registered nothing, no movement. My glasses also didn''t pick up anything, the readings staying static and zero.


    Turning around, I took a few steps forward.


    Rustle.


    There it was. The rustling sound. I quickly whirled around, but again I found myself greeted by nothing but shadows.


    Damn it, I know I heard that!


    No doubt about it, there was something in here with me. Even though I couldn''t sense its qi or detect its presence, I could hear it. I could feel its gaze. The damned thing was watching me from the shadows, enjoying my disquiet.


    Feeling spooked, I kept my smartphone and drew my Azure Lotus Sword while conjuring my Snow Aegis to hover around me protectively. If there was something that ambushed me later, my Spirit Shield would protect me from it.


    Or so I hoped.


    Relying solely on the illuminated cast by the 3D holographic map from the secret handbook, I continued making my way through the corridor. If I wasted too much time jumping at shadows, I would back in the sect way past morning, or even noon. Not that I could tell the time, what with being trapped inside and all. Well, I could always consult my smartphone, and it mentioned that it was 3 in the morning. Not exactly a good hour to be up, but being a student, I had strange sleeping hours, so that didn''t bother me one bit.


    What bothered me was the rustling sound. I heard it again, but I ignored it, hastening my steps until I was almost running.


    "!!"


    For some reason the rustling sound was growing louder, as if whatever was causing it was drawing closer to me. I spun around instinctively, lashing out with my sword, but struck nothing. It was my imagination, after all¡­


    ¡­or I thought it was, until I caught a glimpse of razor-sharp fangs, gleaming claws and a forked tongue before the monstrosity disappeared into the darkness again, scurrying away.


    "What the hell is that?!" I demanded, though there was no one around to answer. I swear, that thing actually resembled a purestrain Genestealer, but that was impossible. This was the wrong universe, the wrong story. I was carrying a Spirit Sword and a Spirit Shield, not a laspistol and a chainsword. And I wasn''t some legendary Commissar who claimed that he had a fraudulent reputation. Not to mention, I didn''t have any sidekick with his trusty meltagun to back me up.


    "¡­huff¡­"


    I began running as quickly as I could. But whatever it was, the horror was chasing me, and from the scurrying across the ground, it was fast. Much faster than me¡­


    "Hiss¡­!"


    Its tongue lashing out, the creature lunged at me, but I used my footwork technique, Duo, and evaded it. The creature crashed through the space where I had been occupying a millisecond ago, its claws rending empty air. It raised its bald, grotesque head, stunned, only for a mobile turret from my Snow Aegis to punch a hole through its skull with a qi beam.


    The creature screeched as it crashed onto the ground, going into spasms before finally quieting down.


    "The hell is that?"


    Tucking my Azure Lotus Sword under my armpit, I retrieved my smartphone and cast my flashlight over it. It looked like a purestrain Genestealer, but it wasn''t ¨C otherwise Games Workshop would sue me. Rather, it looked like a cross between the Japanese youkai Kappa, with a shell-like carapace on its back, and a reptilian bug. A forked tongue, a skull-like face with mandibles, and claws curving from scaly arms and legs. It looked as if it usually moved on all fours, but its hind legs were thicker and more massive, implying that it also spent a fair amount of time standing on twos.


    It was unlike anything I had seen before, and I was sure I had spent a fair amount of time studying demonic creatures and magical beasts. I certainly hadn''t seen anything like this creature in the encyclopedias I had read.


    "Oh, whoops. Looks like you found out about them."


    A familiar demonic voice echoed throughout the labyrinth and I stilled.


    "You¡­!"


    I recognized the voice. He was the shadowy, demonic existence who dwelled underneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, trapped in the lake beneath that huge platform at the foot of Flame Volcano. The guy who repeatedly tried to possess my body over and over again, only to be repelled by my Snow Aegis.


    "Yes. Me." The demonic existence laughed mockingly. "It''s been a while. I see you''ve upgraded your spiritual defenses again." I felt something press against the invisible barrier that Snow Aegis cast over me. "You truly are a cautious young man."


    I ignored his taunts and attempts to subjugate me and instead focused on the grotesque corpse lying in front of me.


    "Were you the one who created these monsters?"


    "What? Create these monsters? Me? Goodness, no!" the demonic existence howled with laughter. "What makes you think I can create these monsters? I''m sealed underneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, for heaven''s sake! If I have the ability to create monsters, I might as well use it to escape my bonds centuries ago!"


    Well, he had a point there, but I wasn''t going to trust him so easily. Giving the thing a wide berth, I continued on, relying on the blue holographic map.


    "These creatures have been living under the city for decades, undetected by you pathetic humans." The shadowy voice chuckled again. "They are not of this world."


    That caught my attention. "You mean they are aliens?" I blurted out.


    "Aliens?" the demonic existence sounded like he was frowning, as if he found that word unfamiliar.


    "Um, beings from another world," I quickly qualified.


    "Ah, yes. Then they are probably aliens. Like I said, they are not of this world." The shadowy existence paused dramatically. "It seems that you still aren''t aware of the demonic world. On occasion, the barrier between this world and the demonic world thins, and foul monsters such as these sometimes slip through. That''s how they got here, and with no one to hunt them down, they quickly prospered and built their nest in this area."


    "¡­prospered?" I repeated, not liking the sound of that.


    "Yeah." The demonic existence giggled sinisterly. "You really didn''t think that was the only one of its kind living down here, did you?"


    When he finished his sentence, I heard that same rustling sound again, only this time there was a lot more of it. From the sound of it, it seemed like there was at least a dozen of this monster''s comrades scurrying in the darkness behind me.


    "Holy fuck¡­!"


    With a yell, I took off in the corridor that the holographic map pointed me into, shutting the book and hoping my memory wouldn''t lead me astray. An inhuman screeched echoed behind me, and I spun around on reflex, only to see a bunch of claws flashing toward me.


    Fortunately, Snow Aegis moved in to intercept, and the claws bounced off its hard surface without leaving a scratch. The grotesque monster snarled in frustration at being thwarted, but I replied by directing one of my six flying mobile turrets to incinerate its head with a well-aimed qi beam and it slumped into the ground.


    As it fell like a sack of potatoes, I caught a glimpse of an entire horde of monsters, which probably numbered more than a hundred. Deciding to just call them Deros for now, I coordinated my six hovering mobile turrets to launch a concerted volley of fire, the qi beams lancing through the thick carapace of the shrieking monsters and slaying a few.


    Over and over again, my mobile turrets fired, but for every single one they slew, three more took its place. I was sprinting full out now, using my footwork techniques to widen the gap between us as much as possible, but for some reason these Deros were still able to catch up with me.


    What insane speed!


    Growling, another one of them lunged at me, slashing to eviscerate me, but once again my Snow Aegis intercepted it. While my Spirit Shield was busily defending me from that assailant, a second one threw itself at me. I used Tui to retreat to a safe distance, causing it to sprawl over the spot where I was running along a millisecond ago, but a third one reared up and slashed at me.


    "Fuck this!" I shouted, eerily reminiscent of a renowned Commissar, and parried its claws with my Azure Lotus Sword. Ice coated the Deros''s arm and it recoiled in shock, trying to break free of the ice. But I didn''t give it a chance and severed its other arm, spraying ichor and noxious fluids all over the place. The wounded Deros wailed and swung its frozen claw clumsily at me, but I effortlessly ducked under it before replying with a riposte that took its head off and sent it flying like a hideous baseball into its approaching brethren.


    Well, it seemed that martial arts techniques worked just as effectively against these monsters as qi beams, so I plunged my Azure Lotus Sword into the ground.


    "Enhance Armament!" I shouted and unleashed a wave of ice that froze the entire corridor. In under a minute, the entire space was covered in ice, the screeching and crawling Deros entombed in frost and immobilized.


    Standing up, I noted with vague horror that a good number of them had been scrambling along the walls and ceilings, hooking their claws into the concrete surface as they pursued me. If that was the case, I had to ensure the ceilings were clear whenever I moved into a new room ¨C a Deros could well be hanging from the ceiling, waiting for me to walk under it so that it could ambush me.


    "Demons from another world, you said?" I muttered as I took a deep breath. If that was the case, that explained why I didn''t sense their presence. They weren''t emanating qi. Or at least not qi that I recognized. Whatever lifeforce they emanated, it wasn''t a spiritual energy that originated from this world.


    "Yeah. Not bad. You actually defeated so many of them. This old man is impressed." The shadowy existence chuckled from afar, his tone admiring. "I really want your body more and more."


    "Well, you''re not getting it," I retorted as I straightened my feet and adjusted my glasses. With a swing of my sword, I shattered the entire swarm of Deros, their frozen bodies falling apart in hundred thousands of frosty fragments.


    I glanced at the corpse and recoiled. No doubt the readers would be demanding that I ate these, but I refused. I wasn''t going to risk my life to satisfy a reader''s curiosity. If these things weren''t from this world, then there was no telling what the consequences would be. I might die if I consumed them, or I might lose my humanity and become a berserk monster, enslaved to whatever hive mind that was controlling them. If there was one, in the first place.


    "I have to warn the sect," I murmured as cold dread filled my guts. If the secret passageways were crawling with these things, then going through them when evacuating Flame Volcano would be suicide. We needed to clear them out with Blood Blades, and given the war going right now, we didn''t have the manpower to spare. Moreover, we also needed to escort the civilians with martial artists to protect them from stragglers or ambushes, which demanded even more manpower. Plus such an escape would be fraught with high risks and danger, and no doubt we would be slowed down even more while being pursued by enemies.


    Of course, the best way was to set these Deros on the enemies besieging our sect, but reality wasn''t that convenient. I had no idea how to lure these Deros into the open¡­hell, I wasn''t sure I wanted to allow them to go into the open, where they might escape and spread in other parts of the world. Best to keep these monstrosities contained here.


    Even though my glasses would have recorded everything, I made sure to take a picture of a few of the Deros''s corpses with my smartphone, to show the sect. As visual evidence, and also so that they knew what they were getting into when they descended into the passageways later to flush out these horrid things.


    "¡­"


    While I did so, I heard faint scuttling quite some distance away, and I tensed. Despite just wiping out an entire horde of them, it seemed that there were still more prowling around the passageways. Just how many of them were there?


    Or¡­were there more than one nests?


    Either way, I didn''t want to stay and find out, so I increased my pace and hurried out of there as quickly as I could, activating the holographic map once again to guide my way.


    *


    I spent the next two hours fighting my way through the underground tunnels, slaughtering what seemed like hundreds of Deros that swarmed the area. Well, it was probably less, but given the traumatic experiences I had been through, it was understandable that it felt like a lot more.


    My Snow Aegis was vital in helping me survive, the barrage of suppressing fire it laid down with the mobile turrets killing countless charging Deros, while I finished off those that got too close with my sword. In another two instances there were way too many of them for my Snow Aegis or melee combat to take on, and I froze the lot of them with Azure Lotus Sword''s Enhance Armament (okay, it was actually a Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula technique, but just let me geek out, okay?). Unfortunately, that technique consumed a lot of qi, and using it a few times in succession was draining.


    By the time I neared my destination, I was exhausted.


    Worse, it turned out that the Deros were not alone. There were other forms of demons from another world that populated the space. A hulking warrior form with scythes for arms and a dinosaur-like head protected by thick carapace, I christened Tyrant Warrior. I had scliced off the arms of one and then beheaded it, but not after taking a few scratches from its razor-sharp scythes. Unlike the Deros, the Tyrant Warrior was a lot more skilled, delivering fast, rapid strikes with its scythes and even using feints to confuse me.


    But somehow I succeeded in killing it, more because I had the advantage of wielding ice element techniques than becase I was better in swordsmanship, to be honest.


    Then there was the scouting life-forms that I called the Cthulos because of its tentaclular mandibles and grosteque faces. Like the Tyrant Warrior, it also possessed scythes for arms, and a serpentine tail tipped with wriggling feelers. A disgusting creature, what was terrifying about it was that it could blend into the surroundings and become near invisible. Fortunately, my glasses picked out the blurs of movement, which allowed me to see where it was coming from and parry its otherwise lethal strikes. Twisting my sword, I then blasted it apart with a Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike, in no mood to hold back and allow it to slink off into the shadows and disappear once again.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Wiping the disgusting ichor from my face, I kicked a chunk of the blown up Cthulos away and carried on. Its partner attacked me, and I barely blocked its attack in time, my Snow Aegis swooping in to intercept its deadly strike. Its prehensile tail whipped around to pierce me, but I deflected it with my Azure Lotus Sword. Unfortunately, by this point I was worn down by exhaustion and unable to counterattack properly.


    Falling to my knees, I watched helplessly as the Cthulos batted my Snow Aegis away and prepared to decapitate me.


    "Pscyh!" I sneered childishly. Above me, six mobile turrets fired in unison, their combined volley of qi beams puncturing the Chtulos''s carapace and obliterating it in a small explosion of exoskeleton and ichor.


    Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the nausea when I accidentally inhaled the noxious stink of the damned demon, I rose unsteadily to my feet while leaning on my Azure Lotus Sword. I was so very tired. Too exhausted. I just wanted to collapse on the ground and sleep.


    But if I did so, the Deros, Cthulos and Tyrant Warrior would be all over me in a minute. Even now, I could hear rustling in the distance.


    They were still nearby.


    "Damn it¡­" I muttered, willing myself to kep my eyes open. "How much further?"


    My gaze drifted to the holographic map. My icon was right under the Flame Volcano, which meant I was already at my destination. Good. I was here. I felt an immense wave of relief wash over me and nearly collapsed from joy.


    Before I realized it, I had returned home!


    Now the only problem was how to get out of this godforsaken hellhole and reunite with the sect. I didn''t want to wander around here, only to find that there no goddamned exit!


    "Scree¡­!"


    "What now?" I snapped, my patience and mental condition stretched to their extreme limits. This was a new sound, one that wasn''t made by the Deros. Turning around, I saw a swarm of what looked like Deinonychus (which Jurassic Park and Michale Crichton mistakenly named as Velociraptor) bounding toward me. there were two distinct groups ¨C one had the sickle-like claws curving lethally from their arms as they charged toward me ferociously, while the other group were armed by like seemed like biological guns.


    No, seriously. Biological guns.


    As if to confirm my suspicions, the gun-wielding group fired at me, launching what seemed like leeches or worms. I jumped away and watched in horror as the swarm of worms hit the ground and thrashed about frantically, their razor-sharp teeth gnashing at thin air. Mercifully, they expired seconds after failing to find a host, and slumped onto the ground.


    I wasn''t going to poke them to confirm if they were dead, though, and wisefully kept my distance.


    The second group closed the distance in a single bound, lunging at me. Snow Aegis hovered between us, the six mobile turrets firing and felling a large number of them, the qi beams cutting a deadly swathe through the swarm, but there were too many of them.


    I decided to christen the shooty ones Terror Gaunts and the melee ones Horror Gaunts. Because I lacked imagination. Yay.


    Ducking under one of the Horror Gaunts, I swung my Azure Lotus Sword and cut it in half. Using Tui to retreat to a safe distance, once again I plunged my Spirit Sword into the ground and unleashed my Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula to freeze the whole batch of them. Fortunately, they seemed even weaker and more fragile than the Deros, and the whole lot of them instantly shattered into nothingness. Horror Gaunts or Terror Gaunts, it did not matter.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Damn it, there was no way I could keep this up. I had to find the exit, and I had to find it now!


    Just when I thought that, things took a further downturn. A low, rumbling sound echoed throughout the passageway. While I stumbled back, cursing my luck, I caught sight of something enormous pull into view.


    The new demon had to be as big as a tank. Covered in armored carapace, it was hunched over, almost like an Ankylosaurus but with a therapod-like head filled with dagger-like teeth. To my utmost horror and disgust, a sac that hung from its belly distended and wirthed, and the creature gave birth to a trio of Terror Gaunts. The smaller demons slid from the sac, still covered in foul fluids, and then slowly stood up with a cry.


    Seconds after their birth, they were already aiming their biological guns at me.


    "What the fuck is that thing?!" I moaned. Well, there was no use asking. I was probably the first human to have encountered it. Or encountered it and survived, anyway, but that was all bound to change if I didn''t get off my exhausted ass and destroy it before it spawned a new horde of Terror Gaunts. Deciding to name it Terror Gon for now, I struggled to my feet and faced it, occasionally stepping to the side to duck the flying flesh-eating leeches that the Terror Gaunts fired from their gun-like hands. Gripping my sword with both hands, I focused.


    The temperature around me plummeted. The Terror Gaunts were the first to feel it, immobilized by the extreme cold, before frost materialized over their carapace and entombed them in ice. The Terror Gon growled anxiously as it tried to escape, its attempts to give birth halted by the ice that now rapidly froze over its belly. Its large, spider-like legs cracked, coated in ice and no longer able to bear its weight, and it fell onto the ground.


    Absolute Zero.


    I was holding nothing back now, freezing the entire area. Raising my sword, I swung it and unleashed a qi blast that shattered a huge portion of the now roaring Terror Gon. It struggled to claw its way toward me, but my six mobile turrets hovered over it and blasted chunks of its head off. Blinded, the Terror Gon wailed in agony, its sharp appendages thrashing about and gouging pieces of concrete out of the floor and pillars.


    My mobile turrets fired again, the qi beams lacerating the Terror Gon and seeking its more vulnerable spots. Taking a deep breath, I held my sword parallel to the ground but maintained a distance from the flailing Terror Gon. Thrusting my Azure Lotus Sword forward, I unleashed a modified Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike that was meant for long range, which lanced through the Terror Gon''s core before blowing it up.


    "Huff¡­"


    By now I had very little qi left. If I wasn''t careful, I would collapse in this underground passageway and ended up being an easy meal for the demons roaming inside here. I was sure I had fought enough for one army. I just wanted to leave the cleanup to others now. Of course, I wouldn''t mind participating in the mission later to purge the place of these horrifying demons, but only after I get some rest.


    "¡­"


    My eyes refused to stay open. My breaths coming out in short pants, I raised my hand and swiped at the holographic map. Where was I? Yeah, under the Flame Volcano. Where was the nearest exit?


    A few meters away. There should be a staircase. I caught sight of it.


    Taking another deep breath, I unsteadily rose to my feet and staggered toward the stairs. I wanted to sprint. I really did, but my legs refused to obey me and my lungs refused to cooperate.


    Fortunately, no other demons attacked me on my short journey to the stairway. It probably was only five minutes at most, thanks to my exhaustion, but it felt like an hour to me. Sucking in another lungful of air, I stumbled up the stairs, practically crawling on fours instead of walking, and crashed onto the door.


    As usual, a current of invisible qi rippled out and scanned my secret handbook. The door slid open to allow me access and I gratefully hurled myself through the opening. Not knowing where I was, I staggered into the crowded room, knocking over a couple of tripods, a cauldron and equipment as I did so, and falling over to the ground.


    Behind me, the door slammed shut, sealing the demons lurking behind in the passageway.


    As if all the energy had left me, I collapsed on the ground and instantly fell asleep, unaware that the sky was about to brighten, the golden rays of breaking dawn trickling through the window above me and casting a soft glow upon my prone body.

 202 Chapter 201: Preparing for war

    Every non-combatant Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member had ascended to the higher areas of Flame Volcano a long time ago. Only a very tiny portion of outer sect elders and a massive detachment of Blood Blades martial artists were left at the outer sect. they watched vigilantly from their positions, controlling their Cybernetica Cohorts and gunning down any enemy martial artist stupid and reckless enough to charge through the front gates.


    Despite the devastation the battle-automata had wrought on the ten invading sects, none of the Blood Blades were bold enough to take a single step out of the main sect grounds. They maintained in the current stalemate, withstanding the siege and repelling the trespassers with lethal force, and waited. We had enough supplies to last us for months, perhaps a year if necessary. By then even the Royal Family would be compelled to act and send their Imperial Guard to relieve us of this siege, once they cut through the convoluted red tape and conniving political bickering that saturated the Parliament. So much for Democracy.


    While on paper, ideally the majority ruled and deciding everything by votes was fair, and corruption was checked by several political parties, in reality some crises require the Emperor to declare martial law and overrule the politicians so that he can mobilize the army for emergencies such as this. Unfortunately, he had fallen into the very elaborate devices that he himself had concocted to ensure the running of the empire.


    Thanks to that, the outer sect elders and Blood Blades could only wait. Not just for liberation from the Great Zhou Empire we were a part of, but also for their commanders, Lang Xie and Hai Rong, to return and take charge once again.


    Fortunately, we had Sect Lady Zi Da Ji to take charge and issue orders, but she was just one person, and she needed capable subordinates to delegate particular missions and territory to. Subordinates like Lang Xie and Hai Rong.


    In any case, the outer regions and foot of Flame Volcano were almost deserted and few, if any, noticed that someone had just emerged into one of the old, dusty workshops that now doubled as a huge storeroom.


    Having collapsed on the ground and lost consciousness, I was only vaguely aware that I had exited into a very old workshop that no one had used for many years, especially given the amount of dust that had accumulated on the floor, equipment, tools and furniture. On the same token, no one was around to help me.


    Behind me, the door had disappeared, transforming back into a wall and sealing the underground passageways from the surface. There was no risk of the demons emerging into the open. The secret handbook was given only to the most trusted of inner sect disciples, those who had triggered a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillars like me and Tang Qi Hong. Other than us, probably only Sect Leader Zi Shou De and Elder Hai Mo possessed a copy, and none of them had any reason to use the secret passageways.


    Not yet. I had to warn them before they begin a large-scale evacuation, but knowing Sect Lady Da Ji''s temperament, I was confident that we would be staying and fighting in Flame Volcano for a long time. Not to mention we had supplies and an army of battle-automata poised to defend the main sect grounds from the invaders.


    If they tried to rush in, they were in for a shock! Well, actually they had already suffered grievous losses and sustained heavy casualties, but understandably I had been so occupied with my escape through the subterranean tunnels that I was completely unaware of the larger tactical picture. I only found out about it a few hours later.


    For now, I just wanted to sleep.


    While I dozed off blissfully on the floor of the old workshop, my presence did not go unnoticed after all.


    "Eh?"


    The outer sect elder, Cheng Ping, happened to be nearby when he sensed the feeble qi signature emanating from me. Having been so exhausted I had stopped trying to conceal my presence, and my faint wisps of my qi leaked out. He closed his eyes and reached out with his senses, but at the moment my consciousness was too far gone to notice someone probing at me from a distance and thus I couldn''t exactly conceal my presence or qi.


    "Someone is inside the old workshop by Sector S!" Cheng Ping cried out anxiously when he finally pinpointed my location, partially stunned. He gestured to two Blood Blades martial artists who happened to be close by, and the three of them rushed to the old workshop that was now serving as my temporary bedroom. They stopped outside, checking the place cautiously and ensuring that I was the only presence they could pick up.


    Cheng Ping cautiously signaled for the two martial artists to spread out so that they could flank me. Not that I was in any condition to fight, but you could never be too careful. Then he took a deep breath and called out.


    "Who''s inside?"


    Obviously I was too fast asleep to respond.


    Cheng Ping frowned, and at a nod, the two Blood Blades dashed in and struck at me from different directions.


    The outer sect elder also barged in, brandishing a spear and getting ready to thrust it at what he thought was an enemy. The moment he caught sight of my prone form, lying on the floor unmoving and unconscious, he pulled his weapon up in reflex.


    "Stop! Don''t attack!" he desperately shouted.


    The two Blood Blades were well disciplined and had great control over their bodies. They were able to halt their blades just centimeters away from my neck or spine, strikes that would have undoubtedly proven fatal if they went through with it.


    Fortunately, they recognized me, being comrades I occasionally fought alongside for the defense of the sect, and they were ready to stop even if Cheng Ping didn''t tell them to. They were even prepared to deflect his spear if he couldn''t break off his attack in time.


    "Fei Wu? Hey, Fei Wu!" Cheng Ping knelt beside me and began shaking me awake. "Are you all right? What happened? Why are you here?"


    I couldn''t remember what dream I was having, but it probably involved me firing my laspistol into a horde of purestrain Genestealers while wielding a chainsword and bellowing, "For the Emperor!" while soldiers of the valiant Draconian Armored infantry fired a barrage of las and plasma into swarms of Tyranids, supported by squadrons of Leman Russ Executioner tanks that spat superheated plasma and decimating their numbers while incinerating the larger bio-forms that held the ''Nids together through synapse powers.


    As it was, I opened my eyes and stared groggily at Cheng Ping. For a moment, I didn''t remember where I was, and vaguely registering the hard, dusty and incredibly uncomfortable floor, reflected bitterly on how I somehow tumbled out of bed and wondering why Elder Cheng Ping would personally come wake me up for school.


    "Elder Cheng Ping?"


    "Yeah! What happened?"


    "What do you mean?" I muttered blearily. "Is it time for school yet?"


    "Huh?" Cheng Ping was stunned by my response. While I struggled to wake up, nightmarish memories hit me in the gut, and the horror of it all washed the drowsiness away from my mind. Following which, I was able to situate myself in the larger context, which was Nine-Tailed Fox Sect being under attack.


    "This is the outer sect, isn''t it?" I sat up instantly, looking around worriedly. "What about the ten invading sects? Have they¡­?"


    "We fought them off," Cheng Ping told me bluntly, and smiled. "Thanks to the battle-automata and battle puppets you brought back, we were able to destroy their lines and kill a good number of them. The survivors were forced to retreat and lick their wounds."


    "Oh." I felt relieved when I heard that. Well, that much was obvious. Otherwise Elder Cheng wouldn''t be here to help me. Instead, I would be murdered in my sleep by roaming assassins from Divine Shadow Sect and Dark Asura Sect. Seriously, though, I never expected the battle-automata I brought back to the sect to come in useful in such a manner, but Fate had a way of screwing with you.


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    In this case, I was glad it worked out for us.


    "Fei Wu, how did you end up here?" as glad as Cheng Ping was, he couldn''t overlook the possibility that there was a breach in our lines, and that someone could infiltrate into the sect through the same way as I did. He glanced at the two Blood Blades and gave one of them an instruction. "Get a medic here."


    "I''m fine." I briefly told him about my journey underground. "I''ve to inform Sect Leader immediately. We can''t evacuate through the underground passageways anymore. They have been compromised."


    Cheng Ping stared at me in disbelief, not knowing of the existence of the underground network in the first place. I wondered if I had made a mistake telling him about it, but right now I couldn''t care less. Even if he knew of their existence, without the secret handbook and holographic map, he wouldn''t know where the entrances, exits and passageways were.


    "All right. We''ll get you to Sect Leader later. But first you need to rest. You look absolutely terrible." He studied me, and was relieved to see no wounds, other than the mess of foul fluids splattered onto me when I fought my way through demonic hordes. "You should return to your room and rest before anything else."


    "And take a shower," the remaining Blood Blades martial artist added. I scowled, and he shrugged with a smile.


    The medic arrived, and did a preliminary inspection on me.


    "No external wounds that I can see," he declared after probing me and testing my joints. He then shone a light into my eyes and I flinched. "Can''t say for sure he didn''t suffer any head trauma. Got to make sure." He waved a couple of fingers in front of my eyes. "How many fingers?"


    I showed him my middle finger. The medic chuckled.


    "Yeah, he''s fine."


    "Can I return to my room now?" I asked tiredly, wanting to just collapse onto the bed and fall asleep.


    "Yeah. Let''s go." Cheng Ping nodded at the Blood Blades, who went on either side of me as an escort. I frowned.


    "I don''t need an escort. I''m a member of Blood Blades myself."


    "Just making sure you don''t collapse on your way back," the smart-mouthed Blood Blades martial artist pointed out, and I conceded that he had a point. Especially since I was swaying unsteadily on my feet.


    We had hardly taken a few steps away from the abandoned workshop when a familiar voice from afar called out.


    "Old Cheng?"


    "It''s all right! Fei Wu is back!" Cheng Ping shouted back.


    "Really?!" Elder Zhao hurried over the moment he heard that, and I caught sight of his familiar figure vaulting over a low wall. For some reason, he was leading five Blood Blades martial artists with him, probably having detected my presence as well.


    Seeing him, I was suddenly reminded of something more important than getting rid of my exhaustion.


    "Right! How are Tang Qi Hong, Tong Xue, Lian Rou, Zi Xiao Ji and the rest?" the last time I saw them, we had split up, and I received no updates from them through my smartphone. Especially since I was underground the entire time and received no signal.


    "They are fine," Elder Zhao assured me. "They returned safely last night. We managed to treat Qi Hong and Lian Rou and got rid of the blood technique that Blood Shadow used to restrain them. Tong Xue has submitted his report regarding the incident too." He looked at me wryly. "Looks like you''ll have to submit a report of your own."


    I groaned, not looking forward to that at all. But I was too much of a solider to complain, so I nodded. "Yes, sir."


    Of course, I left out the little event regarding my battle against Pang Feng, because I didn''t want to snitch on a friend, and I also didn''t say anything regarding Lu Li and the Ling sisters either. Those weren''t important. I was sure a lot of the Blood Blades had been through similar battles throughout the night, and I wasn''t the type to brag.


    I didn''t know, however, that Tang Qi Hong had already told the others about my battle with Pang Feng. Fortunately, she wasn''t present when I fought Lu Li and encountered the Ling Sisters, so that little detail could be omitted without worry. I didn''t want to put the Ling Sisters on the spot and caused people to suspect them for letting me get away without difficulty. The two girls probably felt like they owed me because I saved their cousin and assisted in getting their spirit armaments forged. So I wanted to repay their faith somehow.


    "How''s the situation?" I asked instead while I staggered back to my dormitory room.


    "Not as bad as it could be." Cheng Ping sighed. "We managed to pull all our forces back into the main sect grounds. Sect Leader recalled all the Blood Blades and had them escort the civilians back and assist with evacuation. Even so, we were only able to save about 60% of the civilians. The rest have been slaughtered by the ten invading sects. While we sustained very few casualties with the Blood Blades ¨C less than five ¨C Lord Lang Xie and Hai Rong have both gone missing and we have been unable to contact them since last night."


    "The ten sects have surrounded us," Elder Zhao added ominously, but he smiled. "Thanks to the Cybernetica battle-automata you brought back from the ancient tomb, though, we repelled their attacks, and dealt them great losses. We should be able to hold out for a few months at least, until the Royal Family get off their collective asses and send the Imperial Guard."


    ¡­no, never mind. Wrong universe. I was still mentally stuck in the underground passageways where I fought through a swarm of Tyranids¡­I mean otherworldly demons to get back to the surface.


    "How are Sect Leader, Sect Lady and the Great Elders?" I asked.


    "They are at the peak of the mountain, Sect Lady Da Ji is protecting them currently. They aren''t exactly combatants, after all." Elder Zhao sighed. "It is my mistake. I should have kept an eye on Hu Mei Er. I didn''t expect her to betray us. If only I noticed that something was amiss, I would have made a move and isolated her, and Qi Hong and Lian Rou wouldn''t have been kidnapped. And Lord Lang Xie wouldn''t have fallen into danger. If he could help Sect Lady command of a good portion of Blood Blades and relieve some of her burden, then we may still have a fighting chance."


    "No one would have expected Hu Mei Er to betray us, so please don''t balme yourself. And with Sect Lady at the helm, we still have a fighting chance. And I believe Lord Lang Xie will return. So let''s focus on what we can do for now."


    I tried to console Elder Zhao, and he smiled bitterly.


    "In any case, you should clean up and get some sleep." Cheng Ping reminded me. "You look like hell. I''ll speak to Sect Leader and arrange a meeting for you tomorrow. For now, rest. That''s an order."


    "Yes, sir." I saluted and then completed my journey back to my dormitory room.


    *


    I ended up sleeping for ten hours. By the time I woke up, it was six in the evening. The sun had yet to set, so it was still fairly bright, but not as bright as when I first emerged from the old workshop earlier this morning.


    I lay in bed for a few more minutes, my eyes shut, but it seemed that I wouldn''t be falling back asleep for a while yet. Dragging myself reluctantly out of bed despite the desire to continue lazing around, I suddenly remembered that we were technically at war and I had a few urgent matters to tend to.


    Stretching myself, I grabbed a quick meal, and then headed for my workshop. As I expected, the Castellax battle-automata I had left there were still standing in front of a wall, immobile and unmoving. Of course they wouldn''t be moving. Without my qi to power them, they were just inert machines, unable to lift even a single finger.


    Cursing myself for not bringing them along, I began to finish up the Spirit Engraving on the last Castellax battle-automata. The Castellax battle-automata would have helped greatly against the demonic hordes I encountered in the underground passageways, gunning them down and decimating the tide with their heavy weapons. They would be less useful against Blood Shadow, admittedly, and losing them to such a powerful martial artist this early in the siege would be a huge blow. Repairs took a lot of time, after all, and I doubted they would have made much of a difference against him. In the end, I nuked him with my Sunburst prototype, so it was academic in any case. The only thing my Castellax battle-automata would have contributed was becoming scrap in the explosion. As for Pang Feng, like I said, he had Castellax battle-automata of his own, so bringing mine out would just prompt him to use his. And since powering battle-automata took a lot of qi ¨C and I didn''t have Pure Yuan Pills ¨C it would be stupid to use them and waste so much qi against him.


    As for Lu Li¡­she was such a pathetic loser that I could defeat her with just a couple of moves, never mind using qi-consuming Castellax battle-automata. Honestly, I would have killed her if it weren''t for the Ling sisters, but I didn''t want to lose their goodwill and get into an unnecessary fight with them, particularly when I was in a hurry to return to the sect.


    "There, done."


    Taking a deep breath, I stepped back and admired my handiwork. I then closed my eyes and infused the four Castellax battle-automata with my qi. They came to life, their dark domes illuminating the faint lighting in my workshop, and stood sharply in front of me, clenching their power fists. Two of them were armed with mauler bolt cannons, which began to whir and rotate as they tracked for enemies, and then stopped when they detected no hostile presence in the area. As for the other two, their plasma cannons (or Darkfire cannons) crackled with azure energy.


    Good. Seemed like they worked. Now I could mobilize them and have them join the frontline. Obviously, as I said before, battle-automata were too qi-consuming to serve as sentries or guards, so the Blood Blades at the outer sect only summoned them when needed, and kept them during the lulls. Sometimes, upon seeing no sign of battle-automata, the ten invading sects thought to seize the opportunity and send waves to invade us, only for the Blood Blades to summon their battle-automata and eradicate them.


    Of course, several of the enemy sects were smart enough to send small waves to waste our qi, but the Blood Blades were even more intelligent. If the enemy''s attacking force was too small to merit the summoning of battle-automata, they fought the old fashioned way, with Spirit Weapons and martial arts. Only when they were outnumbered vastly would they summon the battle-automata and battle puppets to help them.


    It was also the reason why we stayed on the defense instead of launching a counterattack. The battle-automata consumed too much qi, and we wouldn''t be able to sustain a prolonged assault on the invading forces. Instead, it would render us vulnerable to a counterattack, with the exhausted Blood Blades being susceptible to the enemies'' attacks after expending too much of their qi to power the battle-automata.


    This time, I ensured that my Castellax battle-automata were stored inside Snow Aegis before I left the workshop. I glanced around, wondering if I had time to build another Sunburst. Might as well, given how effective it was against Blood Shadow. If I increased the amount of qi powder, I might be able to create a much larger explosion.


    Large enough to nuke the entire city, even. Given how Tushan City had fallen into the hands of the enemy, I had no scruples destroying it. Better to nuke the city than to allow it to fall into the despicable hands of the Martial Arts Alliance.


    Before I could begin, however, my smartphone beeped to signal that I had just received a text message. I wondered if Elder Cheng had finally arranged a meeting for me and had just send me the details and confirmation as I picked up my phone.


    To my utmost surprise, it wasn''t from Elder Cheng or anyone from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. The message was from Pang Feng. Okay, he was formerly a member of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and even fought as a Blood Blades once, but given his current status, I didn''t know if that still counted. Nonetheless, I opened the message, wondering if he had sent me an apology, or was inquiring after Tang Qi Hong''s wellbeing.


    It seemed that he already knew about Tang Qi Hong, though, so his message was brief and to the point.


    "I''ve reprogrammed my Castellax battle-automata and left them in my room. Since I was leaving Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I thought I had best return them. The Spirit Engravings are still intact, but I removed my seal of ownership. Please take care of them. I''m sure you''ll need them more than I do."


    "You¡­"


    My eyes bulged in disbelief when I saw the message. Even after leaving the sect, Pang Feng was evidently still worried about us, and was looking for ways to help us bolster our defenses however he could. I knew he had sent this message secretly ¨C Wu Tuo would not let it go if he found out that Pang Feng was secretly helping us.


    So I sent him a short reply.


    "Thanks."


    Packing everything up, I left my workshop and headed for Pang Feng''s abandoned room. The door was unlocked, and he had thoughtfully left his key behind, wanting to return it to Elder Zhao, but didn''t because it would reveal his defection to Cloud Sky Mountain.


    Pushing the door open, I stepped into the empty hallway. Pang Feng had really cleaned out his apartment, evidently believing that he wouldn''t be returning here. As promised, however, his two Castellax battle-automata sat by the far wall, hunched over and inert.


    Moving toward them, I checked them over and saw that he was right. The Spirit Engravings that he had so painstakingly inscribed into them were intact, but he had removed his owner seal. He must have felt guilty taking Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s assets along with him when he decided to leave. I guess he had a conscience.


    Not that the conscience was of much help, but I appreciated it all the same. He could very well had taken the Castellax battle-automata with him and no one would know, but he at least provided us with even a tiny chance of increasing the odds in our favor.


    "All right then."

 203 Chapter 202: Under the Spirit Engraved Pillars

    As the meeting was the next morning, I still had quite a few hours with nothing to do, so I decided to head to the frontlines. Okay, that technically wasn''t correct. I could spend the next few hours working on my Terminator Profound Bomb¡­I mean Sunburst, or train, or any number of other things that would contribute to the war effort, but I decided to join my comrades in the Blood Blades.


    I hadn''t gotten very far when I heard someone call out to me.


    "Fei Wu!"


    Turning around, I caught sight of Tong Xue waving at me from down the corridor. I paused to wait for him to catch up, not at all surprised that I ran into him. After all, both of us being from Blood Blades, we lived in the same apartment. Actually, Tong Xue was my neighbor. He must have knocked on my door and found that I wasn''t in, and was heading down to look for me when he spotted me emerging into the corridor.


    If he noticed me exiting Pang Feng''s apartment, he didn''t say anything about it. Instead, he focused on more pertinent matters.


    "Shouldn''t you be resting? You''ve a meeting with Sect Leader tomorrow."


    "Nah. I slept the whole day, I can''t sleep now." I shook my head and waved his statement away. "I thought I should go check on the others."


    "You don''t have to worry about that." Tong Xue chuckled as he patted my shoulder. "We''ll assign you a shift soon enough."


    "I''m sure," I replied dryly. "But for now I want to see the scene with my own eyes and learn how to fight them off. I wasn''t involved in the first defense, and I want to see how the Blood Blades deployed and how they used their battle-automata."


    "Good idea." Tong Xue nodded thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I wasn''t involved either. I should go find out too!"


    That led to him accompanying me out of the dormitory building and toward the outer sect, just behind the walls that demarcated our main sect grounds. I could still see the ten sects milling about in the distance, wary of being gunned down by suddenly appearing giant robots.


    However, on our way to the frontlines, we passed by the plaza. The nine Spirit Engraved Pillars were shrouded in darkness, illuminated faintly only by streetlamps and public lightning, but otherwise their towering forms seemed to meld with the night sky, almost as if their top halves were rising into the heavens above.


    The moment I passed by them, I suddenly felt an ominous feeling creep over me. A sensation that I was very familiar with by now, but one that I could never get used to.


    "Hmm?" Tong Xue glanced at me. "Did you say something?"


    "Nothing important," I assured him. Pushing my glasses up, I turned to study the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. A tinge of sadness touched me when I considered that if the ten sects succeeded in destroying Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, they would either destroy the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars or divide them among themselves.


    The greedy bastards¡­


    I vowed not to let that happen. Just as I made that promise to myself, I could sense the intense killing intent emanating from the shadowy existence sealed beneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. I couldn''t help but shudder from the psychic shock, despite the protection that the spiritual barrier of my Snow Aegis afforded me.


    "?"


    That was when I realized that the killing intent was not directed at me. The shadowy tendrils withdrew and seemed to probe elsewhere. They seemed to be scouting the ten sects who had gathered outside Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Perhaps the shadowy existence was hoping to find a new host among them, someone else he could possess and then make use of the body for himself. After all, all his attempts to possess me had failed so far, and he must be getting frustrated and impatient.


    I didn''t blame him. Actually, I was pretty happy about that. If the monster shifted his murderous attention away from me and toward my enemies, wouldn''t that be to my benefit? Hell, I could even set him on the ten sects and wait for him to wipe them out. I almost smiled at the idea.


    Until I realized the implications and consequences of such an action.


    Unleashing such a monster on the enemy lines would wipe them out, yeah, and judging from the enormous, boundless power I sensed from him with my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I was pretty sure that he could do just that. The problem was his intention after he wiped the ten sects out ¨C he would undoubtedly turn his attention on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I would have just released an uncontrollable monster that would wipe out not just our enemies but us, a far worse enemy than the Martial Arts Alliance assailing us at the moment.


    As they said, I would be causing Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. At least with the ten sects, I knew we would be able to hold them off for a good while, until the Imperial Guard arrived. But this monster was far too dangerous to gamble on. If he turned out to be godlike and powerful enough to destroy ten sects on his own, there was no telling what he would do to us. I hardly doubted our chances against him would be higher than that of the ten invading sects.


    "Fei Wu?"


    I realized that I had been zoning out the entire time. Tong Xue was staring at me worriedly. I scratched my head sheepishly.


    "Sorry. I was just thinking about something."


    I turned my attention back to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. The shadowy presence was staining all nine pillars right now. I hardly doubted that the seal had weakened, but this was the first time he had crept so far out. Perhaps the shadowy exisence was doing so because he detected the horde of fresh meat just beyond the main sect grounds, and was straining himself as best as he could.


    I shuddered for a moment, and then frowned when I noticed something that astonished me to my core.


    "This¡­"


    The qi that the shadowy presence was exuding. While I initially thought it was familiar because I had several close brushes with him in the past, now I inexplicably felt a strong sense of nostalgia. I didn''t know why, but I felt as if I should recognize the shadowy presence, as if he was someone I had met a very long time ago, but I couldn''t place my finger on his precise identity, or where I had encountered him before.


    For some reason, he reminded me of Master¡­


    "Impossible!"


    "What is?" Tong Xue was staring at me, incredibly concerned. I shook my head, though this time it was more to clear my mind than to assure him.


    "He can''t be Master," I murmured to myself. Taking a step forward, the feeling of familiarity grew stronger, but I refused to believe it. "This can''t be right."


    There was no way this person was Master. Master died a few years ago, at the hands of the accursed Martial Arts Alliance ¨C the very Martial Arts Alliance that was attacking the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect right now.


    Yet this person was emanating qi that was very similar to my late master. No, now that I calmed down and thought about it, his qi was very similar to mine.


    Then everything clicked. Why else would this shadowy presence choose me alone out of so many candidates, such as Liang Shao Yang? It certainly wasn''t because of some stupid reason like me being the protagonist. Most likely he thought of me as being the only compatible host for his disembodied spirit.


    And why would he find me compatible? Because we had very similar qi. It all clicked now. But why was our qi so similar?


    No, the real question was, why was his qi so similar to both mine and Master''s? The only explanation was that he practiced the same martial arts as us.


    This shadowy being¡­how is he related to the Heaven and Earth Sect?


    I swallowed as a few of the pieces fell into place, only to lead to a much larger mystery. I wasn''t ashamed to admit that it disturbed me tremendously. The shadowy existence felt ancient, even though he was nowhere as old as the Spirit Engraved Pillars themselves or Nine-Tailed Fox Sect itself. There was no way he could be related to the Heaven and Earth Sect, or at least not for several centuries. Not unless Heaven and Earth Sect was that old¡­


    A precursor to Heaven and Earth Sect, maybe?


    Suddenly, I remembered what Lei Yong Chun told me so long ago. That if I wanted to advance my Heaven and Earth Formula, I would do well to investigate the Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    That guy¡­did he know about this? If what he said was true, then it might explain everything. But how did Lei Yong Chun find out? What else did he know? Were there any other secrets regarding the Spirit Engraved Pillar or Heaven and Earth Sect that he didn''t tell me (not that he was obligated to)?


    "Hey, Fei Wu! What''s going on? Talk to me, man! You''re scaring me!"


    Tong Xue shook my arm, bringing me back to reality. I tore my gaze away from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and shook my head.


    "Sorry." I took a deep breath and composed myself. "Tong Xue, please head to the frontlines without me. I''m going to check the Spirit Engraved Pillars for a bit. I shouldn''t take too long. I''ll catch up once I''m done."


    Tong Xue was astounded. "Are you seriously trying to comprehend a fourth Spirit Engraved Pillar right now? I mean, that''s cool and all, but in case you haven''t noticed, we''ve more important things to worry about at this juncture."


    "No, I''m not trying to gain enlightenment." I gulped, my face pale. "If I''m not mistaken, there''s an even larger threat dwelling beneath the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and I intend to find out what it is. I want to ensure it doesn''t pose a threat."


    "Huh?" Tong Xue''s jaw dropped in disbelief. I didn''t blame him. I could hardly believe it myself, though admittedly I was just fancifully making an excuse to justify my approach to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. There was some truth, though. I had to stop the shadowy being from forcibly possessing one of the martial artists from the other sects, or we would unleash an unprecendented monster on the Great Zhou Empire. "A threat? Under the Spirit Engraved Pillars? Really?"


    "Well, I could be mistaken," I admitted. Best not to sound too confident and raise any suspicions. "But I want to check, just in case. It would be disastrous if another enemy appear behind our lines while we''re trying to repel the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "Good point," Tong Xue conceded with a nod. He glanced at the Spirit Engraved Pillars and frowned, no doubt not sensing anything dangerous from it. "I''ll let the others know. Do you need any help?"


    "No. and, uh, best not to inform the others. I don''t want to create unnecessary panic and lower morale." Last thing I knew was for rumors to spread.


    Tong Xue seemed to accept my remark at face value, for he nodded and headed off without any arguments. Heaving a sigh of relief, I then turned back toward the Spirit Engraved Pillars and approached it with not a small amount of trepidation.


    Am I really doing the right thing? I wondered to myself. Well, too late now. I was committed. There was no turning back.


    Taking another deep breath, I sat down in front of one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Ironically, it was the one with demon motifs, the one that Liang Shao Yang gained enlightenment from. Obviously I wasn''t going to gain any enlightenment from it, and I had no intention of doing so. I was more focused on communicating with all of the Spirit Engraved Pillars at the moment.


    And with the shadowy existence. From experience, I was confident that the talkative geezer wouldn''t hesitate to rant and converse with me.


    Closing my eyes and sitting cross-legged, I meditated and allowed a wisp of my spiritual consciousness to drift out of my mind and into the pillar. I traced the Spirit Engravings with my spiritual sense, and they suddenly came to life.


    Not just the pillar with demonic motifs. All nine Spirit Engraved Pillars came to life, shining extremely brightly and lighting up the night sky.


    Oh, crap. So much for keeping this from the others and not causing any panic. Well, they probably wouldn''t panic unless Tong Xue told them about my suspicions, but they must be wondering why the hell I decided to go meditate under the Spirit Engraved Pillars during a crisis like this. To them, I must appear as if I didn''t know my priorities.


    Too late, in any case. I had delved into the Spirit Engraved Pillars too deeply to stop now, and I couldn''t help but plummet into yet another Spirit World.


    This time, I was vaguely aware that this wasn''t a Spirit World created by any of the Spirit Engraved Pillars. It was an abyss, a literal abyss that extended endlessly toward the bottom, a depthless black hole that spread out infinitely below and ensnared everything in darkness.


    In contrast to the darkness was a bright sky, radiant and almost blinding. Clouds filled the clear, blue heavens, and the stark horizon where the two met gave off a surreal sensation, like two separate realms haphazardly sewn and stitched together.


    Surprisingly enough, there were also the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, either their spiritual essences manifested within this Spirit World or perfect replicas of the originals that existed outside. I couldn''t tell which one. Yet the Spirit Engravings inscribed into their surfaces were most definitely identical to the ones on the plaza.


    To confirm, I brought up a recorded image from my glasses and compared. Yup, they were exactly the same. Except that the Spirit Engravings were all moving, endowed with life of their own. Well, the physical ones in the material world did too, when I triggered a response from them, but I had a feeling that the spiritual ones here didn''t need any catalyst to be so lively.


    "¡­"


    Gulping, I glanced at the pillar with demon and monster motifs. They were all howling and bellowing ferociously, squirming violently as if trying to escape their invisible chains and restraints from the pillar. They snarled as they glared at me, their slavering jaws yawning to swallow me whole, only to snap a huge distance away from me. As long as I wisely didn''t get within range, they wouldn''t be able to bite me.


    The divine rivers from the Heavenly Nine Winding River Diagram were flowing seamlessly to the sky, clear blue melding with azure blue. Unlike the monsters and demons in the other pillar, the waters were unbound, freely flowing upward to supply the heavens with water, though I doubted that deities and gods actualy needed to drink to live.


    The snow from the pillar with snow motifs drifted slowly upward, much milder than the blizzard it trapped me in when I was accessing Heavenly Snow terminus Body.


    And then the stargazing one was filling the dark abyss below with countless stars, turning it into a celestial plane that mirrored the daytime sky opposite it. It was as if day and night were staring at each other in the face, separated by a single plane of reflection.


    Regardless of the motifs, the Spirit Diagrams of all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars were emanating a tremendous amount of qi that saturated the entire Spirit World that had somehow manifested itself around me.


    Then I noticed the shadowy existence at the foot of all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. Evidently, I was correct. The nine Spirited Engraved Pillars had been sealing the shadowy existence in an abyss Spirit World below them.


    To my surprise, however, the shadowy existence wasn''t some behemoth monster or a terrifying demon. Rather, his appearance was underwhelming, especially when I had been feeling the astronomical amount of qi and strength overflowing from him all this time.


    An emaciated old man was chained at the bottom of the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, the cold, black, heavy iron chains wrapped around his limbs and body before criss-crossing each other in a complicated network that originated from the Spirit Engraved Pillars towering over him. He didn''t even look like a robust martial artist, just a skeletal old man who looked as if he was on the verge of starving to death.


    If it wasn''t for the enormous amount of qi that dreadfully emanated from him, I would have thought he was no more than a half-dead geezer who would topple over from the lightest of breezes. Indeed, he looked so frail and weak, his head lowered as he stared at the dark, starry abyss that served as the ground.


    Studying the thick, heavy chains, I suddenly understood that the Spirit Diagrams on the Spirit Engraved Pillars weren''t just there to reveal ancient technology or martial artists. They were formations, spells cast and inscribed to seal this shackled old man in a deep abyss for almost eternity.


    "Oh, boy."


    The old man raised his head, his white beard dangling from his chin in strands. He was completely bald, but his eyes were crimson, a pair of demonic orbs that seemed to sear straight into my soul.


    "You''ve actually come to me yourself." The old man chuckled. "Have you finally thought of giving yourself over to me?"


    I could see an array of shadow tendrils extending from behind him. Even though he was chained and shackled to the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, he was still able to wield those shadows and attempt to assault me.


    A testament to just how terrifyingly powerful he was.


    "Nope," I replied. Snow Aegis had materialized before me, and the shadowy tendrils were deflected by the shimmering barrier that my Spirit Shield had generated. "I''m just here to check on you. Besides, you don''t need me." I jerked my head in a vague direction, mostly because we couldn''t see the outside world from here. "You''ve plenty of other hosts to choose from."


    "Ah¡­so you realize what I''m doing."


    The old man smiled bitterly and then hung his head somberly.


    "As much as you are correct¡­it is unfortunate, but I have yet to find a suitable host." He then looked up again to grin at me. "Unless you''re kind enough to volunteer."


    "Sorry, but I''m not that generous. I would rather keep control over my own body." I continued to hold Snow Aegis out in front of me.


    "Then why are you here?" the old man narrowed his eyes. "As young as you are, even you shouldn''t be foolish to think you can stop me from taking over the body of one of those people gathered outside?"


    "No. I''m not here to stop you or anything." I raised both my hands up and truthfully admitted. Even if I wanted to, I had no way of stopping him. He was that powerful. "I''m just here to ask you a question."


    "Oh?" the old man looked intrigued. He was probably bored out of his mind, having been imprisoned in this place for centuries, so he didn''t seem to mind entertaining me. "What is it?"


    "Do you know who You Hong Zhi is?" I asked. The old man blanched.


    "Who¡­?"


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    "Never mind." I shook my head. "How about Tian Mo?"


    The old man regarded me for a second, frowning in irritation. "Never heard of him."


    That figured. I sighed in disappointment, wondering why I bothered. I had anticipated that this old man woudn''t have heard of Master. They were several generations apart at least. Of course they would never have met.


    However, there was still one last question in my mind, and I decided to give it a shot.


    "What about the Heaven and Earth Sect?"


    The old man''s expression suddenly changed, and I felt a tidal wave of rage wash over me violently, almost disintegrating my spiritual consciousness inside the Spirit World. I staggered, hiding behind Snow Aegis to keep my shreds of consciousness intact.


    "Who the hell are you?!" he demanded furiously. "And where did you hear that name from?!"


    Despite being battered by his killing intent, I pushed my glasses up my nose and beamed at him.

 204 Chapter 203: The Sealed Old Man

    "I see! So you''re a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect! Wonderful! No wonder I feel such a kinship with you. That explains why you''re the only one whose body is compatible as a host for my spirit. I understand why now."


    I tilted my head as I studied him, growing more confident of my speculation. "I''m guessing you''re from the Heaven and Earth Sect?"


    "Correct." The old man''s smile spread across his face. "You should address me as Ancestral Master, given how I''m probably the master of the master of the master of your master, ad infinitum. You''re my grand disciple (grand as in grandchild, not majestic grand)!"


    Wow. Just wow. Lei Yong Chun was right, after all. I was going to need to confront him and ask him if he knew anything more. Did he know all along about this Heaven and Earth Sect master being sealed under the Spirit Engraved Pillars?


    And how did he find out? Lei Yong Chun had always been a mystery, but this was just¡­


    "All right, Ancestral Master." Despite addressing him as such, I remained wary. "Even so, I''m not handing my body over to you. I''m sorry for being unfilial or whatever, but I''m not generous to give away my body to someone else."


    "Don''t worry." The old man''s eyes seemed to shine malevolently and I shuddered unconsciously. "Since you''re my grand disciple, I won''t take your body as a host like that. It''s so hard to find competent disciples for our sect, and considering how competent you are and well developed your spiritual qi is, it''ll be a waste to possess you. There''s no use returning to the real world and rebuilding the Heaven and Earth Sect if I sacrifice my disciples and grand disciples to do so."


    Suppressing a shiver, I nodded in relief, not trusting myself to say anything. The old man didn''t seem to notice my unease, and he continued to press me for details.


    "So how''s the sect? Considering that you''ve managed to get into this space, I''m guessing the Heaven and Earth Sect has conquered and subsumed whatever sect that has claimed the place where the Spirit Engraved Pillars are?"


    He frowned, as if trying to recall something, and then his eyes light up when he happened upon a nugget of information from so long ago.


    "If I recall, that sect was called¡­the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? But now that you''re here, I take it that it''s now part of the Heaven and Earth Sect."


    Taking a deep breath because I was instinctively wary of how the old man would react to disappointment, I pondered for a few seconds and then sought to choose my words carefully. I initially considered lying but doubted that I would be able to deceive this old man.


    The old man stared at me in disbelief, and I could almost sense disbelief and denial bubbling underneath his murderous eyes.


    "I''m trying to rebuild and restore the Heaven and Earth Sect, though," I quickly added. "But I''m currently not strong enough. That''s why I''m learning martial arts and gathering resources from other sects, like the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "¡­"


    The old man''s thunderous expression softened a little, and he cocked his head slightly to the side, watching me keenly.


    "Tell me everything," he ordered.


    There was a force in his voice that left no room for defiance or disobedience, and despite myself, I was pouring everything out and telling him everything from the time I first met Master, how I enrolled in Wu Ling Academy and then learned Heaven and Earth Formula during my brief sojourn in the underworld, and my eventual admission into Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I left out the part where I was from a different timeline, or the events in the hospital, though.


    After telling him everything, I paused to take a deep breath. Glancing at the old man as he absorbed what he had just heard, I tried to fight the dread that filled my heart. As bound as he was, there was no way he could attack me. He had already attempted to attack me, especially with his shadow tendrils, and failed.


    As long as I had Snow Aegis, I would be able to defend myself from what assault he launched on me. That didn''t mean I could afford to let down my guard, though. Especially not against a being as powerful as him. He might look emaciated, but he was still emanating quite the tremendous and terrifying amount of qi.


    "Do you know Sect Lady Zi Da Ji?" I asked cautiously. The old man''s eyes flickered and he glanced at me before shaking hi head.


    "No. Never heard of her. The last person from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect that I met was someone named Jiu Wei Hu."


    I had never heard of Jiu Wei Hu either, so I presumed it was some extraordinary Nine-Tailed Fox Sect martial artist from the distant past.


    "But you''re no less accomplished than Jiu Wei Hu." The old man nodded thoughtfully as he peered at me keenly. I shifted uncomfortably, feeling like a bacteria being observed under a microscope. "I''ve been watching you this whole time. I''ve seen you trigger a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, and entered three of them."


    "Yeah."


    I remembered this old man being present as well, when I was in the Heavenly Snow Terminus Pillar, as well as the other times I went to the plaza to meditate and commune with the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars and stuff.


    If it wasn''t for the upgraded spiritual defense of my Snow Aegis, he would have taken over my body in all those accounts. I had a lot to thank both Tang Qi Hong and Sect Leader Zi Shou De for. Before this old man realized I was from the same sect, he had no qualms about attacking me mentally and trying to hijack my body.


    "What about Lei Yong Chun?" I asked carefully. Maybe Lei Yong Chun had met Ancestral Master, which accounted for the former''s knowledge of the latter.


    "¡­who?" the old man frowned, and then shook his head. "Doesn''t ring a bell."


    "Of course not," I muttered, determined to get to the bottom of this. But that was for later.


    The old man was nodding excitedly as he stared at me, rays of terrifying light spilling from his golden eyes.


    "Kid, let me out and I''ll reward you handsomely!"


    "Let you out?" I repeated incredulously. For obvious reasons, I was apprehensive about obeying him and unshackling him from the spiritual restaints that chained him to the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    For one thing, I had totally no idea who trapped the old man here, in this abyss below the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, and I also didn''t know how many years he had been held captive in such a baleful place. I wondered why they even sealed him beneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars in the first place ¨C probably for a very good reason.


    If I wasn''t careful, I might end up unleashing a terrifying demon on the world.


    Honestly, the old man was too dangerous. I couldn''t take the immense risk of unsealing his restraints. There was no telling what he would do in the material world once he was released, and furthermore I didn''t trust me. I wouldn''t be surprised if he would kill me once he exited the abyss, or if he suddenly went back on his word and forcibly possessed my body.


    Of course I was too tactful to say such a thing, so I merely tried the more diplomatic approach. I mean, seriously, if you know how much of a monster the other party was, the last thing you should do is piss him off.


    "How can I release you?" I shrugged as he made a show of studying the chains helplessly. "I have no idea how to undo the seal. Do you?"


    The old man grimaced. "You joined the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to be a Spirit Engraver, didn''t you? You tell me."


    "Unfortunately, I flunked as a Spirit Engraver." I wasn''t exactly telling the truth. I was average, or slightly above average as a Spirit Engraver, which was why I could easily copy Spirit Diagrams like the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell and inscribe other Spirit Formations, but according to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect standards, I was pretty much considered an amateur in that area, not when there were geniuses like Tang Qi Hong being practically commonplace (admittedly Tang Qi Hong was at the top of even those geniuses). "Right now, I''m serving as one of the Blood Blades¡­uh, basically I''m a member of their military branch."


    "Well, that makes more sense, considering that you''re a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect, after all." The old man nodded, convinced. I inwardly exhaled in relief. "You''d be better in martial arts than blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving. Come to think of it, when I watched you enter the Spirit Worlds of the three Spirit Engraved Pillars, I saw you only leave with the martial arts concepts and Spirit Diagrams, not the ones of actual Spirit Artifacts."


    "Yeah, I''m a little better at martial arts than blacksmithing." I scratched my head in embarrassment. This time I was telling the truth.


    "Well, I''m sure you''ll find a way!" the old man was looking at me, his golden eyes filled with anticipation. "And when you let me out, I''ll give you everything you want! Since you''re a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect, even something like world domination is not beyond your reach!"


    "Unfortunately, I''m not interested in world domination." The old man''s expression fell when he looked disapproving of what he perceived to be my lack of ambition. "And it''s no use talking about this. We''ll discuss this after I actually succeed."


    "I''ll be waiting." The old man smiled, almost as if he was too impatient to wait for me to free him. I didn''t have the heart to tell him that I most likely would just leave him here to rot while placing yellow tape around the plaza to keep people out.


    "Uh, yeah. I''ll leave first and go do some research in the real world. Once I find something that might be useful, I''ll be back." I bowed apologetically and withdrew from the Spirit World as quickly as I could, leaving the old man to his own devices.


    The second my spiritual consciousness departed from the Spirit World, the old man suddenly roared madly in laughter. He was so delighted that his body buckled and shuddered from the spasms of joyful laughter.


    "After so long¡­has it been a few centuries? A thousand years? Maybe more?"


    He shook his head, smiling broadly.


    "It doesn''t matter. All that matters it that I''ll finally be free! This kid shows a lot of promise. Even though he only comprehends three out of nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, it''s possible that he''ll find a way to release the sealing technique performed upon me!"


    For the first time in centuries, his eyes blazed with the fires of hope.


    The chains tensed as the old man subconsciously pulled against them, his body coiling from the excitement.


    "I''ll definitely get out of here, no matter the cost!"


    While the old man was performing his soliloquy to himself, I opened my eyes in the material world, only to find Tong Xue staring at me.


    "Whoa!" I almost toppled over. "I thought you went to the frontlines!"


    "No. I thought it would be more sensible to watch over you, in case you overwork yourself and collapse, like the last time you were meditating under the Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    I snorted. "That never happened."


    "Yeah, but it almost did. If we didn''t force you to return to your room and rest, you will surely have keeled over."


    Tong Xue then turned to study the glowing Spirit Engraved Pillars, but the light was slowly fading away.


    "What happened? Did you gain enlightenment from a fourth pillar something?"


    "No." obviously I couldn''t tell Tong Xue that I encountered an old man who claimed to be an ancestral master of my Heaven and Earth Sect, so I omitted that detail. "Just checking the Spirit Engraved Pillars for any threats."


    "Now that you''ve mentioned it, it''s giving off quite the chilling sensation," Tong Xue agreed and shivered uncontrollably.


    Watching him, something occurred to me.


    "Tong Xue, have you ever heard of someone named Jiu Wei Hu before?"


    "Who?" Tong Xue blurted out in bewilderment, evidently not having heard of the name before. I guess there were intelligence that even the former Smart Shadow Sect espionage agent wasn''t aware of. "Jiu what?"


    "Jiu Wei Hu," I repeated. Tong Xue shook his head.


    "Doesn''t ring a bell."


    I didn''t expect it to. Rising to my feet, I herked my head toward the walls. There was no reason to ponder over this matter, and it would be more conducive to search in the library later than spend too much time dwelling on the obscure name.


    "For now, let''s just go help the others."


    We hadn''t gotten very far when Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou appeared.


    "Oh, you guys are all right!" I was relieved when I caught sight of them. I knew they were well and recovered after hearing from the others, but it was quite another thing entirely to see the both of them in the flesh.


    "Don''t give me that!" Tang Qi Hong snapped. "You should take better care of yourself!"


    "What makes you think I didn''t?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. Tang Qi Hong groaned and slapped her face with a palm.


    "Never mind."


    "They might know about it. Why don''t you try asking them?" Tong Xue nudged me.


    "Ask us about what?" Lian Rou asked, puzzled. I took a deep breath and turned to face the two girls, my voice nearly caught in my throat.


    "Have either of you ever heard of sometone named Jiu Wei Hu before?"


    Tang Qi Hong''s expression abruptly turned sharp. "Where did you hear of that name?"


    "Umm¡­while commnunng with the Spirit Engraved Pillars." I gestured vaguely in the direction of the plaza. "The name came up for some reason while I was searching them for some threats."


    Tong Xue quickly filled them in on what I was doing before we ran into them, and the two girls nodded.


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    "Well, Jiu Wei Hu was the founder of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Tang Qi Hong frowned disapprovingly. "Aren''t you a history buff? Why haven''t you studied the history of our sect?"


    "I haven''t had the time, what with trying to balance school, blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, martial arts and Blood Blades duties." It might sound like a feeble excuse, but it was the truth. Honestly, try balancing that many activities and responsibilities all at once. I bet you would find it difficult.


    Tang Qi Hong sighed. "Jiu Wei Hu was the one who first located the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars and was the first person known to have triggered a response from them ¨C and a few of them, even. Thus he established Nine-Tailed Fox Sect with these nine Spirit Engraved Pillars as the base, and built our sect from here. He eventually expanded our sect into a city, and it has been growing and prospering ever since, for over nine hundred years."


    "Well, jolly good of him," I remarked a little too casually. Then it hit me. If that was the case, that made the old man sealed underneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars at least nine hundred years old! He might be well over a millennium in terms of age!


    Oh boy¡­


    At least he didn''t turn out to be the founder of Blood Blades and for some reason being Lang Xie and Hai Rong''s master. Now that would be ripping off Spirit Realm too much, and I was in no mood to engage in a legal battle when our sect was already under siege.


    At least we weren''t going to spend a lot of time suddenly launching into the history of Blood Blades out of nowhere.


    "Anyway, we''re not just here to check on you." Lian Rou suddenly spoke up, as if to remind Tang Qi Hong of their primary mission. She nodded her head once at me. "We''re here to pick you up. You''re due for briefing at Sect Leader''s villa."


    "I thought that wasn''t due until tomorrow morning," I said in puzzlement, consulting my smartphone to make sure. That was what Elder Cheng Ping told me, in any case, and I had no reason to doubt him.


    "It was," Tang Qi Hong affirmed, her tone a little frosty. "Until we spotted you lighting up the Spirit Engraved Pillars again. Father reckoned that if you''re well and energetic enough to be triggering responses in them and trying to seek enlightenment in the middle of a siege, we might as well move up the schedule."


    "Hey, I wasn''t doing it for fun," I protested. "Like Tong Xue said, we sensed something amiss with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, aand I just wanted to ensure that we didn''t have any threats or nasty surprises waiting to ambush us from behind in our own backyard!"


    Tang Qi Hong''s expression softened. "Well, make sure you mention that to Father later," she reminded me."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    "Well, I''ll just head to the frontlines ahead of you," Tong Xue told me in a low voice as he inched away.


    "Oh no, you don''t." Lian Rou glared at him. "You''re coming with us, Mister."


    "What for?" Tong Xue looked genuinely confused. "I already submitted my report. They shouldn''t need anything else from me."


    "Father wants to collaborate your report with Fei Wu''s," Tang Qi Hong explained. "As an eyewitness, your testimony is necessary. Just as a formality, to make sure that your two reports don''t conflict, and to clear up any discrepencies. If you''re present, you can answer whatever questions they might have."


    "Fine." Tong Xue sighed. "Let''s go then."


    Without wasting another second, the four of us proceeded up Flame Volcano at a brisk pace. Occasionally, I would glance back downward, but mercifully the ten sects had yet to make another move.


    However, the current state of affairs wouldn''t last for much longer. That much I was certain of, at least.


    Along the way, I caught sight of stealthily patrolling Blood Blades. If we had been suspicious figures, the Blood Blades would have stopped us and questioned us, but they were familiar with us, and thus let us proceed unchallenged. They probably had visual equipment and other sort of stuff that helped them verify our identities from afar.


    Tong Xue probably noticed them too, but the girls didn''t look like they did, which attested to the skill of Blood Blades. Only those trained in the same techniques would be able to spot them, and even though I was never the best student at stealth, I was heartened to find that I had learned my lessons well.


    After approximately thirty minutes, we finally reached the mountain peak, and caght sight of Sect Leader Zi and the six Great Elders.


    To my surprise, they weren''t the only ones present.


    "Instructor Hai!"


    When we reached the grand hall where Sect Leader Zi had set up his headquarters, we spotted Hai Rong lying down on a nearby bench, her head in Hai Mo''s lap. Her face was dreadfully pale, and despite lying down, she was forcing herself to deliver a report. At the corner, I could see Sect Leader Zi and Sect Lady Da Ji looking at her in disapproval. Evidently they had ordered Hai Rong to go rest and recuperate, but she insisted that this was too important that it couldn''t wait, and thus forced her way into the meeting.


    In fact, she was already in the midst of explaining something to the audience present when the four of us stepped in.


    "Blood Shadow is Yan Chi," Hai Rong declared as a trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her lips. "Yan Chi was Master''s adopted son, and was originally the successor to becoming the vice-commander of Blood Blades." She paused dramatically. "As opposed to Lang Xie. At least until many years ago, when he was reported to have died."


    Her expression then darkend.

 205 Chapter 204: Skeleton in the Close

    "Um¡­sorry if this sounds stupid, but who is Yan Chi?"


    "Didn''t I already tell you?" Hai Rong frowned, annoyed while still lying on Hai Mo''s lap. "He''s Master''s adopted son, and was originally the successor to taking over as the vice-commander of Blood Blades instead of Lang Xie."


    "Oh, yeah. You already mentioned that. I''m sorry, but his name still doesn''t ring a bell." Zi Shou De scratched his head. "I guess he must be someone from before I took over the sect." he glanced at his wife. "Do you know him?"


    "No," Zi Da Ji admitted with a shrug. "Doesn''t sound familiar. And I don''t ever remember his name being put forward as the vice-commander before Lang Xie took over. Actually¡­" she scrunched her face a little. "Lang Xie was already the commander before I was promoted."


    "Yeah, Lang Xie decided to step down and be deputy because he didn''t want to handle all the administrative work, and preferred to go into the field and fight. He felt as if he wasn''t suited to be the overall commander." Hai Rong nodded. "This all happened before you took over."


    "But even before I took over, when I was a member of the Blood Blades, I don''t remember the two of you having a master. And I don''t remember having met this Yan Chi before."


    "Well, this isn''t Spirit Realm, so you wouldn''t have." Even as I muttered under my breath, I wondered just how different reality was from that story. There were obvious similarities, since this scenario was based off Spirit Realm, but there were also a lot of differences.


    "You both only joined twenty years ago. We only managed to get rid of both Master and Yan Chi a couple of years before you joined." Hai Rong had a sour expression on her face, and I didn''t miss the glare she shot in the direction of the Great Elders. "A lot of things happened before then, but a particular group of old men chose to cover them up."


    "We had no choice!" the second Great Elder shouted defensively, but Zi Shou De held up a hand to forestall him.


    "So you''re saying you eliminated both your master and Yan Chi before Da Ji and I joined the sect? Then how is he still alive?"


    The Great Elders shuddered uncontrollably. Having experienced the potent qi and murderous aura of Blood Shadow firsthand, I didn''t blame them.


    "Well, this is what happens when you don''t check for a dead body," I muttered under my breath while suppressing the urge to roll my eyes. "They always somehow survive and return in the future to bite you in the ass."


    Zi Shou De swiveled toward me. "Fei Wu, you have something to say?"


    I cleared my throat and pretended I wasn''t indulging in sarcasm and breaking the fourth wall. "I was wondering who this Yan Chi is, or Blood Shadow, or whatever he''s called now. Why did Instructor Hai and Lord Lang Xie want to kill him so many years ago?"


    "I want to know too." Zi Shou De nodded in agreement as he turned his attention back to Hai Rong. "Please tell us."


    "Everything," Zi Da Ji added, just in case Hai Rong didn''t get the message. The Blood Blades instructor looked exhausted, but she couldn''t overrule a direct order from her commander. She took a deep breath.


    "It''s all in the past." She snuck a glance at the Great Elders, all of whom were bearing looks of consternation on their faces.


    "We don''t have a choice." Luo Zhi Chang sighed heavily. "Now that it has come to this, you might as well tell them everything, Hai Rong."


    "Who''s your Master, by the way?" I asked. It hardly could be Jiu Wei Hu. That guy lived over nine hundred years ago, and neither Lang Xie nor Hai Rong were that old. "Is he You Hong Zhi?"


    "¡­who?" Hai Rong repeated, perplexed. I quickly shook my head.


    "Never mind."


    "Well, Rong''er''s master is Xue Jian, I believe." Hai Mo glanced at his wife, who was still on his lap. "But I don''t know the other details."


    The Great Elders stirred and made the sign of the Aquila when they heard the dreaded name of the foul heretic, muttering benedictions under their collective breaths. This Xue Jian must have been quite the character to provoke such a reaction from them.


    "If we want to deal with the current crisis, especially with this Blood Shadow attacking us, then I strongly advise that we be informed of the relationship between Blood Blades, Xue Jian and Yan Chi, and how it led to the enmity between you." Zi Shou De glanced at his wife, and then at me. "Especially since both Da Ji and Fei Wu are members of Blood Blades, they have a right to know about the sort of circumstances that led to Blood Blades'' current crisis."


    "I wouldn''t say we''re in that much of a crisis, though," Zi Da Ji pointed out in amusement. "But otherwise I concur. If this has something to do with Blood Blades, then I ¨C the commander, and my successor, Fei Wu ¨C should know about it. In fact, you should have informed me about this when I took over Blood Blades a decade ago, not now when we''re suddenly confronted with a ghost from Blood Blades'' past."


    "I understand, but it was not my decision to make." Again, Hai Rong shot a look at the uneasy Great Elders, who mumbled an excuse or two under their breaths and turned away, unable to look her or the Zi couple in the eyes.


    "Well, no point assigning blame now." I quickly stepped in and mediated the situation. There was no point pointing fingers right now, not when we had more important things to worry about. "So what happened in the past?"


    Hai Rong contemplated for a moment before sweeping her gaze across us. A feat that was pretty impressive, considering she was lying her head on Hai Mo''s lap.


    "First, I''m going to assume that you don''t know anything about Master." Hai Rong sighed heavily. "The most relevant thing is that¡­Lang Xie killed Master."


    "I gathered as much," I replied. "But can you tell us why?"


    "Xue Jian went insane," Luo Zhi Chang replied in Hai Rong''s place. He glanced at the Zi couple, and then at me. "He was going beyond orders and killing other martial artists, even when we requested for him to take a gentler approach. For example, there was one time our shipments were raided by a few members of the Mountain Bandits Sect. Even though we told Xue Jian to apprehend the perpetuators responsible for the crime and bring them back to compensate for the damages we suffered, he headed straight to their base and exterminated the entire sect, leaving no survivors."


    "That''s going a bit far, isn''t it?" I remarked. A vast understatement, to be sure, but I wasn''t sure how else to respond to this. Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou and Tong Xue were suitably horrified, while Zi Shou De and Zi Da Ji looked grim.


    "I see why you covered it up now," Zi Da Ji said.


    "Even though we punished him by imprisoning him in the Fire Cliff Prison, Xue Jian refused to repent." Luo Zhi Chang shook his head as he sighed heavily. "If anything, he got even more violent and more powerful." He suddenly frowned. "That increase in power actually coincided with that time after he spent a few months meditating under the Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    "But he didn''t trigger any reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars," the third Great Elder pointed out. "So are you sure there''s a connection?"


    "It''s too much to be a coincidence," the fourth Great Elder argued. "He did little else during that period of time."


    "Even so, it''s hard to believe that the Spirit Engraved Pillars are related if he didn''t trigger any response from them," the fifth Great Elder countered. "It definitely is a coincidence."


    "A coincidence with what?" Zi Da Ji cut in impatiently, clearly in no mood to listen to the Great Elders bicker. "With Xue Jian''s increase in strength?"


    Luo Zhi Chang nodded warily. "Yes and it was a drastic increase. His cultivation and power increased by leaps and bounds, and he ended up taking over the commander of Blood Blades at that time. Not only did he become tremendously powerful, he was also charismatic and persuaded many martial artists to follow him. Martial artists being as they are¡­" he glanced at me and Zi Da Ji. "No offense, but you seem to admire the strong. This was what happened with that incarnation of Blood Blades. When Xue Jian surpassed the then commander in strength, he directly challenged him and defeated him in combat." Luo Zhi Chang swallowed. "He actually killed the previous commander in combat, and took over as the undisputed commander of Blood Blades."


    "And the Sect Leader at that time just allowed it to happen?" Zi Shou De asked in disbelief. Luo Zhi Chang nodded sadly.


    "Blood Blades is a martial arts and military branch of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, where strength was imperative. As long as you''re strong, no one will challenge you. It was several decades ago, so things were a lot more¡­straightforward then."


    "I would never have allowed it to happen under my watch," Zi Shou De said simply. Inwardly, I was relieved. This whole "the strong can do whatever they like" principle never sat well with me. It was too open to corruption and abuse of power. And I hated bullies who justified their bullying of the weak with such stupid rhetoric.


    Strength and power came with responsibility. I wasn''t generous enough to spout nonsense like they should protect the weak or use their strength for the greater good of the people ¨C I wasn''t a na?ve ally of justice or hero ¨C but at least abide by the laws set in place. The moment you violated those laws and started killing whoever you liked because you were "strong", society would collapse. And no matter how powerful one was, he or she couldn''t survive on his or her own. No man was an island. You need the food that those "lowly" farmers produced or daily equipment that those supposedly common factory workers manufactured. Killing them off because they were weak and you were strong was a sure path to destroying yourself.


    "The sect has improved by leaps and bounds under Sect Leader Zi''s leadership," Luo Zhi Chang acknowledged. "But back then¡­that was how things operated. After taking over Blood Blades, Xue Jian began aggressively recruiting martial artists and teach them the martial arts techniques that he cultivated. He was the one who pioneered the dense qi and absorption techniques that current Blood Blades members practice in the Will''o Wisp Forest. That allowed all Blood Blades to massively increase their strength. Under his leadership, Blood Blades grew much stronger, which led to most of the sects in the Great Zhou Empire to fear its reputation."


    At this point, Luo Zhi Chang glanced at Hai Rong. "Yan Chi, Lang Xie and Hai Rong are among the last generation who learned under him, several decades ago.Yan Chi was the senior of Lang Xie and Hai Rong, but he was slightly less talented than Lang Xie in terms of martial arts. However, his character was practically identical to that of Xue Jian''s. They were almost like father and son. That was why Xue Jian regarded Yan Chi highly, and Yan Chi respected him greatly."


    "He''s a bit more talented than me in martial arts," Hai Rong confessed, not at all ashamed.


    I listened in rapt attention, intrigued by the history of Blood Blades. However, Zi Da Ji did not share the same fondness for history and narratives as I did, and she impatiently raised a question as she leaned in her chair.


    "That''s interesting and all, but that doesn''t answer the real question. Why was he killed by Lang Xie?"


    This time it was Hai Rong who spoke up, her eyes glazing over as she recalled a horrific memory.


    "That''s because Lang Xie discovered that Master had transformed into a demon. Lang Xie witnessed with his own eyes Master draining the blood of human victims. I also saw Master feeding on human flesh once, during a battle. Drinking human blood and eating their meat to absorb their qi! The more he indulged wantonly in such demonic practices, the more his physical appearance was grew monstrous!"


    Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou gasped, turning so white it looked as if the blood had been drained out of them.


    "What? He became a cannibal?" I demanded, unable to wrap my mind around this. Even Zi Shou De and Zi Da Ji looked disturbed.


    "Lang Xie was right to destroy him," Zi Da Ji murmured quietly.


    "No wonder you kept all this a secret." Zi Shou De directed a glare at the withering Great Elders. "If this gets out, it''ll be a scandal, and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would be labeled a demonic sect. At least Blood Blades would, anyway."


    "That wasn''t the worst thing. Master was losing his sanity and becoming too easily irritated. Many of my seniors who failed their tasks were cruelly executed by him." Hai Rong shuddered involuntarily. "It got to the point where everyone was so scared that they attempted to escape Blood Blades, only for Yan Chi to hunt all of them down and kill them under Master''s orders." Her lip curled. "I should have known that Yan Chi would be only too happy to obey Master."


    Birds of the same feather, and all that. Somehow I wasn''t surprised.


    "When Lang Xie found out that Master was feeding on human blood, he resolved to kill him. Both Lang Xie and I told the then Sect Leader and the Great Elders about Master''s loss of sanity and humanity and how he was becoming a monster." she glanced at Luo Zhi Chang and the other Great Elders. "We all agreed that Master had become too dangerous and how he has already lost control, so we decided to act for the sake of the sect."


    She then paused, glancing down. Luo Zhi Chang didn''t step in this time, so Hai Rong resumed speaking after half a minute of suspenseful silence.


    "First we weakened Master with poison, then we caught him off guard when he was cultivating and killed him after a long, arduous battle. When Yan Chi learned of Master''s death, he slaughtered his way up Flame Volcano to take revenge against the then sect leader and the six Great Elders. However, both Lang Xie and I defeated him and blasted him off a cliff."


    And into the molten lava of Flame Volcano. The rest, as they said, was history.


    Glancing around, I noticed that many of the inner sect elders looked pretty shocked and had turned incredibly pale. Most of them had joined the sect much later, just like Zi Shou De and Zi Da Ji, and so Blood Blades'' past was news to them. This was the first time they heard of this. I sympathized with them. Unlike them, I had only joined the sect a little over a year ago, but these guys had been here for many years, even decades, without knowing about this.


    Zi Shou De nodded thoughtfully, and after a long silence, he finally spoke up.


    "I understand why you did this, and I fully agree with your decision to eliminate Xue Jian. But¡­" he glanced at the Great Elders sharply. "I wish you''ve at least informed me that such a dreadful incident occurred in the sect, instead of keeping it under wraps."


    "Yeah," Zi Da Ji agreed as she folded her arms. "At least we now know what we''re dealing with, and who this Blood Shadow is, and why he harbors such a deep hatred and powerful grudge against Blood Blades and our sect."


    Watching Hai Rong, I suddenly remembered the last time I saw her, when she was dueling desperately with a heavily wounded Blood Shadow. At that time, she told me and Tong Xue to leave everything to her.


    "Did you succeed in killing Blood Shadow¡­Yan Chi?" I asked. Everyone fell silent and turned to stare at Hai Rong expectantly.


    Hai Rong''s eyes darkened and she shook her head.


    "I failed. Yan Chi is still alive, and I''m the one who was injured instead. The current Yan Chi is no weaker than Lang Xie! I can''t believe he still possesses such combat power even after suffering such a fatal wound." She glanced at me apologetically. "Sorry for wasting the chance that you gave me. That was the best opportunity to slay him and I let it slipped." She closed her eyes briefly. "All those years in Divine Shadow Sect, he must have obsessed over revenge, and resorted to all manner of methods to increase his strength as much as power."


    I couldn''t help but be humbled when I saw Instructor Hai Rong admit to no longer being Yan Chi''s match.


    Everyone fell into a dark mood, contemplating seriously what they had just heard. Many of them looked very fearful. I didn''t blame them. Yan Chi was someone hellbent on revenge, and unlike Di Shi Jiu, Liang Yang Zu or Yuan Tian Ya, he had no intention of allowing the Great Elders or the high-ranking members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to live, especially after they decided to kill Xue Jian. He had no intention of capturing them alive or imprisoning them to forge Spirit Artifacts, but would slaughter every single one of them on the spot.


    Right now, Hai Rong had admitted that she wasn''t Yan Chi''s match. The only other person who could fight against Yan Chi was Lang Xie, and he was currently missing. Well, that wasn''t true. We still had Sect Lady Zi Da Ji, who looked completely unmoved. In contrast to the almost panicking Elders, she maintained a calm and composed fa?ade, her expression thoughtful.


    "If you want, I can go hunt down this Yan Chi," she volunteered.


    "If you do so, then who''s going to protect us¡­I mean Sect Leader and everyone here?" the sixth Great Elder riposted frantically. Typical. Even at this stage, he was still only thinking of his own skin. To be fair, anyone would under the circumstances.


    "Never mind Yan Chi, with Lang Xie missing and uncontactable, and Hai Rong wounded, we might need you to defend the sect." Sect Leader Zi Da Ji glanced at me with a nod. "We''re holding with the battle-automata that Fei Wu brought back for now, but I can''t guarantee it''ll stay that way for long."


    "No, indeed," Zi Da Ji agreed with a sigh. "You have a point there."


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    "We should prepare to evacuate the civilians and the sect as well." Zi Shou De reared up in his seat. "Give the order. We will gather all of our blueprints, manuals, data, resources, equipment and safekeep them in every available spatial storage device. Even if we''re forced out of our home, we will not allow ourselves to be destroyed. We will preserve the sect, and keep its future and hopes alive! We will escape and seek shelter with the royal family ¨C even these bastards wouldn''t dare attack the royal estate and the Imperial Guard! Then we''ll slowly rebuild and restore our sect from there!"


    All the inner sect elders and Great Elders nodded in complete agreement. Zi Da Ji also looked as if she approved.


    "Blood Blades will still be able to hold out against the ten invading sects for a while. We''ll be able to withstand the siege for months if needed. Even so, I''m not taking any chances. We will use the time available and pack up our most precious belongings and resources as soon and as quickly as possible. Once we''re ready, we''ll leave."


    Everyone nodded in unison. The alternative was to wait for the Imperial Guard to arrive and relieve our beleaguered forces, but we didn''t want to count on that. Every second spent besieged would increase the danger and the chance of losing someone.


    However¡­


    "Um¡­how do you plan on leaving?" I asked as I raised a hand. "The Martial Arts Alliance has Flame Volcano and our sect surrounded."


    "We''ll use the underground passages to evacuate," Zi Shou De replied without missing a beat. I sighed, not wanting to disappoint them, but I had no choice.


    "About that¡­I''m here to report the breach in the tunnels."


    Everyone''s head swiveled to stare at me, their expressions filled with dread, despair, dismay and fear.


    "What?" Zi Shou De repeated, somewhat dumbly, as he stared at me in disbelief. I lowered my head apologetically.


    "The underground passageways are infested by demons. You''ve probably heard of how I managed to return to the sect through them¡­and I''m not sure why they haven''t informed you that I encountered demons inside there. They are too dangerous for civilians to evacuate through¡­at least not without a sizeable escort. And even then, a few stragglers would be picked off if we aren''t careful. We''ll need to clear the tunnels."


    I then gave a report of what I encountered in the underground pasageways and a description of the demons I fought. The elders listened, paling when they heard about the horrors, gripping the armrests of their chairs tightly.


    Zi Shou De looked as if he had aged a few years as he listened, and he sank into his seat wearily after I finished.


    "Then evacuating through the tunnels is not an option."


    "With respect, Sect Leader." Luo Zhi Chang snuck a glance at me. "Fei Wu escaped through the underground passageways and survived on his own, defeating an army of those demons. Surely, if we dispatch the Blood Blades to escort the evacuees, we should be able to fight them off. We''ll sustain casualties inevitably, but it has to be better than being slaughtered and imprisoned by the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "Even so, it''ll only be a last resort. We''ll try to hold out here as long as we can, and put off the evacuation until we really have no choice." Zi Shou De sighed, and I could see his fingers whiten as he dug them deeply into the armrests of his throne-like chair. "I don''t want to risk going through the demon-infested tunnels unless absolutely necessary."


    "We might not have a choice if this siege drags out," Zi Da Ji said quietly.


    I chewed on my lip, feeling very pessimistic about our chances. Right now, everything hinged on the royal family responding to this illegal invasion and sending the Imperial Guard to save us. But if the royal family abandoned us, then we would be sitting ducks, trapping ourselves inside a cage as the Martial Arts Alliance tightened the noose around our necks. And given the number of demons prowling in the underground passageways, I was sure we would suffer heavy losses and casualties if we tried to evacuate through them, even with the armed presence of Blood Blades. I was lucky because the whole brood of demons didn''t come after me at once.


    "Write a report and submit it to me," Zi Da Ji told me and I nodded obediently. As a member of Blood Blades, writing after action reports was part of my duties, but I didn''t look forward to that.


    However, an idea occurred to me before I was dismissed, but I didn''t voice it out. Instead, I turned to Luo Zhi Chang.


    "You mentioned that Xue Jian became much stronger after he meditated in the plaza under the Spirit Engraved Pillars for a month?"


    "A few months," the first Great Elder corrected. I nodded, a little chagrined.


    "A few months," I amended. Then I turned toward the Zi couple. "Do you mind if I give it a shot? Perhaps I might find something just as useful, just like the martial arts manuals that I received when communing with them that other time."


    Zi Shou De shrugged. "Can''t hurt to try."


    "Make sure you write the report first," Zi Da Ji chided. "Don''t use that as an excuse to run away from homework."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    After that, I was dismissed. Following Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou and Tong Xue, we returned to the dormitory. Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou went their separate ways and returned to the inner sect disciple area while Tong Xue and I returned to our dormitory building.


    "What was that all about?" Tong Xue asked, still pale and frightened from hearing all those things during the briefing. I wasn''t sure what he was most disturbed by ¨C Blood Blades'' horrific past under the demonic Xue Jian, Yan Chi apparently returning from the dead to seek revenge on the sect, or my encounter with the ghastly monsters in the underground passageways, which made any effort to evacuate a perilous one.


    "Just a normal day in the life of a xianxia protagonist," I replied dryly, and he glared at me, as if telling me to be serious. I sighed. "You''ve to be more specific. What part of that discussion did you not understand?"


    "¡­never mind." It was Tong Xue''s turn to sigh. "I just can''t wrap my head around all this. It''s just so unbelievable, you know?"


    "I know what you mean," I agreed vaguely.


    "Qi Hong and Lian Rou too¡­they were so disturbed." Tong Xue shook his head. "I can''t believe such a thing happened in the past." He looked at me seriously. "Do you really think it''s possible to become a demon through cultivating?"


    "That''s why the Martial Arts Alliance are so vehement on hunting demonic sects and eradicating them," I said quietly, but couldn''t resist pointing out the irony. "However, the Martial Arts Alliance themselves are indulging in demonic acts and atrocities. Makes you wonder who the truly evil one is, doesn''t it?"


    Tong Xue chuckled uneasily, though I could tell that he was far from amused. "I guess it really does," he mused.


    We both climbed up the stairs for a bit, and then Tong Xue suddenly turned to me.


    "I know you''re telling the truth, and I''ve heard the rumors before you actually told Sect Leader and the committee about it, but¡­" he swallowed. "Did you really encounter a swarm of demons in the underground passageways?"


    I understood he was asking not because he doubed me, but because he was still mired in disbelief and horror. Even so, I didn''t relieve him of it and nodded.


    "Yeah."


    "Ah, I see." Tong Xue''s shoulders fell. "Yeah, I guess we have no choice but to put off the evacuation until it''s absolutely necessary."


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect won''t fall," I declared fiercely. "We will not be defeated. Not by those bastard sects, and not by that fucking Martial Arts Alliance. The Imperial Guard will come, and we will prevail. Even without them, we''ll drive them off, by ourselves if necessary."


    Tong Xue snorted. "I wonder where you''re getting that confidence from."


    I summoned my Castellax battle-automata, and Tong Xue''s jaw dropped somewhat. I cocked my head and smiled faintly.


    "Don''t tell me you''ve lost your Thallax battle-puppets already?"


    "No, I haven''t." The fight was returning to Tong Xue''s eyes now. "You''re right. We might just be able to turn this around."


    He then spun around on his feet, poised to head downstairs. I was taken aback by his sudden change in motion.


    "What happened?"


    "I''m going to join the frontlines. We were originally supposed to be doing that before Lian Rou called us to the peak of Flame Volcano, remember?" he reminded me. I nodded, recalling that was indeed the case.


    "I''ve to write a report for Sect Lady. I''ll join you when I''m done."


    "See you then."


    Bidding Tong Xue farewell, I hurried back to my room and began writing the report immediately. It took me three hours, but I submitted a copy to Zi Da Ji''s email, and then rose out of my chair and left my apartment.


    As I promised Tong Xue, I headed toward the frontlines, but before I reached the gates and walls, I decided to make a small detour. Passing by the plaza that sported the Spirit Engraved Pillars, I paused and turned toward them.


    "Let''s do this," I muttered under my breath, and then proceeded toward the Spirit Engraved Pillar with demon motifs. Sitting down at the base, I closed my eyes and concentrated. Within seconds, my spirit consciousness entered the malevolent Spirit World inhabited by the emaciated old man. He looked up at me and smiled.


    "I knew you will return," the old man said ominously. I grinned back, unable to hold back a sarcastic response.

 206 Chapter 205: Tian Yu Di

    "What''s with your tone?" he snapped. Evidently, even people from over several centuries ago still recognized sarcasm when they heard it.


    "Well, in the first place, I told you that I''ll return once I do some research and find a way to break the seal," I replied with a shrug. "So why are you acting as if you knew I would return when I literally told you previously that I would?"


    The expression on the old man''s face was priceless. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but found himself at a loss for words. Eventually, he shut his mouth, took a deep breath, and sought to change the subject.


    "So, did you?"


    "Unfortunately, no." I quickly thought of an excuse on the spot. "I have too little information, so I returned to study the seal a bit more before going back and resuming my research." I actually hadn''t even begun on the research, to be honest, but the old man certainly didn''t need to know that. "I hope you don''t mind."


    "Sure, study the seals." The old man immediately became a lot more polite. "As long as you succeed in getting me out of here, I can give you everything you want."


    "Unfortunately, the things I want aren''t things that can be given." This time I was a lot more truthful. The old man grinned.


    "Try me."


    "I just want to live peacefully and for life to go smoothly. Without any problems." Before the old man could say anything, I quickly added. "And no, I want to accomplish that without killing, intimidating or beating up people just so things can go my way. I have no intention of being a tyrant."


    "Well, if you''re strong, naturally people will leave you alone and you can leave peacefully. And you should be able to accomplish things more smoothly than if you don''t have any power." The old man had a point. "I can help you attain such power."


    "We can talk about that after I help you. For now, as long as I still haven''t gotten you out of here, discussing all this is a moot point."


    "True," the old man agreed. "I guess we''ll wait until you succeed before discussing anything." He gestured toward the chains and Spirit Engraved Pillars with his head ¨C given that his limbs were bound by those metallic restraints, he could hardly do anything else. "Please go ahead."


    I nodded and stepped forward, approaching him cautiously. My glasses had already recorded the images of the Spirit Engraved Pillars and the chains in our previous encounter, but I set them to recording again, just in case.


    The problem, of course, was cracking the ice to begin with.


    "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" I asked as I studied the chains, occasionally prodding them with a tool.


    "Sure, go ahead," the old man replied without hesitation. He didn''t seem to have anything to hide, and besides, most of his information were several centuries outdated, so there was little point in keeping them a secret. "What do you want to know?"


    He appeared to believe that I was asking about the seals and restraints, and was attempting to gather as much information as possible so that I could break his seals.


    "I know I''m supposed to address you as Ancestral Master, but what is your name?" I glanced at him. "I''ve read the history of the Heaven and Earth Sect, and I''m not sure which generation or which sect leader you''re supposed to be."


    "I''m not the sect leader. I was never the sect leader." The old man smiled bitterly. "I was the right-hand man of Fo Tian, the sect leader of the time when I was still active in the sect, before I was sealed in here."


    I nodded thoughtfully, vaguely recalling the name from a book I read regarding the sect.


    "So you''re from nine centuries ago?"


    This was a surprise. I had thought that Ancestral Master was from a time before then, which led to my confusion when I believed the sect didn''t exist that long. Fo Tian was one of the earliest sect leaders of Heaven and Earth Sect, according to the book I read anyway.


    "That long has passed?" Ancestral Master raised an eyebrow, and then sighed heavily. "I guess everyone I know has already died long ago."


    "Yeah," I confirmed, trying to keep my tone neutral and tactful. No point pissing him off, not when he was this powerful.


    "But if you''ve heard of Fo Tian, then surely you know who Tian Yu Di is?" Ancestral Master grinned. "I''m that famous Tian Yu Di."


    "The strongest Heaven and Earth Sect martial artist in the history of the sect¡­you''re that Tian Yu Di?!"


    My jaw dropped when I heard the revelation. I had indeed read about Tian Yu Di, but nine centuries ago the camera had not been developed, so obviously I wouldn''t have been able to see his physical appearance.


    "Weren''t you supposed to have been killed when you single-handedly fought off five orthodox sects at the same time? How did you end up here?"


    Tian Yu Di snorted. "You''re right. At that time, the leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect sealed me in here, with the help of a few dozen martial artists from the White Tiger Sect, the Green Dragon Sect, the Red Phoenix Sect and the Black Tortoise Sect." He scoffed in laughter. "They couldn''t kill me, so they could only seal me after sacrificing so many of their martial artists."


    His expression then darkened. "But I underestimated the Spirit Engravers of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. To think they were capable of inventing a Spirit Formation that was able to seal me for eternity! Damn them¡­"


    "Technically I''m part of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect now," I told him. "So I hope you''ll forget your enmity with them if possible."


    That probably was too much to ask for, but I was surprised when Tian Yu Di smiled.


    "Kid, if you succeed in getting me out of here, never mind forgiving the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, if you want me to join it and protect it, I''ll do it if you ask."


    "Deal," I said immediately.


    With so many orthodox martial arts sects from the Martial Arts Alliance surrounding and besieging us, we were going to need all the firepower we could get. And this guy seemed like he could fight off all ten sects by himself. Obviously that was far too much to hope for, but combined with the battle-automata army that Blood Blades controlled, and the combat strength of Blood Blades, I was sure we would be able to counterattack and drive them away from Tushan City.


    But something else occurred to me. I couldn''t possibly be the only one Tian Yu Di approached and tried to strike a deal with. I suddenly remembered the conversation I had with Sect Leader Zi, Sect Lady Zi, Hai Rong and the Great Elders.


    "Do you know who Xue Jian is?" I asked.


    "Xue Jian?" Tian Yu Di''s face contorted in rage. "What is your relationship with him?"


    "Hmm, apparently he was the commander of the Blood Blades¡­the military arm of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect long before I joined." I tilted my head to the side. "We were fighting against his disciple and adopted son who held a grudge against him, and apparently they both seemed to have learn martial arts from you."


    "That''s right." Tian Yu Di nodded, his anger slipping behind a cool mask. "I did indeed teach Xue Jian Heaven and Earth Absorption. He made a deal with me, promising to free me from the seal if I gave him power. But evidently he reneged on his deal. Where is he now? Directing his disciple from the shadows, I presume?"


    I shook my head. "Xue Jian died a long time ago. I heard that he fed on human flesh and drank human blood, becoming a monster." I frowned. "I''m pretty sure Heaven and Earth Absorption has nothing to do with consuming human flesh and blood. We just absorb qi straight from our opponents, there is no need to ingest the physical body for the qi."


    "Hah!" Tian Yu Di snorted. "You''re indeed correct. It appears that Xue Jian was seeking for a shortcut. While the technique only emphasizes on qi absorption, consuming the flesh of others would increase the amout of qi you absorb, making you stronger in a shorter time. Obviously there are side effects. You''ll lose your humanity and become a monster if you continue indulging in such inhuman practices. Not to mention you''ll also lose your sanity." He nodded with a smirk. "That lying bastard got what he deserved."


    "¡­"


    I fell silent, remembering the time when I had to consume Magical Beasts and Demonic Creatures to survive in Sen Lin Forest. Unfortunately, as I said before, the effect didn''t stack, so even if I continued to consume magical beasts and demonic creatures, I wouldn''t grow stronger than before. On the other hand, I did suffer from the side effect of becoming less human and becoming more monstrous. Upon eating the Lunar Rabbit and Silverback Wolves, my physical constitution had transformed somewhat (obviously there was little point eating more monster meat ¨C it wasn''t as if I would undergo a second transformation).


    Was it similar to the side effects that Tian Yu Di was talking about? If that was the case, I was glad I didn''t go on an eating binge in an attempt to increase my strength and qi as much as possible (not that it would have been particularly effective, anyway). I would have lost my sanity and become a true monster like Xue Jian.


    Worse, with demonic creatures'' flesh being of a completely different constitution from humans, it would take less demonic creature meat to turn me into a monster in less time than it would have for Xue Jian''s indulgement in human flesh.


    I shuddered, suddenly grateful for being cautious and not greedy.


    "At least you''ve more integrity." Tian Yu Di grinned at me. "To think you didn''t ask for a reward or payment straight and only accept it after you succeed¡­kids like you are far and few." He sighed. "It would be a waste¡­"


    "What do you mean it would be a waste?" I asked, suddenly alarmed.


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    Tian Yu Di raised his head to look at me, his eyes unreadable. He smiled in a disarming manner.


    "I mean it''ll be a waste if you were to fall to those orthodox martial arts sects attacking your Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Best to free me as quickly as possible so that I can get rid of them for you."


    "Fair enough." I nodded, and then turned my attentions to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. I was suddenly reminded of that time when I decoded the Spirit Engravings on the barrier protecting the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb. It occurred to me that if I could decode the Spirit Engravings, I might be able to reverse them and neutralize them.


    If that happened, the chains shackling Tian Yu Di would be unlocked, and once all of them were released, then he would be free.


    However, there was something about Tian Yu Di that I couldn''t trust. I needed to take precautions against him, just in case he betrayed me.


    But for now, I wanted to inspect the Spirit Engraved Pillars. It was fine and all taking precautions, but with the sect in such great danger right now, I needed to find a way to release Tian Yu Di and unleash him on them. Then I could worry about everything else later.


    Stepping forward, I inspected the closest Spirit Engraved Pillar, which happened to be the Heavenly Nine Winding Rivers one. The Spirit Diagram was identical to the one I saw in the material world outside.


    No, not just the Spirit Diagram. The whole Spirit Engraved Pillar was identical to the one in the material world. Down to the qi signature that it emanated, which gave off a cool air that suffused the surroundings.


    I traced the symbols and pictographs engraved into the Spirit Diagram, decoding it with the assistance of my glasses and finding a way to break it down. After a few minutes, I realized that I could disassemble the Spirit Diagram by focusing on a single critical point.


    This just happened to be the area where the chain was connected. In other words, if I could break it, the chain would be released. Of course, such a thing wasn''t a simple matter. The chain and its port were exuding a dense, powerful aura of qi.


    Good. Then I should be able to free Tian Yu Di. All I needed to do was work and decode each and every one of the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, and I would break the seal and set him free. I would probably need an hour or two, but it was doable.


    Of course I didn''t just do it straight away. I needed to make preparations and take precautions, especially against someone as powerful and dangerous as Tian Yu Di. So I merely nodded as if understanding something, and backed off.


    "I''ll return to do some more research," I told Tian Yu Di. "I''m sure I''ll be able to figure it out eventually." I grinned. "Hopefully before the ten sects break into my sect."


    "You should hurry," Tian Yu Di urged me, unaware of my deception. I didn''t enlighten him. The more I kept him in the dark, the longer I would stay alive.


    Not only that, I had caught a glimpse of malevolence in his eyes. Tian Yu Di might have thought he was concealing it perfectly, but I knew that he was less than honorable. I had read the history of Heaven and Earth Sect, and recalled how he was among the most ruthless and merciless of martial artists in the Heaven and Earth Sect.


    If I didn''t take any precautions and simply freed him, he would kill me instantly the moment he was released.


    But I didn''t inform him of that. Rather, another question came to mind.


    "If all you needed was for someone to free you from the seals, why do you need a host body?" I studied his emaciated form, which was trapped by the chains. "If I free you from these chains, would you still need a host body? Or is the one in front of me right now your spiritual body, and your physical body has been destroyed long ago?"


    Tian Yu Di chuckled when he heard that.


    "Don''t worry," he assured me. "You''re right. This is my spiritual body, and I need a host body to enter this Spirit World and free myself. I need the host body to break my chains and undo the seal. After that, I can fully take over the host body and replenish myself with his qi. Even if I break free, as you can see, I''m in a terribly weakened state, without a physical body of my own. I''ll need to take over the body of a martial artist with similar qi and techniques to myself so that I can regain my strength."


    To my horror, I suddenly realized why Tian Yu Di was willing to teach Xue Jian Heaven and Earth Absorption. It wasn''t simply because Xue Jian demanded for strength and Tian Yu Di was keeping his end of the bargain. He was planning to take over Xue Jian''s body and qi the moment the latter freed him! Xue Jian must have noticed the scheme, so he refused to return to the plaza and Spirit Engraved Pillars later, and resorted to consuming human flesh and blood to exponentially increase his power.


    This old man¡­there was no way I could let my guard down around him.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t absorb your qi," Tian Yu Di assured me again, but I wasn''t stupid enough to believe him. "You''re a disciple of my sect, so I''ll do my best to nurture you." he studied me for a moment. "Whoever your master is, he has taught you well. You already have a firm grasp of Heaven and Earth Formula, and to think you''ve also already mastered Heaven and Earth Absorption. However, I can tell that your skills are far from complete!"


    "I''m sure you can," I muttered. Tian Yu Di ignored my sarcasm for now, and continued.


    "You still haven''t mastered Heaven and Earth Strike or Heaven and Earth Reversal yet, have you? I can teach them to you, and all the other secret techniques of Heaven and Earth Formula that your master hasn''t taught you yeet, before his demise. What do you think?"


    "I already know the theory behind Heaven and Earth Strike. All I need is more practice and I''ll be able to eventually master it. I don''t mean to sound arrogant, but I can probably learn it even without you teaching me."


    Tian Yu Di''s eyes narrowed, and I quickly added.


    "But any help is welcomed, of course. I''ll free you even if you didn''t gree to teach me, that''s what I mean. I don''t need anything in return, except for your assistance in driving away the Martial Arts Alliance and protecting Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. That''s all."


    Right now the sect was being besieged by ten orthodox sects from the Martial Arts Alliance. We could hold out indefinitely, but until the royal family sent the Imperial Guard to relieve us, our collapse might seem imminent. Furthermore, if we attempted to evacuate, we would have to deal with the deadly horde of demons dwelling in the underground passageways. Our situation was looking dire. Thus I was willing to use any and all method to overturn the situation, and Tian Yu Di might just be able to save Nine-Tailed Fox Sect from destruction.


    As long as I could persuade him (through arcane methods) to help Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, we would be able to resolve our current dilemma.


    "That''s all you want?" Tian Yu Di scoffed. "Just to save your secondary sect? Don''t forget, boy, that you''re a Heaven and Earth Sect member above being a Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member."


    "If I can''t even save my secondary sect, then how am I supposed to rebuild and restore Heaven and Earth Sect?" I countered.


    Tian Yu Di fell silent for a moment, and then he nodded. "Fair enough."


    "Well, I''ll get going then. I''ll be back once I make my preparations." I pretended to study the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars carefully. "I''ve a pretty good grasp of what''s going on, so the next time I return, I should be able to undo the seal and free you. I hope." I made the sign of the Aquila by folding my thumb into my palm.


    "I look forward to it then," Tian Yu Di replied dryly, but I could see the hope sparking in his eyes. After being imprisoned for almost a millennium, he was desperate to get out of here. He could almost taste his freedom.


    I didn''t blame him.


    After I left the Spirit World, I headed back to the library in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. It wasn''t as big and extensive as the library in Wu Ling Academy, but what it lacked in range and collection, it more than made up for its more specialized repository of Spirit Diagrams. Being a sect that focused on blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, it was natural that the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would have a lot more books on engraving Spirit Diagrams and creating Spirit Formations.


    I just needed to look for the right one.


    Yeah, I know. If I was Qin Lie in Armament Sect, I could just take a book that conveniently happened to be in the spatial ring that the sect master and great reverends gave me and find whatever I needed there. But unfortunately, I wasn''t a protagonist of some xianxia story where everything contrived to provide me with whatever I needed (see my comments regarding Lin Dong in Wu Dong Qian Kun during the tomb exploration arc), so I had to do this the hard way.


    And that meant browsing through the books in the library and trying to pinpoint a relevant title. And even when I found a few relevant titles, I had to go through each and every one of them to find anything useful.


    Just as it was in reality, many of the books I picked out at first turned out to not be that useful or relevant, offering Spirit Diagrams that were not suitable for my current purposes. They were either too weak, or didn''t suit my intentions. Someone of Tian Yu Di''s strength would be able to destroy most of the Spirit Formations without breaking a sweat, especially if he was released completely. Even in his current weakened state, I could sense how incredibly powerful he was.


    Furthermore, I didn''t want to kill him or seal him again. Many of the restraining Spirit Formations just sealed him ¨C and if I wanted to seal him, I might as well just leave him inside the Spirit World under the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Why bother wasting the time and effort to free him, just to seal him again?


    Not only that, but I also needed Tian Yu Di''s strength. I wanted to use him to fight against the Martial Arts Alliance, and he obviously couldn''t do that if I sealed him again. I would be better off using the time to devise more things¡­like forging Terminator Profound Bombs¡­I mean Sunburst Spirit Bombs instead.


    No, I wanted a Spirit Seal that could bind him to my will. To put it in uglier terms, I wanted to enslave him. That sounded pretty evil of me, but given my current predicament, I was willing to resort to any means to save my sect, no matter the cost. I didn''t care if I had to become a villain. If it helped Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, then I would do it.


    Besides, in all honesty, nobody would be comfortable with a monster like Tian Yu Di running around in the Great Zhou Empire, free of his seals and restraints. The last time he was free, nine centuries ago, he rampaged against the Great Zhou Empire and destroyed hundreds of orthodox martial arts sects. He was responsible for the slaughter of Nan Jing City, and for massacring five hundred martial artists at the battle of Blood Cliff.


    Such a terrifying monster¡­to set him loose on the world again just to save my sect would be incredibly irresponsible. And of course, there was the highly likely possibility that he would turn on me and destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for laughs.


    No, I needed a way to control him. There was no point letting a rabid wolf out of its cage without putting a leash on it, or it would wipe out the entire city.


    It took me six hours (admittedly, I took a few breaks in between), but I finally found what I was looking for. I scrutinized the Spirit Diagram, read up on it a few times to ensure that it did what I wanted it to do, and then snapped a few recorded images with my glasses for future reference. I wasn''t going to bring the library book into the Spirit World, after all.


    "Yup, this is it!"


    I reared to my full height, looking pretty pleased. Pushing my glasses up my nose, I returned all the books to the shelves. As it had gotten pretty late, and night had fallen, I decided to retire for the day. I was mentally exhausted after studying so much.


    By that point, I realized I had spent nearly eight hours in the library. Yeah, an additional two hours to pore over the Spirit Formation I came across and making sure it was the right one.


    To be honest, I had also found another Spirit Formation that could be useful, but as I didn''t have anything that symbolized my authority or any proof of my leadership, I could hardly use it. I took a few pictures of the text and Spirit Diagram, just in case. The more resources I had on hand, the better, and I would rather have it and not require it than require it and found out that I didn''t have it.


    "This should be enough."


    Taking a deep breath, I returned to my dorm room and went to sleep after making sure that our defenses held. It appeared that while I was studying, the rest of the Blood Blades and beaten off yet another assault from the ten sects and held. However, it was becoming more of a close-run thing, especially when I saw several of the Blood Blades martial artists being ferried off to the infirmary.

 207 Chapter 206: Old Demon

    After washing up, I changed into my Blood Blades uniform and readied for the trip to the plaza. Unsurprisingly, Tong Xue wasn''t in his apartment, probably taking his shift at the front of the gates. I was supposed to help out, but I reckoned that my attempt to control (or enslave) Tian Yu Di would reap more benefits for our defense than my Castellax battle-automata. While my six Castellax battle-automata could help our lines last against the Martial Arts Alliance assault for a bit longer, our defeat would inevitably encroach until they broke into our main grounds. On the other hand, if I wasn''t mistaken, Tian Yu Di could probably overturn the situation by himself.


    Provided I found a way to control him, of course.


    The Great Elders and Sect Leader Zi didn''t know about that, of course. I had told them that I was looking for ancient technology or Spirit Formations or martial arts, and they bought that. Obviously they knew better than to demand for results almost immediately, so I still had some time before their suspicions were aroused. Hopefully I would be able to settle the deal with Tian Yu Di by then and provide a proper solution.


    After exchanging a few pleasantries with Blood Blades on my way to the plaza, I settled down and sat in front of one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars. Closing my eyes, I expanded my consciousness and communed with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, finding my spiritual self stepping into the Spirit World once again.


    "You''re back."


    Tian Yu Di looked a little surprised that I had returned so soon after our last exchange, but he smiled.


    "This means you''ve found a way to unchain me and free me from the seal, right?"


    "That''s right," I admitted. "I''ll begin right away."


    "Good. Very good!"


    Tian Yu Di laughed, delighted. He pulled against his chains excitedly, almost impatient to snatch the freedom that I was presenting to him.


    "Hurry!" he rasped when he saw that I was only standing there and watching him. "What are you waiting for?"


    "I need to make preparations," I replied, studying the Spirit Engraved Pillars and the chains. Taking a deep breath, I approached warily.


    However, I didn''t have a choice. The civilians had nowhere to go, and evacuating them through the demon-infested underground tunnels and passageways wasn''t a safe option. The ten sects from the Martial Arts Alliance had been held back by our army of battle-automata, and while we could hold out against the siege indefinitely, it was likely that the royal family would abandon us and not send the Imperial Guard. We could only depend on ourselves, after all.


    Moreover, the Martial Arts Alliance was a vast organization. If they got too impatient and thought that the ten sects were too slow in trying to conquer and invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, or if they were afraid that the royal family would intervene and send the Imperial Guard before the ten invading sects could succeed in defeating us, then they would undoubtedly send more of their forces in the form of other sects.


    Especially if they sent the other major sects¡­then Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would be doomed for sure, even if we had another hundred or so battle-automata.


    The Blood Blades would be killed to a man, including me, and all the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers enslaved. Of course, I recognized the irony of enslaving an old demon to save my fellow sect members from being enslaved, but I had little choice right now.


    On the other hand, I would be more than happy to let Tian Yu Di go and grant him his freedom as long as he helped us overcome this crisis. Until he turned on us, of course, but I would worry about that problem when it happened. As it was, we would be destroyed long before Tian Yu Di could wreck havoc on the Great Zhou Empire. And to be honest, I doubted that Tian Yu Di destroying the hypocritical Martial Arts Alliance was a bad thing.


    Those bastards deserve death for what they were doing to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and now that I thought about it, to Heaven and Earth Sect too.


    Tian Yu Di was watching me as I set about, engraving a Spirit Diagram in the ground around us. He nodded in approval, even though he had no idea what the purpose of the Spirit Diagram was. He believed that the Spirit Diagram I was engraving into the ground functioned to neutralize the seals and free him.


    Obviously I had no intention of correcting him of his erroneous assumption.


    After I had completed engraving the Spirit Formation around the entire area, I sat down in the center, some distance away from Tian Yu Di, and began to focus on the nodes where the chains were joined to the base of the Spirit Engraved Pillars. I began to break them apart one by one. It took me a few hours, and a lot of qi, but I eventually succeeded, decoding the Spirit Engravings and breaking them apart. All while feeding the qi of the Spirit Engravings and Spirit Seals into my Spirit Formation to further strengthen it.


    The Spirit Formation that I engraved into the ground glowed brightly, but Tian Yu Di being unaware of its true purpose assumed that the Spirit Formation was helping me progress with freeing him. He grew more excited.


    "Finally¡­!" he wheezed. "I''ll finally be free!"


    I worked away at the last one, decrypting the Spirit Engravings and reversing them with my qi. Slowly, but surely, the Spirit Diagrams were disassembled and absorbed into my Spirit Diagram. The last chain fell away, and Tian Yu Di yanked his arm out of his shackles.


