…
As the sun hangs in the sky, Yang Qing and Zuo Lingxin continue their fight.
Yang Qing's brief charge was abruptly ended due to Zuo Lingxin waving her right arm.
Yang Qing takes a couple of steps back looking at his axe. "Impressive." He mutters, before charging again.
"How useless." Zuo Lingxin waves her left arm this time, getting into a stance.
Yang Qing reaches Zuo Lingxin, and he swings his axe downwards.
By simply pushing the axe back softly with her hand, the axe's force suddenly stops.
"This is the art of serenity!" A scholar in the audience yells, drawing attention to himself.
"My lord, she's basically perfected it, and at such a low level of cultivation!"
With his words, the audience grows louder, with many disciples being filled with jealousy.
"What? She's already perfected such an art? Bullshit!" A burly disciple grinds his teeth together as he challenges the scholar's words.
"Brother Sheng, calm down, the scholar must know more than you."
"Are you taunting me? And you dare to call me your brother!" The burly disciple roars, his face flushed with anger.
Jealousy and envy is a very frequent emotion in the cultivation world.
Many more disciples in the audience are just like the burly disciple, spitting vulgar words at the scholar and Zuo Lingxin.
"Is this Yang Qing really a cultivator? His attack was stopped so easily!"
Back to the battle, Yang Qing shakes his head.
"You try so hard to retain your purity, yet…"
He sighs. And then looks at his axe yet again.
"What hope is there? In clinging to the past. You were fated to be this way, but were born different—" Yang Qing's speech was suddenly interrupted by Zuo Lingxin.
"Shut up!" She yells, and then takes a deep breath.
"All of this talk about purity, yet even you have mentioned that you aren't pure, who are you to judge?" She starts sprinting towards Yang Qing.
"I am pure, and nothing you say will change that!" She sends her two palms towards Yang Qing.
Surprisingly, if these palms were to hit, it would immediately disable Yang Qing, since she aimed at two vulnerable meridians.
"Clever." He mutters, as he swings his axe to block the palms.
Though Zuo Lingxin does not falter, even as the brutish stone axe slams against her soft hands.
They continue trading blows, with Zuo Lingxin being able to easily direct Yang Qing's axe away, and Yang Qing being able to push her palms away.
"Three Rose Blossoms!" Zuo Lingxin shouts as she sends her right palm towards Yang Qing's face, like a rose, while her left hand imitates the stem.
Together, this move is as if a blooming rose flies towards Yang Qing.
"Impressive." He mutters, easily cleaving the rose in half.
Zuo Lingxin flies back, landing safely. Her eyes narrow as she studies Yang Qing.
"Tsk, I can't do anything, neither can he… what to do, what to do." She bites her nails as she ponders.
"All he's used so far is his axe, maybe…" Suddenly, she stands up, and then launches herself towards Yang Qing.
"Accept your loss!" She shouts, this time striking his neck with her hands. She bends her fingers and extends her nails.
Suddenly, Yang Qing pauses. Their faces are mere inches apart, and he can see the madness in Zuo Lingxin's expression.
With a brief flash of pink light, Yang Qing's eyes widen.
"Blurghh!" He vomits blood as her claw connects with his throat, and he gets sent backwards, sending dust flying up.
"What? No way!" The audience is quick to react as Yang Qing is struck, with some even sending vulgarities out.
"Did he just get his ass beat by a woman? Haha, how pathetic!" Shi Wuying falls to the ground as he dies of laughter.
"HAHA, this shit will eventually kill me, I tell you, he just took that like he was face to face with a lion!" He continues laughing, losing his breath.
Disciples around Shi Wuying shake their heads and some even criticise him.
"How could a cultivator act like this?" A female disciple comments.
"This must be Shi Wuying, his skin is very thick." Another disciple recognises Shi Wuying.
"Really? Haha, we must not stoop to a mortal's level, like this Shi Wuying here."
Even though the disciples around him continue to mock him, Shi Wuying continues laughing.
Back on the stage, Yang Qing lies with blood covering his face.
"This is no pure and honest power. And to think—" Yang Qing spits out blood as he tries to speak. "And to think I saw a light in your eyes… how gullible am I?" He smiles and shakes his head as he passes out.
After a couple of seconds, the announcer declares Zuo Lingxin the winner, and she chuckles.
"Aw, all that talk for what? Grandfather was wrong, this is so easy!" She skips away, giggling as she exits the battleground.
Up in the elder stands, Han Kuang stares blankly at the fallen Yang Qing.
"That is no ordinary power. This girl…" His eyes narrow.
And then he glances at Yang Qing's face.
"Was I wrong? Yes, I must've been wrong, there is no way my seed is this weak." He leans back, and then sips some wine.
His eyes suddenly flash with a sharp light, and then the brutality plastered all over his face fades.
"In the grand scheme of things, losses like these are… necessary." He admits, with an almost forgiving tone.
...
Down in the Eaglesburn mountain ranges.
An old man draped in fiery red robes sits down on the ground, his eyes narrowed and gaze burning with fury. "Fan Chen." He calls out, his voice a deep groan.
"Yes, father." Almost immediately after he calls out Fan Chen's name, the youth appears right by his side, also draped in fiery red robes.
"The Great Whirlwind Sect… where exactly is it located?" He asks, a hint of arrogance in his voice. His gaze drifts to the side, where he spots his son kneeling.
"Father, it is right over the Emerald Green Forest." Fan Chen replies without hindrance, his voice filled with reverence.
"Hmph, Gao Yong, I wonder if you still live… especially after what had transpired." His eyes suddenly widen. "Fan Chen. I heard they have a superior-grade talent brat, correct?" His eyes return to normal.
"Father, answering your question, yes, his name is Xun Shi. From intel, he had apparently reached the ninth layer of qi gathering." His son remains kneeling.
"Huu, ninth layer?" Fan Xun suddenly grins. "Only? Are they limiting him on purpose?" His white teeth gleam brightly. "How pathetic, ahaha!"
Fan Xun slaps his knee as he laughs, and his son joins in.
"Haha… yes father, how pathetic is that?" Fan Chen smiles as he watches his father boisterously laugh.
Down in the Emerald Green Forest, tiny purple stars start to illuminate, casting the forest in an ominous shade.
…