Chapter 54: Disarming You

Although Wang Shuiling was the host of this year's Eastern Domain Heroes Gathering, she hadn't intended to intervene much. Yet just now, she received an aged, familiar voice through a sound transmission. In the cultivation world, those who have mastered the martial technique "Sound Transmission" can send messages through it. However, to transmit such a clear and familiar voice from over a hundred meters away, one must possess innate realm cultivation; otherwise, it would be impossible.

Especially upon hearing that familiar voice, Wang Shuiling found herself compelled to step in. When Wang Shuiling made it clear she was favoring him, Li Xingyao narrowed his eyes and laughed heartily. "Thank you, Fairy Shui, for presiding with fairness. Now, you little rascal, do you dare to fight?"

Qingxi, lounging in his bamboo chair, raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't expected Wang Shuiling to involve herself in the matter, and it caught him off guard. However, no matter what happened today, he had to challenge Mu Yue; sooner or later, he would have to make an appearance. Now, seeing Li Xingyao standing atop the stage looking as if he were begging for a beating, Qingxi couldn't help but curl his lip and shout, "Since my good son is so eager to be ground into the earth, your father will reluctantly grant your wish."

This time, he used his real voice and no longer disguised himself. Instantly, everyone's gaze locked onto Qingxi, hundreds of eyes converging upon him. The crowd was astonished to find that such an audacious person was merely a boy who looked fifteen or sixteen. Even with a spiritual-grade spiritual root, at this age, one would only have just begun the path of cultivation, perhaps reaching a dozen levels in Qi Refinement if lucky. With such meager cultivation, to provoke a master like Li Xingyao, who stood at the peak of Qi Refinement, was tantamount to suicide.

For a moment, almost no one favored Qingxi's chances.

"You... aren't you Brother Li Ba...?" In the Elysium Sect camp, the group of disciples who had traveled on the same ship as Qingxi stood up in shock, pointing at him in disbelief. No one had expected that the gentle, well-behaved Li Ba, who claimed to be Li Xingyao's kin, would turn out to be the troublemaker of the evening!

Yun Wei and the dozen disciples from the Scarlet Flame Sect felt their worldview crumble. The words "Brother Li Ba" faded to a whisper, barely audible by the end. With Li Xingyao adamantly denying any self-mutilation, the Elysium Sect disciples quickly realized Qingxi was neither Li Ba nor Li Xingyao's kin. Everything he'd said had been a lie.

"So you were deceiving us all along!" Yun Wei trembled with rage, his fingers quivering.

Qingxi could only sigh helplessly, spreading his hands. "It wasn't my intention. You see, you're allies of the Scarlet Flame Sect. Had you been mere passersby, perhaps I would have told you the truth. Still, I must thank you all for giving me a lift."

He clasped his fists toward the Scarlet Flame Sect's camp, his face beaming—a perfect embodiment of thick-skinned bravado, casually tossing out cheeky remarks. Hearing his words, the Scarlet Flame Sect disciples could only grind their teeth in frustration.

In the Spirit Essence Sect's direction, reactions varied. Zhou Yuanlong rubbed his eyes, staring at Qingxi in shock. "It's him!"

Wan Hu, seated at the head, glanced sideways and asked, "Junior Brother Zhou, do you know this person?"

Zhou Yuanlong gnawed his teeth in anger. "Senior Brother, do you recall a few days ago when I challenged an outer disciple and inexplicably lost?"

"I heard a little about it. So he's the one?" Wan Hu was secretly surprised, unable to fathom how someone so young could possess the strength to beat Zhou Yuanlong into a pulp. Though it was rumored Zhou Yuanlong was off his game that day and missed every move, Wan Hu didn't believe it. As a Qi Refinement cultivator who had trained for years, even if he indulged himself daily, he shouldn't be so weak.

To Wan Hu, Qingxi must have mastered some mysterious martial technique capable of subtly manipulating the local air currents, thereby altering Zhou Yuanlong's attack trajectory. Having speculated to his satisfaction, Wan Hu narrowed his eyes and silently added Qingxi to his list of future formidable rivals. Someone with such mysterious martial prowess was no less than a genius who had cultivated sword aura, spear radiance, or blade edge, possessing formidable combat power among their peers.

When everyone's cultivation reached similar heights, those with such strength would be the top contenders. To Wan Hu, one of the top ten inner disciples destined for the innate realm, Qingxi was certainly a formidable opponent on his path to securing a seat among the core elders.

Qingxi, meanwhile, was oblivious to Wan Hu's thoughts. He stood up, lightly stepping forward, borrowing momentum so that he seemed to glide through the air, landing on the stage in the blink of an eye.

"So it really is you!" Li Xingyao stared into Qingxi's eyes. Ever since being thoroughly thrashed in Tiger Roar Forest, he'd never forgotten those eyes or their owner.

"That's right. It's your Qing Ba Ba," Qingxi replied with a smirk, summoning from his system space the superior-grade spiritual sword he'd taken from Li Xingyao. On his wrist was a fake storage bracelet; he had no fear of anyone discovering the truth about his system space.

Li Xingyao stared at the sword, his pupils contracting, his anger intensifying.

Others, too, fixed their gaze on the dark red spiritual sword that had originally belonged to the Scarlet Flame Sect, causing an uproar. Especially Li Xingchen, who now fully understood. He pointed at Qingxi and shouted, "It's him! He's the one who set the trap in Tiger Roar Forest and tricked us!"

The surrounding Scarlet Flame Sect disciples who had participated in the Tiger Roar Forest raid recalled the incident, and their hatred for Qingxi soared.

Compared to the chaos in other sects, the Water Immortal Sect's camp was relatively calm. Wang Shuiling watched Qingxi with interest and whispered, "Junior Sister, this is the boy Elder Hong spoke of—the direct disciple of Ouyang Changfeng."

"Oh, he's the one who wants to challenge me?" Mu Yue's voice was tranquil, ethereal as moonlight, crisp as spring water, and clear as the sky after rain. In short, it was pleasing to the ear.

Wang Shuiling rested her chin on her palm. "My junior sister isn't someone just anyone can challenge. It's best to let Li Xingyao, that hothead, test the boy's abilities first."

"Indeed. If his strength is lacking, there'll be no need for him to challenge me," Mu Yue replied, nodding with elegant grace, like a fairy untouched by earthly dust.

On the stage, Li Xingyao glared at the superior-grade spiritual sword that once belonged to him, his eyes nearly aflame. He stretched out his hand and barked, "Return my spiritual sword, or I'll take your life!"

"Take my life? I fear you can't manage that. But I've already taken your weapon. How does that feel—are you angry?" Qingxi played with the superior-grade spiritual sword, occasionally tapping it with the back of his finger, producing a clear, ringing sword cry.

"You're courting death!" Li Xingyao shouted in fury, raising his middle-grade spiritual sword, ready to strike.

"Hold on!" Qingxi raised his hand, stopping him.

Li Xingyao, sword raised, gritted his teeth. "Any last words?"

"You're skipping the formalities and just starting the fight?" Qingxi frowned, dissatisfied, his gaze falling on Li Xingyao's sword. "And are you so sure your middle-grade spiritual sword won't explode?"