    "I''m free!" he chuckled. "I''m finally free!"


    A bloodthirsty aura flooded the entire Spirit World, tinging it red, and I almost collapsed from the sheer force of it. Gasping, I tried to rise to my feet, my chest constricting as I suffocated under the sea of killing intent and vast ocean of qi.


    This guy¡­he truly was a monster!


    What have I done? I realized, suddenly feeling a tinge of regret. I''ve really unleashed an outrageous monster on this world!


    "I have to thank you, kid. I knew you were capable, but even I didn''t expect you to pull this off so quickly." Tian Yu Di turned to me. "As expected of someone from the Heaven and Earth Sect. You really are my grand disciple."


    "Uh, well¡­ha ha, it''s a pleasure to serve you, Ancestral Master." I wasn''t sure what else to say, and bowed my head humbly. Then remembering the whole reason why I released him, I raised my head. "Ancestral Master, if you wouldn''t mind helping me protect Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and destroy the Martial Arts Alliance besieging us¡­we could even get revenge on the Martial Arts Alliance for destroying Heaven and Earth Sect."


    "Indeed." Tian Yu Di nodded. "But for that to happen, I''ll require one last thing from you, grand disciple."


    I swallowed, suddenly feeling a premonition. Just as I suspected¡­


    "What is it?" I asked instead, concealing my discomfort and fear.


    Tian Yu Di suddenly appeared in front of me before I could react. My eyes widened a little as I ogled at him for a second, astounded that I couldn''t follow his movemnts. Before I could respond, Tian Yu Di grabbed my throat.


    "I''m so sorry to have to do this to you, my grand disciple. But you wouldn''t mind sacrificing yourself for the sake of our sect, would you?" his grip tightened and I choked, my airway totally cut off as I tried desperately to breathe. "Like I told you before, I require a host body, and yours is the most suitable one." His smile widened. "Rest assured, I''ll help you get revenge for our sect, by destroying the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "¡­"


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    I tried to say something, but with his fingers crushing my trachea, nothing came out. Taking no notice of my desperate attempts, Tian Yu Di cocked his head, as if pondering over an insignificant detail, and smirked.


    "Oh, I''m afraid I don''t know who is your Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and who isn''t. Well, it doesn''t matter. I''ll kill all of them." his grin widened. "After all, it was the previous sect leader of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect who sealed me in here, after all¡­that bastard, Jiu Wei Hu."


    Too late, I recalled that Jiu Wei Hu was the founder of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and that he was the last one who had met Tian Yu Di. I was confused that Tian Yu Di claimed that Jiu Wei Hu was the last Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member he met, but he evidently had met Xue Jian before. Either Xue Jian didn''t tell him that he was a Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member (which would be wise of him, considering that Tian Yu Di clearly held a grudge against our sect), or Tian Yu Di was lying to me (considering his current betrayal, it wasn''t all that surprising). Either way, it didn''t matter to me, because I was on the verge of being strangled to death.


    I knew it. There was no way Tian Yu Di would so magnanimously forget about his nine-century old grudge against the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, not after being sealed inside this Spirit World for almost a millennium. Of course the first thing he would do after being free would be to seek revenge on the sect who descended from the despicable enemy who locked him up for so long. I probably would have done the same thing, except that I wouldn''t betray my benefactor, but this was one of the most terrifying villains in the history of the Great Zhou Empire whereas I was a goody-two-shoes who was being slammed by readers for not being an edgelord.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make good use of your body. Your sacrifice will not be in vain."


    Fat lot of good that would do me. I would much rather be alive than sacrifice myself for this bastard. Closing my eyes, I threw out my hand.


    Noticing my gesture, Tian Yu Di chortled at what he perceived to be the utter futility of it.


    "It''s useless! I know the defense of your Spirit Shield is formidable, but now that all the spiritual restraints that have been sealing me are released, even your Spirit Shield will not be able to withstand a single hit from me!"


    I know. That was why I didn''t summon Snow Aegis.


    Instead, I activated the Spirit Formation, and the arcane symbols inscribed in it flared blindingly, taking Tian Yu Di by surprise. He cried out as he let go of me, new spirit chains materializing and emerging from the Spirit Formation to wrap around him.


    "You! What is this?!"


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to reply at that time. I was sprawled on the ground, coughing violently and desperately drawing deep breaths into my oxygen-starved lungs, my throat raw from his earlier assault.


    Wheezing, I looked up at him and smiled. Even without me saying a word (I wasn''t stupid enough to brag to my opponent and give away information on my techniques), Tian Yu Di understood that the Spirit Formation was a trap.


    "Ha ha ha ha! Very good! You truly are a disciple of the Heaven and Earth Sect!"


    Far from being enraged, Tian Yu Di burst out laughing. He pulled against his new shackles, which flared brightly and branded his skin with seals. He frowned and studied them for a moment, and then broke into a smile.


    "I see. An enslavement Spirit Formation. You intend to enslave me!"


    I replied with a cough and sat up, rubbing my throat. More of the spirit chains were wrapping around him, branding fresh Spirit Seals into his thin flesh and skeletal body. It would have been a cruel sight, but I was reminded how close he was to killing me and taking over my body earlier. Even my Snow Aegis''s spiritual defense wouldn''t have endured his attack, given how he had regained a significant portion of his power after I unsealed him.


    Fortunately, I had prepared for this scenario, which was the only reason why I was willing to release him. Otherwise I would have stayed far away from the plaza as possible, and continue upgrading the spiritual defense of my Snow Aegis. This way, I would have a powerful pawn in my arsenal, one I could unleash on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s enemies, and take revenge on the despicable and hypocritical Martial Arts Alliance.


    "You''ll be under my command," I told him hoarsely. "Don''t worry. There are plenty of other host bodies available for you, and you''ll still have your revenge. Mostly. But I won''t allow you to touch Nine-Tailed Fox Sect or take over my body. That''s the only thing I definitely won''t compromise on."


    I would have added my family to that list, but I didn''t want Tian Yu Di to know about my family, or he would take them hostage in future. Well, if the enslavement brand succeeded, I wouldn''t have to worry about that, but why take unnecessary chances?


    Tian Yu Di nodded in amazement. "I''m actually impressed!" his grin grew wider. "You really have thought this through. Initially I thought you were a na?ve, gullible brat who would just stupidly trust me and walk into his own demise, but you''ve certainly prepared well for this! Your master had taught you well! It really is such a waste to kill you!"


    I felt a chill and instinctively conjured my Spirit Armament. Snow Aegis floated in front of me, ready to protect me from any unexpected outcome.


    "The idea was good, and the execution is nearly flawless." Tian Yu Di was still nodding in approval, his grin expanding further. "It''s just too bad that¡­you''re too weak."


    "?!"


    With a flex of his qi, Tian Yu Di utterly obliterated my Spirit Formation. His blood-red qi washed over the spirit chains, corroding them, and with a casual shrug, he shattered them and stepped out. My Spirit Formation blinked in an alarming manner, the arcane symbols melting away into nothingness as Tian Yu Di''s qi flowed over them, erasing them from existence.


    In less than half a minute, the Spirit Formation I had so carefully prepared was completely wiped out.


    You''ve got to be kidding me!


    Tian Yu Di moved, and my Snow Aegis hovered in front of me to block his strike, only for a single swing of his arm to bat my Spirit Shield out of the way and sent it flying uncontrollably. He was so fast that my mobile turrets couldn''t lock on to him, their qi beams missing entirely, and the shockwave from his strike not only sent my Snow Aegis spinning but also buffeted me and threw me off my feet.


    "Ugh!"


    I hit the ground and rolled, coughing and hacking from the blow. Trying to rise to my feet, I drew my Azure Lotus Sword while simultaneously unleashing a volley of qi beams that criss-crossed into a deadly net in front of me.


    To my utter astonishment, Tian Yu Di merely raised his arm and swatted the qi beams away, the intense lances of energies dissipating harmlessly against his skeletal arm. He chuckled mockingly as he walked toward me.


    To my horror, I realized that I had underestimated the ancient demon that was Tian Yu Di. There was no way I could fight against such a powerful martial artist at all! He shattered my Spirit Formation so easily and even dispelled my volley of qi beams. The difference between our strengths was too vast, to the point I felt myself falling into an abyss of despair.


    What have I done?


    In my arrogance, I had unleashed a monster on the world. I had doomed myself. And I had destroyed Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. The only consolation was that I probably annihilated the despicable Martial Arts Alliance along with us, but mutual destruction wasn''t that much of a comfort when we weren''t alive to enjoy our revenge.


    "Kuh¡­"


    However, as long as I was alive, I refused to give up. I was going to struggle until the very end, refusing to submit or yield to this monster.


    "AAAAAAAH!"


    With a determined yell, I rose to my feet and charged at the leisurely approaching Tian Yu Di, thrusting my sword forward. Tian Yu Di would have knocked me off my feet, but at the same time I distracted with another barrage of qi beams from my Snow Aegis, forcing him to raise his arms to shield himself.


    No. It might be my imagination, but for some reason Tian Yu Di''s movements were slower than before. He was grimacing a little as he held his chest, but since I hadn''t attacked him there, and none of my qi beams had struck him in that area, I doubted he was suffering an injury.


    Instead, I focused on attacking him, knowing that if I took my foot off the pedal, he might kill me.


    "Hmm, what''s this?" he sounded remarkably curious as he stared at my rapidly darting mobile turrets. "I''m assuming Spirit Armament technology has progressed and improved since the millennium I had been sealed in here?"


    I didn''t reply. Instead, I stabbed his shoulder with my Azure Lotus Sword, taking him by surprise. He grimaced in pain and glanced down in astonishment.


    "This is¡­a Treasure Spirit Weapon?" he scowled. "Damn it, I shouldn''t have underestimated you. To think you actually have a weapon capable of piercing through my defenses¡­"


    I didn''t waste time on banter, and instead unleashed my technique.


    "Release Recollection!"


    The entire space was suddenly shrouded in ice, frozen lotus flowers appearing atop a glacial sea that expanded rapidly across the Spirit World. Tian Yu Di struggled, his body caught in the ice and locked within the frozen tomb.


    "This technique¡­it''s a combination of Heaven and Earth Formula and¡­something else!" His eyes flickered in recognition. "I see¡­you''ve combined Heaven and Earth Formula with whatever martial arts techniques you learned from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    At least he wasn''t claiming that I ripped this off from Sword Art Online: Alicization Arc. He was right, in any case. Other than the name, the technique itself was a combination of Heaven and Earth Formula and Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula.


    "An impressive technique," Tian Yu Di praised, his voice filled with admiration. "For you to pioneer such a technique at your age¡­you certainly will be the future of the Heaven and Earth Sect if circumstances are different."


    I grinned, my breath misting in front of me as fog billowed about us, the temperature plummeting to extreme levels.


    "If you refuse to change your mind and stop killing me, then I''ll seal you here again." I closed my eyes briefly and activated Absolute Zero, which brought Tian Yu Di''s qi to a complete stop and sealed his movements totally, trapping him further. "It might cost me my life and I will be sealed in here with you, but I''ll make sure that you''ll never leave here to threaten Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "You certainly have proven your resolve," Tian Yu Di admitted with a sigh. Ice had covered almost his entire body by now, encroaching slowly onto his face. "For someone of your age, this is particularly impressive. I see now why you''ve been recruited into our sect."


    His face abruptly hardened.


    "However¡­as I said before, you''re too weak. Perhaps in five years¡­no, three years even, it''ll be difficult to say what the outcome of our match will be, but too bad for you¡­"


    A violent burst of qi erupted from his body like a dormant volcano coming to life, shattering all the ice and frozen lotuses, and even overcoming my Absolute Zero. I was blasted away and sent hurtling across the wide space, blood spurting from my mouth. Landing a distance away, I bounced amidst a cluster of broken fragments of ice, my protective aura the only reason why I didn''t suffer a hundred cuts as I crashed through the sharp edges.


    "Ugh¡­"


    I struggled to sit up, but was vaguely aware that Tian Yu Di was standing above me. I thought I was imagining things, but his face was contorted in a mixture of pain and rage. My Absolute Zero and Release Recollection must have more of an effect on him than either of us realized.


    Not that it would help me. Right now, Tian Yu Di was still healthy enough to seek vengeance for the pain I had caused him.


    He reached down and seized me by the neck, hoisting me to my feet. I dangled helplessly, trying to raise my Azure Lotus Sword, yet knowing that it was futile to fight back.


    Of course. Of course it would end up like this. I should have known.


    I wasn''t some protagonist with plot armor (okay, maybe I am) who conveniently had the tools on hand to survive or for things to go smoothly. I wasn''t Qin Lie, who happened to have mastered Heavenly Thunder Eradication or possess Soul Suppressing Orb to enslave Xue Li. I also wasn''t Chu Xing Yun who had a second chance at life and knew everything that was going to happen while retaining all his martial arts and spirit medicine-concoction knowledge to persuade Poison Yan into serving him in exchange for helping him dispel the Grim Blood Poison.


    It would be great if I had cheats, lucky coincidences and contrived plot devices to help me along my journey, or if I was a perfect Mary Sue who never made any mistakes, but unfortunately reality was never like that.


    And it turned out that my latest mistake would be my final one, and also the most fatal one.


    Just before my consciousness faded away, I felt Tian Yu Di''s grip loosen slightly. Opening my eyes, I caught him staring with wide eyes at something on my chest. Glancing down, I saw that the ice fragments or the blast from Tian Yu Di''s qi ¨C I wasn''t sure which one of them ¨C had slit my uniform pocket open, revealing the Golden Dragon Medallion hidden within.


    "Where did you get that?!" Tian Yu Di demanded, dropping to my feet and retreating a few steps, his face turning pale. Curious at his reaction, I reached into my pocket and took the Golden Dragon Medallion out.


    "This?"


    "Where did you get that?!" Tian Yu Di repeated vehemently. Now that he had let go of me, I could see a small line of blood trickle from the corner of his mouth. When did he get hurt?


    "From my master," I replied, tilting my head in bewilderment. "Why?"


    "Who was your master?"


    "Tian Mo," I replied, and Tian Yu Di scowled impatiently.


    "That''s not what I meant! Was your master the previous sect leader of Heaven and Earth Sect?!"


    "Yeah," I confirmed. Master was the previous and last sect leader of Heaven and Earth Sect before his demise and the sect''s destruction. I still remembered him passing the Golden Dragon Medallion to me all those years ago in the hospital.


    That said, I vaguely recalled a bunch of seniors at Wu Ling Academy also reacting this exaggeratedly when they saw my Golden Dragon Medallion. Didn''t they say something about this being the proof that I was the current leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect, or at least I had inherited the Heaven and Earth techniques? Considering that Tian Yu Di already knew that I had inherited Heaven and Earth Formula, it must be the former¡­


    "Then you are the current sect leader of Heaven and Earth Sect?" Tian Yu Di''s voice was filled with disbelief.


    "No," I replied. "I just happen to be the sole survivor of Heaven and Earth Sect. I''m not the leader of anything."


    Tian Yu Di shook his head and dropped to his knees, lowering his waist as he bowed deeply.


    "This humble subject pays his respect to Sect Leader, and deeply apologizes for trying to kill you!" he didn''t hesitate with his next line. "If Sect Leader feels that it is necessary, then this humble subject will be willing to recompensate with his life! You may kill this humble servant for ever daring to attack you!"


    Whoa, whoa! What the hell?! Why the sudden change in attitude? What was going on!?


    Trying to absorb what was going on, I studied the glowing Golden Dragon Medallion. I still wasn''t completely sure what had just happened, but apparently this thing was the only reason why Tian Yu Di changed his mind and decided not to kill me.


    "There is no need for that," I said as coldly as I could, trying to calm my hammering heart down. This was a huge chance. A very huge chance! If I wasn''t mistaken, I could use this to my advantage and gain a very powerful pawn. "But you''ve betrayed my trust. Even though I saved you from eternal imprisonment and freed you, you turned on me and tried to kill me. How do I know I can believe in you from now on?"


    "¡­Sect Leader is right. This shameful servant offers no excuses. After what this humble servant did, you have every reason not to trust me."


    Surprisingly enough, Tian Yu Di kept his head lowered. To be honest, if he wanted to kill me, he could have done so a minute ago without putting up this ridiculous display of deference and servitude. I doubted he was scheming to betray me again ¨C there was no point when he literally had me on the edge of death.


    Even so, I wasn''t gullible enough to trust him again, especially not after the latest treachery. So I pondered for a moment, and suddenly remembered the other Spirit Seal that I read about during my research in the library yesterday.


    "I would like to place a Spirit Seal on you, to ensure your loyalty. This will be absolute, and you''re not allowed to break it."


    "This humble servant obeys," Tian Yu Di said immediately, without any hesitation. I couldn''t help but be impressed not just by his sudden hundred and eighty turn in attitude, but also his lack of hesitation to submit to what seemed like total slavery.


    Calling up the images from the book through my glasses, I raised my Azure Lotus Sword. Tian Yu Di''s blood dripped from my blade, where I had stabbed him earlier, and I used a finger to scoop up a good amount of blood. Then I swiftly drew a Spirit Seal on the Golden Dragon Medallion using Tian Yu Di''s blood.


    If I recalled correctly, the prerequisite for this Spirit Seal was an object of authority, and Tian Yu Di recognized my Golden Dragon Medallion as a symbol of my leadership. Suddenly I realized how hypocritical I was to whine about Qin Lie and Chu Xing Yun when I had the same plot device, convenient divine object and Deus ex Machina happen for me, but if it worked for me, then I had no complaints. I was willing to be a bloody hypocrite if I could save my sect and get revenge.


    In any case, I completed the seal and watched as Tian Yu Di''s blood disappeared into the Golden Dragon Medallion, as if the dragon engraved into the golden surface was thirstily drinking his blood. Then I nodded in satisfaction when I sensed the qi emanating from the Golden Dragon Medallion. Relying on my Heaven and Earth senses, I could detect the strong link between the Golden Dragon Medallion and Tian Yu Di, which was in turn subordinated under me. I intuitively understood that this meant he was now completely subservient to me.


    Tian Yu Di looked surprised when he saw the Spirit Seal I executed, but he said nothing. Instead, he kept his head lowered.


    "This loyal servant hopes that you will now trust me. I will endeavor to obey any command you give me."


    "Yeah. First, we''ll destroy the Martial Arts Alliance." I grinned. "We''ll begin that by wiping out the invading sects around Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Before I could forget, I quickly added, "And you''re not allowed to harm anyone from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, or hurt Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Treat it as part of the Heaven and Earth Sect from now on."


    "This loyal servant obeys." Tian Yu Di grinned as well. "And it''ll be my pleasure to destroy the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "Good." I nodded. "Let''s begin our preparations then. We''re going to need to find you a host body."


    "About that¡­" Tian Yu Di frowned. "If I were to take over a body of someone who hasn''t learned Heaven and Earth Formula, then it''ll take me some time to assimilate his qi and dominate his body. It might require days, even."


    "That''s fine. We''ll be able to hold out until then." I hoped.


    Before we left, there was another issue that occurred to me, something at the back of my mind that just wouldn''t stop bugging me.


    "You know, you could have just killed me and take over as the sect leader of Heaven and Earth Sect." I frowned. Now that I placed the Spirit Seal of enslavement on Tian Yu Di, I was in no danger of being suddenly betrayed by him. If he tried to attack me, he would be immobilized by the seal immediately, or worse, killed in an agonizing manner. "Why?"


    I didn''t have a death wish. I just couldn''t stand not knowing the mystery. Knowledge was power, and understanding all the invariables and reasons would benefit me more than remaining ignorant about them. And I was sure I could make use of the information somehow.


    "I already have that Spirit Seal of loyalty on me, binding me to the service of the first Heaven and Earth Sect Leader." Tian Yu Di chuckled, but he didn''t seem all that bitter or upset about it. I suddenly understood why he was confused when he saw me inscribing the Spirit Seal of enslavement earlier. He was already bound to the services of Heaven and Earth Sect by the same exact seal, so there wasn''t really a need for me to create a second, identical Spirit Seal. "I am bound by oath and soul to serve all subsequent Sect Leaders, such as you, my lord." he lowered his head. This time, his laughter was hollow. "If I killed you, I would be destroyed by the Spirit Seal."


    Everything fell into place that instant.


    That time, when I realized Tian Yu Di''s movements had slowed down. That was because he was suffering the backlash of the Spirit Seal when he attacked me, the person he recognized as his sect leader because of the Golden Dragon Medallion I carried. No wonder I was able to stab him ¨C it wasn''t because he was distracted by my mobile turrets'' bombardment of qi beams or because I took him by surprise ¨C he was suffering from the Spirit Seal and his reflexes had slowed. That was also why his face was contorted in pain when he grabbed me by my neck earlier, and accounted for the trickle of blood from his mouth.


    I had thought that my attacks had wounded the vastly more powerful martial artist, but I was merely flattering myself. My attacks had little to almost no effect on the ancient monster. He was just suffering the backlash from the Spirit Seal!


    "Don''t worry. It''s not as if you wasted your time." Tian Yu Di was being a lot more submissive and humbler now that he recognized me as his sect leader. "You strengthtened the effects of the Spirit Seal." He shrugged. "Not that you needed to do that. I swore to serve every subsequent sect leader of Heaven and Earth Sect, and I intend to observe that oath."


    "Yet you had no qualms killing me when you didn''t know I was holding this," I muttered as I waved the Golden Dragon Medallion.


    Tian Yu Di looked ashamed of himself.


    "That''s because I thought you were just an insignificant disciple. A particularly talented disciple, yes, but in the greater picture, your sacrifice was necessary to free me from capitivity. My loyalty is not to the disciples of the sect, but to the sect itself, and more importantly, personally to the sect leader."


    In other words, if I didn''t have the Golden Dragon Medallion, I would be dead. What a comforting thought.


    Well, I was still alive, and that was what mattered. It irked me that I had to rely on plot armor, Deus ex Machina and a plot device to survive, but with the situation becoming so desperate, I wasn''t going to be fussy over where solutions came from.


    However, that reminded me.


    "From now on, you''re also not to harm any member of the Heaven and Earth Sect, disciple, master, elder or sect leader." I looked at Tian Yu Di sternly, and he met my gaze unflinchingly. "I understand that you were desperate, and I sympathize with you being trapped in here for a millennium. But you should trust in your fellow sect members more to help you once they discover you here. You''re not to sacrifice your fellow sect members to free yourself, and to trust in them."


    "If that is what Sect Leader commands," Tian Yu Di replied without hesitation. I thought he would be a little stiff, but he was surprisingly amendable to my selfish demands. Perhaps the prospect of taking revenge on the descipable Martial Arts Alliance and the impending promise of freedom had improved his mood tremendously.


    If that was the case, then it was time to reward him for his compliance.


    "All right, then let''s get ready for our counterattack."

 208 Chapter 207: Assassination Attemp

    I didn''t even realize that it had already been noon, the sun shining brightly over the plaza and enveloping the place in searing heat. Don''t blame me. I was busily placing my spirit consciousness in the Spirit World created by the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars to seal Tian Yu Di inside. For some reason, I had the feeling that they were sealing far more than Tian Yu Di.


    After all, even though I had already freed Tian Yu Di, the Spirit World remained intact. The nine Spirit Engraved Pillars in the Spirit World continued to pulse and throb with vast amounts of qi, almost as if it was holding something back.


    Unfortunately, I was too preoccupied with the current crisis in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to investigate it. This was a few minutes ago, while I was still negotiating with Tian Yu Di. As I said, it had just turned noon, and the sun was at its zenith.


    Despite the scorching rays of the sun shining down upon Tushan City and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s main sect grounds, shadows began to approach from all directions.


    Shi Jing Yun, the representative from Dark Fiend Valley Sect and overall commander of the combined forces of six out of the seven Valley Sects, along with Cloud Sky Mountain''s Wu Tuo, Divine Shadow Sect''s Liang Yang Zu and Dark Asura Sect''s Yuan Tian Ya, had appeared.


    "Master Yuan, did you succeed in eliminating Lang Xie?" Wu Tuo immediately asked the moment he caught sight of Yuan Tian Ya. He was evidently most concerned over the fate of the vice-commander of Blood Blades, not because of any concern for the latter''s wellbeing, but because he was worried about the threat Lang Xie might pose to their invasion.


    Shi Jing Yun was similarly concerned, and despite staying quiet, he gazed intensely at Yuan Tian Ya.


    "Lang Xie escaped with severe injuries," Yuan Tian Ya replied indifferently. He was being shadowed by his subordinate commanders. "For the time being, he is no longer capable of fighting. I assure you, he currently will not be able to interfere with our next assault on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Lang Xie will always be a threat as long as he is alive!" Liang Yang Zu interrupted furiously. Evidently he did not share Yuan Tian Ya''s confidence and was clenching his fists so hard that his knuckles had turned pale. "He is the most terrifying martial artist in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. As long as he is alive, even if we eliminate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, he will continue to haunt us in future. He will definitely return stronger than ever and seek revenge on us."


    The moment everyone heard his assuring words, they relaxed. It was true. With the backing of the Martial Arts Alliance, Lang Xie wouldn''t pose any threat to them.


    "There is still the problem of the royal family, though," Liang Yang Zu remarked, his expression still grave despite relaxing a fraction at Yuan Tian Ya''s assurance. The Dark Asura Sect Leader nodded, equally serious.


    "You''re right. That''s why the Martial Arts Alliance has ordered us to attack. We are to hold nothing back this time, and are to employ our full fighting strength to take Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Yuan Tian Ya sighed heavily. "There has been movement in the royal family, and they may send the Imperial Guard anytime, regardless of whether the Diet reaches a decision. The Martial Arts Alliance wants to avoid that, and to finish this invasion before that happens."


    Wu Tuo nodded, his face darkening. "Once the Imperial Guard mobilizes, then it''s too late for us. Too late for the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "That''s why we''ve to succeed in this assault." Yuan Tian Ya gritted his teeth. "It''s do or die. If we fail, then we lose everything."


    "We won''t let that happen," Shi Jing Yun declared quietly. "We''ll definitely defeat Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "If only things will be that easy." Wu Tuo sighed heavily and wiped the perspiration from his face as he glanced at the heavily guarded entrance.


    "What, losing your nerve, Wu Tuo?" Liang Yang Zu smirked. "You''re the last person I expect to get cold feet."


    "You''re mistaken." Wu Tuo scowled, and glanced at the survivors of his Cloud Sky Mountain. Despite their huge numbers, there was a significant number of them missing. They were obviously casualties sustained when they tried assaulting the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect before. "I was just wondering if all this is worth it. Whether it''s worth losing so many of my subordinates to take this sect."


    "Of course it is!" Yuan Tian Ya hissed. "The Martial Arts Alliance promised us first priority if we succeed in taking them! We get to claim whoever and whatever we want! The other sects who didn''t participate will only get the leftovers!"


    "We all made our resolve when we decided to do this," Shi Jing Yun said, his tone low yet audible. "There is no turning back."


    "I''m not suggesting that we turn back." Wu Tuo grimaced and turned back toward the entrance, his shoulders sagging. "I''m not having second thoughts. I''m just¡­questioning if all this bloodshed and sacrifices are really necessary."


    "It is," Liang Yang Zu replied coldly. "It most definitely is."


    Easy for him to say, since it would the bulk of his subordinates doing the dying and not him. The hypocritical bastards.


    *


    While the forces of the ten sects gathered outside Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, we were far from idle. The Blood Blades were rushing to their positions, getting ready to conjure their battle-automata and prepare for the latest wave.


    The sentries had reported heavy movement among the enemy, and Sect Lady Zi Da Ji concluded that the Martial Arts Alliance had grown impatient, and were preparing for one final assault. They were ready to throw the entirety of their forces to break through our defenses.


    One of the Blood Blades members jogged toward the plaza, catching sight of the glowing Spirit Engraved Pillars and my stationary figure at the foot of one of them. He was escorting two ladies, who were struggling to catch up with him.


    "Fei Wu? What is he doing at a time like this?" Tang Qi Hong grumbled when she spotted me. "Doesn''t he realize that our sect is in terrible crisis at the moment?"


    "Isn''t that exactly why he''s doing his best to help us solve this crisis?" Tong Xue countered calmly.


    "How?" Lian Rou asked, genuinely baffled. She cast a sharp glance at the jogging Tong Xue, who was several paces ahead of her. "Do you know something we don''t?"


    Tong Xue turned his head slightly to grin back at her. "I know a lot of things that you don''t."


    Lian Rou sent a qi blast at him, but Tong Xue easily dodged her strike. She muttered an oath. "Stop playing around and tell us!"


    "Shouldn''t you already know?" Tong Xue raised an eyebrow as he corrected his trajectory. "Fei Wu is hoping to find some Spirit Formations or new martial arts that would help us. hmm, I guess it''s too late to unearth new martial arts now, as we won''t be able to learn them in time for the final battle, but Spirit Formations are another thing altogether."


    Unfortunately, Tong Xue was completely wrong, but I couldn''t blame him. I didn''t tell him the truth behind my attempt to commune with the Spirit Engraved Pillars. I didn''t tell anybody. Not because I didn''t trust them, but because they would be horrified if they knew.


    I was essentially making a pact with a demon, after all. Truthfully, it almost cost me my life, but everything worked out in the end, so I guess that was worth it.


    At that time, though, I was far from completing my end of the deal with Tian Yu Di, so neither my friends nor I knew that. Yet.


    "There are a lot more enemies than before," Tang Qi Hong remarked as she cast a worried glance at the outside of the sect. Even though the bullk of the milling Blood Blades blocked her view, she could see the encroaching forces of the ten invading sects. Worry spiked in her heart, and she picked up her pace. "Will we really be all right?"


    "Lord Lang Xie, Lady Hai Rong and Sect Lady Zi Da Ji will definitely be able to protect Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!" Lian Rou assured her fiercely. "Trust in them! They will lead Blood Blades to victory against these despicable bastards!"


    "Lord Lang Xie is missing, and Instructor Hai Rong is injured," Tong Xue reminded her bluntly. But Lian Rou remained stubborn.


    "Even Lady Da Ji alone will be able to handle all of them by herself!" she insisted.


    "I hope you are right." Tang Qi Hong''s worried eyes were riveted on the inexorable, approaching enemy forces. "Or Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is doomed."


    *


    "Sister Su, you''ve finally arrived. Everyone is waiting for you." Wu Tuo smiled brilliantly when he spotted a lady leading a delegation of Snow Valley Sect toward them.


    Su Bai Xue nodded arrogantly as she approached them. While Shi Jing Yun commanded the other six of the Seven Valley Sects, she commanded Snow Valley Sect. Snow Valley Sect, after all, was one of the eight major sects of the Martial Arts Alliance, and this possessed a prestige and status above the other six Valley Sects.


    That was why they operated differently and independently of Shi Jing Yun and the other six Valley Sects.


    It was also the reason why none of the other nine invading sects complained when she arrived late. With her higher status, she had the right to come anytime she wanted. While technically the various sect leaders or commanders were in charge of their respective sects, officially Su Bai Xue was the overall commander of the invading forces.


    "Fatty Wu, aren''t you guys a little too early?"


    Su Bai Xue''s lips curled into a mocking smile. Wu Tuo merely laughed politely.


    "It''s impolite to keep a lady waiting."


    "You certainly know your manners." Su Bai Xue nodded in approval. She then glanced around and frowned, her brow crinkling her snow-white skin. "Where is Di Shi Jiu?"


    "He''s still pursuing Lang Xie," Liang Yang Zu replied darkly. "He won''t rest until he confirms Lang Xie''s death."


    "I see." Su Bai Xue turned her frosty gaze on him. "What about Blood Shadow?"


    Liang Yang Zu didn''t flinch, meeting her pale blue eyes with his own dark, shadowy orbs. "Blood Shadow should be with Di Shi Jiu at the moment."


    Su Bai Xue tilted her head, her expression unreadable. Anyone close to her would know that she was concealing her impatience very well. "Do we need to wait for them?"


    "No." Liang Yang Zu snorted icily. "Don''t worry about them. I''ll lead Divine Shadow Sect by myself."


    "All right." Su Bai Xue''s shoulders relaxed a millimeter. "Then let''s begin."


    "I''ll take point." Cloud Sky Mountain''s Wu Tuo cheerfully stepped to the front, his bloodlust increasing tremendously. He held up a hand, and a thick phalanx of Cloud Sky Mountain Sect members gathered around him. "Iron Hammer Formation!"


    The entire group of them linked up, placing their hands on the backs of the martial artist in front of them. In a few minutes, they gathered into a wedge-like formation and coalesced their qi, solidifying it into a shimmering but steely grey aura that shrouded them like armor.


    Marching forward in disciplined ranks, the Cloud Sky Mountain Sect''s Iron Hammer Formation charged inexorably like a battering ram, getting ready to smash the gates.


    They were met with a storm of heavy firepower. The Blood Blades atop the fortress walls protecting the main sect grounds of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect poured down a withering hail of Mauler bolts and plasma. Initially, the fierce bombardment ricocheted off the Iron Hammer Formation, the dense, steely aura protecting the Cloud Sky Mountain martial artists and rendering them impervious to the projectiles.


    The martial artists from the other nine sects unfortunate enough to be near the Cloud Sky Mountain Sect members were struck and killed by the ricochets, or maimed grievously, screaming in pain as they collapsed. Despite the collateral damage to their allies, Cloud Sky Mountain Sect did not falter. If anything, their pace increased.


    "Don''t let them in!" the Blood Blades Sergeant in charge of the wall shouted. He was Jing Wei, the guard in charge of security, but today his skills would be sorely tested like never before. He shouted orders into his comn-bead, directing all fire into the unstoppable human battering ram formed by the Cloud Sky Mountain Sect members.


    Responding to his instructions, the Castellax battle-automata controlled by the Blood Blades present all turned their primary weapons on them, unleashing a hurricane of bolts or a barrage of superheated plasma. The Iron Hammer Formation began to crack gradually, the formerly impenetrable defensive qi that protected them shattering. Dozens of Cloud Sky Mountain Sect disciples went down, cut apart by Mauler bolt rounds that detonated in their bodies, spraying their comrades with blood and viscera. More were disintegrated outright, the volatile plasma consuming their bodies and incinerating them into ash.


    Even so, Wu Tuo and his surviving subordinates refused to stop. Charging at the head of the formation, Wu Tuo withstood a punishing barrage of blows from a devastating hail of bolts and plasma, blood streaming down his face. The subordinate behind him vanished, engulfed in plasma, and charred burns appeared on Wu Tuo''s back. Without so much as a grimace and ignoring the fiery agony that lanced through his body, the chubby martial artist roared and dove headfirst at the gates. The Castellax battle-automata tried desperately to track him, but he vanished from their sights, and they had to content themselves with scything down huge numbers of stumbling and staggering Cloud Sky Mountain Sect members.


    But for every one they killed, two more appeared to take his place, bellowing bestially as they surged forward at the expense of their comrades, refusing to let their sacrifices be in vain.


    And then Wu Tuo reached the gate. With an inhuman snarl, he shouldered the thick metal and ceramite plating, cannonballing into the double doors like a battering ram. His first charge didn''t have an effect other than leaving a small dent, but Wu Tuo tried again, smashing his fist against it. The dent deepened, but not too significantly.


    Then the survivors of Wu Tuo''s Cloud Sky Mountain reached him. Throwing their hands out, they infused their leader with qi, and as one, the entire group barreled into the gates, reconstituting the Iron Hammer Formation.


    No, this time it was a different formation. It was probably the Mountain Ram Formation. Not that I knew ¨C I would only be able to tell after watching vids way after the incident happened. For now, what was important was that after they conjured the new formation, Cloud Sky Mountain mercilessly battered the gates with their combined strength.


    This time, the effect was a lot more noticeable, the dent caving in much deeper than before. Wu Tuo and his subordinates rammed it again, and with a terrifying screech, the sturdy doors that protected our sect for centuries finally gave way.


    The metal ruptured, the ceramite plating broke, and the gates vanished, turning into rubble as Wu Tuo stumbled inside, the first trespasser to set foot inside our sect. His subordinates flooded in, covering their leader as the Blood Blades moved in to meet them with fire and blade. More of them died, exploding or incinerated as the projectiles lanced into them.


    But they were replaced by a neverending gush of reinforcements. And this time, Cloud Sky Mountain wasn''t alone.


    Snow Valley Sect. The six of the other seven Valley Sects. Divine Shadow Sect. Dark Asura Sect.


    Led by their respective commanders, the other nine sects rushed in to plug the gap, making use of the heavy sacrifice that Cloud Sky Mountain had paid, and flooded into the sect. countless martial artists died, throwing themselves against a meatgrinder that mercilessly spat them back out in pieces or ashes.


    But they kept coming. And they kept dying.


    However, as powerful as the Blood Blades were, their ammunition was limited, and their qi would not last forever.


    Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had been breached at last. Much faster and earlier than even my most pessimistic estimates.


    *


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    Halfway up Flame Volcano, Zi Shou De and the six Great Elders were descending with haste, toward the foot of the mountain.


    They had seen the breach in defenses, and knew it was a matter of time before Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was doomed. There was no time to call an evacuation, and nowhere to flee. The passageways were infested with demons, and all the Blood Blades were engaged in a desperate defense of the sect. None of them were available to escort the civilians safely through the tunnels. And unlike the greedy, corrupt humans who were invading the sect, the demons could not be reasoned with or negotiated with. They would cut down the hapless civilians like a thresher with hay.


    Zi Shou De glanced at Luo Zhi Chang with an ominous expression.


    "Still no news from Lang Xie, correct?"


    "No news indeed," the chief Great Elder replied wearily.


    "My wife?"


    "Fighting at the frontlines. She''s leading the defense herself." This time it was the second Great Elder who replied.


    Zi Shou De''s shoulders sagged visibly, but he maintained his calm fa?ade.


    "She''ll buy us some time."


    "Time to do what?" the third Great Elder asked. Despair was written over his face ¨C not just him, but all the Great Elders. "With respect, Sect Leader¡­Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is doomed."


    "Not yet." Zi Shou De refused to give up. He then caught sight of the glowing Spirit Engraved Pillars and frowned. "Fei Wu¡­what is he doing?"


    "That boy¡­" the fourth Great Elder inhaled deeply. "He''s the future hope of our sect. If we can get him to escape¡­escape with your daughters, and with the younger generation of the sect¡­as long as they stay alive, then perhaps they can rebuild Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and restore it to its peak¡­no, even surpass the current Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    "He survived the underground passageways." The fifth Great Elder nodded. "If anyone can make it out through it, it''ll be him."


    "We''ll send the civilians too." The sixth Great Elder was under no illusions of their safety. "Perhaps Fei Wu will be able to protect them somehow."


    "Or maybe Fei Wu will be able to pull a miracle," Sect Leader Zi wishpered quietly. Oi, aren''t you expecting a bit too much from me? What do you think I am, some sort of messiah or God? I wasn''t a protagonist from a xianxia story¡­okay, maybe I am. But even I couldn''t do the impossible.


    In any case, I was still absorbed in dealing with the stubborn Tian Yu Di at the moment. My eyes were closed tightly and my senses sealed off from the outside world. I was still seated at the plaza where the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars were, powerful waves of qi emanating from my body for some reason (perhaps because I was trying to break the seals holding down Tian Yu Di at that moment).


    Hence I was completely unaware of Zi Shou De and the others'' arrival.


    "Father!" Tang Qi Hong hurried over when she spotted her adopted father swiftly approaching the plaza. She glanced at me nervously. "I don''t know what Fei Wu is doing, but we''ve been unable to snap him out of his trance."


    "There is no need to." Zi Shou De took a deep breath, and then made his decision. He turned to Tong Xue, the only Blood Blades member present. "All people who can fight, prepare to defend Fei Wu with your lives. Let''s gamble on him."


    Bloody hell, don''t gamble on me! It will be a sure-lose bet!


    "Are you sure this is wise?" one of the Great Elders asked anxiously.


    Luo Zhi Chang sighed heavily and stared at Zi Shou De. "You''ve already heard the news. The ten sects have breached our defenses and are invading our main sect grounds right now. They''re already inside the sect. I strongly suggest that we evacuate the younger generation and the civilians through the passageways immediately¡­"


    "And get eaten by demons?" Zi Shou De stared at him sharply. "You saw the reports. There are thousands of them down there. An entire column of humans moving through the passageways will draw them to the evacuees like moths to a light."


    After my report, the Great Elders had sent probes and a few preliminary scouts there, and confirmed that there was a much greater number of demons hidden underground than my estimates. Zi Shou De knew thoe tunnels were no longer an option.


    "Gather the outer sect disciples," Zi Shou De ordered, continuing after taking a breath. "This is where we''ll make our last stand." He glanced at my stationary form. "It''s all or nothing now. We can only pray Fei Wu found something that might overturn this situation."


    Why they were placing so much faith in me, I had no idea. Perhaps it was the way all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars were glowing. Maybe it was the tremendous amount of qi emanating from both the Spirit Engraved Pillars and my body. Either way, they were not mistaken. At that moment, I was fighting for my life against Tian Yu Di.


    "Cheng Ping, rally the outer sect disciples. You''re most familiar with them, so you should take command." Zi Shou De tapped his comn bead, and then frowned when he didn''t get a response. "Cheng Ping? Do you read?"


    Cheng Ping finally replied, but not through the comn bead and instead through his physical appearance. He emerged from the abandoned storeroom that I had first exited from after my perilous trek through the underground passageways, his figure all bloodied. There was a single spear protruding from his chest and he staggered unsteadily.


    "Did you think I wouldn''t know about the underground passageways below the sect?"


    A familiar voice sneered, turning everyone''s blood in their veins cold.


    Blood Shadow emerged from the abandoned storeroom, strolling almost leisurely as he twirled a blood-colored spear. He laughed when he saw the ashen expressions of the Great Elders.


    "Oh, Luo Zhi Chang and the other Great Elders¡­hmm, there are a few of you I don''t recognize, but the ones I remember are all largely here." his grin widened. "Good! Very good! I can finally take my revenge today!"


    "You¡­" Zi Shou De began, his expression darkened.


    "Ah, my apologies." Blood Shadow bowed mockingly. "You must be the current sect leader. I am Yan Chi, a former Blood Blades of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I don''t care about you, but I want their lives." He jabbed a finger at the Great Elders. "They conspired with Lang Xie and Hai Rong ¨C those two traitors ¨C and murdered him when he was cultivating. They killed my master. As long as you allow me to settle this grudge with the Great Elders, I will let the rest of your sect live." He chuckled. "But I can''t say for sure that the other ten sects will spare your miserable lives."


    "As long as I live, I will not allow you to harm a single member of my sect," Zi Shou De declared in quiet determination.


    Blood Shadow shrugged indifferently. "If you want to die that badly, that I don''t care. It''s not like I have any attachment left to this sect anyway."


    "You dare! You bloody monster!" Luo Zhi Chang shouted. "Zhao Shi! Where are you?"


    The other Great Elders were trembling in fear. They recognized that this Blood Shadow was different from the other invaders, the martial artists who were razing their sect. Even if Yuan Tian Ya, Shi Jing Yun, Su Bai Xue and Wu Tuo reached their position, they would most likely spare the lives of the sect leader and Great Elders.


    After all, they needed to capture these veteran blacksmiths alive so that they could forge Spirit Armaments for them.


    The Great Elders knew that as long as they didn''t die, they would still be able to cling onto the hope that they would one day see Nine-Tailed Fox Sect rise again to dwarf the other sects in the Martial Arts Sect.


    However, Black Shadow was different. He held a grudge against them and clearly wanted to slaughter them for revenge.


    Furthermore, his appearance through the passageways meant that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s route of evacuation had been compromised. The civilians and younger generation couldn''t go that way now. Never mind the demons ¨C even if we survived the demons, the other sects would surely be waiting at the exits to capture us. And we couldn''t stay too long in the passageways or we would eventually be overwhelmed by the demons.


    Of course, later we found out that the ten sects had sent significant numbers of scouts into the tunnels and ended up waging a war against the demons inside. They suffered massive casualties, and were forced to retreat, but that information was of no use to us now.


    "Yan Chi!" a familiar voice shouted. It was Chief Elder Hai Mo. He was supporting a hobbling Hai Rong as he strode toward us, his eyes narrowed sternly. "Do you really intend to destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? Nine-Tailed Fox Sect raised you, and you grew up here ever since you were young! Do you really have no compassion?"


    "Elder Hai Mo¡­"


    For the first time in ages, Blood Shadow faltered, his bloodthirsty eyes softening. He faced Hai Mo squarely.


    "You''re the only person I respect in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." he raised his blood-colored spear. "Every single one of my Spirit Weapons were forged by you back then. This is also the reason why I spared Junior Hai Rong''s life ¨C because she is your wife. If she wasn''t married to you, I would have killed her. but I let her live out of respect for you!"


    Beside Hai Mo, Hai Rong snorted derisively. "You don''t have the ability to kill me, so don''t make excuses."


    "Like I said, I will not hurt you, your wife, the inner sect elders or Sect Leader." Blood Shadow''s eyes gleamed murderously. "But I want the lives of the Great Elders!"


    Swoosh!


    Blood Shadow conjured a hail of crimson spears, and just like Gilgamesh with Gate of Babylon, he had all of them float above him, their deadly blades pointed toward the six hapless Great Elders. The old men all fell to their knees helplessly, knowing they were doomed.


    "I won''t let you!" Zi Shou De shouted as he charged forward, only for Yan Chi to draw a whip and lash out at him, knocking him off his feet and sending him tumbling to the ground.


    "Father!" Tang Qi Hong ran to his side, and was relieved to see that he was still alive. It seemed that Blood Shadow was someone who kept his word, after all. Which was more than what I could say for some people.


    "Die!" Blood Shadow sneered and launched his crimson spears at the six trembling Great Elders.


    It was at this moment that I finally opened my eyes, my normally brown pupils gleaming an eerie red the color of blood.


    Rising to my feet, I turned to Blood Shadow with a smile.

 209 Chapter 208: Heaven and Earth Ancestral Master

    While the words left my mouth, numerous crimson spears streaked through the air and lanced toward the six Great Elders, the hapless old men too slow and clumsy to move out of the way. If they were martial artists, they probably wouldn''t have any problems dodging, but they devoted their lives to blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving and completely neglected any martial arts training. Thus they were physically weak.


    Ignoring me, Blood Shadow''s eyes gleamed murderously as he directed his hail of blood spears toward his targets, almost slavering gleefully at the prospect of achieving his revenge at last.


    "¡­oh, well."


    Shaking my head, I raised my hand and snapped my fingers. Responding to my will, Snow Aegis materialized (or to be more accurate, enlarged from the usual spatial device I kept on my person) and flew toward the Great Elders. Hovering above them, it halted the ferocious bombardment of the crimson spears, six layers of transparent barriers coming into existence.


    "This¡­!"


    The Great Elders'' eyes widened and they turned to stare at me.


    "Good job, Fei Wu!" Hai Rong shouted. Forcing herself to her feet and disregarding her severe injuries, she forcibly conjured her qi and executed a powerful technique that caused her to cough out more blood. Withstanding the pain, she drew a Spirit Spear of her own and hurled it at Blood Shadow. "Yan Chi! You won''t get away with this!"


    Instructor Hai¡­you just had to say the most clich¨¦ phrase ever¡­


    "Ungrateful idiot!"


    Blood Shadow dismissively snorted and batted away the Spirit Spear. Unfortunately for him, that was a mere diversion. Hai Rong was launching her real attack from Yan Chi''s left, almost catching him by surprise. The former Blood Blades commander took a single step back, Hai Rong''s blade nearly piercing his skull.


    Bellowing, he drew a hammer from within his robes. Elder Hai Mo stirred restlessly when he caught sight of the hammer, so I guessed this was one of the Spirit Armaments that he had forged for Yan Chi in the past.


    In a single motion, Yan Chi knocked Hai Rong back with immense force, sending her hurtling away as blood spurted from her mouth, eyes and nose. Choking and coughing, she tumbled helplessly, only for Hai Mo to quickly spring up and catch her. The middle-aged couple slid back, the chief elder unable to halt the momentum, but he was eventually able to stabilize himself and quickly apply emergency first aid to his wife.


    "Rong''er!"


    From his stricken voice, it was clear that Hai Rong was no longer able to fight. She was barely conscious, and Hai Mo quickly slipped a Spirit Pill into her mouth in order to keep her heavy internal injuries under control and preserve her life.


    Blood Shadow chortled as he turned toward the trembling Great Elders. Retrieving a red whip from his robes ¨C most likely another one of those Spirit Armaments that Hai Mo crafted for him ¨C he lashed out with it, but again my Snow Aegis hovered protectively in front of them. The whip glanced harmlessly off the barriers, causing the screens of qi to ripple ominously.


    "Hmph¡­not bad. But¡­!"


    Undaunted, Yan Chi surged forward and swung his Spirit Hammer as violently as he could. Just like the legendary Thor and his mighty Mjolnir, the Spirit Hammer crackled foerciously with terrifying amounts of qi.


    "Nine Heavens'' Qi!" Yan Chi shouted as he smashed his hammer against my Snow Aegis. In an instance, all six barriers shattered and my Spirit Shield was sent spinning helplessly away. I reached out and caught it, slightly relieved to see that despite the destruction of its defensive qi, the armament itself was undamaged.


    "That''s¡­"


    I narrowed my eyes, recognizing that technique as a Heaven and Earth Formula technique.


    "Ha ha ha ha! You''re all doomed!"


    With no one able to save them now, the six Great Elders cowered as Yan Chi swung his hammer at them. They scattered, but the sixth Great Elder was too slow. He was obliterated by his strike, turning into a fine spray of mist and blood.


    "Whoa!"


    "No!"


    "Please¡­!"


    The surviving Great Elders backed away in fear as Blood Shadow turned toward them with a murderous leer, triumphant and expectant.


    I couldn''t allow him to do any more damage. Steeling my resolve, I lunged at him, supported by a volley of qi beams from the mobile turrets that detached from my Snow Aegis. One of them punched a neat hole through Yan Chi''s body and he staggered. Swearing angrily, he turned on me, swinging his hammer, but I had anticipated his attack and could dodge it pretty easily by dropping to my knees and sliding underneath it.


    "You!"


    Blood Shadow''s eyes widened, but I was already up on my feet and slashing at him with my Azure Lotus Sword. He snorted as he parried my blade with his hammer and effortlessly drove me back a couple of steps.


    "You overestimate yourself! Do you really think you can fight me? Not even your instructor Hai Rong is a match for me!"


    He swung his hammer at me again, and I easily dodged it by reading the flow of his qi. Thanks to Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I was able to sense where his attacks were coming from and read his movements, which allowed me to stay one step ahead of him.


    After dodging his huge attack, I thrust my sword forward at a segment when his qi was the weakest ¨C something I could only sense with my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. Blood Shadow twisted out of the way, but I had read that evasive maneuver too and adjusted my aim. My blade struck his shoulder and I unleashed Shadow Dragon Meteor Strike at pointblank range.


    "Guaaaah!"


    With a roar, Blood Shadow stumbled backward, swinging his hammer wildly. So crazed and unpredictable were his movements that I had no choice but to withdraw to a safe distance, despite being able to read the flow of his qi with Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps.


    "You¡­you¡­!" Yan Chi spluttered as he held his shoulder, blood coursing through his fingers. "That technique! What the hell was that technique? Why does it resemble Heaven and Earth Strike so much?!"


    I didn''t reply. Instead, I took another step back and held Azure Lotus Sword with both hands. Adopting an offensive stance, I prepared to attack again.


    "And those movements! That''s¡­that''s Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, isn''t it?! Even Master wasn''t taught that! How and where did you learn that?!"


    While Yan Chi was raving and ranting, the members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect exchanged bewildered and bemused glances, having no idea what he was talking about. Sect Leader Zi Shou De sat up as he watched me curiously, Tang Qi Hong kneeling by her side and having no clue what was going on. Tong Xue and Lian Rou, who were nearby, having been frozen along with the inner sect elders this entire time, slowly turned their heads to stare at me in awe.


    The Great Elders, half-relieved that they were still alive and didn''t share the fate of the sixth Great Elder, also turned to stare at me in shock. Even though they were grateful toward me for saving their lives, they didn''t expect me to fight on par with Blood Shadow.


    After all, this was the same guy who overpowered me with just fifty percent of his power the other day.


    Blood Shadow''s crazed eyes turned toward the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars behind me, and light dawned on him.


    "You¡­did you learn those techniques while communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars?!"


    "Nope," I replied honestly. "I''ve learned them long ago. As for when and how¡­I have no obligation to tell you, do I?"


    Yan Chi''s face had turned pale by now, though I didn''t know if the reason was because of my revelation, or disbelief, or the fact that a demonic shadow was gradually manifesting behind me. Taking on a vaguely human form, it towered over me, almost protectively.


    When he caught sight of the demonic shadow, what little color remained completely drained from his face. He nodded, as if understanding something (but he was totally misunderstanding it).


    "I see. So that''s how it is. That''s how you learned Heaven and Earth techniques."


    No, it wasn''t.


    "But how could you possibly have mastered them in such a short period of time? It''s impossible." Yan Chi was shaking his head in denial. "You only communed with the Spirit Engraved Pillars for a few days at most. You couldn''t have¡­"


    "That''s why I told you that you''re wrong. I''ve learned them a long time ago." I sighed. "If you don''t believe me, then suit yourself. I have no obligation to convince you."


    "What the hell is that thing?" Tang Qi Hong gasped, her horrified gaze riveted on the shimmering shadow towering above me. No one provided an answer. Instead, there were only more questions.


    "What''s going on?" Lian Rou whispered, her eyes wide in fear. Tong Xue shook his head, confounded.


    "I have no idea."


    Zi Shou De, on the other hand, were very quiet. Recognition flickered in his eyes when he caught sight of the demonic shadow behind me. Of course Sect Leader would know ¨C I had informed him of the existence of the demonic being under the Spirit Engraved Pillars months ago, back when I requested his help to upgrade the spiritual defense of my Snow Aegis.


    "So that''s how it is." He nodded, a little dazed, and then gave me a hard stare. "Did you manage to tame him?"


    "He obeys me now," I replied. Zi Shou De shut his eyes and exhaled in relief.


    "Good."


    Blood Shadow was paying no attention to our conversation. His gaze was fixed on the demonic shadow, the murderous gleam in his eyes replaced by reverence. To everyone''s astonishment, he halted his attacks and suddenly bowed down before the demonic shadow. He raised his head, his expression that of devout admiration, as he rasped.


    "You''re¡­you''re the Heaven and Earth Master, aren''t you? I am the first disciple of Xue Jian. My master told me about you once. The reason I came today was to release you from the Spirit Engraved Pillars and restore your freedom."


    Heaven and Earth Master?


    The Great Elders and inner sect elders all froze when they heard their name, their faces rigid with disbelief and denial. Tang Qi Hong, Tong Xue and Lian Rou were more amazed than ever, and they stared at me curiously, wondering what the hell I did when communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars earlier.


    Even Hai Rong was perplexed at the sudden change in Blood Shadow''s attitude. She was amused when he bowed before me ¨C because I happened to be in front of the demonic shadow ¨C but evidently she had not heard of any Heaven and Earth Master from Xue Jian.


    Only Zi Shou De had some understanding of what was going on, and he watched the events unfold grimly. He was obviously betting on me being able to control the situation and keep a leash on the demonic shadow that I asked him for help against all those months ago regarding the spiritual defense of my Snow Aegis.


    As for me, I was immensely relieved that I had made it in time. Fortunately, I had already cracked all nine seals and released Tian Yu Di, but that almost cost me my life when he suddenly turned on me. You already read about how I attempted to trap him with my Spirit Formation and failed miserably, only for him to acknowledge me as the current sect leader when he saw that I possessed the Golden Dragon Medallion that Master handed to me years ago.


    So I didn''t have to go into details regarding that.


    Unfortunately, as we discussed, Tian Yu Di had no physical body at the moment. Only his spirit was present, his physical flesh and blood destroyed during that intense battle almost a millennium ago. That was why he couldn''t fully manifest in this world, and could only take the vague, intangible form of a shadow.


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    Even then, he was already exuding such a tremendous amount of qi and power that was suffocating everyone in the vicinity and causing Yan Chi to tremble. Then again, Blood Shadow was insane, so he might just be shaking from excitement rather than oppression. Hard to tell with these nutjobs.


    The demonic shadow glared scornfully at Blood Shadow.


    "You''re here to free me, you said?" he scoffed. Even though he didn''t have a physical body, he was still somehow able to speak, his voice traveling spiritually rather than aurally. There was an ethereal echo that filled the entire space above the plaza with his disembodied voice, giving it a terrifying quality that sent chills down everyone''s spines. "Just like your master promised? I remember Xue Jian, all right. Despite promising to help free me, he disappeared and ran away after learning the techniques I taught him, and never returned. Not to mention he failed to even touch any of the seals. If he couldn''t do it, what makes you think you can?" anger filled his voice. "And if you''re the disciple of that scum, what makes you think I can trust you?"


    At that moment, I sort of understood why Tian Yu Di was so ready to backstab and betray me. After being trapped inside the Spirit World for almost a thousand years, he had experienced countless betrayals of his own, like Xue Jian''s. That was why he no longer cared about honor or keeping his word. He had been backstabbed and abandoned too many times to count, and sealed for what seemed like an eternity. Of course he would resort to any desperate measure to regain his freedom, even if it meant treachery and ruthlessness.


    "Moreover, I no longer need you to free me." he looked down at me affectionately ¨C or what could pass off as affectionately for a demonic shadow with little features and a horrifying visage, anyway. "This child has already broken the seals and returned me my freedom."


    I shrugged nonchalantly under the shocked stares of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members. "It was the only way."


    Tian Yu Di continued, as if I hadn''t spoken, his voice full of scorn as he mocked Yan Chi. "And worse, look at how pathetic you are. You can''t even defeat a child, despite being vastly more experienced and stronger, and you dare to claim that you can free me?"


    Blood Shadow sent me a look of pure hatred. "A brat like that¡­I was only playing around with him. If I''m serious, I can kill him in one strike!"


    "Then prove it," I snapped, beckoning him with a hand. Not a very wise thing to do, generally, provoking an enemy more powerful than myself, but I was certain I could survive one strike. And I had already planned something out for him.


    Blood Shadow snarled before he launched himself at me, sailing high into the air before descending thunderously as he swung his Thunder Hammer down on me. Seriously? He was trying to strike me with such a huge attack? I could crawl away at a snail''s pace and still be out of there by the time he reached my previous position.


    "That''s Thunder Hammer Strike!" Hai Rong shouted in panic when she saw me staying still, mistakenly thinking I was going to receive the attack head-on. "Fei Wu, be careful!"


    As it was, I disappeared right at the moment his hammer swung through the space where I occupied prior. Using my footwork techniques, I distanced myself from Blood Shadow, appearing a few dozen meters away and unaffected by the tremors that his hammer sent rippling through the cracked plaza.


    Yan Chi''s strike was so powerful that it smashed a crater into the solid concrete, and would have pulverized me if it connected. But for all of its immense force, it was useless if it failed to hit its target. Like right now.


    "There goes your one strike. I''m still alive, though." I chuckled as Blood Shadow rose to his feet to gape at me. Ignoring his stupid appearance, I cocked my head toward Tian Yu Di. "Ancestral Master, he''s all yours."


    "Many thanks." The demonic shadow reached out with dark tendrils and ensnared a stunned Blood Shadow. Yan Chi struggled furiously, but was unable to break out immediately, his limbs and body bound by dozens of tendril. Over the next few minutes, as he thrashed about desperately, Blood Shadow felt a huge portion of his qi leeched away, and he eventually broke free in panic, blasting the demonic shadow apart with a tremendous amount of qi that he couldn''t afford and jumping away. Weakened, he hit the ground and rolled, before springing back to his feet, his eyes bulging.


    "A¡­Ancestral Master?!" he glanced at me before returning to his gaze to the hovering demonic shadow, which to his terror seemed a lot more solid than before. He immediately fell to his knees and bowed his head feverishly, yelling in a voice filled with both fear and reverence. "Senior Heaven and Earth Master! I¡­I am here to save you!"


    He was the only person besides me and Ze Shou De who knew about the existence of the demon sealed inside the Spirit Engraved Pillars. He knew that Xue Jian''s Heaven and Earth Absorption came from Tian Yu Di when he was sealed within the Spirit World.


    That was why one of his goals was to personally meet Tian Yu Di and cultivate more advanced techniques of Heaven and Earth Formula. He had heard from Xue Jian that the Heaven and Earth Formula that he was cultivating was far from complete. Once he had reached a certain level, he would need to acquire a more advanced technique.


    Otherwise he would suffer the same fate as Xue Jian of yesteryear. Xue Jian''s martial arts had backfired when he reached a late stage, and he had to consume fresh blood in order to maintain his powers and stabilize his qi, otherwise his qi channels would implode and kill him.


    That was how Tian Yu Di restricted Xue Jian in the past, but the latter had thought himself smarter and more cunning, which led to his eventual demise. Aware that he would share the same fate, Blood Shadow had been scheming all this time to find a way to meet Tian Yu Di and acquire a more advanced Heaven and Earth technique.


    Of course, this coincided with his goals of revenge against the six Great Elders and Lang Xie who had executed his master all those decades ago.


    "Senior Heaven and Earth Master, please return my qi. I am willing to take you as my master!" Blood Shadow prostrated himself before Tian Yu Di and pleaded.


    Tian Yu Di snorted. "I already told you that this kid saved me, and what did you do? You tried to kill him. Moreover, if you really want to me to accept me as your master, then why are you attempting to assassinate my sect leader?"


    "S¡­sect leader?" Blood Shadow blinked. Tian Yu Di roared in laughter, his intangible form shimmering as it seemed to shake.


    "Of course. Sect Leader, show him the proof of your leadership."


    "I doubt he''ll recognize it even if I show it to him," I replied, but obediently retrieved the Golden Dragon Medallion and showed it to Yan Chi. The expression on his face when he saw it was priceless, and I had to suppress a chuckle.


    Worth every second, I assure you.


    "You¡­how¡­?" he stammered.


    Fortunately, I was at an angle where the inner sect elders, Great Elders, Zi Shou De and my friends couldn''t see the Golden Dragon Medallion in my hand, or they would be asking a lot of unwanted questions.


    "You tried to kill my savior and Sect Leader, and you still have the audacity to ask me to be your master?" Tian Yu Di''s voice was filled with venom and ridicule. "What an ignorant fool. The moment you raised a hand against Sect Leader, you have sealed a death sentence for yourself." His shadowy head turned toward me, still mostly featureless. "What would you have me do with this fool, Sect Leader?"


    "Hmm¡­" I pretended to think about it, savoring the horror on Blood Shadow''s face. "Come to think of it, this man practices Heaven and Earth Formula too, and has similar qi to us. Will he be suitable for you?"


    "Indeed he will." The vague line that served as a mouth in the shadowy figure widened into what would be a huge grin. "Many thanks to Sect Leader for his generosity."


    "W¡­w¡­what¡­?" Blood Shadow managed, still not comprehending.


    Those were the last coherent words he ever said.


    Before he could react, the demonic shadow darted in front of him, seizing his throat with a formless hand. The other hand struck Yan Chi in the solar plexus and the bloody assassin vomited a huge splash of blood. As he dropped to his knees, dazed, after Tian Yu Di released him, the massive demonic shadow seemed to transform into a more fluid shape and washed over Blood Shadow. The dark shadows entered through Yan Chi''s eyes, nose, mouth and ears, seeping through his orifices and forcibly intruding into his body.


    Blood Shadow screamed and went into spasms, clutching his head ineffectually as his fingers went through the fluid shadows.


    "No!" he shrieked. "Please, no! Get out of my body! I''m begging you! Please get out of my body! I''ll do anything!"


    Turning to me, he smashed his head into the ground so violently that his the skin of forehead ruptured and sprayed blood everywhere. His crazed eyes staring at me imploringly and desperately, he pleaded.


    "Sect Leader! I know that I''m wrong! I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! Please spare my life! Please¡­please don''t kill me! Don''t let Heaven and Earth Master take my body!"


    I merely stared at him coldly.


    "Would you have let me live if I asked you? Would you have spared Lang Xie or the Great Elders if they asked you to?"


    Blood Shadow stared at me, speechless for a moment, before he screamed. Clutching his head, he crashed onto the ground and rolled about desperately, groaning. His skin was darkening as black qi suffused his body, like creepy ink settling on and staining every area of his flesh and qi.


    His voice gradually grew weaker, and his thrashing abated somewhat. Eventually, he stopped wailing, and even the desperate gleam in his eyes vanished, replaced by a ruthless black hole. His qi had transformed completely, his body exuding a menacing aura as vast and oppressive as an ocean inhabited by colossal sea monsters. His eyes no longer shone, instead becoming pure black orbs that seemed to suck anyone who stared into them into a bottomless abyss.


    The moment Zi Shou De, Luo Zhi Chang, Hai Rong and Mo Hai looked at him, they felt their blood run cold. They knew that Blood Shadow was completely gone. The shadowy existence that had towered over me earlier had totally taken over his physical body and obliterated his mind and spiritual consciousness.


    There was no trace of the old Blood Shadow left.


    "With such impure qi, he calls himself a practitioner of Heaven and Earth Formula?" Tian Yu Di studied his newly obtained body with disgust. "Obviously taking shortcuts and not executing the basic Heaven and Earth breathing methods correctly, and he still has the guts to ask me to be his master? What a joke!"


    "Is there a problem?" I asked, somewhat concerned. "Do you need help to purify the qi in your new body?"


    Tian Yu Di''s eyes softened as he swiveled to look at me. "No need. Thank you for your concern, Sect Leader, but this body will do. I''ll purify the qi myself." he licked his lips as he glanced in the direction of the approaching ten sects, who were even now clashing against the vast majority of Blood Blades. "And there seems to be a rich field of qi for me to absorb if I need to, but I shouldn''t be too greedy or I''ll need time to assimilate all of them."


    "W¡­what''s going on?" Tang Qi Hong demanded, breaking the silence. Both Tian Yu Di and I turned and saw the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members watching us in dread. The Great Elders and inner sect elders had turned as pale as ghosts and were slightly trembling.


    Even Hai Rong was terrified by the apparition who had taken over her former senior''s body. She could only stare at him, speechless, unable to put a single coherent thought together.


    The dense, murderous aura emanating from Tian Yu Di''s newly acquired body alone was enough to suffocate them and strike fear deep into their hearts. Even the simple act of standing had become difficult when one was in front of him.


    Only Sect Leader Zi Shou De kept his cool. He looked at me and asked quietly.


    "Fei Wu. What do you plan to do now?"


    "Save Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, of course." I turned to Tian Yu Di, adjusting my glasses calmly. "If you don''t mind, Elder Tian Yu Di."


    "This servant obeys."


    To everyone''s astonishment, Tian Yu Di knelt before me and bowed his head slightly. I returned his submissive posture with a dignified nod and gestured for him to get up.

 210 Chapter 209: Schemes and Leadership

    Remember, the bastard tried to backstab me and kill me after I freed him. Basically he repaid a good deed with attempted murder. He tried to take over my body and use me as his host right after I removed the seals restraining him. If I hadn''t revealed the Golden Dragon Medallion, albeit inadvertently, he would even have succeeded despite my extensive preparations and Spirit Formation. I was literally seconds away from being obliterated like Blood Shadow.


    That said, it wasn''t as if I wasn''t sympathetic to what he had been through. Tian Yu Di had been betrayed by others as well, with Xue Jian leaving him in the lurch and abandoning him after he taught the former Heaven and Earth Absorption. He had been ganged up by a bunch of so-called honorable orthodox martial artists, who upon being unable to kill him, sealed him in an abysmal Spirit World under the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    After all he had been through, and being locked away in near-eternal solitary confinement for almost a thousand years, deprived of his freedom and subject to other lying backstabbers and traitors, it was only natural that Tian Yu Di would become desperate enough to resort to treachery. If it would get him free after nearly a millennium of imprisonment, he would do it. To be honest, if I was in his shoes, I would most likely do the same.


    In fact, I was impressed that he was still sane. I would have thought the utter loneliness and centuries of captivity would drive him mad. Honestly, if I were the one imprisoned inside an alternative space for almost a millennium, kept away from all human contact and restrained by chains, I would have gone insane. My mind would have broken from the sheer¡­tedium and solace, the total lack of freedom. I couldn''t even imagine what it was like to be in Tian Yu Di''s situation.


    Despite sympathizing with Tian Yu Di, I remained wary of him. Feeling sorry for him didn''t change the fact that he had broken my trust and tried to kill me. Even with the double Spirit Seals binding him securely to my command, he would have to work hard to regain my trust. He might be putting on a fa?ade of submissiveness for now, but I was sure it was only because he was looking forward to the prospect of freedom, and also because he didn''t want the spirit seals of enforced loyalty to kill him. After being trapped for almost a thousand years and being so close to freedom, he wouldn''t risk throwing all that away and committing suicide.


    That was why I kept my guard up around him. I wasn''t gullible enough to think everything was resolved and that Tian Yu Di would obey me unconditionally. He would definitely find a way to attain his freedom. The question was whether I would be able to grow strong enough to fight off any betrayal he might attempt before he succeeded.


    Tian Yu Di probably noticed my wariness, but he said nothing. He knew that he would have to earn my trust the hard way, or that I was entirely justified in believing so because he really was scheming something. But for now, he decided to go along with whatever I wanted, though I suspected it was solely because our present goals aligned.


    The Ancestral Master of Heaven and Earth Sect no doubt was eager to get his revenge on the Martial Arts Alliance who placed him in such a situation of despair and isolation in the first place. I could see his eagerness and bloodlust as he gazed in the direction of the ten invading sects.


    Aware of this, I didn''t hesitate to make use of Tian Yu Di. If he really wanted to kill me, he would have done so long ago, without pretending about the Golden Dragon Medallion having any Spirit Seals and simply snatched it away from me. I knew he was telling the truth.


    "This probably won''t change anything, and you are justified in keeping your guard up around me." Tian Yu Di''s voice spoke in my head, seeming to emanate from the Golden Dragon Medallion in my left breast pocket. "But the status of the sect leader is completely different from that of a mere disciple. Disciples are just pawns ¨C I''ll admit that I''ll callously discard their lives to achieve a goal for the sect. But you''ve already ordered me not to do that, so you don''t have to worry. I will definitely obey. However, my loyalty to the sect itself is absolute, and thus I will happily carry out any orders you issue." he hesitated for a moment. "I do realize that talk is cheap, and I have already committed a grave error earlier. You have shown me great mercy in not asking me to take my life, or taking a huge portion of my soul as punishment. Not only that, you are my benefactor, the person who saved me. Disciple or sect leader, this is a debt that I will definitely repay. Thus I will endeavor to earn back your trust¡­with actions."


    He reared up, rising to his feet, and this time he spoke out loud.


    "Who do you want to kill?"


    At first I didn''t reply, scoffing at his words. The guy should know I wasn''t stupid enough to fall for them. Being over a thousand years old, he would know that the reason why I didn''t kill him or take a portion of his soul was because I needed him. I needed his strength to overcome the current crisis facing Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Surely someone as old, wise and experienced as him would have realized that. Furthermore, he was ready to kill me after I freed him, so how the fuck did he intend to repay the debt when I am dead?


    "You might not believe me ¨C and you certainly have no obligation to ¨C but even if I intended to take over your body and use it as my host, I was willing to spare you." Tian Yu Di''s voice spoke from the Golden Dragon Medallion again. He must have noticed the derisive disbelief on my face, and sought to explain himself. Not that it was of any use. "Unlike this fool, I would have left your consciousness untouched and imprisoned it in one corner of your mind until I can find a more suitable host. I swear on that, but I understand if you don''t believe me. After all¡­all these are just words."


    He seemed to sigh, but I didn''t say a word. I only stared at hm indifferently, and then nodded once.


    While we were having our personal conversation, Sect Leader Zi Shou De coughed and spoke up again.


    "So how exactly do you plan on saving Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, or killing some people, Fei Wu?" he glanced at Tian Yu Di and bowed his head deferentially. "I recognize this senior''s immense strength, and have no doubt that he can single-handedly turn the tide, but how are you going about the task? Do you plan to just unleash him on them now?"


    As expected of the man who had taken charge of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Unlike him, the Great Elders, the inner sect elders and everyone else were all frozen in fear, unable to move a single muscle. Never mind utter a word, they didn''t even dare to breathe!


    All of them could sense the terrifying power emanating from Tian Yu Di, and were aware that he could kill them with nothing more than a glance. They knew that as long as he didn''t allow it, none of them would be able to escape.


    Only Zi Shou De was unaffected. I bowed to him respectfully.


    "Sect Leader Zi, with your permission, I would like to invite all the invaders here. Especially their commanders and leaders." A smile spread across my face as I relished the prospect of setting a trap for the triumphant idiots. "This Elder will assist us in negotiations."


    Zi Shou De frowned. "Negotiations? For what?"


    "For their surrender, of course."


    Sect Leader Zi actually burst out laughing at that. "You don''t need my permission if that''s the case."


    "Thank you for understanding." I then turned toward the outer sect district. "I''ll go contact Sect Lady Da Ji and inform her of our change in plans."


    "No, let me do it." Tong Xue broke free from his spellbound terror and stepped forward. He cast a fearful glance at Tian Yu Di, but took a deep breath and composed himself. "You showing up there will be like adding oil to fire. You''ll only provoke the invaders to fight harder. I''ll sneak in, locate Sect Lady Da Ji, and tell her." he smiled confidently. "I''m better than you at that sort of thing, after all."


    I nodded. "Thanks. I''ll be relying on you then."


    Tong Xue flashed a grin before disappearing into the shadows. If you were wondering why we didn''t just call her on her cellphone, it was because she obviously couldn''t answer at the moment. Sect Lady Zi Da Ji was presently engagng the enemy in battle, and as such was in no condition to check her smartphone for emails or messages, or answer a call. Most likely she would just not answer, assuming she didn''t turn off her phone prior to combat.


    At the same time, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji and Elder Zhao Shi were embroiled in a desperate battle in the outer sect courtyard.


    Scores of enemies lay around them and the Blood Blades, mowed down by the heavy firepower of the battle-automata the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect controlled. In fact, it was only because of the presence of the battle-automata that the Blood Blades hadn''t been routed. They were vastly outnumbered, more than ten to one, and it was only because of the battle-automata that they were able to stem the flow of invaders temporarily and hold out for so long.


    However, they were clearly fighting a losing battle. A sizeable number of Blood Blades had fallen, their battle-automata smashed apart by sheer numbers and concentrated strikes from coordinated martial artists. Despite making the enemy pay dearly in blood for every millimeter of ground they seized, the Bood Blades were clearly and inexorably being forced to fall back, their lines and numbers shrinking drastically with every exchange.


    The current commanders of all ten sects, Yuan Tian Ya, Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo, Liang Yang Zu, and Su Bai Xue, were leading their subordinates and closing the noose around Blood Blades'' necks. They smashed apart a column of unfortunate Thallax battle puppets, Wu Tuo pulverizing them with sheer strength while Yuan Tian Ya ruthlessly beheaded their luckless controller before he even knew what was happening.


    Liang Yang Zu cut down a determined Blood Blades, cleaving her and her Thallax cohort in half with a crimson blade and knocking their remains aside. He strode arrogantly toward the retreating Blood Blades, approaching Zi Da Ji in particular.


    "Sect Lady Zi, there is no need for such violence. Just surrender, and you might just be able to save more of your subordinates'' lives."


    "What are you talking about?" Yuan Tian Ya frowned when he heard Liang Yang Zu''s imploration. This wasn''t part of the plan. "Aren''t we supposed to kill all Blood Blades martial artists, to ensure that they won''t become a threat to the Martial Arts Alliance? They have inflicted heavy casualties on us, but given our superior numbers, surely it shouldn''t take us much longer to exterminate everyone in the outer sect of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    Zi Da Ji met his gaze evenly, and snorted. Raising her hand, flames crackled threateningly, its temperature matching that of the plasma bolts the Castellax battle-automata were firing into screaming and dying enemy martial artists.


    "Try it if you can," she sneered. "We''ll see who gets exterminated first. Your sects, or my Blood Blades."


    She wasa aware that the Martial Arts Alliance had ordered that none of the Blood Blades had been left alive, so she wasn''t going to place much worth in the scheming and conniving Liang Yang Zuu''s words in the first place.


    However, Liang Yang Zu shook his head and threw up a hand to stay the furious and provoked Yuan Tian Ya.


    "Don''t you think it''s a waste to wipe Blood Blades out? They have cultivated powerful, secret martial arts that earned them their terrifying reputation. Only the outer sect disciples would be familiar with these secret techniques. If we kill everyone in Blood Blades, then we will not be able to learn their martial arts. We also need to obtain Blood Blades'' training methods, as well as their infamous Will''o Wisp Forest that is said to enhance one''s constitution and qi, and boost one''s cultivation. That''s why we must leave at least a few of them alive."


    At his reasoning, everyone''s eyes lit up greedily.


    "That''s right," Shi Jing Yun hastily put in. "Sect Leader Yuan, please reconsider. Don''t be too hasty and kill all of Blood Blades."


    "There is no need for such bloodshed," Wu Tuo agreed, hypocritically unaware of the irony. "We are civilized, after all."


    If I were there, I would have smashed his pudgy face in, but¡­oh, well. Never mind. I would get a chance to get back at him later.


    Anyway, the reason why they were hurriedly persuading Yuan Tian Ya, wasn''t because they were truly merciful, but because of their sheer greed. Everyone knew about the strength of Blood Blades, and many of them had even experienced it personally. Just too bad that most of those many had lost their lives.


    In any case, the various sects naturally coveted Blood Blades'' training methods and martial arts techniques, as well as the legendary Will''o Wisp Forest that served as an optimum training ground. They wanted to increase their own power using such knowledge. That was why they so readily agreed to Liang Yang Zu''s suggestion, even though it wasn''t part of the orders issued by the higher-ups.


    They could always convince the Martial Arts Alliance later, and knowing the council who lead them, they were aware that they would approve of their decision.


    Unfortunately for them, they had all been fooled. While Liang Yang Zu did indeed crave the martial arts techniques of Blood Blades, he didn''t make the suggestion for that reason. He only did it to stall for time, so that Blood Shadow could achieve his objectives and acquire the Heaven and Earth techniques he was looking for.


    The greedy, corrupted fool had no idea that Blood Shadow had already died, killed by the very Heaven and Earth Master they sought to meet. Well, I couldn''t blame him. Fools will forever be fools.


    "All right!" it was only too easy to persuade Yuan Tian Ya, and he nodded, desire burning in his eyes. "I''ll admit that I''m also interested in the secret martial arts techniques of Blood Blades, and have been wanting to learn them for a long while now."


    The fucker was practically drooling.


    Zi Da Ji laughed coldly. "You really think you can just waltz in and take our martial arts techniques? I can guarantee you that each and every Blood Blades martial artist under my command will fight to the death. We will not hand anything over to you!"


    "Now, now¡­there is no need for such extremism, is there?" Su Bai Xue asked, holding up her hand, as if trying to express her wish for peace. What a joke.


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    However, Sect Lady Da Ji was as good as her word, and the Blood Blades fought harder then before, turning the war into a grinding stalemate. More members from the ten invading sects were ruthlessly sacrificed into the meatgrinder, and while the Blood Blades were achieving an impressive kill ratio ¨C killing at least five for every single loss they took ¨C they knew they would eventually lose this battle of attrition.


    They just didn''t have the numbers to keep this up.


    Even so, they succeeded in halting the conquest of the Martial Arts Alliance, keeping them out in the outer sect grounds for an impressively long time. Reinforcements continued to flood in from Tushan City, the reserves of the ten invading sects pouring in to replace the soldiers they had lost in the opening exchanges.


    By now, even the normal disciples had caught up and threw themselves into the war. Most of them, anyway. Unlike the battle-hardened, elite core disciples or veteran martial artists, many of the common martial artists did not possess the courage or strength to hurl themselves into the guns and attacks of the Blood Blades.


    There were also many who didn''t possess the stomach for such violence and bloodshed, as for them, this was the first time they had participated in such a bloody war.


    Then there were those who were reluctant to actively participate in the demise of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, having one form of a link or another to the sect.


    Lu Li, Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan had arrived from the districts in Tushan City and joined Shi Jing Yun''s group along with the reinforcements as they harried a group of Blood Blades and their cybernetica cohort.


    Unlike them, Yin Jing Jing did not have the guts to come. She had returned to the Snow Valley Sect long ago, unable to witness the doom of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. She had grown affectionate for the sect over the year or so she had spent her, and it pained her to see the sect in such a state. She couldn''t bear to see the home she had lived in for over a year destroyed like this.


    In contrast, Pang Feng had boldly joined Wu Tuo and the Cloud Sky Mountain Sect disciples. He had steeled himself to witness Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s fate, ready to accompany it to the very end. A lot of good his sentiment would do us, though.


    His sister, Pang Yun, did not have the courage to come. Like Yin Jing Jing, she couldn''t bear to see the destruction of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and had elected to stay at the Great Nature''s Heart shop while her former fellow sect members were being slaughtered.


    "Pang Feng?" Elder Zhao exclaimed when he spotted the heavyset fellow. His expression turned furious. "What are you doing here?"


    "How bold of you¡­to still have the guts to show your face in the sect after returning to Cloud Sky Mountain and joining them in attacking us." Sect Lady Da Ji was a lot more spiteful, her expression as cold as ice as she glared at Pang Feng.


    The former Blood Blades member shook his head, his expression calm and steady. He scanned the familiar faces of the outer sect disciples, his eyes pained and complicated. However, his voice was incredibly level as he spoke.


    "Sect Lady Zi, Elder Zhao. I did not expect the sect to experience such a crisis either. I truly do not wish to see the sect get destroyed, but I do not have the power to halt its destruction. The reason why I''m here is so that I can witness the sect''s fate to the end. If there is anything I can do to change this fate, I will do my best to accomplish it."


    Pang Feng swallowed, his eyes slightly moistening from helplessness.


    "You are only here to watch," Wu Tuo ordered him with a sharp look. "Remember that you are not allowed to interfere!"


    Pang Feng snorted and scowled, but did not protest.


    "That boy has courage, at least." Su Bai Xue from Snow Valley Sect acknowledged him. "For him to face his former sect members like this, and having the resolve to witness Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s fate to the very end¡­he truly has a heart of steel."


    "Assuming that he lives long enough to witness it." Zi Da Ji''s tone was glacial. She softened a little when she saw Pang Feng''s eyes, but she refused to back down. "We won''t show mercy, no matter what links you have with us in the past."


    She raised a flaming hand, ready to swing it down and order another attack. "Blood Blades! On my signal¡­"


    At that moment, Tong Xue appeared, almost as if emerging from the shadows.


    "Wait!" he called out. Zi Da Ji froze for a moment, and stared at him in surprise. Unsure of what to make of this, the invading sects also halted their attacks temporarily and watched curiously as Tong Xue whispered something to Zi Da Ji. She nodded once, and then retrieved her smartphone and dialed a number.


    "Dear?" she asked when Zi Shou De picked up on the other end. "Just making sure you really authorized this." she listened, and then smiled slightly. "I see¡­so that''s how it is. Okay, then. We''ll go along with it for now."


    She then turned toward the invaders. "If you don''t mind pausing the fight for a bit, then I would like to invite you to the plaza¡­to discuss terms."


    The five commanders all looked at each other flabbergasted by this sudden turn of events. Zi Da Ji didn''t wait for them to react, already turning around and heading toward the plaza where the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars stood. Elder Zhao and the Blood Blades followed her, immediately disengaging and withdrawing from battle without any word.


    When she noticed that the commanders were still milling around, stunned by the abrupt development, she paused to glance at them over her shoulder.


    "Of course, if you don''t wish to negotiate, then you''re welcome to go back to fighting with us."

 211 Chapter 210: Negotiations for Surrender

    By now it was after noon ¨C I had started when the sun was at its zenith, but right now it continued to blaze down on us mercilessly as we occupied the plaza. I was casually leaning against one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars, seeking refuge in its shadow from the blinding rays. I mean, I''m an ice user. Of course I can''t stand the damned heat.


    Opposite me was Tian Yu Di, who had sat down cross-legged to meditate. I wasn''t sure what he was doing, though judging from the flow of qi circulating around his body, I was pretty sure he was purifying the tainted qi in Blood Shadow''s body. Hmm, it seemed like he might need a bit more time to purify the qi, and the purer his qi, the stronger he would be, and thus the bigger the advantage we would have in a fight.


    I resolved to buy him as much time as possible.


    Sect Leader Zi Shou De was hovering nearby, having taken his place at the center of the plaza to wait for the enemies. As the leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, it was only right that he represented the sect in negotiations. I had heard his conversation over the phone with Sect Lady Zi Da Ji earlier, which meant they should be showing up any time soon.


    Flanking him were the five surviving Great Elders, and forming a larger circle was Chief Elder Hai Mo and the other inner sect elders. Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou stood to the side uncertainly, being as inconspicuous as possible as they too took shelter under the shade of a towering Spirit Engraved Pillar. The both of them watched me curiously, no doubt wondering what I had under my sleeve.


    A few minutes later, Zi Da Ji, Elder Zhao, and many outer sect disciples and Blood Blades martial artists appeared, retreating from the front yard and flooding into the plaza. Taking their places around the inner sect disciples, they crowded around anxiously, obviously as clueless to the sudden ceasefire as our enemies.


    "Dear." Zi Da Ji bowed her head deferentially as she approached her husband. "I''ve brought them as you requested."


    "Thank you, my beloved." Zi Shou De greeted her with a warm smile. He reached out and squeezed her hand as she took her place beside him. "You did an excellent job defending the sect. I''m very proud of you and the Blood Blades."


    "It has been a great honor," she replied with a smile of her own.


    Tong Xue returned to Lian Rou''s side, presumably so that he could protect her if a fight suddenly erupted. He glanced in my direction and I nodded in acknowledgement. Whatever words we could exchange were cut off by booming laughter.


    "Sect Leader Zi, we appreciate your invitation to negotiations!" The chubby Cloud Sky Mountain Sect expert had been the first to set foot on the plaza. Pang Feng followed closely, along with many Cloud Sky Mountain Sect martial artists, all of them clad in the gray uniform of their sect. He met my gaze evenly, only lowering his head slightly.


    Zi Shou De narrowed his eyes when he spotted him, but even his reaction was not as hostile as Hai Rong and the elders, who were literally boiling with rage as they glared accusingly at him. Both inner sect and outer sect disciples also hurled insults at him, labeling him as a traitor and an ingrate, which given the circumstances, were true.


    Pang Feng''s shoulders sagged a fraction, but he stoically received the abuse without any excuses or attempt to defend himself, only standing as still as a rock.


    "Zi Shou De!" Liang Yang Zu approached the sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect with a snarl, though to me it was clear that he was merely putting on a dramatic performance. His tone and mannerism were obviously exaggerated. "I would have you explain why my son was killed in the grounds of your sect! Why did you cover up and shelter a murderer like Fei Wu? Did you not think my sect will seek jusice for my son''s death?"


    "I already explained everything to you. You should have read the reports I emailed to you." Zi Shou De met his accusatory gaze evenly. "And if you''re talking about justice for your son and sect, then you should have no complaints that he is executed for murdering Hao Ying. Or is your son''s life worth more than Hao Ying''s?"


    "That''s¡­!" Liang Yang Zu spluttered, and then composed himself. "That''s an affair between fellow Divine Shadow Sect disciples! Even if they had an altercation, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has no right to interfere in their conflict!"


    "Fair enough," Zi Shou De conceded. "Which is why we didn''t do anything. However, in the same manner, Divine Shadow Sect has no right to interfere in the conflict between Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples." He raised his smartphone. "I already mentioned it in my report but perhaps you haven''t read it, so I shall remind you again. Your son attempted to murder Fei Wu with Venomous Scarabs, and then killed Kao Wen inside our sect grounds. Not only that, he attacked Fei Wu, Pang Feng and Tong Xue with the intent to kill." He snorted. "You can''t possibly be suggesting something as ridiculous as Fei Wu and the others just standing there, doing nothing and allowing your son to kill them? Even if he''s your son, you should approach this with a more objective outlook. Simply put, he broke our sect laws, and even as a Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciple, attacked other Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples. Or¡­" he narrowed his eyes. "Are you practicing double standards because he is your son?"


    "You¡­you¡­!" Liang Yang Zu stuttered in astonishment, unable to muster a retort.


    Su Bai Xue sighed. "Stop it, Sect Leader Liang. You''re embarrassing yourself." She then turned to Elder Hai Mo. "Elder Hai Mo¡­I apologize for the circumstances having befallen your sect, but Snow Valley Sect will guarantee your safety."


    She, along with Yuan Tian Ya and Shi Jing Yun, had already arrived with their subordinates and had heard the whole thing.


    "¡­Elder Hai Mo, I am very sorry, but I am under orders from the higher-ups." Shi Jing Yun was bitter. He also glanced apologetically at Zi Shou De and the five Great Elders, his face red in embarrassment. Then he turned back to Elder Hai Mo and bowed deeply. "I have not forgotten my debt to you when you forged a Spirit Armament for me. If the masters of the six Valley Sects did not order me to do so, then I would never have set foot into Nine-Tailed Fox Sect with the intention to invade you. I can only express my deepest apologies."


    Yuan Tian Ya also bowed, looking ashamed before Hai Mo. "Same here. The higer-ups from the Martial Arts Alliance have specifically ordered me to ensure no harm befalls you whatsoever." His tone was respectful.


    Currently Hai Mo was acknowledged as the number one Spirit Engraver and blacksmith in the Great Zhou Empire. Every single Spirit Artifact that he produced was of extremely high quality and highly sought after by most martial artists. He had made vital and major contributions to the blacksmithing industry and revolutionized manufacture of Spirit Artifacts. Many of his blueprints were used by the royal blacksmiths to produce equipment for Imperial Guardsmen.


    Never mind the Martial Arts Alliance¡­if the royal family learned that the Martial Arts Alliance had killed Hai Mo, then no matter what excuse they came up with, the royal family would definitely send the Imperial Guard to utterly destroy the Martial Arts Alliance, no matter the cost.


    Of course, the Martial Arts Alliance desired Hai Mo''s ability for themselves, owing tohis great reputation. Even if Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was destroyed today, Hai Mo would only rise through the ranks of blacksmiths in the Martial Arts Alliance and become the most eminent and most indispensable blacksmith in the Great Zhou Empire.


    That was why Yuan Tian Ya, Su Bai Xue, Shi Jing Yun and the others treated Hai Mo with so much respect, not daring to offend him (though too late for that). They knew that in future, they would need to request Hai Mo for a favor. Even if it wasn''t Spirit Artifacts, given how Hai Mo would eventually rise to a position of absolute authority and influence, they were aware that a single word from him might even determine their fates.


    Similarly, earlier when Blood Shadow refrained from killing Hai Rong earlier, it was because he didn''t want to offend her husband. He wanted to keep open the option of being able to request Hai Mo to forge Spirit Weapons for him in future. Not that it helped him much, given his eventual demise, but whatever.


    Hai Mo merely stared at them indifferently. "Do you think your words carry any weight when you''re all standing here today like this?" he asked, carefully keeping his tone neutral.


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    The invading crowd looked ashamed of themselves.


    "Does it matter?" Liang Yang Zu sneered as he stomped toward Zi Shou De to confront our sect leader directly. "You''ve invited us here to discuss terms of your surrender, haven''t you? Let''s hear it then."


    To his utter surprise, I burst out laughing. He turned to glare at me.


    "Impudent child!" he roared. "What''s so funny?"


    I tried to control my laughter, clutching my stomach as I suppressed an errant giggle. "It seems you''ve misunderstood something. We did not invite you here to discuss terms of our surrender. We''ve graciously welcomed you here to discuss terms of your surrender."


    A stunned silence fell over the crowd, all of them looking at me in absolute astonishment.


    Yuan Tian Ya was the first to recover. He turned on Zi Shou De, scorn on his face.


    "Is this what your sect is reduced now?" he sneered. "You can''t even control a brat from speaking out of his place? You allow your disciples to ridicule and make a mockery of this solemn affair?"


    "That ''brat'' is currently our core disciple and a major member of the Blood Blades." Zi Shou De was smiling, thoroughly amused. I swear, he was actually enjoying this as well. "And yes, his words carry as much weight as mine. He was the one who suggested that we invite you all here to discuss terms of your surrender." He leaned back with a chuckle. "I merely authorized his proposal." He spead his hands. "So yes, I''m of the same opinion as him. Shall we begin discussing terms of your surrender then?"


    The commanders of the ten invading sects looked stupefied. Their subordinates were all looking at me in confusion, their jaws dropping. Never mind our enemies, even my fellow members from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, whether it was outer sect disciples, inner sect disciples or Blood Blades, were looking at me as if I had gone mad.


    "Impudent fools!" Liang Yang Zu finally roared. "You will die for this insolence! Warriors of the Divine Shadow Sect! Kill all of them except the elders!"


    Just before they could make their move, however, a creepy chuckle reverberated across the plaza, causing them to freeze. Tian Yu Di had seemingly finished whatever it was that he was doing, and rose to his feet, emerging from the shadow of the Spirit Engraved Pillar where he was meditating and purifying his qi.


    "Kill them all? Do you think you''re capable of doing so?" he turned to me with a snicker. "Sect Leader, shall I eliminate all of them for you?"


    "Y¡­you are¡­!" Liang Yang Zu blinked at Tian Yu Di''s sudden appearance, stunned. "Blood Shadow?! What are you doing?!"


    Everyone turned to stare at the body of Blood Shadow, which had been completely taken over by Tian Yu Di.


    My Ancestral Master didn''t reply, instead waiting for me to respond. I glanced at him with a tilt of my head while noticing something peculiar about Liang Yang Zu at the same time. Pushing up my glasses, I studied the Sect Leader of Divine Shadow Sect for a moment, making him more uneasy.


    "Blood Shadow! What the fuck are you doing? Kill that kid for me!"


    Again, Tian Yu Di didn''t reply, merely watching me for a response. I turned back to him.


    "That whiny man over there, it seems that he gives off the same qi as us. Do you think he''ll be more suitable as a host, or is his qi compatible with yours for Heaven and Earth Absorption?"


    Tian Yu Di let out a chilling laughter that caused everyone to shudder uncontrollably, and then he glanced at Liang Yang Zu revoltingly. "This garbage? Are you kidding me? He''s worse than this Yan Chi." He sighed exaggeratedly and shook his head. "He obviously has been secretly cultivating Heaven and Earth Formula, but in an incomplete manner. He got too greedy and ended up in the state of demonic rebound."


    This time, he turned to Liang Yang Zu and addressed him directly, his tone full of scorn.


    "How much human blood have you drunk recently, hmm? Do you feel mentally unstable whenever you stop drinking human blood daily?"


    The moment he heard that, Liang Yang Zu''s entire body shuddered violently. Backing away in terror, he yelled, "Blood Shadow! What nonsense are you spouting?!"


    "Drink human blood?" Zi Shou De exchanged knowing glances with the five Great Elders. They realized that Liang Yang Zu had cultivated the same Heaven and Earth techniques as Blood Shadow, in the same imperfect and flawed state, and thus he had now ended up like Xue Jian where he needed human blood in order to survive or maintain a modicum of his sanity. Zi Shou De nodded in understanding. "No wonder Liang Yang Zu and Blood Shadow were the first to arrive and attack our sect. The both of them have been suffering the same problem, and thus needed Elder Tian''s help."


    "As if I would help them," Tian Yu Di snorted.


    "Drink human blood? Liang Yang Zu?" Su Bai Xue''s already snow-white skin paled further as she instinctively backed away from Liang Yang Zu, staring at him as if he was a monster. "Is what Blood Shadow said true? Do you drink human blood daily now?"


    Lu Li, Ling Yu Mei, Ling Yu Xuan and the other female martial artists in Snow Valley Sect also backed away in shock and terror, staring at Liang Yang Zu as if he had just suddenly transformed into a vicious monster.


    Even Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Yuan Tian Ya looked dismayed as they glanced fearfully at Liang Yang Zu, taking a few steps back in reflex.


    Yuan Tian Ya even ended up delivering a blunt question. "Sect Leader Liang, is what Blood Shadow said true? Do those who cultivate Blood Blades'' martial arts need to continuously feed on human blood in order to stay alive and maintain their sanity?"


    Everyone was now staring at Liang Yang Zu with disgust and revulsion. In that single instance, they all viewed him as a monster.


    I began laughing, clutching my stomach and dropping onto the ground. Banging my fists against the ground, I howled in laughter. Everyone turned to stare at me.


    "What''s so funny?" Wu Tuo asked, somewhat stiffly.


    "All of you!" I exclaimed, taking my glasses off and wuping the tears from my eyes. "Listen to all of you! This is rich! This is so rich! Why are you all acting as if you have any right to judge Liang Yang Zu when you''re just as bad as him?!"


    "Take that back!" Su Bai Xue snarled. "You insolent child! You have been yapping away all this while¡­has no one taught you any manners?"


    "Manners?" Zi Shou De''s lips quirked into a sneer. "You ganged up on us, barge into our sect, plunder our resources and killed so many of our discples and martial artists, and you want to talk to my disciple about manners? Utter hypocrites!"


    At least a few of the enemy martial artists had the temerity to look ashamed when they heard that. Even Su Bai Xue fell silent, unable to muster a proper rebuttal.


    "It''s not that I want to defend Liang Yang Zu." I made use of the lull to continue. "But listen to yourselves. ''Drink human blood? Liang Yang Zu! That is inhuman, you monster! How dare you treat human life like lifestock, like something you can manipulate and destroy as you wish according to your own desires! Human life, at best, should only be something you slaughter because you covet their wealth and power! Kill because you''re greedy, and not because you want to drink their blood! Otherwise it''s wrong! You monster! You fiend! We totally have the right to judge you!''"


    Shaking my head, I sighed and pointed dramatically at them.


    "You''ve achieved a whole new level of hypocrisy. Tell me, what truly is the difference between you all and Liang Yang Zu? Is killing us to plunder our resources and take our power more justified than killing someone to drink their blood? What''s the difference? In the end, all of you are murderers. In the end, all of you killed us for your own selfish desires. How is killing someone to drink his blood any difffernt from killing all the members of a sect to steal their resources, eliminate their power and monopolize their blacksmithing industry?"


    Pushing my glasses up my nose, I glared at them.


    "Are any of you in any position to judge Liang Yang Zu? To us in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, whether we''re slaughtered for our blood, or we''re killed so that you can rip our sect apart and help yourselves to our wealth and resources, it''s the same. We still end up dead."


    "That''s right!" Tong Xue shouted. "Bloody hypocrites! Get out of your sect!"


    "Don''t justify yourself with your half-assed logic! You''re just here to rob, pillage and murder us! Plain and simple!" Jing Wei yelled.


    Within seconds, all the Blood Blades, outer sect disciples and inner sect disciples had joined in, hurling accusations and abuse at the shameful, silent invaders. The elders and commanders were too dignified to join in the childish tirade, but they didn''t stop us, merely staring at the ten invading sects accusingly.


    However, several of them were too far gone to listen to us. The Divine Shadow Sect members, in particular, were too distracted by the revelation that their sect leader was a vampire to pay any attention to our rage and outburst.


    "For the past two years, many brothers in Divine Shadow Sect have died without a single drop of blood remaining in their veins." One of Liang Yang Zu''s subordinates was whispering under his breath as he backed away from his commander, the color rapidly draining from his face. His lips trembled as he stared at Liang Yang Zu, the pieces finally falling into place for him. "So that''s why. That''s how it all happened¡­"


    Liang Yang Zu was staring from me to Tian Yu Di, quivering in both rage and dread. He finally settled on my Ancestral Master, recalling that he was the one who leaked everything in front of everyone. "Blood Shadow! What nonsense are you spouting?!"


    "Nonsense? You know the truth." Tian Yu Di gave an indifferent reply, and he bowed his head respectfully toward me. "Sect Leader, I request that you allow me to eliminate him first. His existence is a disgrace to our sect."


    "Suit yourself," I replied. The fucker was responsible for Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s current crisis, after all. The sooner he was dead, the better.


    "Many thanks." Tian Yu Di cupped his hands and bowed again.


    "Shut the fuck up!"


    Unable to restrain his anger anymore, Liang Yang Zu launched himself at me. He brandished a scythe, swinging it down to decapitate me.


    "I''ll get rid of you first, brat!" he hollered. "You''ll pay for your insolence and arrogance!"


    His scythe never reached. He hadn''t even gotten halfway across the plaza when Tian Yu Di disappeared and appeared in front of him. None of us even saw him move. The next second, Liang Yang Zu froze, and he dropped his scythe, which shattered.


    "Pathetic¡­you want to attack Sect Leader with such a low-grade Spirit Weapon?" Tian Yu Di scoffed, clenching and loosening his fingers.


    Liang Yang Zu didn''t budge, beads of perspiration rolling down his face as he stared at Tian Yu Di in absolute horror. He couldn''t even move a muscle, and his eyes were beginning to glaze over, his lips quivering as he struggled to say something.


    "You¡­you''re not Blood Shadow!" he finally managed. "Who¡­?"


    "Took you long enough to figure that out," I muttered. On the other hand, Yuan Tian Ya, Su Bai Xue, Wu Tuo and Shi Jing Yun could only stare at Tian Yu Di, stupefied. They knew Liang Yang Zu''s strength very well, and couldn''t understand how he was so easily subdued in a single move.


    Comprehension finally dawned on Liang Yang Zu''s face when the coin dropped. Staring at Tian Yu Di, his terror increasing with each second, he spluttered.


    "You are the Heaven and Earth Master! You are the person who taught Blood Shadow''s master Heaven and Earth Absorption!"


    "Correct!" Tian Yu Di crowed in delight and made a weird sound that sounded like those stuff in game shows. "You deserve a prize!"


    Yuan Tian Ya, Su Bai Xue, Wu Tuo and Shi Jing Yun all noticed that something was very amiss, and when they heard Liang Yang Zu''s words, the color drained from their faces. As one, they all swung around to look at Tian Yu Di.


    "Just kill him already," I told Tian Yu Di impatiently. "Toying with a victim before he dies is in bad taste."


    "Roger that, Sect Leader." Tian Yu Di nodded. Liang Yang Zu swallowed, and shook his head, his eyes bulging from fright.


    "Please¡­" he gasped, quivering wildly now as he begged. "Please don''t kill me. I''ll take you as my master." He turned to me. "I''ll recognize you as sect leader, so please."


    "Too late."


    Tian Yu Di smirked as he spun away and walked off, waving his hand dismissively. Liang Yang Zu stared at him in disbelief, but seeing that the other party had not made any move, dared to breathe a sigh of relief.


    Tian Yu Di''s smile widened, and he turned back mischievously.


    "Omae wa mou shindeiru."


    "NANI?!"


    Liang Yang Zu could only manage that last shriek before his body exploded. First his head blew up, then his torso. Blood and viscera rained down on the plaza, splattering onto shocked and yelping Divine Shadow Sect members and causing them to jump away or recoil in shock. Soon, there was nothing left of Liang Yang Zu but bloody pulp and disembodied entrals.


    The poor bastard didn''t even get to truly use the Heaven and Earth techniques that he had so paintstakingly learned.


    "Who''s next?" Tian Yu Di addressed me, not even bothering to look back as his victim exploded. I winced at the grisly sight.


    "Could you be a lot less messy?"


    "Is that an order?" Tian Yu Di asked. I sighed and shook my head. He then snickered. "Then please indulge in my selfishness. It''s just been so long since I had so much fun."


    "Fine, fine." I ignored the traumatized crowd around Liang Yang Zu''s gruesome demise and glanced at the remaining commanders, who still had no clue what had just happened. One of them, in particular, caught my attention.


    "How about him?" I asked, pointing at Yuan Tian Ya. The Dark Asura Sect Leader''s jaw dropped as he stared at me, stunned.

 212 Chapter 211: No Forgiveness, No Mercy

    "W¡­what do have against me, brat?!" he shouted in panic. I stared at him incredulously, and snorted.


    "Are you seriously asking me that?" I scoffed. "You lead your sect in here to plunder my sect, killed so many of my comrades, and tried to corner us into enslavery or death, and you still have the guts to ask me what I have against you?" I threw up a hand and tapped my head. "Is there something wrong with your brain?"


    "B¡­but everyone else is doing so too!" Yuan Tian Ya was gesturing at Wu Tuo, Shi Jing and Su Bai Xue. "Why single me out? Why aim for only me?"


    "Who says I''m singling you out and aiming only for you? They''ll get your turn." I shrugged. "I just picked you because Qin Lie picked you after Liang Yang Zu died. That''s the only reason."


    Yuan Tian Ya blanched at that, shock and incredulity filling his face. "Who the hell is Qin Lie?!" he roared.


    "You don''t need to know," I replied. The guy obviously hadn''t read Spirit Realm, though to be fair, why should he? Honestly, I should stop ripping it off.


    "Are you finished with your conversation?" Tian Yu Di asked, trying to maintain what scraps of his patience that he had left. "Can I kill him already?"


    "Sure, be my guest." I stepped aside and gestured for my Ancestral Master to do whatever he needed to do.


    To be honest, I wasn''t just copying Spirit Realm and mimicking Qin Lie. I had read in history books and the Internet that the Dark Asura Sect had been one of those sects intent on destroying Heaven and Earth Sect. Yuan Tian Ya had led a particularly large contingent of Dark Asura Sect martial artists to hunt down a good number of Heaven and Earth Sect practitioners, and was one of those orthodox martial artists who ganged up on my master and drove him to his death. He relentlessly hunted my master, and still refused to give up when Master retired and disappeared into a normal life.


    Then again, why should he? I wasn''t na?ve and hypocritical to claim that Master was innocent. Having read those books and online articles, I was aware of the atrocities that Master had committed in the name of the Heaven and Earth Sect, and the countless numbers of civilians and martial artists he had slain. He might have treated me very well, but he was far from being an innocent saint who was being pursued by vengeful martial artists for no good reason. Unlike this time with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, Heaven and Earth Sect had caused their own downfall by indulging in criminal activities, slaughter and atrocities, pillaging villages and other sects, and draining martial artists and people for their qi in order to increase their own strength.


    ¡­until they pulled this stunt. Having revealed their true colors, I inwardly vowed that I wasn''t going to let them get away with it. For all I knew, the books and online articles published on Heaven and Earth Sect were distorted, falsified and whitewashed to paint Heaven and Earth Sect as evil and the Martial Arts Alliance as a paragon of virtue. A one-sided propaganda that deceived the population about the true nature of the Martial Arts Alliance. Obviously, that didn''t justify Heaven and Earth Sect going around massacre countless innocents, but I was sure it was far from the simplistic, one-sided portrayal of black and white, good and evil, that the Martial Arts Alliance painted the picture to be.


    So I decided to start with the dude who was involved in the cleanup operation against Master. In a way, I would also be giving Tian Yu Di a chance to get revenge. Moreover, Yuan Tian Ya''s name was similar to Tian Yu Di, which was causing confusion among English readers, so the sooner he died off, the less confusion they would suffer when trying to remember all these exotic Chinese names.


    Yuan Tian Ya panicked and ran off, channeling his qi into his prized Spirit Artifact, which seemed more like a chainmail hidden under his clothes.


    "Oh, come on," I groaned. "Don''t you start growing green-feathered wings and flying away, or we''ll be in trouble with the copyright law. Well, we can always claim that this is fanfiction, so no one will bother us¡­"


    Tian Yu Di had other plans, however. He appeared in front of a stunned Yuan Tian Ya, and then flicked his forehead.


    Yuan Tian Ya''s head vanished in a shower of blood and brain matter, shards of his skull raining down on the ground and pelting the shocked Dark Asura Sect martial artists around him. The closest, overwhelmed by Tian Yu Di''s malicious aura, dropped to the ground and stared, their mouths hanging open as blood streamed down their faces and stained their uniforms.


    "W¡­w¡­w¡­"


    They were muttering, still unable to believe what they saw.


    "Who else should I kill?" Tian Yu Di asked as he returned to his original position beside me, flicking the blood off his fingers.


    I shrugged and grinned. "Thank you for making it quick, and not creating a blood slave to chase after him. That was just lame. This is much more satisfying."


    "I always aim to please," Tian Yu Di replied indifferently. "And why do you seem to think I''m from the Blood Fiend Sect or something? I can''t conjure blood slaves or use blood techniques. I''m your Ancestral Master from the Heaven and Earth Sect! Don''t confuse me with Xue Li! We''re not going to reenact the whole scene from Spirit Realm, otherwise people can go read that instead!"


    "Well, maybe they want to read my cynical criticisms of the original Spirit Realm and how it''s so ridiculous, illogical and hypocritical?" I asked. Not that I was in any position to criticize the original story, but it was just so amusing to point out the logical fallacies and complete lack of intelligence in that story, and how it was always obsessed with describing how beautiful the female characters were even in the most inappropriate of circumstances. Well, I was pretty sure my personal account and experiences suffered from the same thing, but whatever.


    Everyone was watching both me and Tian Yu Di warily. They obviously were unsure of his relationship to me, but it was clear that he was obeying my commands. Though why such a very powerful, venerable elder was obeying a young upstart like me, who was relatively weak and inexperienced, they had no idea.


    That didn''t stop them from being afraid, though, especially when they heard Tian Yu Di asking me who he should kill next.


    Perhaps I should keep them in suspense. It was always fun to see them squirm. However, I knew that was a surefire method of guaranteeing my downfall. Villains always let their enemies live, stupidly choosing to toy around with them instead of eliminating the threat they would pose as quickly as possible, and it always came to bite them in the asses.


    Not being keen on making the same mistake, I raised my head to look at Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue. They were the commanders of this little invasion. As such, if I got rid of them, this whole conquest would fall apart. Just like dealing with a beast, if I cut off its head, the rest of its body would naturally follow it to death.


    Before I could issue the order, however, Zi Shou De spoke up.


    "Fei Wu¡­"


    I glanced at him curiously, and my sect leader nodded, composing himself. He must have read my intentions, for he gestured calmly toward the three remaining commanders.


    "Those three are different from Liang Yang Zu and Yuan Tian Ya. Divine Shadow Sect was the one who antagonized us and attacked us, while Tian Yuan Ya is but one of the three sect leaders in charge of Dark Asura Sect. If he''s dead, it doesn''t matter because the other two leaders will pick up the reins in his place. And Divine Shadow Sect still have Di Shi Jiu."


    "Assuming he hasn''t already been killed by Lord Lang Xie," I muttered. Zi Shou De smiled at that, but he continued.


    "Nonetheless Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue are truly respectable characters of the six Valley Sects, Cloud Sky Mountain and Snow Valley Sect. if they die, then we have no choice but to fight to the death against the Seven Valley Sects and Cloud Sky Mountain."


    Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue were incredibly surprised when they heard Zi Shou De speak up for them. Initially they were assessing Tian Yu Di''s strength and were hesitating, wondering if they should stake everything they had on destroying him.


    Truthfully, they were already considering the option of retreat. They wished to report the situation to the higher-ups, so the higher-ups would send someone else to handle this. That was why they were immensely relieved when they heard Zi Shou De''s words. It gave them a lifeline of sorts.


    The three of them, as well as their numerous subordinates, anxiously turned to look at me. Right now, they understood that I was the only one who Tian Yu Di would obey. Even though Zi Shou De was the sect leader, it was clear that Tian Yu Di answered only to me, not to him or Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    However, as much as I respected Zi Shou De, I also disagreed with him.


    "They were already planning to fight to the death against us," I pointed out blandly. "They have already invaded our sect, pillaged us and plundered our resources, and worse, slaughtered so many of our civilians, members and Blood Blades martial artists. It''s clear that they always intended to destroy our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Do you think we can just let them waltz in, wreck our sect to such a sorry state, and then just let them go like this?"


    "Er¡­this¡­" Chief Great Elder Luo Zhi Chang stammered awkwardly.


    Clearly he was extremely worried about Nine-Tailed Fox Sect fighting against the entirety of the Martial Arts Alliance. Even with these numbers and their strength, the ten invading sects this time was just a mere fraction of the power the juggernaut that was the Martial Arts Alliance could wield. Unless we could get some guarantee from the royal family that they would reinforce us with the Imperial Guard, to provoke the Martial Arts Alliance would be too reckless.


    Furthermore, exterminating the ten sects here was likely to reduce the chance of the royal family stepping in, for it would paint us in a more negative light. Furthermore, in spite of all this, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was still technically a part of the Martial Arts Alliance, even with our autonomy and independence. They were still hoping for a chance at reconciliation.


    Na?ve. How incredibly na?ve.


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    "Don''t be na?ve," I told the old fools. "You think the Martial Arts Alliance will be willing to reconcile with us after all they have done? Now that we''ve driven the ten sects back, what do you think they will do? They attacked us because they were afraid of our strength ¨C of Blood Blades'' strength ¨C and coveted our resources and blacksmiths. Now that we succeeded in driving off ten sects by ourselves, what do you think they would do? It would further confirm their belief of our strength and remind them that we remain a massive threat to them. They will send stronger forces to eliminate us." I glanced at the three surviving flabbergasted commanders with scorn. "Do you think these guys will just withdraw and leave us alone? No. even now, they are planning to return to inform the higher-ups of their defeat and advise them to send even more powerful martial artists to handle this matter."


    I turned to Zi Shou De and bowed.


    "With respect, Sect Leader, it doesn''t change anything even if we allow these people to live. We are already locked in a battle to the death with their sects. Whether we let them live or kill them, their sects will still send stronger people after us. Or the Martial Arts Alliance will send more powerful forces after us. On the other hand¡­"


    I glanced at the outer sect, and further beyond, at the burning and blazing Tushan City that had visibly been ransacked and torn apart by the invading forces.


    "¡­if we allow them to just walk out of here after killing so many of our people, after robbing us, what kind of message are we sending not just to the Martial Arts Alliance, but to everyone in the Great Zhou Empire? That we''re a sect that''s easy to bully? That anyone can barge into our city, kill our people, **** our women, steal our resources and Spirit Artifacts, and then walk away without suffering any negative consequences? We''ll be a laughing stock¡­and more people will attack us, thinking we are weaklings, easy targets who will fold and give in without a fight. If we compromise now, the Martial Arts Alliance will continue to harry us, will take a foot when we give them an inch, until we have nothing left to give them."


    I turned to Tian Yu Di, who was nodding in absolute approval.


    "Well said, Sect Leader!" he declared, clapping his hands. His eyes shone with glee. "You are right. Your predecessors would have said the same thing!"


    Even Zi Shou De looked convinced, and he nodded. "You raise an excellent point," he conceded. "We cannot allow these barbarians to take advantage of us and think that we''re so easy to bully. They must suffer the consequences for attacking us."


    "We''ll be destroyed either way." The fourth Great Elder sighed. "If we''re going to die, then we might as well go out with dignity."


    "And the royal family might still be persuaded to help." The second Great Elder pursed his lips. "It''ll be more difficult to convince them, but even they understand if we explain that this is self-defense. No to mention¡­" he spread his hands and spoke sarcastically. "Have you found the weapons of mass destruction that we''re supposedly hiding?"


    None of the enemies spoke. They could only hang their heads in shame and fear.


    "Even so, we can''t just kill all of them¡­" the third Great Elder protested. "The royal family might be put off by that and call it excessive¡­then we''ll have to forget about asking them for help."


    "Even so, they still have to bear the consequences." Zi Shou De glared at Wu Tuo, Shi Jing Yun and Su Bai Xue. "They came here and slaughtered so many of our sect members. I trust that they also have the resolve to face death as well."


    "But¡­" Third Great Elder protested. "Killing all of them¡­that''s too much¡­!"


