Chapter 548 - 544: Difficult to Get Off the Tiger - Qin Feng Leaves the Pass
“Hmph!”
To the side, Liu Xuanling, tall and full of cold pride, snorted, “Where does it come down to you? The youngster issued his challenge to my Junior Brother, so let me, as his Senior Sister, take up the fight for him!
Years ago, I killed quite a few Disciples from the Giant Spirit Sect, and now I want to see how many of my Divine Skills this so-called prime inheritor can withstand?”
“You are not up to it…”
Ma Xing instinctively retorted.
However, as Liu Xuanling turned her cold gaze toward him, he realized whom he was speaking to.
“I’m not up to it?”
Liu Xuanling looked coldly at Ma Xing, “So, in your eyes, I can’t even beat a Junior of the Giant Spirit Sect?
Or do you want to try the might of my Taiyin Ice Soul Divine Light?”
“No, no!”
Ma Xing shrank his neck, instinctively feeling as if Liu Xuanling’s gaze was as penetrating as icy Sword Light, sending shivers down his spine. He then remembered that this woman had once been a terrifying power, dominating several groups of Disciples. When she had made her name adventuring in the outer regions, he hadn’t even been born yet!
Of course, that wasn’t the main point. The main point was that Liu Xuanling’s Dao Cultivation surpassed his, and she was somewhat unpredictable. If she caught him on something and decided to teach him a lesson, he would stand no chance.
Even though Ma Xing had advanced to the Purple Mansion Realm and possessed some unique Divine Skills, he didn’t think he could battle beyond his level, especially not against an exceptional talent like Liu Xuanling, a Dharma Image Cultivator.
In recent years, Liu Xuanling roamed the Central Region, visiting various Cultivators to broaden her experience, and finally broke through her limits several years ago, forming her Dharma Image, further elevating her Dao Cultivation.
In addition, with her mastery of techniques from two Sects, her strength was no less than that of many veteran Dharma Image Cultivators. Ma Xing dared not compare himself to her!
Thus, Ma Xing, who always prided himself on being a man who understood the times, quickly changed his tune, “What I mean is that Senior Sister Liu already achieved the Dharma Image, and to contend with Duan Shanhe is beneath your status. Moreover, even if he loses to you, he won’t be convinced, believing you won through the advantage of your Realm!”
“Hmph!”
Upon hearing this, Liu Xuanling, though unwilling, knew there was reason in Ma Xing’s words and sat back in her chair, fuming silently.
Ma Xing, seeing that Liu Xuanling didn’t cause him any trouble, relaxed a little, then began to feel smug, “It seems like I’ll have to take action myself!”
“Why should it be you?”
Kong Xuan spoke lazily from the side, “If we are talking about fighting, I seem to be better at it than you, right? You just run around relying on your speed, not even close to the power of my Spells!”
“You don’t understand!”
Ma Xing replied confidently, “This is to figure out the opponent’s strength, ever heard of tactics? If everyone just went head-to-head with the enemy like you, that would be brainless combat!”
Kong Xuan’s beautiful, excessively bright phoenix eyes stared daggers at Ma Xing. If he hadn’t grown up knowing this guy’s way of speaking, he would have taught him a lesson.
In fact, the two of them had had numerous fights over such differences in opinions since they were young.
“Both of you have the wrong idea of how to fight. If you ask me, true combat should be a head-on clash of force; relying on tricks is not the way of a true warrior!”
Not far away, Xue Baoshu, carrying a ferocious White Bone Beast Head Hammer, stood up, her towering frame like a mountain, casting a glance down at Kong Xuan and Ma Xing, who seemed like weak little chicks compared to her massive build. Therefore, she looked down on these two!
“Tch, all you know is brute force!”
Kong Xuan and Ma Xing also dismissed her approach to battle!
“Are we about to fight?”
Just as everyone was deciding who should go out to deal with Duan Shanhe, an excited voice suddenly came from outside the hall, followed by Li Miaozhen running in with the White Tiger Saber, eager and straight to the point, “Where’s the person? Who’s fighting?”
All the Disciples present knew Li Miaozhen’s temperament; seeing her battle-hungry eyes looking over, they all quickly dodged, signaling that it wasn’t them.
They all had self-awareness; although many of the Disciples had advanced to the Purple Mansion over the years, none felt confident enough to beat Li Miaozhen.
Indeed,most had given up on the idea of competing with Li Miaozhen a long time ago.
She had been too strong in those early years!
Even Ma Xing became somewhat restrained upon seeing Li Miaozhen, not daring to compete with her.
Otherwise, he feared she might take him down first.
“*Cough*… Wasn’t Senior Sister Li in seclusion? How did you come out so early?”
“Ah, what’s the point of seclusion? It’s not as interesting as fighting. It’s not too late to go back to seclusion after I’ve fought!”
