Chapter 24 – Challenge

“Lu Chengye wins.”

The referee made the final decision.

There was sparse applause from the audience. This was the last match of the selection tournament. Lu Chengye, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, had competed against Zhang Ji, who was at the same level. 

The two fought for nearly a hundred rounds, but Zhang Ji made a minor mistake at the end, which Lu Chengye took advantage of to end the fight in one blow.

Lu Chengye was the final champion of this competition, as well as the winner of the earth-level magic weapon. This was a rather unexpected result. After all, everyone had initially thought that Fang Yang would be the champion, but he didn’t even make it to the finals.

He hadn’t even shown up for the afternoon rounds.

No matter what his reasons were, if he didn’t come, then he didn’t come. Nobody knew why he was absent, including the referee and the sect leader watching from the viewing platform.

He was just an insignificant junior disciple. If he didn’t cherish the opportunity to compete, there were others who would.

Therefore, when it was Fang Yang’s turn to compete, the referee waited for half an incense stick as required and then promptly declared Fang Yang’s defeat.

Lu Chengye turned his wrist to hold his sword upside down. Then, with an unconcealable expression of pride, he clasped his fist toward the fellow disciples in the audience who were applauding him.

On the viewing platform, Sect Leader Ji stood up and straightened his robes. He had found this competition somewhat boring. This group of junior disciples, including the champion in front of him, had all displayed mediocre performances.

They weren’t bad, but they were also far from good.

He glanced at Cao Zirui beside him. He was at Foundation Establishment stage, and had been specially invited to today’s Qi Refining stage competition. Sect Leader Ji’s original intent was to broaden his disciple’s horizons.

When it came to swordsmanship, cultivation wasn’t everything. It all depended on one’s comprehension. There were some common people without spiritual roots who became chivalrous heroes by relying on their superb swordsmanship.

Sword skills were extremely innovative. Although the outer sect only taught the basic chops, slashes, thrusts, and stabs, and did not have a complete set of sword moves, everyone had his or her own ideas on how to use these basic moves in a comprehensive manner.

The movements of some people were cumbersome and full of flaws, but there were others who were extremely talented in swordsmanship. They were the same basic movements, but they performed them more smoothly and tightly than others.

Cultivating with one’s head down was just divorcing oneself from reality and acting blindly – which made it difficult to achieve great success. It was still necessary to learn more from others and combine the strengths of every school in order to become a real sword master.

Therefore, although Cao Zirui was already at Foundation Establishment, he could still learn a lot from watching the Qi Refining stage competition.

Unfortunately, after observing for an entire day, the results were disappointing. Nobody had used any eye-catching sword moves. Watching so many rounds was just a waste of time.

Cao Zirui still wore his usual expressionless face. He was clearly the same age as the teenage onlookers in the audience, and those teenagers would occasionally call out an excited “Good one!” toward the thrilling fights in the ring.

But Cao Zirui was like an iceberg, mature beyond his years and with a facial paralysis that persisted till the end.

From morning until afternoon, there were dozens of both exciting and boring competitions, but he perpetually wore the same look – expressionless.

When he was done looking at his precious disciple, Sect Leader Ji turned toward Elder Zhou. The two of them reached a tacit understanding. The results were out, and the two of them would announce that the Qi Refining stage competition was officially over.

Are you going to do it or am I? Sect Leader Ji asked with his eyes.

You do it, Elder Zhou responded with a look, stroking his beard.

“Ahem.” Sect Leader Ji cleared his throat and announced: “The champion of this selection tournament is…..”

The three syllables “Lu Chengye” were already at the tip of his tongue, but just as they were about to come out, there was a commotion amongst the audience.

Sect Leader Ji frowned as he looked toward the movement below the platform. He was rather displeased. Who was so ignorant as to make noise while he was speaking?

Elder Zhou and Cao Zirui also noticed the disruption in the audience, and looked down as one.

Two figures could be seen – one in black and one in white, they split the gathered audience like the sea. Not only were those on the platform looking at them, the people below were also watching their sudden intrusion. 

The man in black daoist robes walked in front. Holding a sword in his right hand, his steps were as swift as the wind. Although he possessed an ordinary appearance, he gave people a sense of awe, like an unsheathed sword, and those along the way subconsciously moved out of his path.

And the man in white daoist robes followed closely behind him. Compared to the ordinary-looking man in front, he was a handsome young master. He held a closed fan in one hand, his peach blossom eyes curved in an irrepressible smile.

Feng Ye walked directly to the viewing platform. He looked up at the displeased sect leader and promptly saluted with his sword in his arms: “Sect Leader, this disciple Feng Ye wishes to challenge the champion of this competition…..”

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the nearby person who had yet to come down from the ring: “Lu Chengye.”

With just a few words, it was like pouring cold water onto hot oil, causing an immediate explosion.

Amid the uproar in the arena, Sect Leader Ji’s displeasure intensified once more. He suddenly shook his sleeves, and the terrifying pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator instantly filled the entire area.