    "Sect Leader is correct. They have to bear the consquences. But no one says the consequences have to be their deaths."


    "Oh? Sect Leader, what do you want to do?" Tian Yu Di raised an eyebrow. I contemplated for a moment, and then communicated with him mentally through the Golden Dragon Medallion.


    "Elder Tian, how confident are you in handling the Martial Arts Alliance?"


    "How would I know? It''s been nine hundred years since I was in the outside world. I don''t know how much stronger or weaker the Martial Arts Alliance has become."


    "Assuming they''re of the same strength."


    "Hmm¡­" Tian Yu Di paused for a moment. "Back then, it took the combined forces of all the major sects just to take me on, and I killed almost all of them." he regarded me, and while outwardly it seemed to the others that we were silent, he was still talking quite a bit through the Golden Dragon Medallion. "But at that time, it included your precious Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s members just to seal me. And they couldn''t even kill me." He scoffed. "If I''m at full strength, and we combine our forces, judging from what I''ve seen of your comrades and the battle puppets they wield, I believe we''ll be able to handle them if they send twenty-five percent of their forces."


    That sounded like good odds, but I doubted the Martial Arts Alliance would stop at sending just twenty-five percent of their forces. I also resisted the urge to brag to Tian Yu Di that the battle puppets were actually amassed by me and sold to the sect.


    Well, that was better than nothing, and given the typical arrogance and stupidity of antagonists, I bet they would send drips and draps, continuing to underestimate us and sending below what was required to subdue us. Besides, it was impractical to send more than a quarter of their forces to conquer just one sect, as it would leave them thin on a lot of other areas, especially in the neverending war against demonic sects, and even foreign invaders from the West and North. Nope, most likely they couldn''t afford to send more than twenty percent of their forces.


    More importantly, a single statement had caught my attention


    "Are you at full strength?" I asked him quietly. Tian Yu Di snorted.


    "Of course not. I''m barely at half strength. For me to recover even eighty percent of my strength, I''ll need at least twenty years. I''ve been sealed and imprisoned for too long. Of course, if I obtain high quality Spirit Pills and nourishment, and qi to absorb and purify, then I''ll be able to shorten it to ten years. Maybe."


    "I''m sure we''ll find something that works for you," I assured him. Then I placed the Golden Dragon Medallion back in my pocket and made my decision. In a single motion, I summoned my six Castellax battle-automata.


    Everyone went still at my action. I smiled.


    "No mercy. No forgiveness. You came here and attacked us, murdered so many of our comrades. You''ll have to pay the price fully, in blood." after issuing the declaration, my smile widened coldly. "Don''t worry. We''ll allow some of you to live."


    "That''s right!"


    "We can''t forgive them!"


    "Show them no mercy!"


    The Blood Blades roared their approval. Even Sect Lady Zi Da Ji, who had been quiet the entire time, raised her voice to support me.


    "Dear, he''s right. We can''t let them get away with this. We''ll only make ourselves look weak and invite more bullying in future if we give in here. Not to mention, they have no intention of letting us go." Zi Da Ji rose to her feet and signaled for all Blood Blades to commence attack. "Disciple Fei Wu is right! We shall show no mercy and grant no forgiveness to those who bared their fangs at us and draw their swords against us! We are Blood Blades!"


    Zi Shou De merely smiled helplessly. "Do whatever you want, my love. I''ll leave our guests to you and the Blood Blades."


    The Blood Blades all yelled their approval, their bloodlust surging exponentially.


    "Who should we kill and who should we let live?" Zi Da Ji asked me, remembering my last remark. I smiled and pushed my glasses up.


    "We should capture the higher-ups and commanders and imprison them all, and get rid of the rest. We will not allow any outsider who set foot into Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to leave. Don''t let them think our sect is a place where they can come in as they wish and leave as they wish, after tearing our home down. Imprison the higher-ups and get rid of the rest!"


    "You dare!" Su Bai Xue exclaimed.


    "Why wouldn''t we?" I retorted. "How come you can dare to barge in and pillage our sect, but we wouldn''t dare to punish you for your crimes?"


    "Kid, you want to imprison all of us?" Wu Tuo chuckled, but his expression was slightly hostile. I turned to look at him and smiled sweetly.


    "Would you prefer if we just kill all of you, Master Wu Tuo?"


    His face fell, and I savored his stunned speechlessness.


    "Kid, we can let Nine-Tailed Fox Sect go for today, but if you dare to act recklessly¡­" Shi Jing Yun growled coldly. I turned to glare at him icily.


    "Let us go for today¡­so in other words, you''re admitting that you''ll come back to attack us some other day?" my lips curled into a sneer. "Do we look like an idiot who would let you go just so you can attack us again later?"


    Shi Jing Yun''s jaw dropped and he struggled to speak, but just like Wu Tuo, he was at a total loss for words.


    Hypocrites. Every last one of them. Fucking hypocrites who thought they could barge in and do whatever they like¡­presumably because they were stronger, and now that they found themselves outmatched, they started resorting to rhetoric to appeal to us to receive mercy and let them go? As if it was going to be that easy!


    Maybe I should just order Tian Yu Di to kill every single one of them, after all.


    "Since we''re going to die, let''s go all out!" one of Dark Asura Sect''s commanders shouted. "As long as we combine our powers and kill that evil man, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect won''t be able to fight back at all!"


    I burst out laughing. "And who are you to go around labeling others as evil?" I snorted, clutching my stomach. "That''s so rich! You were killing so many of us earlier, but when Elder Tian here helped us fight back and slew your sect leader, you start calling him evil. Do you guys need a mirror? Bloody hypocrites!"


    As you would expect from hypocrites, they ignored logic and reason, paying no attention to me and charging at Tian Yu Di. My Ancestral Master glanced at me.


    "I suppose I can kill these idiots?"


    "Go ahead. Kill everyone who attacks you. Just let those who surrender and beg for mercy live." It was in bad taste to kill someone who had given up and wasn''t fighting back, so I decided to add that condition. I turned to Zi Da Ji. "Sect Lady, will that be all right?"


    "Fine by me. I haven''t sunk to such depths as to slaughter people who no longer have the will to fight. Unlike some people." Her gaze swept across the shameless attackers who were hurling themselves at Blood Blades. Following my example, all of them had summoned their battle puppets and were moving them down with fire and bolter. Her lips quirked. "I hope none of them surrenders, though."


    "We should keep the higher-ups alive, at least."


    Even as we clashed, the commanders of the invading forces stayed their hand, probably because they heard what I said about sparing those who weren''t fighting back. Their subordinates, on the other hand, were throwing themselves forward into a meatgrinder and I was a little taken aback that their leaders had not ordered them to surrender and stop fighting. Perhaps they didn''t value the lives of their subordinates.


    "Do you think you can overturn Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s fate with just a single evil man?" Su Bai Xue frowned.


    "There you go again. What right do you have to call other people evil when you''re just as equally evil?" I snapped. Su Bai Xue merely stared at me coldly.


    "The plan to subjugate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was put together by the Martial Arts Alliance, the collusion between countless orthodox sects. Your fate was sealed long ago when they had decided their plans. You cannot change anything!"


    "Perhaps if I''m by myself, you might be right." Tian Yu Di chuckled. He gestured toward the Blood Blades, who were tearing into Dark Asura Sect and martial artists from the other sects with gusto. "But I''m not just a single man. Don''t discount the strength of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect too."


    "Sect Leader Zi, I implore you to reconsider and stop resisting," Wu Tuo begged.


    "And allow my sect members to be killed or enslaved, to be divided among the tyrannical Martial Arts Alliance?" Zi Shou De scoffed. "Do you think I''m going to sacrifice my subordinates just to save my own skin and the skin of the inner sect Elders? If we''re going to die, we''re going to die fighting together to the very last!"


    "Hmph!" Shi Jing Yun snarled condescendingly. "You will never be able to resist the overwhelming strength of the Martial Arts Alliance! As a former member, you should know very well how strong we are!"


    "Who says Nine-Tailed Fox Sect cannot change their fate?"


    Right at that moment, Lang Xie''s voice suddenly floated into the plaza from outside.


    "The so-called Martial Arts Alliance was formed together by all these orthodox sects coming together and allying to fight against a common enemy, the demonic sects. But when one of their members start becoming powerful, these other sects all got fearful and decided to get together to attack it. Think about it. I know you''re not stupid. If the Martial Arts Alliance dared to attack one of their major sects out of jealousy and fear, then what makes you think any of you are safe? Don''t you want to know who will be next?"


    He set his eyes on Su Bai Xue and Shi Jing Yun as he strode forward, holding a sharp sword while waves of potent qi exuded from him. To everyone''s amazement, he was covered in blood, but sensing the qi in the blood, I knew it wasn''t his blood.


    "What makes you think the Seven Valley Sects wouldn''t be next? The seven sects are a formidable force to be reckon with when combined¡­do you think the Martial Arts Alliance will leave you alone to grow?" he smirked. "No, the very reason why they approached you to assign you this task was to weaken you when you clashed against us, so that it would be easier to get rid of you later."


    "That''s¡­!"


    "You lie!"


    Both Su Bai Xue and Shi Jung Yun shouted in denial, but the hesitation and fear in their eyes betrayed their beliefs. They knew there was at least a modicum of truth in Lang Xie''s words, and they couldn''t help but suspect the Martial Arts Alliance''s schemes.


    Too bad it was too late.


    "Even though Nine-Tailed Fox Sect devoted most of its efforts and resources into blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, we still became one of the eight major sects. What do you think will happen if we decide to dedicate more attention to martial arts?" Lang Xie was growing bolder and louder as he strode into the plaza. A few martial artists ran toward him, but before they could even reach within a few meters, they simply expoded as Lang Xie''s qi collided with them.


    Everyone stared at him in shock.


    "So what if the Martial Arts Alliance attacks us? So what if you send a Pure Spirit Stage practitioner against us?" Lang Xie''s eyes narrowed. "Are they not mortal? Can''t they still not be killed by me?"


    He reached into his storage device and pulled out a disembodied head before throwing it at the feet of Shi Jing Yun, Su Bai Xue and Wu Tuo. The trio jumped when the bloody head hit the ground and rolled, leaving a thick trail of blood in its wake before eventually stopping at the trembling feet of Su Bai Xue.


    The eyes of the head were still wide open in disbelief, and were now staring directly into Su Bai Xue''s eyes.


    "Lord¡­Lord Tu Xi!" Su Bai Xue screamed, losing control and trembling. Even Shi Jing Yun and Wu Tuo cried out in shock and fear when they recognized the features.


    Tu Xi, a high-level Pure Spirit Stage practitioner, had been dispatched by the Martial Arts Alliance to deal with the most problematic person, Lang Xie.


    But now he had actually been killed by Lang Xie, and his head was rolling on the ground, his body nowhere to be seen.


    "H¡­how¡­?!"


    Lang Xie''s strength was well known by all throughout the Great Zhou Empire, and even the Martial Arts Alliance deeply respected him, being wary of his power. That was why, when they schemed against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, one of their first priorities was to eliminate this high-level threat. In order to successfully conquer Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, they recognized that they first had to remove Lang Xie, or the chances of failure would skyrocket.


    That was why they planned to lure Lang Xie to a trap, where Blood Shadow, Liang Yang Zu, Di Shi Jiu and Yuan Tian Ya would team up to kill him together. Well, Blood Shadow was supposed to deal with Hai Rong, but the other three were still supposed to combined forces and slay him.


    However, Lang Xie had broken free from that trap, and now, two of those three had been killed right in front of everyone''s eyes by Tian Yu Di. Hell, even Blood Shadow had been eliminated by Tian Yu Di, his body taken over by the latter. A more problematic threat than even Lang Xie had shown up to lend Nine-Tailed Fox Sect his strength.


    The third guy, Di Shi Jiu, had pursued Lang Xie in order to eliminate him, even joining up with Tu Xi from the Martial Arts Alliance''s upper echelons (apparently he was from the Kun Lun Sect, as I would find out later) to guarantee his death.


    However, instead of guaranteeing his death, Lang Xie showed up in front of everyone once more, alive and well ¨C even though he was covered from head to toe in blood. Not only that, he bore the head of Tu Xi, the person they counted on to kill him, and threw it back at them. Tu Xi''s head was rolling at the feet of the conspirators, bloody evidence of his failure.


    Tu Xi was at a high level of Pure Spirit Stage, yet he had died such a horrific death even with Di Shi Jiu''s assistance. Just how strong was Lang Xie?


    Again, these people were obsessed with realms and stages and levels when it was clear that they were utter bullshit. Well, I couldn''t say that with Tian Yu Di obviously being a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner and dominating everyone else in the battlefield, but clearly stages were far from the only deciding factor in a battle.


    The three masterminds, Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue, all looked utterly dismayed and fell silent, at a loss for words.


    "Oh¡­not bad!" Tian Yu Di observed Lang Xie, impressed. "Not bad at all! He is able to cultivate the incomplete Heaven and Earth Formula to such a high degree even though he has only learned Heaven and Earth Absorption! And despite his qi not being pure enough, he still maintains his sanity and doesn''t require to feed off the blood of others! Excellent!"


    He then swiveled to stare at me. "I thought you said your master is dead?"


    "Lord Lang Xie is one of my teachers, but he''s not my master," I told him truthfully. Tian Yu Di thought for a bit, and then nodded contemplatively.


    "True¡­your techniques are a lot more complete and perfect than his. It''s hard to believe that he''s the one who taught you Heaven and Earth Formula when his qi is not as pure as yours, and his techiques are not complete."


    Even so, he still looked very impressed by Lang Xie. He glanced at me.


    "You should recruit him into our sect."


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect might as well be part of Heaven and Earth Sect in future," I muttered. Tian Yu Di grinned.


    "Hah! I like that idea! So that''s why you''re saving the sect!"


    No, but he didn''t have to know that. I leet Tian Yu Di think whatever he wanted, and watched as Lang Xie approach Zi Shou De. He bowed respectfully.


    "Greetings, Sect Leader."


    "Excellent! As expected, you did not let us down. You''ve returned." Zi Shou De nodded in delight.


    "What happened to Di Shi Jiu?" Hai Rong asked.


    "Di Shi Jiu was heavily injured and fled," Lang Xie replied. As he did, Blood Blades were withdrawing. Even Zi Da Ji stopped fighting to approach her vice-commander.


    "It''s good to see you, Lang Xie."


    "Good to see you too, Sect Lady," he responded. He glanced at the pile of corpses belonging to the Dark Asura Sect. "I see you''ve been busy in my absence."


    "Oh, you know¡­we''re just doing our usual jobs," Zi Da Ji said with an indifferent shrug.


    Tian Yu Di had also paused when he caught sight of Lang Xie, and now that there was a lull in the battle, and nobody was fighting back, it seemed awkward to go back into attacking them. He glanced at me.


    "So, should we capture the rest of them now, or continue killing most of them?"


    I hesitated for a moment, and then turned to my recently arrived vice-commander. He seemed to have ideas of his own, and I respected him, so I wanted to know what he thought. "Lord Lang Xie, what do you think?"


    "Capture the higher-ups alive, and demand an expensive ransom."


    Lang Xie didn''t hesitate at all. He glared at the trio, his eyes gleaming murderously. Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue all trembled at the sight, but he ignored their fear and continued mercilessly.


    "They have murdered so many of our members, and the Martial Arts Alliance have captured the members of our branches that are spread throughout the Great Zhou Empire and are unable to return to the main sect grounds in time. They are being held hostage and enslaved. I need at least a few people alive to exchange for the safety of our members."


    "You heard him," I told Tian Yu Di, who also seemed to admire Lang Xie enough to show no reluctance in obeying. He grinned.


    The next thing we knew, nine spiritual chains suddenly burst out of the Spirit Engraved Pillars behind me, whipping out like serpentine dragons zeroing in on their prey. Before they could react, Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue were caught by the chains and tightly bound to the Spirit Engraved Pillars, completely immobilized.


    The three of them paled, realizing the enormous difference in strengths between them and Tian Yu Di instantly. They also realized it was futile to resist.


    "Very good." Lang Xie turned his dark gaze upon the remaining enemy martial artists still milling around in the plaza. "Leave Shi Jung Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue alive, and kill everyone else."

 213 Chapter 212: Revelation of Identity

    As for Lu Li, Ling Yu Mei, Ling Yu Xuan, Pang Feng and the other people who had came from the nine other sects (by this point, the contingent of Dark Asura Sect that had came with them had already been completely wiped out), they looked shaken, their faces turning into an ashen complexion when they realized their death warrants had been issued.


    "You heard him," Zi Shou De said simply, using his authority as the sect leader as Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to lend support to Lang Xie''s command.


    However, the five remaining Great Elders frowned in disagreement. They didn''t dare to be too harsh, fearing the retaliation from the Martial Arts Alliance. Despite their age and supposed wisdom, they were still so na?ve. The Martial Arts Alliance was going to wipe us out and enslave the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers whether or not we allowed the ten invading sects to live. In fact, I suspected the Martial Arts Alliance didn''t care if the ten sects they sent were destroyed in the process of subjugating Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. It would strengthen their hold and claim over the territories of the Great Zhou Empire and erase potential threats.


    I meant the territories of the Great Zhou Empire that the royal family had given to the Martial Arts Alliance as concession and in return for their cooperation. The less sects there were in the Martial Arts Alliance, the less the remaining sects had to compete for an equal amount of territory, after all. Their greed and corruption had blinded them to the dangers of destroying their own member sects in the face of a resurgent coalition of demonic sects.


    "They have to pay the price for invading our sect and killing so many of our members," Lang Xie replied simply, glancing aat the surviving Blood Blades. A quick estimation told me that we had suffered at least thirty percent casualties. There was a significant number of Blood Blades who were absent, killed during the fighting in the courtyard earlier when the ten invading sects barged in through the front gates and overran our defenses.


    Tong Xue and Jing Wei and quite a lot of my friends were still alive, thankfully, but many more who I had gotten to know during my time with them were gone. Zhao Shi and Da Ge were present, still guarding Zi Xiao Ji, but a lot of Jing Wei''s colleagues ¨C the Blood Blades assigned as sentries at the front gates were missing. I couldn''t find Shen Cha either ¨C later I would learn that he was killed in the vicious fighting.


    "In this battle, we have lost slightly over thirty percent of our Blood Blades martial artists." Lang Xie was glaring murderously at Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo, and Su Bai Xue. "A life for a life. These bastards murdered our comrades and sect members. Should they not pay a price?"


    "Indeed they should," Zi Shou De agreed. "Both you and Fei Wu are correct. What kind of message will we be sending if we allowed bullies to walk in and out of our sect without facing the consequences?"


    The five Great Elders sighed and shook their heads, conceding the point. They knew neither Zi Shou De nor Lang Xie could be convinced.


    "Blood Blades, kill them all," Zi Da Ji commanded fiercely. "You heard your vice-commander. Leave none alive except those three."


    "That''s right!" Elder Zhao shouted. "Kill them! Kill these invaders!"


    "Kill them all!" the surviving nine elite Blood Blades martial artists shouted in unison.


    "No mercy. No forgiveness." I nodded and stepped forward. Behind me, my squadron of Castellax battle-automata responded to my will and their guns tracked the pale invaders. For all their bluster and aggressiveness earlier when they trespassed into our territory, conquered and ransacked our city, and thought they had us cornered, they were now quaking in their boots ¨C literally ¨C and on the verge of pissing themselves.


    Well, serves them right.


    "Well said!" Tian Yu Di cackled. "Let''s do it!"


    While this was all going on, Pang Feng was watching me. He had resigned himself to his fate, knowing that he deserved this for betraying Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. he met my gaze evenly, and something inside my heart stirred.


    "I''ll take care of Pang Feng myself. He still has his uses."


    Zi Da Ji and Hai Rong stared at me in surprise.


    "He betrayed us," the Sect Lady pointed out coldly. I nodded.


    "Yeah, he did. And he will not be forgiven for it. Even so, he was still one of us. It isn''t right to kill him. We''ll punish him, but I would like to leave him alive if possible."


    "It''s fine." Pang Feng spoke up, steeling his resolve. "I knew the consequences and made my choice. You should just kill me. I deserve it."


    I smirked. "You think you can just run away from responsibility by throwing away your life? I know you''re prepared to die, which is why I don''t intend to make it so easy for you. You''ll have to repent through another way. It''ll be too easy to kill you, but we''ll be wasting all the efforts we poured into grooming you. Until you pay us back for that, you''re not allowed to die."


    "I''ll let him leave." Tian Yu Di shrugged as he communicated through the Golden Dragon Medallion in a voice only I could hear. "He seems to have learned the basics of Heaven and Earth Absorption as well."


    That made sense, considering that Pang Feng was part of the Blood Blades and had learned the same techniques as the rest of us.


    On the other hand, the Ling sisters were trembling from fear and despair. Ling Yu Mei reached out and gripped Ling Yu Xuan''s hand.


    "Little sis, I didn''t expect something like this to happen. I just wanted to come and watch."


    The sisters'' hands were trembling. They didn''t want to die.


    What the hell? I wanted to scoff at them. They made the choice to come here and watch us die, and now that the situation was reversed and the tables were turned on the invaders, they didn''t want to die? What the fuck was this hypocrisy?


    Anyway, I couldn''t care less about them. I wasn''t Qin Lie, and thus I had no ties with them. I had no obligation to save them, and it wasn''t as if Ling Yu Mei was my fianc¨¦e or something. They came to watch our demise, so no sweat off my back if they were the ones killed.


    "Kid¡­just who the hell are you?" Shi Jing Yun demanded, his face pale. He glanced at Tian Yu Di, his complexion growing more ashen by the second. "And who the hell is that monster? Why haven''t we heard of such a powerful martial artist before?"


    "You don''t have to know." I smiled thinly. "You''re just a hostage. I have no obligation to tell you anything. All you need to know is that I''m a member of Blood Blades, and a disciple of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I''ll do anything to protect my sect."


    I then turned toward the fearful crowd who were backing away from Tian Yu Di and Blood Blades. They all set upon them with vengeful gusto, determined to exact revenge on these greedy, corrupted, hypocritical killers for killing so many of our brethren. Elder Zhao and the outer sect elders also joined in, following Lang Xie as they hunted down the people of the now leaderless sects, intent on wiping them out. Our battle-automata waded into the bloodbath, firing and pulverizing the enemies mercilessly.


    As they did so, a single shrill voice pierced the heavens.


    "YOU TRASH!"


    Lu Li was shrieking at me, and she charged at me, her sword drawn and glowing ominously with icy qi.


    "Face me if you have the guts! Or are you going to keep relying on other people and hide behind them?!"


    "You don''t have the right to face my sect leader," Tian Yu Di replied coolly as he stepped in front of her, getting ready to kill her with a single flick of his finger, but I stayed his hand with a thought through the Golden Dragon Medallion.


    "Leave her to me," I told him. "She pisses me off, so I''ll deal with her with my own hands."


    "Hah! You think the likes of you can really deal with me yourself?!" Lu Li sneered as she slashed at me. I merely reached out and caught the blade with a hand. Her eyes bulged when she saw me stop her strike with a bare hand.


    "How?! How did you¡­?!"


    "Like this."


    I shoved her back and then kicked her in the gut. She doubled over, coughing out blood. But she was far from down, and thrust her sword at my face, hoping to get another clean hit in, never mind she failed to scratch my palm even after I caught her blade with my bare hand.


    I disappeared from her sight and she spun around, cursing and swearing.


    "Where are you?! Did you really run away, you coward?! I knew it! I knew you can''t defeat me in a one¡­AAAH!"


    Her tirade of insults ended in a scream as my mobile turrets blasted her with a volley of qi beams, punching bloody holes through her arms, legs and body. She crashed onto the ground heavily, but didn''t bleed out because the superheated qi blasts had cauterized the wounds. Writhing in pain, she gripped her sword tightly and glanced up at me as I approached.


    "You were saying?" I asked pleasantly.


    "Fuck you!" Lu Li screamed.


    "No thank you," I replied, but she didn''t seem to care about my rejection and continued wailing hatefully.


    "You think you''re some kind of big shot? You think you''re a hero now that you''ve stopped our invasion?" Lu Li sneered, still flailing about on the ground. "Stop deluding yourself! You''re just a fraud, just trash! The only thing you are capable of is relying on the power of others!" she shot a furious glance at Tian Yu Di, who was callously massacring the martial artists from the Seven Valley Sects, alongside Blood Blades.


    "Power of others?" I smiled faintly, my lips curling into a sneer. "Coming from you, that''s pretty rich. What about you? You dare to barge into the main sect grounds of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect today, but isn''t that only because you are relying on the powers of the Seven Valley Sects? Would you dare to attack Nine-Tailed Fox Sect without relying on the power of others, without the power of the Martial Arts Alliance behind you? What a hypocrite!"


    Lu Li was unable to come up with an answer, but she continued to glare at me venomously. I wanted to gloat over her, but I wasn''t a villain. So I stepped in to finish her off quickly, because her very existence was pissing me off.


    "Please! Master Fei Wu, I''m begging you! Please don''t kill Senior Lu Li!"


    Ling Yu Mei threw herself at my feet, desperately pleading with me. I frowned as I withdrew, causing her to land clumsily on the plaza.


    "You should be more worried about yourself," I told her honestly. Glancing up, I was surprised that the Ling sisters had escaped the massacre so far. They probably kept a low profile and hid among the dead while the Blood Blades and Tian Yu Di focused on the martial artists desperately fighting back or visibly running away.


    "You can take my life, but please spare Senior Lu Li!"


    "Shut up!" Lu Li shouted coldly. "I don''t want him to spare my life!"


    "Master Fei Wu, during our time at Dark Fiend Valley Sect, Senior Lu constantly looked after us. She treated us very well. So please!" Ling Yu Xuan was begging me as well. I stared at the two sisters icily, wondering if I should just cut them down, but I wasn''t ruthless and cruel enough to kill people who weren''t attacking me or those without the will to fight.


    "Why should I care?" I snapped irritably. "That has got nothing to do with me. You, Lu Li, the Seven Valley Sects all came to assault Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and you think I should spare her life because she treated you well? Don''t be ridiculous. What does that have to do with me?"


    "Good! Hold him there!" Lu Li shouted.


    Even though I had wounded her, Lu Li was far from helpless. While the Ling sisters were distracting me, she surged upward and stabbed at me.


    "No, Senior Lu, don''t!" Ling Yu Mei shouted.


    "Don''t do it, Senior Lu!" Ling Yu Xuan also screamed.


    They were too late. As was my reaction ¨C my reflexes were a millisecond too slow.


    It was a huge blunder on my part. I was too fixated with arguing with the Ling sisters that I didn''t notice Lu Li attacking until too late. Nonetheless, I was still a veteran martial artist who had experienced countless combat. I managed to instinctively used Tui to retreat. Even though I caught her sword earlier with my bare hand, that was because I had gathered all my qi into my palm to intercept her sword. Obviously I didn''t have the time or opportunity to do that for my chest, nor did I know the exact place where she would stab me.


    Even so, Lu Li''s sword scraped my breast pocket, slicing through the fabric.


    Thunk.


    My Golden Dragon Medallion dropped onto the ground, for all to see.


    "That''s¡­" Ling Yu Mei''s eyes widened.


    "Ah¡­" Ling Yu Xuan was stunned.


    "Impossible¡­" Lu Li murmured.


    That was her last word. Furious, partially because she almost got the better of me, and partially at myself for carelessly letting my guard down, my body moved before my mind could compose itself. I stomped Lu Li''s head onto the ground and unleashed Seimsic Step.


    Lu Li didn''t even get a chance to scream. Her head vanished, reduced to a bloody pulp beneath my foot, and her body flopped about helplessly, blood unceasingly streaming from her neck. Ignoring her headless corpse, I returned to the place where my Golden Dragon Medallion had dropped onto and picked it up.


    It was too late. The damage had been done. Everyone, whether it was the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect or the nine invading sects sent by the Martial Arts Alliance, had seen the Golden Dragon Medallion. Even now, they had frozen in the middle of flight or fight, their eyes fixated on me. Only Tian Yu Di, who already knew that I possessed the Golden Dragon Medallion, didn''t cease in his slaughter, but when he saw that everyone had stopped to stare at me, he halted as well, as if curious to see what I would do.


    Even the cohort of battle-automata had paused, staying as stationary as statues, when the flow of qi from their controllers were cut off. My six Castellax battle-automata also went inactive when my focus was broken, idling while I tried to deal with my current predicament.


    "You¡­why do you have that medallion?" Shi Jing Yun asked hoarsely.


    "Isn''t that¡­isn''t that the Heaven and Earth Crest, the proof of the sect leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect?" this time it was Wu Tuo, his voice filled with disbelief.


    "Kid, what is your connection with the Heaven and Earth Sect?" Su Bai Xue demanded, even paler than before.


    "¡­that Heaven and Earth Master has been addressing Fei Wu as sect leader this whole time," Luo Zhi Chang whispered, the coin finally dropping. What? It took you this long to figure it out? Have you gone senile, old man?


    Only Zi Shou De had some idea of what was going on, having suspected all that ever since Tian Yu Di appeared, but he didn''t say anything.


    "What''s the meaning of this, Fei Wu?" Tong Xue asked nervously. "Why do you have that?"


    "Answer me, brat!" Shi Jing Yun shouted. "What is your relationship to Heaven and Earth Sect?! And who is that monster that you command?!"


    I glanced at Tian Yu Di, and he shrugged, as if to say he was going to leave the decision to me. From his expression, though, I had the impression that he wouldn''t be happy if I denied my connection to Heaven and Earth Sect.


    Might as well tell the truth and come clean now.


    "I am Fei Wu, the 44th generation Sect Leader of Heaven and Earth Sect," I declared, holding my Golden Dragon Medallion up high for all to see. "As you know¡­" this was directed toward the elders and leaders of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is my secondary sect. My primary sect is and has always been Heaven and Earth Sect."


    "Since when?" Zi Da Ji asked, and for the first time I saw her looking uncertain.


    "Since before I joined the sect."


    Elder Zhao nodded at my reply, recalling last year when he first recruited me. "I did know he was from another sect, that he already had a primary sect. But Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s policy was not to pursue our recruits'' past or history."


    "You did the right thing," Zi Shou De cut in. "And we honestly don''t care what sect Fei Wu is from. He''s still a member of our sect."


    "When did you first join Heaven and Earth Sect?" Tong Xue asked timidly. He didn''t seem to be listening to Zi Shou De''s words, and was staring at me nervously. He then cleared his throat, realizing his place. "Um¡­it''s okay if you don''t want to say it."


    "Four years ago," I replied honestly. "Shortly after we enrolled in Wu Ling Academy."


    "Huh? Isn''t that after¡­the destruction of Heaven and Earth Sect?" Zi Da Ji frowned in confusion. "How did you end up joining it after it was annihilated?"


    "It''s not unusual. Four years ago was exactly when Tian Mo was finally hunted down and killed." Lang Xie was the one who poke up solemnly. "He could have come into contact with Fei Wu and taught him a bit before he died. More importantly¡­" he turned his strict gaze upon me. "I want to know your intentions, Fei Wu. As the Sect Leader of Heaven and Earth Sect, what do you intend to do from here on out?"


    "Huh? Protect Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Isn''t it obvious?"


    Lang Xie stared at me skeptically. "Please forgive me for doubting you, but even you must know what sort of sect Heaven and Earth Sect is. I''m asking if you have any ulterior motives. Do you not seek revenge against the Martial Arts Alliance? Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was part of the coalition that annihilated the Heaven and Earth Sect."


    Tian Yu Di stiffened, but I held out a hand to stop him.


    "The same Martial Arts Alliance that is now seeking to destroy us," I pointed out calmly.


    "Point taken," Lang Xie conceded with a nod as he shot a baleful glare at the three restrained leaders of the invading sects. "But are you saving Nine-Tailed Fox Sect now just to take revenge on us later?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous," I scoffed. "Why would I take such a roundabout manner of destroying Nine-Tailed Fox Sect if the Martial Arts Alliance can do it for me, while weakening themselves in the bargain? And to be honest¡­" I met Lang Xie''s gaze evenly. "I originally didn''t have any intention to take revenge on the Martial Arts Alliance or anyone who participated in the destruction of Heaven and Earth Sect." I shot an apologetic look at Tian Yu Di, but he maintained a mask of indifference. "I only met Master after the destruction of the sect, and he gave me this medallion and taught me Heaven and Earth Formula because I saved his life. Not because he wanted me to take revenge for him. He didn''t even tell me who drove him to his death, nor did he mention a word of revenge. I would like to think that he was merely repaying the favor of me saving his life."


    "You saved the life of Tian Mo?" Wu Tuo repeated incredulously.


    "Yeah," I replied, but decided not to go into details. I honestly didn''t want to mention the car and my original timeline. Nobody would believe me, and it would take too long to explain. "I only became the last member of Heaven and Earth Sect after everyone else was killed, so it is pretty hard for me to get emotionally attached to any of them. Why should I be obligated to take revenge for them when I had never met any of them? I never even had any idea of what the sect originally was, nor was I raised with the rest of them. And Master refused to tell me to the very end who hunted him down and killed him."


    "I hardly think he would be able to do that after he died," Tong Xue remarked dryly. Oh, right. I couldn''t tell them that I met Master in the underworld a few months after his death. "And you weren''t attached to him?"


    "He told me not to bother with revenge," I told him truthfully. "And he warned me beforehand that he was going to die anyway, and told me not to pursue it."


    "I''m sorry, but I find that hard to believe." Lang Xie was still staring at me sternly. "Do you really not intend on taking revenge on the Martial Arts Alliance?"


    "After what they did to us?" I gestured to Tushan City and the razed outer sect grounds. "Now I do."


    "That''s not what I mean. What do you intend to do with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect after this?" Lang Xie persisted.


    This time, I wasn''t the one who answered. Our conversation was rudely interrupted by the ominous laughter of Tian Yu Di. Everyone turned to stare at him.


    "What''s so funny?" Even though Lang Xie should know how strong Tian Yu Di was, he was staring at my Ancestral Master without a trace of fear.


    Tian Yu Di snorted and jabbed a finger at him.


    "You, of course. Listen to yourself. If Sect Leader wanted Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to be destroyed, it would have already been destroyed long ago." He revealed an ugly grin. "I myself am more than enough to destroy you singlehandedly."


    Lang Xie bristled, but Tian Yu Di continued, ignoring him.


    "And it was this kid who saved you. With the authority of sect leader, he ordered me not to lay a hand on your sect and forbid me from harming it. With his status as sect leader he commanded me to protect your pathetic sect. Otherwise how did you survive?"


    "That''s right." Surprisingly, it was Zi Shou De who spoke up for me. He was glaring at Lang Xie. "If Fei Wu didn''t care about the sect, he wouldn''t have returned through the underground passageway and braved those demons. He could very easily have escaped by himself after following you and Hai Rong to the trap these bastards set up." he gestured toward the corpses of Yuan Tian Ya and Liang Yang Zu. "It was Fei Wu who protected us ¨C the Great Elders ¨C from the predations of Blood Shadow. It was Fei Wu who protected us ¨C me, the inner sect elders and everyone else here ¨C from the Martial Arts Alliance. And it was Fei Wu who commanded the Elder over there to eliminate Liang Yang Zu and Yuan Tian Ya!"


    Everyone fell silent, unable to refute Zi Shou De''s words. Tang Qi Hong, taking courage from her adopted father, also reared to her full height and took a deep breath.


    "That''s right!" she shouted, her voice echoing across the plaza. "With all due respect, Lord Lang Xie, Fei Wu has done more to protect the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect than you did! The reason why Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has survived the invasion isn''t because of you, but because of Fei Wu! He''s the one who overturned the situation, risking his own life to stay even at the danger of the Martial Arts Alliance breaking into our grounds!"


    To be honest, I didn''t expect the ten sects to break in that quickly, but that wasn''t something everyone needed to know.


    Tong Xue nodded as well. "That''s true. Lord Lang Xie, I believe in Fei Wu."


    "Me too!" Lian Rou added.


    "Brother Wu will never lie to us!" Zi Xiao Ji shouted from somewhere, still flanked by Zhao Shi and Da Ge, who were nodding in approval.


    "He fought beside us and killed more than his fair share of enemies." Jing Wei cast a disgusted stare at Lu Li''s headless corpse. "He has more than earned my trust."


    The Great Elders and inner sect elders slowly relaxed. They knew that what my friends were saying was correct.


    Indeed, the person who saved Nine-Tailed Fox Sect recently wasn''t Lang Xie, who had been absent for most of the defense, but me. It was clear that our main pillar of strength, Tian Yu Di, only listened to my orders. If it was not for me commanding him, my Ancestral Master wouldn''t have slain Blood Shadow, Liang Yang Zu or Yuan Tian Ya.


    If Blood Shadow hadn''t been killed, then all six Great Elders wold have already been slaughtered. Not only that, Tian Yu Di had singlehandedly turned the tables on the ten invading sects. If it weren''t for him, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would have been massacred as we were in Tushan City. But right now, it was the ten sects who were dying in droves ¨C the contingent from Dark Asura Sect had been completely wiped out.


    This was thanks to me, or so they thought. But obviously it wasn''t as if I singlehandedly saved Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. In a way, the late Lu Li was right. I had relied on the power of Tian Yu Di. And in the long run, Tian Yu Di wouldn''t have killed all ten sects on his own, not while he was still in a weakened condition. Sect Lady Zi Da Ji and Blood Blades had contributed immensely to the defense of the sect. We had all fought hard and made the enemy pay dearly in blood for every millimeter of ground they took. It wasn''t as if Tian Yu Di was the only one fighting.


    The Blood Blades ¨C no, every single member of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had contributed vitally to the survival of our sect. It was just that all our efforts added up into a single, overwhelming success. Just like gears and cogs, if we were missing even one member, the whole defense would have collapsed. As powerful as he was, even Tian Yu Di wouldn''t have been able to hold up the protection of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect alone, not without the major contributions the Blood Blades and outer sect elders did earlier. Zi Da Ji, Tong Xue, Jing Wei, Zhao Shi, Da Ge, Elder Zhao ¨C all of them contributed. Even our battle-automata deserved a mention, having been a stalwart bulwark that repelled the enemy for so long.


    "That doesn''t excuse you from colluding or joining a demonic sect," Su Bai Xue snarled icily.


    "Now that I''ve taken charge, under my leadership, I will ensure that Heaven and Earth Sect will walk the right path and no longer be a demonic sect." I glanced at Tian Yu Di. "If that''s all right with you, Elder Tian?"


    Tian Yu Di snorted and looked away. "Suit yourself. You''re the sect leader. I''ll just do whatever I''m told."


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    "I want your honest opinion," I insisted.


    "Hah!" Tian Yu Di laughed. "Is there any meaning to what''s orthodox and what''s demonic? That''s just labels the people aove like to put on other sects. If they don''t agree with them, then they''re demonic. If they''re in power and in place to implement their own brand of justice, then they''ll call themselves orthodox. These are just stupid words. I have no time to waste on semantics. If you don''t want the sect to walk down the path of murder, **** and pillage, then we won''t. But¡­" he looked at me, his eyes glinting. "Never forget that we''re martial artists. We will always walk the path of conflict, where strength is of utmost importance."


    "Well, having ideals is useless if you don''t have the strength to back it up," I pointed out honestly.


    "Hah! Well said!" Tian Yu Di cackled. "As long as you are aware of that, then I have no complaints! Do whatever you want!"


    "You think we''ll listen to the rhetoric of demons?" Su Bai Xue yelled.


    "They are not demons. As long as they are part of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, we will continue to protect them." Zi Shou De looked at me seriously. "Fei Wu, as I said before, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect doesn''t care about your identity, origins or background, or your primary sect, and that as long as you are willing to remain a member of the sect, we will do everything we can to raise and teach you. Now, even though you''re also the sect leader of Heaven and Earth Sect, allow me to ask you if you are still willing to stay at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? Are you willing to bear the appropriate responsibilities as a disciple of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    "If I wasn''t, I wouldn''t be here when the sect is in such grave danger," I replied calmly. "I''m not like Pang Feng or Yin Jing Jing, who left the sect because they thought we were doomed." I thought for a bit. "But I just want a small favor. If you don''t mind allowing Blood Blades to be renamed Heaven and Earth Blades, to reflect the influence that Heaven and Earth Sect has on them, and grant Elder Tian a position there."


    "Good!" Zi Shou De nodded. "Consider it done!"


    "That''s right!" Luo Zhi Chang shouted excitedly. "As long as you are willing, no matter what your primary sect is, or your past, you will always be a member of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    "Thank you." I turned to Tian Yu Di. "Seems like you''ll still get your revenge after all. Let''s resume killing."


    As if to punctuate my words, my Castellax battle-automata reared up and began firing again, mowing down a line of enemy martial artists before they even knew what was happening. I didn''t kill them, just incapacitated them (by shooting their legs). Like I said, it was in bad taste to kill someone who wasn''t attacking you.


    Taking their cue, Blood Blades (the name change hadn''t been made officially yet ¨C there would be a ceremony later and everything), all tore into the stunned enemies, tearing them apart with their Spirit Weapons, battle-automata and techniques.


    "Meh, the ones I want to take revenge on are long dead, anyway." Tian Yu Di waved his hand dismissively. "I don''t really care if the people here live or die." He then grinned. "But if that''s your command, then I''ll go have some fun!"


    "Enjoy yourself!" I called out to him, and he disappeared, turning into a demon that wiped out a cluster of fleeing martial artists with a single strike.


    I was about to join my Cybernetica Cohort when I heard sounds of sobbing. The Ling Sisters, miraculously, were still alive, weeping over the corpse of Lu Li. I looked at them sympathetically, then at the nearby Blood Blades. Sooner or later there wouldn''t be anyone left except them, and my comrades would turn their murderous attention to the two.


    It didn''t sit well with me to kill people who had already lost the will to fight and weren''t even lifting a finger to resist. Even so, I had sent an order, and couldn''t just rescind it.


    "Sorry," I told them as I approached. Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan stared up at me tearfully, not sure what to do. They held hands tightly, preparing for their deaths. I felt sorry for them, but I steeled myself.


    This was for the sake of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, after all.


    "If you survive this, then we''ll just let you go. Since we''ll dispose the bodies outside the city later anyway." I didn''t mention that we would have to burn the bodies to prevent diseases and whatnot. No point scaring the sisters. "But let''s leave everything to fate."


    With a wave of my hand, I encased both shocked sisters in ice. I was satisfied when I detected a small trace of qi from both sisters, which indicated that they were still alive, and then turned away in search of more¡­resistant prey.


    Within a few hours, we were done with our bloody work.


    Corpses could be seen lying in all directions. All of them belonged to the martial artist from the ten invading sects and included the subordinates and closest confidants of Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue.


    The three of them were still chained to the Spirit Engraved Pillars, helplessly watching as their subordinates were slaughtered. They were glaring at us hatefully, an ominous fire blazing deep inside their eyes.


    If Lang Xie hadn''t commanded that we let them live, I would have them killed. They were dangerous. If we let them go, they would return to pose a formidable threat to us in the far future.


    Even so, I couldn''t help but comment on their hypocrisy.


    "Did you really think you can just waltz into Tushan City, massacre our citizens and members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and just walk away freely?" I snapped at them. "You think you can just go around killing anybody you want without suffering the consequences? If you''re not ready to be killed in return, then you have no business taking lives!"


    The three of them didn''t respond. They only glared at me defiantly. I knew they would be scheming to assassinate me in the future. I couldn''t let them go. After Lang Xie made his deal and secured the safety of our sect members who were taken as hostages, and these guys were returned to the sect, I vowed to hunt them down before they could carry out their plans of revenge.


    No¡­that was fine. Tian Yu Di and I were going to take revenge and destroy the Martial Arts Alliance anyway. When that happened, we would inevitably clash, and that would be the best time to eliminate them.


    I looked forward to that happening.


    Unaware of my sinister schemes, Hai Rong had gotten to her feet, still severely injured from her clash with Blood Shadow earlier.


    "There are still many enemies from these ten sects lingering in Tushan City," she growled through gritted teeth. "We should exterminate them as well!"


    Lang Xie nodded in acknowledgement. "I''ll take care of it now."


    "Elder Tian," I spoke up. Now that the carnage was over, he was hanging out at the bottom of one of the Spirit Engraved Pillars, looking bored. It appeared that he was absorbing the qi from some victims, especially those with purer qi, in an effort to replenish his strength. He looked up when I approached, stifling a yawn.


    "What is it?"


    "You mind helping Lord Lang Xie get rid of the invaders in Tushan City?"

 214 Chapter 213: Cleaning out the City

    "He seems absolutely loyal to you." Lang Xie frowned and considered for a moment. "As long as he doesn''t try anything funny¡­"


    "There you have it," I told Tian Yu Di. "Have fun."


    Tian Yu Di grinned. "Many thanks, Sect Leader. But before that¡­"


    He turned toward Liang Yang Zu''s corpse, which, to be honest, was not much after the explosion. To everyone''s horror, Liang Yang Zu''s blood and the remains of his body were flowing toward Tian Yu Di and he absorbed the qi from it.


    Blood Shadow''s features seemed to shift and transform, and I could sense that little by little, his original qi was being integrated into Tian Yu Di''s own. Tian Yu Di also drew the blood from several corpses around him until he turned into that bald old man I saw chained in the Spirit World. Still a little emaciated, and completely identical.


    Evidently he had rearranged and modified Blood Shadow''s body at the cellular and genetic level until it completely transformed into his original self. There was no trace of the original Yan Chi left, it had all been absorbed to constitute Tian Yu Di''s newly reborn body.


    Tian Yu Di continued to absorb more qi from the blood of the corpses around him, and integrated it into himself. He was wise enough not to absorb too much ¨C for it would take far too long for him to assimilate all the qi and made it a part of himself, thus leaving him vulnerable ¨C but enough to restore a huge portion of himself.


    His white beard shrank, and hair began growing on his scalp. At first, it was longish gray hair, but they turned somewhat brown and regained a bit of luster. His wrinkles also vanished, and his body filled out, the once skeletal and emaciated figure become slightly muscular and a lot healthier looking. His eyes also seemed to glow fiercer than before, the amount of qi in his body reinforced substantially by what he had just absorbed.


    Everyone witnessed this, and other than me, they felt an indescribable horror. The Great Elders and inner sect elders backed away subsconsciously from Tian Yu Di, and even the Blood Blades looked uncomfortable.


    The three commanders of the invading forces who were still chained to the Spirit Engraved Pillars lost all color in their faces. Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue, despite having witnessed many momentuous events, felt a tremendous amount of shock and horror when they saw Tian Yu Di work to restore himself.


    Tian Yu Di turned to grin at them, as if drinking in their fear and savoring it. He licked his lips almost ravenously, his smile widening.


    "Your qi seems pretty refined and purer than the others. I wonder how much more strength I can restore if I absorb your qi."


    "Hmph!" I snorted. "What hypocrites. And did you not think that all the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members, civilians and Blood Blades martial artists you''ve killed will not return as ghosts to haunt you? After all the atrocities you committed in Tushan City and our sect?"


    The hypocritical Su Bai Xue fell silent, unable to refute my point, but Shi Jing Yun glared at me.


    "Kid, it''s much worse to have your qi sucked out than to be simply killed."


    "Really?" I asked skeptically. "Dead is dead. How is dying from being slaughtered by you any different from dying by having one''s qi sucked dry? Does it somehow affect your ghost in the afterlife or something?"


    No one could give a satisfactory reply. Wu Tuo merely hung his head, not daring to meet my accusing gaze.


    "Elder Tian," I addressed my Ancestral Master. "I''ll leave the city to you. Leave not even a single invader alive. They must pay for their crimes."


    "Consider it done." Tian Yu Di glanced at the surviving Blood Blades, who were mobilizing in force to clean out the city, and nodded in approval. Lang Xie had already gone ahead of us, leading a massive contingent of Blood Blades. "Heh, I didn''t expect that teaching an incomplete version of Heaven and Earth Absorption would end up creating a mini-Heaven and Earth Sect in this place! Sect Leader, you made the right choice in persuading me not to destroy your beloved Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    He then vanished with a gleeful whoop, streaking toward the direction of the city.


    The moment he departed, everyone let out a huge sigh of relief. The pale, ghastly faces were slowly regaining their color.


    "Fei Wu." Luo Zhi Chang addressed me. He gestured for the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members to follow him to a more secluded area, out of the hearing range of the three outsiders shackled to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. It was clear that he wanted to have a private, serious discussion regarding all that had just occurred. "Where did this man come from? Is he also from the Heaven and Earth Sect? Is that why he is calling you Sect Leader?"


    "That''s right. He is my Ancestral Master from many generations ago."


    "Where did he come from?" the second Great Elder persisted, his brow furrowing. "And I''ve never seen a person like him in the Heaven and Earth Sect before."


    I recalled that the Great Elders had lived a long time, and had probably witnessed the recent generations of Heaven and Earth Sect. They must have been familiar with the personnel in Heaven and Earth Sect, and someone of Tian Yu Di''s formidable strength would hardly have gone unnoticed when they were at their peak, shortly before their destruction.


    Furthermore, if Heaven and Earth Sect had such a powerful member fighting for them, then even the Martial Arts Alliance wouldn''t have been able to defeat them a few years ago! No, they might even get annihilated, especially if Tian Mo had combined forces with such a terrifying demonic martial artist!


    Fortunately, Zi Shou De stepped in, having guessed the gist of everything.


    "He must be the demonic shadowy existence that you mentioned to me before," he said. "The one you claimed was hiding underneath the Spirit Engraved Pillars."


    "You knew about this?" Zi Da Ji asked him. Zi Shou De shook his head. "Just a few weeks ago, when Fei Wu was communing with the Spirit Engraved Pillars and absorbing the knowledge of ancient martial arts from them. He had requested me to upgrade the spiritual defense of his Spirit Shield, citing the demonic existence as the reason." He shrugged. "We both agreed that it wouldn''t be a good idea to raise an alarm, so I promised him to keep quiet about it."


    Zi Da Ji nodded. She might not be happy about her husband keeping secrets, but if it was done as a promise, then she could hardly complain.


    "He''s from over nine hundred years ago." I briefly filled them in with what I knew about Tian Yu Di''s past. "But I succeeded in convincing him to let go of his vendetta against Jiu Wei Hu, and he recognized me as his leader." I took out my Golden Dragon Medallion and stared at it. "Even though I didn''t want anything to do with this, I had no choice but to play along. Otherwise I would never be able to persuade him to listen to me and help."


    "You did the right thing," Zi Da Ji assured me.


    "The old demon is almost as old as our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Luo Zhi Chang sighed gravely. "Jiu Wei Hu is the founder of our sect, who created our sect upon discovering these nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. To think he went and sealed such a horrifying monster under them¡­I can scarcely believe it!"


    "I think the reason he did that was precisely because he knew only the Spirit Engraved Pillars had the power to seal him." Zi Shou De had a calmer and more objective outlook regarding the situation, and was nodding thoughtfully.


    "You''re probably right," I agreed.


    "Even so¡­" the third Great Elder looked as if he had a huge headache. His expression scrunched in worry. "With an ancient, qi-sucking demon now going to stay in our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and even given a position in Blood Blades just like that¡­aren''t we just giving the Martial Arts Alliance more weaknesses to exploit?


    "Even without Elder Tian, the Martial Arts Alliance never had any intention to show us mercy," I countered. "They came up with an outrageous accusation like us harboring weapons of mass destruction and the like. Do you think they care if we have a powerful demonic martial artist in our ranks or not?" sighing, I shook my head. "And let''s be honest. If Elder Tian wasn''t here, it''s possible that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would have fallen by now. And all the Great Elders would have been assassinated by Blood Shadow."


    The leaders of the sect fell silent.


    I was aware that the Great Elders would find it very difficult to accept an ancient demon like Tian Yu Di. They couldn''t even accept Xue Jian. On the other hand, Tian Yu Di didn''t do anything as blatant as indulging in cannibalism and feasting on human flesh while drinking human blood. Even so, they found his sucking of qi equally disturbing.


    I wondered how they would react if I told them that I had learned and used the exact same technique, Heaven and Earth Absoprtion. It was what I used to annihilate Ba Yun and about one hundred members of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect. furthermore, it wasn''t just Tian Yu Di and me. All of Blood Blades had learned Heaven and Earth Absorption in its incomplete form. If they were against Tian Yu Di based on principle, then surely they would have to disband Blood Blades.


    But that was something I would tell them later. I had a feeling that both Zi Shou De and Zi Da Ji already knew that ¨C Zi Da Ji, after all, was the commander of Blood Blades and she surely recognized the total similarity between our techniques and Tian Yu Di''s complete Heaven and Earth Absorption. They would be more amenable to Tian Yu Di becoming a major force in our sect. But the Great Elders had suffered more than enough shock for today, so I didn''t want to give them a heart attack by revealing the secrets of Blood Blades.


    Fortunately, the Great Elders weren''t stupid¡­well, actually, they were. They had made so many stupid decisions regarding Liang Shao Yang, and a lot of other judgemental errors that seemed more contrived to create drama and tension in the plot rather than judgement befitting people of their advanced age and wisdom. Currently, they moved according to the latter (probably because the plot required them to), and acknowledged that we couldn''t survive without Tian Yu Di''s help. Not if Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was to survive the next onslaught.


    "Fine." Luo Zhi Chang sighed. "Let''s take it one step at a time."


    *


    Outside Tushan City, at the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range, many camps had been set up. Armored Fighting Vehicles, trucks, rovers and scout vehicles had been parked neatly in large formations, their engines idling as they were spread out across the grass.


    This group was Dark Asura Sect''s reserve force. They were waiting reinforcements from Heavenly Way Sect and Green Dragon Sect, who had also been mobilized by the Martial Arts Alliance to join the invasion.


    Atop one of the scout vehicles, a single lady stood atop the cupola and peered at Tushan City through her binoculars. Given the distance, despite the magnification, she couldn''t see anything or make anything out clearly.


    "I wonder what''s going on in the city?" Xie Jing Lian murmured to herself. Her subordinate, Yang Zhong, glanced up.


    "We''ve lost all contact with the Dark Asura Sect forces in the sect," he informed her solemnly as he struggled with the long-distance vox-set. The receivers had gone silent now, the signal apparently blocked, or too far to be received. Given how powerful the vehicle-mounted vox-set was, it was most likely the former.


    He flicked a few switches and twisted a few dials, but only static continued to blare out. Even Yuan Tian Ya''s personal comn bead remained stubbornly silent, as if the wearer had carelessly discarded it to ignore orders from above.


    Giving up finally, Yang Zhong turned back to look at his lady.


    "I''ve dispatched several unmanned drones to scout ahead. The moment they come into view, we''ll be able to construct a picture." He gestured toward several monitors, which still displayed the grasslands and forests surrounding Tushan City. "If everything goes smoothly, then Nine-Tailed Fox Sect should have fallen by now. Sect Leader Zi Shou De, the Great Elders, and the inner sect elders should all be captured and imprisoned right now."


    Xie Jing Lian nodded lightly, not trusting herself to speak.


    A muscular man approached their scout vehicle, causing Xie Jing Lian to look down on him from her cupola. Unlike her white and pristine military uniform, this man was dressed in the black and red uniform of Dark Asura Sect, with many medals decorating his chest. The chevrons on his shoulders, which were three stars, indicated his high rank.


    He was the second sect leader of Dark Asura Sect, Cao Xuan Rui. A person who had always been at odds with Yuan Tian Ya, the both of them always competed fiercely for the ultimate rank of Grand Sect Leader.


    Well, thanks to Tian Yu Di, his competition had been all but eliminated.


    To give some background because I needed to fill out the word count to keep up the daily updates, I might as well tell everyone that Yuan Tian Ya had been hogging the spotlight recently because of recent achievements and battles, which including gathering an extremely formidable force under him and exterminating a demonic sect at the fringes of the Great Zhou Empire. Not just Dark Asura Sect, but the Martial Arts Alliance had recognized his accomplishments.


    That was why he was allowed to take charge of this operation against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    The ones who broke into Nine-Tailed Fox Sect first would have the opportunity to plunder whatever Spirit Materials, high quality Spirit Artifacts and other resources they liked from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. That was why so many coveted the opportunity to lead the assault against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. As much as Cao Xuan Rui hated to admit it, Yuan Tian Ya had proven that he deserved the opportunity, thanks to his decisive blow against the Dark Carnage Sect. That didn''t mean he had to like the higher-ups'' decision, though.


    "Miss Xie, I heard that the higher-ups have arranged for the Heavenly Way Sect and Green Dragon Sect to send their forces over." Cao Xuan Rui stopped next to the armored fighting vehicle and bowed politely. "Have you heard from them yet?"


    "Not yet," Xie Jing Lian replied indifferently.


    "What about the lord from the Xie family?" he asked.


    The Martial Arts Alliance was currently governed by three great clans, who possessed great prestige and tremendous power, even in comparison to the eight major sects. They were just under the royal family in terms of rank and influence, which was why the royal family was so reluctant to clash with the Martial Arts Alliance. It was also because of them that the Martial Arts Alliance was able to maintain its incredible standing in the Great Zhou Empire today.


    The three great clans often took turns, competing to be the Alliance Chief. And the Xie family was one of those three massive clans in the Martial Arts Alliance.


    That was why Cao Xuan Rui treated Xie Jing Lian with such deference. He could not afford to antagonize her. Even if Yuan Tian Ya was still alive and present, even he would also have to treat her with respect.


    Xie Jing Lian had apparently been assigned to the Dark Asura Sect because her clan wanted her to accumulate experience through managing subordinates in combat, and also so that she could increase her own strength, while rising through the ranks to become one of the potential heiress to the clan and an eventual Alliance Chief in the far future.


    "I haven''t heard anything either," Xie Jing Lian repeated in the same uncaring tone.


    The Dark Asura Sect members exchanged glances with each other, trying to conceal their impatience, but they were smart enough to hold their tongues.


    "Do you think Lord Tu Xi is enough to eliminate Lang Xie?" one of the Dark Asura Sect members whispered.


    "Why not? Lord Tu Xi is a high-ranking martial artist in the Heavenly Way Sect. You know how powerful the Heavenly Way Sect is."


    Unlike the Heavenly Way Sect, the Dark Asura Sect was not one of the eight major sects. That was why they held the eight major sects in reverence. They were still powerful in their own right, but not strong enough to challenge a major sect like Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, which was why they were woring together with nine other sects to invade it in the first place.


    "Still¡­I can''t believe the Heavenly Way Sect only dispatched one expert," the first member complained.


    "I heard they are sending reinforcements," the second member chided him. "An entire army of Heavenly Way Sect members are on their way. And I heard their second young master, Jiang Jun Hao, is leading them. Apparently his masters want him to gain experience in combat, but didn''t want to put him in too much danger."


    "Just like Lady Xie up there, eh?" a third member chuckled. If Xie Jing Lian had heard him, she gave no sign, instead continuing to view Tushan City through her binoculars.


    "Quiet, all of you," Cao Xuan Rui snapped. Then he dropped his voice to a whisper. "Let us hope our comrades are enough to subjugate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. We don''t want Heavenly Way Sect or any of the major sects to come in and steal our thunder. They will take a sizeable portion of the spoils of war for themselves."


    "If we conquer Nine-Tailed Fox Sect before they arrive¡­" the third member was practically drooling. "We can have all their stuff to ourselves."


    "Not all of their stuff," Cao Xuan Rui reminded him. Then he smiled. "But we do get their best stuff, yes."


    Their optimism faded immediately when Yang Zhong''s voice suddenly spoke up across the vox system, echoing from their invidual comn beads.


    "The drones have reached the destination. Receiving pictures now¡­"


    Yang Zhong watched as the images of Tushan City finally came into view, and his expression turned into stupefied horror as he magnified the images and clarified what he was seeing in real time. His fingers turned white as he gripped the controls tightly, his mind grappling with disbelief.


    When they noticed there was a delay, a long lull of silence as Yang Zhong ceased his report, the Dark Asura Sect members began to stir restlessly, looking at each other.


    "What''s happening?"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Yang Zhong?" Xie Jing Lian pressed impatiently, lowering herself through the cupola to look at her subordinate.


    "Tushan City¡­Tushan City has been retaken by Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Even as he resumed his report, Yang Zhong''s voice was filled with incredulity. "Right now, Blood Blades martial artists are hunting down all the martial artists of the invading ten sects in the city and wiping them out! There are few, if any survivors!"


    The entire reserve force of Dark Asura Sect were stunned speechless.


    "H¡­how is that possible!?" one of the members cried out angrily.


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    "Just this morning, didn''t the allied forces launch a combined attack and overwhelm Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s defenses? Didn''t they already succeed in conquering Tushan City and occupying it? We were supposed to execute the last phase of our invasion and take the main sect grounds. The sun hasn''t even set yet, and already the situation is reversed and our allied forces are being driven out of Tushan City or eliminated? What happened?!"


    Cao Xuan Rui''s face had lost all its color as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He glared at the armored fighting vehicle, as if his gaze could bore through the thick walls and drill straight at Yang Zhong.


    The vox-operator, however, was unaware of the questioning glare, continuing to monitor the situation. He studied a single monitor as several of his drones swooped across the space above the foot of Flame Volcano.


    His eyes bulged, and he desperately adjusted the magnification to ensure that he wasn''t seeing things wrong. Sucking in a deep breath, he spoke with a trembling voice.


    "Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue have been shackled to the Spirit Engraved Pillars at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s plaza. I can''t find Liang Yang Zu or Yuan Tian Ya anyway. And all the dead bodies in the plaza¡­they are wearing the uniforms of the ten allied sects!"


    No one said a word. They were staring in the direction of Tushan City with wide, disbelieving eyes.


    Then Yang Zhong broke the silence again.

 215 Chapter 214: Upheaval

    Zi Shou De stood at the peak of Flame Volcano, watching the outskirts of Tushan City through binoculars. He handed them to an inner sect disciple, who served as his aide, and turned to face all of us with a solemn expression.


    "What do you mean?" Zi Da Ji asked, but she looked as if she already knew the answer. Her husband sighed heavily.


    "The ten invading sects have called for reinforcements, and their reserve forces of martial artists are approaching us even as we speak. Already they are at the outskirts of Tushan City, ready to barge in. Blood Blades have only just recently reclaimed Tushan City, but alas, it seems that they will be driven back to the main sect grounds again."


    "With that elder who obeys Fei Wu, shouldn''t we be able to handle even the main bulk of the ten sects'' forces?" the second Great Elder asked.


    "If it''s just those ten sects, maybe." Zi Shou De looked grim. "But this time they have sent out their big guns. Green Dragon Sect, Heavenly Way Sect and Kun Lu Sect are already here. Along with Snow Valley Sect, it means that four out of the seven other major sects have joined forces to destroy us. Even with Elder Tian''s prodigious strength, I find it highly unlike that we will be able to withstand their combined assault."


    Even though Tushan City still possessed a barrier capable of jamming vox signals and thus denying the martial artists within from contacting their sects and informing them of the reversal, they weren''t stupid. They also had other means, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, drones and other surveillance devices that allowed them to construct a rough picture of what had occurred within the sect grounds.


    Thanks to those other means, the Martial Arts Alliance''s respective subordinate sects had learned that the situation within Tushan City had far exceeded their imagination. They realized that the first wave they had sent in had been annihilated, or at the very least suffered a crushing defeat and were unable to escape.


    Additionally, there was also a sizeable number of martial artists who had lost all patience with the lack of communication and information, and they had quietly headed toward Tushan City on their own accord. They wanted to figure out what exactly happened, and how Nine-Tailed Fox Sect defeated ten invading sects on its own.


    Xie Jing Lian, Yang Zhong and Cao Xuan Rui were among those who were currently rushing toward Tushan City, hoping to stabilize the situation before it was too late. Unfortunately for them, it was far too late ¨C there was no longer anybody to save except the three high-ranking hostages.


    That was redundant, but I was not there to comment on his poor choice of words. Not that it mattered.


    Yang Zhong sighed as he rattled about in the armored fighting vehicle that reassuringly crawled through the forest at top speed, avoiding trees and crushing roots in its path. "Tu Xi is a high-level expert from the Heavenly Way Sect, and is very renowned in combat. Is there anyone in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect able to defeat him?"


    "Don''t underestimate Lang Xie," Cao Xuan Rui warned. "He is extremely strong. I have exchanged blows with him before, and he had utterly overwhelmed me and defeated me." he smiled bitterly. "I can''t even call it a fight."


    Atop the cupola of her armored fighting vehicle, Xie Jing Lian turned to look at Cao Xuan Rui''s land rover in surprise. So did the Dark Asura Sect Leader''s subordinates.


    "Sir, you actually lost to Lang Xie?" one of his subordinates asked incredulously. "Just how powerful is that man?!"


    Cao Xuan Rui sighed darkly. "I can say with certainty that Lang Xie is stronger than even our Grand Sect Leader and Cloud Sky Mountain Sect Leader. In fact, I doubt there''s anyone in the Martial Arts Alliance who can match up to Lang Xie, other than the elite practitioners from the other seven major sects. Perhaps even Lord Tu Xi¡­is no match for him as well."


    Xie Jing Lian pondered over the Dark Asura Sect Second Leader''s words for a few moments, her face extremely grim. She wasn''t given any time to think, however. Before she could say anything, her comn bead buzzed and a deep, male voice spoke over a secure channel.


    "Jing Lian, meet me in the forest east of Tushan City."


    "Understood." Xie Jing Lian lowered herself through the cupola and glanced at the hatch where the driver and gunner were seated. "You heard him."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    The driver was good at his job. Without any hesitation, he turned the steering wheel and the armored fighting vehicle swiveled on its tracks, moving toward the east without any pause. He even accelerated the sturdy transport, which practically flew over the foresty terrain.


    "Sir?" the driver of Cao Xuan Rui''s rover glanced over his shoulder at his sect leader. The latter nodded once.


    "Follow them."


    The column of land rovers and armored personnel carriers belonging to the Dark Asura Sect veered off from their original trajectory and swiftly pursued her toward the east. It didn''t take them more than fifteen minutes, with Xie Jing Lian''s AFV being the first to arrive.


    "Second Uncle!" Xie Jing Lian popped her head out of the cupola, scanning the forest urgently. "Where are you?"


    "Jing Lian, over here." a disembodied voice seemed to float from everywhere and nowhere, but being from the same clan, Xie Jing Lian was able to instantly pinpoint the location of her uncle. Without waiting for the driver to disengage the hatch to allow the troops within to disembark, she climbed out of the cupola and jumped gracefully to the ground.


    Yang Zhong and a small squad of martial artists followed her closely, and they headed in the direction of the source of the voice. There, they spotted a middle-aged man with handsome features, his light blue uniform in stark contrast with the verdant greenery.


    Inwardly, Xie Jing Lian marveled how she was unable to spot him inside the forest despite the colors of his uniform making him stand out visibly. It was a testament to his skill.


    However, that wasn''t what caught her attention. As she drew closer to her second uncle, she froze.


    This area of the forest had been devastated, with trees toppled over and broken, and grass torn up from the soil like tornado. Even the solid earth had been cracked, with craters pockmarking the now barren clearing. Blood spread over the uprooted grass and brown, caked earth like a river, flowing in a serene and unceasing manner.


    The source of the blood was what disturbed her the most. Lying at the feet of the middle-aged man was a headless corpse.


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    "S¡­Second Uncle¡­" Xie Jing Lian gasped. "This¡­this is¡­"


    Xie Zhi Zhang raised his head to look at his niece, and said a single, simple sentence. "This is Tu Xi."


    "Tu Xi?" Yang Zhong exclaimed incredulously. "That Tu Xi from Heavenly Way Sect?!"


    Xie Jing Lian''s face was drained of all color, but she forced herself to look at the corpse. Swallowing, she turned to Xie Zhi Zhang. "Second Uncle, who killed Tu Xi?"


    "Who do you think killed him?" Xie Zhi Zhang riposted. "In Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, who is the only one capable of killing Tu Xi? If it''s not Sect Lady Zi Da Ji, then it must be Lang Xie." He closed his eyes and sensed the qi around him. "If I''m not mistaken, this qi belongs to Lang Xie."


    "Lang Xie? But Lang Xie should only be mid-level Pure Spirit Stage. He can''t possibly kill someone of a higher level than him..." Yang Zhong was stunned.


    "There you go again, obsessed with these meaningless levels and stages." Xie Zhi Zhang scoffed. "They are only a rough guide to estimate one''s strength. They are not absolutes. So what if you''re of a higher level? Maybe you''ve more qi or something, but that doesn''t mean you''re physically stronger, or you''re faster. Experience also matters greatly, and combat experience is definitely something Lang Xie possesses in abundance. Not to mention strategy, tactics, intelligence and all sorts of trickery and deception. If he ambushed Tu Xi, then it doesn''t matter how high Tu Xi''s level is if he is taken by surprise."


    Xie Jing Lian and Yang Zhong fell silent.


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect truly isn''t something we can underestimate." Xie Zhi Zhang sighed. "If they have a decade more¡­no, perhaps in a few years, they would surpass the other seven major sects and become even more difficult for the Martial Arts Alliance to deal with than they are right now. That''s exactly why the Martial Arts Alliance seek to eliminate them. They are far too powerful and dangerous."


    After he finished speaking, he began to stroll in the direction of Tushan City. However, within moments, he disappeared from sight, leaving Xie Jing Lian and Yang Zhong confused. When he fully vanished, Cao Xuan Rui and the martial artists from Dark Asura Sect finally caught up on foot, having disembarked from their vehicles as well.


    "This¡­whose body is this?!" Cao Xuan Rui cried out when he caught sight of Tu Xi''s headless corpse.


    "Tu Xi''s," Xie Jing Lian replied coolly, and was already returning to her AFV with Yang Zhong and her squad at her heels. She was obviously not interested in elaborating or making small talk with the newly arrived Dark Asura Sect members.


    "What?! Tu Xi?!" Cao Xuan Rui''s eyes bulged as he stared at the body. Upon confirming the traces of qi and uniform, he gasped. "It really is Tu Xi!"


    Spinning around to face his subordinates, he hurriedly rasied a hand to his comn bead and issued orders on the main channel.


    "All forces, beware!" he shouted. "Tu Xi from Heavenly Way Sect has been slain! Approach Tushan City and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect with utmost caution!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    A collective chorus filled the channel as the reserve forces of Dark Asura Sect responded to his instructions.


    *


    I watched as my Castellax battle-automata picked up the corpses with their power claws and piled them up. Once they had done so, I squeezed the trigger of my flamethrower, pouring napalm onto the heap of corpses and incinerating them.


    Sparks flew and flames raged in front of me, smoke billowing out to block out the sky. All around me, outer sect disciples were helping in disposing of the bodies. It was thankless, dirty, tedious work, but someone had to do it.


    I wasn''t fond of such disgusting duties, but I couldn''t shirk from the responsibilities, not when I was responsible for killing quite a number of them. Fortunately, both the Blood Blades and I had our battle puppets and battle-automata to help us out, which made the job a lot easier. Of course, many of our battle puppets had been damaged in the fight earlier, but there were only so many blacksmiths, and we were taking turns to have our battle-automata and battle puppets repaired and maintained.


    Tang Qi Hong had offered to check on my battle-automata first, and despite my protests because I didn''t want to receive preferential treatment, the rest of the Blood Blades insisted, and I got reprimanded by Tang Qi Hong, so I relented. After she was done, I immediately set them to work, clearing the bodies and burning the corpses.


    We had no choice. If we left the corpses where they were, disease would spread. Flies, rats and other scavengers would feast on the corpses, causing our city to be tainted with filth and become unhygienic. They would rot, especially in such hot weather, their bodies swelling, bloating and releasing foul gas. The occupants of Tushan City ¨C namely us ¨C would fall sick more easily, and piles of corpses were always prime breeding grounds for plague.


    In order to prevent that, we had to burn the bodies. They weren''t going to magically disappear after we killed martial artists, not like what all those clean and idealistic xianxia or wuxia stories would have you believe. When you killed so many people, you had to dispose of the bodies. No one was going to do it, so it was left to the soldiers who did the killing in the first place.


    As one of the Blood Blades, I refused to shirk from my duty.


    "¡­"


    Noticing the intense glare from the existences beyond the fourth wall, I glanced up to stare back at the readers.


    "What?" I asked, annoyed. "Are you expecting me to be halfway up Flame Volcano, flirting with Ling Yu Mei and discussing some past we never had? You''ve read too much Spirit Realm. I just want to point out the illogical stuff and everything that didn''t make sense in the story, not rip it off!"


    Well, some of the readers had never heard of Spirit Realm before. I actually preferred watching the anime, despite it butchering the original. It was a little shorter, and a lot more visual. The original was filled with quite a few plot holes anyway, so it didn''t matter if they changed the story.


    While we labored unceasingly to clear and dispose of the corpses, among the pile of dead, there were a few who were still alive.


    The ice entombing Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan melted, and the two sisters collapsed onto a puddle of steaming water, coughing as they choked on the acrid smoke. They glanced around and were horrified to see the blazing corpses around them.


    "Oh, you''re still alive," I remarked casually, as if I was merely greeting an old-time acquaintance. They stared at me in horror, not comprehending what was going on. For my part, I had deliberately gotten my Castellax battle-automata to ferry the ice blocks that trapped them to this pile of corpses, so I wasn''t surprised to see them.


    "You are¡­"


    "What¡­what''s going on?"


    The poor sisters looked so confused. I cleared my throat and gestured for them to get out of there.


    "Careful, or you guys will get burned. Come on."


    They flinched as the flames neared, but Ling Yu Xuan remained unperturbed. Oh, right. Now that I remembered, she was a fire user. Ling Yu Mei could protect herself with her water techniques. Neither of them were in danger of being burned to death.


    Even so, it must be highly uncomfortable, standing in such intolerable heat. The sisters finally snapped out of it and hurried toward me.


    "We have survivors over here!"


    A couple of Blood Blades members noticed the Ling Sisters emerging from the flames and flocked toward them, but I quickly raised my hand to forestall them.


    "They survived the initial slaughter. Seems like Heaven wants to give them a chance at life. Who are we to deny them their fate?"


    Okay, I was being pretty shameless, bringing fate and destiny into all this when I was supposed to go against the heavens. Nonetheless, it was the only thing I could think of to persuade my fellow Blood Blades not to indulge in murder.


    "Those two girls¡­they are from the Dark Fiend Sect, are they not?"


    Lang Xie appeared out of nowhere, shocking the hell out of me. I swallowed and tried to plaster a smile across my face.


    "Lord Lang Xie¡­I''m not sure. Maybe?"


    "¡­we are." Ling Yu Mei bowed her head deferentially. Lang Xie stared at both her and her sister coldly, but didn''t say a word.


    "My Lord," I began. "I know they are enemies, but they haven''t attacked us, and they clearly show no intention of fighting back. Don''t you think it''s beneath us to kill them when they''re helpless and unarmed?"


    "Then what do you propose we do with them?" Lang Xie asked, without even turning back to me. He maintained his stern gaze on the trembling sisters. "Imprison them and take them as hostages like Shi Jing Yun?"


    "Uh, well¡­" I thought for a while, and then an idea formed in my head. "That''s right, Lord Lang Xie. If I''m not mistaken, these two sisters are the direct disciples of the leader of Dark Fiend Valley Sect, Jiu Liu Yu." Pushing my glasses up, I smiled. "Even if she doesn''t care about Shi Jing Yun''s life, she will definitely care about her disciples'' lives. I say we keep them alive for now." I nodded to my Castallax battle-automata, who stepped forward to circle the terrified Ling Sisters. "I''ll escort them to the main sect grounds."


    "Good idea." Lang Xie nodded in approval. "Keeping the sisters alive will definitely increase our bargaining chips. I''ll leave it to you then."


    I sighed in relief, and with a mental will, slightly loosened the ring that my Castellax battle-automata had formed around Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan. They were both watching me with indescribable expressions.


    "Thank you," Ling Yu Mei finally said.


    "Huh? Why are you thanking me?" I asked, astonished.


    "For helping us," Ling Yu Xuan replied softly.


    "What are you talking about? I''m taking you guys as hostages. No one''s helping you." I turned away and beckoned for them to follow me. "If anything, I''m surprised you guys aren''t pissed off at me."


    Ling Yu Mei smiled, her shoulders relaxing a little.


    "You didn''t kill us back then¡­only freezing me and my sister. You knew you would have to burn the corpses later, and the heat of the fire would melt the ice and free us¡­that whole thing about Heaven giving us a second chance is just an excuse, isn''t it?"


    "The hostages too¡­it''s just an excuse to stop the Blood Blades from taking our lives." Ling Yu Xuan was just as sharp as her sister.


    "But why are you helping us?" Ling Yu Mei looked at me curiously. "Aren''t we¡­strangers?"


    "We are far from strangers. We''re acquaintances. I even agreed to help you guys get Spirit Artifacts before¡­it''ll be tragic if you get killed before I fulfil my promise. Well, I say that, but Elder Tie is the one forging your Spirit Weapons¡­"


    I paused for a moment and sighed.


    "But don''t misunderstand. I''m not forgiving you or sparing your lives. You''re still an enemy. You participated in the invasion of our sect. You followed your fellow sect members here to witness our demise, as if this was some sort of entertaining play. You did so because you didn''t think there was any risk to your life, because you thought Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would be destroyed for sure and you wanted to be there to witness its last moments because it contains some sort of historical significance. I''m not going to forget that."


    "Even so¡­you still showed us mercy and didn''t kill us." Ling Yu Mei bowed her head gratefully. "Thank you."


    "Thank you for saving our lives," Ling Yu Xuan added.


    I wasn''t stupid enough to confirm or affirm heir suspicions, especially in the open. So I merely snorted.


    "Believe whatever you want. I have no obligation to play along with your delusions."


    Before I knew it, I led them to Tang Qi Hong''s villa. She and Lian Rou were busily dealing with the repair and maintainence of the battle-automata of other Blood Blades, but they glanced up in surprise when they spotted the Ling sisters.


    "Those girls¡­they''re still alive?" Lian Rou gasped in shock.


    "Why did you bring them here?" Tang Qi Hong narrowed her eyes at me. I felt a chill run down my spine. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.


    "They are hostages. A bargaining chip to deal with the Seven Valley Sects. After all¡­" I gestured toward Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan, who were timidly standing under the shadows of my Castellax battle-automata. "They''re the direct disciples of Jiu Liu Yu, the sect leader of Dark Fiend Valley Sect. I''m sure she''ll value her disciples'' lives more than others''¡­even Shi Jing Yun''s."


    Tang Qi Hong regarded me suspiciously, and then nodded when she realized the truth of what I said.


    "So why bring them here?"


    "I''m entrusting them to you." I shrugged. "I don''t think it''s proper for a guy to take charge of female prisoners. And both Lord Lang Xie and I are convinced they won''t pose any danger or try anything funny. So I thought maybe it would be best if I leave them with you." I glanced at them. "Maybe they might help you guys out."


    "¡­I''ll see what we can do." Tang Qi Hong thought about it for a while, and then sighed. "Fine. Since you''re the one asking, I''ll help out."


    "Thank you very much!" I bowed deeply. "You''re the only one I trust regarding this matter!"


    "I''m flattered." Tang Qi Hong snorted, but she did look a little delighted. "Well, go back outside and make sure those bastards don''t return."


    "Roger that."


    The Ling sisters looked uncertain, but they obediently went over to the spot Tang Qi Hong directed them toward.


    "Is there anything we can do to help?" Ling Yu Mei asked quietly. Tang Qi Hong grimaced and shook her head.


    "You have no knowledge of blacksmithing, do you?"


    "Not really," Ling Yu Mei admitted. "But perhaps¡­polishing, cleaning¡­or oiling¡­we can help with basic stuff like that."


    "That will be great." Lian Rou rose to her feet and approached them. "I''ll show you the gist of it."


    "Thank you." Ling Yu Xuan thanked her.


    The girls ended up working pretty well and seamlessly, repairing and maintaining both weapons and battle puppets for hours until they finally stopped for a necessary break.


    As they drank water and took advantage of the short lull to relax, Ling Yu Mei glanced over at Tang Qi Hong and hesitated a little.


    "Forgive me if I sound impudent, Miss Tang¡­but are you in a relationship with Master Fei Wu?"


    Tang Qi Hong spat out the water she had been drinking from a bottle, and choked, coughing as she flailed about wildly.


    "W¡­w¡­w¡­what nonsense are you blabbering about!?"


    *


    At the south entrance of Tushan City, Elder Zhao awaited like a sentinel, watching the approaching forces warily.


    They were clad in the uniform of the Dark Fiend Valley Sect, or at least the first row of them was. Behind them were the members from the other six Valley Sects. The Snow Valley Sect had chosen to operate separately this time, for some reason.


    Not that Elder Zhao particularly cared about their reasons. Right now, he was more concerned with the nearing row of martial artists proudly bearing the emblem of the Seven Valley Sects. However, they were forced to stop before the closed door of the city entrance, the gates having been repaired and reinforced mere hours ago.


    Standing atop the ramparts, Elder Zhao stared down at the Six Valley Sects martial artists with disdain. His eyes rested on a particularly luxurious limousine, which was arrogantly rolling behind the marching rows of martial artists.


    As if they were executing a perfectly disciplined parade, the martial artists split into two rows, providing a wide path for the limousine to rumble between them. It halted a few meters from the gate, but no passengers disembarked.


    Elder Zhao frowned, and took a deep breath. He recognized the family crest adorned over the surface of the luxurious limousine.


    "Are you the Sect Leader of Dark Fiend Valley Sect, Jiu Liu Yu?" he asked.


    "That is correct." The voice of an old woman declared proudly from inside the limousine, even as a window wound down for it to travel outward and upward. "How are my three disciples?"


    "One of them have been killed in combat, but the two sisters are still alive." Elder Zhao had received the information shortly after I convinced Lang Xie to let the Ling Sisters live, so it wasn''t surprising that he knew about it.


    "¡­I see. So Lu Li is dead, huh?" even though the old woman''s voice was calm and composed, there was barely concealed anger bubbling beneath the surface of ice. "I see you have been taking good care of my disciples. I wish to take my surviving two disciples back."


    "We will release them if you agree to our terms," Elder Zhao replied coldly. "But until then, no one is allowed entry into Tushan City."


    "No one is allowed entry?" Jiu Liu Yu repeated as she laughed icily. "Do you think we''ve traveled all this way here just to obey your instructions and accept your terms? Arrogant fools. We are here to conquer the city and destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    The moment she finished, all the martial artists from the Six Valley Sects drew their Spirit Weapons and launched their assault.


    It wasn''t just them. At the same time, invaders appeared at every main entrance of Tushan City, simultaneously hurling themselves in to breach the stalwart defenses.


    And just as before, the Blood Blades met them in bloody combat, their battle-automata rearing up behind them to spit bolts of death and superheated plasma at the berserk horde of martial artists, razing large swathes of them.

 216 Chapter 215: Defense of Tushan City

    "Don''t let them enter!"


    "Kill them all!"


    Shouts and yells rang over the ramparts, barely audible over the thunder of guns and bolts. Plasma seared through the air, raining down on Green Dragon Sect members and incinerating them. Bolts smashed into the ribcages of advancing Heavenly Way Sect martial artists, detonating within their torsos and ripping them apart.


    It was a massacre. One, thankfully, that was enacted upon our enemies, but with the numbers they were throwing at us, I doubted the situation would stay that way for long.


    "Ugh! They just keep coming!"


    Beside me, Tong Xue cursed under his breath, even as his Thallax battle puppets flanked him, unloading several bursts of lethal energies from their lightning guns. A couple of Heavenly Way Sect disciples toppled over, their bodies charred and going into spasms as the lightning arced through them, leeching their lives away and incinerating their flesh.


    "We won''t be able to hold back the tide at this rate," Jing Wei commented. Several of the Green Dragon Sect members had climbed over the walls with their qigong and were beginning to engage the Blood Blades guarding the wall at close range. We met their charge evenly, slaying them as quickly as they arrived, and kicking them over the edge, sending them falling back outside and crashing into their comrades.


    "FEI WU!"


    "Oh¡­" Tong Xue grimaced when he heard the familiar voice. He glanced at me sympathetically. "I should have known he would be here too when we first heard that Green Dragon Sect was among the attacking sects."


    As he pointed out, Li Chun Long was hurling himself over his brethren and throwing himself forward. He evaded a deadly stream of explosive bolts, fired from the mauler bolt cannon of one of my Castellax battle-automata, and in a single bound flipped himself up to where we were. Raising his flaming, green sword, he slashed at me.


    "Finally!" he gloated. "I have a valid excuse to kill you!"


    "You''re still holding a grudge from back then, huh?"


    I had almost forgotten about it, to be honest. Even though I knew this day would come eventually, that Li Chun Long would find a way to take revenge, I had been so occupied with the crisis of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect that my classmate had completely slipped his mind.


    That was right. He was locked up in isolation training for a year or so, which meant he had only just been released. Clearly he had capitalized upon the opportunity when he heard that Green Dragon Sect was joining the Martial Arts Alliance in launching an assault on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. True enough, if he was aiming to kill me, this would be his greatest chance.


    Unfortunately¡­


    I frowned as I caught Li Chun Long''s blazing sword with a single hand. Just like with Lu Li, I was unscathed, the fiery blade unable to penetrate the protective qi that I had focused onto my palm. Li Chun Long stared at me in shock.


    "Impossible! In the past year, I had made several breakthroughs and have broken past Qi Fusion Stage to reach the first two levels of Pure Spirit Stage! There''s no way you''re any higher than Qi Fusion Stage, so how¡­?"


    "All these bullshit stages and power levels again," I muttered with a shake of my head, and then shoved him back. While Li Chun Long staggered, caught off balance, one of my mobile turrets hovered over and blasted his head with a qi beam.


    Li Chun Long dropped to his knees, a cauterized hole smoking in his forehead and his eyes glazing over hollowly at me. To make sure he really was dead, I decapitated him with a single swing of my Azure Lotus Sword, then kicked his headless corpse over the wall, allowing it to follow his head back down to the ground outside Tushan City.


    "That was¡­anticlimactic," I muttered. After all those threats and foreshadowing, I had expected Li Chun Long to come back a much stronger antagonist than ever, presenting a real threat. As such, I had made quite a few preparations against him, but it seemed they were unnecessary. Perhaps the best preparation against a vengeful antagonist who was planning to assassinate me in future was still to grow much stronger than he could possibly be.


    "¡­" Tong Xue watched Li Chun Long''s disembodied head and body fall together into the dust below, and then turned back to me with a grimace. "Wow¡­just wow."


    "I always thought Li Chun Long was the type to lose his head too easily," I remarked casually, directing both my Castellax battle-automata and mobile turrets to rain down a fresh barrage on the jumping and flying enemies, scything a good number of them down before they could reach the walls. "Thanks to that, I got ahead in this exchange." I grinned. "His head, actually."


    "Stop making morbid jokes," Tong Xue complained as he slashed the throat of a Heavenly Way Sect disciple with his dagger.


    "Focus on fighting, you two!" Jing Wei snapped. As our senior, he held authority here. "Less talking, more killing!"


    "Yes~" both of us chorused.


    Listening to the comns exchange in our comn beads, I gathered that the entire Tushan City was being besieged right now. Our casualties were slowing rising from thirty to thirty-five percent, and in several places the fighting had spilled from the walls and into the districts of Tushan City proper. The very districts we had fought so hard to clear out just a few hours prior.


    Evidently the Martial Arts Alliance was no longer holding back now, the ten invading sects throwing all their reserves at us, plus being reinforced by three other major sects. I heard that the Kun Lun Sect was attacking from the West, but I wasn''t there in person, so what I knew I could only piece together from the vox exchange I was hearing.


    And it was looking grim. More and more of our people were dying.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    It had been a few hours or so of intense combat and already I was tiring. I didn''t have that much qi to begin with, and trying to wield six Castellax battle-automata and Snow Aegis at the same time was extremely taxing. In fact, to control a single battle puppet already demanded a lot of qi from the manipulator. If it wasn''t for the fact that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was rich enough to procure artificial qi from Wu Ling Academy before the invasion, not just me but all of the Blood Blades would have exhausted their qi by now, sapped by the strenuous demands of both individual combat and battle puppet control. In fact, I could see many of them weakening now, even as fresh reinforcements poured from the two sects besieging the section were were tasked to defend.


    "Damn it!" I swore in frustration. "At this rate¡­"


    "Just keep fighting and don''t think too much!" Jing Wei shouted. But his movements had visibly slowed. One of the Green Dragon Sect disciples slashed at him, opening a wound in his cheek. Normally Jing Wei would be fast enough to avoid that, but he was tiring after moving nonstop for a few hours, and right now he was faltering.


    Credit to him, though, he had racked up a tally of twenty-eight kills, not counting those made by his three Thallax battle puppets and two Castellax battle-automata. I had personally witnessed him butchering at least four opponents in front of me.


    Make that twenty-nine and five respectively. As Jing Wei took another cut to his upper right arm, his left hand lashed out, revealing a hidden dagger that plunged into his shocked opponent''s chest. The Green Dragon Sect disciple gurgled, blood leaking from his mouth and the light fading from his eyes, and then found himself toppling over the wall.


    Jing Wei picked up the blazing dragon sword that his latest kill had dropped, and his lips curled into a sneer.


    "They''re using the Spirit Weapons that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect forged to kill us. How ironic."


    "If we had known, we wouldn''t have sold the Martial Arts Sect our stuff!" Tong Xue grumbled.


    "If we didn''t, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect wouldn''t have become as rich, wealthy, resourceful and powerful as we are today," I countered dryly. Tong Xue ducked under a swing from a Heavenly Way Sect disciple before kicking the guy''s knee.


    "You''re right," he admitted before slitting the stunned Heavenly Way Sect disciple''s throat, causing blood to fountain out of a severed carotid artery. "But they wouldn''t have any cause to invade us if that''s the case."


    "No point dwelling on what-ifs or what we should have done in the past," Jing Wei said sharply as he dodged another deadly slash. "Concentrate on the present."


    "Yes, Senior Jing," I acknowledged as I blew a Green Dragon Sect disciple''s head off before he could charge at me with his fiery dragon sword. My mobile turret hovered in the air for a second before hurtling away to search for new targets.


    "How convenient," Tong Xue said enviously as he tracked my six mobile turrets with his eyes. "I wish I have a weapon like yours."


    "We can ask Qi Hong to help you build one later, after we survive this onslaught," I told him while praying fervently that I didn''t just raise a death flag for my friend. "But let me warn you first, they consume a lot of qi."


    "That''s understandable." Tong Xue nodded as he gave my flying mobile turrets another glance before disappearing. The next moment, he appeared behind a Heavenly Way Sect disciple who had landed atop the walls in a single bound with his qigong, and cut the poor guy''s throat before he could even regain his bearings.


    "Fourth squad, fall back! Eighth squad is reinforcing you!"


    Fresh reinforcements from our reserves were arriving to relieve us. The higher-ups knew that it was impossible for us to keep fighting for hours on end, and that exhausted troops would just keel over and die if forced to their limits. Thanks to that, we had adopted a rotational system, where fresh, newly rested reserves would come and take over currently fighting troops every three hours. There were three shifts, so effectively my squad had six hours to rest before we relieved Twelfth squad. The beleaguered Fourth squad pulled back as Eighth squad surged in to meet the invaders in combat, invigorated from their rest and filled to the brim with bloodthirst.


    "That was one hell of a battle," Tong Xue remarked, wiping the perspiration and blood from his face and uniform. He grimaced. "I would wash this off and take a shover, but we''ll end up getting splattered again later."


    "How long do you think they will keep sieging us for?" I asked as I glanced at the bloody combat that erupted between Eighth squad and the invaders from Green Dragon Sect and Heavenly Way Sect. "Even the eight major sects don''t have limitless numbers."


    "Who knows? A day? Two days, if we''re lucky?" Tong Xue shrugged, and then sighed. "Assuming we last that long¡­"


    "Perhaps you should have just learned from Yi Yuan and taken Lian Rou to flee back to the Smart Shadow Sect," I suggested. Tong Xue scoffed.


    "Smart Shadow Sect is a subordinate sect of Divine Shadow Sect. If I did that, we would probably be sent in the first wave and slaughtered by that Elder you freed from beneath the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars!"


    He had a point. If I hadn''t released my Ancestral Master, we would all be dead by now. I shuddered to think what wouldn''t have happened if I didn''t have plot armor.


    "Go get some rest," Jing Wei instructed us wearily. "I''ll go report to Lord Lang Xie¡­"


    "Ahem, about that¡­"


    We all turned around and spotted Cheng Ping slowly approaching us. He still looked pale and shaky, his steps halting.


    "Elder Cheng!" I quickly strode toward him. "Your injuries still haven''t healed! You shouldn''t be running around like this!"


    Earlier, Elder Cheng''s stomach had been pierced by Blood Shadow''s Spirit Weapon, and he required stitches and surgery. He should be in bed, not walking around.


    "Thank you for your concern." Cheng Ping forced a smile. "But I''m all right. This is but a small injury."


    Small injury, my foot! Bloody hell, the damned blade had pierced through your stomach! Even I wouldn''t be able to walk, yet this guy who was a few times my age was determined to stroll right back into a warzone!


    As I helped him up, Cheng Ping coughed and raised his head. "Sect Leader Zi and Sect Lady Da Ji wishes to see you, Fei Wu."


    "Eh? Why?" I was pretty sure it wasn''t some bullshit about making me the next sect leader and giving me three spatial rings or something.


    I was right. It was nothing so melodramatic.


    "You''ve been through the underground passageways and survived attacks from the demons dwelling there. They want to discuss the possibility of you leading an evacuation of the civilians underground." Cheng Ping stared at me solemnly.


    "Impossible." I rejected the plan flatly. "One person moving through the tunnels is different from an entire group of civilians bumbling through it. Furthermore, I can protect myself, but I''ll be too tightly stretched to defend an entire group."


    "You won''t be alone. Sect Lady Da Ji will be following you."


    "Even so, Blood Shadow already showed us that the passageways have been compromised. I''m sure the Martial Arts Alliance would be posting guards at wherever exits."


    "That''s why you and Sect Lady Da Ji are required ¨C to break through whatever cordon they impose and lead them to the imperial capital."


    I stared at Cheng Ping in shock. Were they really considering the option of abandoning Tushan City and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?


    Cheng Ping must have read my mind, for he sighed heavily and gently pointed toward the fierce fighting behind us.


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect might not survive the full might of the Martial Arts Alliance in the coming days. As you have already personally experienced, all four main entrances and districts of Tushan City are currently besieged. We''ve already lost over thirty percent of Blood Blades, and many of our civilians and members have also died. Especially the outer sect elders and disciples." Cheng Ping looked like he was going to sink into despair. "We cannot sustain our resistance against such an overwhelming force. There is almost no hope of victory."


    "The royal family will intervene with the Imperial Guard soon, so we just have to hold out until then. Even they won''t sit still when they notice the large-scale mobilization that the Martial Arts Alliance is executing." I clenched my fists tightly. "And we still have Ancestral Master¡­I mean Elder Tian Yu Di. He''ll be able to fend them off for a bit."


    I rose to my full height, which was pretty average, actually.


    "As long as I draw breath, I will not allow the sect to fall! Nine-Tailed Fox Sect stands!"


    I would have made a great Guardsman¡­maybe. 38,000 years in the future, anyway.


    Cheng Ping was unmoved. "As much as I appreciate it," he began. "Ideals are different from reality. It''s just one option we''re considering. Besides, I''m not in any position to make any decisions. You should persuade Sect Leader directly if you''re that strongly against it."


    "I''ll go right away."


    Heading toward the peak of Flame Volcano, I bowed respectfully at the entrance, waiting for Cheng Ping to poke his head in and inform the leaders of my presence.


    "Dispense with the formalities. We''re at war. Come in."


    Sect Leader Zi Shou De didn''t waste any time. I nodded and rose to my feet, hurrying in. Already the Great Elders, inner sect elders, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji and her husband were gathered in a council of war, fervently discussing the matters.


    "I trust Cheng Ping has already told you about the evacuation plan?" Zi Shou De asked. I nodded, and then took a deep breath.


    "With all due respect, my lord, I disagree with this course of action. I think we still stand a chance. If we can delay a little until the Imperial Guard gets here¡­"


    "They won''t get here in time." Zi Shou De sighed heavily. "I''ve contacted the Crown Prince, and while he has convinced his father, they haven''t convinced the politicians. They''re still arguing it out in Parliament and unable to come to a decision. Not to mention, the slow, bureaucratic of the Imperial Munitorum means that they would be slow to send forces even if they finally decide to help us. We''re on our own for the next five days, at least."


    "That''s how long the Parliament will come to a resolution," Zi Da Ji added to my benefit. I made a face, wondering why it needed so long, but didn''t voice it. As if she didn''t notice my bitter expression, the Sect Lady continued. "Crown Prince Chen Liu has promised that he will force the resolution to pass, by whatever means necessary, but until it does, his hands are tied."


    By whatever means necessary¡­in other words, even if he had to intimidate them, bribe them, or use force against them. I like this guy.


    "So we''ll have to find a way to survive for five days." I took a deep breath. "Sect Lady, are you and Lord Lang Xie not confident that the Blood Blades will be able to withstand that long?"


    "We''re just considering all options," Zi Da Ji replied evenly. "After all, there''s more than our pride and honor at stake here."


    "The lives of the civilians, and the fate of the sect." Zi Shou De nodded. He glanced at Cheng Ping. "Where is Lang Xie?"


    Zi Da Ji frowned and tapped her comn bead, repeating the question. I could hear her voice both personally and through the vox channels. However, the reply must have come from a secure channel that was inaccessible to me because of my low rank (it wasn''t as if I''m Qin Lie and suddenly became the temporary Sect Leader or something).


    "This is bad," she murmured, her expression turning extremely grim. She then spoke up a little louder so that everyone can hear her. "Lang Xie is currently being suppressed by a person named Xie Zhi Zhang. He says that it''s possible that he might not be able to win."


    "Xie Zhi Zhang?" Luo Zhi Chang repeated, his face ashen. "That high-level expert from the Xie Clan? One of the three clans leading the Alliance? Why is he¡­?"


    "Seems like the Martial Arts Alliance isn''t holding back," Zi Shou De remarked with a severe frown. He glanced at his wife. "Dear, make sure you bring Xiao Ji and Qi Hong with you. Zhao Shi and Da Ge will be assigned to you." he glanced at me. "I understand how you feel, Fei Wu, but I will feel more assured with you leading the evacuation, given how you''ve survived the demons-infested passageway once."


    Seriously? Out of the frying pan and into the fire? The demons were worse and probably more dangerous than the sects invading us. Then again, because I managed to survive by mysef while slaying hordes of those things, they probably figured the demons were weaker and therefore less of a threat. That did make sense.


    "What about you, Sect Leader? Are you not evacuating as well?"


    Zi Shou De laughed. "I''m the current leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I will stand and fall with the sect. This is my responsibility. How can I run away when everyone else is fighting so hard?"


    The weight of his words must have struck a chord in the hearts of everyone presence, bringing them back down to reality.


    "We''re doomed¡­" one of the Great Elders muttered. "If even Lang Xie cannot win, then what chance do we have of defending Nine-Tailed Fox Sect until the Imperial Guard arrives?"


    "Begging your pardon, sir, but you can leave that to me." I tapped my comn bead, then realized that Tian Yu Di didn''t have one because he hadn''t been officially accepted as a Blood Blades master yet. So I reached for my Golden Dragon Medallion and squeezed it instead. "Ancestral Master, are you available right now?"


    "Still in the midst of regaining my strength, but if you need me to do anything, just say it. I can stop anytime."


    I sighed in relief. "Good. Can you please go relieve Lord Lang Xie? Tell him to head here right away while you take care of his opponent."


    "Huh? That promising brat can''t even handle this level of an opponent?" I could hear Tian Yu Di snort derisively. "Well, since he is technically a practitioner of Heaven and Earth Formula, and has a lot of potential, it would be a waste to let him die. I''ll go right away."


    "Thank you." I then put the Golden Dragon Medallion back in my pocket and looked up at the rest. "Consider that matter settled. Lord Lang Xie should be with us shortly."


    Everyone gaped at me.


    "How¡­?" Luo Zhi Chang managed.


    "We have Ancestral Master¡­I mean, Elder Tian on our side. An expert of Xie Zhi Zhang''s level is nothing to him."


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    Everyone continued to stare at me in disbelief ¨C well, most of them anyway. Zi Shou De looked both amused and impressed, while Zi Da Ji was shaking her head in what seemed like a mix of approval and disapproval.


    Elder Tie Jiang laughed. "To think that this brat who sucks at blacksmithing will become so resourceful!"


    "Our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect might have some hope, after all," Elder Hai Mo said softly. Dude, you''re overestimating me.


    However, it was true that I had no choice but to gamble everything on being able to hold out for another five days.


    "That might solve the problem, but even Lord Lang Xie is just one man. He can''t possibly be around the whole city at the same time, fighting off an entire army by himself." The fourth Great Elder chewed his lip. "This is not to dismiss the fighting prowess of the Blood Blades, but despite your rotational shifts, none of you will last if you keep fighting for five days straight."


    "We just have to buy a bit of time, don''t we?" I asked.


    "That''s right. If you can call five days ''a bit of time,'' that is." Zi Shou De smiled bitterly. "But that is indeed the time we need before the resolution is passed. And even then, it will take some time to mobilize the Imperial Guard, and for them to move, so in reality it might take longer than that."


    "I have a proposal." I took a deep breath. "If you don''t mind hearing it. I don''t know if it''ll be acceptable, but this late in the game¡­we cannot afford to be so fussy with our methods."


    "You are right." Zi Da Ji nodded in support. Her expression turned darker than ever. "We cannot afford to be fussy. Even if the option seems immoral, the enemy has forced our hand. They can''t blame us because they are the ones who backed us into a corner."


    "What do you have in mind?" her husband asked carefully, warier of what I was about to suggest than his wife, who had stained her hands with blood.

 217 Chapter 216: Counterattack

    "True. Originally Lang Xie intended to exchange them for our members who are imprisoned at other branches." Zi Shou De paused and then nodded in agreement. "But all that is pointless if we end up getting destroyed anyway. Since we have them on hand, we might as well make use of them. We can only stake it on them now."


    "I concur," Zi Da Ji said, lending her husband support. "Since the Martial Arts Alliance and these sects so brazenly attacked us, then there is no need to be polite with them!"


    "That''s right!" Elder Tie shouted.


    "Yeah!"


    "Who cares about those bastards?!"


    "They forced us into this!"


    "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!" Cheng Ping added angrily.


    The inner sect elders were all agreeing and voicing their approval. The Great Elders exchanged glances, and nodded grimly.


    "That is the best option we have for now," Luo Zhi Chang agreed.


    "Even so¡­what do we do exactly?" I asked. "Inform the leaders outside they we have hostages and return them in exchange for them leaving us alone?"


    Zi Shou De rubbed his chin for a while, and shook his head. "No, we can''t trust them. There is no guarantee that they wouldn''t go back on their words and attack us immediately after we return the hostages. On the other hand, as long as we hold the hostages'' lives in our hands, they will dare not do anything too outrageous."


    "This might be seem despicable," Zi Da Ji growled. "But our enemies have been more despicable than us."


    "Right now, morality is not our concern. Survival is." To my surprise, it was Luo Zhi Chang who declared this. He nodded and glanced at Zi Shou De. "It is as you say, Sect Leader. We must show that we''re willing to carry out our threats and take the lives of the hostages without hesitation if they continue to push us further."


    "Show them any weaknesses, and they won''t take our warning seriously." Zi Da Ji agreed. "We must be decisive and ruthless, or we won''t be able to survive!"


    Zi Shou De continued to ponder for a bit longer, then he came to a decision. Rising to his feet, he beckoned everyone to stand up (I was already standing up, though).


    "Everyone, to the plaza please."


    But I really, really wanted to know what was going to happen to the hostages.


    While we went down, I hurriedly contacted Tian Yu Di through the Golden Dragon Medallion, and requested him to inform Lang Xie to meet us in the plaza instead. I received a grunt in acknowledgement. Apparently, it seemed that Lang Xie had already begun engaging Xie Zhi Zhang in combat. It sounded like it was going to be a short battle.


    To be honest, I needn''t had bothered. With his skills, Lang Xie would locate us easily anyway. But I wanted to save him the time and effort, just in case.


    Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue were still chained to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. When they saw us approaching, they greeted us with venomous glares, hatred blazing visibly in their eyes.


    Their subordinates, disciples and closest confidants had been massacred by Blood Blades and the outer sect elders right in front of their eyes, so naturally they would hold a grudge. Despite us clearing the plaza of the corpses (to burn them), the plaza was still stained heavily by blood. Burning the corpses was a priority to prevent diseases, but we didn''t have time to clean the blood. Later, once the war was over, we would wash the whole place and probably repaint it, but for now we had more important matters to tend to.


    In any case, the trio were brimming with hatred. I glared back at them, meeting them with equal hatred. Fucking hypocrites. So they could come here and slaughter the disciples and members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but we weren''t allowed to fight back? Did they come here to kill without ever being prepared to be killed?


    What a joke! If you''re so willing to kill someone, it was only natural that you are mentally to be killed in return. Otherwise, you have no business being a martial artist or wielding a weapon!


    However, the trio were shamelessly self-centered and unwilling to admit defeat.


    "You think that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect can resolve this crisis with just a single evil demon? Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s fate has been sealed long ago. No one can save it!" Su Bai Xue stared frostily at the crowd gathered before her. "I can hear the sounds of battle even from now. Let me guess, your city is currently under attack from all directions! We are just the first wave. There will many more of us outside Tushan City! Do you really think you can survive all the repeated onslaughts?"


    Shi Jing Yun and Wu Tuo also regarded us with icy and disdainful expressions.


    Zi Shou De stood before them, calmly placing his hands behind his back. He smiled politely, but there was no trace of warmth in his eyes.


    "The martial artists and sects outside know clearly that you are being held hostage here, but they still dare to attack Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? They clearly do not care about your lives. Perhaps it was a mistake not to kill you."


    "Maybe they think Nine-Tailed Fox Sect wouldn''t dare to do anything to them," Zi Da Ji offered scornfully.


    Behind them, Luo Zhi Chang sighed bitterly. He personally knew the problem with this hostage situation.


    Throughout the Great Zhou Empire, Zi Shou De was renowned for being a gentle, calm and composed man who usually left the fighting to his wife. They didn''t think very highly of him and believed him to be someone incapable of violence and ruthlessness. A henpecked husband who allowed his wife to boss him around, in other words. Most people joked that Zi Da Ji was the one who wore tha pants in their marriage.


    That was why the sects outside were so confident that Zi Shou De wouldn''t order his sect to kill the hostages. They also knew that he was a famous blacksmith, someone who was more invested in forging Spirit Armaments than in martial arts. Having personally benefited from his crafting skills (he upgraded the spiritual defense for my Snow Aegis), I knew that he was nearly unrivaled, second only to Elder Hai Mo in terms of Spirit Engraving and blacksmithing. But it was that very reputation that led outsiders to perceive him as lacking the resolve to fight back against the Martial Arts Alliance, as someone who was easily intimidated.


    They thought we would easily surrender and immediately return the hostages if they attacked, relying on terror tactics to cow us into submission.


    At that very moment, Lang Xie appeared. He seemed bloodied and slightly injured, but he was otherwise fine. He bowed in front of Zi Shou De.


    "You called for me?"


    "Yes." Zi Shou De turned to Lang Xie. "What do you think is the most effective way of stopping the attacks on our city?"


    "By killing all our enemies until none remain," Lang Xie replied without hesitation. Zi Shou De clutched his head, as if he had a headache.


    "Of course. But I mean in our current predicament, where we are most likely not going to be able to kill them all."


    "Ah¡­" Lang Xie understood. He frowned, as if he was in a conundrum. "I''m afraid I''ve no idea. We''ll just fight to the last man."


    "I would prefer to avoid that if possible." Zi Shou De sighed. Then he waved at the three hostages. "But I was wondering why you decided to take these three as hostages if you''re not going to make use of them."


    Lang Xie''s eyes lightened up and he nodded, understanding what Zi Shou De meant.


    "Y¡­you wouldn''t dare!"


    It was Su Bai Xue. She lost her composure momentarily, her outburst ringing across the plaza, and her face flushed.


    "Dark Asura Sect, the Seven Valley Sects and Snow Valley Sect, Divine Shadow Sect, and Cloud Sky Mountain will only kill Blood Blades and outer sect disciples when they enter Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Now that Green Dragon Sect, Heavenly Way Sect and Kunlun Sect have joined us, your defeat is inevitable. But even if we wipe out Blood Blades and the outer sect disciples, we''ll still spare the real blacksmiths and professional Spirit Engravers. Even if Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is destroyed, this select group of people will continue to survive! Elder Hai Mo will enter the Martial Arts Alliance while our thirteen sects will divide the inner sect elders and disciples amongst ourselves!"


    Shi Jing Yun sneered shamelessly at the crowd, not at all ashamed of admitting the atrocities they intended to commit. I had made sure to record that and post it all over the Internet. If anything, that should help speed up the parliament process to come to a resolution. Shi Jing Yun looked down coldly at us and shouted.


    "However, if something happens to the three of us, then the Martial Arts Alliance will no longer show you any mercy! If we die, all of you blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers will also die along with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    "So you do not have the guts to raise a hand against us!" Su Bai Xue smirked icily. "You''re afraid of dying. You''re afraid of provoking the Martial Arts Alliance and getting killed!"


    "That''s why they dare to attack Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! Because they know you are not ruthless enough!" Wu Tuo also laughed.


    "What idiotic reasoning." Zi Shou De scoffed as he faced them. "You think I will sacrifice so many members of my sect just to save my own skin, and that of the inner sect elders and inner sect disciples?"


    He turned around and raised both his hands proudly.


    "Blood Blades, outer sect disciples, outer sect elders¡­I don''t care what their status is, they are all part of my Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! As long as I''m leader, I''ll do my best to ensure all of us survive! We will stand or die together!"


    This, he shouted so loudly that even the Blood Blades at the frontlines heard him. With renewed vigor, they fought so hard they actually pushed the enemies back a few steps.


    Morale was a very valuable weapon, indeed. I had to make sure I learn that trick from Zi Shou De. Though I doubted I would ever use it¡­


    He then turned to them, scowling.


    "You make up false allegations about us having weapons of mass destruction just as an excuse to invade our sect. To gather justifications for your criminal actions, because you covet our wealth, power and resources."


    "So what if we do?" Shi Jing Yun snapped.


    "You''ve been getting ahead of yourselves, growing too powerful and expanding too quickly! Do you think the Martial Arts Alliance will just sit idly and allow you to grow unimpeded?" Su Bai Xue yelled. "You''ll pose a big threat to us in the future, especially economically and politically! We need to check your growth, before you decide to declare independence and break away from the Martial Arts Alliance!"


    "And so you decide to invade my sect and kill my disciples and subordinates?" If looks could kill, Zi Shou De would have murdered the trio by now. No, his wife''s glare was even more murderous and terrifying than his, but she wisely stayed silent. "The Martial Arts Alliance is truly corrupted to the core. It can''t be saved."


    Wow, I marveled. I was recording the whole thing and streaming it live, and I didn''t really expect to capture such golden footage. If I checked the comments and social media, I was sure the people online would be gong wild by now. And no doubt once this video reached the royal family and politicians, they would have all the proof they needed to make a move.


    After they authenticated that the footage was genuine and not a hoax, of course.


    "So what do you suggest we do, Lang Xie?" Zi Shou De turned back to the vice-commander of the Blood Blades. Lang Xie in turn glanced at Zi Da Ji, but the overall commander of the Blood Blades shook her head.


    "You have more experience in such matters than I do. I have grown soft after serving as my husband''s bodyguard for so many years. I''m sure you''ll be able to handle this better than I do."


    "I understand." Lang Xie bowed his head to the Zi Couple. "I will apologize in advance. Whatever I do, no matter how unsightly and terrible it seems, I do it for the sake of the sect, in order for all of us to survive. Please do not stop me."


    "We will give you our full support," Zi Shou De confirmed. Lang Xie''s lips quirked a little, not quite a real smile, but almost.


    "Since our esteemed guests have rightly pointed out that we lack ruthlessness, shall we rectify that and show some decisiveness?"


    He reached inside his robes to draw a weapon, but Hai Mo stopped him. The leader of the inner sect elders stepped forward.


    "Lang Xie, wait."


    Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue had been watching Lang Xie anxiously, knowing that he was completely different from the gentle and calm Zi Shou De. They were aware of his reputation as a bloodthirsty monster, who wouldn''t hesitate to kill anyone who threatened the safety of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    So when they saw that Hai Mo intervened, they couldn''t help but sigh in relief.


    "If you''re going to do this, then please use this." from his storage device, Hai Mo produced a crimson dragon-shaped sword, and handed it to Lang Xie.


    Hai Rong, who was standing beside him, couldn''t help but look at him with glistening eyes. "Ah Mo," she murmured quietly. "You¡­"


    The enemy trio went completely still, stunned by the chief inner sect elder''s actions.


    "I have gotten to where I am today because of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. The Martial Arts Alliance has done nothing to help me whatsoever with my progress." Hai Mo kept his tone low and detached. "Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue have all benefited from my services in the past, receiving Spirit Armaments that I have specially forged for them. But now they wish to destroy our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. do you really think I''m just going to stand around and watch them do it?"


    At his words, Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue could only hang their heads in shame.


    Lang Xie nodded gratefully, and then he turned and approached Su Bai Xue without a word. The red dragon sword gleamed ominously.


    "You dare touch me?" Su Bai Xue was desperately suppressing her fear, but cold beads of perspiration were forming all over her face. "If I have even a single scratch on me, Snow Valley Sect will stop at nothing to destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. We will bathe Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in blood. You have best consider the repercussions."


    She was the wife of the Snow Valley Sect Leader''s younger brother (his sister-in-law), and thus possessed a high status in the sect. If she was harmed in any way, Snow Valley Sect would annihilate everything in their path as they sought justice for one of their favored ladies.


    However, Lang Xie remained unperturbed.


    "Perhaps you should have also considered the repercussions when you attacked our Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," he replied quietly.


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    Then he swung the dragon-shaped sword. In a single stroke, he cut off Su Bai Xue''s left arm.


    Su Bai Xue screamed as blood fountained from her shoulder, spraying the Spirit Engraved Pillar and the ground, but even the massive amount of blood pumping from her wound was but a drop in the vast sea of blood that had been spilled here before.


    "Fei Wu," Lang Xie commanded. Oh¡­he knew I was here. If the inner sect elders and Great Elders didn''t notice my presence before, they would have now, after he announced my presence. "Stop the bleeding. Seal the wound."


    "Yes, sir."


    I swallowed, shocked by Lang Xie''s utter ruthlessness. Now this guy was a badass if I had ever met one. Yeah, I mean, I read how Qin Lie was ruthless enough to cut off someone''s pinky, but I wasn''t Qin Lie. I couldn''t do what he did. I wasn''t a Mary Sue who could practically waltz into a sect and take over as its temporary leader while everyone obeyed me as if it was the most natural thing to do.


    Rather, I was the one doing the obeying.


    While Su Bai Xue writhed and cried in agony ¨C she would have clutched her shoulder if her right arm hadn''t been shackled to the Spirit Engraved Pillar ¨C I approached her with trepidation. Taking a deep breath, I conjured my qi and froze her wound, halting the bleeding. I was tempted to just freeze her whole body to shut her up, but somehow I didn''t want to hack off Lang Xie when he was in such a ruthless mood.


    Lang Xie ignored the disembodied arm lying on the ground and proceeded to a visibly pale and trembling Shi Jing Yun. Just like before, he also cut off his left arm. To his credit, Shi Jing Yun did not shriek in pain like the shameful Su Bai Xue, merely suppressing his outburst to a muffled grunt. He squeezed his eyes shut from the pain, beads of perspiration pouring down his ashen complexion, but otherwise didn''t thrash about too much.