Li Miaozhen gestured dismissively!
Several Inner Sect Elders, who came out to see what the fuss was, couldn’t help but twitch their mouths upon hearing this.
The people inside the hall were speechless, but this was very in line with Li Miaozhen’s usual temperament.
“That’s the situation.”
Although Li Miaozhen was regarded as a violent combat maniac by most Disciples, she also had a group of supporters within the Sect.
This was especially true among the female Disciples, with many adorers of Li Miaozhen. So someone quickly relayed the situation to her.
“What? The prime inheritor of the Giant Spirit Sect dares to issue a challenge just as Junior Brother Qin has advanced?”
When hearing this, Li Miaozhen’s eyes widened, but not with anger; she was excited, “Quick, quick, quick, let that Duan Shanhe in and let me see what he’s made of!
Since he dares call himself the prime inheritor, he must have some abilities.
Hehehe, I knew something felt off while cultivating; it turns out Junior Brother Qin has advanced. What, you didn’t inform him about the Giant Spirit Sect Disciple’s challenge?”
Someone whispered, “Senior Brother Qin hasn’t left his seclusion; we didn’t dare disturb him.”
“And what’s there to disturb? Do you think Qin Feng is like you all, requiring so much time to stabilize his Realm just for a small advancement?”
Li Miaozhen laughed, “With Qin Junior Brother’s accumulation, there’s no need for that. But since he hasn’t come out, let it be, and let me meet this prime inheritor of the Giant Spirit Sect.
Hmph, it seems this fellow has gained some benefits from the Otherworld, so he had the guts to come knocking. It’s unfortunate that he overestimated himself.
Hmm, good thing I suppressed my Realm and didn’t advance to the Dharma Image; otherwise, I really wouldn’t be able to take action against him personally!”
“Ah? Has Senior Sister reached the point of advancing?”
Beside her, Hongluan of the Vermilion Bird Lineage couldn’t help but have her eyes shine upon hearing the words.
“Two years ago, I could have advanced, but I was worried that advancing too quickly would be unwise, so I spent an additional two years polishing my cultivation.”
She devoted herself to a single path and had also been blessed with immense qi fortune. In the previous years, she had challenged countless opponents and fought nearly a thousand battles, gaining many insights through combat and approaching the edge of advancement.
But as soon as these words were uttered, not only did little fan-girl Hongluan’s eyes light up, others were also somewhat shocked, “The Chosen Son is indeed formidable, Senior Sister Li only received the blessing of qi fortune a few years ago, and she’s already cultivated to such a realm—truly making us envious!”
The disciples who returned early from the trial came back from the Otherworld with certain information, thanks to which they all received considerable qi fortune.
In fact, this trial was originally a reward given by the Heavenly Dao to various sects, encouraging them to participate in expeditions to seize resources from the Ten Thousand Worlds to repair the Biluo Origin. Thus, every disciple who participated in the trial and safely returned, even if they brought back little news from the Otherworld, would receive some degree of qi fortune blessing, albeit in varying amounts.
These disciples, not as fortunate as Li Miaozhen in their fate, nor having received early advice from Qin Feng, blindly ventured into an unknown and strange world. It was already an impressive feat that they were able to glean some important information in just a few short years.
For this reason, they had even more admiration for someone like Li Miaozhen who could secure a spot and become a Master of Qi Luck.
Now, learning that Li Miaozhen could advance to a Dharma Image Cultivator at any moment instantly filled everyone with envy.
At that moment, Duan Shanhe, along with a few cultivators from the Giant Spirit Sect, had arrived at the gates of the Beast Taming Sect’s palace, surrounded by a throng of people.
By now, Duan Shanhe found himself unable to back out.
Under the watchful eyes of all, he couldn’t possibly slip away in silence. Even through tears, he was compelled to follow through with the challenge he had previously promised!
Moreover, he was brimming with confidence and did not believe he would lose!
He had just arrived in front of the palace, and before he had a chance to speak, he saw the palace gates open and a wave of people spill out—one or two dozen of them.
At the forefront was Li Miaozhen!
Since it was a matter between the younger generation, the elders of the Beast Taming Sect naturally wouldn’t interfere. Since no elders from the Giant Spirit Sect were present, they too preferred to stay out of sight, avoiding accusations that the Beast Taming Sect was using its power to bully others and win without honor!
However, in truth, there was no need for them to show themselves; the mere sight of Li Miaozhen sparked an uproar of cheers from the onlookers.
At first, Duan Shanhe assumed that the crowd was cheering for the upcoming battle he was part of. But as he listened carefully, he realized something was off. They were actually cheering for Li Miaozhen’s arrival, which immediately soured his expression.
So these people weren’t here to watch his challenge at all!
Since when had Li Miaozhen become so renowned?