This group of Qi Refining stage disciples were stunned, and wilted like eggplants hit by frost.

Many people swayed on their feet when Sect Leader Ji released his wave of oppression, but Feng Ye stood firmly in place without a change of expression.

This surprised Sect Leader Ji for a moment. A person with high cultivation could see through the strength of those with low cultivation at a glance, and he could naturally see that this junior disciple challenger was only at the third level of Qi Refining.

His cultivation was close to the bottom across all sects.

And judging from his age, this likely wasn’t his first year as a disciple. A junior disciple who had been cultivating for two or three years and had only reached the third level of Qi Refining was clamoring to challenge the champion who had gone through numerous rounds?

This couldn’t be described as mere arrogance. This fellow named Feng Ye must have eaten the hearts of all the White-Nosed Demon Bears in the back mountain, otherwise how could he be so bold?

Sect Leader Ji had initially planned to ignore the other party and continue to announce the champion, but Feng Ye didn’t reveal the slightest hint of fear under pressure. Although this person was at a low cultivation level, his courage and comprehension were greater than most of the people present.

Therefore, instead of directly refusing him, Sect Leader Ji said irresolutely: “The competition is over. Once you lose, you don’t get another chance. No one is exempt from this.”

Otherwise, if everyone came to him and asked to challenge the champion, what was the point of this competition?

Feng Ye maintained his salute and explained in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant: “I didn’t lose. I didn’t sign up for the competition at all.”

Sect Leader Ji was surprised once more. There were so many people competing that he couldn’t keep count of them. He had just assumed that Feng Ye had lost his previous round and was unresigned, so he came to issue another challenge.

But this fellow hadn’t even registered his name? That meant that he didn’t even have the courage to try his luck in the Floating Island Secret Realm. That such a person was now here to issue a challenge was unbelievable.

Although he couldn’t figure it out, the same words still applied: “The competition is over.”

Sect Leader Ji gave his answer. This was his final decision, and he was not going to make an exception. Rules were rules. It would be unfair to everyone if someone who hadn’t registered was able to challenge the already-selected champion.

Feng Ye replied: “This disciple is not here for the competition.”

He suddenly lifted his head to look at the sect leader high above, saying: “I am here to challenge him personally. Regardless of whether I win or lose, he will still be the champion and the earth-level magic weapon will still belong to him. I am only here to challenge him to a duel.”

The situation that had been suppressed through great effort by Sect Leader Ji became chaotic again, because Feng Ye’s words…..were too shocking. 

Lingxiao Sword Sect did not allow internal fighting between fellow disciples, but if the feud between the two parties truly reached the point where they had to fight, the sect also provided a solution. 

That was a duel. In order to prevent this method from being abused, there existed a rule that if the challenging party was defeated, he would be directly expelled from the sect. 

And the person being challenged could choose whether or not to accept, with no punishment if he lost the duel.

Feng Ye was making an enormous gamble. With his level of cultivation, once he was expelled from the sect, he would likely not have another chance at immortality in this life.

And the one he was challenging was someone who was superior to him in all aspects.

Was this fellow trying to find an excuse to quit the sect? He was unwilling to retire in obscurity, so he was doing it in such a high-profile way? This was the conclusion that many people came to.

What else could explain Feng Ye’s futile challenge?

Sect Leader Ji and Elder Zhou exchanged glances. Although they didn’t have the same thoughts as the others, they felt that Feng Ye was attempting to strike a rock with an egg, overestimating his abilities. With such a gap in cultivation, how could he prevail?

But since Feng Ye had brought up the idea of a duel, which was a challenge allowed by the sect, they wouldn’t stop him. As for whether or not the challenge would be accepted, Sect Master Ji glanced at Lu Chengye on the stage.

Feng Ye’s challenge must be accepted by Lu Chengye. The onlooking junior disciples were astonished, and looked at Lu Chengye as they came to this realization one after another.

The expression on Lu Chengye’s face wasn’t good. When he saw Feng Ye coming to challenge him, he had actually guessed the reason.

This guy was here to seek revenge for that brat Fang Yang. How dare a useless person at the third level of Qi Refining challenge him? Lu Chengye was furious, but in the wake of his initial anger, he slowly became satisfied.

This was the perfect opportunity to beat up Feng Ye, this soft persimmon who had always been protected by Fang Yang, and make him understand the meaning of fate.

A weakling like him is destined to be trampled underfoot his entire life! Lu Chengye thought with a look of ridicule on his face.

He gave his answer in front of everyone: “Answering Sect Leader, this disciple is willing to accept the challenge.”

He looked at the nearby Feng Ye with a malicious smile on his lips. It would be easy for an accident to happen. Feng Ye could stand in the ring, but it was difficult to say if he would come down intact.

Feng Ye stared across the crowd at Lu Chengye on the stage. When he heard the other’s reply, he smiled for the first time yet.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 23 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 25