    "Fei Wu," Lang Xie instructed again, and I quickly froze Shi Jing Yun''s wound to stop the bleeding.


    Wu Tuo was next, and just like Shi Jing Yun, he did not react other than a muffled curse, but he raised his head and watched me evenly as I stepped forward to treat his wound. He then raised his head to look at Lang Xie with respect.


    "We underestimated Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," he admitted, keeping his voice even despite the pain he must be feeling.


    "Elder Cheng, Fei Wu. Take the arms and go to the gates where Snow Valley Sect, the Six Valley Sects and Cloud Sky Mountain are attacking, and return them to them. Tell the sects to cease their attacks at once. I''ll give them an hour. If they refuse to heed our warning, then I''ll cut off their other arm. And then their legs. And finally¡­their heads." He almost smiled icily. "Tell them they are welcome to test me to see if I''m not ruthless enough to keep my word."


    Both Cheng Ping and I stared at him, our jaws dropping. Cheng Ping recovered quicker than I did, and nodded with an admiring gaze. I quickly followed suit and picked Shi Jing Yun''s arm, bowing deeply.


    "Yes, Lord Lang Xie."


    "I will go now!" Cheng Ping added.


    Even though I had read Spirit Realm, and knew this was going to happen, I lacked Lang Xie''s decisiveness. No, honestly¡­I knew readers were going to flame and bash me, but those keyboard warriors had no idea that reading a story was different from reality. You could read a story about killing and death, but when you actually faced such a situation in reality, there was no way you could bring yourself to actually kill someone. I had been forced to kill in life-and-death situations where my enemies had given me little choice, but I had never been in an event where I had to commit something as macabre as cutting off someone''s limbs while keeping them alive, and then carrying their disembodied limbs around to make a statement.


    For Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s sake, I had better not throw up here and waste Lang Xie''s intentions. Swallowing the bile in my throat, I steeled my resolve. Lang Xie had already done the dirty work. I was just doing the easy part.


    Being an ordinary guy, obviously no one was going to praise me or respect me over whatever dramatic stunt I pulled. Not that the story and characters existed solely to compliment me, anyway, unlike most xianxia stories.


    Hah! Serves them right! I thought while cradling Shi Jing Yun''s arm in a cloth. I had wrapped the amputated appendage in a cloth so that I wouldn''t be confronted by such a grisly sight, and to take my mind away from my gruesome burden, I allowed it to float elsewhere. In order to carry out Lang Xie''s orders, I had stopped filming and streaming, but the video had been uploaded to the Internet by now and spread all over social media.


    The whole of the Great Zhou Empire should know by now that the true goals of the Martial Arts Alliance were just to plunder, rob and murder, that they were merely carrying out a criminal war in their own selfish interests. The weapons of mass destruction they claimed that we had were non-existent, excuses they conjured out of thin air to justify their invasion, and I had just recorded them admitting that they lied about it.


    Now all we needed to do was¡­


    Wait.


    I blinked, suddenly realizing something. Weapons of mass destruction¡­weapons of mass destruction.


    That was right!


    Balancing Shi Jing Yun''s disembodied left arm with one hand, I raised the other and tapped my comn bead, contacting Zi Da Ji through a private channel.


    "Sect Lady Da Ji, do you mind if I propose something?"


    "What is it? Why are you contacting me through vox?" Zi Da Ji sounded puzzled.


    "Sorry, I just thought of something." I paused to catch my breath. "Do you mind if I take some time to build a weapon? I might be able to manufacture a Spirit Bomb that will help us defend the city. If you don''t mind, I will need Qi Hong''s assistance as well. We''ll need quite a bit of Spirit Materials, especially extremely pure spirit ores, but I think we''ll be able to build something that will drive back the invading sects and perhaps even deal massive damage to them."


    "Spirit Bomb?" Zi Da Ji asked hesitantly.


    "Oh!" Not surprisingly, Hai Rong''s delighted voice cut into the channel. It made sense. She was a high-ranking officer in Blood Blades and thus had access to every vox channel used by the sect. Even though I said this was a private channel, it wasn''t as if I had access codes to the officers'' channel. It was more of the channel used by aides, which I guess was technically my position. "Is that what you used to attack Yan Chi?"


    I nodded, then realized that neither lady could see me. "Yeah, that''s right. The Sunburst. Qi Hong and I succeeded in manufacturing a prototype, but if we increase the purity and amount of spirit ores, we''ll be able to amplify the firepower."


    "Very well." Zi Da Ji hesitated for a moment as she consulted her vice-commander. The channel was secure, and the pause took a while, probably because she didn''t want the enemy trio to hear about this. "Lang Xie, what do you think?"


    "Go for it. One person less won''t make a difference. I''ll notify Jing Wei. Get to work immediately after you return the arm and deliver the warning."


    "You heard him," Zi Da Ji told me, resuming her commander role. "Build as many as you can and blow the enemies out of our city!"

 218 Chapter 217: Hostage Situation

    Blood Blades martial artists, outer sect elders and disciples had all dispersed to these walls and gates to hold back the tide. Just a few moments ago, I was located along one of those gates, fighting beside Jing Wei and Tong Xue to fend off attacks from the Green Dragon Sect and Heavenly Way Sect. now, however, I was heading toward a different gate ¨C the south gate, to be exact ¨C even though my shift hadn''t begun. There were still four hours for me to get some rest, but I had been assigned a heavy duty from Lang Xie.


    At the south gate, the sect leader of Dark Fiend Valley Sect, Jiu Liu Yu, disembarked from her limousine. She stood in front of it and watched the battle coldly and arrogantly, showing no interest in joining combat with her subordinates.


    Jiu Liu Yu looked as if she was about sixty, but with all these xianxia characters, you couldn''t really tell her real age. She was wearing a long, gray dress, which was conservative, and had the emblems of the Dark Fiend Valley Sect sewn into its sleeves. Beside her was another sect leader, this time of the Light Valley Sect, Guang Song Lin.


    Guang Song Lin''s disciple was accompanying him, but obviously I was too lazy to remember his name. Not that he was going to be remembered much after this, anyway.


    In any case, right now elements from both the Dark Fiend Valley Sect and the Light Valley Sect were assaulting the gate, having climbed up the fortress walls and were attempting to breach Blood Blades'' defenses. Elder Zhao was leading the defense there, the martial artists under his command desperately battling against the enemy.


    Under the shadowy, dark night sky, bright flashes of qi lit up the city as elemental techniques and arcane power streaked through the space between both sides, unleashed by martial artists and the Spirit Weapons they wielded. Torrents of qi howled as they wreaked a trail of destruction across the walls, blasting martial artists apart.


    The indomitable maniple of battle puppets waded through the sea of death, their Mauler bolt cannons, Darkfire cannons and boltguns spitting explosive violence and razing yet more martial artists. For now, the line held.


    "Elder Zhao, at this rate, they will bleed us dry before squad Ten comes to relieve us!" one of the outer sect disciples shouted.


    "Even so, we are not allowed to retreat!" Elder Zhao bellowed. "We will not falter here, or everyone in the city will die if these bastards breach our defenses!"


    "Old Shi will be fine, won''t he?" Guang Song Lin asked conversationally, as if he was merely spectating a soccer match instead of bloody carnage.


    "What do you think?" Jiu Liu Yu sneered. "Do you really think Zi Shou De will have the guts to kill Old Shi?"


    "Why not?" Guang Song Lin responded. "We''ve driven them into a corner."


    "Hah!" Jiu Liu Yu snorted coldly. "In the end, they are just a sect comprising mostly of blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers. There''s not a single true martial artist among them. Zi Shou De and the Great Elders aren''t fully committed to a war, only knowing how to rely on the Royal Family and the Imperial Guard to bail them out. We will finish these weaklings off long before the Imperial Guard arrives." Her lips curled. "All they wanted to do was develop Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in peace. What fools they are!"


    Guang Song Lin stared at her in shock.


    "The development of any sect is always built upon bloody conflict. It is utterly unrealistic to build a sect without overcoming crises!" Jiu Liu Yu''s eyes were filled with disdain. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect actually had their chance to surpass the power of the eight major sects long ago. When Xue Jian was still around, no one dared to provoke the wrath of Blood Blades. However, the then sect leader and the current Great Elders weren''t prepared to commit to the martial path and forestalled Blood Blades'' growth. If they had only allowed Blood Blades to expand and recruit rapidly, continuing along their pace of development, then Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will undoubtedly be stronger than it is right now!"


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    Guang Song Lin winced.


    "Uh¡­what barbaric age are you living in, Sister? Bloody conflict? In this age of peace? We all had to pull together to fight off the Demonic Sects, but other than that, we''ve gone past the age where everyone has to kill each other to survive. I would like to think we''re more civilized than that now."


    "Then you are a fool!" Jiu Liu Yu snapped.


    Guang Song Lin''s jaw dropped, but before he could say anthing, Jiu Liu Yu went into a rant.


    "All of you are short-sighted fools! Peace? What use is that nonsense?" Jiu Liu Yu''s eyes flashed frostily. "The current leaders of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect only wanted Blood Blades to be the shield of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, to protect them and nothing else! They never thought of strengthening Blood Blades and improving the combat strength of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect through plundering and combat!"


    "Plundering and combat? You do realize it''s illegal, right?" Guang Song Lin pointed out, but inwardly he already knew that this invasion was illegal. If the Royal Family found out that they were lying and coming up with a false pretext to conquer Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, the Martial Arts Alliance would be in deep trouble.


    "Strength is justice. The winners decide the law." Jiu Liu Yu carried on mocking with her twisted and hypocritical logic. "Blacksmiths will only ever be blacksmiths. They will never be true martial artists. By nature they don''t have the fighting spirit and determination and discipline of a martial artist, nor will they ever have the ambition or resolve to draw the blood of others!"


    "There''s so many things wrong with what you said that I don''t know where to begin." Guang Song Lin sighed and clutched his head as if he had a headache. "But you do realize that we martial artists rely heavily on blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers for our livelihood, right? Without them, we would never be able to fight as effectively, not when we aren''t equipped with the Spirit Weapons they manufacture." He closed his eyes. "Never mind, I''ve already expressed my doubts. But I hardly think the blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will just roll over and allow us to enslave them like this. They are humans too, and they will want their rights."


    "They don''t deserve rights if they are weak!" Jiu Liu Yu scoffed.


    "So if they don''t listen to us, we kill them? Is that it?" Guang Song Lin narrowed his eyes. "If we kill all the blacksmiths, then who is going to forge Spirit Weapons for us?"


    "We only need to threaten them," Jiu Liu Yu replied dismissively. "Or kill a few to set an example. Non-martial artists are cowards. They will submit just to preserve their pathetic lives, even if it means they have to obey the strong. That''s how the world works. The weak submit to the strong, and nobody wants to die."


    "I think you are all underestimating their tenacity, resolve and principles," Guang Song Lin muttered softly, but saw no point in arguing. It was a moot point, in any case. They were already in front of Tushan City, and there was no turning back.


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will be destroyed today," Jiu Liu Yu declared confidently.


    Right at this moment, I showed up. Using my footwork to evade a gaggle of dueling martial artists while blasting apart a few assailants with Snow Aegis''s mobile turrets, I made my way to the edge. Catching sight of the commanders, I sucked in a deep breath and yelled in their general direction as loudly as I could.


    "This is Shi Jing Yun''s left arm!"


    I made sure my voice was loud enough to carry across the entire wall. As I anticipated, fighting ceased across the ramparts, and everyone turned to look at me. I unwrapped the severed appendage and threw it over the wall with dismissive flippancy, watching as it landed in front of Guang Song Lin and Jiu Liu Yu.


    "If the Six Valley Sects do not stop their attack on Tushan City, then for every hour we''ll cut off Shi Jing Yun''s right arm, both his legs and eventually his head!" I smiled. "You''re welcome to test us and see if we''ll really do it."


    Before the stunned commanders could respond, I spun around and departed. But not far enough so that I could continue listening to them.


    "It''s Old Shi''s left arm! It really is Old Shi''s left arm!" Guang Song Lin gasped in horror, recognizing the Spirit Rings and other accessories adorning the arm, even if the fleshtone and size didn''t already give it away.


    Jiu Liu Yu froze for a few seconds before she finally snapped out of her stupor. Turning around, she screamed.


    "Stop the attack! Everyone, retreat this instant! Immediately!"


    The fear in her eyes was visible.


    "Sister? Are we really going to stop?" Guang Song Lin asked uncertainly.


    "I have three disciples in Tushan City, and one of them has already been killed! If they are willing to hurt Old Shi, then why wouldn''t they dare to lay their hands on my remaining disciples?!" Jiu Liu Yu was forcing her voice down to a calm she didn''t feel, trembling in fear and fury. "These people have gone insane! How dare they touch Old Shi?! Do they really intend to die with us?!"


    What fucking hypocrites. You and Shi Jing Yun dared to invade our sect and slaughter so many of our members, and you think we wouldn''t have the guts to hurt him? These people really should get their heads checked. Their arrogance was beyond the roof!


    "Every single one of you, stop and withdraw immediately!" Guang Song Lin shouted, repeating Jiu Liu Yu''s order and knocking their subordinates out of their stunned stupor.


    The two Valley Sects martial artists, who had almost cornered Elder Zhao and his group, spun around and jumped down from the fortress walls. Well, actually, Elder Zhao and the Blood Blades stationed there could hold out for a bit longer, considering that they still had plenty of battle puppets standing at attention, mowing down the invaders like grass on a lawn. Nonetheless, it was true that the enemy had the advantage, but now they were readily surrendering it at the single order from their commanders. Hah!


    They returned to stand at attention by Jiu Liu Yu and Guang Song Lin''s sides, watching the gate intensely.


    At another gate, Cloud Sky Mountain''s martial artists were fighting alongside Kun Lun Sect under Ji Liu''s command.


    Ji Liu, Wu Tuo and Fu Chang were known as the Three Stones of Cloud Sky Mountain, but honestly, they were going to just show up for this arc and disappear later as minor characters so you don''t have to bother remembering their names. All you need to know was that they had high statuses and were recognized as very powerful. As the three guardians of Cloud Sky Mountain, their rank and power were just beneath that of their sect leader. Each of them led their own individual forces or private armies.


    The Three Stones maintained a very cordial and brotherly relationship. They often hung out together, and despite not being biological brothers, they were closer to each other than even blood brothers.


    Right now, the handsome Ji Liu was drinking wine from his flask and orderig his subordinates to hurry it up.


    "Come on, you brats! Hurry up and conquer Tushan City quickly! Otherwise I won''t be able to drink with Wu Tuo!"


    "If Cloud Sky Mountain continues sto attack Tushan City, then you may only be able to drink wine with Wu Tuo''s corpse." This time, it was Cheng Ping who appeared over the walls. He threw down Wu Tuo''s left arm and yelled loudly. "If Cloud Sky Mountain continues to attack Tushan City, then for every hour, we''ll cut off one of Wu Tuo''s limbs! The next will be his right arm, then his legs, and if you continue to ignore our warning, we''ll deliver you his head!"


    Ji Liu''s handsome face immediately distorted in fury and hatred. "How dare you harm Wu Tuo?!" he roared.


    "How dare you attack our city and slaughter our members?" Cheng Ping retorted icily. "You have an hour. Remember, if you continue to attack, then I''ll be bringing you Wu Tuo''s right arm." Without waiting for another response, Cheng Ping turned around and left.


    "Lord, what do we do?" one of Ji Liu''s subordinates asked timidly.


    Ji Liu turned on them, his expression monstrous. "Fucking brats! What do you think we should do?! Get down from the walls right now, all of you! If anyone dares to continue attacking, then I''ll slaughter him with my own hands!"


    None of his subordinates had the courage to challenge him or talk back when he was in such a foul mood, and they hurriedly obeyed, every single one of them jumping down from the walls and abandoning the assault.


    "Old Wu, once the other gates have been breached, and you''re safe, I will cut the heads off the people who harmed you and avenge you!" Ji Liu swore ferociously.


    The northern gate was similarly battered by martial artists from the Snow Valley Sect.


    This time, it was a beautiful woman who was leading them in the siege of the city gate and fortress walls.


    She was Feng Ling, the wife of Snow Valley Sect leader. She maintained a good relationship with Su Bai Xue, the wife of her brother-in-law, and the two were as close as sisters. They often looked out for each other. They often looked out for each other.


    As such, one of the subordinates couldn''t help but ask Feng Ling.


    "Um, will Second Lady be all right?"


    "Don''t worry," Feng Ling assured him. "Ze Shou De is a coward. He wouldn''t dare touch Bai Xue. He should know Husband''s temperament very well. If he dares to touch even a hair on Bai Xue''s head, then both Husband and Brother-in-law will definitely kill every single member in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, including the blacksmiths. As long as Zi Shou De retains his sanity, there''s no way he will act so recklessly."


    As if on cue, Cheng Ping showed up and threw down Su Bai Xue''s arm down the walls, which landed in front of the astonished Feng Ling.


    "This is Su Bai Xue''s left arm!" he announced coldly. "If Snow Valley Sect continues to attack the city, then Si Bai Xue will lose her right arm in the next hour! And her leg in the hour after that! Once she has lost all of her limbs, and you still refuse to listen, then we will deliver her head right to you!"


    With that, he turned away and departed from the scene.


    Feng Ling studied the disembodied arm in shock, the color draining from her face when she recognized the Spirit Rings and other accessories adorning it. "This is Bai Xue''s arm!"


    All her subordinates immediately felt a chill as Feng Ling''s frosty qi wafted over them. But she calmed herself down and refrained from lashing out at the Blood Blades on the wall, who were more than holding their own with their battle puppets.


    "Stop the attack for now!" Feng Ling shrieked furiously. "Every one of you, get your asses down here right now!" she then turned toward the subordinate who had questioned her earlier. "Make a call to main HQ, and inform Husband and Brother-in-law of this. Tell them one of Bai Xue''s arms has been cut off! Tell them both to get their asses over here right now!"


    "Yes, ma''am!" the subordinate quickly complied and scampered off before he could incur more of her wrath.


    Watching from a distance after leaving the south gate where Dark Fiend Valley Sect had assaulted, I managed to just catch this scene. Personally, I knew that Snow Valley Sect had yet to bring their full forces to bear. Once the sect leader of Snow Valley Sect and his brother arrived, they would be bringing the true elites of Snow Valley Sect to utterly annihilate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Well, that was within my calculations. All the more I should hurry up and complete the construction of my Sunburst Bombs.


    While I hastened back toward my workshop, I tapped my comn bead. Forgetting that Tian Yu Di didn''t have one, I tapped my head irritably as punishment and reached for the Golden Dragon Medallion in my pocket.


    "Ancestral Master, are you done?"


    "Yeah."


    *


    A few minutes ago, Lang Xie was having trouble with Xie Zhi Zhang. The latter had beaten up the former with his weird skills, his qi glowing in many colors as it crushed the pillars between them. Lang Xie evaded them as best as he could, but Xie Zhi Zhang was persistent. One of the lights cut the flesh on Lang Xie''s cheek, but the vice-commander of the Blood Blades refused to flinch.


    "You can''t hold out much longer." Xie Zhi Zhang studied the wounded Lang Xie, who refused to give up. "You''re no match for me."


    Lang Xie remained quiet, but he responded with a ferocious slash with his sword, forcing Xie Zhi Zhang to retreat.


    Frowning, Xie Zhi Zhang countered with a riposte that Lang Xie barely avoided, only for the blade qi to cut a deep wound in the latter''s shoulder. Blood spurted and Lang Xie was sent spinning, staggering as he clutched his injury.


    "It''ll be a waste to kill you." Xie Zhi Zhang sighed. Then he smiled and beckoned with a hand. "If you are willing to surrender, the Xie Clan will be happy to recruit you."


    The Xie Clan, while being one of the chief families that ruled over the Martial Arts Alliance, was a little different from the other two clans and their subordinate sects. While the others desired Hai Mo, the Xie Clan was hoping to obtain Lang Xie.


    That was why Xie Zhi Zhang had attacked today, in order to recruit Lang Xie into the Xie family as a subordinate.


    "You can take that invitation and shove it up your ass," Lang Xie replied coolly.


    Xie Zhi Zhang''s eyes lost all friendliness. "You''re making a big mistake," he snarled.


    "No¡­you are the ones who are making the mistake."


    "Hah!" Xie Zhi Zhang dismissed Lang Xie''s words as those of a man who was being defiant to the very last. "You won''t live much longer to regret it anyway¡­"


    He never finished his sentence. The next thing he knew, Tian Yu Di descended behind him.


    "?!"


    Xie Zhi Zhang instantly twirled around, lashing out with his sword.


    "Hah! Such a poor quality weapon¡­to think you sought to invade this sect with rubbish?"


    Tian Yu Di caught the weapon with his bare hand. Xie Zhi Zhang''s eyes bulged in shock. He had infused the blade with so much qi that he could probably cut apart a ten-inch thick steel wall with it, yet this old man had stopped his sword with his bare hand and remained unscathed?


    The ground beneath Tian Yu Di''s feet cracked, but my Ancestral Master remained standing in a stable manner. As if he looked almost bored, he wrapped his fingers around the blade and twisted them.


    Crack.


    In just one motion, he snapped the sword in half.


    "Impossible?!"


    Xie Zhi Zhang jumped back as far as possible. His Spirit Sword had been forged by Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, ironically enough, and was supposed to be high quality and extremely durable. Yet this man had broken it with his bare hand?


    "Who are you?!"


    "You don''t need to know," Tian Yu Di replied with a chuckle. He suddenly disappeared from view and appeared in front of a perspiring Xie Zhi Zhang before the latter noticed his movements.


    "Eh?"


    "I would have killed you, but Sect Leader wants you alive. Perhaps you''ll be useful as a hostage to negotiate with the Martial Arts Alliance."


    Cackling, he flicked Xie Zhi Zhang''s forehead with a finger. The ground behind Xie Zhi Zhang splintered with a roar, and the Xie Clan expert dropped like a rock, his eyes lolling in their sockets and leaking blood.


    "You¡­" Lang Xie began. Tian Yu Di merely turned back to him.


    "Don''t worry. I just knocked him out. Right. Sect Leader says to inform you to go to the plaza to meet with all the higher-ups of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. They probably want your opinion on how to use the hostages."


    "¡­I''ll go right away." Lang Xie sighed and took off immediately.


    Meanwhile Tian Yu Di paused and listened to the Golden Dragon Medallion.


    "I''ve captured Xie Zhi Zhang as you''ve requested. Should I bring him over to the plaza too?"


    "Not yet." On the other end, I was frowning. As this was a few minutes ago, before Lang Xie arrived on the plaza, I was still there with Sect Leader Zi Shou De and the rest. Glancing at the three hostages, I thought for a moment. "Bring him someplace else secure. I don''t want Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue to see this fella. At least not yet."


    It was best not to let the enemies know we had taken Xie Zhi Zhang hostage. At least not yet. I wanted the Xie Clan to show themselves first. After Lang Xie had killed Tu Xi, I doubted the subordinate sects cared about the experts from the three ruling clans of the Martial Arts Alliance. They would be more worried about their own people, and I wanted them to focus on that instead of being hit by too much shock that it lost its effectiveness.


    Knowledge was power, information could be used as a weapon. Unleashed at the right time, the news of Xie Zhi Zhang being captured as our hostage could be used to utterly destroy the morale of the invading forces.


    Or it could be used as a trump card to bargain with the Xie Clan when they inevitably arrived here in all their blissful ignorance. If they learned this early, before they arrived in force, then they would be able to make their preparations.


    I would rather not give them so much time to make preparations and organize a rescue mission for Xie Zhi Zhang.


    Fortunately, at that time, I was hanging behind the inner sect elders and everyone, so none of them noticed my presence. A great benefit of keeping a low profile instead of hogging the limelight like every protagonist did. I wondered if I should share the knowledge, but with Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue present, I didn''t want to give anything away.


    A few minutes later, Lang Xie arrived, and you probably know the rest of the story.


    And thus we returned to the present.


    After taking note of the reactions of the various sects, and taking comfort in the fact that we had bought ourselves a temporary reprieve with Lang Xie''s bold strategy, I hurried toward my workshop. Already I saw a bunch of inner sect disciples gathered around it, led around by Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou.


    "Hey, guys!"


    "Fei Wu! You''re back!" Tang Qi Hong waved at me and smiled. "We were just transporting the Spirit Materials you need for the Sunburst!"


    That made sense. Having helped me forge it, Tang Qi Hong was very familiar with the Spirit Materials and ingredients we needed, as well as the method.


    "I wanted to get started right away, but you said you had a few plans for modifications? That you want to increase its firepower?"


    "That''s right!" I nodded, rolling up my sleeves and stepping into my workshop. As expected of Tang Qi Hong, she had already set everything up. All the Spirit Materials were organized neatly into piles, with the relevant tools laid out beside them.


    "I''m going to need your help to build them again. Do you mind?"


    "Of course not!" Tang Qi Hong chided me. "This is for protecting the sect! I''ll definitely do my part!"


    "As will we!" Lian Rou added, representing the fervently nodding inner sect disciples. "Let us know if you need anything else!"

 219 Chapter 218: Trump Card

    At the western gate, Xie Jing Lian, Dark Asura Sect''s Cao Xuan Rui, and the rest were scattered in front of it. Fighting had been intermittent, but their allies had pleaded with them to withdraw. Furthermore, many of Dark Asura Sect''s members had been mowed down by the Cybernetica Cohorts, the fearsome battle-automata and battle puppets razing them apart with their ancient yet hi-tech ranged weaponry.


    Seeing the heavy casualties that they had suffered, Xie Jing Lian had suggested they regroup and retreat for now. She informed Cao Xuan Rui that Xie Zhi Zhang was currently engaged with Lang Xie, and if things went well, they would be able to take the gate from the inside once her uncle defeated the reputable vice-commander.


    Cao Xuan Rui respected her proposal and thus had ordered his subordinates to withdraw for now, merely watching the Blood Blades who stood sentry at the top of the fortress walls and glaring back at them.


    Honestly, Cao Xuan Rui felt chills when he saw the Blood Blades stationed atop as sentries. None of them seemed to make any move to help their vice-commander. Cao Xuan Rui wondered if it was because they knew they were too weak to influence the outcome of the battle between the two monsters, but he doubted that.


    However, he saw the merit of holding back the remainder of his surviving forces and not investing too much strength in taking the wall. Casualties had been mounting at a horrific rate, and he was not an advocate of the needless loss of life. Once the battle had been decided, Cao Xuan Rui would then act based on the result.


    "What do you think was that terrifying aura from earlier about?" Yang Zhong asked inside the command Armored Fighting Vehicle, having continued his duty of monitoring the situation inside Tushan City with his drones. "That wasn''t Lord Xie''s qi. Could it be Lang Xie''s? But there''s no way he is that powerful¡­"


    When Tian Yu Di had arrived from Flame Volcano to descend upon Xie Zhi Zhang, his heavenly qi had emanated across half the city. Even Yang Zhong, Xie Jing Lian and Cao Xuan Rui, who were outside the city, had sensed it.


    Fortunately, the terrifying qi aura had vanished for now. Even so, it had been hours since they had last heard from Xie Zhi Zhang, so Yang Zhong took a deep breath, disembarked from the vehicle and hesitantly raised a question to his mistress.


    "Miss, there''s still no news. Do you think something has happened?"


    Xie Jing Lian frowned. Under the gazes of Yang Zhong and Cao Xuan Rui, she tapped the comn bead in her ear and tried to contact Xie Zhi Zhang through the private channel accessibly only by members of the Xie Clan.


    After attempting to contact him for a while, Xie Jing Lian grew grim. She finally gave up and shook her head.


    "Second Uncle isn''t responding to my hails."


    Everyone paled.


    Right at that moment, Ji Liu, Jiu Liu Yu, Feng Lin and the rest of the allied forces from the Seven Valley Sects, Cloud Sky Mountain, and representatives from the Green Dragon Sect, Kun Lun Sect and Heavenly Way Sect had gathered in the same area.


    They had all withdrawn from their respective gates of Tushan City, and gathered here because they had heard that an expert from the Xie Clan had infiltrated the south gate and district. They were hoping that Xie Zhi Zhang could rescue the members of their sects who had been captured as hostages, so that they could then boldly break through the gates.


    "The Six Valley Sects'' Shi Jing Yun¡­his arm has been cut off!"


    "Wu Tuo''s arm has been cut off!"


    "Su Bai Xue''s arm has also been cut off!"


    After Jiu Liu Yu, Ji Liu and Feng Lin arrived, they immediately complained like the whiny bastards they were to Xie Jing Lian. They were all extremely outraged and furious, like the hypocrites they were, as if they were allowed to maim and slaughter the members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect but we weren''t allowed to hurt them back. Then again, that was the twisted logic of bullies and criminals. It''s fine if you''re the one doing it, but if someone else does it to you, then he is evil and must be punished!


    The hypocrisy of these people never ceased to amaze me.


    Xie Jing Lian looked troubled. She swept her gaze across the approaching high-rankers, and shook her head.


    "My second uncle hasn''t responded. I don''t know what''s happening inside the city."


    Even Xie Jing Lian didn''t imagine that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would be so ruthless. Ironically, she had perceived us as an orthodox sect and didn''t imagine that we would resort to such violent measures. Never mind that the orthodox sects under the Martial Arts Alliance were currently engaged in blatantly criminal atrocities.


    However, she felt that something was incredibly wrong here.


    Yang Zhong, unable to put up with the awkward atmosphere, returned to his seat inside the AFV. When he reached the monitors, he finally caught sight of something. It wasn''t from his drones, but rather something someone posted on social media.


    Yes, Yang Zhong, despite supposedly on the job and monitoring for changes within the city, still had some time to spare to check Twitter and Facebook on social media. But it was thanks to that he finally realized what had happened, albeit being several hours too late.


    "All of you, look at this!"


    Panicking, he practically jumped out of the AFV, stumbling over the shaft as he flailed about wildly. Everyone stared at him irritably.


    "Lang Xie is still alive! There is no sign of Lord Xie, but Lang Xie is still definitely alive! He had returned to the plaza earlier today¡­and it was him who cut off the arms of Wu Tuo, Shi Jing Yun and Su Bai Xue!"


    Everyone paled in horror when they heard that, staring at Yang Zhong in disbelief. He gestured toward the monitors inside the AFV.


    "If you don''t believe me, look up the Internet! The video''s being spread online! Apparently someone filmed it and streamed it live, and now everyone is distributing it across social media!"


    That someone was me, by the way, but I obviously used an online account that concealed my real identity, so they didn''t know it was me.


    "Then Second Uncle¡­he¡­" Xie Jing Lian said, trembling. Yang Zhong shook his head.


    "I don''t know," he told her honestly.


    "It appears that we''ve underestimated Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," Guang Song Lin whispered softly. "Everyone dismissed them as a sect of blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers, but¡­they have completely forgotten about Blood Blades and Lang Xie. As long as Lang Xie remains in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and they are protected by Blood Blades, they remain a potent force."


    A force that was about to be reinforced by the very weapons of mass destruction that they accused us of having.


    *


    At that moment, after hours of working, Tang Qi Hong and I had finally finished building seven Sunburst bombs. They were glowing ominously atop my bench, emanating incredibly destructive waves of power.


    Tang Qi Hong shuddered before she wiped the perspiration off her delicate face. She glanced at me with trepidation.


    "Did you manage to modify them as you intended?" she asked, though from the fear in her face it was obvious that she already knew the answer.


    Lian Rou was helping out as well, and was moving through the door of my workshop to shift some stuff. When she caught sight of the Sunburst bombs, she turned curious as well. Approaching us inquisitively, she couldn''t help but marvel.


    "These are the weapons you used to blow Blood Shadow up into a bloody pulp?"


    "Just one. And they are far from completed." I admitted as I wiped the sweat from my brow before it could dripped onto my glasses. "Now we are just left with the Spirit Diagrams. They''ll only be the finished product after I inscribe the Spirit Diagrams."


    "Really?" Tang Qi Hong snorted. "They''re already emanating such power, yet you say they are incomplete?"


    She had a good reason for her doubts. After all, the current Sunbursts were several times more powerful than the prototypes we had built earlier.


    "That''s right." I grinned. "There''s always room for improvement."


    Inside the core of the Sunburst, pure, volatile qi tried to clash against each other, kept apart only by an exotic containment field. The moment they collided, they would undergo qi fusion, which would unleash a devastating amount of energy akin to that of a nuclear reaction. Well, it was basically the xianxia version of a nuclear bomb.


    "Thanks for helping out, guys."


    I glanced at Lian Rou and the other inner sect disciples who were still assisting us, either by bringing new Spirit Materials or necessary equipment. They all swelled up in delight.


    As expected of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, they spared no expense in providing the very best Spirit Materials, offering the purest and highest quality spirit ores, and the inner sect disciples were superbly competent, helping me grind the ores to fine powder without any incident ¨C a stark contrast to the clumsy and bumbling me when I accidentally ignited the powder during my first try all those days ago. If I didn''t have Absolute Zero, I woud have been blown apart back then.


    Nonetheless, all the inner sect disciples had cooperated and worked together to produce the extremely pure qi powder, and were able to replicate components from my blueprint perfectly. Then Tang Qi Hong and I would just put the components together.


    Before long, we finally reached the final stage.


    "Are there enough Spirit Materials?" Lian Rou asked, sensible enough not to let the praise and gratitude get to her head. No wonder Tong Xue was in love with her. "First Great Elder said that there is still a lot of Spirit Materials remaining in the storage room. If you need more, we''ll go get them for you immediately."


    "It''s more than enough," I assured her. "The amount of stuff we have here is sufficient to build thirty Sunburst bombs! We don''t have time to build that many, anyway, so it should be enough for now. I hope."


    Inwardly, I was astonished by the sheer amount of resources that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect possessed. Just a small portion of its Spirit Materials was enough to craft far more advanced Spirit Bombs that what was necessary.


    No wonder the Martial Arts Alliance and all its subordinate sects coveted our wealth. It was so much that it would drive any ambitious person crazy, causing him to drool over our possessions. Well, I guess this is what they meant when they called our wealth a double-edged sword. On one hand, it made us powerful, but on the other, it would ensure we would always have enemies desiring our wealth and resources.


    Sighing, I forced myself to focus on the present.


    "I''ll start inscribing the Spirit Diagrams." I glanced at the others. Unfortunately, inscribing Spirit Diagrams wasn''t as simple as showing other people my diagrams and asking them to perfectly replicate it. Otherwise almost anybody could be a Spirit Engraver. Perhaps if given time, my fellow disciples would master the Spirit Diagram I had invented ¨C I mean, I was an average Spirit Engraver at best, so it shouldn''t be too hard for them to do so ¨C but right now time was a luxury we couldn''t afford. "Watch my back, guys."


    "All right." Tang Qi Hong understood the reasoning too. Even though she was the one who had helped me the most, and it was only because of her help that I was able to succeed in inventing the Sunburst, this last, crucial aspect was something even she wasn''t sure of. Spirit Diagrams were very individualized, after all, attuned to their inventors, and it would take her a lot of time to comprehend my original intent for the Spirit Diagram. That was why she wasn''t offended, and instead smiled. "Just focus on Spirit Engraving."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    I then turned my attention back to the Sunbursts, taking a deep breath and gathering my qi into my fingers. Picking up the engraving equipment, I began to forge furiously, trying to complete them as quickly as possible without making any mistakes.


    Good thing I managed to get quite a bit of practice when I was inventing the Sunburst back then, or I would have found it difficult. Furthermore, I had already succeeded once, so if I relied on my memories, I should technically be able to replicate it without much problem.


    "Where is Fei Wu?" against the rising sun, the five surviving Great Elders personally came to check on my progress. The inner sect elders had tailed them, keeping a low profile.


    "The Spirit Bombs have already been built," Tang Qi Hong informed them with a bow. "He''s inscribing the Spirit Diagrams right now."


    "Very good." Luo Zhi Chang nodded in visible relief. "The Spirit Diagrams are the last step. With this, he should be done."


    "From your experience, how powerful are these Sunburst bombs?" the second Great Elder asked Tang Qi Hong.


    "I''ve seen them work. The prototypes are already pretty powerful, but these new versions that we built are several times more powerful than them!" Tang Qi Hong paused for a moment. "The prototypes were able to blast craters in the ground about a dozen meters deep and across, and should be able to kill even Pure Spirit Stage practitioners without much trouble."


    "Blood Shadow would have died if he didn''t leave a good amount of his strength elsewhere," Lian Rou added. "It was only because he recalled that separate portion of his strength that he was able to survive."


    "Amazing¡­" the third Great Elder gulped and turned to Tang Qi Hong. "You guys were working to create something so dangerous?"


    "Well¡­we thought it might help the sect," Tang Qi Hong said timidly.


    "It does." The fourth Great Elder nodded in approval. "If you guys didn''t invent this Sunburst, then Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would be doomed."


    Right at that moment, Cheng Ping appeared, smiling because he was the bearer of good news.


    "Snow Valley Sect, Cloud Sky Mountain, and the Six Valley Sects have all stopped attacking." He beamed. "All of them are afraid that we will resort to killing their hostages, so they are wary of us for now and don''t dare to provoke us."


    Luo Zhi Chang and the others exchanged glances, seeming as if a great weight had been lifted off their shoulders.


    "I knew it! Being more ruthless will intimidate those bastards!" the fifth Great Elder laughed. "If we just compromise and give way, they will only take advantage of us and demand for more! Give them an inch and they will demand a foot!"


    "Lang Xie made the right choice." The second Great Elder nodded in approval. "His methods may seem cruel, but they are undoubtedly the right one."


    "I''m just worried about Xie Zhi Zhang." Luo Zhi Chang glanced in the direction of the city anxiously.


    "Where is Sect Leader?"


    Everyone jumped with fright when they heard Tian Yu Di''s voice. He was proceeding up Flame Volcano while carrying a body over his shoulder. He stopped right in front of them and dropped Xie Zhi Zhang in front of the inner sect elders.


    "Fei Wu is currently engraving Spirit Diagrams for the Sunburst bombs," Elder Tie Jiang replied.


    "Eh?" Tian Yu Di raised an eyebrow. "He''s a Spirit Engraver now? I thought he sucks at Spirit Engraving and blacksmithing."


    "Fei Wu is certainly an average blacksmith and Spirit Engraver," Tie Jiang admitted. "But he has quite the active imagination. He''s the one who invented the Sunburst, and thus the one most familiar with its Spirit Diagrams. At this current stage, no one else is more suited to the task of Spirit Engraving the Sunburst than him."


    "I should have paid more attention and comprehended the Sunburst Spirit Diagrams," Tang Qi Hong murmured wistfully. "I didn''t think we would need to build them again so soon¡­"


    "No one expected this, my dear," Luo Zhi Chang told her gently. "Don''t blame yourself."


    Tian Yu Di glanced at me while I slaved away inside my workshop. His eyes rested on the Sunburst bombs and he chuckled.


    "Oh, that is indeed the impressive device!" he exclaimed excitedly. Evidently he could sense their destructive power from a distance. He nodded in approval. Even though he did have some reservations about Nine-Tailed Fox Sect taking on the Martial Arts Alliance by itself, the moment he sensed the intense energies emanating from them, he believed there was a possibility that they could turn the tables on our enemies.


    "Thanks," I muttered under my breath. I knew he could hear me, though, having reached the level he was now.


    "Sect Leader, I have captured the martial artist sent by the Martial Arts Alliance. The one you asked me to take care of."


    Tian Yu Di grinned as he kicked the body. Xie Zhi Zhang made no sound.


    "Great. Um¡­tie him up and restrain him. We''ll think of what to deal with him after I finish." I was still half-distracted with inscribing the Spirit Diagrams.


    Luo Zhi Chang and the other Great Elders bowed slightly to express their gratitude, but it was clear that they were still feeling apprehensive of him.


    Tian Yu Di did not care. He just nodded, tied up the motionless Xie Zhi Zhang, and sat down lazily somewhere.


    After thirty minutes, I finally finished my task.


    "This should do it."


    "You''re done?" Lian Rou raised an apprehensive eyebrow as she studied my work. I smiled bitterly.


    "You don''t believe me? You want me to test it out?"


    "Don''t do it!" Tang Qi Hong yelled. Everyone turned to stare at her. She raised both her hands. "The last time we did it, we destroyed a huge part of the forest at the back of Flame Volcano. I shudder to think how much damage these new ones will cause."


    "I think we should mine the city with them. The moment the Martial Arts Alliance break through the walls and force us to withdraw, we''ll give them an explosive surprise." I thought for a moment. "I''ll build a few more, just in case."


    "If you have the chance to." Tian Yu Di rose to his feet and nudged Xie Zhi Zhang''s body with his foot. "I doubt they''ll give you the time to do so. Now that we''ve captured this trash, I''m sure they will send in a stronger wave. Even I cannot guarantee that I''ll be able to fend them off."


    "You''ll need to recover at least eighty percent of your strength if you want to fight them all off?" I asked as way of confirmation. Tian Yu Di nodded.


    "That''s right. If I can recover to eighty percent of my strength, then I''ll be able to hold out against whatever the Martial Arts Alliance send for the next four days you need."


    I turned to the Great Elders. "Is it possible to give Ancestral Master, uh, Elder Tian the spirit medicines and whatever he needs to recover?"


    "I''ll see to it," Luo Zhi Chang replied, somewhat stiffly, but unable to conceal the hopeful expression that surfaced on his aged face.


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    "Thank you." I bowed.


    That was when Cheng Ping spoke up, after listening to something in his comn bead. In the process of blacksmithing and building the Sunburst bombs, I had taken off my comn bead to avoid distractions, but that left me frustratedly ignorant of what was going on with Blood Blades.


    Nonetheless, Cheng Ping was on hand to offer information.


    "Dark Asura Sect is assaulting the western gate. They are being led by Cao Xuan Rui and a girl named Xie Jing Lian. They are also being supported by Heavenly Way Sect, Green Dragon Sect and Kunlun Sect." he glanced at the Great Elders. "Elder Zhao is heading over there now and requesting reinforcements from the other gates, but we''re worried that the other sects will attack if we leave them. But at this rate, we won''t be able to stop them¡­"


    I grinned as I glanced at Xie Zhi Zhang. "That''s exactly I asked Ancestral Master to take this guy as a hostage." I couldn''t be bothered disgusing my relationship with Tian Yu Di now. Turning to Cheng Ping, I made a request. "Elder Cheng, can you bring this guy to the plaza, tie him up, and then take a picture of him?"


    "A picture?" Cheng Ping frowned. "Why?"


    "I''m going to post it all over social media," I replied mischievously.


    *


    "Stop! All forces, stop attacking!" Yang Zhong shouted. At his command, the Dark Asura Sect members froze and stared at him.


    "What is the meaning of this, Yang Zhong?" Xie Jing Lian demanded as she ducked down the cupola to glare at her subordinate. "Why are you calling for a halt?"


    Swallowing, Yang Zhong beckoned toward a monitor, which showed a clear picture of Xie Zhi Zhang being imprisoned in the plaza of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, shackled to a Spirit Engraved Pillar. Despite being unconscious, there was no mistaking his features as his head hung loosely from his shoulders.


    "Your Second Uncle has also been taken hostage."


    "Everyone, retreat!" Xie Jing Lian screamed immediately. Even Cao Xuan Rui had no choice but to obey her, pulling back. With that, the slight momentum that they had gained with the assistance of three major sects immediately halted.


    "How¡­how is this possible¡­?"


    "Even Lord Xie has been captured?!"


    "Just what kind of monsters are in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    As I had predicted, the news dealt a crippling blow to the allied sects, the Martial Arts Alliance martial artists losing the will to fight. Beating a fighting retreat as the merciless cybernetica cohorts continued to fire at their backs, they drew back to the plains overlooking the city, astounded by the turn of events.


    "What''s going on? How is Lang Xie able to not only defeat Lord Xie, but even capture him as a hostage?" Yang Zhong was perplexed.


    "Was it even Lang Xie who did it?" Cao Xuan Rui snapped, his disbelief growing. He glared in the direction of Tushan City from atop his rover. "This¡­this Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is getting more and more mysterious! Monsters dwelling in their underground passageways, having so many battle puppets, and now able to defeat both Tu Xi and Lord Xie?"


    "We need to find a way to rescue Second Uncle!" Xie Jing Lian said angrily, balling her hands into fists. She glanced at the deflating martial artists around her, while still perched in her cupola. Worse, it seemed that there was significantly less of them than before. They had suffered casualties when assaulting the fortified walls manned by both Blood Blades and their formidable battle puppets. "Morale is dropping like a rock! At this rate, we''ll be the ones who get annihilated!"

 220 Chapter 219: The unknown

    So if people were expecting me to rip off Spirit Realm and entertain three old friends (though in the original Xie Jing Xuan was no friend of Qin Lie and even tried to kill him twice while owing him for helping her at least twice while he owed her nothing at all, so I had no idea why he just let her in and treated her with respect), then they would be disappointed.


    Another thing was that I wasn''t the sect leader. Like, what the hell, you think it''s so easy for people to become a sect leader? And for some reason, most sect leaders in xianxia stories were made out to be incompetent, probably just so that the protagonist is justified in killing them. Heaven forbid there were competent sect leaders, who would have outclassed the protagonist and found ways of dealing with them properly right from the start instead of blundering around and allowing him to live until it was too late. Worse, several stories, such as Spirit Realm, completely ignored the conventions and stuff they set for their characters and completely changed them later to fit the plot. Especially in Spirit Realm ¨C while Ying Xin Ran was introduced as a complete idiot who made the most baffling decisions ever (one wonders how Armament Sect survived under his leadership when his stupidity over Liang Shao Yang and other moronic decisions made no sense), he was often described as someone who had the interests of Armament Sect at heart, someone who invested all his efforts and soul into developing Armament Sect at the expense of himself.


    Fortunately, Zi Shou De was not Ying Xin Ran, and he would never do something like that. He was a lot more sensible, logical and consistent as a character, rather than someone who would change because the plot demanded it and needed a new antagonist. So I didn''t have to worry about that. Thanks to that, there were no bullshit shenanigans that demanded that I took over as sect leader, and honestly, I would be far from first choice. I wasn''t a Mary Sue protagonist who could walk up and suddenly become the center of attention, and a messiah upon which the fate of the sect rested on. Yeah, I contributed a lot with Tian Yu Di''s help, but unlike Mary Sue protagonists who singlehandedly saved the day by themselves, I wasn''t the sole reason why Nine-Tailed Fox Sect survived. Zi Shou De''s leadership and resolve, Zi Da Ji''s skills and command, Lang Xie''s strength and decisiveness, the determination of the Blood Blades, the cybernetica cohorts (yeah, I brought them back, but I would never be able to control all of them by myself, and the Blood Blades have proven themselves worthy owners of the battle puppets), and the resilience of the outer sect were all vital to the sect''s survival. It wasn''t a one-man show like Spirit Realm where Qin Lie practically did everything by himself and single-handedly saved the sect. No one was going to look to me to take over as sect leader just because I offered one contribution, which was just one out of the many that so many other sect members did.


    Moreover, this wasn''t a ridiculous xianxia story where people focused entirely on grinding levels and such, so I couldn''t care less about reaching Manifestation Realm or its equivalent in this universe (I couldn''t even begin to convert the stages here to the realms there). As if the Martial Arts Alliance would wait ten days for me to cultivate and rise in levels, and one does not simply rise in levels according to the convenience of the plot.


    Seriously, Qin Lie literally did that by opening Natal Palaces or whatever because he needed to reach Manifestation Realm. Even though he failed to reach Manifestation Realm eventually (at this part of the story), he jumped about two or three levels to the peak of Natal Palace Realm or whatever. Makes you wonder why he didn''t do it earlier if he could do it so easily. Same with most xianxia stories, actually. They seemed to treat levels and realms as something you rise through when required by the plot.


    So I ended up mining the districts surrounding the main sect grounds. I also designed a remote control so that I can detonate them from a distance. Now all I needed to do was lure the fuckers deep into the city and blow them up before they realized what was going on.


    "Um, why even bother complaining about Spirit Realm at all?" Tang Qi Hong rubbed her cheek absently. "It has nothing to do with us."


    "There are quite a lot of differences," Tang Qi Hong pointed out. "For one thing, my father is not such an incompetent fool who switches character at the drop of a hat, for Qin Lie''s benefit. For another, Blood Blades don''t cultivate blood arts like Blood Spear, and they have an army of battle-automata to help them fight off the invaders. And we are using modern technology instead of staying in medieval stasis like most xianxia stories. Oh, and the stuff happening here is not as illogical as the stuff in Spirit Realm, especially with regards to character decisions." She then frowned. "And although they are similar, Tian Yu Di is very different from Xue Li."


    "¡­okay." Realizing that we were going way off a tangent, I decided to return to the task at hand. "That was the last Sunburst. Let''s hurry back to the sect."


    "Fei Wu!"


    One of the outer sect disciples called out to me, hurrying over across the ruined districts. I glanced at him.


    "What''s up?"


    "Sect Leader requests that you see him in the main hall at his residence. There has been a change."


    "Yes, sir. Thanks, Tian Jian Hao."


    Yeah, I recognized the outer sect disciple. He was Tian Jian Hao, the guy who tried to cut the queue in front of me during the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect entrance exam last year. But what struck me was that he was from Dark Asura Sect, and somehow he was still here. Well, Tong Xue was from Smart Shadow Sect, a branch of Divine Shadow Sect, so it wasn''t all that unusual. But even so, I was pleasantly surprised.


    "Will you be all right?" I asked. "We''re fighting against Dark Asura Sect. You might come into conflict with your sect members eventually."


    "That is fine." Tian Jian Hao smiled bitterly. "I am neither Liang Shao Yang nor Yin Jing Jing. I do not have any support in Dark Asura Sect, and no one there pays any attention to me. In Dark Asura Sect, I''m just an insignificant martial artist who nobody cares about. In fact, I''ve been doing very well in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    Tian Jian Hao straightened himself.


    "I don''t care about Dark Asura Sect now. I''m now a member of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!"


    "You and Tong Xue are similar." I nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I''ll be counting on you then."


    "We won''t let the sect down!" Tian Jian Hao promised. He glanced at the spot where I had just buried the Sunburst. "I heard that you''ve a new trump card that might help! If that''s true, then we can kick those bastards out of Tushan City!"


    If there was anything left of Tushan City to kick them out, but obviously I didn''t tell him that. Instead, I smiled and nodded affably.


    "All right, let''s go!"


    Being an outer sect disciple, Tian Jian Hao did not follow me to Flame Volcano and instead went his separate way, joining Elder Zhao in watching the enemies from the fortress walls. Tang Qi Hong accompanied me instead as we went to see her adoptive father.


    "Ah, Qi Hong, you''re here too." Zi Shou De smiled when he saw his adopted daughter. "Good timing. I was about to ask the two of you about the Sunburst."


    "You could have called," I replied and waved my smartphone. Zi Shou De nodded with an apologetic smile.


    "I guess I should have sent an email," he conceded. "But I prefer to hear it straight from you. I heard that you''ve been mining the Sunburst bombs you''ve built?"


    "Yeah." To be fair, it was my fault for not emailing him and informing him that I was done. I had told the Great Elders, but evidently the Great Elders hadn''t informed the sect leader. I wondered if there was some conflict btween them.


    "I hear you have a plan to lure everyone into a trap." Sect Lady Zi Da Ji spoke up, having been seated beside her husband all this while. I nodded.


    "That''s right, ma''am."


    "If I''m not mistaken, it involves blowing up the city." Zi Da Ji didn''t look happy about that, but she was aware that it was highly likely that we would be driven all the way back to the main sect grounds and forced to give up the city.


    I suddenly understood what she was getting at.


    "We will need a plan¡­to inform the Blood Blades and all the outer sect elders and disicples before I detonate them." of course it had occurred to me, but more in the form of a vague concept than a concrete idea. "I don''t want them caught in the blast."


    "Good. I''ll organize it right away." Zi Da Ji sighed. "I''m stuck here guarding my husband, the Great Elders and the inner sect elders, and I can''t go to the frontlines."


    "I''ll go there now and rejoin Fourth squad," I told her. Now that I was done with my little project, there was little reason for me to slack off my duties.


    Zi Da Ji nodded. "Enjoy the lull in combat. It won''t last long."


    "I rather they stop attacking us at all," Zi Shou De grumbled, but as always, life never went the way we wanted.


    Approximately thirty minutes later, I found myself standing next to Tong Xue and Jing Wei atop the fortress walls, overlooking the invaders. They were all glaring back at us from below, having set up camp a few hundred meters away and surrounded by tents and armored fighting vehicles. I was relieved to see that there were no tanks, but when you had martial artists capable of firing fireballs and techniques of destruction from their bare hands or swords, there was never a need to invent guns, cannons, missiles and tanks in the first place.


    "Any movement?" I asked. Having summoned my Castellax battle-automata to stand alongside my friends'' battle puppets, we sat around at the top of the ramparts, keeping an eye on the enemy. Given their overwhelming numbers, it was more for show than anything else, but we had hostages, so they didn''t dare to assault us with their Very Important Persons'' lives in our hands. At the first sign of trouble, any one of us could vox to the Blood Blades guarding the plaza, and boom. Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue would lose their heads.


    "None so far." Tong Xue sent me a quizzical stare. "What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn''t you be in your workshop, building more of those Spirit Bombs you used to wreck Blood Shadow into a pathetic state?"


    "Already did," I told him, though admittedly I planned to build another one or two to hide up my sleeve during our break hours. If I wasn''t too exhausted. Sentry duty was being done in shifts, but even though there was no combat so far, it was still an exhausting and mentally draining task. We were all on edge, and tension was running very high, what with thousands of enemy martial artists assembled right on our doorstep.


    "You should make sure to get some rest," Jing Wei advised. Being the senior, he knew more about this than Tong Xue and I put together. He nodded at the milling martial artists below. "I know there''s no fighting right now, but it''s usually the waiting that kills you."


    Apparently the military adage from my original timeline applied to here just as well. Rush to wait, and wait to rush. Remembering my mandatory military service, I sighed when I recalled the many moments where we soldiers did absolutely nothing but wait as officers considered orders, transports had to look for alternative routes, the mission turned into a lull and fighting had stopped, or the enemy was nowhere to be seen.


    Contrary to popular belief, a war was not nonstop fighting for days or weeks on end. A battle usually lasted a few hours, until the stamina of both sides were exhausted, and one side withdrew, or they settled for a stalemate. It was not violence twenty-four seven, but rather long days of doing nothing but waiting, punctuated occasionally by sporadic violence. Then once an objective was taken or lost, and once we held new ground or withdrew, the fighting would die down, and we would wait for new orders. Orders simply did not come automatically ¨C commanders often had to draw up detailed plans, assessed the situation, hold strategic meetings and discussed long and hard before they finally came to a decision. Provided we weren''t in the middle of combat already, where they had no choice but to issue orders thick and fast. But when there was no fighting, the wait could become unbearable.


    Our battle puppets were arrayed in an intimidating formation, to lengthen the wait. Even though the enemy outnumbered us vastly, the presence of the battle puppets were what kept us in the fight. Currently, when there was no battle, we didn''t supply our battle puppets with our qi, choosing to only do so when we were attacked. It was understandable ¨C the battle puppets were so qi-consuming that it was impossible to keep a steady trickle of qi twenty-four seven to power them all the time. Yet, their imposing figures struck enough shock and awe into the enemies, lowering their morale and confidence, thus forcing the opposing commanders to stay their hand.


    For now, anyway.


    "I''m surprised you are not working to reach Pure Spirit Stage and soaking in the Will''O Wisp Forest right now." Tong Xue''s comment came out of nowhere.


    "Why would I?"


    "Because Qin Lie did it in Spirit Realm right in the middle of a war."


    "Hello!" I almost knocked Tong Xue''s head as I retorted, "I am not Qin Lie!"


    "Clearly," Tong Xue agreed. "Or you''ll control three of the Spirit Engraved Pillars and set them loose on the invaders."


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    "If only we can rely on such Deus ex Machina." I sighed. "But I''m sure the Imperial Guard will be arriving soon. We just need to hold out for another three days."


    "Just three days, huh?" Tong Xue looked so very exhausted, which was just about how I felt, to be honest. "I can''t wait."


    Honestly, I was hoping inwardly that my streaming and uploading of the video containing Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue''s confessions had made their way across the Internet and into the Diet, speeding up their political process, but I was taught to assume the worst, prepare for the worst while hoping for the best, so I didn''t count on it.


    "I''m surprised they didn''t send anyone over to negotiate with us, though." Jing Wei considered for a moment. "I thought they would at least ssend an official over, or one of the sect leaders would come beg us to free the hostages."


    "After Lord Lang Xie cut off their arms, I don''t think they''ll lower themselves to that," I pointed out dryly. "If anything, they would be driven to rage, and should now be hellbent on destroying Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. The moment we cut off their arms, we closed off any room for negotiation."


    "Besides, you know their goals," Tong Xue added bitterly. "They were always going to kill every Blood Blades member, outer sect disciple and outer sect elder, and enslave the inner sect elders and inner sect disciples to forge Spirit Artifacts for them. You think they would just walk away now because we hold their high-ranking members hostage?"


    "Wouldn''t enslavement be illegal, though?" I murmured, puzzled. "The Royal Family would investigate this, find out that the Martial Arts Alliance is engaging in criminal practices such as slavery, and free them, right?"


    "If they can''t even come help us fight off an illegal invasion, what makes you think they will bother freeing enslaved blacksmiths?" Jing Wei snorted derisively.


    "Furthermore, there are plenty of ways to cover up the enslavement once they are finished with their conquest." Tong Xue shook his head. "They will blackmail the blacksmiths into giving false statements by holding their families hostage, or fake their deaths while keeping them in enclosed captivity for the rest of their lives."


    "That''s horrible," I muttered, an understatement if I had ever said one, but I was at a total loss for words. Horrible couldn''t even begin to describe these corrupted, so-called orthodox martial artist sects. They were no different from the demonic sects they claimed to protect us from.


    "Despite what Senior Jing says," Tong Xue said with a look at the mostly quiet Jing Wei. "I am confident the Royal Family will act. Allowing the Martial Arts Alliance to run rampant like this and indulge in criminal wars would only undermine their authority and cause concern among the civilians. Especially if they find out that the Martial Arts Alliance had slaughtered countless civilians. That is going to cause quite the uproar, especially because they will have good reason to suspect that the Martial Arts Alliance will continue to do that again if they go unpunished."


    "Not to mention depriving the Great Zhou Empire of a good deal of taxpayers," I muttered. Slaughtering all those people meant no taxes from them. And that would make the Royal Family unhappy even if they couldn''t care less about their subjects'' lives or the ethicality of it. Plus they couldn''t afford to put down rebellions while a potential threat steadily rises in power after plundering its own subordinate sects'' resources and wealth. If the Martial Arts Alliance was ruthless enough to conquer one of their own subordinate sects, then who was to say the royal family wouldn''t be next, once they had grown powerful enough to challenge even the Imperial Guard?


    "Don''t worry. We can do this." Tong Xue slapped my back when he saw my worried expression, almost sending me over the edge. I glared at him, but he didn''t seem to care.


    "What do you think they will do next?" I asked, especially since reality had finally deviated from the fictional and illogical Spirit Realm, and there would be no old friends, no negotiations, and no training to reach whatever realm or stage in the middle of a bloody war.


    "Organize a rescue mission," Jing Wei replied simply. We both stared at him, and he shrugged. "It''s what I would do. And what Lord Lang Xie or Sect Lady Da Ji would have done. If our members have been captured and held hostage, the Blood Blades would be sent to infiltrate enemy ground and rescue them."


    "Then we had best stay alert and keep an eye out for any infiltrators," I said, refusing to be unnerved by the revelation. I hoped I sounded more confident than I actually felt, but being my good friend, Tong Xue saw through me.


    "I''m sure we''ll be fine," he assured me. "If we see them try anything funny, or get within a hundred meters of the walls, we''ll sound the alarm!"

 221 Chapter 220: Rescue Mission

    And would you leisurely go level up and open Natal Palaces when the enemy was right at your doorstep and you had no idea when they would just forego and attack?


    Besides, the Martial Arts Alliance knew they were on a ticking clock. If they delayed, the Imperial Guard would finally come and they would be too late. Already they heard rumors that the Diet had reached a decision and were preparing to mobilize troops, especially after they watched the video of the three fools'' confession that was circulating online on social media.


    Social media could be a very powerful weapon, heh.


    That was why the main powers and leaders of the various sects had been arriving in force. Dropships and other airborne transports (I mean, we had flying buses, so they were more like hovering cars and buses rather than modern aircraft) swooped by, depositing their cargoes of troops and masters, the highest-ranking martial artists hurrying to the command tents that were set up as field headquarters to oversee the war effort.


    The first of the transports had delivered the leaders of various sects, but they continued in a steady trickle. Even as more martial artists gathered, the sizeable army didn''t attack Tushan City and instead waited for reinforcements. They were waiting for enough manpower to conquer the city in a single wave, a single attack that would bring Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to its knees.


    Twelve hours ago, a flying limousine had landed, and the Grand Sect Leader of Dark Asura Sect, Fu Zhuo Hui, had disembarked from one of them. Another one had arrived four hours later, and the sect leader of Cloud Sky Mountain Sect, Jiang Yuan, had arrived along with the last of the Three Stones, Fu Chang. Two hours ago, the other sect leaders of the Six Valley Sects had arrived as well, in drips and draps and their various luxurious personal tranports.


    Finally, the sect leader of Snow Valley Sect, Yin Xue Sheng, had arrived along with his brother, Yin Xue Di. The Snow Valley Sect had been located a bit further from Tushan City than the other sects, which was why they took a bit longer to arrive.


    "This is Bai Xue''s arm."


    Feng Lin handed a refrigerated container over to Yin Xue Di, who looked extremely pale when he accepted it and cracked it open. He immediately recognized the arm, and would still have even it wasn''t adorned with the Spirit Rings and other accessories belonging to his wife. Being so close to his wife, and married and intimate for so many years, he was familiar with every crook and nanny of her body.


    "Xue''er, Xue''er¡­"


    Yin Xue Di closed the case and set it down, on the verge of weeping. He gritted his teeth, his expression murderous and ferocious, and glanced at his older brother.


    Yin Xue Sheng raised his head and turned toward Cloud Sky Mountain Sect Leader Jiang Yuan, Dark Asura Sect Grand Sect Leader Fu Zhuo Hui, and the representative of the Six Valley Sects, Jiu Liu Yu. "No matter what you guys decide, my Snow Valley Sect will definitely kill all the elders and disciples of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! I will leave nothing behind!"


    "Wu Tuo''s arm was also cut off. My Cloud Sky Mountain will use of all of our strength to help Brother Yin attain his revenge!" Jiang Yuan declared coldly.


    "Six Valley Sects are also of the same opinion!" Jiu Liu Yu sneered.


    "Liang Yang Zu has also died, Di Shi Jiu has also disappeared, so I believe that Divine Shadow Sect will also desire vengeance." Yin Xue Sheng nodded, satisfied, and then turned toward Fu Zhuo Hui. "What about you, Brother Fu?"


    "I''ll leave it to you guys to decide." Fu Zhuo Hui smiled in reply.


    "Then what about the three major sects?"


    The representative of Green Dragon Sect, Long Shen, merely shook his head as he viewed the whole exchange in amusement.


    "Do you have something to say, Master Long?" Yin Xue Sheng asked stiffly.


    "Of course," he replied with a smile. "Allow me to sum everything up. You attacked and invaded Nine-Tailed Fox Sect because you wanted first priority to their blacksmiths, wealth and resources, slaughtered their outer sect disciples and elders as well as killed many of their Blood Blades, and then when they took hostage of your three commanders, who failed to conquer the sect despite ganging up on them with forces from ten different sects, and cut off their arms as a warning, you go mad with rage and decide to annihilate the sect."


    "What did you say?!" Jiu Liu Yu growled dangerously. As he was stronger than her, Long Shen was not intimidated at all.


    "Shall I put it in simpler terms so that you can understand me then?" he closed his eyes, and then adopted an exaggerated fa?ade. "''Hey, guys, be nice and surrender. We''ll just kill everyone in your outer sect, the Blood Blades, and enslave all your blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers.'' In order to stop you, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect chops off the arms of your three important people."


    He then started screaming.


    "''AAAAAAAAAAAH! HOW DARE YOU?! WE CANNOT LIVE UNDER THE SAME HEAVENS! ALL OF YOU MUST DIE!''"


    Long Shen then calmed down and smiled in a derisive manner.


    "What did you expect Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to do? Lie down and let you kill them? Accept slavery without a fight? You knew the risks when you volunteered to be the vanguard for the invasion. Did you think you can easily get hold of their wealth, resources and blacksmiths without making any sacrifices?"


    His expression then darkened, and his aura shimmered, causing everyone in the vicinity to tremble from fear. Even the icy Jiu Liu Yu couldn''t help but take a single step back, her face being drained of color.


    "I will not allow your adolescent behavior to ruin the plans of the Martial Arts Alliance. Not to mention, I find your hypocrisy disgusting."


    No one said anything for a long time, until Yin Xue Di finally spoke up.


    "They have our impotant family members and subordinates as hostages," he said hoarsely. "Hypocrites or not, I can''t forgive them for hurting Xue''er. If I''m a hypocrite, then so be it. I will avenge her for this."


    Long Shen''s expression softened. "I don''t care what you do as you attack the city, but when we reach the main sect grounds, and I call for a ceasefire after we conquer Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, you will stop fighting. No exceptions. If any of you or your subordinates continue to attack and kill Nine-Tailed Fox Sect even after I give the order to stop fighting, then my Green Dragon Sect and I will hunt down those perpetuators and kill them. Is that understood?"


    All the leaders exchanged glances and nodded reluctantly, knowing that it wasn''t wise to incur the wrath of the major sects and Martial Arts Alliance. Even though Yin Xue Sheng and his Snow Valley Sect were similarly a major sect, they were beholden to the commands of the Martial Arts Alliance, and they couldn''t go against orders just because of a personal grudge.


    "Are you telling us to abandon Xue''er and the others?" Yin Xue Di asked weakly, his shoulders slumping in despair.


    "We will not leave Wu Tuo to his fate!" Jiang Yuan growled.


    "Don''t worry," Long Shen assured them. "The Martial Arts Alliance is already aware of your dilemma and is putting together a plan to rescue them. You should just be patient." He smiled. "They are sending an expert from the three chief clans, and an elder from the Heavenly Way Sect will also be joining us shortly."


    Everyone sighed in relief when they heard that.


    Six hours later, right when it was the wee hours of the morning, a single hovercraft swooped over the froest, skimming the top of the trees and abruptly stopping in front of the command tent. The command tent itself was a few hundred meters away from the gates of Tushan City, so the Blood Blades serving as sentries there were able to spot it. And they could sense the potent aura that the single passenger in the hovercraft exuded.


    The man disembarked from the hovercraft, not bothering to wait for it to land. In a single motion, he jumped out from the gradually opening ramp and landed gracefully on the ground. As he rose to his feet, the leaders of the various sects stepped forward to greet him.


    "It''s the elder from Heavenly Way Sect! He''s finally here!" Cloud Sky Mountain''s Ji Liu exclaimed excitedly.


    "Cloud Sky Mountain''s Jiang Yuan greets the Heavenly Way Sect''s elder." Jiang Yuan immediately approached the recently disembarked elder and bowed respectfully.


    "Snow Valley Sect''s Yin Xue Sheng greets the Heavebly Way Sect''s elder." Yin Xue Sheng also mirrored the action as he strode forward, his brother by his side lowering his head in deference to the newly arrived elder.


    "Hello." The elder waved his hand. If he looked familiar, that was because I had met him before earlier. This was Elder Shen, the Heavenly Way Sect elder who smacked Jiang Jun Hao and brought him to line when the brat got overly uppity and tried to rob Zhu Jiao and kill him. "I''m Shen Tian Yi. How is Young Master Jiang Jun Hao doing?"


    "He''s still alive," Ji Liu informed him lazily, having seen the spoilt brat participate in the war earlier before pulling back when Cheng Ping threw Wu Tuo''s arm at them. "Got a big fright when he was shot at by the battle puppets of Blood Blades, but otherwise he''s pretty lively and noisy."


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    "I apologize for his behavior." Shen Tian Yi smiled ruefully. "We''ve done our best to discipline him and straighten him out, but to no avail. Sect Leader is hoping that this experience in war would help him mature."


    "It probably just revealed his true, cowardly nature," Ji Liu muttered.


    "Maybe." Shen Tian Yi was diplomatic enough not to get into a childish argument. Instead, he focused on the matter at hand. "What''s the situation like now?"


    Jiang Yuan and Yin Xue Sheng exchanged glances. The elders of Heavenly Way Sect were well respected, and there were supposed to be nine of them. Each of them was as powerful as the sect leader of a lesser sect, and their combat strength was said to equal entire regiments on their own. They weren''t sure if they were exaggerated, but they didn''t want to find out.


    I was glad Zhu Jiao and I didn''t have to fight him when he showed up to drag Jiang Jun Hao by the year all those months ago.


    "You probably already know the gist of it," Jiang Yuan told Shen Tian Yi bitterly. "They have Su Bai Xue and Wu Tuo hostage, along with Shi Jing Yun from the six Valley Sects and Xie Zhi Zhang. We dare not move recklessly against them."


    Shen Tian Yi chuckled. "Interesting. It seems that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is not to be undermestimated. Even Xie Zhi Zhang has been defeated. As much as I disagree with them, I guess the Martial Arts Alliance is right to move against them now. If they had given them another ten years or so to develop, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will grow beyond the other major sects and become a superpower in the Great Zhou Empire."


    "You disagree with them?" Jiang Yuan asked carefully.


    "You don''t?" Shen Tian Yi raised an eyebrow. "In this modern, civilized era, to resort to war and conquering a sect in order to plunder its wealth and resources, to murder and enact genocide over one''s greed and selfishness¡­is this truly what orthodox martial arts sects should be doing? How does this make us any different from the demonic sects we condemn?"


    "The strong eat the weak, the weak submits to the strong. That has always been the way of life." Yin Xue Di was stubborn and hypocritical as always.


    "And Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has proven themselves to be strong, and yet you refuse to submit to them?"


    "We can''t allow them to become stronger, or we''ll be the ones who get eaten! Kill or be killed. That''s the way of martial artists!"


    Shen Tian Yi sighed. "The original concept of martial artists is a way for the weak to protect themselves from the strong¡­not a weapon for the strong to subjugate the weak. But let''s not argue here." he then glanced at the command tents of Dark Asura Sect and the Six Valley Sects. He caught sight of Xie Jing Lian, and recognizing her, his lips curled into an amused smile. "Now that Xie Zhi Zhang has been taken hostage as well, how has the Xie Clan reacted?"


    "They have ceased all movements and are waiting for reinforcements to arrive," Yin Xue Sheng replied.


    "I see." Shen Tian Yi looked thoughtful for a moment, and then came to a decision. "Let us continue waiting with them. I want to see who the Martial Arts Alliance will send over. For now, I''ll go check on Young Master Jun Hao."


    With that, he departed and headed toward the Heavenly Way Sect tents.


    Jiang Jun Hao was grumbling to himself as he occupied a huge space in his luxurious tent. Thanks to his status, he had all the privacy and luxuries he needed, an entire tent to himself as well as fresh food delivered by air instead of rations that were issued to the bulk of the Heavenly Way Sect forces.


    "Young Master Jun Hao, how are you doing?"


    Shen Tian Yi lifted the flap of the tent and peered inside. Jiang Jun Hao balked at his appearance, not because he was outraged by the blatant invasion of his privacy but because he was shocked.


    "Sect Leader actually sent you?!" he exclaimed.


    Shen Tian Yi nodded. "Yes. The situation has been assessed as being extremely dire, so they thought it wise to send a single elder. And since I have been assigned to serve as your bodyguard before, and you''re here fighting on the frontlines to earn much-needed experience, they decided that I was the best choice."


    "They made the right choice." Jiang Jun Hao gulped, knowing just how powerful Shen Tian Yi was. He smirked. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is definitely doomed now."


    "That remains to be seen," Shin Tian Yi countered indifferently. He glanced outside. "They have defeated even Xie Zhi Zhang. I have no idea what other hidden dangers and masters they have concealed behind their walls. Not to mention disturbing rumors about an extremely powerful demon the likes of which the Martial Arts Alliance has never seen before."


    Jiang Jun Hao scowled. "I took part in the siege earlier and I saw no monster. Surely they must be exaggerating."


    "Then who do you think defeated Xie Zhi Zhang?"


    Jiang Jun Hao was unable to answer. Shen Tian Yi smiled reassuringly.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll find a way to turn the tide." He sighed. "It is a pity that the Martial Arts Alliance is so short-sighted and blinded by their greed. To think they would resort to false fabrications and engage in criminal warfare just to plunder a member sect''s resources and wealth."


    "You disagree with the Martial Arts Alliance''s decision, Elder Shen?" Jiang Jun Hao sneered. "It''s has always been this way with regards to martial arts. The strong eat the weak. If you don''t have the strength, then you can only wait to die!"


    Shen Tian Yi scowled, realizing the futility of stamping out such horrible mentality from the young master of the Heavenly Way Sect. Instead, he decided to turn it the other way around.


    "What happens when the Martial Arts Alliance turns on us?"


    "Huh? Why would they?" Jiang Jun Hao looked shocked. Shen Tian Yi shook his head, wondering why the young master could be so talented in martial arts, yet so stupid and na?ve when it came to common sense.


    "The Martial Arts Alliance attacked and invaded Nine-Tailed Fox Sect because it was becoming too powerful, too strong and too rich. They were afraid of it growing beyond control, and they coveted the wealth, resources and blacksmiths of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." He looked sternly at Jiang Jun Hao. "Now, when the day comes when Heavenly Way Sect becomes just as strong and powerful as Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, what do you think the Martial Arts Alliance will do? Will they leave us alone so that we can grow to become a potential threat like Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? Or will they make a move and eliminate us before we can become powerful enough to threaten them?"


    "¡­that''s¡­" Jiang Jun Hao faltered. Shen Tian Yi smirked.


    "Suddenly your whole principle of strong eat the weak, the strong can do whatever they like and weak must submit to them doesn''t sound very appealing, does it?"


    And thus, after the conversation between the two, everyone continued waiting. Fortunately, they didn''t need to wait for too long. Another two hours passed, and just after the sun had floated above the horizon, a new gunship arrived.


    Just as with Shen Tian Yi, a middle-aged man jumped off the gunship the moment the ramp lowered, without even waiting for it to land, and landed gracefully on the ground. The gunship veered off, and after circling around, flew off in another direction. Well, despite being a gunship, it didn''t actually have guns, because guns weren''t invented in this world. Not when martial artists could shoot qi projectiles with their band hands.


    "Song Si Yuan!"


    Upon seeing the newcomer, Shen Tian Yi laughed heartily as he approached. "It seems that the Martial Arts Alliance really doesn''t intend to hold anything back."


    "Who?" Jiang Jun Hao asked blankly, but before anyone could answer him, a female figure rushed past him.


    "Uncle Song!" Xie Jing Lian cried out before she stopped in front of the newly arrived man in white robes. She bowed respectfully.


    "Ah, Lian''er." The man she called Uncle Song smiled and reached out to pat her head and caress her hair. "It seems that you''re doing well."


    "¡­um¡­"


    Xie Jing Lian hesitated for a moment, but Song Si Yuan immediately understood her apprehension. He offered a reassuring smile.


    "Don''t worry. Now that I''m here, we''ll be able to solve the current crisis." He glanced in the direction of Tushan City. "When I was leaving, your father specifically instructed me to rescue your second uncle no matter the cost. He said that the rescue of your second uncle is to be of utmost priority. You can be rest assured that I will not ignore Brother Xie''s safety and move recklessly."


    Xie Jing Lian sighed in immense relief. "Thank you, Uncle Song."


    "Brother Song, from what you''ve just said, I assume you already have a plan for rescuing the hostages?"


    Ignoring the nearby martial artists from Dark Asura Sect, the Seven Valley Sect, Divine Shadow Sect, Cloud Sky Mountain Sect, and even Green Dragon Sect and Kunlun Sect, Shen Tian Yi focused his gaze on Song Si Yuan.


    The Song Clan expert grinned. "Yeah. Leave the rescue to me. You guys just focus on fighting and taking the city later."

 222 Chapter 221: Cornered

    "Something''s not right," he murmured to himself. "I can''t place a finger on it, but I feel a disturbance in the force¡­ahem, I mean a disturbance in the qi round the city. It was like a billion voices cried out at once¡­and disappeared."


    Seriously? Where did the billion voices come from? Another planet or something? There had better not be a Death Star floaing in orbit somewhere¡­


    Becoming serious, Lang Xie then left his bunk and headed straight to the command center that the Blood Blades had set up. He didn''t even need a few minutes before he stepped in, and the Blood Blades serving as comns and intelligence officers looked up in surprise.


    "Lord Lang Xie, you aren''t due until the next five hours," his third-in-command (right below Hai Rong) said. "You should get more sleep."


    "Something dangerous is on the horizon," Lang Xie replied curtly, ignoring his subordinate. "Give me a tactical update."


    "Uh, yes, sir."


    The third-in-command called up a tactical display atop one of the biggest monitors, which was displaying the thirteen invading sects. They had withdrawn just a few minutes ago. Apparently, the moment Shen Tian Yi and Song Si Yuan had arrived, the invading sects had decided to withdraw out of sight from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    But none of the officers in the command center were under the illusion that they had retreated. Infrared, long-range senses and auspexes still picked up their signals in the distance, the enemy hiding in the forest beyond Tushan City and among the Fire Mountain Range.


    Lang Xie studied the monitor intensely, still feeling uneasy but unable to pick out anything wrong. Artillery hadn''t been invented in this world, so he doubted they were going to start shelling the place. No, it didn''t even occur to him ¨C there was no way he could conceive of that. Besides, we had void shields¡­I mean qi barriers protecting the place from long-range qi projectile attacks.


    Shaking his head, Lang Xie turned to his third-in-command. "Dispatch a squad to the plaza immediately. Increase the number of guards and keep a tight watch over that area!"


    "Understood!" the third-in-command then hurriedly picked up a vox and began shouting commands.


    Coincidentally, it was then I heard the orders over my comn bead in my ear. Tong Xue, Jing Wei and I were just returning from our shift when the orders came. Fortunately, it wasn''t Fourth squad, but I couldn''t help but be curious. There seemed to be quite the commotion in the plaza as the assigned squads were rushing over toward it.


    Jing Wei stifled a yawn. "Don''t waste your rest time. You should take advantage of every moment you have to sleep."


    I couldn''t argue with him. I had tried to build another Sunburst, but I was too tired that I ended up dozing off on my bench and thus being unable to complete it. Whoops.


    "I''m hitting the sack, and then going to check on Lian Rou." Surprisingly, Tong Xue declined my offer. He usually would join me, since he was the type who enjoyed collecting intelligence and information. But I guess he was more concerned over Lian Rou''s wellbeing. What with the enemy massing in huge numbers and getting ready to attack us, I guess I couldn''t blame him. I probably should check on Tang Qi Hong later. If I wasn''t too exhausted by the time I got back, that is.


    Even so, the curiosity was killing me, so I bade them farewell and went my separate way. Moving toward the plaza, I magnified the vision of my glasses.


    As I thought, there were any changes to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. The three hostages, Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue, were all shackled to their respective pillars, their heads lowered in resignation.


    After losing an arm each, these esteemed and high-ranking people from the Six Valley Sects, Cloud Sky Mountain and Snow Valley Sect, had all lost their arrogance long ago and became very submissive.


    They had lost the will to even converse with each other, preferring to sink into a despairing silence and waiting for their inevitable fates to claim them.


    When Xie Zhi Zhang had been thrown into the center of the plaza and tied up by Tian Yu Di, the trio had grown even quieter.


    Currently, a squad of ten Blood Blades martial artists were standing around the plaza, accompanied by another dozen or so outer sect martial artists who formed defensive lines. They watched over the four hostages, taking shifts and rotating out every three hours, just like we sentries did at the fortress walls.


    They were fully aware of how critical these four hostages were in preventing the Martial Arts Alliance''s subordinate sects from launching a full-scale assault on Tushan City and destroying us immediately.


    As long as these four hostages remained secure in our hands, then Martial Arts Alliance would not attack us, and we would be able to buy enough time for us to come up with new countermeasures. There was also hope that if we held out for another two days, the Imperial Guard would finally come to our rescue.


    The resolution had been reached in the Diet just yesterday, which filled our hearts with fresh hope. Now we just needed to wait for the Imperial Guard to come.


    Out of nowhere, the air rippled, and the wind in the plaza grew stronger.


    "!"


    One of the Blood Blades guards turned around in surprise, his eyes narrowing as he studied the scene before him. He tightened his grip on his weapon, but was unable to see anything out of place. Shaking his head, he whispered to himself doubtfully.


    "Strange¡­I could have sworn I felt something pass by me earlier."


    He frowned and scrutinized the plaza once more. Shi Jing Yun and the others were still securely bound in place, while Xie Zhi Zhang continued to sit in the middle, his entire body shackled by chains. There was nothing amiss, at least visibly.


    The guard shook his head and turned back to watch the front.


    When he did so, Xie Zhi Zhang suddenly opened his eyes. All this while, he had kept his eyes shut, almost seeming as if he was in a coma.


    He had been trapped for quite a while now, his strength leeched out and absorbed by one of Tian Yu Di''s Heaven and Earth Absorption techniques, and now he was being chained down by the Heavenly Chains and Earth Restraints, which continued to seep away his qi to feed Tian Yu Di. I probably should ask Ancestral Master to teach me that neat trick next time.


    However, despite his qi being leeched away, his senses were far from dulled. He could detect a very well-hidden qi aura.


    And it was an aura he was very familiar with.


    "Si Yuan is here." Xie Zhi Zhang relaxed a little, almost breathing a sigh of relief.


    He focused his mind and sensed Song Si Yuan''s movements, and intuitively understood what the latter was trying to do. Relaxing further, he then opened his mouth. A Spirit Pill was then lobbed inside his mouth, almost as if it was thrown by an invisible hand.


    Xie Zhi Zhang swallowed the spirit pill gratefully. He then felt his body invogirated as the Spirit Pill nourished his depleted body, and with a single surge of qi, he managed to break the qi chains that were shackling him, freeing himself from his restraints.


    Standing up amidst the astonished Blood Blades guards, who then immediately charged at him, Xie Zhi Zhang nodded gratefully toward the air. "Thank you, Brother Si Yuan, for your assistance. I am fine now."


    With a swing of his hand, he knocked the guards back.


    Wait, what was that? It didn''t happen in Spirit Realm? Who cares about that story? I mean, the author completely forgotten about the Blood Spears and outer sect disciples standing guard there and had them do absolutely nothing but watch and cry out as the hostages broke free. He just had them crying out but doing absolutely nothing, and just skipped straight to Xue Li jumping in. Honestly, if you were going to treat them as virtually non-existent, why even mention them in the first place?!


    Reality, however, was different. Despite being knocked down, the Blood Blades immediately rose to their feet. The chief guard was already voxing for reinforcements while the outer sect disciples closed ranks to ensure the hostages and their rescuer didn''t escape. Despite their best efforts, Xie Zhi Zhang alone was able to keep them at bay.


    Worse, a thunderous noise erupted through the air as the shackles restraining Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue shattered.


    The trio who had been bound for so long were finally free. Jumping from the falling manacles, they stood up straight, grimacing as they clutched at their left shoulders where their left arms used to be connected to.


    Song Si Yuan materialized and strode toward Xie Zhi Zhang while the latter continued to keep the Blood Blades at bay.


    "How did you lose?" he asked mischievously, but also because he wasn''t uncomfortable with the idea that an unknown threat was running loose inside Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is concealing an old demon. He is even more terrifying than that Xue Jian in the past. If I''m not mistaken, he''s most likely Xue Jian''s master." Xie Zhi Zhang was solemn as he answered.


    Song Si Yuan raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Even more powerful than Lang Xie or Zi Da JI?"


    Xie Zhi Zhang nodded gravely. "That''s right."


    The duo were not even paying attention to the attacking Blood Blades. They didn''t even put them in their eyes, not seeing Tushan City as a threat. Instead, Xie Zhi Zhang flinched and suddenly looked in the direction of Flame Volcano.


    "He''s coming!" he warned.


    A potent aura settled across the plaza, and Tian Yu Di landed on the plaza elegantly before straightening himself.


    "I see that the rescuers have finally come." He tilted his head, a little impressed. "Oh? It''s just one person?"


    Song Si Yuan met his gaze evenly. "I alone am more than enough."


    "Oh¡­what impressive power. It seems that the Martial Arts Alliance has finally sent out their big guns. The threat to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has finally arrived." Tian Yu Di paused for a moment, closing his eyes as if reaching out with his senses. He then opened his eyes to stare at Song Si Yuan. "But you''re not alone, it seems. Where are the other two?"


    "They''ll be arriving shortly," Song Si Yuan replied politely before bowing slightly. "If it''s not too rude of me to ask, who are you, Senior? You don''t appear to be from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Where are you from?"


    "Don''t give me that polite rubbish, brat. It makes me cringe." Tian Yu Di grinned, looking really relaxed. "So there are at least three fellows of considerable power. Man, it''ll be hard for me to deal with just one of you, and yet you decide to show up with your friends." He glanced toward Flame Volcano. "The beautiful lady will likely have to handle one of you, but I fear my hands were be kept busy by the other two."


    "Sorry to put such a burden on you, Ancestral Master." I finally reached the plaza, but was aware of what was going on. I could hear them from quite far away. Just like my fellow Blood Blades martial artists, I was kept out by Xie Zhi Zhang''s mystical techniques.


    This was going to be tough.


    "Don''t worry, Sect Leader. I''ll do my best to ensure that your precious Nine-Tailed Fox Sect doesn''t perish."


    Song Si Yuan and Xie Zhi Zhang froze when they heard our exchange. They turned their gazes from me to Tian Yu Di.


    "Sect Leader? Isn''t the sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect Zi Shou De?" Song Si Yuan asked, puzzled.


    "Sect Leader Zi is the sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," I confirmed.


    "Then what are you talking about?" Xie Zhi Zhang demanded.


    "Why should you care?" Tian Yu Di sneered. "That boy over there is the leader of my sect, which is not Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Then what sect are you from, Senior?" Song Si Yuan asked, still maintaining his fa?ade of politeness. Tian Yu Di merely snorted.


    "That''s a secret. I have no obligation to tell you."


    "It doesn''t matter. He''s just one man. As long as the reinforcements arrive, we should be able to occupy him while the rest of our army conquers Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Xie Zhi Zhang reached for the comn bead in his ear. Now that his qi was restored, he was able to infuse the comn bead with enough power to punch through the interference that Tushan City''s qi barrier was causing and contact Xie Jing Lian. "Begin the siege!"


    At the city entrance, Xie Jing Lian''s comn bead crackled to life in her ear.


    "Ah¡­" Xie Jing Lian listened for a few seconds, and grew delighted. "Second Uncle has escaped! He''s asking us to attack the city! It should be safe now!"


    "Hmm¡­" Shen Tian Yi nodded thoughtfully, his gaze focused on Tushan City. "All the hostages who were captured have been freed. You can act now."


    "Good!" Long Shen also showed up, riding what seemed like a green dragon made out of qi. The dragon uncoiled and hovered ferociously in the air. Raising his voice, Long Shen shouted a command. "Slaughter all the outer sect disciples and elders and Blood Blades in Tushan City! Make sure to leave the blacksmiths and inner sect elders alive!"


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    Then he disappeared as his green dragon streaked toward the center of Tushan City.


    "I should join him," Shen Tian Yi remarked as he jumped atop what looked like a cloud.


    "Take me with you, Elder Shen!" Jiang Jun Hao shouted, scrambling atop the floating cloud while clutching his prized Heavenly Spear. He was hungry for glory and wanted to witness the demise of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect firsthand.


    The pair of them then zoomed after Long Shen.


    After being forced to suppress their murderous desires for so long, most of the martial artists ¨C particularly from the first ten sects to have assaulted Tushan City ¨C roared in grim determination. "Invade the city! Leave no one alive!"


    "Uh¡­did they forget Master Long''s instructions?" one of the Green Dragon Sect disciples asked.


    "Who cares? If they disobey, we''ll kill them later." His comrade provided a cold and emotionless answer.


    Unknown to the ten invading sect, the Martial Arts Alliance had planned to destroy them after the invasion, cutting them dry to face the justice from the Royal Family and Imperial Guard, and leaving them to their own demise while reaping the benefits and spoils of war. They never intended to allow the ten sects to monopolize the best resources and most treasured wealth and most skilled blacksmiths from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. They would claim that these ten sects acted against orders and worked independently while providing fabricated evidence to prove their allegations.


    Unfortunately, the ten sects weren''t aware of that.


    The three forces of Cloud Sky Mountain, Snow Valley Sect and the Six Valley Sects were feeling particularly murderous after their VIPs had been taken hostages and gotten their arms cut off. They were screaming their heads off as they charged toward the walls.


    "Avenge Boss Shi!"


    "Take revenge for Big Boss Wu!"


    "Slaughter Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for Second Sect Lady!"


    *


    Back in Flame Volcano, Zi Shou De received the news that the defenses of Tushan City had been breached, and that the Blood Blades and the outer sect martial artists had been pushed back and were being massacred by overwhelming numbers of forces.


    "Dear. What will you do?" Zi Da Ji asked as she turned to her husband. "Order an evacuation of the civilians?"


    "We don''t have the manpower to escort them safely through the underground passageways, not when it''s infested with demons. Moreover, Blood Shadow says that they know about the underground passageways, so it''s conceivable that they will have posted platoons there to guard the exits. There is no way out for anyone."


    "¡­so we stand and die with the sect." Luo Zhi Chang looked weary and resigned to his fate. The rest of the Great Elders also looked like they were in despair.


    "It''s a pity." Zi SHou De sighed. "If we could just hold out for a few more days, we might just be able to survive. Already the Imperial Guard is mobilizing, but they will not reach us in another day or two. They haven''t mustered enough forces."


    "So close, yet so far," the third Great Elder gritted his teeth and banged his fist against the table. "Those bastards! At a time like this!"


    "It''s probably precisely because it''s a time like this." the fourth Great Elder sighed wearily. "They know their time is limited, and that if they don''t act soon, the Imperial Guard will arrive and all their plans will fall apart."


    "That''s why they had to move as soon as possible," the fifth Great Elder agreed.


    "Be it as it may, this is a good way to die." Zi Shou De rose from his seat, his eyes hardening as he steeled his resolve. "Those of you willing to accompany me, let''s go to the plaza. For the rest of you who are too afraid to die¡­and I don''t blame you ¨C you may risk the passageways. Or you may take the east exit and follow the river, but be careful, beyond the Will''O Wisp Forests are bogs and marshes that are equally as deadly as the underground passageways, filled with monstrous creatures and demonic beasts. But if you want to risk it, you''re more than welcome to accompany me to make our last stand in the plaza."


    "I will follow you, dear." Zi Da Ji also stood up and took his hand. She closed her eyes briefly and then turned toward the plaza. "It seems that the Martial Arts Alliance has sent formidable experts after us. I will do what I can to defeat them."


    "Are you able to?" the Second Great Elder asked skeptically.


    "I will do my best," Zi Da Ji replied, careful not to make any promises.


    "Then let''s go." Zi Shou De then proceeded out of his main hall. "Spread the message to everyone in the sect. Those who wish to escape, may do so, at their own risk. Know that we will not spare manpower to escort them, other than those martial artists and Blood Blades who choose to leave with them."


    Even as he said that, he was highly aware that no Blood Blades martial artists would abandon Tushan City and flee. Not especially when their leaders, Zi Da Ji, Lang Xie and Hai Rong were fighting to the very end.


    "Lang Xie is already heading torward the plaza," Zi Da Ji informed her husband as they descended the mountain.


    "What about the inner sect disciples?"


    "They are gathering on the plaza as well, but it''s currently besieged by the high-level experts from the Martial Arts Alliance." One of the inner sect elders reported.


    "Then we''ll retake the plaza." Zi Shou De smiled firmly. "As our last act of defiance."


    "Agreed!" Zi Da Ji shouted.


    When the leaders of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect descended, members of the sect ¨C whether inner sect disciple, elder or outer sect disciples and elders ¨C ere all heartened to see them. None of them chose to flee. The civilians remained where they were, hidden in the refuges and resigned to die together with the sect, while the proper members of both the inner and outer sect followed the leaders like streams of rivers joining the sea.


    "We will follow Sect Leader and Sect Leader to the end!''


    "We''ll make our last stand here!"


    "We live and die with the sect!"


    "The sect will not fall! Nine-Tailed Fox Sect stands!"


    "Very good!" Zi Shou De nodded in approval. He glanced at the plaza, where the fighting was the most intense, taking note of the presence of the elements of martial artists already engaged in combat there.


    I was among them, still trying to break through Xie Zhi Zhang''s barrier and succeeding. Neither Tian Yu Di nor Song Si Yuan had acted yet, but if the Blood Blades worked together to delay him, we might just be able to defeat the both of them before reinforcements arrived. Already, over the vox, we could hear Lang Xie coolly informed us that he was on his way.


    That was when a sect-wide announcement blared through the vox.


    "All members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, please be advised. This will most likely be the final moments of our sect. We understand the dilemma and know that death is almost inevitable, and thus we will offer you the following otpions. Stand and fight with the sect until the very end, or escape by yourself, either through the underground passageways or the Will''O Wisp Forest at the east."


    They went on to explain the dangers of escaping, but from then on I paid them no attention and focused on fighting, having already made my decision long ago.

 223 Chapter 222: Maximum Carnage

    Like the stalwart man and women of the valiant 597th Valhallan Ice Warriors, I was proud to say that we all met our inevitable death like heroes, a wall of blades lowered to pierce the overwhelming hordes of enemies and take as many of them down with us before we gave our lives in the service of the Emperor.


    We collided with their charge, bayonet to blade, hacking, slashing and cutting with all the skill of martial artists honed by years of combat. The invaders were also veterans of many life-and-death battles, and thus they gave it as good as they got. Fortunately, the martial artists of the Blood Blades were mostly unrivaled, and I was gratified to say that we achieved an impressively high kill-to-death ratio, where we killed ten enemies for every single one of us fallen.


    However, Zi Shou De had given the order to retreat, and the survivors were pulling back, channeling the invaders into killing zones. The battle puppets annihilated scores of infantry, their murderous Mauler bolt cannons spitting death and superheated plasma from their Darkfire cannons incinerating entire squads. Lightning sprayed from the guns of the Thallax battle puppets, frying and searing through screaming lunatic hordes of cultists¡­I mean martial artists and toppling them over in spasms.


    As we pulled back, we left a trail of death and destruction. It was heart-wrenching to see the broken remnants of Tushan City. Once, Tushan City was a flourishing metropolis, equal to Singapore, or Beijing or Shanghai or Tokyo. Many recreation facilities, fairly luxurious yet affordable residential blocks, business districts stretched around the foot of Flame Volcano, and it was a prosperous, bustling city that expanded because of its status as a commercial center. Not only was it the home of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, many martial artists often swung by here to order custom-made Spirit Weapons, Spirit Armament and Spirit Engraved Gear.


    Martial artists and members of the various subordinate sects serving under the Martial Arts Alliance often patronized here. Before the invasion, Tushan City was the place to be for martial artists seeking high-quality Spirit Weapons and equipment. Sort of like how you would go to Akihabara in Tokyo to buy anime, manga and games.


    So it would be far from exaggerating to say that Tushan City was formerly one of the most prosperous cities in the area.


    Now, Tushan City was a mere shadow of its former self.


    Now, the streets of Tushan City had returned to life once again. Or to be more exact, they were once more filled with death and destruction.


    The formerly deserted and abandoned streets and districts were occupied by marching lines of martial artists, stomping forward as they slaughtered and annihilated any outer sect disciple, outer sect elder or Blood Blades martial artist who stood in their path. To their credit, the defenders fought back even more ferociously, leaving scores of the enemies charred, incinerated or in pieces, dearly selling their llves out to wreak as much casualties on the invaders as possible.


    The roads literally flowed with rivers of blood, and mountains of corpses grew where appropriate. If there were people to ****, the offenders indulged in their lust. Where there were treasure or goods to steal, the robbers plundered, stole and looted. Where there were buildings to destroy, the enemy demolished them carelessly and indifferently. Where there were people still standing and fighting back, the murderers slaughtered them mercilessly and cruelly.


    The ten sects who had originally served as the vanguard had barged into the city and broke it open, all so they could commence their genocidal purge of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. They wanted to annihilate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect completely, leaving not even a single person alive. Fortunately, the other three sects who had served as reinforcements kept a cool head and didn''t just wantonly massacre whoever they came across.


    That wasn''t to say they didn''t kill, of course. In this life-and-death battle, it was difficult to hold back. Kill or be killed. If they could spare the outer sect members and injured Blood Blades, they did. They even left the damaged battle-automata and battle puppets intact, to repair them later. To Green Dragon Sect, Heavenly Way Sect and Kunlun Sect, they did not agree with this atrocity and thought the slaughter a complete waste of life.


    Of course, they weren''t generous or good enough to do it ¨C evidently they planned on recruiting these skilled Blood Blades and outer sect members into their sect in future. Manpower was still manpower, and strong martial artists were always valued, particularly in martial arts sects.


    Unfortunately, their sentiment was not shared by the ten sects ahead of them.


    "Every Nine-Tailed Fox Sect martial artist that you see, whether they are elders, disciples, whether they are inner sect or outer sect, kill every last one of them!" Yin Xue Sheng''s normally charimastic voice was filled to the brim with bloodlust. His words rang through the air murderously, sending chills down the spines of those who heard him.


    "Annihilate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! Kill every man alive!" Cloud Sky Mountain Sect Leader Jiang Yuan also ordered.


    "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    "Avenge Boss Shi!"


    "Take revenge for Big Boss Wu!"


    "Exterminate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for Second Sect Lady!"


    Countless, murderous figures began to sweep across the city, slaughtering every living Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member alive.


    With the southern gate breached, the invading sects smashed their way in and flooded Tushan City like ravenous swarms of locusts, erasing whatever life that remained in the districts with violence and cruelty.


    Fortunately, Zi Shou De had the foresight to order a retreat in advance. Even as the rearguard bore the full brunt of the enemies'' rage, they were able to delay the tide of murder, stemming it temporarily for the majority of their comrades to retreat to the plaza. Astute tactics saw the blood-crazed enemies funneled into killing zones, where the overlapping fields of fire provided by battle puppets tore them apart.


    Many of the martial artists were smart enough not to directly confront such overwhelming numbers head-on, and resorted to guerilla warfare, carrying out hit-and-run attacks, and then falling back and retreating when the enemies sent reinforcements. Already incensed by the hostages'' loss, the opposing martial artists were not thinking clearly, just rushing in recklessly to mete out their wrath on the people they perceived to be hapless victims.


    They were corrected of that erroneous viewpoint as the Blood Blades reaped a horrific tally on them, particularly with their battle puppets.


    Tong Xue was launching one of those hit-and-run attacks, Fourth squad and all the reserves of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect having been dispatched to the frontlines to stem the tide and buy as much time as possible. He had heard over the vox that I was at the plaza, fighting Song Si Yuan and Xie Zhi Zhang there, so he didn''t have to wonder where I was.


    "Still, you really have gotten the short end of the stick, huh?" he commented.


    "Oi, vox discipline," I snapped as I ducked a punch from Wu Tuo, who was now free. The chubby martial artist was attacking with his remaining arm, and destroying the ground as he went into a berserk rage that completely erased my first impression of him. I had thought of him as a genial, gentle giant, but the guy in front of me right now was anything but.


    He was a monster.


    Thankfully, Lang Xie had arrived, and with the help of the other Blood Blades, he was engaging Xie Zhi Zhang in combat. Surprisingly, Song Si Yuan was actually fighting on par with Tian Yu Di, their clashes cracking the concrete in the plaza and causing the Spirit Engraved Pillars to resonate unhappily as their tremendous qi washed over them.


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    Boom!


    Tian Yu Di and Song Si Yuan broke apart after trading a couple of punches, their collision sending a sonic boom across the vicinity. I winced, rolled and ducked, stumbling as I was buffeted by the waves. Unlike me, Wu Tuo had maintained his steadiness and was able to exploit the opening, rearing up to deliver a killing blow.


    I kicked off the ground and disappeared, using Tui.


    Crash!


    Just as well. The space where I was sprawled over was reduced to rubble. Fuming, Wu Tuo turned to face me, after I reappeared behind him.


    "Damn," I muttered as I redicrected my Snow Aegis''s mobile turrets to fire a barrage of qi beams at him. "Even with one arm gone, he''s still quite the threat."


    Above, Tian Yu Di and Song Si Yuan paused, having stopped their battle. It was as if they were sizing each other up, and were hesitant to attack again. Yet they didn''t interfere in our battles, because they knew the other would intervene.


    Wu Tuo lumbered toward me with a murderous expression and I felt my spine turn to ice.


    Tong Xue, admittedly, wasn''t having a better time. He had just launched an attack on one of the Snow Valley Sect''s encroaching forces, and wasn''t able to get away in time.


    "Traitor."


    A young, beautiful girl our age, dressed in a rose-colored dress, was glaring at him. Tong Xue had just launched an attack to take out a big portion of Snow Valley Sect''s members, but he didn''t expect reinforcements from the Divine Shadow Sect to show up and surround him, cutting off his escape route.


    "¡­Cang Li."


    Cang Li glared at Tong Xue. "Why did you betray us? Aren''t you a part of the Smart Shadow Sect? Why are you fighting against us and defending Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    A brawny man with a thick beard grinned as he stepped up to her side, shaking his head.


    "Are you really that clueless, Sister Cang Li? You know that Tong Xue joined Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for a woman." The muscular, bearded man chuckled. "He''s fighting for her sake. Isn''t it the ultimate honor of any man to fight and die for the woman he loves?" he nodded in approval. "I really admire you, Tong Xue."


    "Shut up, Tie Xiong!" Cang Li snapped. "Don''t be ridiculous! That doesn''t excuse his betrayal! And that''s a stupid reason to turn your back on the sect!"


    "Heh." Tie Xiong rested his greatsword on his shoulder and smirked. "You''re as coldhearted as always, Sister Cang Li. Of course that''s all the reason he needs. Someone like you will never understand love." he shook his head in mock pity. "No wonder you''re still single."


    "¡­t¡­that has nothing to do with anything!" Cang Li''s voice was shrill, almost as if she was panicking. "It¡­it''s just that I haven''t met the right person yet!"


    The Divine Shadow Sect members merely exchanged wry glances and snorted with laughter. Tong Xue watched them with an odd expression on his face.


    "Do you really intend to kill us all?" he asked in an aloof manner.


    "Of course. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect deserves what they are getting. They should just submit to us!" Tie Xiong laughed.


    Tong Xue met his gaze evenly and sighed heavily.


    "Tie Xiong, that Sky Flame Sword of yours was forged by Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Tong Xue pointed at the big man''s greatsword, and continued calmly. "I still remember that Divine Shadow Sect commissioned Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for a batch of Spirit Weapons three years ago. Your Sky Flame Sword was one of them. If I''m not mistaken, it was forged by Tang Qi Hong herself. I still remember how happy you were when you received it. You were so excited that you even hugged the sword when you went to sleep."


    "The Sky Flame Sword feels great in my hands! It''s as if it''s a part of me now!" Tie Xiong roared with laughter. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect sucks in many things, but they are definitely the best when it comes to blacksmithing!"


    Tong Xue ignored him and turned his gaze on the others present. "Huang Nan, your Crescent Blade was forged by my Lian Rou. Liu Tang, your Rainbow Butterfly was forged by the first inner sect disciple, Di Xuan¡­"


    After going around and listing a whole bunch of Spirit Armaments and who they were forged by, Tong Xue finally stopped. He cast a glare at them.


    "All of your Spirit Armaments were made by Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. And these are the people you are about to murder in cold blood." Tong Xue scowled, clenching his fists in fury. "Don''t you feel any guilt or shame? Have you ever thought who is going to repair or maintain your Spirit Armaments and Spirit Engraved Gear when they are broken? After you kill all of them? Or who will craft a new Spirit Engraved Gear or upgrade your existing ones when you become more powerful?"


    When he finished, the group of Divine Shadow Sect members fell into silence.


    However, Cang Li broke the silence after a few moments, her voice cold and uncaring. "Even if Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is destroyed, there will always be other blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers. There are also the Ancient Spirits Sect, the Dark Steel Sect, and other sects willing to step in and fill the vacuum that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect leaves behind. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect may be very well-known and renowned throughout the Great Zhou Empire, but they are far from the only blacksmithing sect. There are plenty of other blacksmiths and Spirit Engravers out there, and I''m sure many of them surpass the skills of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "If that''s the case, then why attack Nine-Tailed Fox Sect at all?" Tong Xue countered. "Why not attack those so-called better blacksmiths and enslave them instead? Why not do your business with the Ancient Spirits Sect and Dark Steel Sect instead of trying to rob, destroy and plunder Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? Why do you covet our wealth?"


    "¡­the strong eats the weak. It has always been this way."


    Tong Xue snorted bitterly. "Well, I can tell you this. No blacksmith will willingly work for you fucks in the future. It''s especially bad as we Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had no intention of expanding or attacking other sects for our benefits, and we never intended to start any wars. All we wanted to do was develop new Spirit Engraved Gear, and yet because we might become more powerful and richer than the other seven major sects, we''re going to get annihilated by the Martial Arts Alliance?"


    He burst out laughing.


    "Also, you bastards confuse me. First you want to divide us and our resources up among yourselves, but because your subordinates had 3 people lose their arms, you lose your minds and seek to massacre us all. So what are you intending to get out of all of this? After sacrificing so many lives, shedding so much blood, you''re just going to give up on your original goal for petty revenge? What will you gain after wiping us out?"


    "Oh, shut up! I''m sick and tired of your ranting!" Tie Xiong stepped forward, swinging his greatsword forward. "Just die like the traitor you are!"


    "No, wait." Cang Li raised a hand. "Don''t kill him. I want him alive." A sinister smile spread across her pretty face. "I will find that woman you love, and I will kill her. I will kill her right before your very eyes. I want you to live in regret, and understand the price for betrayal."


    "If you dare touch her, I will definitely kill you!" Tong Xue vowed, his eyes gleaming ferociously and stabbing into the bitch like blades.


    "Do you have the ability to?" Cang Li snorted and giggled coldly. "I would like to see you try. Capture him!"


    "Unfortunately, you allowed me to buy too much time." Tong Xue grinned suddenly. "Did you think I was going off and making a speech for nothing?"


    "?!"


    A series of explosions rocked across the area, bathing the stunned Divine Shadow Sect members in flames. As they coughed and choked, lightning arced into them, electrocuting a couple of them and causing them to fall onto the ground in spasms. Tong Xue was disappointed to see that the electric rays had failed to hit Cang Li, but he would take what he could get.


    "You guys are slow!" he complained as his Thallax battle puppets landed behind him, raising their lightning guns to spray more lethal energies into the thrashing horde of Divine Shadow Sect disciples.


    "Good job, Tong Xue." Jing Wei''s voice crackled in his comn bead. Above, from carefully taken positions atop the buildings, Castellax battle-automata fired a barrage of explosive shells and plasma into the struggling Divine Shadow Sect. "But their reinforcements are coming. We won''t be able to fight all of them. Pull back for now."


    "Roger that." Tong Xue sighed. As he and his Thallax battle puppets withdrew, he glanced at the thick smokescreen that separated him from his former colleagues. "Are we withdrawing to the plaza now?"


    "There''s nowhere else to retreat to," Jing Wei confirmed grimly.


    *


    On another district, the Seven Valley Sects were sweeping through them without much effort. Well, only because the martial artists of the outer sects had evacuated long ago, so there weren''t many left to resist them.


    One unfortunate fella was caught, however, and horrifically tortured to death.


    "Hmph."


    Jiu Liu Yu watched as the poor outer sect disciple drew his final breath before finally expiring. She scowled as she assessed what she had just heard.


    "So this fella named Fei Wu found my two disciples while burning their bodies, and decided to spare them? Just like that?"


    She snorted coldly, her expression darkening.


    "I don''t believe he is that kind. He must have some ulterior motive." She clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails drew blood from her palms. "I know! He definitely is desiring after their bodies, and is trying to satisfy his lust them. He wants to have his way with my disciples. Like all men¡­how despicable!"


    Her scowl deepened.


    "Not only did he kill Lu Li, now he takes my remaining two disciples prisoners to satisfy his sexal desires? Unforgivable! Utterly unforgivable!"


    Jing Liu Yu had extracted the information she needed from the poor victim through torturing him to death. Concerned for her precious disciples, she had no qualms resorting to any or all sorts of methods to obtain any news from her. it wasn''t as if I had bragged about it or announced to everyone, but rumors tended to spread, and the news of two survivors from the first wave being located during the burning had gotten around to even the outer sect pretty quickly.


    After confirming the wellbeing of her disciples, Jiu Liu Yu then turned to her subordinates.


    "Cut this man''s part off," she ordered in disgust.


    "¡­eh?" a lady from the Dark Fiend Valley Sect stammered in shock. "But¡­Sect Leader¡­he is already dead."


    "Do I look like I don''t know he''s dead?" Jiu Liu Yu asked coldly. "Or do you have a problem understanding my instructions?"


    The lady trembled fearfully, unable to reply. She hurriedly lifted a short sword and tried her best not to look as she hacked away at the poor guy''s crotch.


    "Crush it!" Jiu Liu Yu ordered again. Bitch, why don''t you do it yourself? Don''t want to get your own hands dirty, eh? So you''re forcing your subordinates to do the dirty work in your place? I really hope she dies.


    The lady grew increasingly terrified, but she complied when she realized the consequences of disobeying her orders. With a single stomp, she squashed the bloody part underneath her shoe.


    "A fucking virgin brat thinks he can lay his filthy hands on my precious disciples?" Jiu Liu Yu laughed madly. How the fuck did she know I''m a virgin?! "Utterly deluded. He must be really desperate to resort to raping the women from other sects!"


    "Sect Leader, Yu Mei and Yu Xuan are still in his hands," someone reminded her softly.


    Jiu Liu Yu turned her icy gaze on her shivering subordinates as she let out another terrifying chuckle. "I see. You''re right. I will have Yu Mei cut off his pathetic dick with her own hands. I''ll allow her to take revenge by castrating that fucking brat and then have her stomp on his dick right in front of his eyes as he weeps and begs for mercy. Then I''ll have her end his life! Such is the fate of those who dares to touch my darling disciples with their filthy, lusty hands!"


    All the Seven Valley Sects martial artists present shuddered from tremendous fear when they heard her insane words. The bloody bitch was definitely off her rocker. That was for sure.


    "A¡­ah choo!"


    While dodging Wu Tuo''s attacks, I sneezed so loudly that I accidentally sprayed the Cloud Sky Mountain martial artist''s face with snot.


    "Gross!"


    With his remaining hand, Wu Tuo scampered away.


    "Blame Jiu Liu Yu for talking behind my back." I sniffled a little and shook my head. That bitch was insane. She didn''t even bother to find out the truth, and just jumped to conclusions, assuming my guilt and accusing me of a crime I didn''t commit. Moreover, she had already decided my punishment and would carry it out whether she was right or not.


    To be fair, though, I did kill Lu Li in quite the coldblooded manner. So maybe she had a good reason to think I would be just as cruel toward her other two disciples, even if it was untrue.


    Essentially, I was being punished for doing a good deed. I did my best to help keep the Ling Sisters alive, and I was being slandered and targeted for the most horrendous death imaginable in return for that kindness.


    It was enough to make my blood boil. I doubted that Wu Tuo, having lost an arm, would be sympathetic with my situation, though.


    Not that it mattered. My attention was drawn to the stalemate between Ancestral Master and Song Si Yuan. The two high-level experts were having a standoff, merely facing each other now instead of trading blows like before.


    Apparently they had come to an unspoken agreement to have a ceasefire, for they felt that it was a waste of qi.


    That stalemate was broken when a newcomer landed from the sky. Long Shen landed from the heavens, jumping down from his qi-created dragon and smashing onto the ground, leaving a crater from the impact.


    He stood up, glancing at Song Si Yuan and Xie Zhi Zhang on either side of him, and then noticed the waiting Tian Yu Di in front of him. Having gotten the gist over sporadic conversations over the vox, he narrowed his eyes and hazarded a guess.


    "Are you that old demon? The master of Xue Jian?"


    Tian Yu Di snorted. "No, I am not. Don''t even lump me together with that trash."


    "¡­then who are you?" Long Shen looked puzzled. "You are not from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, are you? Why are you fighting for them?"


    "Because my sect leader asked me to," Tian Yu Di replied simply.


    While the two masters were conversing, the surrounding Blood Blades stared at the newcomer in shock. More of them had arrived, withdrawing from the city districts and arriving in the plaza in force, taking up more space.


    At that moment, Zi Shou De, Zi Da Ji, the Great Elders and the inner sect elders had all arrived, along with many outer sect elders. Elder Zhao also popped up to back me up.


    "I''ll take care of Wu Tuo," he told me. "You should fall back for now."


    I nodded, knowing how outmatched I was against the veteran martial artist, despite him missing an arm. Recalling Snow Aegis and sheathing my Azure Lotus Sword, I obeyed.


    As I did so, I ran into Tong Xue and Jing Wei, who were staring at Long Shen in awe.


    "Isn''t that the Green Dragon Sect''s Venerable Dragon God, Long Shen? The champion of Green Dragon Sect? What is he doing here?" Tong Xue''s jaw had dropped.


    "The Green Dragon Sect is also here in force, huh?" Jing Wei shook his head bitterly. "This is going to be a terrible fight."


    "Ancestral Master will take care of him," I declared confidently. There was no single martial artist who could stand before the might of Heaven and Earth Sect. Destroyed as our sect might be, the skills of someone of Ancestral Master''s level was formidable beyond measure. Which was why the Martial Arts Alliance spared no expense in trying to exterminate us.


    And if I wasn''t mistaken, Tian Yu Di was even stronger than Master¡­


    "Reinforcements have arrived, huh?" The Venerable Dragon God of the Green Dragon Sect turned to regard Zi Da Ji severely. "This will be a difficult battle." He glanced at Song Si Yuan and Xie Zhi Zhang. "Brother Song, if you weren''t able to defeat this old demon before I arrived, then it must mean he is truly formidable." He also glanced at Xie Zhi Zhang, who was having trouble dealing with the combined forces of Lang Xie and the twelve Blood Blades guards who had been posted to watch the plaza. "Either Lang Xie has gotten stronger in this short time or Brother Xie hasn''t fully recovered, or he would also have won already."


    "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is not to be underestimated," Song Si Yuan reminded him softly. He rubbed his arm absently, revealing several cuts and bruises. "They have proven time and time again they are a tough nut to crack."


    "He actually wounded you?!" Shen Long was shocked.


    "We are not invincible." Song Si Yuan narrowed his eyes. "No matter how strong we become, there will always be people stronger than us. To become complacent because of the strength we obtained is to make a fatal mistake."


    "¡­I see. I will be careful then." Shen Long turned to study Tian Yu Di. "How confident are you of defeating that old demon?"


    "Honestly? I think there is a much higher chance of me being defeated." Song Si Yuan smiled bitterly as he admitted. "The only reason why that esteemed senior has not gone all out and defeated me yet is because he is conserving his strength. He is aware of you and Elder Shen. If he expends too much qi to deal with me, then he''ll find it difficult to fight both you and Elder Shen at the same time."


