Chapter 74

In the intricately luxurious carriage, Beiting Wan'er held a green-crested bird used for long-distance communication, her expression uncertain. By her side, Zhuang Wudao, merely observing her expression, already knew that the news Beiting Wan'er had just received was far from good.

It was now after the Yi Bao Conference, and the carriage was less than a hundred steps away from the main courtyard of the Jianyi Hall. However, the atmosphere inside the carriage was oppressively heavy. After a long while, as the carriage gradually came to a stop, Beiting Wan'er finally spoke.

"Do you know who the person next to Gu Yueming is?"

Zhuang Wudao inwardly confirmed his suspicions. Even he had noticed the young man beside Gu Yueming today, who was likely to be quite powerful and highly skilled. How could Beiting Wan'er not be concerned? She must have already ordered inquiries into this person's background, though he himself was unaware of it.

"This person is named Fei Xiushen, one of the most outstanding young experts in Wujing. However, compared to him, Zang Quan is like a speck in the sky. This person had already reached the fourth level of the Qi Cultivation Realm at the age of seventeen, and he has mastered at least two mystic arts!"

Beiting Wan'er, who had not expected Zhuang Wudao to recognize the young man, felt somewhat disheartened and said, "It is said that his cultivation has advanced even further. Even if he hasn't reached the fifth level, he must be very close, and he is highly regarded by many cultivators in Wujing. It's truly inconceivable that the Gu Yue family could invite him here."

Zhuang Wudao also found it unbelievable. A person of such caliber, whether joining any academy or sect, would have a bright future. Why would he be willing to be a stepping stone for Gu Yueming? He wondered what kind of price the Gu Yue family had paid to invite such a person.

Gu Yu still had doubts. "Do you know this person's status in Wujing? Is he from the Lichen Academy?"

"This person was once an outer disciple of the Dari Royal Sect. He came to Wujing alone as a child, with nothing but the clothes on his back. However, just a day ago, he left the Dari Royal Sect and was enrolled in the academy by Li Xiangnan. Regardless of his past status, Fei Xiushen can now participate in the Lichen Competition without any hindrance. It is said that Fei Xiushen has chosen to study the Red Sun Yang Decision and the Red Sun Divine Palm from the Dari Royal Sect, which are particularly effective against the Yuan Magnetic Body. This Li Xiangnan truly deserves to die a thousand deaths! I wish I could tear him to pieces!"

Beiting Wan'er's delicate hands were tightly clenched, her fingers digging into her flesh as she struggled to contain her anger. "If it weren't for the search for Daoist Huaying and the need to guard against the Yishan Sect's actions in Yuecheng, our Beiting family would not be so stretched thin. How could he have taken advantage of this situation? I blame myself for being too careless."

The last few sentences seemed to be both a venting of her anger and an explanation to Zhuang Wudao. Zhuang Wudao understood that to find Huaying before the Yishan Sect, the Beiting family had indeed mobilized all their elite forces. The tension in Yuecheng was high, and the Beiting family was not all-powerful, so some oversights were inevitable.

He had previously felt a bit of schadenfreude over the Beiting family's predicament, but he never imagined that it would soon involve him.

Even if Fei Xiushen was slightly less powerful than Gu Yueming, the gap between them was likely minimal. During the competition, even if he could win, he would surely expend a lot of true essence. Fighting Gu Yueming again would only decrease his chances of victory.

The Red Sun Divine Palm was an internal martial art. When combined with the Red Sun Yang Decision, it could gather the power of the red sun on the palms. Upon hitting an opponent, it would not damage the physical body but would instead penetrate a fiery yang force into the opponent's body, causing them to die from internal heat.

His Magnetic Yuan Gang Qi could block any damage, but it could not defend against the Red Sun Palm Force. Saying that it was his weakness was not an exaggeration.

If it weren't for the presence of the sword spirit Yun'er and the hope of refining the Shiming Flame to quickly cultivate the "Tianxuan Zhaoshi Zhenjing," Zhuang Wudao would have almost completely lost confidence.

He was naturally composed and calm, showing no signs of anxiety or fear. "How can this be blamed on my junior sister? I know the Beiting family is in a difficult situation. It's nothing serious; before defeating Gu Yueming, it's just one more opponent."

Beiting Wan'er's expression was hesitant. After a long while, she clenched her teeth and said, "Ultimately, it is the Beiting family's oversight. Now, in this competition, you have no chance of winning. If you want to withdraw, the Beiting family will not blame you. Uncle Gu will remain in the Jianyi Hall until the Lichen Competition begins, and the Beiting family will ensure your safety until the Daoist Heavenly Path."

Hearing this, Beiting Qin and Gu Yu, who were nearby, frowned and hesitated to speak. Zhuang Wudao was also taken aback, carefully observing Beiting Wan'er. The Beiting family had already invested so much in him, with the value reaching several thousand taels of gold. It was surprising that this Beiting family's young lady would allow him to withdraw without a fight.

The Beiting family was known for its cold and ruthless methods. Why were they being so considerate today? Was Beiting Wan'er being momentarily soft-hearted, or was there another reason?