The disciples standing behind Duan Shanhe saw his puzzled look and knew that their Senior Brother had only recently returned from the Otherworld and wasn’t fully aware of recent events. Stepping forward, they cast a Sound Transmission into Seclusion spell and promptly recounted Li Miaozhen’s achievements over the years.
Hearing this, Duan Shanhe’s brows furrowed, but he forced down the tremors in his heart.
At this point, he had no choice but to proceed as planned. He called out, “I am Duan Shanhe, the Chief True Inheritance disciple of the Giant Spirit Sect. I had some conflicts with a disciple from your sect, Qin Feng, while on the trial. He and I were on opposing sides. There’s no right or wrong about what happened then, but now that Duan has returned from the Otherworld, I have specifically come to settle past grievances with your sect’s Qin Feng!”
“Junior Brother Qin is in seclusion and has not emerged. If you wish to fight, facing me is the same.”
Li Miaozhen came bursting out, her right hand already on the handle of the White Tiger Saber, excitement unmistakable, ready to jump into action. It was clear that as soon as Duan Shanhe agreed to battle, she would draw her blade and strike!
“I’m looking for Qin Feng, not you!”
“It doesn’t matter; once I knock you down, I can take you to see Junior Brother Qin!”
With a resounding clang, Li Miaozhen’s White Tiger Saber at her waist sprung out an inch, revealing a horrifying streak of sword light.
Duan Shanhe’s heart suddenly turned cold as he realized that Li Miaozhen had enlisted an Artifact Refining Master to fuse her Divine Artifact Necklace into the saber’s blade, augmenting the White Tiger Saber’s power—now three parts stronger than before. Although it was merely a glimpse of sword light, the endless sword energy concealed within made one’s heart palpitate!
Only then did he understand that Li Miaozhen’s previous record of challenging and defeating peers in combat proved her extraordinary strength. The overwhelming aura of her war power even began to instill a notion deep in his heart that he might not be her match.
Cautiously guarded against any sudden attack from Li Miaozhen, Duan Shanhe shouted, “Qin Feng, what kind of skill is it to hide behind a woman? If you’ve got the guts, come out and battle me for three hundred rounds!
“I’ve come to settle our old scores, and here you are hiding away! How can you call yourself a hero?”
Clearly, he aimed to throw out some bold words to find an excuse to avoid fighting Li Miaozhen, so he could retreat without losing face.
However, these words also provoked the many disciples of the Beast Taming Sect.
They voiced their contempt one after another, “Knowing that Senior Brother Qin is in seclusion for cultivation, you specifically choose this moment to challenge—why not wait for him to emerge?”
“Exactly. Junior Brother Qin has just advanced in realm. Not to mention whether his realm is stable, the timing itself is so inappropriate—it’s clear you’re just trying to take advantage!”
“What Giant Spirit Sect’s premier inheritor of true teachings—nothing but a sly and dishonest person!”
Duan Shanhe, with his face unchanged, felt an inward surge of annoyance at the crowd’s words. He had been too pleased earlier and had overlooked this point, which now left him in a difficult position!
Even Li Miaozhen condemned him, saying, “That’s right. As the premier inheritor of true teachings of the Giant Spirit Sect, you’re truly shameless—it’s really quite indefensible. Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders!”
As she spoke, she drew her saber from its scabbard, and the sword energy soared to the skies.
However, the excited battle intent shining through her expression seemed anything but like someone begrudgingly standing up for Qin Feng!
Seeing this, Duan Shanhe’s heart tightened.
Facing the renowned Li Miaozhen, he dared not take any chances and hastily pulled out a pair of massive Spirit Treasure Copper Hammers from behind, ready for battle.
At that moment, a faint voice came from deep within the palace: “Senior Sister, since this person is so insistent on seeking revenge against me, let me fulfill his wish lest others say our Beast Taming Sect doesn’t know how to treat guests!”
“Hmm?”
Both friends and foes, as well as the onlookers, were startled by the voice and immediately turned their gazes towards the palace door, where Qin Feng was slowly making his way out.
Although he was previously far away, his calm and even-toned voice clearly reached the ears of every cultivator present, loud and clear.
The crowd was shocked again upon seeing Qin Feng’s figure.
In a few seemingly casual strides, he had already reached Li Miaozhen’s side!
Nobody could detect any spell he might have used, nor could the onlooking crowd impede his advance. His mysterious appearance, far from being jarring, seemed as natural as a leisurely stroll.
“Ah, you… how did you come out of seclusion already?”
Li Miaozhen was stunned for a moment and then showed a face full of disappointment, “Or you could go back and seclude yourself a bit longer, I promise to bring him down and deliver him straight to your Seclusion Room!”
The corner of Qin Feng’s mouth twitched, nearly bursting into laughter.
But the others weren’t as reluctant to show their amusement, especially those cultivators familiar with Li Miaozhen’s modus operandi from their regular challenges with her, and they all burst into laughter!