    "Unfortunately, he won''t have to fight both of us at the same time." Shen Long glanced at Zi Da Ji, who was glaring at them. "The Nine-Tailed Goddess of War has arrived too. She is also quite a handful to deal with."


    "Her reputation is well-deserved," Song Si Yuan agreed.


    "Are you done talking?" Zi Da Ji asked, stepping forward and drawing her sword.


    Long Shen nodded, though his next words were directed more at Song Si Yuan than the Sect Lady of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "Brother Song, I will handle that old demon. You should be able to fight more evenly with Zi Da Ji."


    "I don''t have much confidence, but I will do my best."


    "Mother!"


    At that moment, Zi Xiao Ji and her two bodyguards arrived. Da Ge and Zhao Shi looked a bit bloodied, but otherwise unhurt. Having heard the gist of what was going on, she glared at the experts from the Martial Arts Alliance fiercely.


    "Allow us to help you!"


    "As long as you don''t get in the way." Zi Da Ji swung her sword once, unleashing a massive ripple of qi that literally knocked down the enemy martial artists who were trickling in, just by buffeting them. The retreating Blood Blades martial artists immediately seized the chance to pounce on the fallen and take them out before they could recover.


    "I don''t know who you are or which sect you''re from, but if you stand in our way, we will kill you." Long Shen drew his Divine Dragon Cloud Sword and faced Tian Yu Di sternly. Green flames ran along its exquisitely crafted blade. "Old demon, I will kill you now."


    "Try it if you think you can!" Ancestral Master sneered.


    "Do you need a Spirit Weapon, Ancestral Master?" I called out to him worriedly, but he threw out a hand and shook his head.


    "Against a punk like this?" he snorted and cracked his knuckles audibly. "My bare hands will be more than enough."


    Shen Long''s eyes narrowed. "Your arrogance will be your undoing."


    The next moment, green qi burst forth from his body in a blinding display, shimmering and solidifying over his body in an almost intangible protective armor. Everyone present took a step back subconsciously, even the stalwart and defiant Zi Da Ji. Only Tian Yu Di remained unaffected, but he was the only one. Everyone else was staggering as they were buffeted by the sudden drastic increase of qi density. It was almost as if they were witnessing the descent of a god.


    The majestic qi that shrouded him was so potent that the atmosphere and space distorted around him.


    "Holy Heavens¡­" Tong Xue murmured, shielding his eyes as he gawked at the divine presence that had erupted around the ferociously shimmering Long Shen. The guy was exuding such a powerful aura that it almost drove all of us down to our knees.

 224 Chapter 223: Battle between the gods

    "Hmm¡­impressive." Tian Yu Di was the only completely unaffected by the godly aura that was suffocating everyone else. He grinned and stepped forward excitedly, his expression feral and delighted. "Finally, someone with some backbone! I was beginning to think that this era was full of nothing but weaklings. I hope you can entertain me!"


    His own aura flowed out and suppressed Long Shen''s in an instant. Or to be more accurate, it was almost as if his qi consumed Long Shen''s. Like a black hole, it ravenously devoured the divine qi, sucking the vast amounts of qi into a bottomless abyss. Everyone felt bone-chilling coldness washing over them and trembled unconsciously as they experienced the sensation of their soul being gradually flayed apart by something¡­monstrous¡­


    "You¡­ Just who the hell are you?!"


    Even Long Shen went pale as he staggered under the suffocating presence of Tian Yu Di. If he was a divine dragon god, then Tian Yu Di was a demonic god emperor, his very presence alone sufficient to subjugate mere mortals and bring us to submission.


    "Good! Very good!" Tian Yu Di cackled. "You''re still standing even under the effects of such power! Admittedly I am far from fully recovered, but for a single brat to withstand my divine demonic aura, you have potential!"


    "This is the same as Tian Mo of yesteryear¡­" Song Si Yuan was just as pale as Long Shen, studying Tian Yu Di. "It''s almost the same level, but otherwise the techniques are related. Is he related to Tian Mo of the Heaven and Earth Sect?"


    Suddenly, it occurred to me that Master Tian Mo shared the same family name as Ancestral Master Tian Yu Di ¨C the surname Tian. It was highly possible that Master Tian Mo was actually the descendant of Tian Yu Di. I wouldn''t be surprised if Tian Yu Di left a few offspring behind, who continued to propagate, which eventually led to the birth of Master Tian Mo almost a millennium later. If that was the case, then fate certainly had a funny way of bringing things full circle.


    For now, I focused on the present. Thankfully, because I cultivated Heaven and Earth Formula, I was less affected by the demonic aura that Tian Yu Di was projecting. Taking a deep breath, I heaved myself back to my feet and raised my Azure Lotus Sword to a fighting stance.


    "For Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! Even if we all perish today, we will take as many of the enemy with us! Till death!"


    "Till death! Kill all the invaders!" the Blood Blades martial artists echoed. Even I joined the shout, since I was technically and officially a member of Blood Blades.


    "Hmph. With me and Sect Leader around, who says your Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will be destroyed? As a branch offshoot of my Heaven and Earth Sect, you should have more faith in yourselves!" Tian Yu Di coldly snorted as he crossed his arms.


    Lang Xie and the Blood Blades took no heed of his statement and charged into the reeling enemy, reinvigorated by the sudden reversal in the situation, and began slaughtering as many invaders and trespassers as they could.


    "How dare you!"


    Long Shen descended before them, and Xie Zhi Zhang forced himself to move, placing his body between the Blood Blades and the recoiling intruders. Refusing to lose, Ling Shen bellowed as he stood beside Xie Zhi Zhang, and increased his divine aura as much as possible, restoring the morale of the beleaguered attackers.


    The Green Dragon that had been coiling around his body suddenly grew exponentially, its serpentine body thickening and lengthening rapidly. It towered over the steely Long Shen, now as tall and massive as a mountain, and its divine aura settled upon the entire city like a vast sea. It was even temporarily able to counteract Tian Yu Du''s black hole effect, erasing the intimidation caused by his divine demonic presence and allowing the martial artists underneath his aegis to recover and stand again. Now that his allies had pulled through, Long Shen focused his attentions on the main threat, Tian Yu Di, and launched a cyan fireball the size of a house with a swing of his blazing sword. The gargantuan projectile seared a charred path across the plaza as it streaked toward Ancestral Master like a miniature sun.


    Tian Yu Di threw out both hands to parry the green fireball, only for the fearsome fireball to explode instantly upon contact. A conflagration similar to a thermonuclear explosion blossomed across the plaza, and it was only because I conjured Snow Aegis to cast a barrier over a wide area that the rest of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect wasn''t caught up in it.


    "No way¡­"


    I gaped at the expanding explosion in dismay. There was no sign of my Ancestral Master. He had been utterly enveloped and consumed by the highly destructive flames, which were so powerful they actually overwhelmed and blocked out Tian Yu Di''s qi signature. My heart thudded in panic when I considered the possibility that he might have perished in the attack.


    "Evil will never prevail," Long Shen announced, as hypocritically oblivious to the irony as all the other antagonists were. Even so, I was in no position to make a retort as his presence continued to strengthen following the seeming demise of our most powerful asset.


    Long Shen''s aura was so potent that it actually affected the weather, dispersing the dark clouds that had gathered above Tushan City and allowing bright golden rays of the sun to shine through, illuminating the usually gray Flame Volcano in bright yellow.


    So fearsome was the divine aura of Long Shen that even his allies couldn''t help but be overawed by it.


    "The divine might of the Venerable Dragon God! Even the heavens submit to his power!'' Xie Zhi Zhang couldn''t help but look up briefly and marvel. It was all he could do to prevent himself from literally falling to his knees in reverence to worship the godlike existence and its tremendous strength.


    "With such power, how is Elder Long not the sect leader of Green Dragon Sect?" Song Si Yuan murmured. "This manifestation of divine power can only be executed by those who have mastered the ultimate techniques of the Green Dragon Sect! With his current strength, Elder Long can even suppress an entire army on his own!"


    "Ouch¡­very impressive. I didn''t think you''ll actually succeed in burning me."


    My heart leaped up in hope when I heard the familiar voice from within the blazing inferno that Long Shen had caused. Tian Yu Di emerged from the flames, shaking his hands gingerly. They seemed reddened and somewhat singed, but otherwise the great elder of the Heaven and Earth Sect was otherwise unscathed.


    "Impossible!" one of the trespassers shouted, his voice filled with fright at the unexpected sight. "How did that monster survive the Venerable Dragon God''s attack?"


    Long Shen didn''t seem to care, however. His brow furrowing, he attacked without hesitation or question, swinging his sword down in a ferocious manner.


    "Green Dragon Flaming Flash!"


    A fiery blast of qi was unleashed from his divine blade, incinerating the very space between them as it scorched a destructive trail toward its target. Not taking anything for granted, especially after the last attack failed to end his enemy, Long Shen released a barrage of gigantic fireballs, slinging them all at an apparently indifferent Tian Yu Di.


    Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo, Su Bai Xue and many of the invading martial artists couldn''t even stand straight at this moment. They trembled in awe as they witnessed the top martial artist of the Great Zhou Empire unleash his fury upon the enemy. His divine might was so oppressive that they found it difficult to even breathe.


    I wouldn''t be surprised if those idiots actually started prostrating themselves on the floor to worshp the Venerable Dragon God and beg him for his forgiveness.


    "This is the pinnacle of all martial artists! A Nascent Soul Stage practitioner!" Wu Tuo seemed to be yelling crazily inside his heart as he watched in soul-striking awe. "The terrible might that can only be unleashed by someone who has attained the Nascent Soul Stage!"


    "One day I will reach this level as well. One day, I will surely become just as powerful as the Venerable Dragon God!" Su Bai Xue''s eyes glittered greedily as she drank in the heady scene, drunk on the power emanated by her superior.


    In contrast to their worshipping reactions, Tian Yu Di merely laughed.


    "Heh! Not bad! Not bad at all! I knew following Sect Leader will allow me to experience such joy in combat! For the first time in almost a millennium!"


    Tian Yu Di grinned and laughed in delight, almost insane from the excitement. He raised a hand, unfurled his fingers and then thrust his arm out.


    "Heaven and Earth Palm Strike!"


    In a single attack, he shattered Long Shen''s Green Dragon Flaming Flash. The shockwave from his palm strike reverberated across the plaza and smashed apart the barrage of fireballs following closely behind, tearing them apart and scattering them into harmless embers.


    "Heavens!" Shi Jing Yun cried out in utter disbelief. "How is that possible!? That old demon countered the Venerable Dragon God''s attack with just a single simple palm strike?! What the hell is he?!"


    However, Long Shen didn''t seem surprised. He had actually anticipated that, or so it appeared, as he was already launching yet another attack. And the power of his current attacked surpassed his Green Dragon Flaming Flash by several magnitudes.


    "The hell?" I complained. "Instead of steadying increasing the power of your attacks as each one gets countered, why don''t you just use your most powerful techniques from the start?! Otherwise you''re just wasting everyone''s time!"


    "No, this is a smart move. It would be stupid to reveal one''s trump card right from the start. If any enemies survive and witnesses it, they will be able to come up with countermeasures against your most powerful technique later. Moreover, it is reckless to expend all your energy right at the start ¨C if you fail to kill your enemy, or reinforcements and new enemies show up, then you''ll regret not having conserved your energy and will be forced to fight an uphill battle."


    To my surprise, it was Lang Xie who replied. I blinked, and then nodded grudgingly, feeling some sense of shame. Well, yeah¡­I guess that was common sense. I had gotten carried away, thinking that I was the straight man here, but it seemed that there were a lot of things I have yet to learn. That was only natural.


    I wasn''t a Mary Sue who was always right, or a Mary Sue who already knew all the answers.


    "Green Dragon Solar Sword Strike!"


    An apocalyptic surge of qi rushed forward like a tsunami, seeming large enough to engulf not just the plaza but the whole of Tushan City. I glanced at Ancestral Master, wondering if he had anything up his sleeve to deal with this.


    Evidently, he did.


    "Grand Disciple." Tian Yu Di grinned as he addressed me. Surprisingly, not as his sect leader, but his grand disciple. The reason was clear soon enough. "Watch closely and learn. I''ll probably only demonstrate this once."


    Raising a hand, he performed what seemed like a complicated gesture before punching at the incoming torrent of catastrophic destruction.


    "Heaven and Earth Reversal."


    "?!"


    Long Shen''s attack rippled once, and then suddenly reversed direction. No, it didn''t simply reverse direction ¨C it was consumed by the golden qi that Tian Yu Di unleashed, its tremendous power adding into the already formidable power of that golden blast. The new, golden blast funneled across the plaza, demolishing large chunks of the place. In fact, I imagined that the plaza was only still mostly intact because of the arcane powers of the Spirit Engraved Pillar containing the immense destruction and keeping it in check.


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    Otherwise we would all be swimming in the lake by now.


    "AAAAAH!"


    "NOOO!"


    "Watch out!"


    "Run!"


    The invading martial artists who had arrived along with Long Shen, or had arrived while pursuing the retreating Blood Blades martial artists, quickly turned tail and fled, instinctively recognizing the danger that this reversed attack would deal.


    Just a single touch would be enough to rip them into shreds.


    "!!!!"


    Long Shen realized just how much danger he put his comrades in. Gritting his teeth, he lunged forward and slashed at the golden torrent of qi with his sword.


    The golden tornado erupted, engulfing the Venerable Dragon God in an enormous explosion that caught several of the fleeing intruders and incinerated them, even searing the plaza. The Spirit Engraved Pillars glowed briefly, their Spirit Diagrams coming to life as they sought to protect themselves and the plaza they stood guard over with mystic barriers, otherwise minimizing the damage.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Long Shen crashed out of the inferno, blackened and singed. He glanced up through a blistered eye, blood trailing from his mouth. That was the only sign of blood, not because he was relatively unhurt, but because most of his severe injuries had been cauterized by the superheated flames that he had just been caught up in.


    "That technique¡­you didn''t just overwhelm my Green Dragon Solar Sword Strike. You somehow incorporated my attack into your own and used it against me!"


    "Yeah, I combined it with my Heaven and Earth Strike." Tian Yu Di grinned. "How was it? I''m sure you enjoyed the taste, no?"


    "I knew it¡­I don''t know how you survived, but you''re a member of Heaven and Earth Sect!" Long Shen coughed as he shrank back. "Those techniques ¨C they are definitely Heaven and Earth Formula! How did you get your hands on it?!"


    "None of your business." Tian Yu Di''s smile was icy. "And someone who is going to die doesn''t need to know, anyway."


    He raised a hand, getting ready to attack. Long Shen turned pale as he coughed out some blood, realizing that he was too heavily wounded to block the next strike.


    "Like I''ll let you!" Xie Zhi Zhang dove forward, only for Lang Xie and several Blood Blades martial artists to block his way.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Lang Xie asked coldly. "Your opponent is us."


    Xie Zhi Zhang gritted his teeth. "Damn you!" he cursed. Even if it was a one-on-one and he was confident of defeating Lang Xie on his own, the Blood Blades vice-commander was still powerful enough to delay him for minutes. Never mind that now he had his subordinates to reinforce him. But Long Shen didn''t even have seconds.


    "Elder Long, hang in there!"


    Song Si Yuan had begun to act as well, but before he could take a step, he was suddenly forced to jump back as a flaming spear struck the spot where he was standing on a few moments ago. A delicate hand then plucked the spear out of the ground.


    "We haven''t decided the winner of our match yet, have we?" Zi Da Ji asked frostily, twirling her spear around and getting ready to deliver another attack.


    "¡­fuck."


    Long Shen could only watch in despair as Tian Yu Di launched a devastating blast of qi at him.


    *


    High above the plaza, in Flame Volcano, the Ling sisters moved about restlessly along with the civilians who had been seeking refuge in the main sect grounds during the war. They weren''t exactly very famous, and by keeping a low profile, were able to blend in with the townspeople and non-combatant civilians who used to live in Tushan City.


    Nobody questioned their identity or approached them. There were certainly a few glances here and there because of their beauty, but otherwise nobody bothered them. The two of them huddled together, straining their ears to listen for news. Even though they were receiving the latest updates through their smartphones, they were still unsure of what was actually happening in realtime outside the shelter.


    It took them everything to resist the desire to walk out of the shelter to peer down at Tushan City and see with their own eyes what was happening in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect right now. The civlians had been forbidden to leave the shelter, more out of concern for their safety than because the martial artists wanted to imprison them. There was heavy fighting going on outside, and they could hear sporadic explosions, blood-raged howls and shrieks of the dying. Many of the civilians cowered and pressed their hands against their ears, shutting their eyes as they tried to ignore the screams of the wounded and the vengeful bellows of rage of those who saw their comrades die before their eyes. a whistling screech resonated beyond the walls before erupting into another explosion as one martial artist hurled an elemental technique at another.


    "Master¡­will be coming, wouldn''t she?" Ling Yu Mei asked softly as she lowered her head. Even though she wasn''t privy to the details of the invasion, she knew there was no way Jiu Liu Yu would sit back and do nothing, not after Lu Li was killed and Shi Jing Yun was taken prisoner.


    For all of her faults and arrogance, Jiu Liu Yu had been kind and gentle to the Ling Sisters, treating the both of them well and taking good care of them. She was essentially a mother to them, teaching them martial arts and ensuring they were brought up properly without lacking anything. She had given them a home, and protected them from demonic martial artists.


    Ling Yu Mei was well aware of her master''s strength, and did not believe that anyone in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, with the exception of Zi Da Ji, Lang Xie and that old demon who appeared out of nowhere, could hurt her.


    Yet she couldn''t help but worry. Not just for her master, but also for the people of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Even though she didn''t know them very well, they had treated her decently. And there was that guy who not only saved her cousin, Ling Qing Zhu, but also helped her and her sister with their Spirit Artifacts orders, and even spared their lives after the rest of the trespassers in the first wave were massacred. She owed him too much.


    But knowing her master, she would definitely brutally murder the poor kid without a moment''s hesitation.


    "Is there any way to stop this?" she wondered.


    "Sister?" Ling Yu Xuan glanced at her older sister, concerned. Ling Yu Mei forced a smile, and shook her head.


    "¡­no, it''s nothing." She closed her eyes. "Master is coming. I can sense her."


    "Now that you''ve mentioned it, me too." Ling Yu Xuan nodded, her expression complicated. "It seems that she''s¡­in a rage. All the qi signatures before her are expiring quickly. Is she here to rescue us?"


    "Partly." Ling Yu Mei affirmed grimly. "But also because she wants to destroy the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "¡­but why?" Ling Yu Xuan glanced at all the frightened civilians around her, and no doubt was recalling the faces of all the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members they had encountered. "What did they do to ddeserve this? All they did was manufacture Spirit Artifacts. Just because the Martial Arts Alliance perceived them as growing stronger and richer, they want to destroy the sect before it ''becomes a threat'' and so that they can plunder all of its wealth and resources? Where exactly is the justice and honor in this? Aren''t these just crimes against humanity?"


    "¡­I don''t know." Ling Yu Mei sighed, slumping against the wall helplessly. "I don''t know anything anymore."


    *


    Unlike the Ling sisters, Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou had followed the inner sect elders and Tang Qi Hong''s adopted parents to the plaza to make their last stand. As members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, they were determined to stand together and die with the sect, fighting until the very last moment. Right now, even as Long Shen was cornered by Tian Yu Di, Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou and the inner sect disciples ¨C despite not being proficient in combat ¨C were brandishing high-quality Spirit Weapons and joining the combat with near-suicidal recklessness.


    Tong Xue and Jing Wei had also appeared shortly, and with the Blood Blades withdrawing from the gates in mass, we were able to put together a huge army of battle puppets who formed an iron ring around the plaza to repel all invaders. Sheltered behind the stalwart, formidable circle of Castellax battle-automata and Thallax battle puppets, the members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect hunted down whoever was left inside the plaza.


    Only the very strongest such as Song Si Yuan and Xie Zi Zhang survived. Even the three original commanders who had lost their arms were putting up a good fight and holding us off, determined not to be taken hostage again.


    "You''re finished!" Tian Yi Di sneered as he blasted Long Shen.


    At that moment, a shrill screech thundered through the air and a golden spear of light snashed through the qi blast, dissipating it harmlessly. Tian Yu Di frowned and sidestepped, effortlessly evading the golden spear, but it then switched trajectory and flew back to its owner''s hands.


    Shen Tian Yi of Heavenly Way Sect inspected his spear, then turned his gaze back down.


    "Are you all right, Brother Long?"


    "Fine. Thank you for intervening and saving my life."


    Despite still coughing out some blood, Long Shen quickly seized the opportunity to withdraw. Shen Tian Yi then raised his eyes to cautiously regard the smirking Tian Yu Di.


    "That elder must be quite the formidable opponent if he is able to injure you this badly, Brother Long."


    "Be careful. That old demon is from Heaven and Earth Sect. After suffering an attack from him, I''m sure of it. He''s using the legendary Heaven and Earth techniques." Long Shen wiped the blood from his mouth and stood up unsteadily. "If we want to win, we''ll have to team up against him."


    "Are you sure you''re all right, Brother Long?" Shen Tian Yi raised an eyebrow in concern.


    "After throwing up the blood clots, I feel fine." Long Shen nodded solemnly. "Besides, if I don''t do anything, that monster will kill me later anyway. I might as well die fighting."


    "No one will die today," Shen Tian Yi declared. But he relented. "Truthfully, having sensed this elder''s qi, I am not confident of dealing with him alone. I will very much appreciate your help."


    As both elders readied to attack Tian Yu Di, I slowly moved toward Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou to help Tong Xue protect them. They were currently my priority in the sect, the same way Zhao Shi and Da Ge were still zealously guarding Zi Xiao Ji despite fighting against the invaders from the Martial Arts Alliance.


    However, before I could reach them, I suddenly picked up a very familiar presence.


    "This person¡­!"


    Spinning around, I caught sight of a blinding golden glow in the distance. The respeldent light brightened as it drew nearer, finally morphing into the shape of a golden spear not dissimilar to the one Shen Tian Yi was wielding. No, I was actually more familiar with this particular golden spear than the elder''s.


    I had seen this golden spear before, as well as the guy riding on it.


    The giant golden spear hovered above the ground, bearing several figures. It seemed that shortly after following Shen Tian Yi, Jiang Jun Hao had returned to fetch a few of his closest subordinates to serve as his personal bodyguards (because he was smart enough to know that Shen Tian Yi would be too busy with high-level battles to protect him), and then chased after the elder. Which explained why they arrived half a minute later.


    My eyes swept across the figures atop the golden spear, and sure enough, I did not recognize almost all of them. However, I did know the guy right at the very front, a bastard with red hair who was dressed in exaggerated yellow clothing, while giving off an arrogant and domineering air as he stood out against his brethren.


    Jiang Jun Hao. How long had it been? A few months? The expedition to the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb was only a few months ago, before all the shenanigans with Liang Shao Yang and the drama within Nine-Tailed Fox Sect began, but it felt like years. Probably because so many things had happened ¨C not just the aforementioned events regarding Liang Shao Yang, but the assassination attempts by Divine Shadow Sect and the war.


    Hell, the entire war against the Martial Arts Alliance felt like it had been going on for years. Honestly, I couldn''t be blamed for feeling a sense of temporal disorientation.


    "You!"


    It seemed like I wasn''t the only one who recognized a mortal enemy. Jiang Jun Hao''s eyes widened when he caught sight of me, and he jabbed a finger rudely in my direction, spluttering soundlessly.


    "You''re that guy next to Zhu Jiao! That bastard friend of Zhu Jiao who intervened and helped him before I could kill him!"


    Actually, I didn''t do anything. Zhu Jiao had the situation well in hand and was in fact kicking Jiang Jun Hao''s ass without me having to lift a single finger. But he wouldn''t believe me if I told him, so I kept quiet.


    I wondered why his memories of the event were distorted, but that wasn''t important right now.


    "Who?" one of Jiang Jun Hao''s subordinates asked, confused.


    "You know! That guy!"


    "What guy?"


    Everyone was staring at Jiang Jun Hao blankly as he expostulated in frustration, waving his hands stupidly.


    "That guy! Zhu Jiao''s friend! The guy who follows Zhu Jiao everywhere! His sidekick!"


    Ah. I understood now. Jiang Jun Hao viewed as me so insignificant that he couldn''t be bothered to remember my name, or perhaps he never even bothered to find out. Despite clearly holding a grudge against me just because I was Zhu Jiao''s friend.


    It was reasonable. Zhu Jiao was the protagonist, after all. I was the nameless, insignificant, forgettable side character. As long as I wasn''t one of the heroines in his burgeoning harem, I wasn''t important, and nobody cared about me. I didn''t spend enough time to follow Zhu Jiao around for people to remember me. You know all those xianxia and wuxia novels where the protagonist goes around on adventures while mentioning obscure flunkies from time to time? Yeah, I was one of those flunkies who would show up for one adventure to "help" the protagonist (or more accurately, get saved by the protagonist, my failure and weakness being emphasized to make him look good), then disappear for a large portion of the story as the protagonist either meets up with new friends and gain new flunkies, or reunite with yet another insignificant sidekick whose name the readers simply couldn''t be bothered to remember.


    "Ah¡­that Zhu Jiao. So this guy is Zhu Jiao''s flunky?" the subordinate nodded in agreement. I don''t want to hear that from you, Subordinate A.


    "Yeah. He''s¡­he''s Sidekick A!"


    ¡­what the fuck?


    No longer even bothering to pretend to remember my identity, Jiang Jun Hao selfishly designated me with a ridiculous name that was used only in the ending credits of an anime series. Who the hell is Sidekick A? And honestly, it felt insulting that I was remembered only because of my friendship with Zhu Jiao, and not because I was anyone important enough to be remembered.


    Sucks to be me. In any case, I was now officially known as Sidekick A or Flunky A by Jiang Jun Hao and the readers of Zhu Jiao''s story. Thanks a lot. Now I knew how all those nameless side characters felt, often dismissed and left by the wayside as the protagonist abandoned them, leaving all of us behind in order to reach greater heights.


    "You useless bastard! You are actually still alive!"


    Jiang Jun Hao howled. His eyes darkened and he snatched up his gigantic golden spear, pointing it at me.

 225 Chapter 224: Re-encounter with Jiang Jun Hao

    "I never saw that Spirit Weapon before!" he growled. I shrugged.


    "Um, yeah." When I first encountered Jiang Jun Hao and the Heavenly Way Sect, I still hadn''t finished forging Snow Aegis yet. In fact, the whole reason why I went to the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb (where I met them) in the first place was to obtain the necessary Spirit Materials to defuse the incompatible components to complete my Snow Aegis.


    "That''s not possible!" Jiang Jun Hao growled.


    "Why?" I rolled my eyes. "Because I''m just a sidekick character who''s not supposed to improve or get anything new, and exist solely for the sake of being a foil to the developing protagonist, to emphasize how much stronger he has gotten in contrast to an insignificant mob character like me?"


    "YES!"


    ¡­I give up. This guy was an idiot who couldn''t be saved. Rather, I moved on to a more pressing concern.


    "I know you''re trying to kill me because the Martial Arts Alliance ordered you to destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, but you seem to be harboring a grudge against me for some reason."


    "Of course!" Jiang Jun Hao sneered. "Even if the Martial Arts Alliance didn''t order it, I would eventually have sought you out and kill you anyway!"


    "Huh? Why?" I frowned, perplexed. "I never did anything to you. I don''t mean to distance myself, but I didn''t help Zhu Jiao or interfere in his battle with you at all. I don''t remember doing anything to earn such hatred."


    "Hah!" Jiang Jun Hao snorted. "You''re a friend of that bastard Zhu Jiao. That''s more than enough reason for me to kill you!"


    ¡­what the fuck?


    No, seriously. What the fuck? What the hell was wrong with this idiot? His justification for killing me wasn''t because I actually did anything to him, but simply because I was a friend of Zhu Jiao? That was it?


    To a certain extent, I somewhat understood his mentality. Just like typical villains, in order to defeat the protagonist or take revenge on him, they would aim for his friends and loved ones, targeting those closely associated with him so that they could hold them hostages or drive him to a corner after bringing him despair.


    No doubt, Jiang Jun Hao planned to kill me, and then bring my head to Zhu Jiao to mock him, to show that the price of offending him was steep, and even if he couldn''t defeat Zhu Jiao in a head-on battle, he could take revenge by targeting his loved ones.


    Then again, Heavenly Way Sect was a member of the Martial Arts Alliance, a supposedly orthodox organization that claimed itself to be the embodiment of righteousness, justice and honor, yet stooped to commiting criminal atrocities and genocide such as waging war just so they could plunder a subordinate sect''s wealth and resources.


    This world was truly full of hypocrites.


    Honestly, I couldn''t care less about their hypocrisy. They were enemies who had come to invade our sect, and thus they will pay dearly for it. The outcome remained the same. It was just that so many xianxia novels indulged in this hypocrisy, but take themselves too seriously. The characters in the stories seemed to accept this hypocrisy and complete lack of logic as normal, and no one ever pointed out to the enemies how stupid and hypocritical their rationale was (like how they could go around killing and beating people up, but their victims weren''t allowed to fight back because "they are strong" and the strong eat the weak). Only someone who broke the fourth wall realized just how inane, childish, immature and completely fucked up those antagonists were.


    The only solution was to defeat and wipe out these idiots. I hope.


    "Fei Wu!"


    Tong Xue and the rest were gathering behind me, presumably to fight against the disciples of Heavenly Way Sect that Jiang Jun Hao had taken long.


    "Let''s get rid of the invaders," I suggested simply. If I was a clich¨¦ protagonist, I would probably use this chance to show off my skills and defeat the whole group of Heavenly Way Sect disciples by myself, so that the author could as usual wank off to how awesome his protagonist was (such as Li Fu Chen being the ultimate Mary Sue who could do everything that other people couldn''t, Lin Dong showing off to everyone how rapidly and powerful he had grown in a single year, etc.). Worse, no matter how much the protagonist had proven himself, there would always be a crowd that love to trash-talk him, make snide comments about the protagonist overestimating himself and betting that he would get thrashed, just so the author could slap their pathetic faces with how godly the protagonist was as he proved all of them wrong.


    But I was more practical than that, and I wasn''t that arrogant or complacent to think I could defeat a group by myself.


    "Let''s go!" our squad leader, Jing Wei, issused his instructions and everyone lurched forward immediately to meet our new enemies head-on.


    "Young Master Jiang, leave this idiot to me!"


    One of Jiang Jun Hao''s subordinates shouted as he charged at me, swinging a massive claymore to cleave me in half. I blocked his gigantic blade with Snow Aegis and countered with a volley of qi beams from above. Credit to the subordinate, he evaded it easily, rolling away and springing back to his feet to unleash a qi blast at me.


    "You''re not qualified to face Master Jiang!" the subordinate sneered. "I, Jiang Yan Pan, am more than enough to crush you!"


    "Not this bullshit again." I sighed. As much as I wanted to complain about the clich¨¦ crowd or side characters trash-talking the protagonist just so he could slap their faces later, it turned out that this Jiang Yan Pan had good reason to be confident. He was dodging all of my qi beams easily, and retaliating with heavy blows that sent violent vibrations through my Snow Aegis.


    However, he was far from the level of Wu Tuo, who I had barely managed to fight on par against despite the famous Cloud Sky Mountain martial artist missing an arm. This wasn''t to say I could thrash him as easily as Lin Dong did to Wang Yan and Wang Pan (then again, what did you expect from a Mary Sue protagonist) or Li Fu Chen to practically every opponent in his generation despite them supposedly having a better Star Bone Frame than him. Speaking of which, that stupid trash-talking crowd always gossiped about how Lin Dong looked ordinary, or how Li Fu Chen overstepped his boundaries before being proven wrong in the most humiliating fashion ever.


    Fortunately, no such crowd existed in reality. No, seriously. When you were fighting for your lives in a battlefield, what idiot would group around with others to gossip and trash-talk the protagonist, especially when you knew absolutely nothing about the protagonist? It was funny how they always assumed the protagonist was weak solely because they had never heard of him before or some other vague, stupid reason that made no sense whatsoever.


    Bam!


    Unfortunately, this wasn''t the time to bemoan the complete lack of logic, or the baffling mystery of why crowds always seem to jump into conclusions and made inane assumptions about the protagonist (never occurred to them that the protagonist''s confidence was because he was aware of both his own strength and the opponent''s, and not because he was a frog in the well ¨C again, an irony that was totally lost on these trash-talking morons). Jiang Yan Pan was slashing furiously at me, his claymore carving chunks of concrete out of the plaza.


    Clang!


    Again and again, I parried his bows with Snow Aegis, or otherwise used my footwork techniques to easily evade him. I retaliated, of course, firing precise qi beams or trying to kick him from his blind spots such as behind him, but to my lack of surprise, Jiang Yan Pan''s instincts were impressive. Of course they had to be ¨C otherwise Jiang Jun Hao wouldn''t have brought him along as an elite retinue. As stupid as he was, he was no retard.


    "Stop ducking around!" Jiang Yan Pan hollered as he tried to pursue me, only for me to deftly stay out of his reach with a couple of steps and skillful footwork. Dodging his claymore, I kicked him with Shadow Kick, but he blocked it with his massive blade.


    "Kuh¡­!"


    As expected of a high grade Spirit Weapon. Not only did it completely deflect my attack, it sent shockwaves up my spine from the impact. I quickly retreated and then drew my Azure Lotus Sword. Evidently I could only prevail by using a Spirit Sword of my own.


    "Fuck!"


    Weaving through the barrage of qi beams that my Snow Aegis fired upon him, with a surprising grace that belied his size and the fact that he was wielding a cumbersome, heavy weapon, Jiang Yan Pan slashed at me again, and I blocked with Snow Aegis. While he was struggling to press his claymore down to knock my Spirit Shield out of the way, I practically danced from behind Snow Aegis in an elegant motion and thrust my Azure Lotus Sword at him.


    "!"


    Realizing the danger, Jiang Yan Pan withdrew his claymore and blocked my Azure Lotus Sword. Ice began spreading around his claymore at the point of contact, and Jiang Yan Pan flexed his qi to shatter it.


    With a roar, he charged forward and cleaved at me with his claymore. This time, he was faster than before, to the point I wasn''t able to bring Snow Aegis down to block his attack in time. Wielding Azure Lotus Sword, I weighed down by my own weapon and my mobility was slightly decreased ¨C even if it was very slight, in a high-level match, that little disparity made all the difference. That was why I didn''t just always draw Azure Lotus Sword from the very start. I preferred to rely on my speed and agility, evading attacks and striking with kicks.


    However, if the opponent was too tough to the extent that my kicks were pretty much ineffective, I had no choice but to use my sword. This wasn''t to say I resented it, though. Rather, I very much enjoyed fighting with my sword.


    Grinning as I parried Jiang Yan Pan''s claymore, I stood my ground fiercely before unleashing a Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike at pointblank range. A spirit Weapon vastly improved my offensive capabilities while removing most of the risk of me getting injured, and this time Jiang Yan Pan found himself blasted backward despite blocking my technique with his claymore. He skidded a few meters back, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.


    "Huff¡­"


    Plunging his claymore onto the ground, Jiang Yan Pan leaned over and panted heavily. He glared at me before heaving his claymore up and unleashing a qi blast of his own.


    Even though I wanted to replicate the Heaven and Earth Reversal technique that I had just seen Ancestral Master used, I still wasn''t able to execute it properly, and could only cut apart the blast without turning it back on its wielder. Having anticipated that, Jiang Yan Pan was already launching himself toward me, swinging his claymore down vengefully.


    I parried his strike, my knees buckling and the ground around my feet shattering from the tremendous impact. Gritting my teeth, I tried to ward Jiang Yan Pan off, but he gleefully used his superior size and weight to press down on me, driving me deeper into the crumbling ground.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Chewing my lip and watching as the massive blade slowly but surely inch closer to my face, I made a snap decision. Maintaining my grip on Azure Lotus Sword with my right hand, I reached for my floating Snow Aegis and drew a second sword with my left. This time, the sword I retrieved was unremarkable, one of those cheap, mass-produced low quality Spirit Swords that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect manufactured for rank-and-file troops.


    Before Jiang Yan Pan realized what was happening, I thrust the second sword under his claymore and below his guard, nicking his side. Again, to his credit, Jiang Yan Pan reacted in impressive fashion, his instincts saving him from a lethal stab and forcing him to spin away as my blade cut shallowly into his skin, but otherwise didn''t deal a decisive blow.


    "Fucker!" Jiang Yan Pan swore and swung around, his claymore coming from a hard, violent angle. I took a step back, retreating out of his reach, but Jiang Yan Pan reversed his swung from the opposite direction with such speed I couldn''t avoid the next one ¨C more so, now that I was weighed down by two swords instead of one.


    Fortunately, it was those two swords that saved my life. I blocked the claymore with the sword in my left hand, just barely stopping it a centimeter or two away from eviscerating my body, and then thrust my Azure Lotus Sword in. Jiang Yan Pan managed to evade that as well, but not completely. And with his claymore pressing against my ordinary sword, he couldn''t block the blade with anything but bare flesh.


    "Argh!"


    He staggered back as my Azure Lotus Sword left a mark, drawing blood. Withdrawing his claymore and forcing me to retreat with a clumsy but powerful downward swung that splintered the ground, Jiang Yan Pan clutched his midriff when I had stabbed him. His eyes widened when he saw the huge patch of ice spreading across his body.


    "What is this?!"


    I didn''t waste time replying. Instead, I plunged my sword into the ground before he could recover.


    "Enhance Armament!"


    The space around us immediately froze, ice materializing and entombing Jiang Yan Pan while covering the cracked floor in a translucent sheet. The temperature dropped sharply, and the air began to mist, particularly as flames and lightning from other martial artists engaging the Blood Blades passed through the space and vice versa.


    "UGH!"


    With a holler, Jiang Yan Pan expended a large amount of qi to smash his way out of the ice, but I was already waiting for him. Delivering a series of high-speed strikes with both my swords, both my blades disappeared into blurs that were almost too fast for Jiang Yan Pan to follow. To be fair, if he was an ordinary opponent, he would have been cut into pieces long ago. Only his amazing instincts allowed him to dodge the fatal strikes by the barest minimum, allowing him to escape what would otherwise be certain death.


    However, Jiang Yan Pan was still reduced to a bloody mess, blood dripping from numerous wounds as he found himself backing away to a corner. Huffing, he tried to lash out with his claymore, but I deflected it easily with my ordinary sword while striking out with Azure Lotus Sword. Ice appeared across his injuries, but he exerted his qi once again, wincing as he reopened his wounds whenever he shattered the ice into frosty fragments.


    Even if he could withstand my barrage of attacks now, he would eventually die a death from a thousand cuts. The bloodloss was also gradually reaping a fearsome toll on him ¨C I noticed that his movements were growing slower, and I was landing more hits than before.


    "Fuck you, author!" an existence from beyond the fourth wall screamed. "Who cares about your duel against an insignificant trash side character? Just have the main character fight against Jiang Jun Hao, and then save the sect already! Stop dragging things out!"


    If only things were that simple. Some of the readers appeared to have completely subscribed to the stupid unrealism and bullshit of xianxia stories, and assumed that every insignificant mob character was trash, existing solely as cannon fodder for the protagonist to stomp to the ground before thrashing the "main" antagonist of the arc. That was utter rubbish. Reality was not as convenient as that. Real enemies did not simply roll over and die before the might of a Mary Sue protagonist. It was insulting to label any random person a mob character and assume that he was weak and just there for the protagonist to crush him just so the latter would look good.


    In reality, a person would meet many difficulties and challenges. He would face adversities who would hamper his goals, strong opponents who would give them quite the run for their money even though they had never met them before or had never heard of their names before. Such was life, always springing trouble upon me at the most unexpected moments. It was disrespectful and arrogant for anyone to assume that Jiang Yan Pan would just keel over and die in a single second of facing me in combat. He was a real person, not some random mob character created by an author to make the protagonist look good.


    Besides, being complacent would only lead to my death. And if I was arrogant and looked down upon other people for being weak or whatever, then I would be a massive hypocrite. What right would I have to condemn other people for their arrogance and belittling of others if I did the exact same thing (an irony lost to the readers demanding that I crush all "mob characters" in my path in a few sentences while complaining I was only doing this to drag things out ¨C no, that was reality for you)? Only by giving Jiang Yan Pan the respect he deserved (not for his personality, but for his combat skills), would I be able to survive this battle unscathed.


    Underestimating an opponent was more liable to get one killed ¨C something that those edgelord readers demanding for power fantaies and wish fulfilment never comprehended.


    Fortunately, there was no one to save Jiang Yan Pan. Everyone else was occupied with preserving their own skin, clashing furiously against their respective opponents. I was gratified to see that many of the Heavenly Way Sect disciples had been killed, and in contrast, few Blood Blades had fallen.


    Good.


    Honestly, if this was a clich¨¦ xianxia story, everyone would just serve as a crowd while Jiang Yan Pan and all the elite Heavenly Way Sect disciples attacked me, trash-talk me for not knowing my place, while I effortlessly crushed all of the elite disciples'' attacks before slapping Jiang Yan Pan. Never mind it made no sense that everyone just stood by and watched while an entire sect ganged up and attacked me ¨C eve though they were supposed to be from the same sect as me. Of course, the author would give some bullshit reason about me being from the branch sect, and thus an insgnificant member with the status of an ant who wasn''t worth the trouble of helping. If that was the case, then what was the fucking point of having branch sects in the first place? Might as well allow us to break off and become independent, since there was no benefit to being under the main sect. Usually these branch and main clans worked on the principle of the latter protecting the former, thus the former would be happy to be under the clan umbrella and contributed by paying tribute or working in some form or another ¨C if the main sect abandoned the branch and didn''t protect them, then there was absolutely no reason for the branch to be a branch. Might as well just renounce the clan name and become independent.


    Of course, the author couldn''t have that. He needed an excuse for the protagonist to fight on his own against so many people his own clan members trash-talk and looked down on him, only to be slapped in the face when the protagonist proved them wrong. It was the most contrived situation ever, second only to Lin Feng''s bullshit experiences and the idiotic crowd that appeared wherever he was, to watch him trounce some arrogant young master from some sect who picked a fight with him over the most inane reasons ever¡­


    "Shut up!"


    I realized I was rambling out loud. Whoops. Sorry. Come to think of it, my own rants were becoming rather repetitive, and by now readers should be sick of reading them. Okay, I was sick of some of the comments demanding that I be a god mode Mary Sue and complaining about me being too weak, but that was no excuse to lauch into yet another rant in the middle of a battle.


    With a roar, not paying to whatever I was grumbling earlier, Jiang Yan Pan charged at me with his claymore. His blade exploded with ferocious qi and he swung it at me. I could see his muscles expanding and growing, the veins and blood vessels bulging out of his skin as he supercharged his body. Horrified, I retreated as far away as I could with Tui.


    This was a physical enhancement technique that granted the user an exponential increase in strength and a sudden burst in qi flow. His offensive and defensive power would multiply several dozen times within a short period, but this technique was also a double-edged sword. the whole reason why the user couldn''t maintain it for anything longer than a few minutes was because this technique dealt massive damage to one''s physical body, rupturing the muscles from overstrain and causing qi vessels to erupt and burst from the excessive flow of qi. It would place tremendous stress on his tendons, joints and body, forcing it to endure power that it normally wasn''t capable of holding.


    If I was able to escape Jiang Yan Pan''s attacks until his technique expired, it would certainly be my victory. After that, he would no longer be in any condition to fight. However, on the flip side, if he landed even a single attack on me, he would completely obliterate me.


    In a different sense, fighting Jiang Yan Pan was more dangerous than battling against Wu Tuo earlier. This guy was literally staking his life on this technique and throwing everything he had at me.


    "DIE!"


    He sprang forward at an unbelievable speed, almost catching me by surprise. Despite his swelling body and temporary increase in size, he hurtled forward like a bullet, disappearing into a blur. I almost couldn''t react in time, bringing my Snow Aegis down to meet his charge.


    Jiang Yan Pan''s claymore collided with Snow Aegis, causing it to shudder violently from the tremendous impact. I flinched as the space behind Snow Aegis (where I was occupying) literally rippled as immense shockwaves buffted me and the place around me. The ground underneath my feet crumbled and disintegrated from the sheer power.


    "UWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"


    With a bellow, Jiang Yan Pan actually succeeded in pushing my Snow Aegis back, cracking the first barrier in the layers of dense, protective qi that had appeared in front of the indomitable Spirit Shield. He stomped forward, each of his steps leaving a small crater in the ground, not just because of the sheer force but also dissolving from the potent, destructive qi that emanated from his body.


    I was actually being pushed back by the immense attack, my steps faltering as I stumbled backward while being buffeted by the vicious shockwaves.


    "Like hell I''ll fall here!"


    Snarling in determination, I slammed my foot forwad and stubbornly stood my ground. Glaring at my opponent, who was barely visible behind my Snow Aegis, I suddenly comprehended the flow of qi around him.


    With Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I could sense and "see" the incredible amounts of qi circulating around his abused body. Even though they were pouring out of his enhanced body in what seemed like fumes, I was able to pick out how uneven the flow of his qi was. There were portions of his body where the amount of qi was vast, like a sea, to the point the excessive qi was actually corroding his body, and there were areas where there was a lot less qi, where the defensive aura protecting that particular part was not as sturdy as the wall of qi guarding the rest of his body. And these areas shifted and changed ¨C sometimes, the lesser amount of qi and weakening barriers overlapped with the body areas that had been mercilessly corroded by the extreme quantities of qi.


    Only someone like me who had mastered Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps would have been able to pick those vulnerabilities out.


    "¡­"


    This being the case, there was no point waiting for Jiang Yan Pan''s technique to expire. I might as well eliminate him right here, right now. Deliver the finishing blow, and then move on to other opponents. There were so many enemies swarming into Tushan City and trying to destroy Nine-Tailed Fox Sect right now. I couldn''t afford to be bogged down by a single opponent.


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    Darting out from behind my Snow Aegis, I stabbed at his weak point with my left sword. Swollen with qi and his body bulking up so much, Jiang Yan Pan was able to respond very quickly, spinning around to swat at me with his claymore and demolish me in a single strike.


    I was forced to deflect his claymore with my sword, which was utterly destroyed at the moment of collision, causing shrapnel to rain down on both of us. Jiang Yan Pan instinctively recoiled as he sought to avoid the sharp, metallic shards, but I plowed through determinedly, utterly focused on that single weak point I had singled out and thrusting my Azure Lotus Sword at it.


    Having already blocked my first attack with his claymore, Jiang Yan Pan''s guard was lowered. But he didn''t worry, for he had complete faith in his own technique and the incredible surge of qi that now shielded his body to halt my attack.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t tell that I had selected that area precisely because it was one of the spots that were the most unshielded right now. Without the same Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps that I had learned, there was no way for him to tell.


    "!!!!"


    Jiang Yan Pan''s jaw dropped when my sword pierced him, the blade of Azure Lotus Sword driving itself deep into his shoulder. Frosty qi immediately spread out from the point of injury, filling his body with indescribable chill.


    "Fucker!"


    With a roar, Jiang Yan Pan drew his claymore back to cleave me in half, but I didn''t wait for him to retaliate.


    Instead, I unleashed Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike at pointblank range, releasing my destructive qi directly into his body and ripping my opponent from the inside out.


    And just like that, Jiang Yan Pan exploded into blood and viscera, his entire body torn apart by the tremendous surge of qi. Already overtaxed by the excessive quantities of qi that he had forcibly accumulated into his body, it was unable to withstand another tremendous injection of qi, moreover one that was meant to destroy with a vengeance.


    "Huff¡­huff¡­"


    Wiping the blood off my face and my glasses, I straightened up and shook the blood off the blade of my sword.


    Shing!


    "!"


    I immediately jumped away in reflex as something streaked toward the air, seeking to drill a hole in me. Snow Aegis hovered in front of me as the projectile swung around and shot toward me again, blocking it. Drawing a third sword from Snow Aegis, I managed to knock the incessant spear away from my Spirit Shield and sent it spinning haplessly away.


    For only a few seconds.


    "Hmph. Lucky bastard."


    The gigantic golden spear that had just tried to murder me immediately straightened up and obediently flew toward the hand of Jiang Jun Hao. The massive Spirit Weapon immediately shrank as he reached out to grab it, becoming a more manageable size. Twirling his Heavenly Spear stylishly, Jiang Jun Hao slowly strolled toward me.


    "So you even managed to defeat Jiang Yan Pan, huh?" he sneered before planting his Heavenly Spear fiercely on the ground, causing a slight tremor. His arrogant aura seemed to burst forth from his body, saturating the plaza and ruffling both his hair and clothes. "Looks like I really have to step in and deal with you myself."


    I chuckled even as I confronted Jiang Jun Hao, unperturbed by his formidable aura of aggressive qi.


    "You want to step in and deal with me? Are you sure?"


    As if to emphasize my point, I cocked my head to the side and glanced in the direction of the elders. Currently, Shen Tian Yi and Long Shen were engaged in a bitter and intense battle with my Ancestral Master. None of the parties involved could pull back, or the battle would tilt toward the other''s favor. Then I turned back to stare at Jiang Jun Hao and smirked cynically.

 226 Chapter 225: Deathmatch

    When my derisive words left my mouth, Jiang Jun Hao turned a shade of gray immediately. He glared at me murderously, still remembering the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of Zhu Jiao. Just a few months ago, Zhu Jiao had beaten him up so badly that he needed to call upon Elder Shen to save his ass.


    Right now, that Elder Shen in question was preoccupied with battling against my Ancestral Master, and couldn''t afford to rush over and save Jiang Jun Hao if he got beaten up badly in combat. Jiang Jun Hao was on his own.


    However, he refused to submit.


    "Trash who got lucky because Elder Shen refused to raise a hand against you that time, let''s see if you''ll be able to survive today!" Jiang Jun Hao snarled ferociously. His qi surged forth from his body in an intimidating manner, the sheer volume of it proving that he was not at all weak. For people of our generation, anyway. "Your pathetic sect has been targeted by the Martial Arts Alliance for destruction! You''ll never be able to escape!"


    "So you finally acknowledge that I''m from a major sect?" I asked mockingly, recalling the last time he insulted me. He had refused to believe that I was from one of the eight major sects and claimed that a loser like me definitely belonged to some minor sect on the verge of being disbanded, and then insisted that my amount of qi made me too weak to belong to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, deluding himself into believing that Zhu Jiao and I were bluffing him.


    But right now, the incontrovertible truth was before him. I was fighting for the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect as one of the members of Blood Blades, I had survived the subsequent waves before this, and I had even fought on par with a one-armed Wu Tuo. Not unless he was blind an insane could he continue denying my membership in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "Oh, shut up!"


    Jiang Jun Hao thrust his spear at me, but I deflected it with one of my swords. Even though I provoked him a little, I wasn''t going to underestimate. It wasn''t as if I was Lin Dong, who could easily crush Wang Yan just so the author could wank off at how powerful he had become, and how he was just humiliating the idiotic clich¨¦ crowd who enjoyed trash-talking him before getting slapped when proven wrong.


    Jiang Jun Hao was still a formidable opponent worthy of respect. With regards to his combat ability anyway, even if his personality was rotten to the core.


    "Hora, hora, hora!"


    We traded over a few hundred blows, our blades leaving marks and scars across the concrete of the plaza. As much as I wanted to fire a volley of qi beams at Jiang Jun Hao to relieve the pressure, the bastard was moving too quickly for me to get a lock-on. And given his close proximity, it was near-suicidal to fire upon his position. I would more than likely end up hitting myself, given the fluid nature of combat, and killing myself when Jiang Jun Hao delivered the fatal blow while I was injured from my own attacks. I wasn''t like anime characters, able to calculate everything at the most precise angle or whatever, and hit my target by the millimeter while completely avoiding myself.


    I wasn''t a perfect Mary Sue protagonist where everything went exactly to plan and I could literally calculate and predict in a god-like manner all these trajectories, angles and positions. I was a totally regular guy who prevailed only through sheer effort and hard work. Nothing more than that.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!" Jiang Jun Hao took this as irrefutable evidence of his superiority and drove me back. Increasing the pressure, he smashed my regular sword to bits, the immense force of his spear shattering the metal and causing it to rain down on me.


    "!"


    I brought my Azure Lotus Sword back to parry his next strike, clutching the hilt with both hands now.


    "Hah!"


    Jiang Jun Hao knocked me back with a ferocious blow, sending me skidding a few meters back. My hands trembled from the violent impact, my arms going numb as I felt the aftershocks reverberating through them.


    "Weak," Jiang Jun Hao sneered as he approached me, triumphantly twirling his spear and getting ready to lunge at me again. However, a volley of qi beams from above bombarded his position, forcing him to abandon his charge and retreat to safety.


    "Yet you still have yet to defeat me," I pointed out dryly. "If I''m weak, then what are you? Slightly above weak?"


    "I''m strong, damn you!" Jiang Jun Hao roared. "I''m the second-strongest disciple of Heavenly Way Sect! I''m a god compared to trash like you!"


    He tried to lunge forward again, only to be kept at bay by a second hail of qi beams from my mobile turrets. He clicked his tongue as he fell back, spinning his Heavenly Spear in his hands to deflect several of the deadly bolts.


    "That''s quite the interesting Spirit Weapon you have there," he growled. "I''ve never seen anything like it before."


    He then grinned ominously.


    "It''ll be a waste to leave it in the hands of trash like you. Don''t worry, once I kill you, I''ll make sure your Spirit Weapon will be in good hands."


    The idiot was already assuming that the outcome of this battle was a foregone conclusion. I really wanted to see his expression when he was proven wrong.


    Unfortunately, he was too powerful. I couldn''t just crush him like Lin Dong did to Wang Yan, or how Li Fu Chen stomped every single opponent of his generation that made fun of him.


    As frustrating as it was, that was reality for you. You weren''t always going to be able to indulge in some fairy tale ending and destroy whoever made fun or insulted you. I still remembered how in my previous life, when I played Starcraft 2, there would always be a couple of opponents who would trash-talk me throughout the game, calling me noob or pathetic, and even though it pained me to admit it, they were superior to me at the game.


    This wasn''t to say their arrogance was deserved (honestly, the whole idea of "I''m better than you, so I have the right to be arrogant and look down on you" was just stupid, especially if it turned out that I was your boss or teacher in real life), but in reality, you couldn''t just steamroll over everyone who was condescending and abusive toward you.


    Fortunately, there was also just as many cases where the opponent was just a bag of hot air, and as long as I stayed calm and stuck to my strategy (countering cheese, focusing on teching up to an army of Thors or an armada of Battlecruisers), I could sometimes turn the situation around and my opponent would ragequit with a few parting insults. And me being me, I couldn''t be bothered to look for the fella and gloat over him ¨C I had better things to do, such as searching for a new game and ranking up in the ranked ladder.


    Right now, I had no idea which of the situation this fell under, but I knew the most important thing was to ensure that I didn''t fall for his provocations, maintain my cool, and calmly fighting with the skills and tactics I exceled at the most. I wasn''t going to be complacent and take anything for granted, unlike Lin Dong or Li Fu Chen. Only after I won, would I gloat (just like I did when playing Starcraft 2). Before then, I would focus on fighting.


    "Ugh!"


    Unable to close in, Jiang Jun Hao shoved his spear forward and unleashed a shock blast from the tip of his Spirit Weapon. I was almost taken by surprise, by managed to block the incredible blast with Azure Lotus Sword.


    Even so, I was sent hurtling backward. Jiang Jun Hao capitalized on the moment when my concentration was disrupted to close in, swinging his spear and swatting me away. I crashed onto the ground in an undignified heap, but hastily rolled away, scrambling back to my feet as he stabbed the ground where my head had been.


    Clang!


    In a smooth motion, Jiang Jun Hao swung his spear up and batted me away. I barely managed to deflect his spear, but he dropped down and kicked me. I just barely blocked his foot with my knee, having detected his intentions through reading the flow of his qi, but I could just only keep up with his next attack, parrying his spear with Azure Lotus Sword.


    Jiang Jun Hao grinned, and the next moment, a shock blast erupted from his spear at pointblank range, buffeting me and sending me flying.


    "Kuh!"


    I hit the ground and staggered unsteadily, rolling back up to my feet ungracefully. Gritting my teeth, I launched another volley of qi beams, but Jiang Jun Hao was prepared for that. Again, he spun his spear around, slicing the qi bolts before they could hit him.


    As arrogant and infuriating as he was, Jiang Jun Hao was truly strong. As expected of the second senior disciple of the Heavenly Way Sect. His reputation wasn''t for nothing.


    Huffing, I backed away under the covering fire of my mobile turrets, trying to assess the sitation and come up with a countermeasure. It was just like playing Starcraft 2 again. Even if you were annoyed by the opponent''s insults, you couldn''t just lose your head and recklessly attacked. You had to evaluate your opponent''s skills, figure out his strategy, and then counter it. If he was going for cheese, then I had to defend against that cheese, survive, and counterattack (he would be behind in economy by then). Same with an all-in. If it was macro, then I needed to figure out his army composition and build the appropriate counters ¨C was he going air-heavy? Then I needed Vikings and Thors. Was he going for a massed ground push with Zealots, Stalkers and Immortals or Zerglings, Roaches and Hydralisks? Then I needed Hellbats with the infernal pre-ignitor upgrade and siege tanks. Or if he was too passive (focusing his efforts more on abusing or insulting me), I could aggressively expand and tech up to Battlecruisers and overpower him with sheer firepower.


    In Jiang Jun Hao''s case, I had to analyze his skills and figure out what his favored tactics were, and what he was vulnerable to.


    "Fei Wu!"


    I turned my head slightly when I heard Tang Qi Hong''s voice. She, Lian Rou and a cluster of inner sect disciples were holding their own, using superior quality Spirit Weapons to overwhelm a bunch of Heavenly Way Sect, Green Dragon and Kunlun Sect disciples who had made their way to the plaza. She drew a good quality sword from her spatial ring and tossed it to me.


    "Use this!"


    "Thanks!" I called back and dove forward, snatching the new sword before it hit the floor. And not a moment too soon.


    "Fucker!"


    With a roar, Jiang Jun Hao lunged at me, thrusting his spear forward. I deflected it with my newly acquired sword in my left hand, and then counterattacked with my Azure Lotus Sword in my right. Jiang Jun Hao staggered back, flipping his spear around to parry my strike with the shaft of his Heavenly Spear, and sparks flew between us as metal screeched against metal.


    I kicked at his knee, causing his leg to buckle, and then slashed with my new sword. Jiang Jun Hao, to his credit, knocked it away with his Heavenly Spear, but left his side open. I thrust my Azure Lotus Sword forward, and his eyes widened. Stumbling to the side in a desperate attempt to avoid the deadly blow, he wasn''t able to escape getting a cut on his face. A thin, red line appeared on his cheek before a trickle of blood flowed down.


    "Argh!"


    Clutching at his face, his complexion pale at the close shave, Jiang Jun Hao stumbled back. As for me, I pulled back in disappointment to catch my breath.


    "Damn, and I was hoping I could cut his neck," I muttered.


    "You hurt me¡­" Jiang Jun Hao growled in disbelief, staring at the blood on his fingers after he lowered his hand from his cheek. "You actually scratched me!"


    "Dude, you were trying to kill me. You think you can just jump into a fight and not get hurt by your opponent? We aren''t going to just lie down and let you walk over us, you know?" even as I explained, I was already familiar with the idiot''s delusional tendencies. This was the same guy who thought that he deserved compensation when we caught the weapon that he tried to murder us with. And continued to delude himself that he was stronger even after being physically proven wrong. Sighing, I shook my head and then fired a volley of qi beams at him.


    I wasn''t going to waste my time arguing with him when I could kill him.


    "Bastard!"


    However, unlike Wang Yan and 99.9% of xianxia/wuxia antagonists, Jiang Jun Hao wasn''t a pushover who existed solely for the protagonist to beat up. He lliterally vanished from in front of me, and reappeared in front of me, thrusting his Heavenly Spear forward.


    "!"


    Clang!


    I barely managed to deflect the tip of his spear in time. I scraped my foot against the ground and spun around, delivering a riposte that Jiang Jun Hao deflected. He then counterattacked, knocking both my swords back with immense force.


    Standing his ground, his killing intent suddenly intensified and he struck with his spear in fast, precise movements.


    "Hundred Heaven Splitting Spears!"


    The qi in his body exploded and his golden Heavenly Spear seemed to multiply before my eyes. They transformed into a hundred humongous spears, which streaked forward at my vital spots, each of them a lethal strike that would kill me instantly.


    "Kuh¡­!"


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    I did my best to deflect and parry them, my two swords going into overdrive as I knocked them away. Realizing how much faster and stronger Jiang Jun Hao was, and how I could just barely keep up, I abandoned any attempt on counterattacking and strove to stay alive by focusing completely on defense. Even so, I was nearly overwhelmed by his sheer speed and power, his spears mercilessly zeroing in on any vulnerable areas, such as my joints, my chest or my neck.


    Fortunately, I was able to direct his blows the way I wanted to. Despite his savagery, superior strength and speed, Jiang Jun Hao''s one-dimensional desire to kill me made him predictable. Thanks to my experience in real battlefields, I could somewhat play upon this to my advantage and tricked him into attacking me where I wanted, especially since my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps allowed me to read his techniques as a double insurance.


    I realized I might be playing with fire, but this was the only way I could survive at this moment. I revealed or feigned openings, particularly toward my weak spots, such as my neck or chest, tricking Jiang Jun Hao into attacking those. He was moving virtually on instinct, his training kicking in and his arms moving before he could think, his spear rushing toward my neck or chest or whatever openings I deliberately showed. Having anticipated that and led him on, I was thus in a position to deflect or parry those attacks because I was the one who purposely tricked him to strike at those areas in the first place. His spear that aimed for my neck was knocked away by Tang Qi Hong''s sword, while the tip that was directed at my forehead was swatted upward by my Azure Lotus Sword. A thrust toward my chest was parried by crossing both my swords.


    Of course, I was playing an extremely dangerous game. It only needed one attack ¨C just a single strike ¨C to land, and I would die instantly, unable to endure such a lethal hit. The moment Jiang Jun Hao''s Heavenly Spear gouged my heart out of my chest, or his spear crushed my head, or severed the blood vessels in my neck, I would die immediately.


    However, I would prefer a swift death than death by a hundred cuts. As misleading as the description for the latter was, a death by a hundred cuts was still death. Allowing Jiang Jun Hao to cut me up slowly but surely was still enough to guarantee my defeat. The gradual loss of blood, the accumulation of battle damage and injuries ¨C they would snowball to devastating effect, and my movements, stamina and reflexes would be slowed considerably. While I was weakening slowly but surely, Jiang Jun Hao would capitalize and deliver a fatal strike.


    So whichever path I chose, it would still end the same way. If that was the case, I might as well stake everything on not getting hurt.


    Clang!


    "¡­"


    The two of us sprang apart in a shower of sparks. I skidded backward and retreated gratefully, appreciating the time to catch my breath and recover. Jiang Jun Hao was only human, so he needed the break and a breather as well, but he had also withdrawn because he had realized that something was amiss.


    "I don''t understand."


    "Huh?" I raised an eyebrow, wondering why Jiang Jun Hao decided to start talking instead of resuming his attack. He was watching me warily, his eyebrows furrowed. I returned his inquisitive gaze. "What do you not understand?"


    "With your strength, why are you just a sidekick? You can be the protagonist of your own story."


    "Who says I''m a sidekick?" I snapped, irritated. "You''re the one who decided that on your own and labeled me as such. I already told you that I''m not a sidekick. You refused to believe me."


    Jiang Jun Hao didn''t answer. He was still thinking deeply, as if trying to decipher a mystery. He shook his head.


    "In terms of qi and realm, you''re much weaker than me. By right, you should have fallen by now. I''m much faster and stronger, yet for some reason you''re able to withstand all of my attacks and emerge without even a single scratch. You seem the type to engage in long-range combat." He glanced at my floating mobile turrets. I didn''t fire, because it would be a waste of qi and he would easily deflect the qi bolts anyway. "Yet you wield dual swords and fight me almost evenly in close range. I have never heard of anyone like you."


    "I am not responsible for your ignorance," I replied irritably.


    Jiang Jun Hao shook his head. "Just who the hell are you?"


    "You know who I am." I spread my hands, still holding my swords. "I''m Fei Wu, a member of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. You''re the ones who barged into our territory and tried to slaughter us all. Don''t pretend you are suddenly unaware of who we are."


    "That''s not what I meant!" Jiang Jun Hao snapped. "How are you pulling this off?! On paper, I''m a much more superior martial artist. I''m at a higher level, I''m stronger and faster, I have more qi. Theoretically, you shouldn''t be able to fight on par against me like this!"


    "That''s the problem with you people, all obsessed with realms, stages, levels, quantity of qi and stats." I shook my head. "Reality is never so neatly categorized and obedient to all these numbers that humans willfully imposed on them. So what if your strength value is higher than mine? Or that you have more qi than me? What does that mean in reality? It doesn''t mean you automatically win just because you''re stronger or faster. There''s a lot of other factors that interfere and influence the outcome of a match. The battlefield is an actual living, evolving thing."


    As if to emphasize my point, I gestured toward my fellow Blood Blades, where so many of us were still alive and the enemies were dead. Based on numbers and statistics alone, the enemy would have overwhelmed us long ago, but this was our homeground. We used tactics, such as funneling the enemies through killzones where we unleashed death in overlapping fields of fire. We could launch guerilla tactics on a numerically superior enemy and stall them.


    "Additionally," I continued. "It seems you misunderstand something about theory. Theory is just here to explain some things and help you optimize your tactics and plans. Theory does not decide the outcome of fights. They just inform you of the variables and explain how certain scenarios are reached, analyze the various factors and provide conjectures. Otherwise they wouldn''t separate theory from pratical. If everything is decided based on paper or theory alone, all we need to do is look at the matchup and team lists to decide the outcome of the match without the players actually playing a match. There''s no need for them to actually play out the football match, we can just automatically assign the team with theoretically better players the victory. But that''s not how football leagues work, right?"


    I shook my head bitterly.


    "Same with Warhammer 40,000. You have all these whiners and competitive win at all costs players crunching numbers and relying on mathhammer and statistics to prove their point, on how certain units are superior to other units, how they point for point deal the most damage or are the most durable, or whatever. But they are only calculating and mathhammering in a vacuum and stating their conclusions about the numbers as facts without actually playing any real games and seeing how they work out in reality. While I agree that theory, numbers and statistics do help you figure things out, improve your tactics and optimize your list, these whiners tend to over-rely on them and falsely equate theory with reality. There are so many things happening in a game that will affect how your entire army plays out, such as missions, synergies between units, etc. If all it took was for a specific combination of units or lists to win a game, then nobody would bother playing the game. You might as well make the tournament all about comparing lists and then basing the results solely on the lists. Why bother playing the game then?" I snorted. "It''s because theory does not equate to reality. It helps if you know the theory, and as a former graduate student I know how important theory is. However, it is precisely because I was a graduate student I also know the limits of theory. As much as win at all costs Warhammer 40,000 mathhammer people claim, theory does not decide the outcome of a match. It helps you deal with reality and mitigate unexpected occurrences, and account for different factors, problems and crises, but it does not decide or shape reality. You have to actually play out the game instead of claiming that your list is superior, the mathhammer is in your favor, and thus you should win automatically without even having to throw the dice or place your models."


    Jiang Jun Hao stared at me, his jaw dropping in astonishment.


    "What¡­what¡­what¡­?" he spluttered, probably unable to digest anything I had just told him.


    Sorry, but I had kept all those feelings bottled up, and everything just went to hell, and I had to vent after being insulted and abused by win-at-all-costs whiners who based all their arguments on numbers and mathhammer alone. Honestly, you could calculate and bring up a table of statistics all you want, but you aren''t going to convince anyone if you haven''t actually played any games to prove your point (and it has to be far more than a single game).


    "Oh, shut up! You''re just a loser who cheats!" Jiang Jun Hao, unable to refute my argument, resorted to the same strategy that all Internet trolls adopted whenever they couldn''t counter the other side''s points and instead attacked the poster without addressing anything they actually said. In other words, ad hominem.


    I merely shook my head. "If I''m a whining loser, what does that make you? Someone who can''t accept reality and has his head stuck so far up his ass that he''s deluding himself even though he was clearly staring reality in the face."


    "Just die already!"


    Incensed, Jiang Jun Hao jumped as far back as he could. I felt a chill run up my spine when his murderous intent suddenly exploded. A tremendous amount of qi was flowing into his Heavenly Spear, the volume so incredible that it was actually distorting the air around him.


    "¡­"


    Ice gripped my spine and I retreated despite realizing the futility of it. Jiang Jun Hao was preparing to unleash his ultimate technique.

 227 Chapter 226: The Sharpest Spear against the Sturdiest Shield

    I had, of course, heard about the Heavenly Way Sect''s ultimate technique. It was well known throughout the Great Zhou Empire, with the sect leader of the Heavenly Way Sect using it to destroy countless demonic sects.


    Normally, it was designated as an anti-army attack, with enough power to obliterate an entire company of soldiers when it landed in their midst. Not only that, it was an unavoidable, unescapable technique. I wasn''t sure how it actually worked ¨C not being a disciple of Heavenly Way Sect, who like all others kept the true nature and mechanisms of their strongest techniques a closely guarded secret ¨C but apparently it tracked down and homed in on the target, pursuing relentlessly until the designated target had been completely destroyed.


    There was no way I could dodge or escape it. I could only block it.


    "Be honored, for very few people of our generation has the change to witness it! And none have survived thus far!"


    Jiang Jun Hao was gloating as he held his Heavenly Spear up, continuing to draw more of his qi into it. As counterintuitive as it was, I knew that even if I tried to run now, it was too late. Even if I was out of sight, the moment he threw his spear, it would home in on me and hunt me down.


    That being the case, there was only one thing left to do. I sheathed both my swords and returned them to my storage device and recalled all of the mobile turrets into my floating Snow Aegis.


    Jiang Jun Hao didn''t care what I was doing. He was focusing everything into his attack. He backed away to almost a hundred meters, skillfully weaving through the crowd of battling martial artists. He then sprinted forward, only to jump high up once he had covered about fifty meters. Surging high up toward the heavens, he seemed to spiral about, lifting his Heavenly Spear as high and as far back as he could.


    "Heaven Destroying¡­"


    Arching his back, almost as if he was transforming his whole body into a tightly drawn bow, he pulled his Heavenly Spear as far back as possible, the muscles in his arm growing taut. Then like a tightly loaded spring, he hurled the spear forward as hard as he could.


    "¡­Divine Spear Strike!!!!"


    The Heavenly Spear disappeared into a golden streak as he threw it, flashing into a blinding projectile at it sped toward me like a colossal thunderbolt. Its path buffeted the battling martial artists with massive shockwaves and sonic booms, knocking down both allies and enemies alike from the sheer force of it.


    "What the hell?!"


    "That Jiang Jun Hao is actually using Heaven Destroying Divine Spear Strike?!"


    "Who is his opponent, to have forced him to use his ultimate technique?!"


    Screams and shouts filled the plaza as the martial artists scattered, particularly those in our generation.


    Unfortunately, it was useless for me to evade. There was only one move left for me. To block this terrifying blow with all my might!


    For a moment, I closed my eyes. To many, it seemed almost as if I had given up and resigned myself to my fate.


    But then I raised my hand and had Snow Aegis hover in front of me. Gathering all of my Heaven and Earth qi, I infused my Spirit Shield with my qi.


    "Snow Aegis!"


    With a yell, I constructed six formidable qi barriers in front of me.


    And not a moment too soon. A millisecond later, Jiang Jun Hao''s Heavenly Spear struck the first layer of qi, furiously drilling into it.


    For a moment, I dared to believe that I had successfully blocked it. And then Jiang Jun Hao''s Heavenly Spear shattered the first layer almost instantly. It struck the second layer forcibly, drilling mercilessly. The second barrier held ¨C for a few seconds ¨C before it blew up into transparent shards of azure-tinged qi, falling into fragments.


    "Kuh!"


    I staggered back, almost unable to withstand the blow. The Heavenly Spear crashed against the third layer, and once again it broke before long, unable to endure the vicious onslaught.


    Then the fourth held. For about half a minute longer than the rest before it finally crumbled before the incredible might of the Heavenly Spear.


    "Bastard¡­"


    Having landed a few dozen meters away, Jiang Jun Hao scowled. He straightened up and watched in disbelief as I fought to withstand his ultimate technique, his eyes narrowed. Gritting his teeth, he cursed under his breath.


    Jiang Jun Hao had originally expected my defense to crumble instantly, and his Heavenly Spear to utterly obliterate me within a second, or ten seconds at most. Yet here I was, holding off his strongest strike for almost a minute. Even though my defenses were slowly but surely disintegrating away, it was a fact that I had staved off my inevitable defeat for a period of time that had exceeded everyone''s imaginations.


    It wasn''t just Jiang Jun Hao. All the other martial artists were slowly drawn toward the amazing spectacle, their eyes riveted on my colossal battle to withstand Jiang Jun Hao''s ultimate technique. Our enemies were stunned while my fellow comrades and allies in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect were daring to hope that I could make it.


    This was no longer just a fight between me and Jiang Jun Hao. We had both become symbols of the younger generations of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and the Martial Arts Alliance, and the outcome of this showdown would certainly have a significant effect on our morale.


    I couldn''t afford to lose!


    Bang!


    Despite that, my fifth layer shattered pathetically, and Jiang Jun Hao''s Heavely Spear drilled onto my sixth and final layer. It crashed violently against my barrier, rotating rapidly in an effort to penetrate my last defense.


    There was no way I was going to give up here! Everyone was depending on me here! This would no longer be just my loss if I fell here!


    "NUOOOOOOOOOH!"


    With a roar, I poured every vestige of my qi into Snow Aegis through my right arm, and staked everything on soliditfying Snow Aegis''s defense. The final protective screen flared up brightly as more of my azure qi reinforced it.


    However, Jiang Jun Hao''s Heavenly Spear also glowed mercilessly and tyrannically. The next moment, both Snow Aegis and I, as well as my opponent''s Spirit Treasure Weapon, were engulfed in an enormous explosion that blossomed upward like a mushroom cloud, consuming the plaza and sending all the younger martial artists flying and hurtling from the sheer force.


    "What the hell?!"


    "AAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "What power!"


    "UGH!"


    "Fei Wu!" Tang Qi Hong screamed, even though she had conjured a defensive Spirit Shield of her own to protect herself, Lian Rou and several of the other inner sect disciples.


    "No way!" Tong Xue gasped a few distance away, even as he was being buffeted by the incredible shockwaves.


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    "Heh¡­I can''t believe the younger generation is capable of unleashing such destructive power." Tian Yu Di chuckled above as he clashed against Shen Tian Yi and Long Shen, knocking away the first guy''s spear and crushing the second opponent''s gargantuan green dragon with a gigantic fist made out of qi. "Times have really changed in a millennium."


    "Don''t underestimate the kids," Shen Tian Yi growled. "They represent the hope of our future!"


    "Yes¡­I have seen that firsthand." Tian Yu Di glanced at the explosion that had enveloped me. "My grand disciple is no pushover."


    "But he has been killed by Young Master Jiang." Shen Tian Yi couldn''t conceal the slight smugness and pride in his voice.


    "I wonder about that." Tian Yu Di grinned coldly before he darted away from Long Shen''s blazing sword and deflected Shen Tian Yi''s spear with his bare hand.


    As the mushroom cloud abated, a single golden streak blurred through the air. It returned to a waiting Jiang Jun Hao, who reached out and grabbed it, twirling it easily before planting it on the ground. His scowl deepened when he noticed the countless cracks that had spread over his precious Heavenly Spear, and how the golden glow that used to suffuse it had dimmed drastically. Another hit and it would shatter.


    "What the hell was that Spirit Shield!?" he swore under his breath, and turned his disbelieving eyes toward the dissipating conflagration


    I was on my knees, clutching my right arm. Blood dripped down my face and body, dozens of cuts having appeared all over me. Gritting my teeth, it was all I could do to keep myself from passing out, but the injuries I had suffered were no joke.


    Snow Aegis had disappeared, having reverted to the tiny storage device I usually carried around when not using it in battle. Like Jiang Jun Hao''s Heavenly Spear, its glow and qi had diminished and my glasses brought out worrying statistics and numbers. Even if I didn''t understand the numbers, I knew enough to comprehend that it had suffered incredible damage and was in urgent need of repair. I wouldn''t be able to use it in the next few days until I fixed it.


    "Amazing¡­" I praised Jiang Jun Hao. "I didn''t think anyone from our generation would be able to penetrate Snow Aegis''s defenses. I had designed it to be impervious to all projectile attacks, and yet you were able to overcome its mystic barriers with just a single strike from your ultimate attack. In terms of raw attack power, you are truly stronger than perhaps even Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao.


    "Who the fuck are you?!" Jiang Jun Hao demanded, astonished that I had survived. Despite my grevious injuries, I had directly received his most powerful attack, an ultimate technique that was known to be the bane of many demonic martial aritsts, and emerged with my life preserved.


    "Just a member of the Blood Blades from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." I shrugged indifferently. "You should already be aware of my identity."


    "Bullshit!" Jiang Jun Hao snapped. "I have never heard of anyone from Nine-tailed Fox Sect possessing a Spirit Shield durable enough to counter a Spirit Treasure Weapon passed down for generations in Heavenly Way Sect!"


    "Well, now you have," I pointed out dryly. "You can update your information now. And as you can see, this is the result."


    I shook my head wryly as I raised both my hands in mock surrender.


    "You smashed my Snow Aegis, after I have expended the majority of my qi to withstand that attack, and one of my arms are rendered almost useless in the process. Ah¡­that was the greatest protection that I possessed." I then smiled. "But at least I took out your precious Heavenly Spear in the bargain, so it''s worth it."


    "Worth it?!" Jiang Jun Hao roared. "Bloody fucking bastard! I will kill you!"


    He charged forward with his diminished Heavenly Spear. Even though it was vastly reduced in power, it still had enough strength to kill me with a clean hit, more so especially now that I was heavily wounded.


    Even though I was grievously wounded, I was far from helpless, however.


    Drawing Azure Lotus Sword from my damaged storage device (which was stil functioning properly despite the defensive properties having been completely blown out and the DRAGOON system in emergency shut down), I plunged it into the ground ¨C a job made easier because I was kneeling. The moment my blade touched the ground, I let out a shout.


    "Enhance Armament!"


    Again, the entire space was encased in ice. Jiang Jun Hao tried to skid to a stop, but he found himself trapped in ice.


    "This stupid trick again!" he bellowed, smashing his way out. But with his Heavenly Spear damaged heavily, he found it more difficult to break his way out of the ice.


    It was more than enough for me to launch a counterattack of my own. Using my remaining good hand, I stabbed his shoulder with Azure Lotus Sword.


    "!!!"


    Jiang Jun Hao froze as my blade pierced his shoulder, his Heavenly Spear and limbs still trapped in the ice and thus unable to defend himself. I still had to hand it to him, though. I had been aiming for his head, or at least to decapitate him, but his reflexes had saved his life, Jiang Jun Hao moving his head out of the way in time.


    Unfortunately for him, it wasn''t enough.


    Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Without any hesitation, and just like Jiang Yan Pan before me, I unleashed one of my killing techniques at pointblank range, flooding Jiang Jun Hao''s insides with my destructive qi. As before, Jiang Jun Hao''s body swelled up before expoding into blood and viscera.


    As I crashed onto the ground, a rain of blood pounding onto me and staining both my clothes and skin red, there was no sign of the screaming Jiang Jun Hao left.


    "J¡­Jiang Jun Hao is dead!"


    "Jiang Jun Hao has been killed!"


    "Fei Wu has won!"


    "Fei Wu not only withstood Jiang Jun Hao''s Heaven Destroying Divine Spear Strike, but defeated him as well!"


    "No way!"


    "Impossible!"


    "Hah! The Heavenly Way Sect is nothing big after all!"


    "All members of Blood Blades, counterattack!"


    Just as I had expected, the outcome of our duel had a drastic effect on morale. The Heavenly Way Sect who had arrived immediately collapsed, the disciples going into shock and falling to their knees, becoming ripe targets for the murderous Blood Blades. Their allies from the Green Dragon Sect and Kunlun Sect were not as affected, but they were still shaken tremendously after witnessing the prodigy''s demise, and their movements were somewhat dulled.


    Like a domino effect, the shift in morale rippled across the plaza, and the invading sects found themselves driven out of the plaza while taking massive casualties.


    "Retreat! Fall back! Regroup!"


    "Stop fighting for now! Nine-Tailed Fox Sect holds the advantage!"


    "Young Master!" Shen Tian Yi shouted when he saw Jiang Jun Hao''s messy death. However, he almost received a fatal strike when Tian Yu Di punched his midriff. He managed to parry the devastating fist with his spear, but he was sent spinning helplessly in the air from the tremendous impact, a trickle of blood leaking from his mouth.


    "Where do you think you''re looking at, getting distracted in the middle of a battle?" Tian Yu Di taunted.


    "Get lost, old monster!" Long Shen shouted as he slashed at Tian Yu Di''s back, but Ancestral Master merely caught his blazing blade with his bare hand before punching him away. He burst out laughing.


    "Just the death of one kid, and you''re all getting this flustered? Did you guys really underestimate my grand disciple this much?"


    Not far away, Song Si Yuan was being repelled by Zi Da Ji. He frowned as he glanced toward the middle of the plaza.


    "¡­not bad," he said quietly. "We seem to have underestimated your disciples."


    "Hmph." Zi Da Ji snorted. "Fei Wu has been one of the most promising younger generation members of Blood Blades so far. Look down on him at your own peril."


    Song Si Yuan smiled sinisterly. "Honestly, I don''t care if Heavenly Way Sect loses one of their most talented disciples. They have nothing to do with me."


    "Yet here you are, attacking us." Zi Da Ji scowled. "How shameless!"


    She then drew a spear from one of her nine flailing qi tails and slashed at Song Si Yuan, taking him by surprise and driving him back a few steps.


    Again, not far away, Lang Xie and a group of elite Blood Blades were dealing with Xie Zhi Zhang.


    "Fei Wu has won against that prodigy second disciple of Heavenly Way Sect!"


    "He did it!"


    "All right! Let''s not lose to him! Eliminate this fellow!"


    The Blood Blades had been buoyed by the sight of Jiang Jun Hao''s demise and their attacks grew sharper and more precise, actually forcing Xie Zhi Zhang to retreat.


    Lang Xie nodded quietly as he listened to his subordinates cheering. He took note of their increased morale and thought of how to beter make use of it. They didn''t have a lot of time left, after all.


    He was right.


    The three sects retreating from the plaza suddenly stopped falling back when reinforcements came. The first ten invading sects had finally gathered around Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s entrance and were preparing for one final push.


    "It''s about to tighten the noose," Yin Xue Sheng declared coldly.


    "Yes." Jiang Yuan nodded in agreement. "All of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s combatants, inner sect disciples and inner sect elders have all pulled back to the plaza. It''s time we finish this once and for all."


    "I want to witness this historical moment," Fu Zhuo Hui added with malicous delight. "The fall of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect¡­and the opening of a space in one of the eight major sects."


    No doubt he was planning for Dark Asura Sect to take Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s place after the latter had fallen.


    "I want to deal with that Fei Wu myself! I hope that you will leave that brat to me!" Jiu Liu Yu voiced out her desires, confident that no one would challenge her over an insignificant junior. She wouldn''t have cared about me either, until she had learned that I had saved her two disciples. And being the bitch that she was, she immediately jumped to conclusions and assumed the worst.


    "Let''s go!"


    The leaders of the invading sects led their subordinates through Tushan City and then barged through Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s entrance, destroying the gate without hesitation or shame. Saturated with killing intent, all of them charged toward the plaza.


    Su Bai Xue, Shi Jing Yun and Wu Tuo had retreated with the vanguard wave from Heavenly Way Sect and the others, and they were meeting up with the reinforcements surging through the broken gate for one last push.


    It was now or never.


    Forcing myself to my feet, I limped toward the center of the plaza. Noticing what I was doing, the surviving Blood Blades and inner sect disciples formed a ring around me protectively. They had heard the plan long ago, after all.


    "Wu, are you all right?" Tang Qi Hong asked, concerned. "You''re badly hurt!"


    "Yeah, well¡­I couldn''t possibly emerge from a duel with someone of Jiang Jun Hao''s caliber unscathed, can I?"


    "But you defeated him." Tong Xue shook his head in amazement. "That''s really something! We might still have hope after all!"


    "No¡­"


    Lian Rou raised her head and stared in the direction of our sect entrance, turning pale. Everyone followed her gaze and trembled when they saw the vast host of the invading army marching toward us, emanating a hostile air of murderous intent.


    "That was just the beginning," Lian Rou whispered timidly. "The real battle is just about to begin."


    In reponse to her, I smiled darkly and chuckled malevolently.

 228 Chapter 227: Nukes

    "I hope your plan works," Tong Xue muttered to me nervously as he watched the enemies pile into our sect.


    "It will," I assured him. "The prototypes worked, so there''s no reason to think the latest versions wouldn''t."


    "What are you waiting for?" Lian Rou asked me. I grinned.


    "For all of them to be within the blast radius so that I can inflict maximum damage. If I detonate the Sunbursts too easily, there would still be too many enemies outside the blast radius. I want to cut down their numbers as much as possible. Might as well maximize our advantage, right?"


    "How much more powerful do you think the explosions will be?" Tang Qi Hong asked, recalling the power of the prototypes. "Will it be enough to make a difference against such overwhelming numbers?"


    "Several times¡­and yeah, it will have to be enough." I glanced at the surviving Blood Blades. "We''ll have to take care of the survivors the hard way."


    "All troops! Move your battle-automata to the front!" Hai Rong ordered. The Blood Blades obeyed, directing their battle puppets to form a ring of iron around us. Castellax battle-automata formed a circle, with Thallax battle puppets filling the gaps, their weapons facing outward and spitting out a steady stream of death.


    Even when cornered, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was defiant to the death.


    "This is where we make our last stand!" Zi Shou De shouted, raising his hand. Our morale soared when we saw that he and most of our leaders were still alive. Of the Great Elders, half of them were missing. Third and Fifth Elder were gone, leaving just Luo Zhi Chang, the second Great Elder and Fourth Great Elder behind.


    "That''s right!" Zi Da Ji cried out as she clashed against Song Si Yuan, their Spirit Weapons producing sparks. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect stands!"


    Long Shen glanced down at Zi Shou De and shook his head bitterly before being blasted away by Tian Yu Di.


    "You still choose to fight bitterly to the very end?" he growled. "You guys don''t understand the meaning of death, do you?"


    "They might just win." Tian Yu Di chuckled as he puched at Long Shen, a colossal blast of qi unleashed from his fist and battering the Venerable Dragon God. While Long Shen struggled to withstand the assault, Tian Yu Di swooped down to finish him off, but Shen Tian Yi swung his spear in an attempt to decapitate the ancient Heaven and Earth Sect elder, forcing him back. "They have already created so many miracles."


    "You will all die for your stupidity!" Su Bai Xue cried out hysterically as she glanced at her stump.


    What the fuck?


    No, seriously¡­what the fuck? You guys strolled right in, trespassed into Tushan City, slaughtered the outer sect disciples, outer sect elders and Blood Blades martial artists as well as civilians, wanted to plunder and steal our wealth and resources, and enslave the blacksmiths, and you''re telling us now that it was wrong of us to "recklessly" fight back?


    Who the fuck wrote this script?


    "One for all, all for one!" Zi Shou De growled determinedly, not at all affected by Shi Jing Yun''s bullshit and utter lack of logic. "All of us here are members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! We stand and live together, or we fall and die together! The blacksmiths will not sacrifice the martial artists just so they can live, and the martial artists will not abandon the martial artists to escape on their own! We are all family, bonded together by ties stronger than blood! As long as you harm even a single member of our sect, whether outer sect, inner sect or Blood Blades, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will make sure you pay for your crimes in their entirety!"


    "YEAH!"


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    All members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect roared in agreement, raising their hands. I also joined in, raising Azure Lotus Sword with my relatively uninjured left hand.


    "We will rather die than live under captivity, enslaved!" Luo Zhi Chang hollered defiantly.


    "You may destroy our physical bodies, but you''ll never enslave our souls!" Elder Tie Jiang added resolutely.


    "Till death!" Elder Zhao shouted, raising his sword.


    "Take as many of the enemies as you can!" a wounded Hai Rong shrieked.


    "TILL DEATH!" all of the Blood Blades martial artists bellowed.


    "¡­you''ve gone insane," Song Si Yuan remarked, shaking his head. But his face had gotten pale as he watched us defy the Martial Arts Alliance for what seemed to be the last time.


    "No," Zi Da Ji corrected. "You were the ones who were insane for ever conceiving the schemes of attacking us in the first place."


    "Stop this madness at once!" Xie Zhi Zhang protested. "Do you really intend to fight to the death? Do you really plan on throwing away your lives?"


    Lang Xie regarded him coldly. "You were all about to kill every member of Blood Blades anyway. Since we''re going to die either way, we might as well go out fighting."


    "What if we guarantee the lives of all the Blood Blades and outer sect? If I can persuade the Martial Arts Alliance to spare your lives, will all of you stand down?"


    Xie Zhi Zhang was flustered by the terrible bloodbath this battle had turned into. He couldn''t possibly be this na?ve, to expect people not to fight back when they were being hunted down and killed, could he?


    A hint of a smile touched Lang Xie''s lips for what seemed the first time ever since I had met him.


    "Too late for that," he replied. "And after all you''ve done, there''s no way we can trust you. Blood Blades! Kill!"


    "KILL!"


    Hollering at the order of their vice-commander, the few of them directly following him threw themselves at a horrified Xie Zhi Zhang.


    While the air above the plaza was still embroiled in conflict, on ground level the violence had somewhat abated. The invading sects had been driven back by the sheer hellstorm of firepower from the battle puppets.


    "Yin Xue Sheng, Jiang Yuan, Fu Zhuo Hui, Jiu Liu Yu and Cao Xuan Rui."


    Zi Shou De''s eyes swept across the intimidating tide and immediately picked out the leaders of the various sects. They were scattered, but otherwise they were all present. The sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect glanced at me, but shook his head.


    Not yet. He wanted them to draw closer first.


    I nodded imperceptibly, but didn''t give anything else away. We didn''t want to reveal our trump card this early.


    "Xue Di! You''ve come!"


    Su Bai Xue''s eyes glowed with delight and she rushed over to her husband, who was accompanied by Yin Xue Sheng. All the leaders of Snow Valley Sect, with the exception of Feng Ling (who was still sweeping through Tushan City) were present.


    She spun around and jabbed a finger at us with her remaining arm. "Make sure you kill every single one of those damned blacksmiths!"


    "That''s what we are here for," Yin Bai Di replied coldly.


    "Good to see that you''re still alive." Cao Xuan Rui nodded toward Wu Tuo. "Cloud Sky Mountain is not far behind. You can join them if you want to."


    Wu Tuo shook his head. "I want to witness Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s demise up close."


    "Old Shi! So you''re still alive!"


    One of the Six Valley Sect members cried out when Shi Jing Yun hurried over. He nodded, still gingerly rubbing at the stump where his left arm used to be.


    "It''ll take a lot more than losing an arm to kill me."


    Oh¡­he had no idea what was coming for him.


    "Hmph." Jiu Liu Yu regarded him, though she was somewhat relieved. She then turned toward the plaza. "Where is that brat named Fei Wu? I will have Yu Mei castrate you right now and feed your manhood to the dogs!"


    Everyone shuddered and stepped away from her for a second, especially the men. The men, particularly, automatically covered their crotch. I winced and shook my head.


    "Is there something wrong with that old bitch?" I muttered.


    "What did you do to earn such a grudge from her?" Tang Qi Hong demanded. I shrugged, as clueless as her.


    "Dunno. Maybe because I killed Lu Li, who''s one of her direct disciples?"


    It was only later that I found out the truth, but at that time I remained in the dark as to why that bitch Jiu Liu Yu harbored such hatred for me.


    "Tong Xue!"


    A girl''s voice screamed from outside. Following the people from Divinne Shadow Sect, Cang Li stomped toward the line of battle-automata, trying her best to duck the lethal storm of fire they were shooting at her. Many of her Divine Shadow Sect members died as they supported her, but she recklessly pressed on, determined to reach Tong Xue.


    "Cang Li?" Tong Xue grimaced. "What is she doing here?"


    "Who is she?" Lian Rou asked, confused at the psychopathic girl''s suicidal charge. Tong Xue sighed and shook his head.


    "No one important."


    "I see! So that is the girl you love, huh? I''ll make sure to kill her right before your eyes and drag you back to Divine Shadow Sect!"


    Cang Li cackled madly as she closed in.


    "You¡­" Tong Xue''s eyes flashed with fury. At a flick of his mental thought, he yanked his Thallax battle puppets back. They followed his will and shifted their aim. Triple electric arcs streamed from their lightning guns and fried Cang Li, throwing her off course and knocking her back onto the ground. She slammed into the outer sect district, rolling along the feet of her comrades. Fumes rose from her twitching body, but incredibly she was still alive.


    "You¡­you actually hit me!" she spluttered as she struggled to get to her feet. Tong Xue shrugged nonchalantly, disappointed that she wasn''t dead.


    "You deserve it."


    "All of you will die right here, right now!" Jiu Liu Yu snarled as she stomped toward the plaza, conjuring a shield that deflected their projectiles. "Even the Emperor cannot save you now! We''ll destroy your pathetic sect before the Imperial Guard arrives!"


    "Yeah, yeah." Zi Shou De rolled his eyes and sighed, getting sick and tired of listening to the enemy commanders'' prattle. He swept his eyes across the outer sect districts, noting the immense flood of enemy martial artists flowing unceasingly. He then smirked and turned toward me. "Fei Wu. Any time now would be good."


    "Very good, sir." I fished out a remote control from my damaged Snow Aegis. Despite the damage it had taken during my battle against Jiang Jun Hao, the storage function still worked. I then pressed the big red button in the midde.


    For a second, nothing happened.


    Then tremendous amounts of qi erupted from beneath the enemies'' feet. They weren''t able to react in time, even as a thunderous wave of energy rumbled under them, filling the air with static. The temperature shot up from relatively cool to above boiling point in just a millisecond.


    Chuckling, Tian Yu Di risked getting hit by his two high-level enemies to glance down at the main sect grounds, having detected the faint spike in qi and already aware of the plan. He actually clapped his hands gleefully.


    "Good! Very good!"


    "What''s that?"


    The elites of the thirteen sects who had entered looked around for the next one second or so when they sensed the surge in energy all around them, but couldn''t find the source.


    That was because they were looking at the wrong place.


    A few of them, such as Jiang Yuan, immediately noticed that something was amiss. Jiang Yuan and his few Cloud Sky Mountain Sect just happened to be on the outskirts, far away from everyone else who had barged into the main sect grounds of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and even he was almost unable to notice it in time.


    "What the hell is going on?!" he yelled, already running.


    It was too late.


    BOOM!


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The seven Sunburst bombs that I had mined in the outer sect district and throughout Tushan City all exploded in unison.


    Seven explosions erupted from the ground, turning into thermonuclear blasts generated from the awesome power of qi fusion. In milliseconds, the temperature soared from boiling point to four thousand degrees Celsius, capable of matching the temperature on the surface of the sun and enough to melt iron. Sand immediately turned into glass, and countless martial artists were disintegrated instantly from the release of heat energy.


    The colossal conflagrations continued to blossom upward, turning into seven mushroom clouds that practically blocked out the sun. buildings were simply erased, and the enemy troops occupying the ground they had so painstakingly captured after spilling so much blood ceased to exist as the flames rolled over them and the refuges they sought shelter in.


    "All Blood Blades martial artists! Maximum barrier!" Hai Rong shouted. She had already given the command before the detonation, having seen me press the button. I had also carried out her order after I hit the red button and kept the remote control.


    All the Castellax battle-automata stood firmly, forming a ring of iron around us. But this time, their atomantic shielding flared to life, shimmering and merging into a dome-shaped circular barrier that enveloped the entire plaza. Even as the enormous shockwaves battered against the merged shields mercilessly, the invulnerable barrier saved us from taking any wounds. A few of the battle-automata shorted out, their plasma systems overloaded from the abuse their shields took, but that was a small price to pay for keeping all of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members alive from the Sunburst bombs'' thermonuclear explosions.


    In just this single act of mass destruction, the whole of Tushan City had been leveled. The outer sect districts also ceased to exist, obliterated by the sheer heat and power. All who were within the place were disintegrated, disappearing as if they had never been there, almost as if the demons from the underworld had reached out to pluck them from existence and pulled them into hell.


    Even after the explosions, the mushroom clouds continued to blossom upward, and plasma fires burned hotly upon blackened remains. Several buildings remained standing, but they were nothing but charred husks, entire sections demolished and incinerated. Rivers of fire blazed along incendiary paths, while molten rock continued to glow red-hot against the grayish, ashy fog that fell back upon the remains of the once-proud city.


    "Great explosion! Well done! Very well done indeed!" Tian Yu Di was cheering crazily, still clapping his hands. He roared with laughter, especially after glancing at the sturdy barrier that continued to stand tall over the plaza, preserving the lives of every Nine-Tailed Fox Sect member caught within it. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"


    I could relate to him. After all, I was the one who created these bombs. And I was the guy in Supreme Commander who always went for nukes. I like using nukes in Starcraft 2, but they lacked the power and punch that the nukes in Supreme Commander possessed, and since I am a mech player, I was always reluctant to build Ghosts just for the nukes. Plus they weren''t very reliable, since the opponent could kill the Ghost before the nuke landed and I would have just wasted 100 minerals and 100 gas.


    But in this scenario, there was no Ghost to direct the nuke onto the enemy, and I could detonate the ones I had already mined. Since the people in this timeline had never experienced the power of a nuke before, they had no idea what to expect. They never would have thought that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would possess such a horrifying trump card.


    Best of all, this was the excuse they used to justify their invasion of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Yet ironically ¨C especially because they knew it was a bullshit excuse they invented, and a complete lie ¨C they didn''t think we would actually be capable of building an actual weapon of mass destruction and use it against them.


    The irony was so delicious. Their lie had turned into a truth in the most unimaginable way possible.


    Through the fizzling barriers, I could barely make out the sheer destruction we had wrought. Even as the main perpetuator, I was still horrified by what I had done. It was one thing to nuke digitally created armies in a computer game, and quite another to unleash such a terrifying weapon in reality. No doubt edgelord readers would be scorning me for this, but I did feel guilt and horror at what I had done.


    There were seven craters all around the city, each about a hundred meters deep and about a kilometer or two across. Seven craters gouged out of Tushan City, each massive scar a sobering monument to the terror I had just unleashed upon Mankind for the very first time in this timeline.


    "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," I whispered. It never hit me what I was doing, inventing the Sunburst for this timeline, until the sheer reality and destruction struck me. It wasn''t just me. All the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members were watching in muted horror and shock.


    "W¡­what¡­"


    "No way¡­"


    "That''s not possible¡­"


    "What¡­what did we just use?"


    No doubt, after such a horrific weapon, people would be justified in wanting to control weapons of mass destruction. But honestly, that was just utter hypocrisy. If we didn''t unleash the Sunburst on the thirteen invading sects, we would have been the ones massacred. What was the difference between dying from military genocide enacted by the Martial Arts Alliance and dying from Sunburst? Other than the time it took to kill, and the complete razing of the environment, plus the immense firepower and destruction unleashed, they both drove toward the same outcome.


    The butchery of countless lives. They couldn''t possibly claim that they were right to massacre our sect to prevent the massacres of their sects, could they? Especially since we would never have annihilated them if they didn''t push us. Hell, we wouldn''t even have bothered inventing the Sunburst bomb out of necessity if they didn''t drive us to a corner.


    They couldn''t accuse us of war crimes when they were just as culpable. Just in a different, less eye-catching form.


    The battle-automata all shut down, their shields overloaded and their systems fried. We would need to repair them later, but for now they were entirely spent and deactivated, unable to take any further part in the battle.


    If we wanted to fight, we would have to rely on our own human martial arts skills as well as the remaining Thallax battle puppets (unlike the Castellax battle-automata, Thallax battle puppets did not possess atomantic shielding to give them an invulnerable save).


    Not that we would need to fight as fiercely as before.


    As the barrier powered down, I could get a clearer view of the destruction, particularly with the magnification function of my glasses.


    The craters weren''t just deep. Along their walls, and at their depths, the normally black rock had turned red-hot and molten, resembling liquid lava more than normal craters. They continued to glow from the incredible heat, most of the ground eaten away by the superheated plasma unleashed by the qi fusion process in my Sunburst bombs.


    Sss¡­


    Fumes continued to pour out from the molten lava, acrid and hot. The stink of cooked flesh filled the air, making people gag, but thankfully it wasn''t as strong as it normally would be, not with the majority of the dead incinerated into ashes.


    To my surprise, there were a few survivors. A few people stood scattered about the edges of the craters, having avoided the worst of the blasts. They were shellshocked and hollow, staring blankly at the deep craters and still trying to make sense of what had just occurred. Some of them dropped to their knees and stared hard, as if trying to look for their dead comrades.


    It was useless. The majority of the dead, as I said earlier, had been disintegrated, reduced to nothing but ashes. As for those few still fortunate enough to remain relatively intact despite the explosion, they had been blackened and charred beyond recognition, resembling nothing so much but skeletons clawing at the air.


    The surviving martial artists had fallen to despair and shock, still unable to comprehend what had just happened.


    Jiu Liu Yu was gone. Cao Xuan Rui was gone. Yin Xue Sheng was gone. Even Yin Xue Di was also gone.


    Not to mention Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue. They had finally been freed from being hostages, escaping to their comrades, only to die literally minutes later when they were caught in the ferocious explosions along with their newly arrived reinforcements. Well, honestly, they deserved it.


    Jiang Yuan, Fu Zhuo Hui, Ji Liu and a few dozen or so people scattered around the seven massive craters had been hollowed up, their eyes blank and lifeless. They continued staring emptily into the gigantic craters, desperately and futilely searching for any sign of anyone they knew, the comrades they had fought alongside with just a minute ago.


    There was nothing.


    "Excellent! As expected of someone who succeeded the Heaven and Earth Sect! You really are worthy to be the sect leader!"


    Amidst the terrifying silence, only Tian Yu Di''s crazed laughter filled the air.


    "You¡­you are insane!"


    A shrill scream filled the air. it wasn''t from Cang Li, thank Heavens ¨C she had been completely incinerated by the explosions after Tong Xue''s Thallax battle puppets electrocuted her ¨C but judging from her filthy uniform she was a survivor from the Snow Valley Sect. Or at least one of the Seven Valley Sects ¨C with all the dust on her, it was hard to tell.


    "Mass murderers! Butchers! You''re all insane! How dare you be so ruthless?!"


    The girl was growing hysterical now, pointing and blubbering, having gone insane from fear and shock. I shook my head, but it was Zi Shou De who spoke up, despite his pale complexion at the horrifying sight.


    "Sure, we might definitely be ruthless, but when you''ve made it clear that you''re going to slaughter our entire sect without mercy, did you not expect us to retaliate?"


    The girl fell silent, gaping at the sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in shock. Zi Shou De continued, undeterred.


    "Oh, so when you want to exterminate an entire sect, it''s okay. But if we use our Spirit Equipment to kill you, then we''re butchers and ruthless. You mass murder my sect''s people, but you call us butchers. I don''t understand the logic of you martial artists."


    "These fuckers start a war and complain because their people die?" Jing Wei yelled. "Fuck you all! I find it funny that you call us insane and ruthless, but you were going to massacre our entire sect because we cut off a few arms!"


    "I know, right?" I shook my head wearily. "It''s like these idiots think it''s natural for us to accept our deaths, but how dare we defend ourselves! It''s like only the Martial Arts Alliance are allowed to slaughter, ****, retaliate and plunder! But the victims have no right to defend themselves from the Martial Arts Alliance''s atrocities!"


    "They come to kill everyone in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and are upset that we fought back." Tong Xue sighed heavily. "So they came to kill everyone, and they''ve killed everyone they could kill, but now that the tables have been turned, they are complaining about our ruthlessness. What a bunch of retards."


    Thanks to the girl''s extreme hypocrisy and lack of logic, we were able to pull ourselves back from the brink of horror and assess the situation more calmly. Right before this act of mass destruction, we were on the brink of annihilation.


    Sure, this might have been ruthless and horrifying, but only after we detonated my Sunburst bombs were we able to survive! Otherwise, it would have been us who died horrifying deaths under the hands of these ruthless sects intent on massacring us!

 229 Chapter 228: Tragedy

    That was why I never imagined that my Sunburst bombs would be so potent. I had estimated the firepower to be amplified by several dozen times, but if the readings on my glasses were to be belived, they were at least a thousand times stronger.


    The destructive power of my Sunburst bombs had exceeded my expectations entirely.


    Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s outer sect and Tushan City, which had stood for so many years, had been wiped out immediately. As I said earlier, most of the buildings had been completely obliterated, and what few structures that remained standing were mere blackened, hollow husks, empty shells of their former selves.


    The seven craters were basically what remained most visible of the once prosperous city from afar, molten lava still coursing through the sides and bottom. Ash flaked across the ruined land, but whether they were from the dead or from demolished buildings, it was hard to tell. Flames continued to blaze in fierce infernos, ravenously consuming what little was left for them to burn. Thick plumes of acrid fumes billowed upward, shrouding the decimated city in a foul fog.


    Jiang Yuan, Fu Zhuo Hui, Ji Liu and dozens of others stood beside the scorched craters, their expressions hollow as they watched the sand get fused into glass. They stared blankly into the blazing depths, as if hoping to locate someone or something.


    On the plaza, the Great Elders and inner sect elders were still in a stupor, their mouths hanging open when they witnessed the magnitude of destruction. Fortunately, the hypocritical girl''s comments had snapped them out of their speechlessness and they nodded gravely.


    "The ones who pushed us into a corner and massacred so many of our kinsmen have no right to call us ruthlessness and butchers!" Luo Zhi Chang growled.


    "Was it not you all who slaughtered so many of our civilians and sect members?" Tie Jiang shouted. "And you still want to claim the higher moral ground?"


    "Kill them all!" Elder Zhao shouted.


    "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," I whispered again, nodding to myself. This must be what Julius Robert Oppenheimer must have felt when he witnessed the atomic bomb detonate in front of his eyes (well, not literally, or he would have been blinded by the flash). Only now did the significance of that quote sink in.


    However, the math didn''t add up. I didn''t put in that much more qi powder into the Sunburst bombs. Furthermore, as I analyzed the recordings from my glasses, it seemed that the Sunburst bombs did not merely detonate simultaneously. The qi fusion and shockwaves had melded, merged and amplified each other''s power even more strongly, exceeding the sum of their parts. The drastic surge in firepower was not simply a multiplication of seven.


    Unfortunately, I was not a math major. I was a literature and history major (which was what led to the idea of inventing nukes in the first place), so try as I might, the numbers didn''t add up. Perhaps it had something to do with exponentials, but that was for greater minds than mine to calculate. Maybe my brother would know.


    But, as I said, the combined explosive power of the seven Sunburst bombs had certainly exceeded my imagination.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Tian Yu Di, who was still engaged in combat with Long Shen and Shen Tian Yi, was doubling over with laughter. Fortunately for him, his opponents were too shocked and speechless to take advantage of his lapse in concentration, the two of them staring at the seven craters and disastrous aftermath with their mouths open.


    He was the only one who wasn''t horrified or surprised by the catastrophic explosion. I wondered if he had known about the devastating power that would be produced by the synergy between the multiple Sunburst bombs when they were detonated in unison. In fact, it appeared as if he had been hoping for this to happen.


    "Ancestral Master, did you know that the multiple explosions in unison would amplify their power by this much?"


    "Huh? How the hell would I know?" Tian Yu Di stared at me, amused. "You''re the one who invented that bomb thing. Not me. How would I know it wold be this powerful? I''m just delighted at the way you''ve exceeded my imagination and proved once again why you''re worthy to be the sect leader! There is no question that following you would restore the might and reputation of Heaven and Earth Sect again! Ha ha ha ha!"


    I shrugged. Fair enough. It would be overly contrived if Tian Yu Di admitted that everything was "just as planned!" like some two-bit villain.


    Tian Yu Di continued to chuckle triumphantly.


    "Sect Leader, you should be extremely proud of yourself! Your invention has obliterated ninety percent of the enemies, the majority of those casualties being their leaders and elite martial artists! Even if Nine-Tailed Fox Sect ends up being destroyed now, you can still see this as revenge! You no longer made a huge loss!"


    Ninety percent? The nukes wiped out ninety percent of the invading sects'' forces? Wow. Even I didn''t anticipate such a turnaround. Tian Yu Di had a point, though. Even if we all died here, the thirteen sects had sacrificed ninety percent of their elites and military strength just to take out a single sect. It was more than worth it.


    Of course, I would rather none of us die if possible¡­


    Meanwhile, the four highest-ranked experts from the Martial Arts Alliance, Long Shen, Song Si Yuan, Shen Tian Yi and Xie Zhi Zhang, had scattered to the edge of the plaza. It was only because they were fighting against Tian Yu Di and Zi Da Ji above the plaza as opposed to outside it that they were able to emerge relatively unscathed. Despite being buffeted by the tremendous shockwaves, with their current level of power they were able to withstand the indirect blasts, as were Tian Yu Di and Zi Da Ji. Only Xie Zhi Zhang had remained fighting Lang Xie and the others in the middle of the plaza.


    In any case, all four of them had abandoned their matches and were watching the destruction in horror.


    "T¡­this is¡­" Xue Zi Zhang stammered, completely speechless as he stared at the annihilation of thirteen sects in just one move.


    Long Shen, Song Si Yuan and Shen Tian Yi were also shaken, their complexions turning ghastly as they watched Tushan City and the outer sect district simply cease to exist, consumed by the murderous fireballs. They were still staring hollowly at the mass deaths and incomparable destruction that even a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner would find difficult to replicate.


    They turned to stare at Zi Shou De in unison, probably thinking that he was the one behind this. Catching their gazes and comprehending their inquisitive stares, Zi Shou De smirked lightly and gestured toward me.


    "The one who invented those Sunburst bombs is Fei Wu over there." His grin spread wider. "How about it? He still has more where those come from. Do you still intend to attack our sect?"


    Even though he said that, the high-level experts were not stupid. They knew I wouldn''t detonate whatever Sunburst bombs I had left this close to the plaza, not unless I was willing to sacrifice the lives of my fellow sect members.


    But they were still too shocked to move.


    The Blood Blades, on the other hand, were all regrouping and getting ready for the next wave. Or they intended to hunt down the surviving ten percent of our enemies. It was unfortunate that our battle-automata had all overloaded, but they did their job well, protecting us from the immense shockwaves of the Sunburst bombs.


    The inner sect disciples were stirring to life as well, Tang Qi Hong snapping out of her stupor. I planned to ask her later about her assessment regarding the Sunburst bombs. As my co-inventor, her insights would prove useful.


    For now, I was going to fight to keep her alive along with everyone else.


    Lian Rou also staggered, but Tong Xue kept her steady even as he mobilized with the rest of the Blood Blades martial artists.


    "We''re almost done," he assured her. "Just hang in there."


    "Ah! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Tong Xue''s assurances were cut off by a hysterical, crazed scream that emanated from the bottom of one of the huge craters.


    Right at the bottom, where several scorched corpses were piled up on a heap next to molten lava, a disheveled, blackened and smoking figure jumped out in a single move, causing the dessicated dead above her to crumble or disintegrate in flakes of ashes. Not caring about the remains of her deceased comrades, the figure leaped out of the crater.


    "Fei Wu! I will hack you into a thousand pieces, peel off your skin, pluck your sinews, and drink your blood everyday!" the charred figure was shrieking in a shrill voice, which pierced the heavens. She then lunged toward me.


    Why me?


    Well, most likely that bitch had somehow heard that I was the one who invented the Sunburst bombs, despite being buried by the dead. You all know how sharp martial artists'' senses are. Either that, or it was plot convenience.


    Either case, I was in deep trouble.


    "That vicious bitch survived the nukes?" I was surprised.


    The ghastly figure that was Jiu Liu Yu had actually survived the Sunburst explosions. She had been blasted to the very bottom of the crater, and was probably shielded from the worst of the blasts by the numerous corpses above her.


    "What are all of you waiting for!?" Jiu Liu Yu screeched at the surviving martial artists. "Capture that brat alive! I''m going to dissect him and torture him so painfully that he would beg for death as a mercy!"


    "Capture that kid alive!" Jiang Yuan agreed fiercely. "Make sure he doesn''t die so easily! We will torture him to death using the cruelest methods possible!"


    "These fucking hypocrites¡­" Zi Shou De buried his face in his palm. "So it''s all right if they torture someone to death, but it''s not all right if we fight back." He straightened up and cast a glance at the outer sect members and Blood Blades martial artists. "All members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect! Do not allow them to lay a single finger on Fei Wu! Crush them all!"


    "UWOOO!"


    The surviving martial artists of the thirteen sects had snapped out of their stupor upon their remaining commanders'' words and were rushing toward the plaza from all directions. They had gone insane, their eyes blazing with murderous intent and unholy vengeance as they raced forward, eager to tear me limb from limb.


    The explosion of the seven Sunburst bombs had annihilated ninety percent of their forces, taking a significant chunk of their elites with them. These thirteen sects had all suffered devastating blows and would not recover even after a few decades because of this single tactic, because they fell for this single trap.


    Now, regardless of whether Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was destroyed in the end, or how much wealth they plundered from us, they could no longer recoup their losses.


    In other words, they had lost this war horribly. Even if they murdered every last person in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, there was no changing this outcome.


    And all of this was because of my invention. That was why they were directing their vengeful fury upon me, the one who invented these bombs.


    Thanks to the seven Sunburst Bombs I had created, I had delivered a devastating blow to them and blew all their hard work and schemes to smithereens. With these very bombs, I had force-fed them the bitterest fruit of defeat.


    The only way they could slake the hatred in their hearts now was to torture me to death. Otherwise they would never be able to face their dead brothers and sisters.


    Of course, this was all hypocrisy in its finest. They had never considered how we of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would face our dead brethren after these fuckers murdered so many members of our sect. They never thought about how we hated them so much more than they hated us, for brazenly trespassing into our sect, robbing, raping, pillaging, plundering and murdering. They had committed much worse crimes against us and drove us into a corner, and now they hated us for fighting back!


    Hah! Decimating them with the Sunburst bombs was all worth it! The morale of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was buoyed by the terrible blow we had struck against them.


    "Till death!" Elder Zhao shouted.


    "Till death!" Hai Rong screamed.


    "TILL DEATH!" all of the Blood Blades martial artists bellowed.


    Drawing my Azure Lotus Sword, I prepared for one last stand.


    Long Shen and Shen Tian Yi exchanged glances, and then swooped down to take care of me, but Tian Yu Di barred their way.


    "Where are you going?" he asked, a grin spreading over his face. "Our battle isn''t over yet."


    Shen Tian Yi frowned.


    "Senior, you are not from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, are you? There is no reason for you to fight to the death for them."


    "Oh, I don''t care about Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," Tian Yu Di admitted with a grin. "But that''s my sect leader you guys are trying to massacre down there. After he put on such an amazing performance, I have even more reason to ensure he stays alive! He will definitely lead my sect back to glory!"


    "Just what sect are you from, you monster?!" Long Shen roared as he slashed at Tian Yu Di, who danced out of the way gleefully.