However, her words also meant that this Beiting family's young lady had no hope for his battle against Gu Yueming.

With a hint of gratitude in his eyes, Zhuang Wudao shook his head slightly. "Let's discuss this later. Although the Red Sun Divine Palm is a top-tier internal martial art, there are ways to defend against it. Gu Yueming's Moon God Sword may be strong, but whether it can break through my Yuan Magnetic Body is uncertain. The outcome of the battle between the two of us can only be determined after the fight. Besides, doesn't your Beiting family have a way to help me avoid Fei Xiushen?"

Beiting Wan'er's spirits lifted, but her face soon darkened again. Under normal circumstances, this would be easy for the Beiting family. However, the situation in Yuecheng was precarious. Besides the Gu Yue family, the Bai Bing Xia family and the Lin and Kong families were also balancing the power, making it impossible to achieve.

—This time, Gu Yueming managed to deceive her and make these moves under the Beiting family's watch. The Xia and Kong families must have also played a significant role.

Zhuang Wudao's attitude surprised her even more. Despite the dire situation, he was unwilling to back down. What kind of confidence did this cheap senior brother have?

Zhuang Wudao bowed and said with a joking tone, "Thank you for seeing me off, Miss. Zhuang Wudao will take his leave. If I realize I can't win a month from now, I will consider withdrawing from the competition. At that time, I hope you won't blame me for changing my mind."

Without waiting for Beiting Wan'er to respond, Zhuang Wudao stepped out of the carriage. Although his expression was relaxed, he felt a chill inside.

Now that he was involved, he had offended the Gu Yue family. How could he possibly retreat unscathed? Advancing meant survival, while retreating meant death. A desperate fight was the only way to clear the fog. There was no room for retreat. Withdrawing from the competition was a joke! Although Beiting Wan'er might have meant well, he knew that if he agreed, both he and the Jianyi Hall would be in the most dangerous situation.

The Daoist Heavenly Path was perilous. According to his knowledge, the three Heavenly Paths of Lichen were not related to cultivation level. Over the years, many cultivators at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Cultivation had perished, while some who had not even reached the Qi Cultivation Realm had successfully passed. His cultivation talent was only at the fifth rank, and attempting the Daoist Heavenly Path was a necessity.

If he could become a true disciple and enter the Golden Core Elder's sect as the top student of the academy, it would be a leap to the heavens. With this opportunity, Zhuang Wudao was determined not to give up.

People die for wealth, and birds die for food. Having reached this point, even if he couldn't cultivate the "Tianxuan Zhaoshi Zhenjing," and even if Fei Xiushen had truly reached the fifth level of Qi Cultivation, he would fight to the death.

His mind was filled with various thoughts, but Zhuang Wudao's steps in the courtyard were interrupted by a noisy argument.

The voices seemed to come from a guest room on the right. Zhuang Wudao focused and listened. It turned out that Qin Feng was negotiating a deal with several people, but the item for sale was not goods but an unconscious nameless cultivator. They were currently haggling over the price.

After inviting famous doctors in the city to diagnose the cultivator without success, Qin Feng had given up hope and decided to make some profit from the cultivator.

Zhuang Wudao was both amused and exasperated and hurried over. As soon as he entered, he saw Qin Feng sitting in a large chair, casually saying, "This is at least the body of an eighth-level cultivator. Even if it can't be used for forging, it can be used for alchemy. I've heard that some evil techniques require the flesh and blood of cultivators, and it's worth at least a thousand taels of gold. One hundred and fifty taels? Are you treating me like a beggar?"

The others in the room remained silent, except for a man dressed as a doctor, who sneered, "For forging or alchemy? He is poisoned by fire, and using him for alchemy or forging would only ruin the alchemy or forging. Even for creating a corpse, no one would want him! His body contains the Shiming Flame, one of the 'Fires in Stone,' which can drive away evil spirits and evil techniques. At most, he can be turned into a puppet, but only by someone skilled in puppet techniques. His cultivation would drop to the third level, and how useful would he be? A thousand taels of gold is an outrageous price. I'll give you two hundred taels of gold, no more! My Hundred Dan Hall can use him to test some elixirs. In Yuecheng, who else can offer you such a high price? In a month, he will be worthless!"

Hearing this, Qin Feng hesitated, preparing to raise the price a bit before agreeing, but Zhuang Wudao burst in.

"If that's the case, then I won't sell him! I have other uses for this senior. Please leave."

Everyone in the room looked at him in surprise, including Qin Feng, who was taken aback. According to the city's famous doctors, the cultivator's fire poison was deep. Within three months, he would turn to stone. Why keep him if he couldn't be sold? To use him as a stone sculpture at home?

Thinking of the at least twenty thousand taels of silver he could get, Qin Feng was reluctant and had a strange expression. "Wudao, actually, two hundred taels of gold is a very good price—"

Zhuang Wudao was speechless, then his lips curled up in a mocking smile. "If I say I have a way to wake him up, would you still think this deal is good?"

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