    "It''s a secret." Tian Yu Di shrugged. "But I would like to ask you both the same question. You''re from the Heavenly Way Sect and Green Dragon Sect, aren''t you? Unlike the first ten sects who invaded, I don''t think you''ve lost that much. Neither your leaders nor most of your elites are present. You guys can still pull back and minimize your losses. Why throw away your lives so needlessly?"


    Both middle-aged men exchanged weary glances.


    "The Martial Arts Alliance has given an order, and we must obey," Shen Tian Yi replied quietly. "That''s all to it."


    "Ugh¡­and I was hoping to persuade you guys to fall back so that I can save Sect Leader." Tian Yu Di glanced a little worriedly in my direction.


    "What? You think this is Spirit Realm or something, where we''re going to just sit around and have a staring contest without actually fighting? Based on some filmsy excuse that we are keeping each other in check, and that if you don''t move, we won''t? What kind of bullshit reasoning is that?" Long Shen snorted. "Ni Cang Tian was just too lazy to write a proper fight scene for Xue Li against the three Fulfilment Realm practitioners, that''s all."


    Thanks to that, I couldn''t rely on his help to get out of this.


    "If you surrender, I can promise Fei Wu''s life," Song Si Yuan said as he backed away from Zi Da Ji. He glanced at the murderous crowd closing in on me. "I understand the need for vengeance for those sects, but unfortunately the Martial Arts Alliance is more practical than that. It would be a complete waste to kill someone of Fei Wu''s talent is necessary for the future. The Martial Arts Alliance will surely find uses for him."


    "You think I''ll let you take away one of my disciples to enslave?" Zi Da Ji sneered. "And after all you''ve done, after driving our sect to a corner, you think we''re going to trust you?"


    She unleashed a sharp, piercing blast with a thrust of her spear, forcing Song Si Yuan to veer away.


    The middle-aged veteran sighed heavily. "Looks like I''m going to have to do this the hard way¡­"


    Yup¡­can''t rely on Sect Lady Da Ji''s help either. Looked like I would have to work with the other Blood Blades. I wasn''t going to shirk from my duty, though, but I was still pretty injured.


    We met the enemy in the plaza, slashing, cutting, dancing and dueling. Despite their slightly superior numbers (thanks to us nuking ninety percent of their forces, they only possessed a 1.3:1 ratio), we held the advantage. For one thing, we didn''t suffer any damage from the Sunburst explosions, whereas the martial artists from the thirteen sects had sustained third-degree burns, or had expended most of their qi to protect themselves from the violent shockwaves and superheated blasts. Several were nursing broken bones, dragging their useless limbs into battle.


    But their rage and vengeance gave them strength, allowing them to ignore their agonizing pain and hack like berserkers. Fueled by adrenaline and endorphins, the berserk martial artists crashed into our lines with unimaginable violence and fury, actually driving us back.


    "Kuh!"


    I ducked under a shrieking martial artist''s sword as he swung his deadly blade wildly at me, and then eviscerated him with a riposte. He continued hacking frantically at me, unaware that his guts were spilling out of his split stomach and I ended him with a stab to his throat. Before I could recover, someone struck me from behind, which I managed to dodge with footwork, and thus only getting a graze.


    Even so, it was more than enough to cause me to stagger. My assailant closed in, screeching hysterically as she thrust her sword at me. Gritting my teeth, I deflected her blade with my Azure Lotus Sword in my good hand, and then spun in to get under her guard. Using Shadow Kick, I knocked her flat on her back, and then stomped on her face, crushing it with Seismic Step.


    "Huff¡­"


    Winded, I glanced up and felt a strangling sensation. Jiu Liu Yu was screaming as she closed in on me, and I could feel an immense yin qi aura emanating from her charred body. It seemed to reach out and crush me, as if increasing the gravity by several times in my vicinity. My knees buckled and I crashed down, immobile.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Gritting my teeth, I tried to stand, but found myself pinned by Jiu Liu Yu''s superior power. As much as I hated to admit it, despite being near death, she was still a formidable opponent. And worse, there was no stopping her.


    "Fuck!"


    Swearing, I raised my Azure Lotus Sword up to defend myself, but Jiu Liu Yu swung her arm and batted my sword out of my grip. Blood splattered my collar as three razor-sharp claws slashed the skin from my face and I fell back, yelping in pain. I could feel a venomous icy yin qi beginning to squirm its way through the wounds on my cheek.


    This psychopathic bitch wasn''t kidding when she swore to flay the skin from my bones!


    "DIE!" Jiu Liu Yu shrieked and stabbed at me with her claws. With my right arm useless and my Azure Lotus Sword batted away, and my Snow Aegis damaged, there was nothing I could do but wait for death as her attack lanced toward my heart.


    Didn''t she want to capture me alive to torture me?


    Those were my last thoughts before everything went dark.


    "¡­eh?"


    After a few seconds, and when I felt a warm sensation on my face as wet droplets splattered me, I realized my vision went dark not because I was losing consciousness, but because my view was entirely blocked by someone.


    Right before Jiu Liu Yu could pierce my chest and gouge out my heart, Tang Qi Hong had jumped between us. Bearing a Spirit Shield of her own ¨C her Cloud Shield that I saw her use against Gray Shadow in Free Trade Street all those months ago ¨C she halted Jiu Liu Yu''s attack.


    For a few seconds.


    Then Jiu Liu Yu''s Nine Yin Demonic Claws burst through Tang Qi Hong''s Cloud Shield and pierced through her chest, exiting through her back with scraps of her heart flaking from the devious claws. I watched, stunned, as Tang Qi Hong''s blood splattered me.


    "You idiot¡­" Tang Qi Hong whispered weakly, clutching Jiu Liu Yu''s arm with futile efforts. "Look after yourself more."


    "QI HONG!"


    "SISTER!"


    I realized I wasn''t the only one shouting. Zi Xiao Ji was screaming, even as she, Zhao Shi and Da Ge were fighting through a tight knot of enemies. Zi Da Ji twisted around, only for Song Si Yuan to pummel her unguarded back. But the sect lady was much too disciplined to fall for something like that, and was able to dart away.


    "¡­stupid girl. But if you want to die with your boyfriend, then so be it. I''ll be sending him after you shortly."


    She then tore her arm out of Tang Qi Hong''s chest, allowing the latter to collapse into my arms. Already the light had faded from Tang Qi Hong''s eyes.


    There would be no last words, no tears, no regret, nothing. Just a quick death.


    "QI HONG!" I yelled, unable to believe it. Tears were streaming down my eyes, my mind shutting down and going into shock. I never thought it would end up like this. After turning the tables, after foiling the Martial Arts Alliance''s plans, after dealing them an irrecoverable blow, I had thought we would be able to win. That we wouldn''t suffer any more losses.


    How na?ve I was.


    "Don''t worry," Jiu Liu Yu sneered. "You''ll be joining her right now."


    She then swung her claws down to decapitate me.


    They never reached me.


    "YOU FUCKING BITCH!"


    BANG!


    Zi Shou De had drawn the most powerful Spirit Weapon he owned and smashed it against Jiu Liu Yu''s face. Or tried to, but she was too much of a veteran to be taken by surprise. She raised her arm to block the hammer blow, only for lightning to explode between them and hurl her frail-looking body across the plaza.


    "I''ll kill you!" Zi Shou De roared as he jumped on her again, swinging his Spirit Treasure Hammer as violently as he could, cracking another explosive bolt of lightning that forced Jiu Liu Yu into the defensive.


    While he attempted to avenge his late adopted daughter, I found my mind slipping. Rage was gripping me, pure, unadulterated rage that swam over my consciousness like darkness. Like a black hole, it was devouring my rationality, my sanity, and reason.

 230 Chapter 229: Darkest Despair

    Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan had climbed up to the platform next to the huge windows and were peering down at the bloody conflict unfolding in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect plaza right now.


    Below them, the civilians milled about restlessly and anxiously, glancing around in fear and trepidation. Earlier, they had felt the massive vibrations and terrible tremors that resulted from the explosions of the seven Sunburst bombs, and wondered if an earthquake had occurred. Children cried and wept, women huddled, and even the men crouched down with their eyes shut, praying to the heavens for deliverance.


    The two sisters, having trained in martial arts, were more curious than fearful, and thus wanted to know what was going on. That was why they hurried up the stairway and onto the platform, where the windows were. Despite the violent tremors and the fearsome shaking of the shelter, the glass remained intact, the windows not shattering from the immense force.


    There was no one to stop them. At the moment, every single martial artist of Blood Blades had assembled in the plaza for their final stand. Thus the civilians and the Ling Sisters were left on their own. Aware of that, Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan scrambled up to watch the inevitable demise of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    It was then they heard Jiu Liu Yu''s ghastly and horrifying shriek.


    "It''s Master!"


    Ling Yu Xuan cried out and hastily scanned the foot of Flame Volcano. There, they spotted the burned out remains of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and the seven colossal craters that had replaced what was left of the city.


    "¡­no way¡­"


    Ling Yu Mei whispered to herself, her eyes widening in horror. Both she and her sister were shuddering at the hellish scene, unable to comprehend what they were seeing. Swallowing, Ling Yu Mei clenched her fists as she trembled uncontrollably from fear.


    "Good Heavens¡­what just happened? How did it become like this?!"


    "So many people died. What horrifying destruction¡­the whole city has vanished! I can''t even see their bodies! There''s nothing left! Where is Dark Fiend Valley Sect!? Where are the Seven Valley Sects?!" Ling Yu Xuan was crying at the horrific sight.


    "Master! Where is Master?!"


    The two sisters began searching for some sign of Jiu Liu Yu from the window.


    "Fei Wu! I will hack you into a thousand pieces, peel off your skin, pluck your sinews, and drink your blood everyday!"


    They also witnessed with their own eyes Jiu Liu Yu''s ruthless murder of Tang Qi Hong, when the latter sacrificed her life to save mine.


    "Master¡­no¡­you can''t¡­"


    Ling Yu Mei dropped to her knees and shook her head, tears streaming down her eyes.


    "Please stop¡­you''ve gone too far."


    "Master!" Ling Yu Xuan screamed. "Stop it! So many people have already died! What will more killing achieve?!"


    There was no answer. Their voices would never reach their master, not this far up Flame Volcano.


    Not that she would listen. It wasn''t just Jiu Liu Yu. Ji Liu, Fu Chang, and many survivors of the thirteen sects were murderously closing in on the survivors of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, determined to butcher every last one of us to death (ironic, given how they called us butchers¡­).


    "Fucking bitch!"


    Zi Shou De bellowed as he swung his Thunder Hammer, unleashing a devastating web of lightning that crackled between them. Jiu Liu Yu retreated, shielding herself with her arms. Dark, ominous yin qi surrounded her arms as she used her famous Nine Yin Demonic Claws to tear the destructive electricity apart.


    "You think you can defeat me?"


    Giggling hysterically, the sect leader of Dark Fiend Valley Sect threw herself forward and slashed at Zi Shou De. Even though she was severely hurt by the Sunburst explosion, she was still able to move freely and deliver lethal strikes of her own.


    "!!"


    Realizing that he couldn''t underestimate her, Zi Shou De skidded to a stop and swung his hammer about defensively. Jiu Liu Yu managed to back away, staying just out of reach of his wildly swinging hammer, and danced around agilely despite her blackened body trembling. It seemed that she was running entirely on adrenaline and endorphins right now ¨C it might stave the pain away for now, but she was going to pay for it later.


    However, as long as she could achieve her objective ¨C vengeance ¨C she didn''t care if she died later. She was desperate to drag us into hell with her.


    However, Zi Shou De was fueled by fury right now, presently intent on achieving revenge for his adopted daughter. With a yell, he smashed the hammer against the ground, throwing up gravel and rubble in Jiu Liu Yu''s face and forcing her back. Clobbering past the flying debris, he then smashed the hammer into the old witch''s chest.


    "Little tricks."


    Unfortunately, Jiu Liu Yu was a seasoned veteran and already anticipated his move. In contrast, despite Zi Shou De''s reputation as a legendary blacksmith second only to Hai Mo, he was not a skilled fighter. The only reason why he had managed to drive Jiu Liu Yu back so far was purely because she was severely injured and not fighting at 100 percent. Otherwise the match would have been over a long time ago.


    Jiu Liu Yu still had several tricks up her sleeves, and she unleashed Nine Shadow Claws, the fiendish qi slicing through the concrete and slamming against Zi Shou De. The sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect just barely managed to parry the strike by lowering his hammer, but blood spurted out of his mouth and he crashed to the ground several meters away.


    "I''ll send you to join your daughter then," Jiu Liu Yu sneered as she closed in on him.


    "Dear!" Zi Da Ji swooped down and struck at Jiu Liu Yu, only for Song Si Yuan to bar her path. He slashed with his saber, causing Zi Da Ji to block it with her spear and forcing her to back away. "Out of my way!"


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that. Our match isn''t over yet." Song Si Yuan sighed heavily. "If the only way to end this fighting is to kill your husband, which means the end of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, then I will have no choice but to go along with it."


    "You bastard!"


    However, Zi Shou De was not destined to die just yet.


    "Kill them all!"


    Hai Rong''s voice suddenly flared up. The remaining martial artists of Blood Blades and the outer sect surrounded Zi Shou De at this moment, forming a protective circle around their sect leader. They raised their Spirit Weapons with a defiant howl.


    After two waves, we had lost over forty percent of our forces, both in Blood Blades and the outer sect. Our defiance had cost a lot in blood and lives, with many of our fiercest and most talented martial artists falling to the cruelty and savagery of our invading enemies.


    However, almost every single one of the remaining martial artists of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect gathered around Zi Shou De under Hai Rong''s orders. The few that didn''t obey were currently engaged in combat against Xie Zhi Zhang alongside Lang Xie. Hai Rong would have ordered them to stay by Lang Xie''s side anyway.


    "Protect Sect Leader with your lives! Ensure that Sect Leader does not die! Even if we are to be killed to the last man, Sect Leader and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect must survive!"


    Hai Rong was gritting her teeth so hard that blood ran from her lips. She screamed out her order so hoarsely that it revereberated throughout the smoldering remains of Tushan City.


    "We obey Instructor Hai''s orders!" all the martial artists of Blood Blades shouted resolutely, emitting their own horrifying killing intent.


    "Kill!" Jiang Yuan ordered. "Kill them all!"


    "Everyone, go!" Fu Zhuo Hui also instructed.


    The remaining martial artists of the thirteen sects surged forward, crossing the colossal crater that had been blown into the outer sect districts of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and leaped into the plaza. Joining up with Jiu Liu Yu, Ji Liu and Fu Chang, they began their slaughter. However, the martial artists of Blood Blades and the outer sect cut into their ranks with desperate fury and berserk rage, causing the enemy''s charge to falter.


    "Great Yin Earth Demonic Banner!"


    Jiu Liu Yu screeched ferociously, like a fucking banshee, as she unleashed ominous-looking banners of corruptive qi from her blackened arms. The banners burned with creepy purple flames that washed across a squad of Blood Blades martial artists. They jumped away in reflex, but the couple of martial artists too slow to react wer hit by the flames.


    They began screaming as they grasped desperately at their heads, even as disturbing purple flames began to burn out of their eyes, mouths, ears and noses, before they crashed lifelessly onto the ground.


    "Old demonic bitch! I will kill you!"


    Hai Rong, realizing the threat Jiu Liu Yu posed to our defensive formation, rushed out to confront her by herself.


    "Divine Dagger!"


    Drawing a ruby dagger, Hai Rong infused the short blade with her qi before unleashing a scarlet stream of destructive qi that smashed against the ominous purple banner. For a moment, she succeeded in stalling the incendiary banner with her technique.


    However, Jiu Liu Yu was far from alone.


    "Out of the way!"


    Cloud Sky Mountain''s Ji Liu came barreling over, scowling in irritation. He sought to ram against Hai Rong, but he could close the distance between them, he unleashed a golden fist-shaped discharge that slammed into Hai Rong''s qi blast like a freight train.


    Another of the Three Stones of Cloud Sky Mountain, Fu Chang, laughed ruthlessly as he joined his comrade in ganging up on poor Hai Rong. He drew two silver swords and slashed at Hai Rong, releasing a sharp, silver blade qi that gouged concrete out of the plaza as they hurtled mercilessly toward the wounded Hai Rong.


    Hai Rong quickly drew a ruby-colored shield that parried the silver blade qi, and parried one of Fu Chang''s two swords with her dagger. While she was distracted, her scarlet qi blast dissipated harmlessly when Ji Liu''s golden fist smashed it apart.


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Hai Rong coughed out some blood as she staggered, even as she struggled to match Fu Chang blow for blow. Having yet to recover from her severe injuries earlier, she was unable to contend with two of the Three Stones of Cloud Sky Mountain by herself.


    The two outer sect elders, Zhao Shi and Cheng Ping, threw themselves forward and risked their lives to protect Hai Rong. Drawing their own high-grade Spirit Armaments, they flanked Fu Chang from opposite sides, driving him back.


    "Don''t get in the way!" Fu Chang bellowed and backed off, slashing at them. Elder Zhao was able to defend himself, but Cheng Ping wasn''t. Lacking luck or strength, or both, he stumbled back, the copper-colored sword he had drawn severed in half.


    Fu Chang''s silver sword ended up embedded in his chest, and Cheng Ping collapsed, blood spurting from his mouth and fatal wound.


    "Old Cheng!" Elder Zhao yelled, but received no response.


    "Kill all of them!" Jiang Yuan ordered.


    Those who survived the Sunburst bombs'' explosions were the elites among the elites, the most ruthless and vicious of the thirteen sects who had survived through all odds.


    And it was these people who now surrounded Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and were massacring a fair number of us.


    Fortunately, the survivors of Blood Blades and the outer sects were also the strongest and the most intelligent, and we were able to hold our own. With just ten percent of the invaders left, the battle had swung slightly in our favor. If we hadn''t sustained so many losses earlier, we might even have prevailed.


    However, even our stalwart defense was unable to halt Jiu Liu Yu''s berserk charge.


    The old witch was the first to break through our defensive lines and charge toward the hapless Zi Shou De and me. She was now wielding multiple banners, which blazed an ominous purple and incinerated the few Nine-Tailed Fox Sect martial artists too slow to evade them.


    She actually dismissed Zi Shou De for a moment and charged straight at me, mistakenly believing that I had done something unforgiveable to her two disciples, and also seeking revenge for the death of Lu Li.


    "Zhao Shi! Go and join Cheng Ping!" Ji Liu laughed crazily as he fought his way through the line of outer sect martial artists, knocking them aside like bowling pins. Many of them fell back, aware that they lacked the strength to halt his rampage, and kept a safe distance from him.


    "I''ll deal with him!" Elder Zhao shouted to the scattering outer sect disciples. "All of you, fall back and protect Sect Leader!"


    He was unaware that Jiu Liu Yu was aiming for me, but that was fine. The topmost priority should be protecting Sect Leader Zi Shou De, not me.


    "Very good! Let''s settle this here once and for all!" Ji Liu advanced toward a resolute Elder Zhao with a savage smile. His fingers twitched, as if he wanted to wrap them around Elder Zhao''s neck and crush him with his bare hands.


    While people were dying around me, I was still in a stupor.


    "Qi Hong! Qi Hong! No!"


    Lian Rou was weeping as she knelt by Tang Qi Hong''s corpse. She was desperately trying to apply first aid to her best friend, even though she knew that it was useless. Tang Qi Hong''s heart had literally been torn out and shredded into pieces. There was no technique, no magic, no technology in this world that could bring her back.


    "Why?! Qi Hong¡­why?"


    While Lian Rou sobbed hysterically, holding onto Tang Qi Hong''s body, I merely cradled the girl who was my first love in my hands, staring blankly at her once beautiful face. Speechless, shocked, whatever. I just couldn''t accept what was happening.


    "Fei Wu, snap out of it!"


    Tong Xue was yelling at me, trying to drag me out of my stupor. A Cloud Sky Mountain martial artist leaped at us, and Tong Xue knocked him back with his short sword. Panting, he tried to slit the enemy''s throat, but the Cloud Sky Mountain martial artist wisely withdrew to safety before launching a counterattack that forced Tong Xue into the defensive.


    "We need your help! The lines are collapsing!"


    "¡­Fei Wu, please go. I''ll take care of Qi Hong."


    Lian Rou wiped the tears from her eyes, and gave me a slight push. But I refuse to budge, still cradling Tang Qi Hong in my hands.


    "¡­my fault."


    "Eh?"


    Lian Rou''s eyes widened when she heard me speak for the first time since Tang Qi Hong''s violent death.


    "It''s my fault that Qi Hong is dead."


    "That''s not true!" Lian Rou gritted her teeth and shook me. "Qi Hong saved your life! You mustn''t let her die in vain!"


    "Yeah! Stop wallowing in self-pity and help us, or everything will be for nothing!" Tong Xue added, frustration mounting.


    I was still unable to respond, and refused to let go of Tang Qi Hong. Darkness was creeping around the edges of my consciousness, accompanied by murderous rage.


    That''s right. That bitch killed Tang Qi Hong. I couldn''t falter here. I needed to take revenge.


    Destroy. These fucking bastards came into our sect, murdered our members, plundered and robbed our wealth and resources, then got all preachy and pissy when we fought back. These vile fucks. These bitches and sons of bitches¡­


    They all deserved to die. Every single last one of them.


    I should have created a more powerful version of Sunburst. Even with the power of a nuke, it wasn''t enough. If it was a bit more powerful, perhaps that fucking demonic witch Jiu Liu Yu wouldn''t have survived the blast.


    And if she didn''t survive, then Tang Qi Hong wouldn''t have died.


    Revenge. Kill. Kill that bitch who murdered Tang Qi Hong.


    All my fault¡­all my fault that Tang Qi Hong is dead.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Gritting my teeth for a moment, I then howled in fury and despair.


    "!"


    "!!!!"


    The sonic burst from my scream smashed across the entire plaza, knocking all the martial artists over, friend or foe.


    "ARGH!!!"


    It didn''t matter who. Everyone had dropped to their knees, clutching their ears and shrieking from agony as my sonic assault lanced through their ears and straight into their brains.


    "W¡­what is that?!"


    Perspiring profusely, even Zi Da Ji was stunned from the sheer power of my howl.


    "Kuuuh!"


    Jiang Yuan, the remaining Two Stones and the surviving forces from the invading thirteen sects were stunned immobile by the yell.


    "Whoa¡­what''s going on?!"


    Long Shen staggered back, buffeted by the sonic waves. He watched me in shock, his eyes wide and disbelieving.


    "¡­"


    Ancestral Master regarded me coldly, and even he had winced from the sonic scream, gingerly rubbing his ears.


    "It can''t be¡­that kid, he actually unleashed Roar of the Dragon?"


    He then chuckled to himself, and shook his head, not daring to believe it, yet still amused by the unexpected development.


    "I see¡­so once again I get to see the rise of yet another Demon King. No wonder Heavens chose to free me only after nine hundred years. Excellent!"


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    After the sonic scream dispersed, the plaza quietened down again. The stunned martial artists slowly removed their hands from their bleeding ears and rose to their feet. A disquieted murmur buzzed over the battlefield as the bloodied combatants tried to make sense of what had just happened.


    "It''s gotten quiet again."


    "J¡­just what the hell is going on?"


    "Fei Wu¡­"


    Tong Xue turned to me, his opponent all forgotten. To be fair, his opponent was also stunned into immobility, his eyes riveted on me.


    "Argh¡­" one of the Green Dragon Sect disciples groaned as he clutched his ears. "What was that sound earlier?"


    The Heavenly Way Sect disciple next to him shook his head uncertainly.


    "I think it was a sound technique," he replied as perspiration dripped down his pale face. "But this is the first time I''ve heard such a powerful..."


    He fell silent when he watched me stand up. They all did.


    Apparently I had taken on quite the monstrous visage. My eyes were bloodshot, and the temperature around me was plummeting drastically. Ice was rapidly expanding from my feet, and the water vapor condensed into a dense fog around me. Not just the surrounding air. Every breath I took was so chilling that it misted right in front of my mouth. A dark, shadowy qi, completely different from my usual azure aura, had descended upon me.


    When they saw the darkness shrouding around me, whether friend or foe, everyone shuddered in fear. They almost thought they were staring at the Grim Reaper himself.


    Only Tian Yu Di was amused rather than afraid. No, he was actually delighted, a smile spreading across his face.


    "All hail Sect Leader!" he shouted.


    "F¡­Fei Wu!" Tong Xue cried out.


    "Fei Wu!" Lian Rou shouted.


    "!!!"


    The martial artists from the thirteen sects all froze and involuntarily took a step back when they caught sight of my murderous gaze sweeping over them. Jiang Yuan actually dropped to his knees and trembled uncontrollably, pissing himself.


    "S¡­Sect Leader?!" one of his subordinates said shakily, when they realized what had happened to him.


    "I¡­I¡­" he stammered, but was unable to say anything more.


    His subordinates didn''t press him for details, knowing that he could no longer speak. None of them could either.


    "You¡­you truly are a monster," Jiu Liu Yu whispered as she gulped, despite being rooted to the spot from dread.


    Her voice caused me to look up and glare at her. Jiu Liu Yu felt an indescribable chill and moved on reflex.


    That action saved her life. For the next few seconds, at least.


    I disappeared from where I was standing, only to land on the spot where she was rooted to a millisecond ago.


    The moment my foot touched the ground, the entire area disintegrated into rubble. Debris flew into the air as my Seismic Step carved a colossal crater into the ground.


    That wasn''t all. Right after I smashed a massive hole into the ground, ice began spreading rapidly to cover the entire cracked surface of the crater, turning it into an icy hell.


    "!!!"


    "Ugh!"


    "Kuh!"


    The surrounding martial artists were either blasted off their feet or jumped away in reflex. Rubble pelted them mercilessly, a shotgun hail that drew blood where they scraped the fleeing or falling martial artists'' skin.


    "Whoa!"


    Song Si Yuan''s jaw dropped.


    "¡­"


    Zi Shou De watched in a mixture of wonder and horror as he realized that Jiu Liu Yu had just unleashed a monster on us all. He closed his eyes and shook his head.


    "Now you''ve doomed us all," he muttered softly.


    The nearest martial artists ¨C those from Cloud Sky Mountain ¨C all backed away, trying to recover their balance as the terrible tremors resounded across the plaza.


    "Whoa¡­!"


    "Ugh!"


    "No¡­!"


    Some distance away, Ji Liu abandoned his attack against Elder Zhao and turned to stare at me in dreadful astonishment.


    "Hey, Fu Chang," he called out to his fellow Stone. "Please tell me we are dreaming right now. That this whole thing is a nightmare."


    "¡­"


    Fu Chang shook his head as he drew his silver swords again and infused them with qi.


    "He''s just a kid. Just how powerful can he be?"


    "¡­can''t you feel that qi? That''s not even the qi of a Pure Spirit Stage Practitioner right now." Ji Liu swallowed. "No¡­it''s not even human qi."


    "¡­monster¡­" someone from their sect whispered.


    "Even so, he''s still just a kid. I don''t believe we can''t beat him. Not if all of us join hands." Fu Chang tightened his grip on his swords. "Look, his attention is completely focused on that witch Jiu Liu Yu right now."


    Ji Liu understood. "So if we attack him while his guard is down¡­"


    "That''s right. Go!"


    While they were scheming, I was still concentrating on the frantically retreating Jiu Liu Yu. I didn''t care what I had to do. There was nothing in Heaven or Earth that could stop me from killing her now. I would hunt her down and rampage to the ends of the earth even if I had to murder this vile, heartless, ruthless bitch.


    "I''ll kill you¡­" I growled. Jiu Liu Yu flinched, but she drew her banners and launched them at me. I merely swatted them away, and the ominous purple flames that had claimed the lives of my comrades in Blood Blades had no effect on me, merely freezing into purple ice that shattered around me. Jiu Liu Yu gaped.


    "Impossible."


    "I''LL KILL YOU!"


    With an enraged howl, I leaped at her.


    That was when Ji Liu and Fu Chang chose to strike. The remaining Two Stones flanked me and attacked from both directions, causing me to skid to a halt.


    "You brat!" Fu Chang growled. "Don''t start getting uppity and ignoring everyone else!"


    Even though he said that, he was just trying to cover up for his and Ji Liu''s failure to kill me with a surprise attack, and tried to sound as if they merely gave me a warning. Inside, he was quaking at how easily I escaped their ambush.


    "There''s no way we can overlook your atrocities, you monster!" Ji Liu added, raising his hand and conjuring a gigantic golden fist.


    "Just who do you think you are, brat?!" Fu Chang shouted as he infused both his silver swords with super-sharp qi and slashed at me. "You think you can look down on your elders?! We''ll have to teach you a lesson in manners!"


    He never finished his swings. I smashed my knee into his face, pulverizing his skull and shattering it. His brain and eyeballs ruptured and exploded into pulp from the tremendous impact, and his nearly headless corpse toppled onto the ground, all signs of life fleeing it.


    Trembling and perspiring from fright, Ji Liu wasn''t even able to turn around to watch the demise of his fellow Stone. He was still in the midst of conjuring his golden fist, which hovered useless above his shoulder, never released for the strike.


    He felt fear grip his heart. More beads of sweat welled up on his pale face as he continued to stare ahead with wide eyes, not daring to turn around.


    Thump.


    Fu Chang''s corpse made a dull sound as it hit the ground, and despite himself, Ji Liu finally dared to turn his head to look at me over his shoulder.

 231 Chapter 230: Divine Origin Spiri

    "Holy heavens¡­" Tong Xue murmured, his eyes bulging as sweat poured down his face. It wasn''t just him ¨C all the members and subordinates of the Martial Arts Alliance were watching the murder unfold in speechless horror.


    "¡­"


    Zi Da Ji swallowed nervously as she studied me. She was most likely thinking to herself that she had never taught me such a horrifying martial arts.


    "W¡­whoa!"


    The Cloud Sky Mountain martial artists flinched and jumped back when Ji Liu''s head bounced and rolled in front of them. A few dozen meters away, his headless body flopped around for a few moments, as if not realizing that it was missing its head, before falling like a puppet whose strings were suddenly cut.


    "¡­Fei Wu¡­"


    Lian Rou was crying again, now trying to treat Tang Qi Hong''s corpse, but unable to tear her eyes away from me.


    "Why have you turned into a monster?"


    "Has he lost his sanity?" Tong Xue whispered as he unconsciously took a step back.


    "Tong Xue!" Lian Rou shouted as she attempted to patch the hole in Tang Qi Hong''s chest. "Calm Fei Wu down! Bring him back before it''s too late!"


    Tong Xue shook his head as he watched me, stunned.


    "You want me to calm him down?" he asked nervously. He could see the malicious, murderous aura shrouding around me.


    Taking a deep breath, he nodded. Maybe he''ll listen to my voice, he thought. Since we''re friends and all.


    Forcing himself not to shiver, he took a step forward, trying to sound relaxed.


    "Fei Wu! Snap out of it! At this rate, you''ll end up hurting both allies and enemies! Cool off and make sure you differentiate between who to attack and who not to attack!"


    He didn''t get to continue. Suddenly, a sharp blade-like qi lanced toward him, forcing him to dodge to the side.


    "Whoa!"


    Doing a cartwheel, he flipped himself over and landed a few meters away, heaving. Lowering his stinging arm, he glared at me.


    "Fei Wu, you bastard!" he yelled. "What the hell do you think you are doing¡­?"


    He then trailed off when he caught sight of my bloodshot, demonic eyes. I was glaring at him intensely, warning him not to come near me.


    Tong Xue flinched and gritted his teeth, cold sweat pouring down his face.


    "What the hell¡­this guy¡­?"


    He relaxed a little when I turned away from him, wiping the perspiration from his forehead with his trembling arm.


    "I don''t think anything is going to get through to him."


    "Good! Very good!"


    "Nine Yin Demonic Claws!" she screeched and lunged at me. "I don''t care if you''ve transformed into a monster! I''ll still kill you!"


    I stepped to the side, allowing her right arm to thrust past me. Grabbing it, I then smashed a fist into her elbow. Her bone snapped with a thunderous cruch.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Jiu Liu Yu screeched in pain, but I ignored her flailing around. Instead, I tightened my grip and ripped her arm out of her socket. A geyser of blood splashed onto me and Jiu Liu Yu howled as she crashed onto the ground.


    "You¡­you bastard!" she shrieked. Bending her knees, she propelled herself at me and lashed out with her remaining arm. Her Nine Yin Demonic Claws glowed ominously as they stabbed toward my chest, but I spun away while deflecting her arm to the side.


    Then I punched her in the shoulder with so much force that bone and flesh exploded into shards. Jiu Liu Yu''s remaining arm literally disintegrated and she stumbled back with an agonized scream, bereft of both her hands.


    Yet it wasn''t enough. It was far from enough. After all the crimes, atrocities and murders she had committed, losing just her arms wasn''t enough to make her pay for everything she had done to my sect. To Tang Qi Hong.


    I kicked her in her stomach, my single strike shattering her dantian or qi center. Jiu Liu Yu was sent hurtling several dozen meters away, cartwheeling head over heels before slamming into the ground and carving a crater into the concrete. She coughed and foamed, her eyes rolling in their sockets, and lay sprawled.


    Without both her arms, she wasn''t able to pull herself back to her feet.


    "You think you are allowed to pass out?"


    My foot connected with her skull, causing her to jerk awake. She let out another horrendous screech, her mind snapping back into consciousness. Not only was she feeling the agonizing loss of both of her arms, she could feel the excruciating pain that spread through her abdomen. Unable to circulate her qi or control the flow of her qi, Jiu Liu Yu was driven to despair when she realized that I had just crippled her martial arts.


    "No¡­" she wept. "You can''t do this to me, you monster! You can''t¡­!"


    "I haven''t even started," I replied and stabbed her in the head with my Azure Lotus Sword.


    Everyone thought I had killed her, but they realized how wrong they were when, after I yanked my sword from Jiu Liu Yu''s head, she began wailing and screaming. Flailing about helplessly on the ground, her body slowly turned into ice.


    She continued to writhe and scream in agony as frosty qi invaded her body, turning her insides into ice. Frozen fragments ruptured her body from the inside out, her blood freezing and piercing through her blood vessels and soft tissue, her internal organs ripped apart slowly by the gradually freezing ice lined within her cells.


    Within minutes, her entire body was transmuted into ice, Jiu Liu Yu turning into nothing more than an armless ice statue. Staring at her in disgust, I then stomped on her body, shattering her into countless fragments.


    Then I turned around to stare at the flinching Cloud Sky Mountain Sect members, who just happened to be the nearest enemies. They immediately withdrew, trying to drag the near catatonic Jiang Yuan away.


    Their efforts were futile. I leaped over them, crushing about ten of them with a single Seismic Step, while continuing my inexorable advance toward the twitching Jiang Yuan and his dwindling number of subordinates.


    "Good kills! Ha ha ha ha ha!"


    Above, Tian Yu Di applauded me. His excited cackles echoed throughout every martial artist present.


    "As expected of Sect Leader! You have truly restored the reputation of our Heaven and Earth Sect! More! Kill more of the fucking Martial Arts Alliance!"


    "Good Heavens¡­"


    "That kid is a monster¡­"


    "Who the hell is he?! Why haven''t I heard of him before?"


    "He''s the same guy who invented those Spirit Bombs from earlier, isn''t he?!"


    "Was Nine-Tailed Fox Sect always hiding such a monster?!"


    "We''ve made a mistake! This is our mistake!"


    "RUN!"


    The thirteen sects were panicking and floundering, trying to escape my notice, having seen how I had painfully killed Jiu Liu Yu and decimated the remnants of Cloud Sky Mountain by myself. While they were doing so, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect watched solemnly.


    "We have forced everything onto Fei Wu¡­" Zi Shou De sighed. "We''ve placed too much of a burden on that child''s shoulders."


    "Fei Wu! Stop it!" Tong Xue was pleading, to no avail.


    "W¡­what have we done?" Lian Rou whispered.


    However, not all Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members were horrified.


    "The heavens have finally delivered justice on our behalf!" Hai Rong shouted in delight, despite the blood trickling from her mouth. "Punish those invaders!"


    "¡­our sect may yet survive." Lang Xie nodded in icy approval.


    "Sister!"


    Halfway up the Flame Volcano and peering from the windows of the shelter, Ling Yu Xuan was gaping as she watched the dreadful sight and massare developing across the plaza. She had especially witnessed the brutal murder of Jiu Liu Yu, and her agonizing demise at my hands.


    "M¡­Maser has died¡­" Ling Yu Xuan sobbed.


    There was no trace of Jiu Liu Yu left. She had been completely frozen and then shattered into countless icy fragments that melted into water atop the plaza. There wasn''t even a single drop of blood left.


    Ling Yu Mei leaned against the window, staring blankly at the carnage. She realized just how helpless she was to stop all of this, to prevent the death of her master.


    The surviving martial artists of Cloud Sky Mountain took up the feeble Jiang Yuan by each of his arm and tried to flee. If I was still sane, I would have been amused by the fact that they were running out of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s gate more quickly than when they first trespassed our area. That was what happened when you start running for your life, huh?


    Jiang Yuan just allowed his subordinates to heft him away like baggage. He was so frightened that his legs had become like jelly and he could no longer run on his own. The coward¡­acting so high and mighty when he came stomping into our sect, but when the tables were turned, he started falling apart from fright.


    Bullies. That was what they were. Thinking they could gang up and bully a sect less numoerus than them so that they could extort our wealth and resources, but when they realized they were completely outmatched, they didn''t even have the strength to run away with their tails between their legs. Utterly pathetic.


    I was going to have that bastard''s head.


    However, before I could close the distance with a foot technique, three people threw themselves at me, knocking me out of the way. Despite the overwhelming dread they felt ¨C evident from their ghostly pallor and amount of cold sweat beading on their faces ¨C the three men in suits and sunglasses (I seriously have no idea why they were wearing sunglasses at this time of the night) knocked me aside and then spread out to surround me.


    They formed a triangle, each of them locking any path I had of moving past them to pursue Jiang Yuan.


    "The three holy protectors from the Heavenly Way Sect¡­" one of the Cloud Sky Mountain subordinates who was holding up Jiang Yuan whispered reverently.


    "They¡­blocked him?" another martial artist from the Dark Asura Sect gasped. "When even the Two Stones of Cloud Sky Mountain couldn''t?"


    "Who are those guys?" another one asked.


    "Those three are from the Five Holy Guardians of Heavenly Way Sect," Song Si Yuan said from above. "I didn''t expect them to show up here."


    "The Five Holy Guardians¡­you mean, those martial protectors who prop up Heavenly Way Sect?" the Dark Asura Sect member glanced up at Song Si Yuan. "Does that mean Heavenly Way Sect has decided to commit?"


    "We have indeed," Shen Tian Yi confirmed gravely.


    "¡­"


    Clenching my teeth, I exhaled a dark, chilly mist from my mouth as I turned my gaze on the biggest of the three Holy Guardians.


    "¡­gulp." The poor man swallowed fearfully.


    "Hmph."


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    I closed my eyes for a second, then lunged forward with a yell.


    "Here he comes!" one of the other three Guardians shouted a warning, sweat trickling down his temples.


    The two of them suddenly surged forward and chased after me when I ignored them to go after the biggest guy directly in front of me.


    Raising his hand, the mountain of a man glared down on me with steely resolution.


    "He fell for it!" he thought to himself. Above, a Spirit Diagram glowed, invisible to everyone except the trio. "He''s inside the Spirit Stratagem Formation called the Three-Barrier Heavenly Trap Formation! We can capture him if this works!"


    However, right before I crashed into the big guy, I skidded to a stop, my legs blurring underneath me.


    "!"


    The big guy faltered for a moment, his jaw dropping.


    "Huh? A change in his footwork?"


    Then it hit him, and he screamed to his two comrades.


    "Watch out! He''s using Tui to retreat!"


    It was too late. I had already jumped very far back, right between the two smaller Holy Guardians, who were closing in on me.


    "!"


    "!"


    The both of them halted abruptly and desperately spun around on reflex, almost getting hit by my left fist and Azure Lotus Sword.


    "Kuk!"


    Both of them dropped to the ground, and in pefect synchronization, brought their legs up for a combined kick to my face. An explosion of qi rocked the air as their feet collided against me with tremendous impact.


    However, as the dust cleared, they realized to their horror that I had dropped my Azure Lotus Sword in order to grab both of their feet. I would have cut off their legs if I could, but with the excessive weight of my Spirit Sword, there was no way I could have brought my right arm up in time to catch the other guy''s foot, never mind cut off his leg.


    So I had no choice but to drop my sword.


    While I was busily stopping their concereted attack, the biggest guy from before slammed into me with a full body charge, throwing me a few meters back and causing me to skid across the ground. Even as I stopped, I beckoned with my right hand, and Azure Lotus Sword flew back into my grip, as if I had never dropped it.


    The three Holy Guardians watched me from a distance away, gathering their qi and preparing for yet another attack.


    "What the heck¡­?" one of the retreating Cloud Sky Mountain sect members gasped. "Were the Guardians'' attack completely ineffective?"


    "Something flashed, and then he flew back." Another of them was shaking his head, trying to make sense of what had just happened.


    "Just¡­what sort of battle is this?" Tong Xue gulped. "I''ve never seen movements like those before."


    "Trying to attack Fei Wu while he was retreating?" Zi Da Ji''s brow furrowed. "That won''t be enough to stop him."


    "Ha ha ha ha!" Tian Yu Di was guffawing. "You''re only adding fuel to the fire! Heavenly Way Sect, was it? More like Deathly Way Sect!"


    "Huh¡­this won''t do." The biggest guy was huffing and puffing as he watched me, more beads of perspiration forming on his brow. "You guys, hurry up and take your sect leader away. We''ll try to buy as much time as we can."


    "But¡­" one of the Cloud Sky Mountain subordinates protested.


    "Hurry!" the biggest guy snapped. "Given that kid''s power, I''m not sure how much longer we''ll be able to stall him for!"


    Not a lot, I can tell you that.


    Drawing a deep breath, I charged at them using Jin. I didn''t care if they were the Holy Guardians or Lusty Pimps. No one was going to get in my way.


    Anyone who stood in my way was going to die. I was going to kill all of them. I was going to kill every single one of them.


    Who was I supposed to protect? I couldn''t remember. I didn''t care. All I wanted to do was kill and kill and kill and kill until there was nothing left.


    "You idiot!" Tong Xue expostulated when he saw my reckless charge.


    "He''s just throwing himself into a trap?" Lian Rou whispered helplessly.


    "No." Tong Xue shook his head in resignation. "The one who is being pushed back isn''t Fei Wu."


    "Ugh!"


    The biggest guy was knocked several meters back despite crossing both his arms to endure my kick. So great was the momentum that he was actually flung off his feet and sent hurtling back. But both his comrades were already diving in to stop me.


    I swung Azure Lotus Sword and the other Guardian parried it with a sword he drew. However, a qi explosion ensued and he was knocked off his feet. As he rolled on the ground, he began using his qi to break the ice that was rapidly freezing over his arms and sword.


    The third and last guy tried to stab me in the back, but that always never ended well for backstabbers. Spinning around and dodging his strike, I then kicked him in the gut ¨C or tried to, but he managed to parry it with his sword. Even so, he was also thrown backward a fair bit.


    "I have never seen anything like this before."


    Shen Tian Yi was frowning, his hands inside his pockets.


    "Even though two of the Holy Guardians are absent, I have never heard of anyone breaking a Heavenly Trap Formation from the inside. Much less a kid¡­plus, his attacks are indiscriminate and without any proper forms or methods."


    While all this was going on, inside I was burning hot. I could feel the blazing black qi seeping through my vessels, flowing across my entire body like molten lava. It felt as if I was going to combust and burn into flames anytime.


    At first, I thought the heat was caused by pure, unadulterated rage, but then I understood that the rage and thirst for vengeance was merely something that gave this heat form.


    "Do you understand what is happening now?" Tian Yu Di asked, amused. "I didn''t think your master would teach this to you, not when you haven''t fully mastered Heaven and Earth Formula. But to think you would be able to attain the purest form of Heaven and Earth Formula¡­the technique called the Divine Origin Spirit."


    "What is that?" Zi Da Ji turned to look at Ancestral Master sharply. He merely laughed and held up both hands.


    "Don''t look at me like that. I''m not the one who taught it to him. It was his master."


    She watched him for a moment, but the sharpness in her gaze didn''t falter at all. Not bothered, Tian Yu Di continued indifferently.


    "Divine Origin Spirit is the state of being achieved when the practitioner surpasses the limits of the conscious and subconscious, blurs the distinction between the enemy and the self, and becomes the purest essence of the martial way."


    He sighed dramatically.


    "Divine Origin Spirit is the essence of Heaven and Earth Formula, but at the same time it is also its greatest flaw. Those who have attained that state of being in the past were all swallowed up by bestial emotions and lost their sense of self. It''s the reason why Heaven and Earth Sect has been feared as a demonic sect throughout history."


    Tian Yu Di folded his arms and chuckled.


    "It seems that even after nine hundred years, no one has found a solution yet¡­and it remains the reason why Heaven and Earth Sect is still known as a notorious demonic sect. Alas¡­my grand disciple will continue to rampage until everything is destroyed."


    Right now, the three Holy Guardians were clinging onto me, the biggest guy grabbing me from behind, while the two other guys were gripping my arms. I wasn''t able to cut them with my sword, but I could still wrench myself away.


    Tucking my legs to my chest, I kicked the big guy behind me. Realizing the danger, he immediately let go to defend himself, but my kick still sent him cartwheeling behind. While the other two were still holding onto my arms, I flipped myself up to kick one of them, only for him to duck under my kick. However, the sonic boom generated from my kick actually knocked him flat onto the ground with a grunt.


    Still spinning around, I made use of the third and last guy''s hold on my arm to whirl about and deliver yet another kick. Having seen his two comrades brought down, the third Guardian quickly relinquished his hold and backed away, only for me to switch my trajectory and slashed with my sword. He quickly drew his own weapon again, only to be blown away by the sheer amount of qi, and ended up partially entombed in ice again.


    "Ugh¡­this guy¡­!"


    "Can anyone stop him?!"


    "Run! Get away!"


    While everyone else was panicking, I continued to fight against the beleaguered three Holy Guardians, Long Shen frowned.


    "I''m sorry, but this can''t continue. We can''t let that brat continue rampaging like this. At this rate, he''ll wipe everyone out."


    He held his sword up before unleashing a gigantic Green Dragon Solar Flash in my direction.


    "Are you treating me as if I don''t exist?"


    Snarling, Tian Yu Di swooped down and smacked the gargantuan flash of flames aside, much to Long Shen''s astonishment.


    "I''m sorry, but I won''t allow you to kill Sect Leader. The kid has potential. He will definitely lead our sect to glory. I can''t let you hurt him until then."


    "You¡­!" Long Shen growled. "Get out of my way!"


    "Wait¡­"


    To everyone''s surprise, it was Song Si Yuan who spoke up. He held up his hand to restrain Long Shen.


    "Brother Long, I would like to appeal to you to let Fei Wu live." Song Si Yuan bowed. "He has too many secrets. For him, my Song family will be willing to give up Hai Mo."


    "That''s right." Xie Zhi Zhang agreed as he lowered his head as well. "Hell, I say we stop this pointless war once and for all. We''ve lot too much, and too much blood has been spilled. I no longer think there''s any point in trying to exterminate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "You¡­" Long Shen stared at the two of them in astonishment. "After they''ve killed so many of our peope, you''re just going to let them walk away like this?!"


    "We''ve also killed so many of their people," Shen Tian Yi responded quietly. "We have no right to condemn them for fighting back. My Heavenly Way Sect would most likely do the same had we been the target." He turned to watch the three Holy Guardians from his sect continue to fight againt me. "Alas, we have severed all hope of reconciliation¡­we can only mitigate the damage."


    Tian Yu Di snorted. "If you fools are thinking of making use of Sect Leader in future, you are dreaming! I will not allow the hypocritical Martial Arts Alliance to enslave my sect leader and use him for your own nefarious purposes!"


    "I won''t allow you to take Fei Wu away either!" Zi Da Ji added fiercely. "You''ve already taken away my adopted daughter. I won''t let you rob us any further!"


    Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan exchanged weary glances. Then the latter sighed and shook his head.

 232 Chapter 231: Damage Control

    "At this point, do you think we will believe you?"


    "I know you won''t." Song Si Yuan sighed, and dropped to the ground. He raised both his hands in surrender. "That''s why¡­from now on, I will no longer be participating in the battle." He glanced at me, who was still rampaging throughout the plaza and throwing the three Holy Guardians about. "You can try and stop him if you want."


    "Same." Xie Zhi Zhang mirrored his actions and also raised both his hands wearily. "We''ve been thoroughly beaten and sustained irrecoverable losses. Right now, the most important thing is to minimize further damage and loss of life."


    "Heh!" Tian Yu Di cackled. "And why should we help you stop Sect Leader? I''ll be happy to let him wipe out the Martial Arts Alliance in my stead!"


    "He won''t be able to sustain that for long," Shen Tian Yi pointed out gravely. "Sooner or later he''ll collapse after expending so much qi. And I don''t know if his body can handle it. You had best stop him before he overexerts himself and sustain fatal injuries."


    Zi Da Ji looked worried, but Tian Yu Di merely snorted.


    "I know that better than any of you. But¡­" he grinned. "That damage won''t happen for a few hours at least. I''m content to let him rampage until he reaches his limits." Scoffing, he leaned back against a Spirit Engraved Pillar. "You''ll need to offer us a better deal than that for us to cooperate. After all, it''s your damned Martial Arts Alliance''s fault that everything came to this in the first place."


    The three high-ranking experts traded glances, looking as if they were at a loss at what to do. Before any of them could speak up, however, a new voice cut in.


    "Second Uncle! Uncle Song! Elder Shen! There is no need to negotiate with these villains! We should just take care of this ourselves!"


    Xie Jing Lian''s clear and cold voice was carried across the plaza. She and Yang Zhong had finally arrived after the major battle. The both of them had chosen to stay back before the Sunburst explosions, presumably because they were forewarned that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect still had a hidden trump card that would prove to be devastating to the invading forces.


    But even they did not imagine the explosions of the seven Sunburst bombs to be this destructive and cause such a massive number of casualties. To think that they were capable of decimating ninety percent of the invading forces¡­


    "Girl from the Xie family." Long Shen narrowed his eyes as he glanced at her disapprovingly. "So you''ve finally decided to show up. Were you hiding all this while to stay safe from the battle earlier?" it was clear that he regarded her as a coward.


    Xie Zhi Zhang sighed as he strode over to talk to his niece.


    "A pity," he remarked with a shake of his head. "If we had known about Fei Wu and his abilities, we would have recruited him into the service of the Xie Clan. Did we not have any insiders watching for such potential in Wu Ling Academy?"


    "¡­we do," Xie Jing Lian admitted curtly. Her uncle stared at her with a hard look.


    "They report directly to you, don''t they? None of them mentioned anything about this boy?"


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    "¡­no, they didn''t."


    "Actually, they did tell us how Fei Wu achieved second place in the Wu Ling Academy tournament last year." Yang Zhong was a snitch, but a great snitch. "But my lady was discouraged by his One Star Constitution, and focused her efforts on recruiting people with higher talent, such as Zhu Jiao or Bai Ning Xue."


    "A One Star Constitution achieving such a high finish in the tournament ¨C there is a very high chance that it was all down to luck," Xie Jing Lian explained. "And most likely he had favorable matchups. I refused to risk the Xie Clan''s resources on such an unknown factor."


    Yang Zhong sighed and shook his head bitterly, evidently in disagreement. At that time, he had reasoned with Xie Jing Lian and tried to persuade her to recruit me into the service of the Xie Clan, but she stubbornly refused.


    "You call this luck?" Xie Zhi Zhang asked sharply, his tone rising. He gestured toward the horrific destruction, and me basically kicking the three Guardians away. "You call this luck?!"


    "Certainly, this surpasses simple luck," Song Si Yuan agreed in a more conciliatory manner and stroked his chin. "To think he would be able to invent Spirit Bombs of such magnitude, and even attain the Divine Origin Spirit¡­"


    Long Shen burst out laughing. Snorting, he turned his vicious gaze upon Xie Jing Lian and sniggered.


    "Girl of the Xie family, you really don''t have an eye for people," he mocked. "Luck! Ha ha ha ha! He won all his consecutive matches and reached the finals of his school tournament through luck! He got accepted into Blood Blades of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect because he was ''lucky''! That''s got to be the funniest thing I have ever heard!"


    Slapping his thighs, he wiped the tears from his eyes.


    "Compared to the young miss of the Song family, you are completely outmatched. If it had been Song Ting Yu who had spotted Fei Wu, I''m sure she would have recognized his potential right away and have him wrapped around her little finger! That brat would be following every single command from her obediently! Hell, I doubt anyone would be able to chase him away! He will willingly sell his soul to the Song family!"


    Shen Tian Ya nodded dully.


    "If only Fei Wu had joined the Martial Arts Alliance instead, then Nine-Tailed Fox Sect wouldn''t be so difficult to deal with, and hurt us so badly and irreversibly." He glanced at the three Holy Guardians, who had scattered again. "My Heavenly Way Sect, Brother Long''s Green Dragon Sect and the Kunlun Sect should be fine ¨C we did not dispatch all of our very best forces, but I fear the Seven Valley Sects, Divine Shadow Sect, Dark Asura Sect and Cloud Sky Mountain will be finished after this."


    Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan exchanged a dark glance at that, the both of them already knowing the eventual fate and demise of these ten sects. Xie Jing Lian was aware of it too, somewhat, though she was still too young to comprehend the full extent of the hypocrisy and corruption that plagued the Martial Arts Alliance.


    None of them was stupid enough to mention that to their allies in the subordinate sects, though.


    Instead, Xie Jing Lian met Long Shen''s gaze evenly and nodded indifferently. "I am indeed not her match in this aspect."


    Long Shen chuckled, but he no longer paid any attention to her. Instead, he glanced in the direction of the fierce battle.


    The biggest guy of the three Holy Guardians was trying to punch me, but I easily dodged his fists. Before I could retaliate, the other two guys rushed from behind, trying to flank me.


    Spinning around, I slashed at the guy with a sword, but he parried my strike before drawing another weapon to grab hold of my Azure Lotus Sword. I immediately dropped it, but instead of fighting the swordsman, I twisted around and kicked the other guy. He stopped and blocked my foot with his arm, realizing that it was too late to dodge, and my kick actually broke his hand.


    "Argh!"


    He fell back as he screamed in pain, but my next kick slammed into his chest and sent him hurtling a few dozen meters away.


    The second guy then charged at me with his sword, but I dodged under his slash. Instead, I grabbed my Azure Lotus Sword with my right hand, and then rammed his elbow with my left fist when I yanked him forward, before he realized what was happening. There was a sharp crack, and he yelped as his arm gave way with a sickening snap.


    As he fell to his knees, I kicked him in the gut, sending him flying several meters back. He crashed onto the ground, unconscious, but not dead. If he hadn''t blocked my foot with that interesting jitte that he used to grab my sword, he might have died.


    The last, biggest guy then grabbed me from behind, trying to grapple with me and wrestle me into immobility. Unlike Goonmoonryong, I wasn''t going to jump back and smash him to the ground. Instead, I slammed my elbow into his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. Then I spun around, breaking his nose with another elbow. As he staggered back, I kicked him in his midriff, and even his large body was lifted off the ground for a few seconds before tumbling backward.


    "No way¡­" Shen Tian Ya murmured softly. "Even the three Holy Guardians have been taken out?"


    Jiang Yuan screamed when I descended upon him. Using a footwork technique, I closed the distance between us, disappeared past his subordinates and landed on his face. Unleashing Seismic Step, I obliterated him an instant.


    "Hu¡­"


    Exhaling, I turned my murderous gaze upon the frightened subordinates of Cloud Sky Mountain. They screamed and fell over, tumbling over one another as they tried to get away. Some of them even pissed themselves, the stench of urine filling the air as they fell, a dark stain in their pants.


    "No, please¡­!"


    "Let us go!"


    "I''m sorry! We''re sorry!"


    "We never meant to¡­!"


    Oh, come on. Do you really expect me to believe that you never meant to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect? What utter bullshit.


    I punished their lies with decapitation or brutal deaths. The air was filled with screams and stank of fear.


    I reveled in it all. The dark fury pulsed in my veins, threatening to overwhelm me. No, my sanity had long been consumed by the hatred and sheer need for vengeance. I had killed those directly responsible for Tang Qi Hong''s death, especially that bitch Jiu Liu Yu, but my rage had not been spent yet. I needed more victims.


    All of them. I was going to kill every single one of them¡­


    "All right, that''s enough. Fei Wu. Stop."


    Someone slammed down in front of me while I was looking for fresh new targets. A flying motorbike (I was tempted to call it a jetbike) had just skimmed across the heavens and its rider jumped off the seat to land in the middle of the plaza.


    "Zhu Jiao?!"


    Tong Xue gaped at the newcomer. Beside him, Lian Rou covered her mouth with her bloody hands, not aware of the red fluid dripping off her fingers and staining her face.


    "What is Zhu Jiao doing here?"


    "Seems like a lot has happened." Zhu Jiao sighed and shook his head as he glanced around, then he turned to face me. "Time to bring you back, Fei Wu."


    Don''t get in my way.


    My mind pounded and throbbed. I was vaguely conscious, but my sanity had been wiped clean by the Divine Spirit Origin, and most of my vision was shrouded in berserk darkness. I hardly recognized Zhu Jiao as a friend.


    Right now, I only saw him as an impediment. Someone who was getting in my way of slaughtering all of my enemies.


    And I was going to kill everyone who got in my way.


    With a yell, I charged forward, intending to barge Zhu Jiao away.


    "Whoa¡­looks like he really has lost it." Zhu Jiao gulped, perspiration dripping down his face. "Not only that, he has gotten so much stronger. Is this really Fei Wu?"


    "Something happened," Tong Xue informed him shakily. "Something to do with his Heaven and Earth Formula going out of control. I don''t know the details" he glanced up at Tian Yu Di above. "You''ll have to ask that elder above."


    "Maybe later. For now I''ll have to stop this guy."


    He used his gauntlets and clad himself in full body armor in an instant, the golden metal gleaming under the sun. Lowering his arms, he then caught me as I rammed into him.


    "Got you!"


    However, I had anticipated that, my body subconsciously reacting thanks to Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps. Flipping myself up at the last moment, I avoided Zhu Jiao''s grasp and swung my foot down in a devastating kick that connected with his helm.


    Boom!


    "Ugh!"


    Zhu Jiao''s skull would have been crushed from that kick if he had not conjured his full body armor earlier. Raising his Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets, he swung a vicious punch in my direction, trying to punch my lights out.


    Twisting my body aside, I parried his Heavenly Golden Draconic Gauntlets with my Azure Lotus Sword, and then flipped myself away before his other fist could land. Whirling around, I delivered a riposte that he deflected before evading a retaliatory punch.


    "¡­!"


    Zhu Jiao unleashed a Golden Kirin Holy Blast at pointblank range that forced me back, but I then plunged my Azure Lotus Sword into the ground and froze the entire place in ice.


    "Whoa!"


    Zhu Jiao stumbled back, ice rapidly expanding over his body. But he gritted his teeth and unleashed his qi to shatter the ice. He then unleashed his Golden Kirin Divine Fist at me just as I swung my sword down to cleave him in half.


    His gauntlet met my blade before eveyrthing exploded, hurtling me back. I flipped in midair and landed on the ground, skidding back. Zhu Jiao was also staggering back, his armored feet leaving crumbling trails in his wake.


    "So powerful!" he gasped. "What the hell sort of drugs is Fei Wu on?"


    "Fei Wu didn''t take any drugs," Tong Xue said dryly. Zhu Jiao groaned and suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.


    "I know! It was just a manner of speaking!"


    However, he wasn''t able to retort much because I was lunging at him again, my eyes flashing murderously. Zhu Jiao shuddered, feeling a chill in his spine, but he met my charge with Golden Kirin Divine Claws.


    Clang!


    I found myself batted aside by Zhu Jiao''s superior strength, but he was stumbling back, his arms vibrating intensely from the collision.


    "What the hell?! How did he get so strong!?"


    "I told you, it''s that Heaven and Earth Formula thing¡­"


    "I know!" Zhu Jiao snapped when Tong Xue explained again. "It was just a rhetorical question, okay?!"


    The poor guy was getting stressed out from facing a deadly enemy like me. He gritted his teeth and raised both his arms to guard himself when I kicked him. He stumbled back from the tremendous impact, but unleashed a Golden Kirin Holy Blast to force some distance between us. However, I merely sliced the qi wave apart with my Azure Lotus Sword.


    Flicking my sword to free the blade of the sparks, I then dropped to an aggressive stance, holding my blade parallel to the ground.


    Kicking off the ground, I charged at Zhu Jiao, who somehow managed to parry my strike with one of his gauntlets. He then countered with a fist to my midriff, but I was spinning away. Lashing out with a kick, I struck his knee and caused his leg to buckle. Zhu Jiao grunted and countered with a backswing, but I deflected it with my Azure Lotus Sword. While ice continued to spread over both his gauntlets as a result of coming in contact with Azure Lotus Sword, I kicked a stunned Zhu Jiao down, almost cracking his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor.


    "Damn it!"


    Cursing, Zhu Jiao unleashed a colossal blast at pointblank range, almost catching me by surprise. I managed to block most of the effects with Azure Lotus Sword, but even so I was knocked off my feet and sent sailing backward a few meters. Landing on my feet, I took a deep breath and immediately launched myself at him again.


    The existences beyond the fourth wall must be confused. They were wondering why Zhu Jiao was able to fight back against me even though I so easily killed Jiu Liu Yu, Fu Chang, Ji Liu and Jiang Yuan, and even defeated the three Holy Guardians from the Heavenly Way Sect. Surely Zhu Jiao, who was weaker than these esteemed experts who led their own sects, shouldn''t be able to last so long against a berserk me?


    The answer was simple. He had plot armor. He was the protagonist. Of course he had to come save the day and solve everything. And he would never die, because of his massive plot armor and role as the story''s protagonist.


    That was why he was defying logic and fighting me toe-to-toe. Okay, maybe he was losing and giving ground gradually. Blood was streaming down his exposed face, his Golden Kirin Sacred Armor was cracked in several places and he was tiring from having to continue expending qi to shatter the ice I froze around him.


    But he could still hold me off, and he definitely had some way of bringing me back¡­even if he had to kill me to do it.


    "Um¡­any help would be appreciated now!"


    For some reason, Zhu Jiao yelled to the skies above.


    "Huh? What''s going on?" Tong Xue and Lian Rou, and several of the Blood Blades around us stared up in confusion.


    Their query was answered with a thunderous bang. A helicopter had flown past, and yet another newcomer descended. Lightning followed her as she crashed down on my position, unleashing a gigantic bolt of electricity.


    Frowning, and aware that I wouldn''t be able to dodge it in time, I slashed upward with my Azure Lotus Sword and unleashed Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike to nullify the gigantic lightning bolt. The two massive blasts of qi met and exploded, causing shockwaves that rippled throughout the plaza.


    The owner of the lightning hit the ground, rolled and sprang to her feet, raising her silver sword that crackled with electricity.


    "You sure took your time!" Zhu Jiao complained.


    "I didn''t expect you to have this much trouble," Bai Ning Xue replied coolly. She then frowned and studied me. "Is that really Fei Wu? He''s¡­different."


    "Fei Wu has gone berserk," Tong Xue explained. "Some effect of¡­"


    "I heard," Bai Ning Xue cut him off. "Is there any way to turn him back?"


    "Well¡­" the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members glanced in the direction of Tian Yu Di. The ancient elder shrugged with a mischievous grin.


    "Defeating him would be a start," he said.


    "Bastard," Zhu Jiao muttered under his breath. "He knows it''s not so easy to defeat him."


    Tian Yu Di merely watched, to Song Si Yuan and Xie Zhi Zhang''s surprise.


    "Aren''t you going to stop them?" Long Shen asked, equally shocked at his passiveness. After all, when Long Shen attacked me earlier, Tian Yu Di had intervened.


    Ancestral Master laughed. "I''m not so despicable as to lower myself to the level of interfering with a battle between children." His grin widened. "Besides, it''ll be interesting to see how these brats struggle against my grand disciple."


    "What if they defeat him?" Xie Zhi Zhang asked disbelievingly.


    "I would expect nothing less from the kids that Sect Leader has befriended!" Tian Yu Di guffawed heartily.


    Meanwhile, below, Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao were engaging me together in battle. Tong Xue, after some hesitation, joined in, striking from the back with his short sword while I was distracted by Zhu Jiao''s frontal attacks and Bai Ning Xue''s lightning.


    "I see now why you have so much trouble against him," Bai Ning Xue remarked, perspiration rolling down her snow-white face. "He is a lot stronger than before."


    "What the hell happened to him?!" Zhu Jiao demanded as he ducked under my sword, and tried to counter with a punch. I evaded it and kicked him, but was forced to pull back when Bai Ning Xue delivered a lightning strike. "What caused him to turn into a monster? And no, I''m not referring to his martial arts!"


    "Tang Qi Hong was killed."


    "What?!"


    "Huh?!"


    Both Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue turned to stare at Tong Xue in shock, but they were forced to snap out of their stupor when I came barreling at them.


    "How did that happen!?"


    "Qi Hong is¡­dead?"


    The two of them were still drowning in disbelief as they fought against me, more from reflex than conscious will now. They glanced in the direction of Lian Rou and finally caught sight of Tang Qi Hong''s body for the first time.


    "Impossible!"


    "No way¡­"


    As if the mere mention of Tang Qi Hong''s name enraged me, my attacks intensified and I actually drove both Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue back with a single swing of my sword. The ground in front of me ruptured from the devastating qi blast as the both of them leaped back to safety.


    "How?!" Zhu Jiao demanded, his voice filled with disbelief. "How did Qi Hong die?"


    "That bitch from Dark Fiend Valley Sect, Jiu Liu Yu, killed her." Tong Xue''s reply was as bitter.


    "Where is that Jiu Liu Yu now?" Bai Ning Xue asked, her voice turning extremely icy, to the point anyone who heard her shivered uncontrollably.


    "Fei Wu destroyed her," Tong Xue replied as he ducked under my kick and tried to stab me with his short sword. I countered with my Azure Lotus Sword and he winced and fell back, ice encasing both his arms.


    "Seriously?!" Zhu Jiao gaped. Then I kicked him in the chest, my foot cracking his breastplate and sending him staggering back. He then shut his mouth and nodded. "Never mind¡­given his current state now, I can''t say I''m surprised."


    "To think he could actually kill a sect leader on his own¡­" Bai Ning Xue''s brow wrinkled. "Just what is this Heaven and Formula technique?"


    "To be fair, Jiu Liu Yu was heavily injured by the Sunburst bombs'' explosion, so she wasn''t at her best." Tong Xue dodged under my sword and jumped away before I could eviscerate him. He winced. "Jiang Yuan of Cloud Sky Mountain was also wounded by the shockwaves and blasts, but not as much, and Fei Wu was still able to crush him¡­"


    "He even defeated the three Holy Guardians from Heavenly Way Sect," Lian Rou added, glancing at the unconscious trio.


    "This guy is insane¡­" Zhu Jiao gritted his teeth. He glanced at Bai Ning Xue. "I''m going to use that move. Ning Xue, Tong Xue, can both of you hold him off for ten seconds?"


    "Certainly."


    Bai Ning Xue jumped forward, creating a web of electricity with her sword.


    "White Tiger''s Thunderbolt!" she shouted as she swung her sword down at me. I parried it head-on, the ground beneath my feet crumbling and turning into a crater from the sheer force of the collision. Bai Ning Xue pressed down, but I easily fended her off.


    However, it was never her intention to defeat me with this strike. Instead, she flicked her sword and wrapped us within a web of electricity.


    "Heavenly Lightning Web!"


    I glanced around wordlessly, feeling the intense static electricity weighing down on me. Normally I would be paralyzed by it, but in my current state, I could not be stopped. Even so, such was the power of Bai Ning Xue''s technique that my movements slowed to a crawl. My limbs felt leaden and heavy, the electricity coursing mercilessly through them and trying to cut off the nervous signals being transmitted to them from my brain.


    Cursing, I took a deep breath and tried to discharge the electric qi out of my system by earthing it into the ground. However, Bai Ning Xue refused to give me the chance. Trapped in the same electric cage as me, she slashed ruthlessly at me, forcing me to block. I parried her silver blade and stumbled, but dug my heels in.


    With a roar, I unleashed a tremendous surge of qi that knocked her away and against her lightning web. Blood trickled from Bai Ning Xue''s mouth as she crashed into her electric barrier. Plunging my sword into the ground, I not only discharged the electricity infesting my body into the earth, but I also produced a huge blast that disintegrated the lightning web in an instant.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Coughing out some blood, Bai Ning Xue hit the ground and rolled away helplessly. She glanced at Zhu Jiao.


    "Sorry, I couldn''t¡­"


    "No, you''ve bought more than enough time."


    Zhu Jiao had created a gigantic qi sword with his gauntlet, one that stretched several times his height.


    "Golden Kirin Divine Blade!"


    He then lunged at me. Snarling, I whirled around and swung my Azure Lotus Sword to meet his attack.


    A blinding explosion rang across the plaza as our blades met, and a golden conflagration expanded ferociously across the site, devouring concrete and corpses alike.


    "Ugh!" Tong Xue was forced to jump back.


    "Ah!" Bai Ning Xue was also thrown off by the immense shockwaves, but she managed to flip herself in midair and land somewhat gracefully on her feet. Huffing, she wiped the blood from her mouth and wounds as rubble pelted her surroundings.


    Everyone watched with bated breath as the conflagration continued to expand into an enormous orb that reached the heavens. The Spirit Engraved Pillars trembled from the blast, but the Spirit Diagrams inscribed into their surface glowed and protected them.


    Then, as suddenly as it happened, it was all over.


    The conflagration vanished, and only the figures of me and Zhu Jiao were left.


    "¡­damn it¡­"


    Zhu Jiao''s Golden Kirin Sacred Armor shattered, pieces of his golden armor raining down around his feet. Blood streamed down from wounds all over his body and he staggered, but he refused to fall. Gritting his teeth, he maintained his posture.


    As for me, I merely stood there, still breathing heavily. The ominous fog continued to billow around me as I exhaled.


    "Don''t tell me that didn''t work?!" Zhu Jiao growled. "Fuck!"


    "¡­depends on what you were trying to do," I replied. Zhu Jiao''s eyes widened. It wasn''t just him. Tong Xue, Lian Rou, Bai Ning Xue ¨C and all of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members were staring at me with bated breath.


    "Fei Wu¡­? You''re back?"

 233 Chapter 232: Reinforcements

    Zhu Jiao finally buckled and fell over, laughing in delight. Despite his indignified tumble, he looked overjoyed.


    "Bastard¡­Fei Wu, you''re finally back to normal!"


    "Thanks to you." I rubbed my head and shook it, trying to ease the pain. Then I turned to Bai Ning Xue and Tong Xue. "And also thanks to you two."


    Bai Ning Xue shook her head, while Tong Xue continued to gape at me. I swear, my friend looked as if he was going to cry.


    "Finally¡­" he said, on the verge of tears. "You''ve snapped out of it. You''re really back!"


    "Sorry about that." I lowered my head. "I must have given you guys quite the scare."


    "On the contrary."


    I glanced up and spotted Zi Shou De hobbling toward me. He was currently flanked by a contingent of Blood Blades bodyguards and a wounded Hai Rong. His wife, Zi Da Ji, descended to support him.


    "You saved our sect." Zi Shou De managed a weary smile. "Your methods may be¡­brutal, but given the circumstances, you had no choice. You undoubtedly saved the sect."


    He didn''t mention Tang Qi Hong. He didn''t even glance in the direction of her corpse, which was still cradled by Lian Rou.


    I instinctively understood that it wasn''t because he was cold or indifferent to her death. Zi Shou De was on the verge of mental collapse, and looking at the body of his adopted daughter would drive him over the edge. As the sect leader, he couldn''t afford to fall apart, not now, not when the sect was barely hanging on together.


    Zi Da Ji glanced quietly in Tang Qi Hong''s direction, and then closed her eyes tearfully, unable to speak.


    "We have suffered horrendous losses, but we''ve escaped annihilation." Zi Shou De gritted his teeth, his tone saturated with pain. Not physical pain, but emotional pain. I could hear the trembling in his voice. "Thanks to you, Fei Wu."


    Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue stepped to the side awkwardly, glancing at the destruction and trying to absorb it all. Earlier, they were too occupied with fighting me to appreciate the true magnitude of what had occurred here, but now that the fighting had abated, it finally sunk into them just how devastated Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was.


    As well as the horrifying casualties we managed to inflict on the thirteen invading sects.


    "Miss from the White Tiger Sect." Xie Zhi Zhang bowed respectfully to her. "Are you alone? Or are we to presume that the White Tiger Sect will be arriving shortly?"


    "You presume correctly." Bai Ning Xue nodded. "My sect is coming in full force. They will reach Tushan City in fifteen minutes."


    "Or what''s left of Tushan City, anyway," I muttered.


    Long Shen smiled grimly when he heard the news. "The fighting will finally be over."


    "As we discussed earlier, Elder Long, the Song Clan would like for Fei Wu to live. We would ask that you hand him over to our custody."


    "¡­hmph. You want the Spirit Bombs that he invented, don''t you?" Long Shen snorted. "And stop pretending to be polite. You are from the three chief clans that rule over the Martial Arts Alliance. Since when do you need to negotiate with my Green Dragon Sect?"


    "We thank Elder Long for understanding." Xie Zhi Zhang bowed politely.


    The two high-ranked experts from the Martial Arts Alliance had recognized the value of my Sunburst bombs.


    They had personally witnessed the firepower of those seven Sunburst bombs upclose and in person. Despite their strength and cultivation level, they knew that even they would not be able to escape unscathed if they suffered the full brunt of a Sunburst bomb''s explosion.


    I had invented a terrifying Spirit Weapon that was capable of obliterating an entire sect and annihilating a whole army. The Martial Arts Alliance, despite accusing Nine-Tailed Fox Sect of harboring weapons of mass destruction and fabricating false justifications to invade us, when they became aware that such a device existed, they desired it for themselves.


    Compared to my Sunburst bombs, even all the wealth and resources in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and Hai Mo seemed insignificant. To them, anyway. If they really believed that, then they were bigger idiots than I thought they were.


    And I already had a bad impression of them to begin with¡­about how hypocritical and idiotic they were to start a war against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    Long Shen was not the kind who looked at the big picture, and was more obsessed with fighting, but even he realized the great importance that Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan placed on my Sunburst bombs. But as a member of a subordinate sect to the Martial Arts Alliance, he was in no position to protest.


    "Lord Song, Lord Xie." Fu Zhuo Hui bowed from a distance.


    He was one of the very few sect leaders left, with the vast majority of them having died either from the Sunburst bomb explosions, or at my hands. Well, given that I invented and mined those Sunburst bombs, and was the one who detonated them, that meant those who died in the explosions still died by my hands anyway.


    In any case, the survivors of the thirteen sects were gathering at the edges of the plaza. There were so few of them left. Led by Fu Zhuo Hui and Feng Lin, they kept a safe distance away from the remnants of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    At the beginning, the amassed forces of Dark Asura Sect, Divine Shadow Sect, Cloud Sky Mountain, the Seven Valley Sects, and even Heavenly Way Sect, Green Dragon Sect and Kunlun Sect numbered over ten thousand. Over ten thousand enemy martial artists had attacked Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    First, Yuan Tian Ya and Liang Yang Zu died. Then they were followed by Jiu Liu Yu, Yin Xue Sheng, Yin Xue Di, Cao Yuan Rui, Wu Tuo, Shi Jing Yun, Su Bai Xue, Ji Liu, Fu Chang and Jiang Yuan. All of them dying fiery or brutal deaths.


    One group at a time, they had been wiped out. Now, out of over ten thousand, just slightly less than a hundred had remained. Never mind the ninety percent who had first died in the Sunburst explosions, now less than even one percent remained. The nine percent had died in the further extremely bitter and bloody clash between Blood Blades martial artists and the desperate invaders braying for vengeance.


    Feng Lin, probably to take revenge for her late husband, started forward, but Song Si Yuan raised a hand to restrain her. She fell in beside Xie Jing Lian and Yang Zhong, still simmering with resentment. As if she was allowed to take revenge and kill other people, but we weren''t allowed to defend ourselves. What a bitch.


    The subordinate sects of the Martial Arts Alliance stopped to study the still defiant members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. We had also suffered heavy casualties, probably losing forty-five percent of our number, and were in a similarly terrible state. Hai Rong stared fiercely back at them, as if daring them to do something, while Elder Zhao maintained his stoic expression. Of the Great Elders, only Luo Zhi Chang was left, the other five having died during the vicious siege. There were also only seven inner sect elders left after the struggle.


    Zi Xiao Ji had now joined Lian Rou and was sobbing next to her. The two girls huddled above Zi Xiao Ji''s adopted sister, and leaned on each other as they wept quietly. Da Ge watched over the two quietly. I noticed that Zhao Shi was conspicuously absent. Later, I would learn that she had perished during the final battle, taking an attack meant for Zi Xiao Ji.


    The enemies then dragged their gaze to Lang Xie, who was nursing his injuries alongside his elite Blood Blades warriors, and pointedly ignoring their gazes. Finally, they turned to stare at Tian Yu Di, who was regarding the entire scene with indifferent amusement.


    Everyone fell silent. Then they finally turned to stare at me.


    Apparently they seemed to be thinking that I was the reason that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect survived until now, and made them pay a heavy price in blood.


    They gave me far too much credit.


    Okay, perhaps I did contribute a little during the first wave, unleashing Tian Yu Di upon Yuan Tian Ya, Liang Yang Zu, Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue, and taking the last three prisoners. But that last bit was at Lang Xie''s command, not mine.


    And yeah¡­all right, I was the one who nuked ninety percent of the invading forces to oblivion with my Sunburst bombs. But that was all I did, really. The other people contributed a hell lot more than I did. Without the Blood Blades, even if I nuked the invading army, the sect still would have fallen. Without Lang Xie''s ruthless decisions to take hostages and cut their arms off as a warning, we would have been invaded before I could complete my Sunburst bombs. Without Hai Rong taking charge of Blood Blades'' final defense, Zi Shou De would have been killed, and our final resistance would have crumbled. Without Tang Qi Hong, who valiantly sacrified her life to save mine, I would have died.


    So it wasn''t just me alone. It was everyone. I wasn''t some Mary Sue protagonist who could singlehandedly saved the sect by myself. Only authors who enjoyed wanking off to their own protagonists would praise them to high heaven and give them all the credit while ignoring the contributions of all the other characters.


    Unfortunately, it was true that I did deal an unimaginable blow to the thirteen sects who had the gall to invade us.


    "This brat has the guts, but he has spilled too much blood. What a pity¡­" Long Shen sighed and shook his head in regret. He was beginning to admire me for some reason.


    "He was only fighting back to save his sect," Shen Tian Yi mused sadly. "I would have done the same if I were in his position."


    Xie Zhi Zhang glanced at Xie Jing Lian and grimaced. "¡­Jing Lian is not as skilled as Song Ting Yu in assessing people and negotiating with them. If Song Ting Yu was the one handling this, Fei Wu would have already submitted, willingly becoming the sword and shield of the Song Family. It is such a pity."


    "Lord Song, Lord Xie¡­we can''t just let them go." Feng Lin was gritting her teeth in frustration. "They killed so many of us, and have so much of our brethren and comrades'' blood on their hands. We can''t just let them go like this!"


    "We also have the blood of their comrades and family on our hands, do we not?" Shen Tian Yi countered indifferently. "How are we any different from them? We are the ones who attacked them first. They were only fighting back."


    "Too many people have died," Song Si Yuan added wearily. "What meaning is there to take any more lives?"


    "Nonetheless, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect should compensate for our losses. They really were harboring those weapons of mass destruction." Fu Zhuo Hui''s tone was frosty, but not murderous or vengeful. "We were right in attacking them."


    "We only invented those weapons of mass destruction after you attacked us!" Zi Da Ji snapped. "And that was only an excuse for you to steal our wealth! Stop trying to hide behind rhetoric and the law, when you know this whole thing was bullshit to begin with!"


    "That''s enough." Long Shen sighed. "The White Tiger Sect is coming to reinforce us soon. We''ll decide what to do with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect after they arrive."


    "I think there''s a misunderstanding, Elder Long," Bai Ning Xue spoke up. Everyone turned to look at her.


    "What do you mean?" Long Shen asked, his brow furrowing.


    "White Tiger Sect is not here to reinforce the thirteen sects who have participated in the invasion." As she spoke up, the roar of helicoptors and growls of APCs were rolling into the ruins of Tushan City, all bearing the banners of White Tiger Sect. It wasn''t just White Tiger Sect. Mobile aircraft bearing the heraldry of Red Phoenix Sect were also swooping in and delivering martial artists dressed in the crimson and gold uniform of Red Phoenix Sect. "White Tiger Sect has ceded from the Martial Arts Alliance, effectively today. We are here to reinforce the Imperial Guard. As has Red Phoenix Sect. They have also announced their exit from the Martial Arts Alliance."


    Right behind the White Tiger APCs, armored personnel carriers bearing the regalia of the royal family ¨C the Imperial Guard ¨C rumbled inside, their tracks grounding rumble to dust. Infantry poured out of the armored fighting vehicles, dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Guard, and marched to surround the remnants of the thirteen sects.


    "What is the meaning of this?" Fu Zhuo Hui demanded, aghast.


    Bai Ning Xue drew her smartphone and played the video where Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue confessed to the whole farce of the Martial Arts Alliance invading Nine-Tailed Fox Sect because they were afraid, and because they wanted our wealth and resources.


    In other words, the video I had recorded, streamed live, and uploaded into the Internet. The very same one that spread over social media like wildfire.


    "This is evidence of your misdeeds¡­of the misdeeds of the Martial Arts Alliance." Bai Ning Xue paused for a moment for her words to sink in. "It took a while, but the Diet came to a decision, and finally allowed the royal family to dispatch the Imperial Guard. Several of the other major sects have also discussed the criminality of the Martial Arts Alliance''s actions, and decided that we want no part in this. Hence the withdrawal of our membership."


    She gestured toward the White Tiger Sect martial artists and Red Phoenix Sect martial artists who were approaching in a circle to trap the dismayed invading forces.


    "And if you''re expecting reinforcements from the Martial Arts Alliance¡­I''m afraid there won''t be any. The Martial Arts Alliance has distanced themselves from the thirteen sects who have participated in the invasion and claimed that you have been acting independently, outside of orders. How true that is, we will find out after an investigation. But for now, you''re on your own."


    "No way¡­"


    "Impossible¡­"


    "It can''t be¡­"


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    The fight had been taken out of the invading martial artists present. They were all falling to their knees in shock and despair, especially after learning that their leaders had abandoned them.


    "Oh¡­you''ve done quite an excellent job here."


    Lei Yong Chun cheerfully approached, leading a huge contingent of White Tiger Sect martial artists. Opposite him, Nan Ke and Feng Tian Yong were at the head of an approaching Red Phoenix Sect platoon.


    "You''re late, Senior," Bai Ning Xue told him sharply.


    "Hey, we got here as fast as we could," Lei Yong Chun protested, feigning hurt.


    "Tian Yong! You''re here too!" Tong Xue was waving at the red-haired guy. Feng Tian Yong gave us a small smile and nodded slightly, but he didn''t dare step out of formation. I exhaled a sigh of relief, particularly more so when the crimson and gold uniformed martial artists marched past us and toward the kneeling or shellshocked martial aritsts from the thirteen invading sects.


    Unlike them, Nan Ke was all business. Without exchanging any pleasantries or greeting anyone, she merely issued an order to her troops.


    "Take them into custody."


    They obeyed.


    "Right¡­they''ve been vouched for." Lei Yong Chun gestured to Xie Zhi Zhang, Song Si Yuan, and Shen Tian Yi. "The Martial Arts Alliance said they were sent to negotiate for peace and a ceasefire between the two forces."


    "They were definitely on the pacifist side!" Tian Yu Di cackled, eliciting a strange stare from Lei Yong Chun. The White Tiger Sect head disciple was obviously wondering who the ancient elder was, but he was wise enough to refrain from asking.


    "But for the rest¡­" Lei Yong Chun continued with a strained smile. "Arrest them."


    "Yes, First Senior."


    Without hesitation, the silver and blue robed martial artists of the White Tiger Sect complied, moving in step with Red Phoenix Sect and rounding up the prisoners before the disbelieving eyes of the survivors of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.

 234 Chapter 233: Aftermath of the War

    There was still an air of disbelief hanging around us, all of us hardly believing that we managed to somehow survive. Earlier that day, we were on the verge of annihilation, completely surrounded and outnumbered. I managed to turn that around by detonating the Sunburst bombs at Zi Shou De''s signal, so as to maximize casualties, and managed to level the playing field somewhat by decimating ninety percent of the invaders by nuking them into oblivion.


    Completely worth it.


    Even then, we were still fighting for our lives at the very end, as the very best of the first ten sects'' elites had pressed us hard. Thankfully, Green Dragon Sect, Heavenly Way Sect and Kunlun Sect didn''t send all their elites, or we would have fallen before reinforcements arrived.


    Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan were "politely" shepherded out of our sect by the Imperial Guard, presumably to answer questions. Despite the Martial Arts Alliance covering for them after cutting off the troops who had come to attack Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and slyly absolving themselves of responsibility, there were still suspicions about their involvement, and none of the high-ranking experts were stupid enough to stay around.


    While they didn''t actually kill anybody from our sect, and was mostly just occupied with fighting our veteran commanders and Tian Yu Di, they still participated in the war. We didn''t bear a grudge against them the same way we did against the bloody murderers, but we weren''t going to trust them either. We did have the feeling that none of the experts went all out ¨C all of us implicitly understood that they had been holding back because they were reluctant to participate in the war.


    If people of Song Si Yuan or Shen Tian Yi or Long Shen''s level got serious, they would have leveled the plaza during the clash against Tian Yu Di and the others. But they seemed to have held back the majority of their godlike powers to spare the members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect on the plaza. Perhaps, unlike the first ten sects who were screaming for vengeance, they had their own agenda of enslaving the blacksmiths and martial artists of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for the Martial Arts Alliance, which still didn''t make them trustworthy ¨C we weren''t going to simply forgive them for participating in that last assault. But we were too ravaged and hurt to pursue thm.


    "What will you do now, Sect Leader?" Tian Yu Di asked me quietly. While the leaders and elders were gathered in the center to discuss their next course of action, I had gone off to the side, and was resting at the edge of the plaza, staring blankly into the lake.


    "What do you propose I do, Ancestral Master?" I asked him wearily. Tian Yu Di smiled and shrugged.


    "That''s entirely up to you. You''re the sect leader."


    I glanced at the devastated landscape and the massive craters I had carved into the beleaguered city. That was going to take a lot of refilling to fill out the holes. I wasn''t sure how we were going to even begin repairs and restoration.


    "For now, I''ll see what they need help with¡­to rebuild Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and Tushan City." I sighed heavily. "Those Martial Arts Alliance bastards have really done quite the number on us. We can''t let them get away with this."


    "We can''t indeed. So you want revenge?"


    I turned to Tian Yu Di and studied him. He sounded gleeful, almost hopeful that I would flip out and order a massacre of the Martial Arts Alliance. But there were currently only two of us. There was no way we could defeat the Martial Arts Alliance on our own, not with their vast amount of resources and endless numbers of martial artists.


    Even the Royal Family wasn''t going to pursue this matter. The Martial Arts Alliance was too large to touch ¨C at most, they could only take the Alliance chiefs'' word for it and punish the sects involved in the invasion, but they couldn''t afford to wage a full-scale war on the Martial Arts Alliance. It would be too costly and the organization was too vast.


    Even though three of the major sects had ceded from the Martial Arts Alliance, and another four had taken major losses ¨C especially Snow Valley Sect, which was certain to lose their place after losing 90% of their forces, the majority of their leaders and elders, and almost all their elites ¨C they still had countless numbers of subordinate sects under their command. And truth be told, I doubted the Heavenly Way Sect, Green Dragon Sect and Kunlun Sect had committed that significant a force to the invasion ¨C significant enough to hurt, yes, but not so much that they would be crippled like Snow Valley Sect. So they would mostly be fine.


    "I do."


    "So what''s your plan?"


    I frowned. For some reason, Tian Yu Di struck me as someone impatient and overly eager. He was dangerous, make no mistake of that. Even though he had proven to be an invaluable ally in fending off the invasion and saving Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, he had his own agenda. An agenda that was sinister and self-serving.


    "We''re still too weak and too small, and I don''t trust the other demonic sects ¨C they tend to backstab and betray us even faster and more subtly than the Martial Arts Alliance. At least the Martial Arts Alliance is still bound by laws, codes, and have a good number of people with honor, but the demonic sects¡­from what I''ve experienced, they are too greedy and murderous to be reliable. Like the Tian Sha Sect, for example."


    I remembered the Tian Sha Sect, or Heavenly Fiend Sect. So many readers were obsessed with the prologue and kept demanding to know what it had to do with the main story. Well, of course it did ¨C the Tian Sha Sect (now translated as the Heavenly Fiend Sect) was one of the main antagonists. A showdown with Tian Sha Tian Zun (or Li Tian Zun) was inevitable. Especially after I had killed his son, Li Xue Wu.


    It was only a matter of time.


    But for now, I had to focus on matters of the present.


    "So I want to build a base. After this, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will become important in helping us topple the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "Good idea." Tian Yu Di glanced in Lang Xie''s direction. "You have a mini Heaven and Earth Sect in here, so that''s a fair point."


    "I''m glad you understand." I still felt somewhat uneasy, because Tian Yu Di probably wouldn''t sit around idly while I worked on helping Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. "For now, I want to focus on rebuilding. We need to restore Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s strength and power."


    "Hmph." Tian Yu Di merely noded, disgruntled. "Rebuilding isn''t my thing. I''m more suited for fighting. But I know you have a long-term plan that will benefit us in the long run, so I won''t argue against it. It''s just that I''m not going to be of any use in the rebuilding process."


    "Yeah, sorry about that." despite his deference to me, I still felt some trepidation over what he intended to do.


    "You probably don''t need me to look after you while you stick around and rebuild Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." Tian Yu Di frowned and glanced over the horizon. "I ask for permission to take my leave."


    "Take your leave?"


    "Yeah." Tian Yu Di nodded thoughtfully. "I''m sure rebuilding will take a long time, and there''s no point having me sit around and do nothing. So I propose that you allow me to leave on a journey. I need to look for Spirit Herbs and medicine to allow me to recover my strength. Right now, I''m only at fifty percent of my strength, but if I recover at least eighty percent of my strength, I might be able to take on the Martial Arts Alliance single-handedly." He grinned. "That will take at least a couple of decades, though, so in the meantime, do your best to rebuild Heaven and Earth Sect."


    It was clear that he thought I was rebuilding Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to be Heaven and Earth Sect, or at least become part of Heaven and Earth Sect, but I didn''t bother to tell him that I had no intention of doing so. Instead, I nodded.


    "Do whatever you need to do," I told him. Then I frowned. "The Spirit Medicine and herbs in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect isn''t enough?"


    "Your Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has some good things," Tian Yu Di admitted. "But they are insufficient. I need more potent Spirit Herbs¡­Spirit Herbs that can only be found in the deepest recesses of Sen Lin Forest¡­and perhaps even other continents. If they haven''t changed over the last nine hundred years, that is."


    That made sense. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was a blacksmithing sect, not a medicinal sect.


    "Understood. Do what you must. I''ll do what I can from my end as well."


    "Good." Tian Yu Di smacked my shoulder in delight. "I''ll look forward to how much you''ll be able to develop the sect by then. Ah¡­and if you need me, you can contact me through the Golden Dragon Medallion. The seal that binds me to its authority will allow you to contact me through it, just like how you''ve been talking to me earlier, during the battle."


    "Understood." I nodded. "Thanks. And good luck."


    "Heh! My enemies will probably need the luck more than I do!" Cackling, Tian Yu Di waved, and then he simply vanished. Even though I couldn''t see him, I could sense him streaking away from the plaza and toward the east.


    After he disappeared, Zhu Jiao and the others walked over me. They glanced fearfully at the spot where Tian Yu Di occupied, but they didn''t possess the same time of qi senses I did to detect his presence and know which direction he flew off to. I didn''t bother to tell them either, especially since there was no point in them knowing.


    Lang Xie had split off from the group after a few words from Sect Leader, and under his orders, almost all the injured martial artists were heading up Flame Volcano and toward the main sect''s infirmary. Corpsmen, medics and physicians from the Imperial Guard were rushing over to tend to the wounded. I noted that most of the injured they were helping were from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and they were being ferried off to either the infirmary, or to huge field tents set up next to the infirmary as emergency field hospitals to accommodate the large number of casualties.


    It wasn''t because Nine-Tailed Fox Sect had sustained more casualties than the thirteen sects. Quite the contrary, actually ¨C compared to them, we were actually much better off. It was just that almost all the casualties from the thirteen sects were dead.


    Naturally the Sunburst bombs had instantly killed them, incinerated them or ripped their bodies apart from the enormous blast and superheated flames, so there was very few remains, and what corpses that stayed intact were definitely dead. They weren''t coming back, that was for sure.


    Comparatively, Flame Volcano emerged unscathed. The Sunburst bombs had been mined in Tushan City, so that was where the bulk of the destruction had taken place. I only mined the outer sect districts at the foot of Flame Volcano, and there was a crater blasted there, but other than that, the main sect grounds escaped massive damage. Thankfully the enemies did not invade all the way up Flame Volcano, concentrating their forces around the plaza. None of them had thought to climb Flame Volcano, where only civilians dwelled in.


    Speaking of civilians, Sect Leader Zi Shou De and his wife were heading up there to speak to them now.


    "Seems a bit anticlimactic, given how everything just ended like this, eh?" Zhu Jiao asked flippantly as he watched the leaders and elders of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disperse to get on with their chores. "Now that the fighting has stopped¡­everything feels so unreal."


    "What, were you expecting me to start controlling three of the Spirit Engraved Pillars to fly, accidentally open up a Nether Passageway to the Nether Realm, and have a bunch of evil beings fom the Nether Realm show up to invade the Great Zhou Empire?" I asked sarcastically. "And because of the appearace of the Nether Passageway, everyone decides to stop fighting, become friends and evacuate the area?"


    "I never said that," Zhu Jiao said, taken aback. "What the hell are you talking about? Nether Passgeway? Nether Realm? I''ve never heard of those before."


    "You shouldn''t have." Tong Xue sighed in exhaustion. "They are from another story called Spirit Realm. People were complaining about how that story is always about chaos going on, with no moment of peace, and it becomes tiring to read. Poor Qin Lie always get thrown from one battle to another without resting at all. The pace just never changes, and it becomes tiring to read."


    "That''s not true, though?" Lian Rou pointed out. "Didn''t he have quite some peace when he was learning stuff in Armament Sect?"


    "Um¡­even in Armament Sect, he had to deal with Liang Shao Yang and repeated assassination attempts on his life¡­" I shook my head tiredly. "Qin Lie never catches a break."


    "What does that have to do with anything?!" Zhu Jiao complained. "Who cares about that stupid story? You guys just survived and got a break. Why aren''t you happy?"


    "We are happy¡­just too tired at the moment." I suppressed a yawn. "Haven''t gotten much sleep since everything had been going on. We''ve been fighting nonstop for days." I glanced at the Imperial Guard gratefully. "I''m glad they''re finally here."


    "We should tell them about the demons in the underground passageway," Zi Xiao Ji spoke up, flanked by a bloodied Da Ge. None of us mentioned anything about the missing Zhao Shi. The pain was evident on Zi Xiao Ji''s face and Da Ge was unusually solemn, devoid of his usual geniality and humor. I lowered my head a little when I caught sight of them.


    We had lost so much¡­


    "I will do that," Jing Wei spoke up. He looked as if he was in pretty bad shape, but I was glad he survived. I shook my head.


    "No, you go to the infirmary. I''ll handle this."


    I quickly chased after Zi Shou De to tell him that, followed closely by his daughter and Da Ge. Tong Xue and Lian Rou stayed behind to look after Tang Qi Hong''s body. Right now, the priority was to the still living. So none of the soldiers provided bodybags and the like, because they were too busily saving the lives of the wounded or herding away sullen prisoners.


    Even the battle-automata and battle puppets were being recalled into the spatial devices of their summoners. The Castellax battle-automata had been burned out earlier, their reactors overloaded when they merged their atomantic shielding to protect the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect members in the plaza from the Sunburst explosions, but there was no time to repair them. Not now, anyway. Again, the priority was with the living.


    The battle puppets could be repaired anytime. As long as we had the Spirit Materials, parts and components, we could fully restore them.


    However, once a human died, he or she would be gone forever. Just like Tang Qi Hong.


    So just like that, the bustling soldiers in the plaza continued to move about like a colony of ants, ferrying the mortally wounded toward the infirmary and field hospital as quickly as possible.


    *


    Within one of the field tents, Lang Xie sat on a bed and watched as a field medic bound his wounds firmly. With his rank, he was actually entitled to go into the infirmary, but Lang Xie had argued that his wounds were shallow and ordered the more severely wounded ¨C those with life-threatening injuries who required immediate surgery to survive ¨C into the infirmary, and chose to have his injuries treated in one of the tents set up in the field hospital outside the overcrowded infirmary. The medic wrapped bandages around Lang Xie''s chest after applying some Spirit Medicine, then pulled back to study his work in satisfaction.


    "Good. Try not to move too much, or you''ll end up opening those wounds." The medic pursed his lips. "Give the medicine four hours to seal your cuts while channeling your qi to help it, then you should be able to move as per normal after that."


    "Understood." Lang Xie was not stupid or stubborn. He was a warrior, and now that the fighting was over, he wasn''t going to deliberately go against the medics'' orders just to show off how tough he was. He would rather have his wounds heal fully so that he could be up on his feet and carrying out his duties as soon as possible while being in peak condition again.


    "Good. If you need anything else, let me know."


    The medic then left the tent and proceeded toward other patients with relatively light injuries. Lang Xie watched him go, and then closed his eyes.


    "I know you''re there," he said suddenly.


    "Oh? So you do." Tian Yu Di''s voice spoke up with a chuckle. The ancient martial artist then stepped into the tent in a carefree manner. Unlike all the other martial artists, he was completely unhurt, both because he was too skilled and strong, and also because Long Shen and Shen Tian Yi didn''t go all out against him.


    "Do you have any business with me?" Lang Xie asked indifferently, his eyes still closed.


    "Yes, that''s why I''m spending a little of my precious time to talk to you." Tian Yu Di wasn''t offended at all. Chuckling, he retrieved a thin book from his robes and passed it to Lang Xie, who opened his eyes and received it. "I want to hand this to you."


    "This is¡­?" Lang Xie''s brow rose.


    "Heaven and Earth Formula. Since Sect Leader is part of this sect, there''s no point hiding the whole thing from you. I''ll teach you the remaining portion of that incomplete technique that Xue Jian was trying to learn. It should allow you to master Heaven and Earth Formula without any demonic side effects. I hope you will manage to always retain control over yourself and not deviate off the true path like Xue Jian did. And also, you will be able to lend combat support to my sect leader so that he will never have to resort to unleashing Divine Spirit Origin again."


    Lang Xie studied the book, then raised his eyes to stare intently at Tian Yu Di.


    "Are you planning for me to pass down the techniques of Heaven and Earth Sect in your place?" he asked neutrally.


    "Clever boy." Tian Yu Di grinned.


    "Even if I pass it down, it will be Blood Blades, not Heaven and Earth Sect," Lang Xie declared as he met Tian Yu Di''s eyes evenly.


    "I don''t care what you call it as long as you stick to the right path and don''t succumb to demonic urges." Tian Yu Di''s smile spread wider. "Otherwise I''ll personally kill you myself."


    "I have no intention to," Lang Xie assured him flatly.


    "Good." Tian Yu Di proceeded to walk out of the tent, but he stopped at its entrance and gave Lang Xie one last glance. "I''ll be back after I''ve regained some of my strength." He grinned, his teeth gleaming in the slight shadows of the dimly illuminated tent. "Perhaps it might take years, but when I return, I look forward to seeing how much your Blood Blades and my sect leader have grown."


    Lang Xie said nothing as just watched Tian Yu Di disappear.


    *


    After discussing with Zi Shou De, we decided the best course of action was to inform the Imperial Guard commanders. After we dealt with the civilians first. Even though so many of them had been massaced by the invading sects during the first phase of the war, there was still quite a lot of them left. And thanks to my little trick with the Sunburst bombs, they had been rendered homeless.


    Whoops¡­my bad?


    "I''ll handle that," Zi Da Ji cut in. "I''m the commander of Blood Blades after all. It makes more sense for me to serve as the military liason."


    "Good idea." Zi Shou De nodded. "We''ll need to borrow the Imperial Guard''s strength to sweep through the underground passageways, clear out the infestation and find out the source. If we can track down where these demons are coming from, we can plug the breach."


    "Maybe White Tiger Sect and Red Phoenix Sect can also help us with that," Zi Da Ji added as she glanced at our new allies, who were herding the prisoners-of-war into the armored fighting vehicles, so that they would be transport to prison facilities.


    "Yeah, we''ll do that after we handle the civilians."


    "What do we do?" Zi Xiao Ji asked eagerly, hoping to be of help to her parents. I realized that she, along with her parents, were searching for ways to keep themselves busy and occupied, so that they wouldn''t dwell on Tang Qi Hong''s death.


    There would be time for grief and mourning later, but right now they couldn''t afford to fall apart. Not until their work was done.


    But her parents didn''t realize that Zi Xiao Ji was in the same position as them, so they merely smiled tiredly.


    "You should rest." Zi Shou De glanced at Da Ge. "Take care of my daughter for me."


    "Roger that," Da Ge replied, but his usual cheerfulness was completely replaced by exhaustion. I could even detect a tiny amount of grief. It was only natural ¨C he and Zhao Shi had served as partners in the Blood Blades for so long. There was no way he wouldn''t feel anything over her death. Even though I didn''t know her very well, I did feel a tinge of sadness.


    Perhaps it was cruel of me to say, but her death didn''t hit me hard, not to the point where I felt tears. I hardly knew her, after all. And I was sure most readers didn''t even care who she was, and were completely nonplussed over the death of someone they regarded as an insignificant side character. Perhaps to them, that was all she amounted to, but to people who actually existed within this world like me and Da Ge, she was a real, living person who was very much involved in our lives. Maybe more so in Da Ge''s case than mine, but nonetheless, it still stung.


    We had all lost so very much.


    "You too, Fei Wu." Zi Shou De turned to me. "You''ve done so much. You should be joining the other Blood Blades and getting your injuries looked at."


    Oh, I almost forgot that I was severely hurt in the battle against Jiang Jun Hao, but after I inadvertently descended into Divine Spirit Origin, it seemed that all my injuries had miraculously healed from the tremendous amounts of qi that flowed through my body during that short period of time. There was still aches and throbbing here and there, but I was otherwise all right.


    I didn''t argue, however, and merely nodded before watching the Zi couple ascend Flame Volcano and toward the civilians. Then I went back toward the plaza to rejoin my friends. Zi Xiao Ji followed me as well, probably because she had nothing else to do. Da Ge shadowed her without any protest, probably too tired to say anything.


    "How did it go?" Tong Xue asked when I returned. I smiled weakly.


    "You know¡­the usual." I glanced at the Imperial Guard. "I guess they''ll get to fight after all."


    "Huh?" Lian Rou was confused.


    "We''ll be asking them to help us with clearing out the underground passageways," I explained.


    "Oh, the demons¡­" Tong Xue nodded in understanding. Both Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue blanched at that.


    "What? Demons? What are you talking about?"


    "It''s a long story." I sighed, and then briefly explained to Zhu Jiao all the stuff that had happened in my eventful journey back to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect after the rescue mission.


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    "Holy Throne!" Zhu Jiao exclaimed. "There are demons dwelling under your city all this fething time?!"


    "Why are you behaving like a fething Guardsman from Tanith?" I asked crossedly.


    "But¡­but¡­" Zhu Jiao protested as he backed away frantically. "These are demons, you know? How are we¡­?"


    He never got to finish his sentence. Stumbling over rubble, he fell over and smacked into one of the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.

 235 Chapter 234: Various Reactions

    Zi Shou De bowed his head deeply as he stood in front of the beleaguered and perplexed civilians. All of them had been displaced and rendered homeless from the war, and no amount of apologies were going to fix that.


    Aware of that, Zi Shou De continued.


    "Rest assured, we''ll be doing our best to fix this. I know words are not enough, but we''ll begin rebuilding and reconstruction efforts as soon as possible."


    "How?" one of the civilians asked, gazing sullenly at the seven big craters that now occupied Tushan City and the main sect''s outer sect districts. "How are you going to fill up all those gigantic holes?"


    "We''ve already discussed with the Imperial Guard, and they assured us that the Royal Family will be lending us a hand. The governmental construction branch will be arriving tomorrow to begin assessing the situation and helping us with restoring the city. In the meantime, you''ll have to put up with this shelter temporarily until we finish rebuilding the city." Zi Shou De paused and consulted his tablet. "Of course, you''re free to move out of the city. The fighting has ended, and our enemies have ceased hostilities. The Imperial Guard will escort you to whichever city you wish to move to." the sect leader looked weary. "I have no right to ask you to stay, so I perfectly understand if you wish to leave Tushan City and move to another city."


    No one said anything. They didn''t confirm his statement, nor did they refute it. Zi Shou De was painfully aware of their suspicion.


    "We heard that the destruction was caused by people from your sect," another civilian piqued up, his voice filled with tired anger. "Is that true?"


    "Yes." Zi Shou De didn''t deny it. "We were forced into a corner and I gave the order to blow up the enemies. However, the magnitude of the destruction exceeded our imagination." He squared his shoulders and met the accusing gaze of the crowd without flinching. "I will take responsibility for giving the order, but I do not regret it. The alternative was to fall. And you should already know that the enemy will not show any mercy to every one of us, martial artist or civilian."


    The accusing gazes softened somewhat. Most of the civilians had witnessed the horrifying massacres firsthand, had heard the cries and pleas for mercy ignored, and seen the enemy sects slaughtering the civlians without hesitation. And this was before the vengeful second strike after we threw the hostages'' arms at them.


    "Please approach the royal staff for help. They will help you sort out the administrative stuff and get you moving should you choose to do so." Zi Shou De nodded and stepped aside for the administrative army that the Royal Family had dispatched to help us. They began setting up a table and organizing the refugees into neat lines, getting them to queue up so that they could settle their circumstances one by one.


    "We should speak to the Imperial Guard commanders now," Zi Shou De remarked softly to his wife after he withdrew from the front. She nodded in agreement.


    "I''ll get to it and request that they help us with cleaning out the underground passageways. We can''t let the demonic infestation linger below us."


    "Yeah."


    As the Zi couple left, they suddenly found themselves greeted by a couple of girls.


    "Um¡­"


    "I''m very sorry, but¡­"


    Zi Shou De and Zi Da Ji observed the Ling Sisters before them, raising their eyebrows as they tried to remember who they were. Then Zi Shou De''s eyes lit up.


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    "Ah, you are Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan, correct?"


    "That''s right." Ling Yu Mei hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage. "What do you intend to do with us?"


    "Can we¡­go?" Ling Yu Xuan asked timidly.


    "Do you dare to return to Dark Fiend Valley?" Zi Da Ji asked, concerned. "After all that happened? Right now the remnants of the Seven Valley Sects are being arrested and escorted to prison. There is no place for you to return to."


    "If you would like, we''ll just register you as disciples of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and you can stay with us," Zi Shou De offered.


    "Thank you for the offer, but¡­" Ling Yu Mei shook her head. "We need to return to the Valley to mourn our master."


    "There is no valley for you to return to," Zi Da Ji reminded them gently. "The Imperial Guard will probably be clearing the place out. All members of your sect are being hunted down and persecuted. I do not think you will be allowed to mourn them."


    "But¡­"


    "I''ll show you what I mean." Zi Da Ji sighed. She glanced at her husband. "Since I''m going to the Imperial Guard commanders anyway, I might as well take them with me."


    Zi Shou De nodded. "I''ll leave them to you then." He proceeded toward the administrative staff to help them get settled.


    Zi Da Ji led the Ling sisters down Flame Volcano and toward the Imperial Guard encampment next to the crater that had been blown into the outer sect districts. She approached an armored fighting vehicle where a line of Dark Fiend Valley Sect members were being roughly shoved into. There were precious few of them left, the majority of them having been annihilated by my Sunburst bombs. Even so, they wore looks of defiant rage.


    When Zi Da Ji and the Ling sisters approached, they glanced up and their expressions contorted even further.


    "You dare return to Dark Fiend Valley Sect?" a dignified matron, despite the shackles on her hands, glared cruelly at Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan.


    She wasn''t alone. Along the line, many martial artists from the Seven Valley Sects, particularly those from Dark Fiend Valley Sect, were staring coldly at Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan. The two girls shuddered involuntarily.


    "Grandma was killed by Fei Wu and Fei Wu was the one who saved you and your Ling family. Not only that, it seems that he has some sort of relation to your cousin, Ling Qing Zhu!" the matron''s expression grew increasingly frigid. "And you still have the face to return to the Seven Valley Sects after all that?!"


    The two sisters silently lowered their heads pitifully.


    "What does this have to do with them?" Zi Da Ji snorted derisively. "And Fei Wu has no relation to Ling Qing Zhu, other than saving her once during the expedition to the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb. That sounds like some sort of contrived excuse to frame these sisters as scapegoats for your ultimate failure."


    She couldn''t help but be disgusted with these losers. Even though they had been defeated convincingly, they were still looking for other people to blame. Bloody hypocrites who refused to look in the mirror and recognized their own faults.


    "How is this not related to them?" the matron shouted. "If it weren''t for these two girls, would Grandma be so angry with Fei Wu? If it weren''t for them, would Granny have harbored such a grudge against him?"


    "What bullshit is that? Fei Wu never did anything to your sect leader." Zi Da Ji was growing angrier at the stupid nonsense the matron was spouting. "All he did was help her two disciples, and instead of being grateful, you decide to hate him for it? What kind of logic is that?"


    "Grateful?!" the matron shrieked. "That murderous bastard invented those horrifying bombs and inflicted such heavy casualties on our Seven Valley Sects! You''re telling us to be grateful to a ruthless butcher like him?!"


    Zi Da Ji couldn''t help herself. Before she realized what she was doing, she strode forward and slapped the matron so hard she was sent tumbling onto the floor in an undignified heap. Zi Da Ji then kicked her when she was down.


    "You have the guts to call my disciple a ruthless butcher, huh? Fei Wu is murderous? Then what about you? You and your sect went around slaughtering both civilians and martial artists in Tushan City, were hellbent on annihilating on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and your hands are full of blood. Our blood! And you want to call other people a ruthless butcher? Look at the mirror, you hypocritical bitch!"


    She then stomped on the matron so hard that there was a thunderous crack, and the matron whimpered in agony.


    "Ma''am, I''ll have to ask that you leave it at that." one of the Imperial Guardsman stepped forward, his sword held defensively across his chest. By right, he should have apprehended Zi Da Ji, but he chose to close one eye and pretend nothing had happened. Like Zi Da Ji, he was also appalled and revolted at the sheer hypocrisy of the murderous bastards. It was as if they could go around killing people without repercussions, but if their victims fought back, they would claim the higher moral ground and accuse them of being inhuman.


    "Sorry. I lost my cool there." Zi Da Ji sucked in a deep breath and stepped aside.


    "We all lose our cool sometimes, ma''am." The Imperial Guardsman smiled and saluted her. He then dropped his voice to a whisper. "Just between you and me, ma''am, I would have whacked them good if you hadn''t."


    Zi Da Ji chuckled at that, and nodded.


    "Thank you."


    "In any case¡­" the matron was sucking a painful breath into her lungs and glaring at the Ling Sisters defiantly. "I don''t want to see anyone from the Ling family in the valley. Not a single one!"


    "Me too!"


    "I do not want to see any member of the Ling family!"


    "Get them to leave!"


    "If it weren''t for us being arrested by the Imperial Guard, we should kill them and take revenge on behalf of the people from the valley who died from Fei Wu''s bomb!"


    "That''s right!"


    A great number of martial artists from the Seven Valley Sects were glaring viciously at Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan.


    "Wait, what?" the Imperial Guardsman looked perplexed at their unfathomable desire for needless violence. "Kill a bunch of random innocent people to avenge the deaths of your people caused by a guy who is somehow affiliated with them through acquaintanceship? Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with you people?"


    Zi Da Ji shook her head in disgust. "They do not have the ability to take revenge on Fei Wu, so all they can do is bully these two little girls." She smiled mockingly. "Your Seven Valley Sects sure are strong, aren''t you?"


    "Are these guys nuts?" a second Imperial Guardsman standing guard next to the AFV asked incredulously. "They come and kill as they please, but the moment shit happens, they start whining about how their comrades got killed? Did they think they would suffer no significant casualties when invading another sect, and are now crying afterward about how their people got massacred?" he rolled his eyes. "How pitiful."


    Disregarding the fury from the Seven Valley Sects members, Zi Da Ji grabbed the hands of the Ling Sisters and gently pulled them away.


    "Hear this," she declared. "These sisters are now part of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, since you don''t want them anymore. If any of you dare to touch a single hair on them, I will visit vengeance upon you so terrifying it will pale in comparison to Fei Wu''s Sunburst bombs." She grinned. "That is, if the Royal Family doesn''t decide to execute the whole lot of you first."


    She then left with the two sisters in tow.


    "Um¡­I appreciate Sect Lady Zi''s good intentions, but we need to return to the Valley to mourn Master." Ling Yu Mei timidly spoke up.


    "Rejected. You can mourn your master here. She died here, after all. Set up an atlar or memorial tablet, but do it here. I won''t allow you to return to the valley." Zi Da Ji lowered her voice. "You''ll die if you do."


    Ling Yu Mei and Ling Yu Xuan exchanged helpless looks, but they couldn''t free themselves from Zi Da Ji''s grip.


    "I will not allow you guys to cause more trouble for Fei Wu." Zi Da Ji frowned. She was misunderstanding something, but I didn''t blame her. I didn''t clarify anything, after all. But all she needed to do was ask, and she didn''t. "It seems that you''re friends of him¡­and your cousin is pretty close to him or something?"


    "He is our cousin''s benefactor," Ling Yu Mei explained quietly.


    "Ah, I see."


    Zi Da Ji nodded, then rolled her eyes.


    "Wait, they''re blaming you all because Fei Wu is acquaintances with you through saving your cousin?"


    "¡­sounds like it," Ling Yu Xuan muttered bitterly.


    "¡­yeah, they are nuts." Zi Da Ji sighed. "I hope they hang in the gallows. The world will be better off without idiots like them."


    The three women then split up, with the Ling Sisters heading back up Flame Volcano while Zi Da Ji proceeded toward the main command tent, just in time to run into Zi Shou De, who had just descended from the shelter to talk to the commanders.


    "Oh, how coincidental." Zi Shou De smiled. "I thought you might need my help, dear."


    "Your presence will definitely be helpful," Zi Da Ji agreed.


    They proceeded toward the Imperial Guard command tent, which was populated by a couple of Generals, regimental commanders and their command staff. The Mechanicus¡­I mean, technicians were setting up vox relays and portable computers, which projected holograms of the army''s disposition and positions, as well as indicating the enemy prisoners and the vehicles they were being transported in. The generals were shouting orders and reading digital transcripts on a few holographic monitors, most likely tactical updates.


    "Ah, Sect Leader Zi." One of the generals rose to his feet. "I''m Jiang Jun. I''m in overall command of this relief mission. It''s an honor to meet you."


    "The honor is all mine, General Jiang." Zi Shou De shook his hand. "Still, I''ve to admit, I''m surprised. I thought the Imperial Guard would require another two more days to mobilize, at least. Not only that, to be accompanied by the Red Phoenix Sect and White Tiger Sect¡­"


    "It''s all thanks to the video that one of your disciples posted." Jiang Jun grinned affably as he gestured for the couple to take a seat, and then sat down opposite them. "It caused quite the uproar when it was first uploaded and distributed all over social media. When the Diet saw it, they had no choice but to acknowledge that the invasion was illegal and unethical, and the Royal Family lost no time in dispatching us. Apparently the leaders of White Tiger Sect and Red Phoenix Sect, as well as a number of other orthodox sects, immediately distanced themselves from the Martial Arts Alliance and ceded their membership. To prove their sincerity, they sent their forces to help. A lot of the younger generation, especially, were more than eager to volunteer."


    That explained the presence of Bai Ning Xue, Lei Yong Chun, Feng Tian Yong, Nan Ke, and even Zhu Jiao. Later I learned that Bai Ning Xue had informed Zhu Jiao, who had expressed his outrage when he saw the video and wanted to do something, and he was more than happy to join her when she volunteered for her sect.


    "The power of social media," Zi Da Ji remarked wryly in amusement. "I didn''t think it would have such a political impact."


    "Times are changing, Sect Lady," Jiang Jun chuckled lowly. "We old folks are getting left behind now."


    "Even so, there''s a number of things we can do." Zi Shou De took a deep breath. "I need your help."


    "Hmm?" Jiang Jun raised an eyebrow. "What for?"


    Zi Shou De quickly filled him in regarding the underground passageway and the demons infesting them.


    "If possible, I hope you can help us sweep the passageways, clear them of demons and find out where they''re coming from. If there is a breach between our world and the demonic world, then we must seal it."


    "You are right." Jiang Jun looked grave. "This is a matter of utmost priority." He turned to his adjutant. "Fu Guan! Get me a vox! Now!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    Jiang Jun then turned to the regimental commanders in the tent with him. "Colonel Shang, Colonel Chen, Colonel Ning, your regiments are currently in reserve, right?"


    "Yes, sir!"


    "That''s right, sir!"


    "Correct, sir."


    The three colonels that Jiang Jun addressed responded in the affirmative, their expressions hardening when they realized what the general was about to ask them.


    "Good. Get them prepped for combat against demons. We''re going to sweep the entire network underground. Simple cleansing mission. Let not one of these fuckers survive, and find out where they are coming from." He paused and glanced at Zi Shou De. "I''ll brief you in greater detail in an hour. But let your men know."


    "Yes, sir!"


    The three Colonels snapped a salute and hurried away.


    "I''ll provide you with what information we have, but it''s very little." Zi Shou De took out a tablet. "This is the report from the disciple who survived the passageways, as well as the reports and preliminary analyses from the scouts we sent in to investigate the passageways shortly afterward. It isn''t much, but we didn''t have much resources to spare at that time¡­"


    "Under normal circumstances, we would have assigned our Blood Blades division to purge the demons," Zi Da Ji added. "But we needed them at full combat strength in order to repel the invaders from the thirteen sects."


    "I understand." Jiang Jun nodded understandingly. "I would have done the same in your position. I assume you sealed off all entrances to the underground passageways?"


    "Yes," Zi Shou De confirmed. "The ones in the main sect grounds first, and then throughout Tushan City after we defeated the first wave." And held the three surviving commanders of the first wave hostage ¨C except that they were now dead after the Sunburst explosion ¨C but he didn''t need to mention that.


    "Understood. I would appreciate it if you provide me schematics, maps, any data you have regarding the underground passageways."


    "I''ll upload the information to you right away," Zi Shou De replied and thumbed the touch-screen of his tablet, authorizing the transmission of sensitive data. Now that the enemy had the information regarding the underground passageways, there was no reason to hide them from the Imperial Guard. They would benefit from the information more anyway.


    "Thank you."


    "I''ll get some of the Blood Blades to liase with you." Zi Da Ji rose to her feet. "They might be able to share valuable information."


    "Thank you. I''ll be counting on you for that then." Jiang Jun nodded.


    "I''ll see you later during the briefing." Zi Shou De hesitated, looking extremely weary. "Normally I would offer to reinforce you with our Blood Blades, but they''ve just taken a terrible mauling. I''m afraid I can''t ask them to return to the combat zone this soon."


    "No, of course not. Don''t worry about it. The Imperial Guard will take care of it." Jiang Jun thought for a moment. "And we might need to seal the tunnels. I trust there''s no problem with that?"


    "Not at all," Zi Shou De assured him. "But please let us know if you do. We need to update our schematics and blueprints for future construction plans."


    "Right¡­rebuilding." Jiang Jun remembered that the Royal Family was sending a rebuilding committee over to help the severely wounded Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. "We will do that."


    "We appreciate it."


    The Zi Couple were about to leave when tey heard a massive commotion outside the tent. There were shouts and screams, permeated with shock and awe.


    "What''s going on?" Jiang Jun looked irritated, but he strode out of the tent. Zi Shou De and his wife followed closely.


    ¡­and stopped when they saw the nine lights piercing the heavens.


    "That''s¡­"


    "¡­the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars!"


    "Sect Leader! Sect Lady!"


    One of the inner sect disciples, Di Xuan ¨C the direct disciple of Zi Shou De ¨C hurried over. He almost tripped, and Zi Shou De had to throw out a hand to help him up.


    "Calm down, Di Xuan. What happened?"


    "Someone¡­someone triggered all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars! He activated all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars!"


    "Who?" Zi Da Ji asked, her mouth dropping. But she couldn''t deny the magnificent sight right in front of her.


    "That''s¡­that''s the thing! It''s not someone from our sect!"


    "¡­eh?"


    Both Zi Shou De and Zi Da Ji exchanged confused glances. But then again, with this many people from the outside entering the main sect grounds in such large numbers for the first time in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s history, perhaps it wasn''t something to be surprised about.


    Even so¡­


    "Who is it?" Zi Shou De asked, his voice trembling.

 236 Chapter 235: New Prodigy

    Zhu Jiao was gaping at the glowing Spirit Engraved Pillars, quickly removing his hands after he inadvertently triggered a reaction from them. The light continued to link him to the Spirit Engraved Pillars, however, suffusing both him and the entire space around us.


    "Oh my goodness¡­" Lian Rou''s jaw nearly hit the ground. "Zhu Jiao triggered a reaction from all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars?! How is that possible?"


    "It''s possible because he''s the protagonist," I muttered bitterly. The bastard just couldn''t stop being a bloody Mary Sue, could he? Oh yeah, I caused a ruckus by lighting up three pillars, but then Zhu Jiao comes along and lights up all nine of them.


    Reminded me of a certain Qin Lie from a particular story named Spirit Realm. Damn it. I should have seen this coming. I really should have seen this coming. But Zhu Jiao wasn''t in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, so honestly, I never wold have imagined that he would come along and do one over me. We weren''t even in a competition or something, but it seemed that Zhu Jiao never read the memo.


    ¡­all protagonists just had to be some sort of special snowflake, didn''t they?! UGH!


    However, I couldn''t complain. I did have my chance, and I received my spotlight. I guess it was fine if someone else did. Even so, the manner in which Zhu Jiao just effortlessly triggered all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars was grating.


    People like me had to work so hard just to get where we did today, whereas protagonists like Zhu Jiao, Lin Dong, Li Fu Chen, Lin Feng, Yue Yang, Chu Feng, etc. had every fucking thing handed to them on a silver platter. Oh, need a powerup? Here, there''s a Spirit Pill conveniently appearing from a dead enemy you just killed, or a Treasure Weapon that happened to be in the tomb you were exploring at the moment. Want to break through in cultivation? Here, some mystical space that is super-rich in qi and will boost your cultivation speed.


    Every single fucking one of them. Maybe I was somewhat similar, but since I was always relegated to a side character, I never got any of those benefits. Hell, I had to build my own Snow Aegis instead of conveniently getting a Treasure Weapon¡­okay, I had Azure Lotus Sword, so maybe I can''t whine about that. But because of my views on doping, I never conveniently received a bunch of super Spirit Pills or medicine to boost my cultivation or whatever.


    Feeling ill, I decided to withdraw into the background while a gigantic crowd came rushing over to praise and admire Zhu Jiao.


    "What¡­what is this?!"


    Luo Zhi Chang, the only surviving Great Elder, hobbled toward the plaza on his walking stick, his eyes glazed over as he stared at the nine glowing Spirit Engraved Pillars. He turned his gaze to Zhu Jiao, unable to believe what he was seeing.


    "Good Heavens¡­is this even possible? How is there yet another genius capable of triggering a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars? And all of them too?!"


    Because he was the protagonist.


    "My goodness¡­"


    "Wow¡­"


    "Whoa!"


    "Who is that guy?!"


    The members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect were gathering around the plaza to watch the amazing sight. They shook their heads, their eyes riveted upon the amazing spectacle. Their voices fell into hushed murmurs as they tried to make sense of what was happening.


    "He''s not from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, is he?"


    "What''s going on?"


    "Then how¡­?"


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    "¡­I have no idea."


    The inner sect elders had also arrived, and they were staring at Zhu Jiao. They were at a loss, too, especially because they were aware that Zhu Jiao was not from our sect.


    "What do we do?" Tie Jiang asked.


    "¡­no idea. Probably we should inform Sect Leader." Hai Mo was barely able to maintain his calm, glancing toward the peak of Flame Volcano.


    "Someone, call him." Another inner sect elder was fumbling for his smartphone. "Never mind, I''ll do it."


    "No need." Zi Shou De had already appeared atop the plaza, accompanied by his wife, Zi Da Ji. "I''m already here."


    "Sect Leader¡­"


    "Sect Leader."


    Zi Shou De raised a hand to forestall the ravaged members from carrying out the usual formalities. Like them, he was watching the puzzled and panicked Zhu Jiao trying to distance himself from the Spirit Engraved Pillars.


    "Oi!" Zhu Jiao cast a fearful glance at Tong Xue, Lian Rou and me. "What''s going on? Help me out here!"


    The three of us exchanged a glance, and then shrugged.


    "Uh, well¡­there''s nothing to help with." I struggled to come up with an answer. "You''ve just been recognized by the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars. It''s a great honor."


    "Recognized?" Zhu Jiao repeated incredulously. "Recognized for what?"


    ¡­that was actually a good question. Now that I thought about it, I never really knew what exactly the triggering of the Spirit Engraved Pillars meant. It was just something the creator ripped off from Spirit Realm, but he never really gave much thought to this whole bullshit.


    So I just threw the first answer that came to mind.


    "Recognized for being a prodigy," I blurted out. Thinking further on how Spirit Realm described Qin Lie, Tang Si Qi and Liang Shao Yang, I began adding a few more adjectives. "A heaven-blessed child or the pride of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "But I''m not part of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!" Zhu Jiao protested.


    "Not yet," Luo Zhi Chang agreed, but his eyes were shining. "But there shouldn''t be any problems accepting you as one of our own."


    Zhu Jiao blanched at that, and to be honest, even I was crept out by the look of desire in Luo Zhi Chang''s eyes. Bloody hell, that sort of expression, when used by a very old man to look at a younger boy, would cause all sorts of scandals.


    "No thanks! I do not wish to join the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!" he blinked, and then quickly added, "no offense." That last statement was hastily added as he glanced at me, Tong Xue and Lian Rou, but we were more bemused than offended.


    "Why not?!" Luo Zhi Chang whined, sounding pretty desperate. "We''ll give you everything you desire! Riches, resources, wealth, Spirit Weapons, anything! All you have to do is ask!"


    "Uh¡­no thanks."


    Zhu Jiao was obviously thinking that he had no need of those things. As the typical protagonist, he was already pretty loaded, having gotten his hands on all sorts of treasures and Spirit Weapons during his adventures. Hell, I wouldn''t be surprised if his wealth exceeded that of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Honestly, there was nothing we could offer him.


    "I don''t want to be a blacksmith," Zhu Jiao was explaining. "And I don''t want to tie myself down to a sect."


    "You don''t have to be a blacksmith. You can join Blood Blades and be a warrior."


    Hai Rong was present, as she usually was when Hai Mo was around. She raised what sounded like a tempting offer, but Zhu Jiao shook his head.


    "No thanks. I have my hands full mastering the martial arts my master taught me, I don''t want to get distracted by learning other martial arts."


    Funnily enough, that was the one thing that distinguished Zhu Jiao from other protagonists. Any other wuxia or xianxia protagonist would jump at the chance to learn new martial arts, and master as many as they could¡­except they wouldn''t join the sect to learn it. Those protagonists would steal the techniques and learn them on their own. True to form, Zhu Jiao would probably get his hands on Blood Blades'' techniques sooner or later and learn them on his own without Lang Xie or Hai Rong or Zi Da Ji teaching him.


    Don''t ask me why they had to go through such a convoluted way. Probably to showcase more of their Mary Sue-ness of being able to easily master things that other people needed to put in effort and go through much difficulty to learn.


    "No, but you have to join our sect!" Luo Zhi Chang was getting desperate now. "It''s fine if you take Nine-Tailed Fox Sect as your secondary sect! You can remain true to your primary sect and stay as a member there! You can occasionally come here to learn some of our techniques! If you don''t want to learn blacksmithing, then martial arts is fine! All we ask is that you commune with these Spirit Engraved Pillars and reveal the Spirit Diagrams inside them!"


    "Uh¡­" Zhu Jiao looked extremely reluctantly. Knowing him well, I could tell that he was refraining from just telling the old dude outright that he had no obligation to do so. Like Qin Lie, he was going to do whatever he wanted from here on out. "I''m sorry, but no."


    "If it''s secondary sect, Zhu Jiao already has one. He''s affiliated with our White Tiger Sect."


    Fortunately for Zhu Jiao, Bai Ning Xue stepped in to defuse the situation. Zhu Jiao nodded eagerly.


    "Yeah¡­yeah! That''s right! I can''t join too many sects!"


    "I see¡­" Luo Zhi Chang thought for a moment. Then he brightened up. "If you are interested, we can provide you with women too. If you would just marry a girl from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect¡­"


    "I''m sorry, but Zhu Jiao is my fianc¨¦." Bai Ning Xue''s tone was stiff and cold, filled with warning. "He will not be marrying anyone else other than me."


    "Ah¡­I''m sorry." Luo Zhi Chang realized that he had crossed a line there, and he wisely backed off.


    "¡­huh? I am?"


    On the other hand, Zhu Jiao looked perplexed. But when he caught Bai Ning Xue''s look, he hastily nodded.


    "Ah, yeah! That''s right!"


    ¡­come on. It was clear that Bai Ning Xue made that up on the spot, presumably to help Zhu Jiao out, and also to declare to everyone that he was her man. Zhu Jiao wasn''t even aware that they were supposed to be engaged until a few seconds ago. Hell, it was obvious to anyone who knew the two well that Bai Ning Xue just made it up.


    However, we didn''t have any evidence of that, so none of us could accuse her or Zhu Jiao of fabricating the engagement. We just had to take their word for it ¨C or rather, Bai Ning Xue''s word for it.


    Inwardly, I couldn''t help but snigger. Of course¡­this was yet another clich¨¦ instance of the heroine forcing an engagement upon the protagonist. No doubt the engagement would be made real and become official later. Lucky bastard.


    "Ugh¡­is there no chance you''ll change your mind?" Luo Zhi Chang moaned.


    "Enough." Zi Shou De cut in before the First Great Elder could embarrass himself further. "Stop harassing the poor boy. Control yourself, First Great Elder."


    "But¡­" Luo Zhi Chang protested in a whiny voice uncharacteristic of someone of his advanced age. "We can''t just let such a prodigy go like this! He lit up all nine Spirit Engraved Pillars! This boy will definitely become someone integral and massive in our sect!"


    "He already said no," Zi Shou De pointed out reasonably. "What are you going to do? Kidnap him and imprison him in our sect?"


    "¡­er¡­" Luo Zhi Chang feebly backed off when he realized what he was about to do. He nodded weakly. "I apologize."


    "It is fine," Zhu Jiao assured him. He glanced around uncomfortably, aware that he was still the center of attention. "Um, now that the battle''s over, I guess we should be going back now? We still have to interrogate the prisoners."


    "Good idea." Bai Ning Xue nodded. She then bowed respectfully to Zi Shou De and Luo Zhi Chang. "We''ll excuse ourselves then."


    "Thank you very much for all your help." Zi Shou De returned the politeness with a bow of his own. "In the future, if White Tiger Sect needs help, feel free to call upon us. Perhaps the assistance we can offer is extremely limited, especially in the light of recent events, but we will do our best to help in whichever way we can."


    "Oh, don''t worry about that." Bai Ning Xue smiled in a dignified manner. "Your Nine-Tailed Fox Sect has always fairly dealt with us and sold us high-quality Spirit Armaments and other superb products. It would be a massive blow if we lose a trading partner like you."


    "You''re too kind." Zi Shou De lowered his head slightly.


    We then watched the White Tiger Sect contingent leave, accompanying the columns of AFVs departing the devastated grounds of Tushan City.


    "Are we really going to let the boy go like that?" Luo Zhi Chang asked in disbelief.


    Zi Shou De turned toward him sternly. "As I said, what would you have us do? Kidnap the boy against his will and hold him here? We''ve just suffered a huge blow after fighting off the invaders from thirteen sects. We can''t afford to make any more enemies."


    "That young man also seems to be under the protection of White Tiger Sect." Zi Da Ji nodded in agreement. "We can''t afford to offend them."


    "We don''t need someone who isn''t willing to join us," Lang Xie added quietly. Everyone almost jumped at his words. None of us realized when he had arrived ¨C though knowing him, he probably was present the entire time. He then turned away and left without another word. Hai Rong watched after him, and agreed vocally.


    "That''s right. Even a willing member will be a much greater asset than a reluctant prodigy. What matters is the heart and loyalty to the sect, not one''s amount of talent!"


    "We should still do our best to attract such talents and people with potential, though," Luo Zhi Chang countered. I had to admit that he had a point.


    "Oh, I''m not denying that." Zi Shou De nodded. "And you made the right move in offering him the sect''s wealth and resources to groom him." He then sighed. "But as you saw, even with such attractive proposals, he turned us down. I''m afraid his heart belongs to another sect."


    "That''s fine." Zi Da Ji suddenly appeared behind me, and placed a hand on my head. I winced under the tremendous pressure, but the Sect Lady didn''t seem to have noticed my discomfort, and she continued. "We still have Fei Wu here! Even without that young man, we''ll manage somehow and restore ourselves!"


    "Well said. And not just Fei Wu." Zi Shou De swept his gaze across the members gathered upon the plaza. "Tong Xue. Lian Rou. Jing Wei. Di Xuan. My daughter, Xiao Ji. Da Ge. All of you have proven your loyalty, and stuck with the sect through thick and thin even when we were on the verge of death. All of you are worth more than a million geniuses¡­geniuses who have no loyalty to the sect and ran away when confronted with death."


    I was suddenly reminded of Pang Feng. He had chosen to abandon Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and returned to Cloud Sky Mountain when the latter attacked us. And Pang Yun, who, like her brother had turned her back on Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and rejoined Cloud Sky Mountain because she thought we were doomed for sure. And then there was Liang Shao Yang, who despite being a prodigy, had caused more harm to the sect than good.


    Worse, these three weren''t the only ones. Thankfully the turncoats, defectors and cowards were far and few between. The vast majority of the dudes in our sect decided to stay loyal and fight to the very end.


    Most gave their lives in service of the sect. They were the true heroes. Elder Cheng Ping. Zhao Shi. Tang Qi Hong. The dead were no longer with us because they had made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the sect''s future.


    Zi Shou De seemed to have realized that, for he also lowered his head and made a similar remark. He then glanced at Luo Zhi Chang.


    "Also, it''ll be disrespectful to the dead if we start throwing everything away to recruit new members. They are the ones who contributed the most¡­contributed more than any genius. The people here have all fought so hard and shed so much blood for the sect. This bonds us closer than any ties of blood. Everyone here has risked their life and fought for each other as much as for the sect. Honor the living and mourn the dead first. Then only we start looking to the outside."


    "We still need outside help to restore our sect," Zi Da Ji reminded her husband.


    "That may be true," Zi Shou De conceded. "The royal family might be sending their best engineers, technicians and architects, but these people will probably never be part of our sect." he sighed. "We can invite them, but¡­"


    As he trailed off, everyone was reminded of the lesson we learned regarding Pang Feng, Pang Yun and Liang Shao Yang. They were all so promising and so talented, their future so bright and their potential so limitless, but¡­in the end, all that promise and potential were for naught. Not when they chose their own interests over the sect.


    To be fair, we couldn''t ask them to die for the sect. We couldn''t ask anyone to do that.


    However, a lot people ¨C especially the ordinary, the normal, the common, the "untalented" people gave their lives and made the ultimate sacrifice, often without being asked to. In that single instance, it was clear which of them contributed more to the survival of the sect.


    Potential and promise and talent were all useless if you didn''t live up to them. In the end, what mattered was one''s actions. And the ones who acted were us normal, untalented people. Well, Tang Qi Hong ¨C who was a genius ¨C stayed and helped. But the rest of us, like me, Tong Xue, Lian Rou, Jing Wei, and the majority of the Blood Blades martial artists were normal, untalented people who weren''t classified as geniuses or prodigies.


    And we were the ones who stayed behind and fought for the sect until the very end. It was us who died and spilled blood. Not the prodigies like Liang Shao Yang, Pang Feng or Pang Yun. It was us common folk.


    Apparently Zi Shou De recognized that, and he planned on rebuilding Nine-Tailed Fox Sect upon this loyal core of disciples and members. A sect based on bonds, loyalty and friendship, where the worth of the members was based on their deeds, actions and virtues, not on their potential and talent. This wasn''t to say they would dismiss talent and potential entirely. No doubt the sect would continue to recruit promising blacksmiths with infinite potential, but at least the higher-ups (or most of them anyway) now recognized the value of loyalty and courage as opposed to being blind to nothing but "talent" as the Great Elders were when Liang Shao Yang showed up.


    Needless to say, the new Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was going to be careful about who they planned to recruit from now on.


    "All right." Zi Shou De began clapping his hands and gesturing for all of us to move. "There''s no point sticking around. Everyone, let''s get back to work. We''ve got a long way to go before we can restore our sect. Let''s not waste any more time."


    "Yes, Sect Leader!"

 237 Chapter 236: Back to school

    Unfortunately, they couldn''t find the breach, but I suspected that was because the breach wasn''t something physical. From what Tian Yu Di told me, the close proximity of the underground passageways to the underworld (or the Warp) meant that there were occasional cracks between the material universe and the Immaterrium. They didn''t linger for too long, but it was often long enough for the demonic inhabitants to slip through.


    And we needed just a few to get through before they turned the passageways into a nest.


    After clearing out the underground passageways, the Imperial Guard decided to seal the passageways and fill them up with earth and concrete. As they were unused and would pose a potential hazard if left alone, Zi Shou De agreed. Right now, combat engineers were preparing to demolish the entire underground space and restore it to nature.


    Even though I mentioned the underworld, it didn''t seem like they believed me. But they didn''t want to take any chances, which was why they ended up going with the option to seal the underground passageways.


    In any event, the war underground had nothing to do with me. Okay, maybe it did. That was why I took an interest in following its development ¨C no one could rest comfortably at night knowing there was a bunch of demons dwelling underground.


    Thanks to the Imperial Guard, we could rest easy. But that was just the first phase of recovery.


    "You kids should go back to school."


    Zi Shou De ordered us disciples to return to whatever schools we were enrolled in. It did make a lot of sense, come to think of it. The sect was devastated and Tushan City was destroyed (by my own hands, admittedly). There was no places for us to stay. Okay, scratch that. The main sect grounds remained untouched, so technically the Blood Blades disciples and inner sect disciples still had our dormitories to stay in.


    However, with the civilians displaced and still trickling to other cities or shelters, we were asked to move from our dormitories to accommodate the civilians. Essentially the civilians were currently living inside our dormitories, particularly the ones who chose to stay. And they would remain there until the city was rebuilt and they had homes to move back to.


    That was how we were back in Wu Ling Academy after what seemed like forever. I could hardly remember the last time we attended classes here. Truthfully, it hadn''t been that long ago ¨C less than two weeks, in fact. We had only stopped going to Wu Ling Academy because we were sieged and assaulted by the ten invading sects.


    However, even though the entire invasion lasted less than two weeks, that entire time felt like an eternity.


    Worse, as we stepped into the classroom, we realized that quite a few of our classmates wouldn''t be setting foot inside ever again.


    Tang Qi Hong''s desk remained empty, as did Li Chun Long. Qing Xin Xia was present, which indicated that she either did not participate in the siege or survived it. Considering that all the surviving participants in the invasion had been arrested and imprisoned, I was more linclined to believe that she fell in the former category.


    Qing Xin Xia gave us a troubled glance, but didn''t say anything. Good. I didn''t know what to say to her either. I was the one who killed Li Chun Long, so it wasn''t as if we were the helpless victims here. I had a lot of blood on my hands.


    Not to mention I was the creator of the Sunburst bombs that decimated ninety percent of the invading forces in a single explosion. Okay, seven explosions combined into one, but you know what I mean.


    "Hey, Zhu Jiao."


    "Oh, Wu! You''re back after so long! Xue and Lian Rou too!"


    Zhu Jiao greeted us with a warm smile as he swiveled in his chair. An expression of immense relief spread across his face.


    "It hasn''t been that long, has it?"


    Like me, Bai Ning Xue had realized that it had only been less than two weeks actual regarding our absence from school. Given how Wu Ling Academy encouraged its students to go on missions that could last for months at a time, two weeks were considered nothing. Furthermore, Bai Ning Xue didn''t personally experience the siege and being trapped in her territory as the invading forces pressed on from all sides, so unlike us, she didn''t feel as if it was forever.


    "I''m glad you guys are back, though." Feng Tian Yong flashed a brilliant smile at us, which was filled with some sincerity. "A lot of us were so worried when we heard the news about you guys being besieged."


    "¡­not all of you returned, though."


    Tu Zi Yi glanced at Tang Qi Hong''s empty desk sadly. She also snuck a glance at Li Chun Long''s unoccupied seat, but didn''t say anything. Qing Xin Xia didn''t seem to notice, and perhaps she wasn''t close to Li Chun Long despite the latter''s crush on her.


    Clearly she intended to wash her hands off the matter, given her refusal to participate, and the official stance of her sect when they condemned the participants as dissidents and rebels who disobeyed orders and allowed their greed to blind them to what was right.


    A load of bullshit, if you asked me, but they were good at covering their tracks and fabricating evidence, so there was no proof they were lying. No matter how skeptical I was, I wasn''t a lawyer, so there wasn''t anything I could do. Besides, given how those dudes didn''t directly show up to attack us, it was a waste of time trying to pursue the matter and seek revenge.


    However, the moment they made their move against us, I would be sure to retaliate. I just had to make sure I kept an eye on them, but I was sure that Tong Xue and the intelligence arm of the Blood Blades would do that job reasonably well.


    Speaking of which, Senior Shen Cha had been killed during the vicious invasion, so Tong Xue would most likely replace him as the investigation squad leader, especially given his skills as a former member of Smart Shadow Sect. Which had been wiped out, courtesy of my Sunburst bombs back then. Tong Xue thanked me for killing Cang Li with the blast. Apparently he had quite the horrible run-in with her, and she was threatening to kill Lian Rou.


    Well, she deserved getting vaporized by the pseudo nuclear detonation of my Sunburst bombs. They all did.


    Qing Xin Xia cast a glance at Bai Ning Xue, but she said nothing. As usual, she didn''t get along with Bai Ning Xue, and the reason was very clearly Zhu Jiao. In fact, I could sense more hostility from Qing Xin Xia than usual. No doubt the cause was Bai Ning Xue''s declaration of Zhu Jiao as her fianc¨¦ a couple of days ago.


    The news had spread quite some distance, having been circulated on social media. Qing Xin Xia evidently had heard about it, and her resentment toward Bai Ning Xue increased.


    Not good, I thought.


    If this was the typical wuxia or xianxia or even historical romance settings (the one with the assassin or ex-marine or divine doctor or pro martial artist Mary Sue female protagonists dying and getting reincarnated in the body of a fourteen-year-old "trash" princess/noble daughter), you can bet that Qing Xin Xia would be plotting and scheming how to kill Bai Ning Xue right now. Reality, on the other hand, probably wasn''t that extreme, but I honestly doubted Qing Xin Xia would just let Bai Ning Xue take the guy she loved without a fight.


    And as usual, Zhu Jiao remained unbelievably dense to Qing Xin Xia''s feelings for him. Not that I cared. He was currently paying attention to us.


    "Still¡­it feels weird, you know?" Tong Xue stretched his arms as he stared at the holographic screen that served as a blackboard or whiteboard in modern classrooms. "After fighting such a horrific war, coming back to school and attending classes again¡­it feels so surreal. Like it isn''t real. You know what I''m saying?"


    I nodded. "I know exactly what you mean."


    Indeed, it just felt unreal returning to school and taking classes like normal after a severe life-and-death experience and participating firsthand in such a horrific war. More so as the guy who literally nuked ninety percent of the invading forces into oblivion. I thought my life would change forever, and I had heard that people were inquiring about my Sunburst bombs. Fortunately, Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was sheltering me from those persistent requests for now, but sooner or later one or two would slip past the net and approach me directly.


    My answer would still be the same, though.


    "Okay." Teacher Jiao walked into the classroom. "Homeroom is starting soon. All of you, get back to your seats."


    He paused for a moment and glanced in Tong Xue, Lian Rou and my direction.


    "Good to see you back." An expression of immense relief flashed across his face. "As long as you are safe, that''s all that matters."


    However, when Teacher Jiao''s eyes passed over the empty seats that used to belong to Tang Qi Hong and Li Chun Long, a streak of sorrow flickered behind those bespectacled eyes. He shut them for a moment and took a deep breath.


    Nobody could meet his gaze after he opened his eyes. Teacher Jiao sighed, straightened his spine and steeled himself.


    "Well, let''s get started then."


    "Yes, Teacher Jiao," the class chorused.


    And so, after what seemed like an eternity, my regular school days returned.


    *


    While life returned to normal (somewhat, anyway) for me and the disciples of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, the gears continued to move for the rest of the martial arts world.


    In a bustling metropolis that was at least ten times bigger than Tushan City, located near the capital of the Great Zhou Empire and filled with hundreds of skyscrapers, many luxuriously dressed martial artists strolled along the broad streets or drove in expensive cars.


    Along the busy districts were a collection of high-class restaurants, casinos, red-light districts, malls, and even gymnasiums and dojos that served as training grounds for combatants. Countless martial artists passed through this city or visited it, seeking entertainment, company, riches, extravagant property or businesses.


    This was Profound Heaven City, which was ripped off from Spirit Realm, and thus served as the metropolis that housed the headquarters of the Martial Arts Alliance. A lot of the properties in this city were owned by both the Song and Nie families, and the metropolis itself was said to be among the most prosperous in the Great Zhou Empire, second to the capital.


    Early in the morning, around the same time when my friends and I had just arrived in our classroom, a single skyscraper caught the gleam of bright sunlight, reflecting the brilliant rays of dawn to bathe the surroundings in a warm glow.


    The skyscraper, which was known the Divine Heaven Manor, was currently the setting for an important meeting. Within its main hall, three imposing men sat on high chairs at the front of the hall, surrounded by rows of men and women in expensive business suits or formal clothing. All of them wore grim countenances as they listened.


    Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan stood right in front of the three leaders, delivering their report under the gazes of everyone. Even though they had already submitted a written report, they were required to present it orally to the higher-ups, explaining every detail regarding the major events that had transpired at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect during that day before the Imperial Guard arrived.


    They included a description of the old demon who suddenly appeared and captured Xie Zhi Zhang, wielding unimaginable strength, as well as the terrifying weapon I had unleashed on them, which decimated ninety percent of the invading forces. The Sunburst bombs, of course. They had included the name of my invention in their reports.


    Then the eventual arrival of the Imperial Guard, followed by White Tiger Sect and Red Phoenix defecting and declaring their cessation from the Martial Arts Alliance, and how they were forced to surrender. Fortunately, it seemed that their status in the Martial Arts Alliance had protected them, and they weren''t arrested and imprisoned like the others.


    The three men at the center were the patriarchs of the Martial Arts Alliance''s three great clans. The Song family''s Song Yu, the Xie family''s Xie Yao Yang, and the Nie family''s Nie Yun. Probably because I was too lazy to think of original names and this was pretty much becoming a Spirit Realm fanfiction at this point of time.


    In any case, the three patriarchs had summoned all the core members of their clans and gathered them here to discuss the matters. Of coruse, they had all already read the reports. Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan''s oral presentation was a mere formality.


    "Of course." Song Yu sighed as he leaned back against his seat. He rewarded Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan with a weary smile. He was often perceived as gentle and easygoing, and the two men relaed under his weam gaze. "When we heard that the Royal Family mobilized the Imperial Guard, we quickly got word out to ensure you wouldn''t be affected."


    "You distanced us from the invasion," Song Si Yuan confirmed. "The Imperial Guard officers believed we were only there to mediate and negotiate for peace, insead of being aggressors, and they let us go because of that."


    "It caused us a lot of trouble. We had to call in a lot of favors and jump through several loops just to secure your freedom." Nie Yun cast his stern gaze at both Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan. "You two had better be worth it."


    "Zhi Zhang and Si Yuan definitely are worth the effort," Xie Yao Yang said blandly, though there was an undercurrent in his tone that warned Nie Yun to back off. "They are among our best experts in the Alliance."


    Before Nie Yun could retort sharply, Song Yu diplomatically interceded.


    "The Sunburst bombs¡­invented by this kid, Fei Wu¡­that''s what you said, right?" he turned to both Xie Zhi Zhang and Song Si Yuan, who nodded in unison. "Have you found out just who exactly this Fei Wu is?"


    Song Si Yuan frowned, and then shrugged. "He''s just an ordinary kid. His father was a captain in the Imperial Guard a few years ago, before he retired to run his own business. Fei Wu himself has not much background in martial arts until about four years ago, when he applied to enroll in Wu Ling Academy. After that¡­it seems that he chose the Experimentalist course and tried to restore the Heaven and Earth Formula."


    "Hmm? Heaven and Earth Formula? Interesting¡­" Song Yu raised an eyebrow. "But what does that have to do with him inventing the Sunburst bombs?"


    "That''s¡­the mystery." Xie Zhi Zhang looked pretty puzzled. "He only joined Nine-Tailed Fox Sect a little over a year ago. He has no background in smithing whatsoever. Everything he knows about blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, he learned them from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect during the past year he was there."


    "They say he triggered a response from three of the Spirit Engraved Pillars," Song Si Yuan added with a shrug. "So there probably is some relation there. He probably is a genius blacksmith or some sort, if the rumors about the Spirit Engraved Pillars at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect are true."


    Oh, they were making a horrible mistake. For one thing, I was definitely not a genius blacksmith. In fact, I sucked at being a blacksmith ¨C you can ask Elder Tie Jiang if you don''t believe me. I was an average blacksmith and slightly competent Spirit Engraver at best. But far from being a genius or the top blacksmith in the Great Zhou Empire.


    Furthermore, the only reason why I succeeded in inventing the Sunburst bomb was because I had Tang Qi Hong''s help. Without her help, I never would have succeeded in crafting it. The reason why I was labeled its inventor was because of the way patents worked. I patented the damned bomb under my name and was the sole owner of the Spirit Diagrams and recipe (more so, after Tang Qi Hong died). But in reality, the Sunburst bomb wasn''t invented by a single person. It was the product of a collaborative effort between me and Tang Qi Hong. Hell, Tang Qi Hong was the one doing most of the heavy lifting. The only reason why the patent was under my name was because I was the one who came up with the idea, nothing more.


    But ideas were just ideas. Without Tang Qi Hong''s help, knowledge, expertise and skills, I never would have succeeded in creating the Sunburst bombs. Unfortunately, inventions tend to belong to the person who conceived the idea, and their assistants, partners, collaborators, teams, etc. often get waylaid and forgotten.


    If only I was present¡­I could have corrected their misconception. But as it was, I wasn''t there, and thus the misunderstanding continued.


    "The Imperial Guard was also integral in helping Nine-Tailed Fox Sect clear the demon infestation beneath their city," Xie Zhi Zhang continued.


    "Demon infestation? The ones our scouts reported during the first and second waves, when they tried to infiltrate Tushan City through those secret underground passageways?"


    "Correct," Song Si Yuan affirmed. "They have sealed the tunnels and demolished them, so we don''t have to worry about that. However¡­the worry is that demons have been infiltrating our dimension for a long time now. There may be breaches in other parts of the empire that we are unaware of."


    "Not to mention the increased activity of the demonic sects." One of the audience within the rows spoke up, his voice bitter. "With the massive blow dealt to us by those Sunburst bombs, thirteen of our sects received devastating damage. Ten of them probably will be dissolved, especially after the Royal Family judge them guilty of corruption, genocide and war atrocities. Even if they are let off, they have lost over ninety percent of their members and forces. They will never be able to recover. The other three are severely weakened after the war, suffering so many casualties."


    "On the other hand¡­" Song Yu smiled. "This Sunburst bomb may also prove to be our salvation."


    There were several dramatic gasps in the crowd as everyone turned to stare disbelievingly at him. Song Yu spread his hands innocently.


    "Think about it," he urged them. "If we can acquire the blueprint and construction process of the Sunburst bomb, then we can unleash them against our foes. Seven such weapons obliterated ninety percent of the army of martial artists invading Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Imagine unleashing hundreds of them upon the demonic sect hordes and their monsters! It would be a massacre!"


    An awed silence fell upon the crowd, and a few of them began murmuring excitedly, voicing their approval while remaining unseen.


    "But how do we acquire its assembly methods?" one of them shouted. "After what we did, do you think Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will just generously share their inventions with us?"


    Song Yu sighed. "You are right. But even if they aren''t generous, they still need the money to rebuild their sect. If we buy the Sunburst bombs from them, I''m sure they''ll be willing to mass-produce them and sell them to us."


    "Money is what makes the world go round," Song Si Yuan agreed cynically.


    "Indeed¡­but¡­" Song Yu looked deflated. After a while, he found his voice. "The problem is that we brazenly attacked and tried to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect earlier, and now we''re about to ask them for favors. This is quite the troublesome matter. If we want to negotiate with them, we''ll have to send someone skilled, persuasive and charismatic. I don''t think just anyone from the Alliance will be able to deal with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    Another buzz swept through the crowd as they waited in anticipation, having already guessed who Song Yu planned to send.


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    "Where is Yu''er?" Song Yu asked after he scanned the crowd, his eyebrows furrowing in slight irritation.


    A person from the crowd had the answer.


    "Young Miss has just returned from overseas, and she is exhausted. That is why she is currently resting in her room."


    "I see¡­that''s understandable." Instead of yelling unreasonably like the original in Spirit Realm, Song Yu nodded with a gentle expression. "Let her rest. We''re in no rush anyway. It''s not as if the evil races of the Nether Realm are invading us right now or anything." He closed his eyes and did several mental calculations. "Give her a week off. Once she has rested enough, we''ll send her to negotiate with Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "Only a week?" Xie Yao Yang asked, amused. "Ting Yu deserves the entire month off, after securing that deal with the Fallos Federation. You know how hardassed those bloodsucking Westerners are."


    By the way, Xie Yao Yang wasn''t insulting the people of the Fallos Federation. They literally were vampires. The people living outside the Great Zhou Empire were many and varied, and included vampires, werewolves and even elves.


    "I know Yu''er well." Song Yu grinned indulgently. "After a week of resting, she will complain that she has nothing to do and grow bored." He sighed and shook his head. "Honestly, it''s time she finds herself a husband, get married and settle down. Probably she''ll find something to do with her time when she has children."


    "Hah!" Xie Yao Yang chuckled. "Knowing that lass, she probably would be a working mom! She''ll just push the responsibility of taking care of children to her husband, and continue delving in politics and corporate negotiations!"


    "That may not be a bad thing." Song Yu nodded in agreement. "Times are changing. Women are becoming a lot more independent and capable¡­well, they have always been capable, but I''m glad Yu''er is living in a time when women get a lot more chances to advance their careers without having to face gender discrimination and stigmas¡­"


    "Ahem¡­" Nie Yun cleared his throat. "Enough of your moonlighting for social justice and whatever. Just adjourn the meeting already."


    "Oh, right. Dismissed!"


    With a clap of his hands, Song Yu gestured for everyone to leave, and they scattered immediately.


    *


    Inside the Green Dragon Temple, Jian Ao stood within the grand hall and glared at the kneeling Long Shen.


    "So Chun Long was killed by this Fei Wu?" he asked grimly.


    "That is correct." Long Shen lowered his head and sighed. "Chun Long was overly reckless and charged into the frontlines, underestimating his enemy. It is unfortunate that he did not survive to learn from his error."


    Jian Ao let out a shout that destroyed the stone altar a few feet away from where he was standing. The jade dragon that adorned it cracked, its head breaking off and crumbling on the ground. A single eye stared helplessly up at the ceiling.


    A green flaming qi rose from Jian Ao''s muscular body as he paced about the temple. Tremors quaked throughout the floor, shaking loose stone and dirt, and the particles even rose to the air, borne aloft by the Green Dragon Sect Leader''s potent qi.


    "Chun Long was my most promising pupil!" Jian Ao roared. "All those years of training him¡­of nurturing him into the ultimate Green Dragon warrior¡­all wasted!"


    "With respect, Sect Leader, this isn''t the first time." Long Shen sighed again. "Even though Chun Long was punished for cheating and assaulting a classmate illegally in school, it seems that he didn''t reflect and learn his lesson, but instead harbor a grudge against his victims." He shook his head heavily. "While Chun Long is talented in the martial way, his character leaves a lot to be desired."


    "Who cares about that?" Jian Ao snarled. "Strength is everything! What use is character and moral values if you don''t have the strength to back it up?! Chun Long was going to be the strongest among his generation¡­and now he''s dead! Having died a useless dog''s death at the behest of those accursed Martial Arts Alliance chiefs¡­and for what? A failed invasion!? We lost so much more than we gained by participating in that calamitous war!"


    Long Shen stiffened. "With respect, Sect Leader, if strength truly is everything, then Chun Long clearly was lacking, considering how pathetically he was killed by a more powerful opponent. And I did warn you not to volunteer for this reckless war. The Martial Arts Alliance cannot be trusted."


    "What''s the use of telling me all this now?!" Jian Ao snapped.


    So that you would learn your lesson and not repeat these mistakes in the future, Long Shen thought, but he was wise enough not to voice that out.


    Jian Ao continued to pace about the temple for a moment. He sucked in a few breaths to calm himself down, forcing his bulging veins to sink back into his flesh. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists and withdrew his raging qi back into his body.


    The stones around him stopped vibrating violently, and the tremors stopped. Jian Ao sucked a lungful of air through his gritted teeth before he finally relaxed.


    Then, as if he had just remembered something amusing, he smiled. Turning to Long Shen, his gaze turned chilly.


    "You mentioned in your report that this brat Fei Wu was also the one who invented the Sunburst bombs? Those super destructive spirit bombs that wiped out ninety percent of the forces we sent to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect?"


    Long Shen hesitated for a moment, then he nodded.


    "That is correct, my lord," he confirmed.


    "I see. Call Mo Long here."


    "Mo Long¡­" Long Shen''s expression transformed into one of horror. "You can''t be serious, Sect Leader."


    Jian Ao smiled thinly. "I''m afraid I am."


    "But¡­why? The Imperial Guard has forced us to stop attacking Nine-Tailed Fox Sect."


    "I don''t care about Nine-Tailed Fox Sect!" Jian Ao snapped. "I want the head of the brat who took the life of my head disciple, as well as wiped out so many of our sect members in a single explosion!" he then grinned ominously. "I''m carrying out justice, you see? This brat is the inventor of such a horrifying weapon¡­a weapon of mass destruction. If we leave him be, he would continue to create more horrifying weapons that will claim many more lives in future. I am saving the people of the future."


    The fucker was insane, not to mention hypocritical. As if to prove my point, Jian Ao threw his head back and cackled in that clich¨¦ villain laughter routine.


    Long Shen shuddered, and quietly retreated, aware that anything he said wouldn''t reach his sect leader''s ears any longer.


    Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in green and black robes appeared. Bowing respectfully, he stopped a few steps away from Jian Ao.


    "Mo Long has arrived."


    "Good." Jian Ao turned toward him, his grin practically splitting his face in half. "You will go and kill that brat called Fei Wu. Take whatever you can from him¡­especially the blueprints of the Sunburst bomb and its assembly methods, if possible. Otherwise just destroy him. Leave no trace of him behind."


    He then hesitated for a moment, as if remembering something important.


    "There is an old demon protecting him, one powerful enough to defeat Xie Zhi Zhang and fight on par with Long Shen and Heavenly Way Sect''s Shen Tian Yi on his own. Be careful."


    "I understand." Mo Long bowed once before disappearing into the shadows.

 238 Chapter 237: Shadow Fox

    Of course, I sucked at this, so I ended up needing to ask Elder Tie Jiang for help. The old dude had already repaired his battle-automata by the time I approached him, but while he was more than happy to help me with my Castellax battle-automata, he couldn''t help me with Snow Aegis.


    "This is a little too complex." He frowned as he inspected it, and then stared at me. "You are better off asking the person who created it for help."


    "I was the one who created it¡­" I muttered. Tie Jiang snorted.


    "I don''t doubt that, but you obviously had help from other people. Ask them. I''m afraid I''m not familiar with the workings of this Spirit Shield, and it will save you more time if you approached the people who helped you directly."


    To be honest, Tie Jiang was more than capable of repairing it, but because he was unfamiliar with Snow Aegis''s systems and mechanisms, it would take up a considerable amount of time. And given the state of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect after the botched invasion a few weeks ago, he would much rather invest his time in helping the sect repair weapons, equipment and other artifacts that he was much more familiar with.


    "Well¡­" I hesitated for a moment, and then lowered my head. Recalling the person who helped me forge Snow Aegis brought a sharp pain to my chest. "She''s no longer around."


    Tie Jiang must have detected the emotion in my voice, for he swiveled around in concern and fixed a concerned stare on me.


    "Don''t tell me¡­the person who helped you was Qi Hong?"


    I nodded dumbly, unable to choke the words out.


    "I''m sorry." Tie Jiang paused for a moment, his silence hanging heavily in the air. "I still can''t believe it. That she''s gone."


    After a while, he took a deep breath and straightened himself.


    "If that''s the case, I can inspect it for a bit, but I won''t promise anything. In the best case scenario, I would most likely need a month or two before I can repair it."


    "Okay." I nodded, and then frowned for a second. "Hmm, maybe I can ask Sect Leader for help. He did help me modify Snow Aegis once."


    "Sorry."


    "No need to apologize." Tie Jiang waved me away. "Leave your battle-automata with me." he cringed when he saw my attempted repairs and shook his head in disapproval. "Damn, you really didn''t learn anything I taught you, did you?"


    "Sorry. I tried." I shrugged helplessly. Tie Jiang merely scowled.


    "Not good enough. Anyway, away with you. I''ll be done in two days."


    "Thank you!"


    Bowing gratefully, I then left Tie Jiang''s workshop and proceeded toward the grand pavilion that served as Zi Shou De''s residence.


    At least that was my intention, but I remembered that the sect leader was a busy man. I couldn''t just drop in on him without an appointment, so I stopped, whipped out my smartphone and sent him an email requesting for a meeting.


    While I was on my way back to Wu Ling Academy, I surprisingly received a near immediate answer.


    "Oh! Nice timing! I was going to contact you and talk to you anyway. Come on anytime now!"


    Staring at the email, I sighed in relief, and did a 180 degree turn before proceeding up Flame Volcano.


    The Blood Blades guards at the entrance immediately let me in when they saw me.


    "Fei Wu!"


    "Oh, hey!"


    "Hey, guys!"


    I waved at them and returned the friendly greeting. Unfortunately, palace security was not my division, so I wasn''t assigned such duties. I was probably classified as a frontline warrior, rather than a sentry or guard.


    Especially in light of my services during that last war¡­


    "I''m due for an appointment," I told them. One of the guards nodded.


    "Yeah, Sect Leader has already informed us." he jabbed a thumb into the hall. "Head on in."


    "Thanks."


    Stepping through the entrance, I followed the massive corridor and passed through the somewhat empty grand hall. Before, there would be a bustle of activity, but with the sect''s numbers reduced through attrition and battle, there were less servants and administrative drones than before.


    Suppressing a shudder at the memory, and trying not to recall the dreadful experiences of the war, I hurried toward Zi Shou De''s office. Reaching the massive, luxurious mahogany doors, I took a deep breath and rapped my knuckles against the polished surface.


    Even though the manor was bereft of personnel, it ¨C along with all the residences, buildings and structures atop Flame Volcano ¨C had been virtually untouched by the war. There was no sign of damage, no trace of destruction ¨C if I hadn''t passed through the construction machine-laden space of Tushan City and the devastated area of the outer sect district, I wouldn''t have thought that the sect had been through such a vicious war.


    "Come in."


    Upon hearing Zi Shou De''s voice, I then slowly pushed the door open. As expected, the sect leader was waiting at his desk, busily signing off contracts or reading reports before making whatever decisions he needed to.


    But when I entered, he stopped and placed the documents he was reading aside. Looking up with a smile, he gestured for me to take the seat in front of me.


    "Sit down. Relax." He unscrewed the cap of a bottle. "Drink?"


    "No thanks." I swallowed and declined politely. "Uh, you said something about wanting to talk to me, Sect Leader?"


    "Yes, I did." Zi Shou De nodded as he capped the bottle after pouring himself a drink. He took a sip and then placed the cup back down on the table to stare at me. "But first¡­you mentioned something about needing my help with repairs."


    "Yes, sir." I produced Snow Aegi and placed it on my desk. "My Spirit Shield was damaged during the fight a few weeks ago. I have been trying to repair it, but I was unable to restore it fully." I hung my head in shame. "Sorry."


    "You''re not a proper blacksmith, so it''s fine." Zi Shou De chuckled. "You''re a member of Blood Blades. It''s understandable if you lack skills in smithing, but you''ve more than proven yourself in combat already." He took my Snow Aegis. "Leave this to me. I''ll get it repaired in three days."


    "Thank you, Sect Leader."


    I bowed politely again. Zi Shou De waved my gratitude away.


    "It''s nothing. It''s only natural, after you helped us out so much."


    "I was only doing my duty as a member of the sect."


    "A duty that quite a few people shirked from." Zi Shou De turned and glared out of the window. He was most likely referring to Pang Feng, Pang Yun and the others who ran away and abandoned the sect when it was nearing its demise. "As I said, the core of the sect should comprise of people with loyalty, courage and tenacity. Talent is good, but all the talent in the world is useless to us if you abandon us in our hour of need."


    I said nothing. Probably because I agreed.


    "Make sure you have taken all your things out of your Snow Aegis," Zi Shou De reminded me as he turned around. "I recall you were using it as your storage device as well."


    "I already did." I didn''t tell him that I felt pain in my chest when I drew out the black sword that Tang Qi Hong lent me during that last battle. Now I would never be able to return it to her, and her adopted mother promptly told me to keep it when I tried to return it to her adopted family almost immediately after the war ended.


    "Good." Zi Shou De placed the miniature Snow Aegis on his desk, on top of a leaf of documents.


    I raised my eyebrow at that. Apparently he was prioritizing my stuff over reading reports and other administrative duties. Then again, it was pretty well known that Zi Shou De hated all the administrative stuff and paperwork, and preferred to spend his time tinkering in the workshop, so I guess it wasn''t surprising that he was enthusiastic about the prospect of having something to take his mind off the tremendous amount of paperwork.


    "As for why I called you here¡­" Zi Shou De steepled his fingers and stared at me seriously. "I wanted to consult you regarding the matter of the Sunburst bomb."


    "Oh¡­"


    I gulped, remembering the apocalyptic damage that my Sunburst bombs had wrought over Tushan City and the outer sect district.


    "Sorry."


    Zi Shou De gave me a strange stare. "Why are you apologizing?"


    "For blowing up the city¡­"


    "Heh!" Zi Shou De chuckled and shook his head. "No one''s blaming you for that, son. If you hadn''t blown the invading sects up, all of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would be dead right now. You did a great job, if anything."


    He actually wanted to give me a medal for that, but when I told him that everyone deserved a medal, he decided that it wasn''t worth the hassle. He did try to reward all the survivors in various ways, as well as compensate the dead.


    Even though we were hurt badly, our wealth remained untouched. Best of all, the thirteen sects who invaded us had to pay us reparations and compensation for their unlawful invasion, so we didn''t even have to pay for the repairs and restoration of our city out of our own pocket. Gotta love all these laws when they work in your favor.


    After this, the first ten sects were definitely in the red, and probably would be dissolved because they had neither the manpower nor resources to maintain their sects. They deserved it, to be honest.


    "Then¡­about the Sunburst bombs¡­"


    Gulping, I considered the meaning of Zi Shou De''s words. If it wasn''t to criticize me for the overwhelming destruction I had caused, then it could only mean one thing.


    "That''s right." Zi Shou De must have read my expression, for he nodded. "Are you willing to build a few more Sunburst bombs?"


    Blinking at that, I slowly nodded. "I don''t mind, but¡­"


    "But¡­?" Zi Shou De raised an eyebrow.


    "Is it necessary?" I swallowed. "With all respect, Sect Leader, we have already defeated the enemies. And if it''s to sell to other sects¡­I''m not sure I''m comfortable with the idea of giving other people access to such destructive power."


    "Hmm¡­" Zi Shou De leaned back in his chair as he pondered over my statement thoughtfully. "You are right, of course. And it''s not as if we are in any real need of money. It would be foolish indeed if we give our opponents the means to destroy us." he nodded in agreement. "We can''t just carelessly sell these to anyone."


    I sighed in relief. I didn''t want some trigger-happy sect to purchase the Sunburst bombs and then launched it on an innocent city, or start apocalyptic wars on an unprecedented scale where sects would literally be nuking each other into oblivion. While the idiots who did the nuking deserved to die, the countless innocents caught in the fighting certainly did not deserve to be drawn into such a horrifying conflict.


    "But as for your first question¡­yes, it is necessary."


    "¡­eh?"


    I stared at Zi Shou De in confusion. The sect leader sighed as he rested his chin on his hands, and looked at me sadly.


    "The demonic sect are on the move. After the immense damage that the Martial Arts Alliance suffered with regards to this failed invasion, they seek to take advantage of their momentary weakness and are stirring in the outskirts of the city. The Royal family has intensified Imperial Guard patrols and tried to reinforce vulnerable areas of the empire, but they can''t be everywhere all at once. And with the Martial Arts Alliance weakened, the demonic sects are exploiting this opportunity to rampage. Already the cities under the protection of the Seven Valley Sects have fallen victim. The Imperial Guard has been sent to reclaim the Seven Valley Province, but the demonic sects wisely withdrew before the imperial forces could reach them."


    "So we need the Sunburst bombs to fight the demonic sects?" I asked.


    "Essentially, yes." Zi Shou De nodded. I could tell that he didn''t like the idea, but the alternative was to let the demonic sects walk over us, and that was arguably a worse fate. At least the Sunburst bombs promised a quick death.


    I hesitated for a few moments, and then sighed heavily. I never would have thought that my whimsical desire to invent such a terrifying weapon would lead to such heavy repercussions in the future. Nonetheless, now that I had set us on this path, there was no turning back.


    "I understand. I will start building a few. However¡­" I clenched my fists firmly. "Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will monopolize them. I do not want other sects to be able to buy them, if that''s all right with you."


    "You''re the inventor. The patent and all the rights to the Sunburst bomb lie with you." Zi Shou De smiled in approval, as if he had anticipated my response and was proud of it. "I will be sure to inform anyone seeking to purchase the Sunburst bombs of your decision."


    "Thank you, sir." I paused for a moment. "But if they need our help¡­if they need the Sunburst bombs, they can approach us and make a request. I will be more than happy to cooperate and lend them my help. But I will not sell them the bombs."


    "That''s good enough." Zi Shou De grinned jovially. "Even if they don''t like it, they will have to deal with it. Their lives depend on you, after all."


    *


    After that meeting, I returned to the dorm room in Wu Ling Academy. Stepping through the door, I shut it and locked it before heading to my room.


    Quite a few artifacts and items were spread all over my room. Like I told Zi Shou De earlier, I had removed my possessions from Snow Aegis before handing it to him for repairs. Having anticipated that the repairs would take days, if not a week, I couldn''t just leave all my stuff inside it and pass it to Elder Tie or Sect Leader Zi.


    I would still need to use many of my items over the next few days.


    One of them stood out, catching my attention the moment I stepped into my room and turned on the lights.


    It was the black and gold sword that Tang Qi Hong had lent me during that final battle atop the plaza, while I was fighting Heavenly Way Sect''s Jiang Jun Hao. The hilt was obsidian, and the blade was as black as night, while both were embroidered in elegant gold.


    Taking it up, I observed it closely. This was the first time I actually had a good look at the sword that was Tang Qi Hong''s final gift to me. Over the last few weeks, I had just left the sword inside my Snow Aegis''s spatial storage, because it would pain me evey time I looked at it. The sword reminded me too much of Tang Qi Hong.


    But now, I realized that I would have to confront my past. Without Snow Aegis to shield me visually from the black and gold sword, I would be forced to look at it whenever I returned to my room. Whether I liked it or not, that was how things were.


    I closed my eyes slightly when I felt tears welling up, then forced them open to take another good look. Tracing the blade, I caught sight of the characters near the guard.


    "Shadow Fox," I whispered. So that was the name of this sword. Closing my eyes, I took another deep breath to steady myself.


    After a while, I opened my eyes to study the intricate design and patterns on the sword. I recognized the craftsmanship of Tang Qi Hong. This was certainly a sword forged by her, and it was of extremely high quality. As expected of Tang Qi Hong. She really was a genius at this.


    Since Zi Da Ji told me to keep the sword, I might as well treat it as a momento from Tang Qi Hong and use it in a way to make her proud of me. Holding the black and gold sword high up, I infused it with qi and marveled at the way it responded.


    "Yeah, this is really an excellent sword."


    Shadow Fox will definitely pair well with my Azure Lotus Sword.


    Putting it down, I then proceeded to prepare for the next day''s class, as well as arrange to return to my workshop the next day.


    I was going to be pretty busy forging the next batch of Terminator Profound Bombs¡­ahem, I mean Sunburst bombs.


    *


    Three days later, I strode out of my workshop with a cough. Glancing at the Sunburst bombs I had just crafted, I then went to reclaim my Castellax battle-automata from Elder Tie before proceeding to Zi Shou De''s office to retrieve my Snow Aegis.


    "Here are the Sunburst bombs," I told the sect leader after lugging a huge crate filled with them. I had to be careful ¨C I didn''t want any of them going off while I was carrying them around. Never mind one bomb, the explosion would trigger the remaining bombs and set of a powerful chain reaction that multiplied their combined explosive power by several times, just as what we witnessed with the seven Sunburst bombs I detonated a few weeks ago.


    "You''re passing them to us?" Zi Shou De asked, astonished. I frowned.


    "Who else am I supposed to pass them to? Or am I supposed to carry them around on my own?" I shrugged. "Well, I have one or two with me, but I don''t want to be a walking nuke, if you get what I mean."


    "Ah¡­yeah. It is a good idea to place it with the sect for safekeeping." Zi Shou De nodded thoughtfully. "You have a point. If people know you''re walking around with such powerful Spirit bombs, they''ll certainly try to attack you and steal the bombs from you."


    "I would just blow them up," I pointed out. Zi Shou De smiled wryly.


    "Are you going to blow yourself up along with them?"


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    "¡­ah." he had a good point. Unless I didn''t mind diving straight into mutual destruction, I would hesitate using the Sunburst bombs at such pointblank range.


    "Well, leave these with us." Zi Shou De nodded. "I''ll go with your intentions and forbid anyone from selling them for now."


    "Thank you." I breathed a sigh of relief. "I''ll leave these with you then."


    "Gotcha." Zi Shou De then picked up his phone and called a couple of staff to come ferry them away. A contingent of Blood Blades also arrived. I made to join them, but Zi Shou De held me back.


    "Your duty lies elsewhere." He grinned and passed my Snow Aegis back to me. "Right, I fixed it. Added a few new things too, while at it. I guess you could say I upgraded it."


    "Thank you very much!" I stared at Snow Aegis, astonished. Even though I had yet to activate it, I could already sense that it was somewhat different. It was emanating a more potent aura from before, causing an indescribable sensation.


    "No problem. It''s only natural, after you built all that." Zi Shou De patted my shoulder while gesturing toward the crate of Sunburst bombs. "Be careful!" he called out to a nervous staff who was trying to handle the volatile weapons.


    The pale man nodded. Evidently he knew the power of the Sunburst bombs, having witnessed them during that invasion.


    "I should be handling them," I said and moved forward, but Zi Shou De held me back again.


    "No. you should be returning to school." He frowned. "I heard that you skipped classes for a few days just to build these. That won''t do. You''re still a student of Wu Ling Academy. Don''t let your grades suffer, and make sure you graduate properly."


    "Yes, sir."


    He got me there. Saluting, I then left the office and returned to my dormitory in Wu Ling Academy, because I had left all my homework and assignments there.


    A few hours after I left, the sect discipes of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect who had remained in the main sect grounds continued to maintain, repair and produce Spirit Armaments in order to restore the sect back to full battle readiness, or to resume business again.


    However, amidst the bustle, a single person''s shout cut through the busy air and drew everyone''s attention outside.


    "Look at the sky!" Di Xuan, the inner sect''s senior disciple, suddenly pointed toward the bright, blue sky and yelled. His voice was filled with wonder.


    The inner sect discples, despite being busy with their various tasks, momentarily abandoned their charges and stepped out of their workshops. The elders joined them shortly after, mesmerized by the sight.


    Elegantly flitting among the clouds was an extremely beautiful butterfly that resembled Mothra, but thankfully was several times smaller. Still about the size of a car, though, which made it a little creepy. Its massive wings flapped, gleaming with a myriad of colors, the wingspan being about nine meters long.


    Riding on top of the brilliant and vivid butterfly was a single girl who was dressed in an extravagant pink dress of different hues, and for some reason had an enormous lotus flower-shaped hairclip that was perched on the right side of her head, like a typical anime character. Nonetheless, she still resembled a goddess descending from the heavens, causing all those who laid their eyes on her to be mesmerized and charmed.


    Behind her gigantic butterfly was a couple of helicopters, filled with militia from the Song Clan. What, did you think she would behave like a certain fictional idiot and casually fly into the middle of a poisonous bog, right into enemy territory, all by herself without escorts or a bodyguard detail? Okay, this wasn''t a poisonous bog, but it was still regarded as enemy territory somewhat. But in the original story, the author made her out to be some big shot of extremely high status, yet she just stupidly flew into a poisonous bog on a butterfly all on her own without any guards, escorts or servants. Like¡­come on, even if she was powerful, that made no sense.


    "A Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly! That''s a Rank Five Spirit Beast!" the Chief Great Elder, Luo Zhi Chang, exclaimed.


    "Eh? I thought it was Mothra," muttered one of the sect disciples, who had just watched Godzilla: King of Monsters a few months ago.


    "Get ready!" Jing Wei shouted to his fellow Blood Blades sentries, and they all formed a thick wall before the approaching Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly, which hovered to a stop in front of them.


    "Someone contact Sect Leader," Luo Zhi Chang hissed. He had the feeling that whoever this young woman was, she wasn''t someone simple.

 239 Chapter 238: Song Ting Yu

    That was probably how it got its name.


    The girl riding the Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly could simply ride in one of the helicopters behind her, or take a personal vehicle, but the fact that she didn''t was to show off her mastery over her Magical Beast. Like Zhu Jiao, who owned Little Gold the Kirin, Song Ting Yu was one of those superbly skilled martial artists with enough strength, talent and fortune to tame a Magical Beast to be their familiars or pets.


    In other words, the girl was making a statement of her strength and pedigree. Even if she didn''t, Luo Zhi Chang recognized her and knew of her highly revered status.


    Even so, as a formality, the girl politely introduced herself.


    "I am Song Ting Yu of the Martial Arts Alliance, and I request a meeting. Greetings to the elders of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. please allow me to enter your city for a discussion." The girl''s voice was soothing and pleasant, and despite being soft, was heard by everyone in the vicinity. They subconsciously relaxed when they heard her gentle tone.


    Many of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples, including Di Xuan, Tian Jian Hao and most males, looked as if they had been charmed, blushing uncontrollably and grinning just from listening to Song Ting Yu''s pleasant voice.


    "Song Ting Yu of the Martial Arts Alliance¡­" Luo Zhi Chang nodded heavily, having already recognized her. "Is your father, Alliance Chief Song Yu, doing well?"


    "Many thanks for your concern. Father is doing well." Song Ting Yu offered a polite response.


    "We have contacted our sect leader, and he will be with you shortly. For now, please follow us to the main hall."


    Luo Zhi Chang glanced at Jing Wei, and the Blood Blades sentries backed off at their leader''s gesture. The First Great Elder then beckoned for Song Ting Yu to follow him. The girl disembarked from her Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly gracefully and landed in the midst of the mesmerized outer sect disciples, who continued to ogle her.


    "This way please."


    "You are too kind."


    As the beautiful figure of Song Ting Yu strolled across the courtyard of the broken main sect grounds, everyone stiffened. Particularly the men of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, their minds slipping into a haze of desire.


    "The Martial Arts Alliance was at fault for allowing this to happen. We should have kept a closer eye and better control over our subordinate sects, and prevented this tragedy from ever occurring." Song Ting Yu bowed humbly, and for some reason all the men surrounding her suddenly felt a desire to protect her. "I have come personally to apologize, and to offer sufficient compensation and reparations for your losses. I also hope for your forgiveness."


    "Perhaps you will be forgiven, but I hope you understand that we will find it hard to trust the Martial Arts Alliance from now on."


    This time, it was Zi Shou De who spoke. He had descended partially from Flame Volcano to meet Song Ting Yu and her entourage halfway. The guards had already rappelled down from their helicopters to form some sort of honor guard behind her.


    Zi Shou De was accompanied by his wife and a troop of Blood Blades martial artists. Unlike the other men in the courtyard, he seemed unaffected by Song Ting Yu''s charm. Probably because of Zi Da Ji''s presence and the fact that he was already married, but more likely because he had reached a high level of cultivation and could resist her otherworldly powers.


    "Welcome to our Nine-Taiiled Fox Sect." Zi Shou De smiled bitterly. "I apologize for the lack of decorum, but as you''ve undoubtedly already observed, our sect is in pretty bad shape."


    Song Ting Yu glanced at the massive crater at the foot of Flame Volcano, which was slowly being filled by construction teams and imperial engineers, and then returned her gaze to Zi Shou De with a somber nod.


    "Indeed. I apologize for the damage that your sect has received. If we were aware of the greediness and corruption that had spread through our subordinate sects¡­"


    "Spare me the theatrics," Zi Shou De interrupted flatly as he returned to the main hall and took a seat. He gestured for Song Ting Yu to take a seat opposite him, and she complied. As her honor guard rearranged themselves to stand behind her, the sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect continued. "You know as well as I do that the truth is that someone ordered those subordinate sects to invade us. Instead of dancing around with lies and indulging in deception, why don''t you get straight to the point?"


    "¡­" Song Ting Yu hesitated for a moment, taken aback. Then she regained her composure and smiled, lowering her head slightly. "Of course. I apologize for my rudeness. But I was telling the truth when I said that the Martial Arts Alliance would like to extend their apologies and offer reparations." She retrieved a tablet from her pink dress and offered it to Zi Shou De. "The Martial Arts Alliance is willing to pay two hundred million gold coins. If Nine-Tailed Fox Sect does not believe this to be sufficient, then we can negotiate further."


    "Two hundred million gold coins!?" Di Xuan exclaimed in shock.


    The expressions of Tian Jian Hao and the other outer sect discples also transformed, and their eyes gleamed excitedly. Even the Great Elder and six inner sect elders were taken aback by the tremendous amount, for two hundred million gold coins was practically equal to the annual Gross National Product of a small kingdom. Even if Nine-Tailed Fox Sect wasn''t lacking in wealth, that was still quite a substantial amount they couldn''t ignore.


    The reparations offered by Martial Arts Alliance had clearly exceeded the imagination of Luo Zhi Chang and the others, and they were gaping at Song Ting Yu, not just because of her beauty but also the promises of unprecedented wealth.


    Only Zi Shou De and his wife were not moved. They exchanged a glance, obviously suspicious of this overly generous offer.


    "I assume that the Martial Arts Alliance will want something from us in return?" the sect leader of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect asked carefully. "Such as¡­returning to becoming a member? If that is the case, then no matter how much you offer us¡­"


    "No, of course not. We understand that we have broken your trust because of the¡­incident previously." Song Ting Yu kept her head lowered and smiled in what seemed like a compliant manner. "All we ask is that you continue business with the Martial Arts Alliance as per normal¡­before that tragedy. My Martial Arts Alliance plans to order more products and weapons from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. Of course, these would be paid for separately."


    "That goes without saying. It would be shortsighted of us to cut off all business relationships with the Martial Arts Alliance." Zi Shou De''s voice was somewhat tight, as if he was silently saying, "But that doesn''t mean we will trust you."


    "I thank you for that." Song Ting Yu closed her eyes briefly, maintaining that submissive posture, before she finally raised her head. "There is one item we wish to purchase in particular."


    "I knew it," Zi Da Ji muttered under her breath. Zi Shou De glanced at his wife, then nodded, as if to agree. The couple must have already discussed this before Song Ting Yu''s arrival. They knew this was inevitable.


    Even so, Zi Shou De still had to go through the formalities. At least he wasn''t shouting lightly like the idiotic characters in Spirit Realm.


    "And what item do you have in mind?"


    "¡­the object called the Sunburst bomb." Song Ting Yu finally revealed her true intentions. "We are willing to pay ten thousand gold coins for each one. We will buy as many as you can produce." She smiled. "I trust you find this price reasonable?"


    Everyone in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect snapped out of their stupor and exchanged wary looks with each other. From Song Ting Yu''s statement, they realized the real reason why Song Ting Yu had personally visited the sect. They also understood why the Martial Arts Alliance was so generous with their offers of compensation.


    They wanted the Sunburst bombs. Any faction that possessed such a terrifying weapon would become a force to be reckoned with. Very few would possess the courage to challenge a faction capable of obliterating them with a single explosion.


    "If we''re just talking about the price, then yes¡­your offer is probably reasonable." Zi Shou De nodded, and then he smiled in a sinister manner. "But the issue is that we are not willing to sell the Sunburst bombs."


    Song Ting Yu momentarily lost her smile. However, she managed to maintain a calm fa?ade, and nodded.


    "Can I ask why?" she asked softly. "The demonic sects have become very active recently, and they are on the move. The Tian Sha Sect, in particular, is moving toward this region. A war with the demonic sects and evil martial artists is inevitable. The Sunburst bomb is a weapon that can turn the tides in our favor."


    The Sunburst bombs had decimated ninety percent of the thirteen sects who came to invade us. And that was only with seven of them. Imagine if we had more¡­we could probably totally annihilate all the demonic sects who were rising up at this time of crisis. Not only that, we would probably stand on equal footing with the other nations and countries from overseas.


    When they discovered that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was currently the only one who possessed such a horrifying weapon, the Martial Arts Alliance had decided to obtain the Sunburst bombs at any cost. Of course, they originally intended to attain the method of manufacturing the Sunburst bombs, but Song Ting Yu was highly intelligent and knew that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would never hand over the blueprint and assembly methods.


    As such, she had avoided mentioning buying the blueprint and methods totally and instead chose a more diplomatic path. In this aspect, she was a diplomat par excellence and completely unrivaled in all of the Martial Arts Alliance.


    Unfortunately, she did not expect to be rejected so forthrightly by Sect Leader Zi.


    "You are right," Zi Shou De admitted. "The Sunburst weapon is a potent weapon." He smiled. "We will of course offer our assistance and deploy it at the request of the Martial Arts Alliance if you deem such a weapon necessary to fight the demonic sects."


    "I am gratified to hear that, but I''m sure you''ll agree that everyone would rest easier if such a weapon is not monopolized by a single sect."


    "Ah, of course. But it''s not the matter of the sect wanting to sell or monopolize it, you see." Zi Shou De chuckled. "The patent does not belong to us."


    Song Ting Yu blinked at the unexpected development, but as intelligent as she was, she quickly caught on.


    "That is correct." She nodded, recalling from the research she did. "I see¡­the patent belongs to the creator."


    In other words, me.


    Song Ting Yu straightened herself and steeled her gaze.


    "So if I want to purchase the Sunburst bombs for the Martial Arts Alliance, the person I have to convince is the inventor of the Sunburst bombs¡­Fei Wu, correct? Then, do you mind if I speak to him directly?"


    "If you think you can convince him, please go ahead and try."


    Zi Shou De''s tone was flat and flippant. Except Zi Da Ji, all the members of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect ¨C especially the male members ¨C all turned to stare at him in astonishment.


    They were thinking that as long as Song Ting Yu spoke face-to-face with someone, there existed no one in this world who could refuse her. Except that Zi Shou De had quite blatantly refused her, unaffected by her charm, so that wasn''t true.


    Their concerns were valid, though. I was a guy, and I wasn''t Zi Shou De. I was weaker than him and less experienced, and thus I was more vulnerable to Song Ting Yu''s feminine charms. It was impossible for a guy like me to refuse her. Furthermore, the Martial Arts Alliance had offered a staggering sum of money, which would allow me and my family to be set for life, and still have a large fortune left over. For the sect, no doubt.


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    Everyone was probably right to think that way.


    But for some reason, Zi Shou De didn''t seem to be concerned that I would fall for this beautiful girl''s honey trap. He merely smiled.


    "Sect Leader Zi." Song Ting Yu bowed humbly once more. "I request permission to meet Fei Wu. Can you please tell me where he is?"


    "You don''t need my permission to speak to Fei Wu." Zi Shou De chuckled. "Fei Wu is free to speak to anyone who wishes to speak to him. Of course, if he doesn''t want to talk to you¡­"


    "¡­I understand." Song Ting Yu took a deep breath, and glanced around. "May I ask, where is he right now?"


    "How would I know?" Zi Shou De shrugged nonchalantly. "The boy is entitled his privacy. It''s not like he has to report to me whenever he wants to go somewhere. I''m not even his dad."


    Song Ting Yu blinked again, and then she nodded calmly. "In that case, do you mind if I wait here until he returns?"


    "Sure. Do whatever you want." Zi Shou De rose from his seat, and he beckoned for one of the staff members. "Nan Gong Guan Jia, please see to it that our guests are accommodated."


    "This servant obeys." A smartly dressed butler in a tuxedo with an eyeglass placed a hand on his chest and bowed. He then led a squad of maids toward Song Ting Yu and her bodyguards. "This way, Miss. If there''s anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask us."


    "Sure." Song Ting Yu smiled brilliantly, turning the charm on the gray-haired old man. "Telling me where Fei Wu is will be a start."


    "I''m afraid I do not know," Nan Gong Guan Jia replied gamely. "Young Master Fei Wu is always busy and running about."


    Song Ting Yu held back a small sigh. "Then please inform me when he returns."


    "You''ll be among the first to know," Nan Gong Guan Jia assured her.


    *


    Unfortunately, I had no intention of returning to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect anytime soon. I was preparing for a mission for Wu Ling Academy, and had a bunch of stuff to do ¨C which included catching up on my schoolwork.


    The academic aspect of my school life was easy. I was always better with theory than I was with practical, which was why I always screwed up blacksmithing. I could remember Spirit Engraving theories, and fared better at that area, but when it came to actually forging a Spirit Artifact, I would screw up pretty badly.


    "Ugh¡­"


    After returning to my dormitory room, I began the arduous process of completing my homework. I was always a fast worker when it came to theory, though, so it didn''t take me too much time to complete my assignments.


    Right when I thought I could finally relax, I suddenly received a phone call.


    "Elder Zhao?"


    When I saw the phone number in my smartphone screen, I frowned and wondered what he wanted at this time of the night. Swiping my finger across the screen, I picked up the call and brought the phone to my ear.


    "Hello? Elder Zhao?"


    "Fei Wu? Good, the call got through."


    There was no reason for the call not to get through, unless for some reason I couldn''t receive any signal in my dorm room. I paused for a moment, listening to the tense voice on the other side of the phone.


    "Do you need me for anything?"


    "Ah, yes. Apparently the Martial Arts Alliance''s Song Ting Yu is looking for you. She is currently residing in the main sect grounds."


    "Song Ting Yu? Who''s that?" my frown deepened. "And what does she want?"


    "They want your Sunburst bombs." Elder Zhao quickly filled me in on what had transpired while I was at school. He included all the tempting deals that the Martial Arts Alliance offered. "They are willing to pay a high price for your invention."


    "¡­I see." Unfortunately, I was not interested in money. That was why this story was not locked under Premium, and why the existences beyond the fourth wall could continue reading it for free without purchasing Spirit Stones. And also why I couldn''t be bothered with a *******. As hard as it might be for some of those more cynical readers to believe, not everything in this world had to be about money. As long as I earned enough, there was no need for me to greedily and desperately grab at every chance to obtain millions.


    "Sect Leader''s stance is that the decision will be entirely up to you," Elder Zhao informed me solemnly.


    "My stance has not changed," I replied. "I will not hand the Sunburst bombs over to the other sects, especially to people who just attacked us. We are not that na?ve or stupid to give our most powerful weapon to a potential enemy. Plus these Sunburst bombs are probably the only thing giving us an advantage over the other sects and factions."


    If I could see Elder Zhao right now, I would have seen him nodding. "I concur. But if we monopolize the Sunburst bombs, there will be an issue where the other sects will distrust us and suspect us of harboring sinister intentions."


    "As long as we promise to help them fight the demonic sects and deploy the Sunburst bombs against a common enemy, they should have no complaints." I grinned. "And if they want to attack us with the excuse of us monopolizing weapons of mass destruction again¡­they are welcome to try."


    "¡­heh." Elder Zhao chuckled. "All right then. I''ll let Sect Leader know, though he probably already anticipated this."


    Zi Shou De probably knew me too well. So did Zi Da Ji.


    "All right. I''ll be counting on you then."


    "One more thing." Elder Zhao stopped me before I could hang up. "Are you going to meet Song Ting Yu and tell her that directly? She''s right here, in the main sect grounds."


    "Nah¡­" I shook my head, forgetting that Elder Zhao couldn''t see me. "There''s no need for me to meet her. Just convey to her my intentions. I''m busy at the moment, and I''m about to leave for a mission in a couple of days. I don''t have the time." I pondered for a moment. "Oh, and assure her that I will cooperate with the Martial Arts Alliance in the war against the demonic sects. With Sect Leader''s permission, of course."


    "Consider it done."


    As Elder Zhao hung up, I lowered my smartphone and sighed. Studying it for a moment, I snorted and tossed it on a bed.


    "I knew it. The call was bugged."


    From the very beginning, I had sensed the third presence eavesdropping on our conversation. Elder Zhao probably didn''t notice, but with my Heaven and Earth senses, I detected a slight aberration in the qi used to connect our calls together.


    Someone had bugged Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s line. And judging from the unfamiliar qi signature, I was highly certain that it belonged to this Song Ting Yu that Elder Zhao had mentioned. Also because I had read Spirit Realm and could somewhat guess what was going to happen.

 240 Chapter 239: Terrifying Charm

    "What are you talking about?" Tong Xue asked, confused.


    "¡­nothing."


    We were in the classroom the next day, for academic reasons. Even though we were getting ready to participate in a mission, we still had to attend classes and get enough credits to graduate. Just like what Zi Shou De told me.


    Oh well.


    "Hey! Big news!" someone from outside our classroom shouted. "There''s someone who just appeared in front of our school! Looks like a big shot!"


    "Oh!" Tong Xue was immediately up on his feet while consulting his smartphone for the latest news. "Interesting! I''m going to check it out!" he glanced at me, but I was still sprawled across my desk, reluctant to get up. "You coming?"


    "No," I replied flatly. I couldn''t care less even if the Emperor himself had arrived on foot. I was tired from staying up last night to study and craft another Sunburst bomb.


    Tong Xue raised an eyebrow, looking a little disappointed, but he moved before my lethargy could infect him. "All right, I''ll be going then."


    "See you."


    I promptly placed my head on my desk and dozed off.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t even get to sleep much before a deafening noise woke me up. The corridors of Wu Ling Academy were erupting with yells and shouts, which burst into my dreams and hurled me into full wakefulness. Good thing it did too ¨C even though I couldn''t remember much, I was under the impression that I was having some sort of nightmare.


    "Ugh¡­"


    Rubbing my stiff neck, I propped myself up on my desk and looked around. The classroom was mostly deserted. Apparently most people had rushed off to look at the big shot, and that same big shot seemed to have cause quite the furor, judging from the noise outside. I honestly didn''t see what the big deal was, but if people enjoyed making a fuss, then let them.


    Or at least that was what I thought, until Tong Xue rushed into the classroom.


    "Fei Wu!" he bellowed.


    "What is it?" I asked, rubbing my ears in annoyance. Was there a need to holler my name? At least he wasn''t "lightly shouting" like all those idiots in Spirit Realm.


    "Do you know a person called Song Ting Yu?"


    The name sounded familiar, but too vague. I tried to search my memory, but at that time for the life of me I couldn''t recall where I had heard it before.


    "Um¡­I don''t think so. Why?"


    "Then why is she looking for you?!"


    "Who is she?"


    "Song Ting Yu!"


    "That''s what I want to know!" Tong Xue snapped, planting his hands on my desk and jolting me back. "Oh, and Song Ting Yu is the daughter of the Martial Arts Alliance chief Song Yu. She''s a very high status lady¡­sort of an ojou-sama, but she''s also talented and extremely powerful. I think she might even be above Bai Ning Xue!"


    "Okay¡­?" that really didn''t tell me anything other than what I already knew ¨C that she was a big shot. Then suddenly it struck me. Something about the Martial Arts Alliance. Elder Zhao called me last night, saying that they wanted to buy my Sunburst bombs. If I recalled correctly, Song Ting Yu was the negotiator the Martial Arts Alliance sent.


    Tong Xue must have seen the realization dawn on my face, for he scowled.


    "You do know who she is, after all!"


    "I just remembered. She''s the person the Martial Arts Alliance sent to buy my Sunburst bombs." I folded my arms and scoffed. "I''m not selling them."


    Tong Xue watched me, puzzled, then suddenly understood. He struck a fist into his palm and noded.


    "Oh! So that''s why¡­!" He then tilted his head. "You haven''t met her before, I presume?"


    I shook my head. "Nope."


    Tong Xue merely nodded, as if comprehending something. I stared at him, my gaze turning glacial when he didn''t seem like he was going to explain. In any case, he wasn''t given any chance to explain. Lian Rou entered the classroom and he went off to talk to her.


    Lian Rou was also glancing in my direction, but she didn''t say anything. I didn''t like the stare that she was giving me.


    Before I could ask her or Tong Xue what the hell was going on, Zhu Jiao strolled into the classroom. Unlike all the other classmates and schoolmates, he didn''t seem excited. He wave at me before taking his seat.


    "It''s quite noisy today," he remarked casually. "Did something happen?"


    "Apparently someone called Song Ting Yu arrived," I informed him dryly.


    Zhu Jiao merely knitted his eyebrows in bewilderment, the name obviously not registering with him, and then shrugged nonchalantly. As expected of the real protagonist. He was unaffected by all these random characters and big shots showing up out of nowhere. Then again, so was I, but that was because I was ignorant of their identity.


    Zhu Jiao, on the other hand, truly couldn''t give a fuck even if he knew.


    "Do you now who Song Ting Yu is?" I asked. Zhu Jiao shook his head.


    "Never heard of her."


    ¡­right. Of course he wouldn''t. And he didn''t seem interested either. As for me, I had no choice but to take an interest, not only because she was looking for me, but because she clearly wanted to get her hands on the Sunburst bombs.


    I thought for a while, and then proceeded toward the windows of the classroom. Zhu Jiao noticed my strange movements and raised his head, confused.


    "Where are you going? Class is about to start."


    "Out of here," I told him, and then jumped out of the window.


    Not a moment too soon. Shortly after I made my hasty exit, the commotion intensified as students broke before a single beautiful girl like the Red Sea before Moses, and she sashayed into the classroom where I had been a few minutes ago.


    "Is Fei Wu here?" she asked, her voice gentle and charming. All the guys except Zhu Jiao seemed to freeze up and stare at her, their mouths wide open. Even the girls couldn''t help but be charmed by her, Lian Rou nodding hypnotically.


    "He was here," Zhu Jiao replied in an offhanded manner, completely immune to her charm because he had to function as the stoic protagonist who played hard-to-get, and all the random heroines fell for him instead of the other way around. He then looked around, and then shrugged. "But he left a few minutes ago."


    "Oh?" Song Ting Yu seemed impressed that Zhu Jiao was resistant to her charm, but she couldn''t afford to waste her time on him. She just made a mental note and focused on the issue for now. "Do you happen to know where he went?"


    "No idea." Zhu Jiao shrugged. "He didn''t tell me."


    At least my friend was smart enough to not tattle on me and inform her that I had exited through the window. He had put two and two together and realized that I was most probably avoiding this girl, though for the life of him he couldn''t imagine why. He did recognize that she was extremely beautiful, but he was surrounded by beautiful girls such as Bai Ning Xue, his little sister, Qing Xin Xia, and even Yan Qing Wu (who would probably make an appearance soon), so an additional beauty to his harem was nothing to him.


    No doubt he secretly believed that even though this beautiful girl was searching for me now, she would inevitably fall for him, approach him while he played hard-to-get, and try all matters of seducing him before she eventually became an official member of his harem. So for now he decided to play the long game, feigning patience and "help" me out. In fact, if he helped me avoid this beautiful girl, then the chances of her joining his harem would be much higher.


    And even though he was resistant to Song Ting Yu''s charms, even a heterosexual male like Zhu Jiao could appreciate her beauty, her gorgeous figure and ample assets and terrifying charm. All the more he wanted her as part of his harem, but obviously he knew that making a move on her now would destroy his chances of obtaining her. So he decided to adopt the appearance of a man unmoved, which would certainly pique her interest while not announcing to her that he had been attracted to her. The guy was crafty.


    However, as I said, Song Ting Yu didn''t have the time to play his hard-to-get game, so she nodded gratefully.


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    "I''ll continue looking for him then," she said, and stepped out of the classroom, much to Zhu Jiao''s disappointment.


    Oh well, he thought to himself, and then grinned darkly. She''ll eventually be mine anyway, so I can afford to wait.


    "Has anyone seen Fei Wu?" Song Ting Yu asked the mesmerized students in the corridor, trying to mask her impatience. She smiled sweetly at them, causing both guys and girls to swoon under her radiant beauty. "I would appreciate it very much if you could help me."


    "He was in the classroom earlier¡­I didn''t see him leave, though." one of my classmates betrayed me.


    "Hmm? If he wasn''t seen leaving¡­" Song Ting Yu glanced back inside the classroom, and her sharp mind suddenly clicked when she caught sight of the windows. "I see. There are more than two exits to the classroom."


    Each classroom had two doors, hence we usually perceived them ass having two exits.


    I had managed to cover some distance over the courtyard, trying to sneak through the trees and stuff. Unfortunately, while I had learned Shadow Steps, I wasn''t a disciple of the Smart Shadow Sect or Divine Shadow Sect, so stealth wasn''t my kind of thing. I was more of the glass cannon who dished out terrifying amounts of firepower than an assassin sneaking around in the shadows.


    Thanks to that failing of mine, I was inevitably discovered after less than thirty minutes of skulking around the academy''s garden despite my best attempts to stay hidden.


    "Are you not willing to meet me, Mister Fei Wu?"


    A pleasant and seductive voice resonated across the garden. My military instincts kicked in, and I dove into cover, rolled to my knees and crouched behind a tree while my hand went for my Azure Lotus Sword and Shadow Fox stored inside Snow Aegis.


    A beautiful young woman my age strode in the middle of the garden, dressed in a fashionable pink dress with a short skirt, and her hair was adorned with that ridiculous giant lotus flower hairpin that would only look good on an anime character.


    She was surrounded by a bunch of my schoolmates, who apparently couldn''t resist her charms and followed her like an entourage. I could see bodyguards in suits and sunglasses following her closely too, mixed inside the crowd of Wu Ling Academy students. Probably bodyguards assigned to her by the Martial Arts Alliance.


    The girl rested her heart-melting gaze on me, a gaze that could soften the heart of any guy and invoke some strong sense of protectiveness in them to the extent that they would sacrifice anything for this girl.


    Unfortunately for her, all I felt was a sense of dread. Admittedly, I found her extremely attractive and beautiful. In the end, I was a straight guy after all. Unless I swung the other way, it was impossible for me not to find her highly appealing.


    However, there was a sharp pain in my heart. The wounds from Tang Qi Hong''s death were still raw and fresh, and I couldn''t in my conscience cavort with another girl. Not this soon, and especially not just after the death of the girl I liked.


    So while I acknowledged the girl''s beauty, I was able to somehow maintain a grip on rationality. As I did so, I sensed the terrifying amount of qi emanating from her, and the complex spiritual patterns that formed her technique. That was what caused me to feel dread ¨C being confronted by such a high-level technique and horrifying amount of qi!


    Focusing my eyes on the flawless beauty, I timidly hazarded a guess.


    "Are you¡­Song Ting Yu?"


    "Indeed I am. I''m curious as to why you''re avoiding me."


    Song Ting Yu smiled sweetly as she locked her eyes with mine. When I met her gaze, I suddenly felt a wrench in my heart. Deep inside me, desire swirled and I almost fell into the trap of becoming willing to submit to any of her demands. I resisted the vague urge of wanting to throw myself before her feet and bow to her, while promising her my life and whatnot.


    "This is¡­"


    But they were just weak, vague urges that were easily repelled. Inside my pocket, my Snow Aegis glowed faintly, reinforcing my spiritual defenses with its power.


    Evidently Zi Shou De had been telling the truth when he told me that he had upgraded my Snow Aegis. I was grateful to him for this, or I might have been rendered vulnerable to Song Ting Yu''s terrifying charm.


    However, it wasn''t as if just having Snow Aegis would protect me. As I said before, a Treasure Spirit Weapon in the hands of an amateur was useless. The Spirit Weapon was only as powerful as the wielder. If I hadn''t trained myself to have a powerful enough spiritual and mental defense, Snow Aegis would have nothing to reinforce, and would thus remain a dull, almost inert Spiritual Equipment. It was because I had already developed my own defenses beforehand that I was able to use Snow Aegis to bolster me, rather than just completely rely on it. Simply put, Snow Aegis could only enhance what was already present in the wielder, and not just completely erect a spiritual and mental defense from scratch.


    And speaking of my spiritual and mental defense¡­


    Frost qi began pouring out of my heart as I strengthened my spiritual barrier, which was just as well as it shared the elemental affinity with Snow Aegis. Thanks to that, I could extinguish the flames of desire by freezing them. Taking a deep breath, I allowed the mind-freezing spiritual aura to shroud my soul and dissipate the blazing passion that gripped my chest and loins.


    Breaking out of my opponent''s technique, I fixed her with an icy stare that was imbued with warning.


    Through my glasses, I noted once again the hypnotic and spirituall intoxicating qi and aura that was being emanated from her gleaming eyes and perfectly curved figure. I coolly analyzed the spiritual patterns that her technique was generating, which almost resembled ripples on the surface of a lovely lake, and saw a similarity between them and magnetic fields that drew men''s hearts and attention toward her like metal.


    Hmm, I''ve never heard of such a technique before. It must be a mind technique.


    Such techniques weren''t unheard of. Illusion techniques, charm and seduction techniques, telepathy, intimidation techniques ¨C all of these fell into the category of mind techniques. But Song Ting Yu was incredibly formidable even among the masters of these mind techniques, having polished her art to perfection.


    Not only was this lady from the Martial Arts Alliance exceedingly beautiful, she was also skillful at employing her innate charm and figure to her advantage. And even beyond that, she had cultivated a technique that would further enhance her charm.


    This spiritual technique allowed her to charm, which was already normally irresistible to males, to be amplified several times!


    Worse, the girl had developed her technique to the extent where she could fill the entire space with those magnetic field-like spiritual aura and cause almost all the men within its range to fall to the allure of her breathtaking charm, to the point where they would willingly offer their souls up to her on a platter.


    Fortunately, I had my Snow Aegis to help bolster the already formidable spiritual defenses that Heaven and Earth Formula offered me. Moreover, the combination of Snow Aegis and Heaven and Earth Formula had allowed me to resist the terrifying intimidation and hypnotism ¨C well, mind control ¨C of Tian Yu Di. Honestly, Song Ting Yu was far from the strongest opponent I had ever faced. I had confronted far more terrifying enemies, and survived.


    Hell, Tian Yu Di ended up becoming my subordinate, though that was more because I just happened to have the Golden Dragon Medallion that proved my inheritance of the role of Sect Leader of Heaven and Earth Sect than because of any true strength.


    "Well¡­does this look like I''m avoiding you?" I shrugged and forced a smile. "You''ve got your meeting. What do you want?"


    In order to prove my point and dominate the discussion, I allowed my frosty qi to expand. The garden suddenly froze over, almost as if winter had arrived early. The trees seemed to be encased in ice, and the grass was blanketed by a frozen layer. All the students who had tagged along to watch the show involuntarily shivered from the extraordinary cold. Their hair began coated in white snow, much like the leaves of the trees around them.


    If Song Ting Yu was confused by my apparent immunity to her charms, she didn''t show it. Instead, she maintained that ethereal smile of hers. She alone was unaffected by the ice, the snow refusing to touch her body, with her spiritual aura keeping the frosty qi at bay.


    "You''re unwilling to see me, so I had no choice but to chase after you. Why are you so cold toward me, Mr. Fei Wu? I''ve taveled quite some distance in order to meet you. All I ask is for a bit of your time, to have a conversation. Don''t you think it''s reasonable and polite to at least listen to me for a bit?"


    Song Ting Yu was displaying a dazzling smile, even as her eyes glowed with indignation and cute self-centeredness. Anyone watching this would believe that she was a young lady deeply in love who was neglected and asking her distant lover to give her just a bit of his time. They would be on her side out of righteous anger, if they weren''t frozen by my ice.


    I scoffed at that. "Anyone knows what it means to have a face-to-face conversation with you." I narrowed my eyes. "And if you want to talk about manners, don''t you think it''s only polite and sincere to converse without casting your mind techniques on the other party and charming them?"


    "¡­eh?"


    For the first time, Song Ting Yu looked a little unsure of herself.


    Thanks to that, amidst the audience, Tong Xue suddenly shuddered and woke up. He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering from the cold, and then realized what was going on after a few seconds of assessing the situation.


    "That''s one hell of a technique!" he exclaimed. He then suddenly recalled what happened when Song Ting Yu arrived in the sect yesterday, and when she first showed up in Wu Ling Academy, and he frowned.


    His shoulders sagged when he realized that he had actually lost himself temporarily when looking into Song Ting Yu''s eyes, despite his love for Lian Rou. If it wasn''t for me unleashing my own ice technique and freezing the surroudnings, he wouldn''t have snapped out of the hypnotic charm. He would still be trapped by her illusion.


    "What a terrifying girl!" he gasped. "Her charm technique is several times stronger than before!" shutting his eyes, he realized that Song Ting Yu did not use this technique when strolling across the school earlier, or when she arrived at the sect yesterday. She didn''t take the students here seriously at all, and probably recognized that the Zi couple, who were on a totally different level, wouldn''t take too kindly to her hypnotizing their sect members.


    Tong Xue gritted his teeth and pushed down the fear that had wormed into his heart during the onslaught of the cold.


    "Time to get out of here," he muttered, and then he spotted Lian Rou among the students who were huddling together behind Song Ting Yu. He immediately went for her and shook her. "Lian Rou? Let''s go."


    Lian Rou didn''t reply. She was still staring blankly at Song Ting Yu, just like the sizable number of girls who had followed along. Guy or girl, they were all trapped inside the illusion, unable too break free. Tong Xue only got out because he had been trained in Smart Shadow Sect and had developed a slight resistance to mind techniques.


    "Damn it!" Tong Xue cursed. "That Song Ting Yu''s charm and techniques work on both men and women?!"


    His shock grew, and he acknowledged just how terrifying the only daughter of the Martial Arts Alliance chief Song Yu was.


    A charm that could entice both men and women, and a technique that could hypnotize anybody to submit willingly to her. With her working for the Martial Arts Alliance, just how many people throughout the Great Zhou Empire would be able to resist her advances and remain stalwart in the face of her devastating beauty?


    Tong Xue glanced at me, and I met his gaze with a shrug. He breathed a sense of relief when he saw that I was still myself. Only because I had Snow Aegis, or I would practically be destroyed, to be honest. Hey, that didn''t count as a Deus ex Machina. I forged Snow Aegis with my very own hands! And even got help to perfect it! It wasn''t as if I was pulling Snow Aegis from my ass and pretending that I could resist such techniques out of nowhere!


    You haven''t forgotten how I used Snow Aegis to resist Tian Yu Di during the arc with the Spirit Engraved Pillars, have you?


    Tong Xue then nodded when he caught my gaze, and then proceeded to Lian Rou. He shook her slightly.


    "Lian Rou! Wake up!"


    Lian Rou blinked, slightly aroused from the trance and turned to stare at Tong Xue in bewilderment.


    "Follow me."


    "¡­eh? Huh?"


    The emptiness in her eyes faded somewhat, and she shuddered as she glanced fearfully at Song Ting Yu. She realized what had just happened.


    According to Lian Rou, when we listened to her later, she had fallen into an illusion where she believed that Song Ting Yu was an Empress who ruled over a kingdom of women, and she had the great honor of serving as one of her guards. She had sworn to defend Song Ting Yu with her life, and listen to her every orders.


    All the other girls in there also said the same thing. Every single of them described how the illusion was so real that even though they woke up later, they still felt some doubt as to which of their worlds were real and which was fake.


    "I''m sorry." Tong Xue knew the most effective way of breaking out of an illusion, and after apologizing, he drew his hand back and slapped Lian Rou.


    "Ouch! Hey!" Lian Rou complained angrily, and then she started, looking confused "Eh? Where was I¡­? Huh?"


    "Let''s just get out of here." Tong Xue grabbed her hand and began pulling her away.


    "What about the others?" Lian Rou asked, glancing at the crowd of mesmerized students all around them.


    Tong Xue looked at her sadly. "I can''t save all of them. I''m sorry." He turned toward Song Ting Yu''s direction. "She''ll eventually release all of them once she''s done with whatever she came to do. I can only hope Fei Wu will be able to resist her until the end."


    "That girl is a demon!" Lian Rou shuddered, wrapping her hands around herself. "I don''t think I''ve ever encountered such a terrifying enemy before. Her technique actually caused me to completely lose my mind and identity, and become trapped in such a convincing illusion that locked away all my memories! Just who the hell is she?"


    "The top echelons of the Martial Arts Alliance," Tong Xue replied quietly.


    "What about Fei Wu? Will he be able to stand against her?" Lian Rou asked.


    Tong Xue shrugged. "If he can''t, Zhu Jiao will save him."


    Yeah, because that bastard Zhu Jiao was the protagonist, and he can''t allow a potential harem member to fall for a side character¡­

 241 Chapter 240: The CEO’s Wife

    Fortunately, I was equipped with Snow Aegis and had developed some sort of spiritual defense when learning Heaven and Earth Formula, so I was able to resist Song Ting Yu''s seduction techniques. Admittedly, her terrifying charm was relentlessly battering against the mental barriers I had erected (and I was aware of some other part of my body being erect too whenever I stared at her), but for now I could hold her at bay.


    Unfortunately, I realized that I wasn''t completely immune to Song Ting Yu''s terrifying charm. Even as my spiritual defenses, bolstered by Snow Aegis, afforded me a measure of resistance, just a moment''s slip in concentration was enough for her to break through my mental barrier. Worse, the invisible ripples from her charm technique were slamming relentlessly against my beleaguered barrier as she approached me.


    When Song Ting Yu gazed at me with those loving eyes of hers, I felt as if I was sinking into a depthless abyss, and a wave of passion and desire washed over me. Or would have, but I noticed something weird about it.


    "Mister Fei Wu, I simply admire you and wish to get closer to you. Are you so heartless that you refuse to see me even once?" Song Ting Yu''s voice held an irresistible quality as it drifted warmly into my ears and pierced my heart.


    I frowned. "Uh, you''re calling me heartless and wondering why I refuse to see you when you''re the one using this weird charm technique to seduce me and trap me within your illusions? Are you sure you don''t know why I refuse to see you?"


    Song Ting Yu pursed her delicate lips for a moment before she strengthened her illusion technique to overwhelm my buckling defenses. I could feel her irresistible magic worming its way through the chinks in my armor, drifting comfortably into the depths of my heart.


    Her melting, gentle voice, and eyes filled with passion and fervor finally took root inside my mind and firmly bloomed there. And I found myself sinking into the warmth of her illusions¡­


    "My dear husband, I have already signed these papers. All it needs is your signature. I can go to the registry for divorce anytime at your convenience."


    ¡­wait, what?


    Did she just say divorce?


    I stared at Song Ting Yu for a moment, confused. Then I looked around. For some reason we were no longer in Wu Ling Academy, but in a high-rise skyscraper. I then understood that we were in an illusion of Song Ting Yu''s making.


    A woman who wasn''t my wife.


    My "real" wife, Song Ting Yu, appeared to have enough, and threw divorce papers at me. For some inane reason, I thought she was using reverse psychology on me, got up angry and delusional despite supposedly being a genius who ran a mult-billionaire enterprise, and refused to sign the divorce papers. Instead, I went home and raped her.


    What the fuck?


    The poor Song Ting Yu went through a ton of abuse, which included me neglecting her, insulting her, telling her stuff like "you don''t deserve to bear my child" and then throwing all her branded clothes out of her wardrobe and calling her someone from a dumpster who was wearing trash, openly having affairs with other women, her being treated like trash, being humiliated in front of everyone, had the parapazzi called upon her to inflict further embarrassment on her, got involved in an accident because one of the women I had an affair with pushed her in front of a car ¨C and best of all, because she insisted on a divorce, in order to spite her I refused to pay for her medical treatment and forced her into selling her own blood. Then I caused her friend to lose her job because she wouldn''t tell me what I wanted to know about my wife. Despite my wife wanting a divorce, I was delusional enough to think it was one of her tricks and refused to let her go, and became super-possessive, to the point I caused her so much harm through unforgivable actions.


    "¡­seriously? What kind of stupid romance story is this?"


    And even after all the abuse I inflicted on poor Song Ting Yu, for some reason, all because I "got better," she ended up forgiving me and the marriage was saved. Even though most of my actions could be constituted as criminal abuse and she had every right to call the police on me (but it would be useless because I was a wealthy and influential CEO who could buy the police out and the authorities couldn''t touch me), everything was forgotten and Song Ting Yu had a "happy end" while I was a reformed husband.


    No, seriously? What the fuck was with this toxic relationship? This whole marriage was toxic and abusive, that was what it was. The bastard husband shouldn''t be forgiven just because he "reformed" and became better. You can''t possibly expect the wife to just forget everything and forgive him because he stopped abusing her. The damage was done. She should just drop him like a hot rock (though, to be fair, the husband did his best to prevent the divorce by EVEN MORE ABUSE) and flee as far away as possible. Hell, I admired her tenacity. If I were in her shoes, I would probably kill myself long ago.


    That was just how awful the husband''s abuse was.


    Actually¡­if I were in her shoes, I would have murdered the husband by any means necessary and laugh as I was sentenced to death, because it would have been worth it. Stabbing him with a kitchen knife, poisoning his food, whatever. Whatever means necessary ¨C I would employ them to avenge my abuse.


    Unfortunately, this was a "romance" story, not a revenge or assassin story. Though how anyone could call such a toxic relationship romance, I had no idea. Probably because the whole idea of "reforming the bad guy" appealed to some of the female writers. I might be mistaken, but from what I knew, these sort of stories were penned by female authors for a female audience, and I didn''t know whether to be disturbed by that or not.


    Then the scene changed.


    This time, I was a fucking CEO again (what was with this weird obsession with CEOs being the male main characters in these stories?). This time, I was some guy who wanted to marry the first missy of some family, but she eloped with someone else. I ended up marrying her sister as replacement. Cue neglect, abuse (not physical abuse but emotional abuse) and all sorts of¡­weird stuff. And what was with this whole clich¨¦ "you''re not fit to bear my child" bullshit again?! At least this time I wasn''t as toxic and violent as the previous CEO, who was a pathetic, delusional, sorry excuse of a human being. At least this time I did appreciate some of the sister''s efforts and didn''t cheat on her or anything, but honestly, it was still quite jerkish to tell her, "You''re only a replacement for your sister."


    Dude, if that bitch decides to elope with somebody else, quite clearly she isn''t worth your time, so stop pining over her and treat your wife decently. Okay, he was more decent than the last guy, but even so I couldn''t stop cringing whenever I see these supposedly "intelligent" CEOs doing stupid things to their poor wives.


    At least he realized how important she was later, learned to treat her better and reciprocated her feelings relatively shortly¡­


    Song Ting Yu stood at the kitchen, doing her best to cook. Initially, my CEO character had thrown away all the food she had put in painstaking effort to cook for me, refusing to even taste them, but he was gradually growing to like it.


    "My beloved, I have realized my folly!" I cried out dramatically. "The one I love is you, not your sister! I should never have thought of you as a replacement! You''re my one true love!" Hugging her while shedding tears, I vowed. "I will repay you for all that I''ve owed you with a lifetime!"


    "Not just this lifetime. For the next life, and the life after that. You must remember what you owe me, and remember to repay me."


    Song Ting Yu''s words were filled with indescribable magic that worked their way toward the depths of my heart and ensnared me. Her voice lanced straight into my heart and mind, and resonated deeply within my soul. It was as if she was trying to imprint the words in my soul, or sow a seed inside my heart, engraving it into my psyche so deeply that I would never forget them.


    Like a deeply rooted seed, the concept began blooming inside my mind and expanded rapidly, lodging itself firmly within my heart.


    Or it tried to, anyway.


    "You''re trying to trick me into believing that I owe you two lifetimes of love?"


    ¡­seriously? With this flimsily written illusion? Indulging yourself in delusions of enduring toxic relationships so that you could reform your abusive husband? Coming up with a poor, pathetic excuse of a human being as your husband? Did you think everything would be forgiven as long as he was a rich, powerful CEO? As long as he treated you better in future?


    Honestly, if the male lead wasn''t a rich and powerful CEO, but a drunk, penniless husband who abused his wife everyday, she would have kicked him out of the house and called the police on him. To be fair, such cases happened in reality, and many abused wives suffered from the domestic abuse in silence, but those inevitably never ended with happy results or forgiveness. It usually ended with violent death of the wife, and the police would eventually get involved.


    But no, if the male lead was a handsome CEO in a romance story, everything will be forgotten and forgiven. Probably so that the female writer or readers can indulge in their fantasy of reforming the bad-boy husband and "taming" him.


    What a bunch of absolute bullshit.


    Song Ting Yu didn''t seem to have sensed my annoyance. She had already reached in front of me, her enchanting eyes staring unbrokenly into mine. She then lifted a single finger and touched my forehead.


    "My dear husband, this lifetime has arrived, so you should wake up and take a look now. What you''ve owed me should be repaid to me in this lifetime¡­"


    "I''m not your husband, lady. And I don''t owe you anything."


    "¡­eh?"


    Song Ting Yu took a step back, surprised when she discovered that I hadn''t fallen under her illusion. I gave her a withering look.


    "Really? That''s the best you can come up with? Abusive, handsome CEO husbands and toxic relationships? Domestic abuse? Have you been reading too many web novels on Webnovel.com or something?"


    "¡­eh? EH?!"


    Suddenly, I understood. This girl¡­despite her outstanding beauty and extraordinary diplomatic capabilities (though I question how "diplomatic" her skills could be if she resorted to just charming and hypnotizing people), had completely zero actual experience in real romance. All her knowledge about romance was built from reading all those toxic romance novels on Webnovel.com or translated Chinese novels about abusvive CEOs.


    To be fair, it wasn''t as if I had any experience either. Even in my previous life, I lived for thirty years without being in a relationship, not even once. I never had a girlfriend in my entire llife, whether it was my previous life or this one.


    Even so, I knew toxic when I saw one, and putting up with an abusive CEO husband, no matter how rich, powerful or handsome he was, forgiving him because he became "better" later on, was not healthy. And one did not simply forgive and forget.


    Not to mention such stories often trivialized ****. The psychological and emotional scars from **** were not something easily forgotten, but the heroines of these stories tend to conveniently forget about them and wash them away, probably because the male leads were devastating handsome, great in bed, and rich to boot.


    But **** was ****. And the writers obviously hadn''t experienced that in reality, or they wouldn''t be trivializing it and relegating them to a brief side mention.


    Sighing, I shook my head.


    "You want to construct a convincing, realistic illusion about romance that''s still somewhat idealistic, but not to the point where it''s downright unbelievable and exceedingly stupid? This is how you do it."


    I wasn''t an expert in writing romance stories, but I did my best to imagine a romantic yet somewhat realistic setting and premise. Sure, I understood that a dash of idealism was necessary, otherwise people wouldn''t bother with fiction, but I wanted to make it relatable to the regular readers who were living normal lives aas opposed to fantasies of joining the so-called elite class of the rich, powerful and handsome.


    A young man and a young woman were meeting in university. They had interest in the same hobby and joined the same club. The young man, who was from a relatively rich family, and usually had things served to him, was impressed by the passion that the young woman showed in drawing. He would admire her intricately drawn art, and how she was so enthusiastic over it.


    That was what drew him closer to her, and allowed him to be attracted toward her. The young woman, however, didn''t think she was deserving of his affections, distanced herself, but nonetheless she couldn''t deny that she was attracted to him.


    However, throughout their university years, the young man supported the young woman''s dreams, which often went against her parents, who were more realistic and practical, and with his help, she became a fairly renowned painter. Not world-famous, but she did win some minor awards here and there and could count as successful.


    Then tragedy struck. The young man''s family fell into bankruptcy during an economic recession. The corporation that belonged to their family collapsed, and they lost everything. Even as fair-weather friends and ex-business partners left the family to their own ruin, the young woman supported the young man. Despite him being penniless, the young woman continued to love him, and they eventually got married. For a time, they lived off the young woman''s income from painting, but the young man was determined to set up his own business and succeed.


    He eventually achieved what he wanted, and set up a small family-run caf¨¦. Though he would never reach the heights of his family''s corporation from years ago, he was happy and earned a comfortable enough income. While serving coffee and pastries, he would place his wife''s paintings up the walls of his caf¨¦ for his customers to appreciate. Even though they no longer lived the rich, luxurious lives of the wealthy elite of CEOs, the couple were happy, and they ended up having children. Children who were brought up with love, rather than just being there as plot devices to tie a couple in conflict together and create stupid drama.


    And so the couple grew old together, watched their children grow up, continued to run their caf¨¦ and lived happily ever after.


    "¡­that''s how you should write a romance story." I finished my tale with a flourish. Okay, the plot wasn''t perfect, but I did my best to add difficulties and challenges for the couple to overcome ¨C obstacles that did not involved idiotic love affairs with famous movie stars, NTR, or jealous family members/friends trying to plot the downfall of the main characters over the most inane reasons ever. I had tried to come up with a sweet, heartwarming romantic tale that everyone could enjoy without gnashing their teeth over what an awful piece of shit the male lead was.


    To my surprise, Song Ting Yu''s eyes were glazed over. Surprise flashed across her beautiful eyes and a hint of fear appeared deep within her brilliant pupils.


    "Er¡­" I began, not knowing what had just occurred.


    Apparently, when I seized control of her illusion and began to forcibly rewrite the narrative to fit my tastes (come on, do you readers beyond the fourth wall honestly enjoy reading about toxic relationships and abusive CEO male leads?), the torrent of memories that she had imprinted in my head by way of illusion and reversed their flow and poured back into her head.


    Those vivid memories imprinted themselves into her mind, becoming seeds that would blossom into fruits of love. Initially they were a product that she had cultivated with much effort, and something she had originally planned to implant deep inside my mind, but it seemed that my action was akin to me plucking the seeds out of her hand and casually tossing them into the fertile soil that was her mind instead. Whoops.


    At this moment, she was experiencing the rewritten illusion that I had crafted, the images of the tale I had woven flooding her heart and soul.


    Suddenly, she was immersed in the story I had created.


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    She was the university student in the art room, carefully painting on the canvas and sighing when she remembered her parents'' words.


    "Why are you wasting your time with art? You should be focusing on medicine instead! You''re such a bright, talented child! Go be a doctor! You''ll definitely find a job as a doctor!"


    "But I don''t want to be a doctor," she grumbled under her breath. Flicking her brush, she swiped at the canvas, splashing it with a riotous colors of ink. A flower bloomed on the formerly white surface, its petals curling back to display her defiance.


    "Wow¡­that looks really beautiful!"


    Song Ting Yu whirled around. I had just stepped into the room, and was staring at her artwork, mesmerized by the heart and fiery passion she put into it.


    "Did you draw this?"


    Even as I asked that question, I realized how stupid it sounded. Of ourse she did. She was holding a brush and sitting in front of the half-completed painting.


    "It''s amazing," I hastily added, trying to cover up my stupidity.


    Song Ting Yu giggled at my clumsiness. "Yes. Sorry, it''s far from done, but¡­"


    "Amazing," I repeated as I stared at the painting. "It''s not done yet and it''s already this good? I look forward to seeing the completed product."


    Song Ting Yu blushed. "No, uh¡­well¡­it''s nothing, really."


    "You''re too modest." I laughed. Then I stepped back. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to interrupt you. I hope you don''t mind if I watch."


    "No, uh¡­" she glanced at me, and I understood that she was wondering who I was.


    "I''m Fei Wu," I introduced myself.


    Song Ting Yu''s eyes widened. "Um¡­Fei? You are that Fei Wu? From the Fei family? Who runs the Fei Corporation? Uh¡­?"


    "¡­is that what they say about me? It''s true that my family runs a business." I shifted uncomfortably. As usual, my family''s reputation preceded me. I just wanted to keep a low profile in this university, but it seemed that it was still difficult to do so. Especially when my family ran a corporation that was famous nation-wide for its pharmaceutical products.


    Song Ting Yu was bobbing her head up and down timidly, not sure how to respond.


    "It''s an honor¡­I mean¡­! I¡­I¡­"


    "Relax." I offered a smile in a manner that I hoped was disarming. "I won''t bite. What about you? What''s your name?"


    "Song Ting Yu." The girl was so nervous that she could only utter her name, and her face was flaming red. My smile widened and I turned on the charm that only a future CEO would be capable of (except that I was doomed to never be a CEO thanks to my family''s corporation collapsing in a few years).


    "That''s a nice name." I then turned to look at the painting. "Ting Yu, you like painting?"


    Song Ting Yu beamed when I directed her attention back toward the subject she had a keen passion in, and nodded in delight.


    "That''s right!"


    That was how we first met, and how our relationship began. And the illusion of love continued to stream across Song Ting Yu''s mind as she experienced everything I had crafted in the narrative, receiving my support as she became a fairly famous painter, stood by my side even as my family''s corporation fell apart and was willing to marry me even though I had lost everything, and how the two of us worked together so that I could pull through the crisis and set up a caf¨¦ of my own. And then how we had kids, and grew old happily, continuing to serve in our beloved caf¨¦ filled with my wife''s splendid paintings¡­


    Slowly pulling out of the illusion, Song Ting Yu blinked and stared at me, who was right in front of her.


    "Are you all right?" I asked somewhat hesitantly.


    Song Ting Yu remained quiet, realizing that my figure had been deeply imprinted in her heart, becoming something she could never forget.


    She suddenly understood that her charm technique had backfired, and that she had suffered a backlash.


    This was the first time throughout her whole life that she had failed in casting her technique.


    Blood trickled from the corner of her lips. Her illusion and charm technique had shattered violently and she seemed to have taken some damage.


    "You''re hurt!" I cried out in worry, and reached out for her. In Song Ting Yu''s mind, she was suddenly reminded of an illusion, an artificial memory of me, being her husband, reaching out in concern when she was ill, and trying to help her.


    She stared deeply at me, impossibly complex colors flitting inside her eyes. Just before I could help her, she cried out softly and backed away.


    "¡­what?"


    I blinked and froze, uncertain of how to proceed. In any case, it was academic. Song Ting Yu was rapidly retreating.


    The brilliant figure of the Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly suddenly swooped down from out of nowhere and descended like a rainbow-colored meteor. The moment it was within reach, Song Ting Yu jumped up and landed on top of the Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly. The magical beast then wheeled gracefully in the air before flying away at high speed.


    As if they had just woken up, the men in suits and sunglasses suddenly stirred, and they departed, following their mistress. As they left the crowd of dazed students behind, they called in their helicopters and began to embark onto them.


    Song Ting Yu didn''t care about them and left them behind, her Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly shooting off at incredible speeds. While she was deep within the clouds, unseen by everyone else (except my omniscient eye), she took out an expensively embroidered handkerchief and gently wiped the blood away from her mouth.


    As she put away her handkerchief, she shook her head and laughed.


    "I can''t believe I actually failed!" she cried. "My technique actually backfired on me, and I''m the one who had that guy''s figure imprinted deep inside my heart."


    No. Just no. Please, no¡­not this stupid clich¨¦ development. All I wanted to do was teach her how to write a proper romance story, not get her to stupidly fall in love with me. Not that you could call such a stupid thing love, but hey¡­that was how xianxia stories worked.


    Fortunately, all was not lost. Song Ting Yu knew very well that the moment her technique had backfired on her, she had to erase the other party''s imprint from the bottom of her heart as soon as possible. Otherwise it would affect her perception of illusion and reality, as well as destabilize her emotions whenever she was dealing with me. It would also have an adverse effect on her rational judgement as well.


    As long as my image inside her head was not eliminated, she would treat me as her most intimate lover, and continue to experience the delusion that I was her beloved husband. I hoped it didn''t turn her into a yandere. That would suck.


    Song Ting Yu, who had never failed before, was terrified for the first time ever. That was why she was fleeing from me at top speed without another word.


    Watching her, I shook my head in disbelief. I cocked my head in Song Ting Yu''s direction and shrugged nonchalantly.

 242 Chapter 241: Rules of Engagemen

    Fortunately, Song Ting Yu was no longer around, and the illusion she cast on my schoolmates and classmates was not on the same level as the complex technique she had used to try and ensnare me, so it was pretty simple to break.


    "¡­what happened?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Huh? Why are we here?"


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    I didn''t want to go through the trouble of explaining, so I merely stayed silent and put on a fake smile, pretending that I didn''t know anything.


    Unfortunately, that didn''t work.


    "Fei Wu! Are you all right?! I''m here to help you!"


    Zhu Jiao appeared, bounding over. He skidded to a stop and looked around, almost as confused as the students around us.


    "Eh? Where is that woman?" he stopped to peer at me. "And you¡­are no longer caught in an illusion?"


    "I was never caught in an illusion," I replied, trying to mask my irritation. For some reason, Zhu Jiao looked disappointed.


    "That''s not supposed to happen. Then how am I supposed to save you?"


    "What makes you think I need saving?" I retorted, annoyed. "I can take care of myself."


    "Uh, right." Zhu Jiao forced a laugh, realizing how stupid his statement sounded. "Of course you can. Sorry about that."


    The bastard clearly treated everyone as needing him to save them. He was obviously suffering from protagonist syndrome, where the protagonist had to go around saving all the other side characters, whose role was to solely exist to be rescued by him.


    "Fei Wu! What happened?!"


    Tong Xue and Lian Rou joined us, having distanced themselves earlier to stay out of the range of Song Ting Yu''s charm technique. Now that she had flown off, they thought it was safe to approach me. They had clearly seen the panicked manner in which Song Ting Yu left, and were naturally curious as to what had transpired.


    There were still some remnants of the seed she had tried to implant in my mind, but using Heaven and Earth Formula, I could easily erase them. Also, thanks to my own experience in writing stories (though admittedly I sucked and could only rip off other people''s stories), I was somewhat able to differentiate reality from fiction.


    Even so, I recognized what a formidable opponent Song Ting Yu was.


    "What a terrifying woman!"


    I shook my head as I reviewed the scenes that I had seen. Song Ting Yu''s charm technique had enchanted my soul and almost enslaved my mind. If I had allowed that to happen, then I would have her figure imprinted deeply within my heart for the rest of my life. Song Ting Yu would then be able to exploit that and control my emotions however she wanted.


    What a bitch.


    Frowning, I realized what a despicable human being she was. Thinking seriously about this, I was sure that Song Ting Yu used this power regularly. That was why the Martial Arts Alliance always sent her off on diplomatic missions. So she had been screwing people over for Heavens knew how many years. If she succeeded in rendering every single of them so infatuated with her, I was sure they would start killing each other in order to possess her.


    ¡­then again, the horrible story she came up with for her illusion was just unbelievable. Only a fool would believe himself to be a rich, powerful CEO who believed that indulging in toxic relationships, domestic abuse and delusions was a great idea.


    "Are you all right?" Tong Xue stared at me in concern. "What did that woman do to you? You don''t look so good."


    "Considering what she would have done if I hadn''t broken her illusion, I think I got off pretty lightly," I replied flippantly.


    Lian Rou frowned. "Really? You still look pretty pale."


    "Do you need me to chase down that woman to erase whatever lingering effects she left on you?" Zhu Jiao asked enthusiastically, but I was under the impression that he was more excited about the prospect of adding a new member to his harem after conquering her.


    Raising my hands to stall him, I shook my head. "No need. She tried to enchant my mind and enslave me with her charm. But she failed and gave up. That''s why she left. Don''t worry, whatever she intended to do to me didn''t work."


    Obviously, at that time, I was completely unaware that Song Ting Yu had left because my attempt to rewrite her romance narrative had caused her charm to be reflected back onto her. Instead, she ended up having me deeply imprinted into her mind, so she had hastily withdrawn before she could fall deeper into the effects.


    "Song Ting Yu will be back," Tong Xue warned gravely. "She''s a representative from the Martial Arts Alliance and the only daughter of Song Yu. I don''t understand why she left this time, but I''m sure she''ll be back to haunt us,"


    I shrugged casually. "We''ll deal with her when she returns. No point needlessly worrying over it until then."


    "True." Zhu Jiao nodded and grinned. He cracked his knuckles as he glanced into the distance ¨C which happened to be the wrong direction if he was trying to track down where Song Ting Yu had fled to. "We''ll be ready for her then."


    "Will you really be all right?" Lian Rou asked in concern. "I know you managed to fight her off this time, but she''s pretty formidable. She might come up with a countermeasure for your defenses when she returns."


    "I''ll upgrade my defenses then," I assured her. I realized how effective my Snow Aegis was. Even so, I wasn''t going to underestimate her, but there was little point in upgrading my Spirit Shield. Instead, I should focus on my innate spiritual defense.


    "Hah! This is Fei Wu we''re talking about here!" Tong Xue threw an arm over my shoulders, almost weighing me down. "He''ll figure something out!"


    "If he doesn''t, I''ll just help him!" Zhu Jiao added, being the typical protagonist who had to save everybody.


    "Let''s hope it doesn''t come to that," I muttered under my breath.


    *


    Well¡­obviously I couldn''t just copy Spirit Realm and went back to forging Terminator Profound Bombs. I mean Sunburst bombs. You know what I mean.


    Especially with Tang Qi Hong dead and all that, so it made no sense for me to teach her the forging methods while I inscribed the Spirit Diagrams. She was no longer around to assist me, so I had to do it alone.


    Honestly, this was too heavy a burden to entrust to anyone but Sect Leader Zi Shou De himself, and I didn''t want to burden Lian Rou with this. She would become a target for abduction or assassination like me.


    So for now I kept the assembly methods to myself and focused on other things. Such as the upcoming mission.


    "Hmm, so we''ll be heading to Sen Lin Forest again," I murmured as I reviewed the mission details. That was actually vaguer than it sounded. Sen Lin Forest was so vast that it was practically a country on its own. The real question was precisely which part of Sen Lin Forest we were heading to this time.


    "¡­the Toxic Marshes."


    I frowned when I caught sight of the name of the specific area we were assigned to. The Toxic Marshes were notorious for the insane number of venomous demonic creatures inhabiting them. Some of which were gigantic bugs, and I hated bugs with a blinding passion.


    "¡­this sucks."


    If this was the case, then we were going to need a lot of antidotes and preparations. I didn''t need them because Heaven and Earth Formula rendered me immune to all poisons and venoms, but obviously the same couldn''t be said about my teammates.


    Speaking of which, who were my teammates supposed to be?


    I didn''t know. The system didn''t reveal their identities. It only showed that three people had signed up so far, out of the ten available slots. Including me that would be four. There was space for six more.


    Should I ask Zhu Jiao to join us? Nah¡­the guy had been obnoxious lately, thinking he was some sort of hero in a xianxia story and feeling the compulsive need to save everyone. I would never hear the end of it if he rescued us.


    Not to mention, even if he didn''t come along, I wouldn''t be surprised if he showed up out of the blue while we were all in danger, and haul our sorry asses out of the fire anyway. The fucking plot seemed to revolve around him.


    "¡­I guess I''ll find out on the day itself."


    Shaking my head, I studied the request on my smartphone and wondered out loud.


    "Why they''re sending us to the Toxic Marshes in the first place? That''s like, the worst place ever for a mission."


    Then I realized why when I read further on.


    "¡­the Black Venom Cult."


    The higher-ups wanted to send us students to eliminate an uprising demonic sect. Recently, new demonic sects had been springing to life all over the Great Zhou Empire. With the Imperial Guard stretched across the borders, and the Martial Arts Alliance greatly weakened after their abortive attempt to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, the demonic martial artists were seizing the chance to strike out for glory and resources, raiding towns and plundering vulnerable villages, as well as kidnapping women and draining the men of their qi.


    The Black Venom Cult in particular had its headquarters stationed in the Toxic Marshes. Which was fitting, now that I thought about it, given how most of their techniques focused on poison. No doubt they relied on the venomous creatures living in the Toxic Marshes to craft their weapons and tools of trade.


    They were also the perfect enemy for me, given how I was completely immune to poison. I would love to see the looks on their faces when they stabbed me with say, a poison dagger, and I just shrugged it off. Those shocked expressions would be priceless.


    Unfortunately, the nature of the mission meant that I was reluctant to ask Tong Xue and Lian Rou to come along for the mission. I would be worried about them, especially since they didn''t share my resistance to poison. If Lian Rou was the same character from the original Spirit Realm, she would possess some knowledge of poisons and antidotes, which would mitigate the dangers she would face, but she wasn''t the same character despite sharing the same name and serving the same role as her namesake (as Tang Qi Hong''s best friend).


    On the other hand, I wasn''t worried about getting Zhu Jiao involved becase the bastard''s plot armor was as thick as an encyclopedia. The fucker could get stung by a Thousand Venom Centipede and shrug it off because he would conveniently and coincidentally come across the antidote he needed, or his master Qi Lin would help him suppress the poison until he concocted the antidote he needed. More likely, though, he would be the one doing the saving and searching for an antidote to help all the girls (it was always a girl ¨C the guys will die instantly, true to xianxia novels'' form) who were poisoned. And get praised for it while gaining additional harem members.


    All the more reason not to involve that guy¡­


    Well, I was being selfish, of course. If I was thinking about my teammates'' benefit and welfare, I should put aside my grudge and recruit Zhu Jiao at all costs. It was the ethical thing to do, plus it would save lives.


    Sighing heavily, I picked up my smartphone and called Zhu Jiao.


    "Hey, Fei Wu!"


    Zhu Jiao sounded distracted on the other side of the phone. I could hear intense noises around him as well, which sounded like metal clashing and people shouting furiously. Something whistled over the phone, sounding like a fireball zooming past Zhu Jiao''s location.


    "Sorry, I''m a bit busy at the moment. I''ll call you back?"


    "Sure," I replied, and hung up immediately.


    A few minutes later, Zhu Jiao called me.


    "Sorry about that," he apologized, sounding out of breath. "I was in the middle of a fight."


    "And somehow you still had the time to answer your phone," I remarked dryly. If I were him, I would have just ignored the phone and call back later, instead of answering it in the middle of a fight. Then again, Zhu Jiao was known for pulling all sorts of audacious stunts.


    "Well, you called," Zhu Jiao pointed out, not unreasonably. I couldn''t be bothered to argue with him, so I just sighed. Zhu Jiao ignored my exasperated exhalation and pressed urgently, "What''s up?"


    "The ceiling," I answered automatically. If I could see him, I was sure that Zhu Jiao was frowning in annoyance right now.


    "I''m sure you didn''t call me to make stupid jokes."


    "You''re right." I sighed again. "I was going to ask you if you would like to join me on a mission to the Toxic Marshes, to wipe out a demonic sect there."


    "Hmm, sounds interesting. I''m in. When are you moving out?"


    I removed my smartphone from the ear and alt-tabbed to check the date. Once I confirmed it, I brought my phone back to my ear.


    "In a week," I replied. "Is that good enough for you?"


    "A week, huh?" Zhu Jiao sounded distracted. He probably was consulting his schedule. "Sorry. Right now I''m already in the midst of another mission. I won''t be back until another three weeks or a month."


    Then why even bother saying you were in? Did you think a mission I was asking you to join would take place a month later?


    But I was more diplomatic than that, so I merely nodded. Remembering that he couldn''t see me, I acknowledged his response.


    "That''s too bad then. We''ll be worse off without you."


    "I''m sure you''ll manage something." Zhu Jiao laughed on the other end. "But wiping out a demonic sect, huh? I wish I could be part of that."


    Allowing curiosity to get the better of me, I inquired, "What mission are you on right now?"


    "Hmm? Me?" Zhu Jiao sounded proud and pleased with himself. "They found another tomb several dozen kilometers from the academy, so I was invited to check it out." I heard some jingling of metallic stuff on the other side ¨C most likely gold coins or treasure weapons. "They got some awesome stuff here."


    "¡­and you didn''t bother to tell me about it?"


    I felt a little hurt. I thought we were friends. Yet the bastard ran off to explore a tomb and hoard all the treasures on his own without informing me. Wow¡­just wow.


    "Oh¡­sorry about that." Zhu Jiao sounded a little sheepish. To be fair, it probably didn''t even occur to him. Like all xianxia protagonists, he was used to operating alone. Nonetheless, it didn''t absolve him of pulling a dick move. "I was invited by the White Tiger Sect to come along. Ning Xue personally asked me. I felt that it would be rude to her if I invited people on my own, you know?"


    "I see. That makes sense." That was a lot more understandable. If Zhu Jiao was already invited by another group, he couldn''t just go and invite his own friends. The White Tiger Sect members wouldn''t be too happy about that, especially since it meant their share of treasure would be reduced further. If I was in his position, I would probably do the same. "Nah, it''s all right then." Forcing some levity into my tone, I chuckled. "We''ll have to clean up the bad guys without you then."


    "I''m sure you''ll be able to manage." Zhu Jiao sounded confident in us. "If I come back early, I''ll head there. Assuming you guys haven''t finished your mission already."


    "Nah, you don''t have to," I assured him. "It''ll be hard to meet up with you in the middle of the forest. We won''t have signals on our phones, so we can''t communicate, and you might end up blundering into the enemy and spoiling our plans instead."


    "Fair enough."


    After exchanging a bit of banter, I hung up and proceeded to focus on my preparations. I had to get some healing potions and antidotes ¨C even if I was immune to poison, my teammates weren''t, and it would be better to have some spare antidotes on hand just in case.


    "I guess I should head to the pharmacy then," I muttered to myself. What, you think I should go to a medicinal hall instead? This was the twenty-first century. Medicinal halls had been replaced by pharmacies. In fact, I was surprised they weren''t selling potions and antidotes in convenient supermarts instead.


    While I proceeded to the pharmacy, I was unaware of a dark, handsome man from Green Dragon Sect stepping into the vicinity of Wu Ling Academy.


    He was the man called Mo Long, the dude Jian Ao dispatched to assassinate me.


    Mo Long stealthily stuck to the shadows and listened to the conversations of the students and teachers in Wu Ling Academy, hoping to get some information regarding my whereabouts. At that time, I had already left for the pharmacy, so nobody knew where I was. Actually, nobody even mentioned my name at all.


    Mo Long wasn''t annoyed. Instead, he patiently waited while awaiting even the slightest change in mood and atmosphere. Like a shadowy predator lying in ambush, he scanned the surroundings and occasionally shifted to make sure he didn''t miss me.


    It was during one of his translocations that he encountered Song Ting Yu, who had sought refuge in one of the houses near Wu Ling Academy.


    In the porch of the remote house, Song Ting Yu was sitting cross-legged on the wood while her Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly was perched on the roof. A cordon of bodyguards had formed a perimeter, vigilantly looking out for enemies. When Mo Long approached, they stiffened and formed a defensive pattern around her.


    At first, Song Ting Yu didn''t react. She was still busily trying to get rid of the imprint that I had left behind in her mind.


    Before her encounter with me, she had never suffered a backlash from her technique before, so this was her first time trying to deal with such a crisis. She had no experience eliminating such powerful imprints that had been reflected onto her own heart. However, she remained calm and continued to explore her various options and experimented with several methods.


    However, she was suddenly aware of the movement in her bodyguards. Opening her eyes, she issued a soft command.


    "Stand down."


    "Yes, Miss."


    As her bodyguards relaxed, Song Ting Yu rose to her feet and stared in Mo Long''s direction. She could sense his presence, even if she couldn''t see him directly.


    "Who is there?"


    "The Miss of the Song Family, Song Ting Yu." Mo Long appeared, hovering lowly above the ground as he greeted her politely. "Why are you here? Do you have some business with Wu Ling Academy?"


    "Senior Mo Long!" When Song Ting Yu saw the identity of the shadowy presence, she was taken aback. But she hid her surprise and smiled brightly. "That''s right. I wanted to talk to one of the students here. What about you? Are you also here to deal with Wu Ling Academy?"


    "I''m looking for Fei Wu." Mo Long had no reason to hide his intentions. "Sect Leader has dispatched me on a mission." He grinned darkly. "He has sent me to take the life of that brat."


    Song Ting Yu''s eyes flared up and she glared at him.


    "You want to assassinate my fianc¨¦?" she snarled fiercely.


    Mo Long stared at her in astonishment, trying to stop his jaw from dropping. "Your fianc¨¦? When did he become your fianc¨¦?"


    "Not long ago." Song Ting Yu looked slightly embarrassed, but she maintained her shy smile. "Senior, do you really intend to kill my fianc¨¦? Right now, the Martial Arts Alliance is on the verge of crisis, with all the demonic sects rampaging through the Great Zhou Empire. Yet you want to kill one of the most promising disciples of my generation and cause us to suffer a blow against the demonic martial artists? Are you sure this is wise?"


    Song Ting Yu knew very well just how terrifying Mo Long was. The fact that he openly stated his intentions meant that he had absolute confidence in carrying out his orders.


    She was aware of his status as one of the top exponents in Green Dragon Sect, and a notorious assassin often employed by Jian Ao to carry out the dirty jobs. Mo Long was known for being able to singlehandedly annihilate a small sect by himself.


    From Song Ting Yu''s perspective, even the old demon named Tian Yu Di would most likely be incapable of stopping Mo Long. Worse, she had already received intelligence reports that Tian Yu Di had already left me and Heaven and Earth Sect.


    For what it was worth, she was dead wrong. My Ancestral Master would probably kill this idiotic Mo Long with a flick of his finger.


    Anyway, Song Ting Yu was thinking that there was nobody who could stop Mo Long, and thus forgetting about Xiao Zhang, Teacher Jiao and all the highly skilled staff in Wu Ling Academy. Granted, most of them were not on the same level as Mo Long (the teachers couldn''t even defeat Lei Yong Chun), but they weren''t to be underestimated either.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t there to correct her misconception.


    Song Ting Yu, aware that she and her bodyguards lacked the strength to prevent Mo Long from killing me, had resorted to lying. If she could convince him that I was her fianc¨¦, she might be able to use her status in the Martial Arts Alliance to force him to back off.


    But Mo Long was not so easily fooled.


    "Your fianc¨¦?" the handsome man scoffed. "Young Miss of the Song family, do you think I''m stupid? With your status in the Martial Arts Alliance, there is no way you would lower yourself to marry some random kid from a decimated sect. And this boy isn''t even that strong. I know how proud you are ¨C you''ll never be attracted to a loser like him."


    Wow, the bastard was insulting me and calling me a loser. Granted, there was absolutely nothing I could do against him, but it still stung.


    I couldn''t wait to beat his face in.


    Song Ting Yu, on the other hand, had less confidence in my strength, so she merely retorted.


    "He has potential. Did you not hear of how he destroyed Jiu Liu Yu in combat with Heaven and Earth Formula?" she lowered her voice conspiratorially. "They say he has attained the Divine Origin Spirit. Are you sure you can best him if he chooses to activate it?"


    Lady, I don''t even need that to bash his face into the ground.


    "All the more reason to kill him now before he becomes immensely powerful." Mo Long chuckled darkly. "If we wait for him to become stronger¡­I''m afraid it''ll become much more difficult to slay him in future."


    "Why do you want to slay him?" Song Ting Yu snapped.


    "Why do you want to save him?" Mo Long retorted, and then smiled frostily. "With your pride and intelligence, you wouldn''t just be attracted to his potential. I see¡­you intend to save this boy so that you can swallow whole everything that he possesses. I''m sorry, but my Green Dragon Sect cannot allow that to happen."

 243 Chapter 242: Bluffing

    Mo Long didn''t even place them in his eyes, and laughed scornfully.


    "If I want to kill that brat, there''s nothing you can do to stop me."


    "My father will send high-level experts to hunt you down if you do this," Song Ting Yu warned. She was bluffing, of course. Her father had no idea what was going on, and she had yet to contact him and informed him of what had transpired in the few days she spent at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and Wu Ling Academy.


    "Go ahead. They won''t be able to reach me in time before I complete my mission." Mo Long wasn''t even the least intimidated.


    Song Ting Yu smiled stiffly. "You misunderstand me. The Martial Arts Alliance will destroy Green Dragon Sect for this act of betrayal. If you disobey an order from the Alliance Chief, through me as a proxy, it will be counted as treason against the Martial Arts Alliance." She narrowed her pearly eyes. "Even your sect leader, Jian Ao, will not survive the purge."


    "Why would you go so far just to protect an insignificant brat?" Mo Long snorted. "Do you really expect me to believe that the Martial Arts Alliance will go so far as to protect a former enemy? One with the means to destroy them, even?"


    "Those same means can destroy you too," Song Ting Yu reminded him, and then smiled sweetly as a strange light flickered in her eyes. "And he is a valuable person. For someone of his age to create something as devastating as the Sunburst bombs¡­don''t you think he will have more to contribute to the future of the Great Zhou Empire? Even if he is part of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, who had a falling-out with the Alliance, it''s not as if we can''t strike an understanding and form a partnership. True, we have done irreparable damage to his sect, and he is wise not to trust us, but that doesn''t mean we still can''t form a relationship of mutual benefits."


    "So what does that have to do with you marrying him?" Mo Long scoffed disbelievingly. "If what you say is true, then why would he ever agree to marry someone from an organization he cannot trust? Surely he still holds a grudge against the Alliance?"


    "You underestimate my powers of persuasion, and my charm." Even though Song Ting Yu maintained a confident fa?ade, inside her heart was thumping wildly as she hoped that Mo Long would not see through her bluff.


    "My father is also interested in recruiting Mister Fei into the Song family. With his Heaven and Earth Formula, his potential is limitless. He will surely not be restrained by Nine-Tailed Fox Sect alone. He will move on to much larger things." Song Ting Yu''s dazzling smile widened. "He might even become the future Alliance Chief¡­"


    Mo Long scowled, hardly believing the words coming out of Song Ting Yu''s mouth. Despite his skepticism, he could see that Song Ting Yu truly believed what she was uttering. Her eyes were glinting in fevered passion, and her cheeks were flushed pink. She really looked like a maiden in love. He had never seen Song Ting Yu so taken with a boy before.


    Little did he know, it was most probably because Song Ting Yu had her own charm technique reflected upon herself.


    However, Mo Long was wavering slightly now. He realized that he couldn''t afford to be careless. If Song Ting Yu was telling the truth, and the Martial Arts Alliance had really accepted the engagement between her and me, then his assassination would bring the wrath of the Alliance upon his Green Dragon Sect. Moreover, the Green Dragon Sect had suffered horrendous casualties in the last battle. Though they were not as bad as the near-annihilated Snow Valley Sect and the other nine sects who had taken part as the vanguard of the invasion of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, right now they couldn''t afford to go to war against the Alliance, who still had three other major sects at their beck and call. Even after the cessation of White Tiger Sect, Red Phoenix Sect and Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and the demise of Snow Valley Sect, they still had Black Tortoise Sect, Kunlun Sect and Heavenly Way Sect under them.


    Even Green Dragon Sect had remained under their umbrella, so unless Jian Ao was willing to enact a total break from them like my Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, they couldn''t afford to recklessly offend the three families who governed the Martial Arts Alliance. Of course, the Alliance wasn''t stupid enough to waste their time putting down civil wars and dealing with infighting, so Song Ting Yu was playing a dangerous game here. It was unlikely that her father would be bothered to crush Jian Ao and Green Dragon Sect for "disobedience."


    However, Song Ting Yu was aware of other methods that would be more effective. Such as assassinations. They didn''t have to punish Green Dragon Sect ¨C they had top-level assassins who could remove Jian Ao (and Mo Long in the bargain) so that he would be replaced with a more amenable sect leader.


    Mo Long furrowed his brow and watched Song Ting Yu hesitantly, trying to see if there were any openings, anything that would give her away. When he found none, he relaxed and put on a vague smile. "Then Green Dragon Sect will be the first to congratulate Miss Song and Mister Fei''s joyous union."


    With that parting remark, he turned and vanished into the shadows.


    Even after he departed, Song Ting Yu maintained the dazzling smile on her beautiful face. Her eyes gleamed mysteriously, flickering with rainbow colors as she watched the shadows. A few seconds later, her smile curled into a knowing smirk.


    "You''re hiding right now, hoping to find a chance to expose my bluff. You''re waiting for me to meet up with Fei Wu and slip up, then you will immediately kill him. Did you really think I wouldn''t know?" Song Ting Yu had already seen through Mo Long''s intentions, and giggled inwardly. "I''m more skilled than anyone at acting. You''re just wasting your energy."


    Aware that Mo Long had concealed himself somewhere and was waiting for a chance to kill me, Song Ting Yu also realized that she had no way of preventing him from enacting Jian Ao''s vengeance, even with the bodyguards surrounding her.


    As if reading her mood, her bodyguards shuffled.


    "Miss, what should we do?" the leader of her bodyguards asked. "Should we track that Green Dragon Sect expert down and incapacitate him?"


    "We''re no match for him." Song Ting Yu shook her head. "It''ll be suicide."


    Running through the options in her mind, Song Ting Yu deduced that the moment Mo Long confirmed that she had no relationship with me ¨C that the engagement she claimed to have with me was a lie ¨C he would not hesitate to attack me right in front of her in order to execute the mission that Jian Ao had assigned him.


    Upon encountering Mo Long and learning of his intentions, Song Ting Yu stopped trying to erase my imprint from her mind despite trying so urgently to do so before. Instead, she gestured to her bodyguards and gathered them before marching into Wu Ling Academy again.


    Unfortunately, nobody knew where I was. Thankfully, Song Ting Yu wasn''t going to do something as stupid as riding her Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly and roaming above Wu Ling Academy. No matter how high her status was, that was liable to have her kicked off the campus grounds on the grounds of suspicious loitering.


    And thankfully she didn''t have to wait five days. Like¡­seriously, who was that patient? The martial artists in Spirit Realm clearly had a lot of time in their hands to waste, and had nothing better to do than wait around.


    I only spent a couple of hours going into Martial City and buying a few potions and antidotes that we would need for the trip to the Toxic Marshes, and being a straightlaced guy, I headed straight home after dinner instead of going to game centers or seeking for entertainment. My idea of entertainment was reading manga and webnovels, and watching anime on my computer, so I couldn''t be bothered to spend money in game centers and other expensive luxury facilities, or waste both time and money in maid cafes or hostess clubs.


    That was when Song Ting Yu noticed my presence, and a light flickered in her brilliant eyes. She sat up straight and headed toward my direction, flanked by her bodyguards.


    "You''ve finally appeared!" she gushed, my imprint on her mind still pretty strong. Hopping onto her Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly, she urged it to fly speedily toward me.


    Not far away, Mo Long''s figure silently slipped out of the shadows. He had been hiding near Song Ting Yu, and thanks to his skills and level, he was able to avoid detection from her and her bodyguards. Completely veiling his presence, he had stuck close to her because he guessed correctly that she would meet up with me sooner or later.


    Song Ting Yu was correct. There was no way Mo Long would abort his mission based on her words alone.


    Similarly, Mo Long was also correct in his guess that she would lead him to me. He smiled as he followed her, certain that there was no engagement between me and Song Ting Yu. Obviously, he wasn''t going to fall for that intimacy bullshit, because anyone could fake intimacy. Actually, shouldn''t he contact the Martial Arts Alliance and confirm with them if there was an engagement? He could just call them and ask, couldn''t he?


    Then the whole idiotic bluff would fall apart. What was with characters not doing the smart thing and just falling into plot-induced stupidity?


    Anyway, Mo Long dashed after Song Ting Yu and her guards while maintaining a cautious distance so that they wouldn''t detect him.


    While I was on my way home from the pharmacy, running several calculations and plans through my head while trying to remember which episode of which anime series would be uploaded on my favorite anime streaming website tonight, I spotted Song Ting Yu and her gigantic butterfly. Damn it, just call that butterfly Mothra already.


    "I''ve waited a long time for you."


    Song Ting Yu''s sweet voice drifted from above as her Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly descended gracefully to land in front of me.


    "Where did you go?"


    Song Ting Yu disembarked from her Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly and approached me, her eyes filled with a lot of emotions while sulking at the same time. Sort of like an impatient wife who was fed up with waiting for her husband.


    I watched her for a moment, bemused, and cocked my head to the side.


    "¡­who are you again?"


    Song Ting Yu''s jaw dropped, because she completely did not expect my reaction. Even Mo Long fell over from the shock.


    "How mean!" Song Ting Yu cried in outrage. "It''s only been a day, but you''ve already forgotten how your fianc¨¦e looks like?!"


    "I don''t have a fianc¨¦e," I replied coldly, staring at her. "You''ve got the wrong person."


    Song Ting Yu pouted as she struggled to maintain the crumbling charade. She gambled on throwing a big hint to me.


    "More importantly, just this afternoon, an assassin from Green Dragon Sect came. He''s named Mo Long." Song Ting Yu pursed her lips. "He doesn''t believe that we''re engaged, and he said that he had come to kill you."


    She then snorted fiercely, and put on a show of a wife ferociously defending her husband to the death by placing her hands on her well curved hips.


    "If he dares to attack my fianc¨¦e, the Martial Arts Alliance will utterly destroy the Green Dragon Sect! We''ll not leave even a single member behind!"


    I stared at her frostily, not caring much for this stupid bluff. I already knew this would happen, because of my fourth wall powers, and I enjoyed teasing her and causing her carefully crafted schemes to fall apart. So I merely curled my lips into a sneer.


    "Again, I am not your fianc¨¦. And who cares if a Mo Long (Long here is translated as Dragon) or a Shen Long or a whatever Dragon from Green Dragon Sect comes. If he wants to kill me, he''s welcome to try. I''ll just stomp him into the dust."


    Song Ting Yu gaped at me, her delicate mouth dropping open as if she couldn''t believe how stupid I was.


    "Mo Long is at the early level of Nascent Soul Stage! Do you really think you can defeat him if he wants to kill you?"


    She was spluttering, having forgotten herself and her bluff. I grinned.


    "Why not? You guys are too obsessed with all these stages and realms." Then I turned around and stared at Mo Long, who was hidden in the shadows, having sensed his presence long ago. "And I know you''re there. Quit hiding. If you want to kill me, you''re welcome to try." I beckoned him over. "But don''t complain if you''re the one killed instead."


    "Arrogant brat."


    Mo Long revealed himself, lunging out of the shadows and slashing at me with a terrifying green, black and gold saber that was shaped like a demonic jaw. I deflected his attack with Snow Aegis.


    Clang!


    Mo Long staggered back, surprised that I could push him back. He struck again, but I used Snow Aegis to shield myself and force him back. The mobile turrets detached from Snow Aegis''s core and fired a volley of qi beams that punctured several holes through his body.


    "Ugh!"


    Mo Long jumped away, howling in agony as he grimaced from the cauterized wounds on his body. He hit the ground and rolled back to his feet. Swinging his demonic saber, he unleashed a colossal tide of black qi that slammed against Snow Aegis, knocking both it and me back. I hit the ground and coughed out some blood, before staggering to my feet.


    "Foolish brat." Mo Long was gingerly rubbing his wounds, but was vindicated when he saw that he had wounded me. "The girl of the Song family was trying to save you, but you spat on her attempts. If you would just go along with her bluff, you might have delayed your death a little further."


    "Please." I rolled my eyes. "Who''s stupid enough to believe such a dumb bluff? And are you really that idiotic? Instead of trying to confirm things with your own eyes, especially when intimacy and sweet-talking can be acted out, why didn''t you just call the Martial Arts Alliance, directly contact Alliance Chief Song Yu and confirm with him?"


    Mo Long blinked, stunned. Evidently that common sense tactic didn''t even cross his mind. "That''s¡­"


    "¡­common sense," I finished for him with an exaggerated sigh. Then I turned to glare at Song Ting Yu. "Besides, she''s part of the Martial Arts Alliance who tried to invade my Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and caused so many of my comrades to die. In what world would I just forget all that, and willingly submit to her and even agree to an engagement with her? She''s the damned enemy! There''s no fucking way I will trust her!"


    When Song Ting Yu heard my declaration, she felt as if she had just been stabbed in her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes and she clutched her well endowed chest.


    She was like a tragic heroine who was forced into these circumstances beyond her control despite loving someone from the enemy side, and now, even though she wasn''t directly involved, she was being blamed for the atrocities her family committed.


    It pained her so much it felt as if her heart was breaking. All she wanted was to live happily with me, quietly and joyfully for the rest of our lives together¡­


    But now, because of her family, we were forever destined to be torn apart. Just what did she have to do in order to earn my forgiveness, to convince me that I could trust her? She was even willing to discard her family name, her high status, just to elope with me¡­


    "What a terrifying influence!"


    Song Ting Yu immediately snapped out of her tragic heroine roleplaying. She comprehended the reason why such horrifying passions were ravaging her heart was because my figure had been deeply imprinted within her heart.


    When she had been hit by the reflected charm technique earlier, a charm seed had been planted inside her mind. Within a short period of time, the seed had strongly taken root and was growing rapidly, blossoming into a great plant of love.


    Now she finally understood why those men who had been charmed by her techniques were forever enthralled by her. She began to realize why these men, who had been ensnared by her charm technique and had her deeply imprinted within their minds were so deeply infatuated with her, and why they were willing to accept any unreasonable requests from her.


    She now began to vaguely comprehend a little of those men''s feelings.


    As long as the charm seed was imprinted within one''s heart, it would slowly blossom and grow stronger, its enchanting effect gradually increasing. As time passed, the influence of this charm seed would only strengthen increasingly, and she would view me in a different light. In the end, she would end up completely obsessed with me, and become unable to pull herself away. She would eventually succumb to my non-existent charm.


    Unfortunately for her, I had no obligation to play along with her stupid game. Hell, she deserved what she got ¨C if she didn''t try this bullshit matter of hypnotizing and charming people with mind control techniques, she would never have suffered a backlash and ended up a victim of her own spell. Serves her right.


    Mo Long seemed to have noticed the oddity in her. He glanced at her in surprise, picking out the faint light in her eyes.


    "Kid, you do realize that this Miss has totally fallen head over heels in love with you?"


    Evidently he had interpreted that passionate gaze toward me as a sense of love. He was unaware of the fact that Song Ting Yu was suffering from the backlash from her charm technique, which caused me to be imprinted deeply inside her heart. He believed that Song Ting Yu was really in love with me.


    I wasn''t sure if I should enlighten him, then decided that it wasn''t worth my time to explain everything. So I shrugged callously.


    "Too bad I don''t like her."


    "Wow¡­are you even a man?!"


    Despite his age, Mo Long was aware of how physically attractive and enchanting Song Ting Yu was, and he was shocked that someone like me could resist her charm. His eyes imperceptibly flickered.


    "Or perhaps you swing the other way¡­?"


    "I''m a straight male, if that''s what you''re asking," I replied. "But I only love a single girl, and Song Ting Yu is not that girl." Clenching my fists, I allowed my ferocious qi to bristle about me. "It was the Martial Arts Alliance who killed the girl I love."


    Mo Long was taken aback by my answer, but then he threw his head back and burst out laughing.


    "Good! Very good! I like you, kid. You have strength, integrity and are extremely loyal and faithful to the ones you love!" he shook his head bitterly. "It''ll really be a waste to kill you."


    "That''s assuming you can kill me," I retorted, tilting my head to the side and recalling my Snow Aegis to stand guard in front of me. My mobile turrets hovered about, pointing their deadly maws at him, ready for qi beams to erupt out of them at any time. "Despite your boasts and the supposed difference in levels, you have yet to succeed."


    "I admit, I''ve vastly underestimated you." Mo Long raised his demonic saber. Above him, dozens of energy black dragons shimmered into life. "I will not be holding anything back now."


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    I stared at him for a moment, my jaw dropping to the point I was almost drooling. Then I shut my mouth and watched the dragons greedily as a grin spread across my face.

 244 Chapter 243: Energy Dark Dragons

    "I''ll kill you, brat!" he snarled as he threw his hands forward. Reacting to his fuy, his energy dark dragons lunged forward, their jaws snapping viciously at me.


    Raising my hand, I stopped the first wave with Snow Aegis, the energy dark dragons colliding with my shield and bouncing off. A few of them snaked and twisted about, curling past my shield to strike at me from around my Snow Aegis, but I deftly used my footwork techniques to evade all of them. An energy dark dragon crashed against the ground where I was staning on, while another tried to bite me in midair, only for me to disappear when its jaws slammed shut.


    "You!" Mo Long growled.


    "What?" I demanded, annoyed, as I escaped yet another onslaught from the aggressive energy dark dragons, skidding across the ground and disappearing from view again. "Did you think I was just going to stay still and let your energy dark dragons kill me?"


    "Yes!"


    I couldn''t help but plant my face into my palm. Was this guy serious? What was it with all these stupid villains thinking they are entitled to free wins, and not comprehending that their victims would try their best to evade or fight back against their attacks?


    "A¡­amazing¡­"


    Song Ting Yu was standing several paces away, watching the battle unfold before her eyes. I was pretty sure she was more powerful than me, at least in terms of cultivation, and if I hadn''t read Spirit Realm wrong, she should be the strongest in our generation, probably even above Lei Yong Chun. Because of the resources her father gave her as the Alliance Chief, or some bullshit. Not that I cared, because I had more important things to worry about, and I didn''t give a fuck about all these nonsensical realms and stages in the first place.


    What was the point of claiming to have a much higher cultivation realm or stage when you didn''t have much combat experience? A veteran soccer player could still outplay an amateur who was faster and stronger than him. It wasn''t just the amount of strength or speed the athlete had, it was also the experience and skill that mattered. Otherwise all the thirty-year-old veterans would be replaced by all the stronger and faster young and uprising stars.


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    Spinning away from them, I drew both Azure Lotus Sword and Shadow Fox and cut the first of them down, thinning the vanguard. Then my figure flickered, vanishing away as the rest of the energy black dragons punctured the air where I had been.


    "Stop running about, you brat!" Mo Long roared.


    "Sure," I said behind him, already slashing. Unfortunately, even if I hadn''t uttered a word, Mo Long had already sensed my killing intent and brandished his energy dark dragons to form a wall. Both my swords struck the almost intangible carpet of energy black dragons, cutting them apart into dissipating ribbons of qi.


    "Oh!" I marveled, impressed. "So your energy dark dragons can even defend against attacks from behind. I''m wanting your technique more and more!"


    Unfortunately, the energy black dragons were pretty fragile. Just a single attack from me was enough to destroy them. I frowned, a little disappointed at their lack of durability, but inwardly reflected that I would have time to modify the energy black dragons later, after I steal them.


    But the maneuver was enough for Mo Long to retreat. He placed a good distance between himself and me, his eyes widening.


    "How fast! Even though I''m so many levels above you, how¡­?"


    "That''s the thing about levels and realms." I shrugged nonchalantly. "So what does it mean if you''re a stage above me? Or several levels above me? Does it merely mean you have more qi? Or that your understanding of your martial arts techniques are better and deeper? That you are stronger? Or faster? Or all of them?" Grinning, I shook my head. "After all, just because you have more qi or are physically stronger, doesn''t mean you''re faster or more nimble, or more agile. That whole difference in level or stages thing is so vague that most wuxia and xianxia writers don''t bother to truly understand what the difference in levels mean, and just write it away as ''everything.'' But that''s pretty lazy, if you ask me."


    "I''m not asking you!" Mo Long roared as he slashed at me with his demonic saber. I crossed both my swords and blocked it, but my feet sank into the crumbling ground that was giving way under the tremendous impact.


    "Really?" I pitched my voice lower and tried to mimic me. "''Even though I''m so many levels above you, how¡­?'' Is that not a question?"


    "Ugh! Just shut up!"


    Mo Long increased the force in his swing and sent me flying back. Even though I was slightly faster, he was obviously much stronger than me.


    It was a terrible idea to engage him in direct combat.


    Jumping away, I escaped from Mo Long''s charge and his demonic saber under the cover of my mobile turrets, who fired a suppressive volley of qi beams to slow him down. Even though Mo Long was strong, he still could be wounded by the highly concentrated qi beams. And if he wasn''t careful, they might puncture a vital organ and kill him outright.


    Unfortunately, he was too seasoned a veteran to be that careless, otherwise I would have won this battle easily.


    "!"


    I jumped away, flipping myself in midair to avoid another slash from Mo Long''s saber, while at the same time evading the dozens of energy dark dragons that were lunging at me ravenously. Their jaws snapped hungrily, and I was forced to divert several of my qi beams into the teeming mass, cutting them down.


    "Let''s see if you''ll be able to last in a battle of attrition!" Mo Long growled, swinging his saber and unleashing a massive blast of black qi that forced me to block it with my Snow Aegis or risk sustaining a severe injury. Behind me, the energy dark dragons darted forward to stab through my back, but I spun around and scythed through them with both my swords.


    "¡­yeah, because you know for sure that you will win if it drags out for too long, right?" I scoffed, highly aware of his superior amount of qi. Unfortunately, he was at least partially right. I had no way of finishing him off easily, or I would have cut him down long ago. As it was, I was being dragged into a long, arduous battle.


    Song Ting Yu watched in awe as I jumped back to avoid another assault from the energy black dragons, and then holding my ground by parrying Mo Long''s saber with my crossed swords. While I did so, the energy black dragons swerved around to strike my back, but my Snow Aegis hovered down to impose itself between us, saving my life.


    Then I attacked, but once again Mo Long conjured a wall of energy dark dragons to protect himself. Even so, he staggered back after I broke through his defense, and swung his saber desperately to knock me away. I parried the blow and rode the momentum to put some distance between us.


    "Amazing," she murmured. "Despite the vast differences in cultivation realms and levels, that boy is actually holding his own. How is this possible?!"


    "It''s not my fault that you guys are so inflexible and obsessed with realm differences to the point that you don''t consider all the different possibilities and various counters!" I shouted as I leaped backward to avoid another multiple strike from the energy dark dragons. "Martial arts have always been developed in order for the weak to defend themselves against stronger opponents! Why do you think it was created in the first place? Because the weak realized they couldn''t win in a battle of pure strength against someone bigger and stronger! So they developed techniques to allow them to circumvent that difference through skills and techniques!"


    Obviously, strength was still necessary, but martial arts was never based on a purely strength system. While I recognized the need to be at least strong and durable enough to withstand my opponents'' attacks for self-defense, I also knew that martial arts existed for me to defend against stronger opponents and use their strength against them.


    Soft countering the hard, weak against strong. If fighting was as simple as the stronger guy wins, then there was no need for martial arts. Just stupidly punching and slugging it out was enough to be called "martial arts." But no, martial arts had a lot more finesse than that. It allowed us to bridge the gap between strong and weak and use the opponent''s strength against them even if they are bigger, scarier and more powerful.


    Seemed like a lot of xianxia writers had forgotten that, but more obviously they were usually just armchair martial artists who did not actually practice martial arts themselves, and came up with cultivation levels and BS stuff based on other xianxia stories they read.


    "Can''t you just shut up for once?!" Mo Long bellowed as he sliced at me with his demonic saber. "Demonic Dragon Devours All!"


    Ignoring the cheesy name of his technique, I parried his strike, only for his superior amount of qi to wreak havoc on my body. Blood flew from my arms and body as his vicious technique cut deeply into my skin, and I flinched from the pain before wisely withdrawing.


    "Then you guys should stop asking stupid questions," I retorted before retaliating with a volley of qi beams that scored a couple of hits. Mo Long staggered back, cauterized craters appearing on his shoulder and forearm, but he stood strong.


    "Cheeky brat," he snarled.


    I tried not to roll my eyes ¨C the guy didn''t know I was mentally over thirty ¨C and refrained from resorting to such childish insults against a so-called adult. Instead, I focused on the battle, leaping high up to avoid having my feet getting chewed away by a bunch of low-lying energy black dragons. Landing on the ground, I directed a volley of qi beams while cutting apart another horde of energy black dragons with my dual swords at the same time.


    Mo Long seized the opportunity to dash at me, swinging his saber wildly and unleashing another of his Demonic Dragon Devours All technique.


    Fortunately, my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps had allowed me to see his attack coming, and I scraped my foot back. First, my legs disappeared, and the rest of my body followed, leaving only an afterimage for Mo Long to cleave apart.


    "!!!"


    Mo Long twisted around for the counterattack, but I had also anticipated that with my Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps (God, that was so tedious to type), and aborted the attempt, or I would have lost my head.


    At the very least, I would have been sliced through my chest and sustained a horrible injury.


    "Just who are you, kid?!" Mo Long snarled, brandishing his saber. His horde of energy dark dragons reared up fearsomely behind him, growling quietly.


    "I''m Fei Wu of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect," I replied with a shrug. "You''re the one who came to kill me. Don''t tell me you don''t even know who your target is supposed to be?"


    "Stop talking nonsense!" Mo Long shrieked as he charged at me again, swinging his demonic saber down.


    "Then stop asking stupid questions!" I retorted. No, this wasn''t Spirit Realm so I wasn''t going to "shout lightly" (what does that even mean?).


    We sprang apart after colliding in a shower of sparks, his demonic saber smashing into the impenetrable, crossed blades of my swords. I hacked at him the same moment he cleaved at me, and both of us staggered back as blood spurted out of our respective wounds. The bastards had cut shallowly into my shoulder with the golden blade strung to the black and green metallic pole of his saber, while I had pierced his sides with both my swords.


    "Kuh! To think a lowly Qi Fusion Stage practitioner can hurt me!"


    "That''s not right¡­Fei Wu''s qi doesn''t feel like Qi Fusion Stage¡­I might be mistaken, but isn''t he at least Pure Spirit Stage?"


    Song Ting Yu perceived my qi differently. I merely shrugged.


    "I dunno, how can you tell? You got a qi-measuring machine or something? And how much qi do you need to be in Pure Spirit Stage? Actually, how much qi do you need to be in Qi Fusion Stage in the first place?"


    Neither of them could reply. I guess this whole cultivation level thing was "anything goes" and deliberately made vague by writers to have an easy "Character A is stronger than Character B" system that readers enjoyed because it made things a lot simple.


    If only real life was just as easy¡­


    "Ugh¡­!"


    Mo Long couldn''t care less. He grinded his feet into the ground and raised his saber parallel to the earth, while accumulating more qi into his body.


    "Dark Flame Heavenly Dragon Formula!" He bellowed, using his ultimate cultivation technique to enhance his physical body and boost both his strength and qi.


    "Oh¡­nice. I can''t wait to absorb all that qi from you." I was practically rubbing my hands in glee, except that I was holding swords at the moment. This was such a delicious technique, and his qi was so attractive.


    "Just die already!" Mo Long roared as he kicked off the ground and lunged at me, his merciless qi washing over me like a destructive tsunami. I could see the black dragon taking shape behind him as a gigantic aura, an intangible existence that represented the power of his technique rather than the more tangible manifestations of his energy dark dragons from earlier.


    Nice. I could feel the frosty yin qi interpellated within his fiery yang qi. Absorbing all that qi would definitely improve my own cultivation, and since it was the same type of qi essence as mine, I should be able to easily assimilate all that qi in short order. Maybe a few hours at most, thanks to the fiery yang qi, but the frosty yin qi was definitely right up my alley.


    However, Mo Long wasn''t going to simply roll over and let me suck his qi dry. First, I would have to defeat and incapacitate him. Only when he was no longer capable of fighting back would I be able to absorb his qi.


    Knowing that to confront Mo Long in a frontal, direct fight would be suicide, I agilely evaded, using my footwork technique to weave through his attacks and escape behind him, or to the sides. Mo Long was launching unpredictable attacks, occasionally twisting around to deliver a riposte to behind him in anticipation of me showing up there.


    If I hadn''t mastered Heavenly Flow and Earthly Steps, I would have been stabbed by him long ago.


    Fortunately, it seemed that Mo Long didn''t learn the same techniques as me, for he was completely unable to anticipate where I was. He was slashing wildly and inefficiently expending wasteful amounts of qi. Honestly, that sort of flailing about wasn''t befitting of an expert veteran like him, but I guessed that he had been brought up with the mentality that cultivation levels equal everything that he thought he would be able to finish me off with a single strike before he used up all his qi. It never occurred to him that he might actually lose in a battle of attrition by carelessly wasting his qi like this. All he needed was one strike, and he would win.


    And to be honest, he was correct.


    On the other hand, it just meant that all I needed to do was evade him for as long as I could, and he would eventually run out of qi. And here I thought I was the amateur. Fortunately, I had built up quite the experience of fighting against opponents stronger than me. Better yet, Mo Long did not possess the plot armor that protagonists such as Zhu Jiao did.


    As long as I maintained my calm, I could defeat him. Eventually.


    "I don''t believe your cultivation technique is superior to my Dark Flame Heavenly Dragon Formula!" Mo Long shouted. Useless barking from a mad dog, given that he missed me yet again, and I scoffed quietly as I danced away from his saber. Snarling, Mo Long launched another horde of energy dark dragons at me, but a brutal lance of qi beams cut them down before they came within several meters of me.


    "Even if Fei Wu has learned Heaven and Earth Formula, there''s such a huge disparity between their realms¡­how is this possible?"


    Song Ting Yu was still watching from a distance, her eyes curious. I glanced at her in annoyance.


    "Why are you still here? If you''re not going to help, get lost. We don''t need to listen to your tedious commentary."


    "That''s right!" Mo Long agreed. "You''re an eyesore!"


    "What?!" Song Ting Yu sulked. "You men are horrible! Is that the way to speak to a lady?!"


    As if in unison, both of us flung our arms out and attacked her. A bunch of dark energy dragons, and a small bombardment of qi beams lanced toward Song Ting Yu, causing her to yelp in shock and quickly retreat.


    Jumping on her Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly and running away, Song Ting Yu uncharacteristically shook her hand at us.


    "I''ll remember this!" she shouted angrily. Then she disappeared from view. I knew she was still hiding somewhere, keeping an eye on the fight, but at least she wasn''t here to serve the annoying role of the "crowd" who often watched and made useless commentary. Like the ones in Peerless Martial God, where the crowd existed solely to trash-talk Lin Feng, get their faces slapped when he proved them all wrong, and then praised him to high heaven.


    Mo Long, without Song Ting Yu to distract him, could focus on sending his swarm of energy black dragons at me again. I scythed them down with a merciless barrage of qi beams, and then closed in on him with my footwork. Swinging both my swords down, I launched a Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike that was blocked by his demonic saber.


    "This is¡­!" Mo Long growled in surprise. "When did you learn Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship?!"


    "I have no obligation to tell you."


    "You¡­" Snarling, Mo Long swung his saber at me. I deflected it with Shadow Fox, then thrust Azure Lotus Sword at him. Mo Long managed to spin away to avoid a fatal stab, but the azure blade nicked his ribs and sliced shallowly into his chest. "Gah!"


    Ice was expanding rapidly over the cut, and he clawed at it with his free hand, shattering the ice and backing off.


    "And this ice technique¡­it''s not just Nine-Tailed Frost Fox Formula, is it? You improved it somehow!"


    Then his eyes widened when realization struck him.


    "Is this the result of combining all the various techniques you learned with Heaven and Earth Formula? You truly are a terrifying brat¡­if we allow you to grow, you''ll come to threaten the Martial Arts Alliance in future!"


    I rolled my eyes. Already he was assuming that I would be an enemy of the Martial Arts Alliance. Then again, given all the atrocities and crimes they had committed, I was more than happy to become their enemy. Hell, I would be happy to exterminate them one day.


    "I''m not the only one capable of combining martial arts techniques." I pointed Azure Lotus Sword at him while he withdrew temporarily to take care of the ice that was spreading all over the injuries he suffered form my blade. "You did very well in merging Solar Celestial Dragon Formula with Dark Carnage Demonic Energy to produce Dark Flame Heavenly Dragon Formula." I cocked my head to the side. "A little unorthodox, but your sect leader Jian Ao recognized your efforts and talents, and saw great use in your skills for assassinations and dirty jobs, so he kept you at his side as a secret killer rather than purge you as the elders in the sect demanded."


    Mo Long turned very pale, unconsciously taking a step back. "How do you know all that?!" he spat, his voice shaking.


    I smiled. "I''m the Omniscent protagonist. I know things when they are convenient for me to explain the plot and characters to the readers."


    "What nonsense are you blabbering about?!"


    "Ah, I guess it wouldn''t make sense to you." I sighed. "Let''s just say I have the ability to break the fourth wall."


    Mo Long completely lost it. Deciding not to quibble over my nonsensical rambling, he chose to strike swiftly from the front, his saber flashing downward while his dark energy dragons launched toward me from the sides and behind.


    I seemed to be cornered, but I wasn''t.


    The saber cleaved through my head, only for my figure to disappear as a fuzzy afterimage, grinning one last time at my infuriated opponent before vanishing.


    "Those footwork techniques are so annoying!" Mo Long howled in frustration.


    "Not for me, they aren''t."


    "Ugh! Just shut the fuck up!"


    Mo Long swung his saber behind him, but I was no longer there. Instead, I came from him at his exposed side, thrusting both my swords. Mo Long cursed and stopped one of the swords by grabbing it, only for my blade to pierce into his palm and exit through the back of his hands. His fingers bled as they tried to grip the keen blade of Shadow Fox, flayed to the bone, but he managed to halt the sword from piercing his heart. As for Azure Lotus Sword, he managed to spin his body away, with the blue blade grazing his chest and slightly freezing the wound.


    "I''ve got you now!" he hollered and swung his saber down. I quickly withdrew my Azure Lotus Sword and parried his saber. The ground beneath me gave way from the tremendous impact produced by his Dark Flame Heavenly Dragon Formula, the black qi just disintegrating everything within its vicinity. The dark energy dragons roared and tried to lance through me, but Snow Aegis was on point, delivering a hail of qi beams at pinpoint accuracy, discouraging them from getting anywhere near me.


    Panting, I yanked my Shadow Fox out in a spray of blood. Not wanting to lose his fingers and entire hand, Mo Long wisely let go and staggered back, but he swung his saber again, a massive dark dragon coiling around the green, black and golden blade to lend it massive strength. Too late to rely on my footwork, I crossed both my swords, but was completely blown back.


    "Gah!"


    Blood burst out of my mouth as I was sent hurtling several meters away, tumbling helplessly in midair before crashing into a tree. Coughing wildly, I struggled to my feet, my head ringing, only for Mo Long to descend upon me.


    "I''ve got you now!" he shouted triumphantly.


    I looked up, and smiled.


    Mo Long''s eyes narrowed, but he was too experienced to underestimate me. He was already launching an all-out attack, not just with his demonic saber, but also unleashing his energy dark dragons from all sides, hoping to entrap me.


    Normally, I wouldn''t be able to escape. And wounded as I was, I wouldn''t be able to withstand a ferocious strike from him, even if I parried his Domination (the name of his demonic saber). Snow Aegis had hurtled forward to block the blow, but Mo Long merely batted it aside, and there were too many energy black dragons for my mobile turrets to eliminate.


    But I didn''t need them to eliminate them for me.


    Crack!


    "!!!"


    Mo Long froze. Literally. My surroundings turned into ice, the air flash-freezing and the trees getting encased in ice. The energy dark dragons that were poised to attack me were all entombed within frost coffins, immobilized and unable to move. Mo Long himself would have been caught, but his instincts had warned him and he immediately halted himself, rapidly withdrawing to a safe distance. A few meters in front of him, an icy sphere of a radius of ten meters spread about me, freezing everything within the vicinity.


    "That''s¡­" Mo Long swallowed as he brushed the frost that had somehow made its way to his arms and body. "Absolute Zero!"


    I didn''t reply and staggered to my feet. Kicking off the ground, I charged at him with both my swords, my Absolute Zero sphere following me. I couldn''t keep up Absolute Zero for too long as it expended too much of my qi.


    Therefore I had to finish this battle right here and right now.


    "Kuh!"


    Mo Long''s speed was inferior to mine, and he was unable to escape my dash, instead finding himself trapped within my sphere of ice. His body began freezing over, ice creeping over his limbs and chest, and his hair turning white from snow.


    "As if I''ll lose to something like this!"


    With a roar, Mo Long activated the seventh level of his Dark Flame Heavenly Dragon Formula, destroying the ice around him with black fire and brute force. Blood spurted from my mouth as I was flung back from a vicious slash of his demonic saber. Roaring, Mo Long executed another of his Demonic Dragon Devours All, obliterating a path toward me.


    Gritting my teeth, I barely managed to block the attack with Snow Aegis. Apparently Zi Shou De was telling the truth when he said he upgraded it, for it managed to momentarily halt the attack from a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner ¨C even if I didn''t care about power levels and cultivation realms, Mo Long was still undoubtedly powerful ¨C before spinning away. Then Mo Long''s ruthless saber came crashing down mercilessly on me.


    However, it was more than enough.


    "?!"


    Six qi beams struck him, but Mo Long''s reflexes saved him, allowing him to dodge half of them. Even so, three of the beams punctured through his legs and right arm, leaving him recoiling in midair as cauterized wounds erupted.


    "Kuh!"


    Clenching his teeth so hard they cracked, Mo Long sent another horde of energy dark dragons, only for all of them to freeze within my Absolute Zero technique again. Undeterred, he continued revolving his Dark Flame Heavenly Dragon Formula to brute-force his way through the incapacitating ice and slashed at me.


    Stepping to the side, I barely avoided his strike, but the vicious dark flames that shrouded his demonic saber scorched through me, leaving horrendous wounds. I flinched from the agony, but resolutely held my ground. Right after Mo Long''s demonic saber flashed down right in front of me, I swung both my swords and cut off his frozen right arm. Despite him activating his Dark Flame Heavenly Dragon Formula, he wasn''t completely immune to my Absolute Zero ice, and still suffered slightly from its debilitating effects. Not only that, it seemed that the absolute cold had also slowed him down drastically, or I would never have been able to hack off his sword arm.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    Mo Long staggered back, shrieking in pain. This time, blood did not fountain from his stump, the red fluids having frozen immediately the moment they came into contact with the icy air of my Absolute Zero technique. With his severe injury, Mo Long was unable to stop the ice from spreading rapidly over his shoulder and toward his body.


    Lowering my Shadow Fox, I stabbed him in the gut, causing him to howl again. Even though he had sustained such fatal injuries, Mo Long was far from done. Snarling defiantly, he swung around with his other hand and smacked my face with a Dark Flame Divine Dragon Palm. Blood flowed from a cut alongside my temple, and my glasses fell off.


    However, I didn''t falter. Even as my vision blurred and my blood froze over my face, I reversed my Azure Lotus Sword and severed Mo Long''s remaining arm, causing him to scream again.


    "Whoops¡­looks like I disarmed you."


    "You bastard! I''ll kill you! I''ll fucking kill you!" Mo Long was screeching. I merely gave him a glacial glare that caused his spine to freeze.


    "It seems that you don''t understand your position."


    With both arms gone, Mo Long had no way of fighting back. And with my Shadow Fox in his gut and delivering him such a debilitating injury, there was no way he could resist my technique now.


    "You¡­what are you doing?!"


    Too late, Mo Long realized in horror what my true intentions were. I merely smiled frostily.


    "I told you, didn''t I? That I want your energy dark dragon technique."

 245 Chapter 244: Hot Spring

    Now that the job was finished, I sheathed both my swords, recalled Snow Aegis and shrank it, and then placed both Spirit Swords into my storage device.


    "Now I have to assimilate all the qi in my body," I murmured to myself.


    Unfortunately, at that moment, I suddenly felt a blazing agony spread through my body. Even though I could easily absorb the frosty yin qi, the fiery yang qi was not as compatible. It scorched the inside of my body, burning me mercilessly from the inside out.


    "¡­gah!"


    Crying out, I dropped to my knees and clutched my chest. It felt as if molten lava was pouring through my veins or qi channels. In addition to the new, burning sensation, it felt as if my injuries from fighting Mo Long had been aggravated and flared up.


    "Ugh!"


    Crying out in pain, I collapsed onto the ground, my body feverish. My insides were scorched by the fiery yang qi. Damn it, I had gotten careless and too greedy. I had thought I would be able to deal with the fiery yang qi by slowly assimilating it over the next few hours, or maybe even the next few days if necessary, but I had underestimated the purity of the qi.


    The Solar Celestial Dragon Formula was truly a legendary martial arts technique deserving of its reputation as one of the four Celestial Creatures'' ultimate arts. The essence of the yang qi was so pure, so distilled that it was too powerful for an icy yin practitioner like me. I ended up swallowing a bomb, so to speak.


    My body went into spasms and I flailed about uncontrollably as my insides were ravaged by the molten, fiery yang qi, and I began to lose consciousness.


    Right before I did, however, I had a vague impression of a couple of people appearing. Principal Xiao Zhang and Song Ting Yu.


    "My goodness¡­Student Fei Wu again. He''s always been reckless. What has he done this time?" Xiao Zhang knelt down to feel my pulse, and then grimaced. "He used Heaven and Earth Absorption again. And this time, he absorbed quite the troublesome qi. If he had been cultivating martial arts techniques with yang qi, he would be fine, but for someone like him who had overly specialized in icy yin techniques, this will be too much."


    "Do you have a way to treat him, Honored Principal Xiao?" Song Ting Yu asked, a tinge of concern in her voice.


    "Yeah. What happened? I mean, I can check the videos later, but¡­"


    "The Green Dragon Sect again!" Xiao Zhang thundered furiously. "First it was Li Chun Long, and now it''s this Mo Long! What do they have against my students? Student Zhu Jiao, Student Fei Wu¡­they are always targeting my most promising students! One of these days, I''m going to have to pay that bastard Jian Ao a visit."


    "But¡­Mister Fei actually won." Song Ting Yu''s voice was in wonder. "I can''t believe it. Despite the vast difference in their strengths¡­"


    "Hah! Student Fei Wu is always full of surprises." Xiao Zhang chuckled indulgently. "We''ll have to bring him to the hot spring to suppress the fiery qi that''s rampaging through his meridians right now. Otherwise he''ll end up being incinerated by the yang qi."


    "I hope you don''t mind if I take care of him."


    "That would give me a huge peace of mind." Xiao Zhang acceded to Song Ting Yu''s request. I vaguely wondered what she meant by taking care of me, and concluded that it couldn''t be anything good, but before I could muster a retort, the darkness swallowed me.


    Then I heard and saw nothing.


    *


    "¡­"


    Blinking, I came to life and found myself soaking in what seemed like an enclosed yet open-air hot spring. Enclosed, because there were traditional wooden walls built around the hot spring, but open-air beause there wasn''t any ceiling. Staring skyward, I saw that the heavens had darkened, and night had clearly fallen.


    How long had I been out for? When I was fighting Mo Long, it was during the day. Yet it was clearly night by now. I wouldn''t be surprised if I had been asleep for days, but I doubted it. For one thing, nobody was going to soak me in what seemed like a hot spring for days.


    Another thing I noticed was that I wasn''t wearing my glasses. Actually, I wasn''t wearing any clothes at all. Then again, it was only natural. Who the hell would soak in a hot spring totally clothed? As it was, I was completely bereft of clothing, but thankfully any embarrassment I would have felt was veiled by the thick fog that drifted over the cloudy water that I was immersed in. The problem was when I got out, but at least there was a towel nearby.


    Someone had conveniently placed a towel for me next to the wall where I was leaning against this entire time. Now that I was inspecting my surroundings, I saw that it was all natural, or at least constructed to look natural. There were rocks that seemed to originate from geological formation rather than artificially built, no sign of concrete or bricks. It seemed like someone just built a wooden fence around the area, but otherwise left the area completely untouched.


    They knew the value of preserving a true, natural hot spring¡­I guess. I wouldn''t know.


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    While I was taking stock of my surroundings, I heard a giggle. Turning my head up, I caught sight of Song Ting Yu perched atop one of those high rocks. Well, not that high. Just high enough for her to soak her feet in the hot spring. She was sitting barefooted, swinging her exposed legs above the steam, causing the water to splash about as her bare feet moved under the surface, and giggling as she watched me from above. Still dressed in that somewhat revealing pink dress of hers, and her short skirt was being used to its full benefit here.


    "You''re finally awake," she remarked.


    "You''re stating the obvious," I retorted.


    Song Ting Yu raised an eyebrow, but chose not to rise to the bait. Instead, she offered some pertinent advice.


    "Don''t move about carelessly," she told me. "The Hellfire Yang Hot Spring is good for treating your internal injuries as well as stabilizing the ferocious fiery yang qi that you absorbed from Mo Long''s Solar Celestial Dragon Formula."


    "Ah¡­"


    Now that she mentioned it, I could feel the fiery yang qi somewhat quietening down. Before, it had been like a volcanic eruption, ravaging my insides with molten metal and incinerating me from inside out, but now it was just a fierce rumble, surging impatiently about my qi channels but not as hot and agonizing as before.


    Then suddenly I realized something and turned red. For one thing, I was completely naked, save for the hot spring surrounding me, and for another, there was an extremely beautiful girl in the same space as me.


    "Uh¡­this isn''t appropriate, is it?" I muttered under my breath.


    "Ha ha ha!" Song Ting Yu giggled as she brought a hand to her delicate mouth. "It''s too late to start getting embarrassed now. I''ve already seen everything, forbidden or not."


    "You¡­" trying to hide my embarrassment, I could only shake my head. "Just what is going on?"


    "Heh." Song Ting Yu chuckled again. "Don''t worry. I only brought you here to treat your internal injuries. This is a special place within Wu Ling Academy''s territory. It''s not exactly the infirmary, but one of those dense qi-saturated hot springs where Wu Ling Academy students use to recuperate and improve their cultivation."


    "Ugh¡­recuperate, huh?" I sighed wearily as I glanced down at my chest. True enough, the injuries I had sustained during the fight with Mo Long were gone. Wow, the effects of the hot spring were truly miraculous.


    I was reminded of the Green Dragon Spring from so long ago. This Hellfire Yang Hot Spring wasn''t as potent, but it was still pretty good, considering that it doubled as something that could help boost someone''s cultivation in yang qi.


    Speaking of which¡­


    "I assume you know what happened to Mo Long?" I asked frostily.


    "The assassin from Green Dragon Sect who attacked you?" Song Ting Yu was smiling brightly. "You are the one who killed him and sucked his qi dry. Why are you asking me?"


    "Hmph." I closed my eyes briefly and smirked. I knew it. Even though we told her to get lost, the crafty girl had remained close by, presumably to watch our duel to the death. "So you didn''t heed our warning and stayed nearby to watch, after all."


    "Thanks to that, I saw something really interesting." Song Ting Yu chuckled throatily again. "I really didn''t expect you to be able to defeat someone of Mo Long''s level."


    "Look here, lady." I was getting tired of her games. "I don''t know you that well, but I assume you have a reason for helping me." Even though the academy would have helped me if she wasn''t present. "Spit it out."


    "Straight to the point, huh?" Song Ting Yu shook her head in mock disappointment. "You won''t be popular with girls like that."


    "Fortunately, I have no intention of being popular with girls," I replied coldly.


    "What a waste." Song Ting Yu sighed exaggeratedly, then she smiled. "As I told you before, Mister Fei. I''m interested in your Sunburst bombs. I would like you to sell them to the Martial Arts Alliance. I assure you, we''ll pay a high price."


    "And I already said no," I replied stiffly. Wow, this girl was persistent. Did she really think I would hand over the one advantage that Nine-Tailed Fox Sect possessed to our enemies? "If you want them, we will cooperate with you against the demonic sects, but I will be the one who uses them. Not the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "Pity. I was so sure we could come to an agreement." Song Ting Yu studied me, licking her lips. "Well, you don''t seem like you''ll change your mind on that anytime. But¡­" her smile widened. "I''ve become more interested in you personally."


    "Me?" I frowned. "I''m a very boring person. There is no reason for you to be interested in me."


    Song Ting Yu burst out laughing. "Says the guy who defeated an opponent several realms and many levels above him. Stop being so modest. You''re a fascinating person. Especially those techniques you wield." She narrowed her eyes. "To be able to absorb someone''s qi¡­"


    I immediately saw the Spirit Diagram forming inside her pink pupils and understood that she was using a spirit technique. The charm technique again? Was she really trying to use that again, even though she had already failed the last time?


    Then I realized something else. I didn''t have Snow Aegis on me. Apparently, when I was unconscious and they removed my clothing, they took Snow Aegis and all more other stuff with me. Currently I was as vulnerable and literally naked before Song Ting Yu''s attack.


    Or so she would think, except that I made the smart decision to strengthen my spiritual defense with Heaven and Earth Formula previously, instead of solely relying on Snow Aegis. Taking a deep breath, I formed a Spirit Diagram of my own inside my dark brown eyes, a defensive mental aegis that would guard me against her charm technique.


    "You think I''m from a demonic sect?" I countered calmly.


    "¡­" Song Ting Yu must have realized that her charm technique had no effect on me, for she suddenly broke eye contact. Shaking her head, she brought both her dripping feet out of the hot spring. "No need to be so hostile."


    She then slowly stood up in a seductive manner, a sultry smile on her face.


    "Why don''t we be a little more¡­intimate?"


    "Excuse me?"


    "Talking like this won''t get us anywhere." Song Ting Yu sighed dramatically. "I''ve already known that your resistance against my charm technique is absolute. So¡­"


    She stood up straight.


    "I think sharing a bit of skinship with you would allow us to open up more with each other."


    "Skinship?" I repeated blankly.


    Song Ting Yu giggled as she reached up to the top of her dress and loosened the strap. I watched, stunned, as her pink dress fell from her body, the silky fabric pooling at her damp feet. Song Ting Yu stood before me, completely naked and extremely gorgeous.


    My face turned red.


    "You¡­you¡­!" I spluttered. I couldn''t help it. Even my thirty-over self was a virgin. This was the first time I had seen a naked woman in my whole life. Turning my head away to avoid ogling at her, I managed to muster a coherent inquiry. "What do you intend to do?"


    "I told you, didn''t I?" stepping out of her dress, Song Ting Yu walked into the hot spring, immersing most of her body inside the warm water. "I intend to change my negotiation methods. Like I said, we might open up more to each other if we share some skinship."


    "No way!" I shouted, backing away. Except there was nowhere to retreat to because I literally had my back against a moist rock wall. "Hurry up and get dressed!"


    Song Ting Yu giggled at my reaction as she slowly approached.


    "What are you afraid of?"


    "It''s not that I''m afraid of anything," I snapped as I raised both hands to keep her at bay. "But this sort of conduct is improper. You should only do this with a guy close to you."


    And suddenly Song Ting Yu was right in front of me, grabbing my hand and curling her delicate fingers around my knuckles.


    "The man I want to get close to is you, Mister Fei."


    Her voice was now a throaty whisper. I suddenly understood. Now that Song Ting Yu realized that her charm techniques and spiritual methods weren''t working, she had resorted to using a more physical, baser manner. Even if she couldn''t charm or hypnotize me, she was confident in her absolute beauty to seduce me.


    She leaned closer, our naked bodies almost coming in physical contact, but I managed to pull away.


    "If I negotiate with you like this, would you be a lot more acceding to my request?" she asked almost innocently.


    I closed my eyes briefly and sighed.


    "If you''re trying to seduce me, it''s not going to work." Then I frowned when I realized something. Song Ting Yu seemed a bit unsure. She had closed the gap somewhat and was in close proximity, but she seemed like she didn''t know how to proceed. She looked as if she wanted to press closer, but her cheeks were flushed and shy, and she instinctively pulled away. Then I guffawed, causing her to frown angrily.


    "This is your first time trying this sort of trick, isn''t it?" I grinned. That made sense. Song Ting Yu''s charm techniques had never failed before, so she never had to really engage in actual physical intimacy. So now that she was trying it out for the first time in reality, she was at a complete loss at what to do. "You''re a virgin like me."


    "Heh." To her credit, Song Ting Yu wasn''t offended. She slightly pulled away and shrugged, her ample chest almost visible through the surface of the hot spring. "Are you disappointed?"


    "No. I''m relieved, actually." It was a good thing Song Ting Yu was a complete amateur at physical seduction, or I might really have fallen into her trap. Now that I had retained a modicum of my rationality, I was able to mount an effective response. "If you aren''t sure of how to do it, don''t even try it. Now get out and get dressed."


    I added a chilly note to my warning, my icy qi snaking across the hot spring and freezing the water into ice. Song Ting Yu backed away instinctively.


    "Hey, Fei Wu!"


    Before Song Ting Yu could get out of the hot spring, a familiar voice rang through the area. Craning my neck, I spotted Tong Xue trotting in with a set of new clothing.


    "I got you a fresh set of uniform. Your previous one was pretty bloodied up, so we sent it to the laundry¡­"


    He trailed away when he saw Song Ting Yu in the hot spring, and his jaw dropped so wide I swear it actually hit the ground.


    "This isn''t what it looks like," I said, even though I knew how cheesy and clich¨¦d that sounded. Unfortunately, there was nothing much I could say in this situation.


    "You the man!" Tong Xue exclaimed, seemingly delighted that I had recovered from the loss of Tang Qi Hong and moved on. He placed my uniform nearby and flash me a thumb''s up. "Sorry for intruding. I won''t disturb you further."


    "No, I mean¡­"


    But Tong Xue was paying no attention to my explanations. He was grinning as he ran out of the hot spring.


    "¡­"


    Feeling a headache coming, I buried my face in my palm and sighed. Song Ting Yu, who had witnessed everything, chuckled.


    "Now that we''ve been seen, should we do it for real?"


    "If you don''t get out of the hot spring, I''ll freeze you to death." Then an idea struck me, and I shook my head. "Never mind, you can stay here for as long as you want."


    "Really?" Song Ting Yu widened her eyes, completely taken aback by my sudden change in heart. "So you¡­"


    "¡­are getting out of here."


    Making use of the fog to hide myself, I climbed out of the hot spring, dried myself and wore my fresh uniform in a matter of seconds before Song Ting Yu or anyone beyond the fourth wall could see anything.


    Song Ting Yu stared at me in disappointment. "Are you even a man?"


    "Oh, I most definitely am. But that doesn''t mean I''ll sleep with any girl just because she''s beautiful."


    Throwing a callous retort at her, I began striding out of the hot spring.


    "Wait for me!"


    Like hell I would.


    "The thing is that¡­" I could hear and sense Song Ting Yu getting dressed behind me. Like the gentleman I was, I kept my back on her and refused to peek. I wasn''t a horny adolescent, after all. I was a guy mentally over thirty. The naked bodies of teenage girls didn''t really interest me that much. "Everyone should know by now that you''re my fianc¨¦."


    "What?!" I yelled, outraged, turning on her.


    "Well¡­it''s easier that way, so Green Dragon Sect will stop targeting you. And you''ll be under the protection of the Martial Arts Alliance."


    "I don''t need their protection," I replied furiously, the memories of their invasion still raw in my mind. Stomping off, I ignored her pleas to wait and left the hot spring.


    "Oh, so you''re finally up." Xiao Zhang coincidentally happened to be outside when I emerged. Though I suspected he had been waiting there for quite a bit, or immediately swooped down here when Tong Xue reported my status. Or perhaps they could sense my qi and tell whether I was awake or not. In any case, I was sure it was no coincidence.


    "Sorry for the trouble," I apologized and bowed my head.


    "It''s no trouble at all. Actually, that was a massive achievement¡­to be able to defeat and slay someone of Mo Long''s caliber¡­" Xiao Zhang grinned and stroked his beard. "Very impressive. You have brought pride and honor to our academy."


    I only did that because the bastard was trying to kill me. And also because I was fascinated by his techniques and wanted them for my own, but admittedly, if he wasn''t attempting to assassinate me, I wouldn''t have slain him. I would have just politely approached him and asked him to teach me. Heaven and Earth Absorption was actually less effective when it came to stealing techniques as there were a lot of unknowns and variables, and I had no mentor to accurately guide me along the right path. I would have to improvise.


    "There''s also one more thing I have to inform you."


    Xiao Zhang was being as cryptic as usual, and it was annoying the hell out of me. I was already in a bad mood after Song Ting Yu''s bungled attempt at seduction, and didn''t have the patience to play along with his games.


    "What is it?" I asked frankly.


    "Well¡­the fiery yang qi that you absorbed from Mo Long¡­it''s not going to fade away."


    Now that Xiao Zhang mentioned it, he was right. After leaving the hot spring, I could still feel the molten fiery yang qi ravaging through my qi channels. They had grown hotter, but at least I could suppress them with my icy yin qi, unlike before.


    "To keep it under control, you''ll probably have to soak regularly in the Hellfire Yang Hot Spring." Xiao Zhang glanced at the wooden enclosure behind me. "Until you find a way to expel the fiery yang qi, or assimilate it."


    "I''ll definitely assimilate it. Eventually." I vowed.


    "I have no doubt you will, but¡­it seems like this time it''s different." Xiao Zhang frowned as he studied me. "Your body has not adapted well to the presence of the fiery yang qi and is struggling to assimilate it despite your best attempts. Normally, immersing your body in the Hellfire Yang Hot Spring should have allowed you to successfully assimilate it under normal circumstances, even if you''re unconscious, but it didn''t seem like it worked."


    I felt a chill run down my spine. That was not good.


    "Well¡­it''ll also be troublesome if you go on missions. I recall that you were going to the Toxic Marshes to hunt down the Black Venom Cult." Xiao Zhang scratched his head. "Obviously you''ll be there for quite some time, and you won''t have any Hellfire Yang Hot Springs to help you, so you''ll probably need this."


    He produced a bottle of pills. I took them hesitantly.


    "These are¡­?"


    "Nine Yin Pills. They are similar to the Nine Yang Pills that Ling Qing Zhu of the Incendiary Ifrit Sect is taking currently, to suppress the icy yin qi that is ravaging her body. I suppose you have heard of her? After all, I recall that you''re the one who temporarily saved her from that."


    I did remember Ling Qing Zhu and her condition. I had never thought I would end up suffering from the same condition. Whoops. I had truly underestimated the pure yang qi produced by the cultivation of Solar Celestial Dragon Formula.


    "Thank you."


    "They are only a temporary stopgap. But knowing you, you''ll definitely find a way."


    Xiao Zhang placed an assuring hand on my shoulder, and then turned to leave.


    "Good luck, Student Fei Wu. Work hard for the glory of both your sect, and for Wu Ling Academy!"


    I watched as he disappeared, and nodded, knowing he was referring to the mission to the Toxic Marshes. I had best get prepared for that mission then.


    Known to the both of us (Xiao Zhang and I could sense Song Ting Yu''s badly concealed presence behind the wooden gate), Song Ting Yu had been leaning close and eavesdropping on our conversation. A smile spread over her beautiful face.

 246 Chapter 245: Nine Heavens Annihilation Strike

    With Zhu Jiao busy on his mission with Bai Ning Xue and the White Tiger Sect, no doubt getting treasures from the tomb they were exploring, I was left with no other recourse. The only people I trusted were my fellow disciples from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.


    "Tong Xue, are you guys available?" I asked him when I saw him in the classroom the next day. If he was in the classroom, then it meant he wasn''t off participating in the mission like the conspicuously absent Zhu Jiao and Bai Ning Xue. Of course, that meant nothing. Even though I was still attending class, I was already committed to the mission in the Toxic Marshes to exterminate the Black Venom Cult. Similarly, Tong Xue could have another commitment to another mission a few days from now.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Tong Xue turned to me, stupefied. Lian Rou came over when I glanced at her, curious.


    "What''s going on?"


    "I''m participating in an academy mission, and I''m hoping for more members. It''s supposed to be a 10-men mission, but right now we only have 4. I can barely fit the quota as it is, and I don''t know who the other teammates are."


    "Oh? What mission?" Tong Xue looked interested. I briefly told him, as well as informed him of the names of my would-be teammates.


    "Eliminating the Black Venom Cult in the Toxic Marshes inside Sen Lin Forest, huh? Sounds interesting. Count me in." Tong Xue nodded. He didn''t seem very enthusiastic but he wasn''t very eager to let me run off to such a dangerous mission on my own either. Furthermore, he seemed to harbor a dislike of the Black Venom Cult.


    That was naturally. Those sects who practiced poison arts were usually perceived as demonic, and most orthodox martial artists hated them. Hell, even demonic sects hated them, because their methods tended to be despicable and deadly.


    Fortunately, I had full immunity to poisons and toxins thanks to Heaven and Earth Formula, and failing that, the stuff I gained from the Hellfire Badger so long ago.


    "I wish to join as well." Lian Rou spoke up. The both of us stared at her, and she smiled. "My knowledge of poisons and how to treat them should prove veery useful. My family grew up near the Toxic Marshes, so I''m familiar with the area and the creatures that live in there."


    "Huh? Really?" I was stunned. Lian Rou scowled.


    "Why are you so surprised? The original character you based me off had a wide knowledge of poisons, didn''t she?"


    "That''s my Lian Rou for you." Tong Xue sounded proud. He then checked his smartphone and tablet, running several searches and hacking into the academy''s database. I pretended not to see what would amount to an illegal activity. Some things were better off not being known.


    After a few moments, Tong Xue looked up with a grimace.


    "Zi Sha is from the Death Reaper Sect¡­not exactly very reliable, and his ranking is pretty low. Seems like he''s desperate for credits and gold, which is why he took this mission. But he has failed in every other mission he has taken, unless he had joined a pretty good team."


    "We should look out for him," I suggested. Tong Xue and Lian Rou merely stared at me, but didn''t agree or disagree.


    Instead, Tong Xue swiped the screen of his tablet and read the information of the next teammate.


    "Yi Ding Si is known to be quite the unlucky fella. He has quite a few close run-ins with deaths in all his previous missions, always suffering near-fatal injuries. If his teammates didn''t save him, he would have died. They complained that he often drags them down."


    "That''s¡­not good." I wasn''t sure what else to say. Lian Rou looked ill.


    "Are we really going to team up with these people?" she asked. "I don''t mean to sound rude, but they sound like they''re going to be a burden."


    "We can''t kick them out. That will be against the rules." After reminding Lian Rou that, I turned to Tong Xue. "What about the last one?"


    "Jiu Bu Liao? Uh¡­she''s the kind who always needs saving. A lot of her previous teammates whine about how useless she is, and how they always need to abandon the mission to save her. Well, some of them just ended up abandoning her to complete the mission, but she managed to survive thus far. How she did so is a miracle."


    "That does not bode well for the chances of our mission," Lian Rou muttered. "We might as well write them off."


    "We''ll see how it goes." I refused to be too harsh on our new teammates. I was like them once, always having bad luck and almost dying. If they needed help, I would gladly help them at the expense of the mission.


    The lives of my comrades were more important than success or whatever.


    "I''m glad we''re joining you." Tong Xue''s expression was darkening by the minute as he shared a knowing glance with Lian Rou. "I would hate to leave you alone with these people."


    "I appreciate it." Deciding not to argue over people I didn''t know, I just bowed gratefully.


    *


    After classes ended, we returned to our dorm rooms for preparation. Even though I told them that I had brought along antidotes of my own, Lian Rou insisted on getting her own local antidotes, because she was well-versed in the venomous creatures inhabiting the area, and how best to counteract their toxins.


    I was glad she was coming along.


    "Okay¡­what should I do now?"


    With nothing to do, I flopped down on my bed, only to notice something that I had forgotten for so many months.


    "That''s¡­!"


    The martial arts manual I had obtained from the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner''s tomb all that time ago. I had completely forgotten about it, thanks to Ling Qing Zhu''s situation, and all the stupid clich¨¦ things with Liang Shao Yang, plus the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect''s circumstances where we were invaded by the Martial Arts Alliance shortly after I triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars. With so many things happening all at once, the martial arts manual had completely slipped my mind. And why wouldn''t it? I had all the battle-automata to occupy my attention, after all.


    "Huh? What technique is this?"


    It was like nothing I had ever seen. The name sounded grand, the Chinese characters spelled over its cover like some outstanding decoration. Nine Heavens Annihilation Strike. Yup, definitely some fearsome-sounding technique indeed.


    "Should I learn it?"


    The moment I opened the manual, my surroundings slipped away and I found myself falling endlessly through darkness. Everything around me was so black that I couldn''t see anything, even if I extended my Heaven and Earth senses. It was as if I had been swallowed by a black hole and was being crushed inside its never-ending wormhole or something.


    "Hah!"


    Gasping, I clawed at the air¡­no, was it the void? I didn''t know what was going on, or why I had ended up here. Okay, maybe I did. I had opened the ancient martial arts manual that the Nascent Soul Stage practitioner had tucked away inside his coffin, after all.


    As I said before, martial arts manuals were essentially Spirit Artifacts, with the text inscribed within them considered complex Spirit Diagrams. That was why they were capable of such mysterious phenomenon, such as dragging me into their Spirit World.


    "Bloody hell¡­no wonder it has such a name."


    I suddenly understood why there was completely nothing, why I was surrounded by a never-ending void.


    It was because everything had been annihilated! The technique truly lived up to its name ¨C anyone who mastered it would gain the power to annihilate the nine heavens!


    "Holy Throne¡­"


    I shook my head, even as I desperately flailed at the air in a futile attempt to stop myself from falling. Even if I knew that, how could I use that knowledge to get me out of this phenomenon and claim mastery over the manual?


    Taking a deep breath, I drew Shadow Fox, because I somehow still had Snow Aegis and all my items with me when I fell into the Spirit World, and stabbed the void.


    Screeeeee!


    To my surprise, the black blade made a screeching sound as it vanished into something, almost as if it had just plunged into something tangible and physical. I shuddered to a stop. Swinging about my sword, I then kicked against an imaginary wall, only for my feet to go through nothingness. It was almost as if Shadow Fox had cut space itself, rather than an invisible wall.


    Fortunately, it seemed as if I had stopped fighting, having jerked to a halt. Well, I didn''t even know if I was falling earlier ¨C the disorientating sensation certainly felt as if I was plummeting forever into nothingness, but that disorientation stopped the moment I planted Shadow Fox into the fabric of space. Swinging from my sword, I tried to kick up and find something to anchor my feet onto ¨C despite stopping my fall, I still felt as if there was no solid ground beneath my feet, and had the feeling that I was dangling over a bottomless pit.


    "What''s going on?"


    Frowning, I continued to dangle dangerously over dangerous space. Gripping Shadow Fox with both hands, I tried to raise myself up, but I still couldn''t find any foothold or anything to relieve that sensation of hanging onto a thin thread.


    "What if I try this?"


    An idea popped to mind, and I infused my Shadow Sword with my qi. Unleashing it in an explosive burst, I tore through the fabric of space, widening the hole I had ripped through earlier, and swung my sword down.


    "?"


    A flash of bright light blinded me for a moment, and I hit the ground before rolling. Blinking and trying to make sense of my new surroundings, I slowly stood up with my sword at the ready. Reaching into Snow Aegis, I produced Azure Lotus Sword as well.


    What I saw surprised me.


    This time, I was no longer left dangling in the void, but instead I was at the foot of many mountains. Nine mountains, so tall that they piered the heavens. The sky itself was suffused in a warm, yellowish glow, almost like the time of sunrise.


    So I passed the first stage, huh? This must be the second stage.


    Glancing around, I studied the mountains in hopes of finding a way out of this Spirit World. Only by emerging from the Spirit World would I be able to master the technique.


    "You honestly want to learn a new technique?"


    "Eh?"


    I spun around at the unexpected voice. To my astonishment, Master was floating in front of me, his ghost as transparent as ever.


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    "Master?"


    "In a fashion," Master responded with a gruff smile. "I''m not real. I''m a product of your mind, actually, something produced based on your subconscious interacting with the Spirit World that this martial arts manual created."


    "Okay¡­" I wasn''t sure how to respond to that, but I found that hard to believe. He could even explain this point to me. Wow.


    "Martial arts manuals are pretty fascinating things," the illusion of Master explained. "They can produce mystical effects and create new phenomenon. Producing something like me isn''t that strange. It''s not as if they brought me to life, or brought my ghost back. Martial arts manuals are meant to aid your path toward enlightenment, and to this end they will adopt various strategies. If it involves taking the form of your master, then they will do it."


    "Right." I wasn''t sure how to respond, but there was no reason for the martial arts manual to lie to me. Rather, it made sense. That was the whole point of martial arts manual ¨C to assist in my understanding of a martial arts technique. The way they did that was through a myriad of methods, whether appearing as my master or not.


    Master smiled when I finally accepted that, then suddenly bellowed furiously.


    "Are you an idiot?!"


    "Huh?" I gaped at him. Even though I knew he wasn''t real, and merely an illusion, that didn''t mean I was capable of arguing with him. Master sighed and shook his head.


    "Remember my first question to you? You honestly want to learn a new technique?"


    "Why wouldn''t I?" I asked, confused. Master glared at me.


    "You haven''t even finished learning Heaven and Earth Strike, and you want to learn this Nine Heavens Annihilation Strike? Aren''t you a few hundred years too early?"


    "¡­oh." I finally got what he meant, and looked a little sheepish. "Sorry."


    "What''s the use of apologizing?" Master snapped. "Get out of here. Only when you''ve learned Heaven and Earth Strike will I permit you to open this martial arts manual again."


    "I understand." This was the martial arts manual''s way of telling me I wasn''t worthy. All true, of course. I couldn''t just half-heartedly learn a technique and abandon it halfway before I finished mastering it for a new technique. I should focus on one thing at a time. I hadn''t finished Heaven and Earth Strike yet and already I was jumping for new techniques. Then something else occurred to me. "Will you be able to teach me Heaven and Earth Strike?"


    "Are you stupid?" Master placed his hands on his hips. "Read the cover. This is Nine Heavens Annihilation Strike. Not Heaven and Earth Strike. What makes you think this manual will be able to teach you Heaven and Earth Strike?"


    "I see." Even so, there was still something nagging at the corner of my mind, and I frowned. There was something about Master''s words that continued to bother me. "Then why do you know about Heaven and Earth Strike?"


    "Because it''s related." Master smiled myseriously. "You''ll figure oout eventually that Heaven and Earth Formula and its techniques are related closely to Nine Heavens Annihilation Strike. In fact, you could say that Heaven and Earth Strike is the prerequisite to learning Nine Heavens Annihilation Strike, just as it is the requirement for learning Heaven and Earth Reversal."


    "I see." I nodded, feeling more determined than ever to learn Heaven and Earth Strike. "I''ll be back when I master it."


    "Don''t return until then!" Master snapped. I waved at him idly before putting my swords back in Snow Aegis.

 247 Chapter 246: March into Marsh

    Zi Sha seemed like quite the emaciated fellow, a tall and thinly guy with stringy hair and a pale complexion. He looked at us wearily and nodded a greeting. Beside him, Yi Ding Si was a chubby fellow with a mop of messy black hair, and a nervous tic. He grinned nervously when he saw us and raised a pudgy hand to wave.


    The second girl of the group, Jiu Bu Liao, was a mousy person who was just over a meter and a half in height, and her black hair was allowed to flow freely to her shoulders. She seemed to be in a bad mood for some reason, sulking in a corner. I should also add that she was the last person to arrive, being almost an hour late despite us having agreed on the meeting time a few days ago.


    Tong Xue, Lian Rou and I exchanged glances. Zi Sha and Yi Ding Si were one thing, but Jiu Bu Liao''s presence really did not bode well for us.


    "Okay. Now that we''re all here, let''s go!"


    I clapped my hands, trying to sound optimistic. The three unfamiliar members stared at me, and then scoffed.


    "What are you so excited about?"


    "You do know where we are going, right?"


    "¡­the Toxic Marshes, right?" I asked, bewildered. "You guys know what you signed up for, right?"


    "¡­well, yes." Jiu Bu Liao glanced at the other two guys, who were scowling grumpily. "This is our last chance. If we don''t succeed in this mission, we''ll fail and flunk out of school."


    "We''re short of credits, and this mission is the only one that offers us enough credits to stay in the academy," Zi Sha added bitterly.


    "We''ll definitely die," Yi Ding Si moaned, oblivious to the irony as always. Tong Xue, Lian Rou and I glanced at each other, already irritated by their defeatist attitude.


    Speaking of credits, the three of us had more than enough to pass. This mission was just a bonus, and we were in it for the rewards, rather than because we needed the credits to pass. As the mission was pretty dangerous and high-ranked, the rewards it offered were substantial, so we were willing to take the risk.


    For me personally, I was less interested in the rewards and more invested in the experience the mission provided. I craved more combat experience, and for the chance to test my skills in an actual battlefield. Plus I had an irrational hatred against poison users, and was more than happy to participate in wiping them out.


    However, our current teammates seemed reluctant to take the risk, and were only here because they would flunk out of the academy otherwise. Unfortunately, with that sort of defeatist attitude, they were going to die anyway, never mind fail their credits.


    "That''s right!" I agreed enthusiastically. "Believe in yourselves! You just haven''t unlocked your hidden potential yet! This is a great chance for you guys to gain experience and improve your combat abilities!"


    "Get real." Zi Sha glared at me venomously. "We aren''t you. We have no talent, and can never match up to geniuses like you."


    "¡­you do know I''m not a genius, right?" I felt a headache building behind my temples. "I don''t have any talent. I had to work my way up the ladder with sheer grit and tremendous amount of effort. I''m a bloody One Star Constitution practitioner, for heaven''s sake! What about you guys?"


    "Two Stars."


    "I''m also Two Stars."


    "Three Stars," Zi Sha admitted.


    "Then what''s your fucking excuse?" I snapped. "If a One Star Constitution practitioner like me can find a way to accomplish my missions, then why are you guys all acting as if you''ll fail already? Stop whining and start doing something about it!"


    Everyone stared at me, taken aback. I glared back at the terrible trio, my qi leaking out and intimidating them.


    "Or would you prefer to drop out of the mission? We can leave you behind if that''s what you want. We don''t need you guys to drag us down and become a burden. We have enough things to worry about without having to take care of you."


    "No, we''ll go." The terrible trio hung their heads in shame. Good. About time they man up and quit their whining.


    "All right then." Lian Rou tried to take charge, especially now that the trio seemed intimidated by me and Tong Xue. "Let''s get on the bus."


    We boarded a bus just outside Wu Ling Academy. Apparently the bus was going to take us to the town next to Sen Lin Forest, or at least the the part of Sen Lin Forest where the Toxic Marshes were located.


    It was a town named Duchun Village. As we sat in the bus, I noticed something peculiar. Glancing out of the window, I caught a glimpse of a bunch of helicopters and what looked like a gigantic colorful butterfly.


    They were following the bus we were in.


    Frowning, I wondered why Song Ting Yu was following us. What would interest her in the Toxic Marshes? Was she also invested in the extermination of the Black Venom Cult?


    Well, we would find out. Soon.


    Thsu bus took about forty minutes to deliver us to Duchun Village, and we disembarked from the bus.


    "Do you guys need to get any last-minute supplies?" I asked, just to be sure. We all had made our preparations before we departed from the academy, but these things happened. Even I realized I had forgotten something sometimes just before I went for a mission.


    "Nope," Tong Xue replied.


    "I have everything we need," Lian Rou assured us.


    The terrible trio glanced at each other warily, wondering if I was going to unload into them if they admitted that they forgot something, and I sighed heavily.


    "Don''t worry. Even I forget stuff sometimes. If you need something, buy it. Don''t worry about being embarrassed or whatever. Your life is more important than your pride."


    I made a show to check my inventory to ensure I had everything in order. The trio sucked in a nervous breath and also checked. Fortunately, none of them seemed to have missed anything and they expressed their readiness.


    "All right! Let''s go!"


    I put on a cheerful demeanor and led the way toward Sen Lin Forest. As my friends and teammates followed me, I couldn''t help but notice that the airborne vehicles (and Flowing Cloud Rainbow Butterfly) had landed to unload their passengers. Song Tong Yu and her bodyguards were following us on foot.


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    It was only natural. Sen Lin Forest was much too dense and the terrain much too treacherous for anyone to explore its interior in vehicles. I wasn''t sure why Song Ting Yu and her entourage were so determined to follow us into such risky areas, but I sure as hell hoped they were prepared. Did they have antidotes on hand?


    Most likely they did. Song Ting Yu was an intelligent girl. She probably already made the appropriate preparations for their trip into the Toxic Marshes.


    The six of us continued onward, with our three new teammates unaware that we were being followed. Lian Rou, to be fair, was also ignorant that we were being shadowed as well, but Tong Xue as usual spotted them shortly after I did.


    "Is it my imagination, or are we being stalked?" he asked.


    "Huh?"


    The other four turned to stare at him. I raised my hand in a reassuring manner.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a group from the Martial Arts Alliance. They''re probably here for their own mission. If anything, they''ll probably help us instead of attack us."


    "You know them?" Zi Sha asked me incredulously. I nodded.


    "Now that you mention it¡­" Tong Xue glanced at our stalkers, who were trying their best to keep their distance and hide among the trees. And doing a bad job at it, I might add. Tong Xue could spot them, but that was perhaps due to his training in the now-extinct Smart Shadow Sect. "They look like that Song Ting Yu and her bodyguards who visited our school a week or so ago."


    "That''s exactly who they are," I affirmed.


    Everyone gaped at me. What? Was it that surprising?


    However, I didn''t want to alert our followers to the fact that we were aware of their presence, so I signaled to my team to keep quiet and continued walking. They glanced at each other warily, but followed my lead.


    Tong Xue, in particular, trusted me. Lian Rou was also pretty familiar with me, and despite Tang Qi Hong''s death, we didn''t exactly drift apart. Most likely because I continued to hang out with Tong Xue ¨C more so than Zhu Jiao lately, now that I thought about it.


    "Why are they following us?" Lian Rou asked curiously, glancing behind. Song Ting Yu''s group ducked their heads behind the dense foliage and trees in hopes of avoiding her gaze, but they failed so comically that I could only shake my head.


    "Probably the same reason as us. To exterminate the Black Venom Cult." I shrugged. To be honest, I didn''t know, but it certainly wasn''t because Song Ting Yu was infatuated with me to the extent that she wanted to follow me wherever I went. I wasn''t that delusional.


    Not to mention, such characters didn''t exist in reality. No real girl would just simply throw herself into your arms because of plot reasons or because you were "nice". Love was a more complex emotion and romance a more complicated process than simply a harem of girls falling for you and resorting to all sorts of retarded strategies to catch your attention just because you were nice" or because you saved them once.


    Speaking of which, I had never saved Song Ting Yu before, so I doubted it was because of that. And while I was aware that her charm technique had backfired and she sort of grew infatuated with me, I was confident that by now she had found a solution to it and had got rid of the charm technique that imprinted my figure in her heart.


    So the only reason was probably the Black Venom Cult in the Toxic Marshes. But if that was the case, they could just join us and cooperate with my team, rather than stealthily sneak around and trying to stay hidden from us for some moronic reason.


    Should I go confront them? I wondered. Probably not. Best to let them do what they want for now, and catch them by surprise later. If everything worked out, I might be able to trick Song Ting Yu''s group into bumbling right into the Black Venom Cult''s hideout, and letting them fight and weaken each other before swooping in to steal the credit.


    That might sound cruel, but don''t forget. Song Ting Yu and her lackeys were from the Martial Arts Alliance, a hated enemy that tried to invade and wipe out the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. I certainly hadn''t forgotten about that.


    If the Martial Arts Alliance and the demonic sects decimated each other, that was fine by me. No, that was the ideal scenario. Nine-Tailed Fox Sect will have our revenge!


    So we continued on, pretending that we hadn''t detected Song Ting Yu and friends. Passing through the outskirts of Sen Lin Forest, we advanced deeper into the heart of the forest. The terrain was growing more treacherous, the ground becoming softer and damper, and the trees more gnarled and curled.


    I could even detect a trace of wetness in the air. We were getting close.


    "Be careful," Lian Rou warned as she glanced around, evidently recognizing the place. As she mentioned before, she was pretty familiar with the Toxic Marshes and their inhabitants. "We''re nearing the marshes. There should be Marsh Serpents here."


    Fortunately, we had antidotes to counteract the relatively mild venom of Marsh Serpents. I say relatively mild, but without an antidote, a bite from the poisonous Marsh Serpents could kill a full-grown man in hours. Longer, if the victim was a martial artist, because we could use our qi to suppress the poison until we find an antidote.


    Even so, these were the least of our worries. Marsh Serpents were comparatively small, especially when contrasted to the deadlier denizens that dwelled in the depths of the swamps of Toxic Marshes.


    Our feet sank uncomfortably into the softening ground, and Jiu Bu Liao stumbled. Fortunately, Yi Ding Si was on hand to catch her.


    "Careful!" Lian Rou warned again, watching out for creatures in the marsh. "There will be Bog Bugs in the shallow waters. They are too small to present a danger, but in great numbers they can suck the blood of an adult man dry."


    "Gotcha," I said and adjusted my glasses. They scanned through the dark, murky waters of the nearest swamp, but my lenses didn''t pick up any life signs.


    "¡­can we really do this?"


    "Hmm?"


    I turned to look at Yi Ding Si. He was pale and trembling slightly as he looked around at the threatening depths of the forest. The verdant greenery had been replaced by a darkness, with an ominous fog hanging over the swamp. The waters were a sickening gray, and the bark of the increasingly gnarled trees were dark and withered. Very few leaves hung onto their claw-like branches, and those that did remain looked gloomy and diseased.


    "Can we really defeat the Black Venom Cult? I mean, we are just a bunch of kids with not much combat experience. I can''t even complete a single mission. I''m so weak¡­can a kid like me really defeat full-grown martial artists in the Black Venom Cult?"


    "Speak for yourself," Tong Xue snapped crossly. "Fei Wu, Lian Rou and I all have a fair amount of combat experience."


    "We don''t," Zi Sha cut in grumpily. "Maybe you three have, but the three of us don''t."


    "Then why are you coming along?" I demanded, getting sick of their whining. Now I understood why the Royal Road people on Discord found me so irritating and drove me away. They were sick of my incessant whining as well. Now that I got to experience somehow complaining nonstop, I was getting a little annoyed myself.


    "Because if we don''t then we''ll flunk out of the academy," Jiu Bu Liao replied.


    "But according to you guys right now, you''re going to fail the mission anyway because you don''t have the confidence to fight the Black Venom Cult, even though you signed up for the mission. And when you fail and return, you will not receive the credits and will flunk out and be drop out of the academy anyway. So why bother going through all this trouble and participating in the mission in the first place, taking all these risks, since you''re convinced you will fail anyway?"


    The three of them stared at me, their jaws dropping. As I expected, they didn''t have a proper rebuttal against the points I raised.


    "If you think you''re going to fail, then go home and drop out. Stop dragging us down with your negativity. I''m not telling you to be overconfident and complacent, but at the very least stop whining about how you''re going to fail when you haven''t even begin the mission!"


    The three of them fell silent, unable to refute my reprimand. They lowered their head, but didn''t budge.


    "But¡­how do we win?" Yi Ding Si finally mustered the courage to ask. "Even if we have artificial qi, those veteran martial artists in the Black Venom Cult are still stronger than us! If we try to attack them, we will definitely die!"


    "They are in higher cultivation stages than us too!" Zi Sha added fiercely. "Fighting them head-on is simpy suicide!"


    Both guys were oblivious to the irony as always. For non-Chinese speakers, Yi Ding Si sounded almost exactly like "definitely die" in Mandarin, and Zi Sha sounded almost exactly like "suicide" in Mandarin.


    "So what?" I retorted furiously. "If they are stronger, you will automatically lose? You think this is some sort of ridiculous xianxia story where everything is dependant solely on cultivation levels? If you''re weaker than your opponent, then find a way to overcome that gap in strength! Look at humans. They are naturally weaker than animals like tigers, lions, leopards, bears and other top predators. But how did we rise to become the dominant species on the planet? We didn''t become physically stronger than the predators that could tear us apart with their claws and fangs. We developed weapons. We found ways to fight back. We invented arrows, and then guns."


    I jabbed a finger at the stunned trio to emphasize my point.


    "We adapt. We improvise. We invent. You''re weaker than a magical beast? Use a weapon to slay it. Your opponent is stronger than you? Use a weapon to make up for your strength. Of course, most of the time, they are more skilled with a weapon than you. But if that''s the case, find an alternative route of attack! If they''re stronger, you might be faster. Or set up ambushes! Rely on stealth! Find and exploit your opponent''s weaknesses! No matter how high their stages or cultivation realms are, they are only human. They are not gods. They definitely have weaknesses. Find them and use them to your advantage! No one is this world is perfect."


    Everyone was staring at me. Tong Xue shrugged and shook his head in amusement, probably because he was used to me raving and ranting. Lian Rou, even less so, but she didn''t say anything and just nodded quietly.


    The terrible trio, on the other hand, merely snorted.


    "You''re delusional."


    "Keep thinking that, if that makes you feel better."


    "One day you''ll meet those godlike existences and truly understand how wrong you are. There exists absolute differences between martial artists. Some are born to be above others, some are more talented than the others."


    "Then why do you guys bother?" I countered. "Evidently you''re not one of those talented ones, so why even bother cultivating and learning martial artists? Why haven''t you guys dropped out already? Why risk your lives taking this mission? Isn''t it because you want to stake everything on that miniscule chance to pass?"


    The three of them said nothing, and just trudged past me wordlessly. The hypocrites clearly didn''t want to listen to a single word I said, while selfishly saying whatever they wanted and forcing their negativity onto us, and forcing us to listen to their whining.


    Wow¡­how shameless could they get?


    Shaking my head, I was about to follow them, but Lian Rou was quicker.


    "Wait! Don''t go that way! It''s dangerous!"


    "Oh, shut up!" Zi Sha snapped. "What''s with you three, acting like you''re better than us, all because you completed a bunch of missions and have some combat experience? You think that gives you the right to talk down to us?"


    ¡­what the fuck?


    Yeah, I mean¡­you failed all your missions and had no combat experience ¨C by your own admission. Of course we were definitely better than you. We had earned the right through our achievements. What have you guys achieved other than whining?


    And they were furious at us for "acting better than them" instead of wisely taking our advice and doing something about their failures? Was there something wrong with them?


    "Watch your tone, you condescending prick," Tong Xue snarled. The moment they turned on Lian Rou, he snapped. "I''ve put up with your whining for long enough, but if you think you''re better than us, then feel free and complete the mission on your own. We don''t need the credits. We can just abort the mission and leave you guys to do this yourself."


    "Actually, let''s do that," I suggested, already turning away. "It''s clear they don''t need us, and I''m sick of their whining."


    "Me too," Lian Rou agreed with a sigh. She waved a hand at the trio. "Good luck making through the Toxic Marshes on your own."


    "We don''t need your help!" Jiu Bu Liao huffed as she stomped off.


    "We can do this on our own!" Zi Sha added before joining her. I gaped at him. Seriously? Where did this new confidence come from? As much as I was glad that they were more confident than before, earlier they were moaning about how they had failed every mission before this, and how it was impossible to defeat the superior Black Venom Cult with their current strength. What was with this sudden change in attitude?


    This made no sense whatsoever.


    At the very least, Yi Ding Si looked hesitant.


    "Er¡­" he stammered. "I don''t think that''s a good idea¡­"


    "Then you can fail on your own!"


    Yi Ding Si sighed and shook his head. He glanced at us one last time, looking more grumpy than apologetic, and then trudged after his two companions.


    We watched them wade through the swamp. My headache worsened as I wondered how stupid they could be to step right into the murky waters whose depths concealed all sorts of dangers, from gigantic aquatic monsters to venomous creatures. But no, they decided to just wade through the damned thing.


    Did they have a brain in those skulls of theirs? No wonder they failed their missions so far.


    "Are we really going to let them go like that?" Lian Rou asked worriedly, watching as they moved into the distance.


    "Do we have a choice? They don''t want our help. And we have no obligation to sacrifice our lives and die with them."


    My words might sound ruthless, but I honestly had no intention of dying because of someone else''s stupid mistakes, recklessness and arrogance.


    "Wu is right," Tong Xue agreed with a sigh. "If they want to commit suicide, let them. I don''t want to die with them."


    "Why do you both think we''ll die if we try to take care of them?" Lian Rou asked, confounded. "Shouldn''t it be our jobs to keep everyone alive?"


    "Probably," I admitted. "But the fact that they ignored your warning about that direction being dangerous and just plunging into the swamp like that recklessly shows that they are hellbent on making our job impossible."


    "¡­you''re right." Lian Rou groaned and slapped her forehead. "After I explictly told them that it was dangerous¡­it''s like they''re deliberately trying to kill themselves."


    "Let''s hope they wise up and get out of there before anything happens," Tong Xue muttered.


    No sooner than the words had left his mouth when there was a sudden scream from the direction where the troublesome trio had disappeared to. The three of us exchanged knowing glances, and then quickly ran along the swamp. Tong Xue and I hung back, letting Lian Rou lead the way. Her familiarity with the swamp would make a huge difference.


    As we expected, the trio were being attacked by a gigantic Marsh Serpent. Several dozen meters long, and head almost a meter wide, the creature lunged at the shrieking trio as they splashed violently in the bog, trying to escape from the creature.


    "For heaven''s sake¡­"


    Cursing under my breath, I used my footwork techniques to cross the distance in an instant. Freezing the murky water and creating steps of ice, I landed right next to the Marsh Serpent. The sleek predator turned to me, its maw yawning wide to reveal two massive fangs dripping with venom and a single forked tongue.


    I beheaded it immediately with a single swing of my Shadow Fox. The Marsh Serpent stared at me stupidly for a moment, then its head fell off its neck with a spray of blood, causing a huge splash of disgusting liquid across the area.


    The terrible trio gaped at me for a moment, still unable to comprehend what had just happened.


    "What are you waiting for?!" I bellowed. "For another magical beast to attack you? Get out of the swamp now!"


    As if afraid that I would decapitate them next, the three of them scrambled out of the marsh, making a huge mess and spraying swamp water all over the grayish grass as they stumbled onto relatively dry land.


    "Mr. Fei¡­" Yi Ding Si moaned. "I don''t feel so good."


    Was he going to turn into ash or something?


    "I feel dizzy¡­"


    "Ugh!"


    Both Zi Sha and Jiu Bu Liao were also suffering similar symptoms. All three of them crashed onto the ground, sprawling over the earth as they writhed.


    "Oh no¡­"


    Lian Rou hurried over and frantically pulled at their layers of clothing. As I made my way back to dry land by a combination of my footwork techniques and freezing a small part of the swamp to create footholds, I magnified my glasses and caught sight of countless bugs wriggling on the terrible trio''s pale flesh.


    "Bog Bugs¡­they are sucking their blood at an alarming rate!" Lian Rou exclaimed.


    "Is there anything we can do?" Tong Xue asked urgently as he joined her. He tried to swat at the Bog Bugs crawling all over the three''s skin, but Lian Rou stayed his hand, most likely because she didn''t want him to get bitten as well.


    "We need to destroy all the Bog Bugs at once."


    "And how do we do that?" Tong Xue demanded.


    "Any of you know fire techniques?"


    Tong Xue and I shook our heads. I was a user of ice techniques, not fire. If I was a Mary Sue like Qin Lie, probably I could use all sorts of elemental techniques, from lightning, earth (or magnetic), ice and fire, but I wasn''t a multitalented Mary Sue who could use all elements and doubled as a genius blacksmith. Neither was I the Flame Emperor Xiao Yan who possessed all the Essence Flames and doubled as a receptarier.


    This was way out of my league.


    "Do ice techniques worked?" I asked. Lian Rou shook her head.


    "Ice will just freeze the Bog Bugs and keep them in stasis. I guess it''ll kill them, but I was hoping for something cleaner. Something that would disintegrate them."


    "I should be able to disintegrate them with Absolute Zero," I offered. Lian Rou scowled at me.


    "Won''t you kill these three in the process as well if you use Absolute Zero on them?"


    "No big loss," I joked, but if I was going to end up killing them anyway, then I might as well save my qi and let the Bog Bugs do the job.


    Lian Rou sighed. "No choice. We''ll have to do this the hard way then." She rummaged through her storage device and produced a lighter. Closing her eyes, she infused the device with her qi, and then flicked it open. Thumbing it, she produced a small flame.


    Then she enlarged it with her qi, transforming it into a huge torrent of fire that washed over the writhing trio.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    "UUUUUUUUUUGH!"


    "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"


    Goddammit, just hearing the three of them shriek was making me flinch.


    "Just put up with the pain for now," Lian Rou told them, completely unsympathetic. I swear, if I didn''t know her well enough I thought she was enjoying their agony. "The process will take a while, but I have to be very thorough. I don''t want to leave any of the Bog Bugs behind."


    The trio were in too much pain to formulate a coherent reply. They merely curled into fetal positions and screamed as the flames ravaged their bodies.


    Tong Xue and I exchanged a glance and remained where we were, probably to stay on guard against other predators and venomous creatures from the Toxic Marshes. Not far away, Song Ting Yu and her entourage stopped and maintained their distance, watching us from afar and probably wondering what was going on. Not that we cared. We had more important things to do, such as setting up a temporary perimeter while Lian Rou treated the troublesome trio.