Volume 1 Chapter 26

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Volume 1 Chapter 26: Anger and Surprise

When Xu Qingfan arrived at the sixth stone platform, dragging his tired body, the duel that Yue Qingru was in was already reaching its end.

This time, Yue Qingru’s opponent was a middle-aged man who used gold-type spells. Generally, a cultivator using wood-type spells would struggle against a cultivator using gold-type spells due to the interactions of the five elements.

But this only applied to cultivators of the same level.

With the skilled practitioners from the Lingji Stage not participating in this inner sect competition, Yue Qingru, at the late stage of the Inedia Stage, was already among the top powers in this event. However, his opponent only had the strength of an early-stage fasting cultivator. It was like a dull knife trying to cut through tough wood; he had no way to defeat Yue Qingru.

For various reasons, Xu Qingfan had never witnessed Yue Qingru’s strength before. But this time, as he watched from the sidelines, he discovered just how powerful Yue Qingru was, completely surprising him.

Because Yue Qingru did not like to fight and loved poetry and books, Lu Huayan did not give Yue Qingru any offensive magical tools during his lifetime. He only gave him a defensive magical tool called "Black Wood Bamboo Slip" to protect himself. At that moment, Yue Qingru had already used the "Black Wood Bamboo Slip," which was shaped like a wooden tablet, and it easily floated around him, blocking most of his opponent’s attacks.

But this was not the reason Xu Qingfan considered Yue Qingru to be strong.

Yue Qingru’s real strength lay in his deep understanding of Tao and the principles of the Five Elements. He knew how to use the right Tao at the right time. Yue Qingru stood still, calmly performing one wood-type Tao after another. The power of these Tao may not have been the strongest, but their effects were undoubtedly the most suitable for that moment.

Although the gold-type light was shining brightly on the battlefield, and those using gold-type Tao seemed to have the upper hand, it did not pose a significant threat to Yue Qingru. In contrast, sometimes Yue Qingru’s low-level Tao, used quietly, caused his opponents to become flustered. Every action he took conveyed a strong sense of elegance.

So Tao could be used like this! Xu Qingfan secretly marveled.

Unlike Xu Qingfan, who relied on his quick movements and the ever-changing techniques from "The Formula of Wither and Flourish" to fight, Yue Qingru’s way of facing enemies was the opposite extreme. He defeated his opponents with his sharp thinking and wide knowledge.

Watching Yue Qingru’s battle, Xu Qingfan felt as if another great door in the world of Tao was opening for him, revealing a broader space before him. This was the direction he should pursue.

"I didn’t expect Senior Brother Yue to be this strong," Jin Qinghan said, his voice tinged with surprise as Xu Qingfan focused on Yue Qingru’s match.

Indeed, Yue Qingru usually gave the impression of an old scholar, as if he were just a teacher, without even a hint of being a master.

"Senior Brother stepped into Inedia Stage thirty years ago, much earlier than both of us. He enjoys reading many types of books, and his understanding and knowledge of the Dao are definitely greater than ours as young people. Although he can only stay at his current level due to his natural talent, his strength is truly impressive." Although Xu Qingfan was surprised by Yue Qingru’s abilities, he explained to Jin Qinghan with a faint smile.

At that moment, Yue Qingru used a simple technique called "Wood Strike" to knock his opponent out of the ring, ending the battle.

"Congratulations on your victory, Senior Brother," Xu Qingfan said cheerfully to Yue Qingru as he walked down from the stage.

"Oh? Junior Brother, why is your face so pale? Are you hurt?" Yue Qingru asked with concern.

Xu Qingfan gave a wry smile and said, "I’m not hurt, just tired from using too much Spirit Qi."

He then shared his recent experience with Yue Qingru.

"No wonder. Although Li Yuhan is not well-known in our sect because he is from the ‘Yu’ generation, I heard Master say that among ‘Yu’ generation disciples, no one can compare to him except for Sheng Yushan."

"Let’s go back to the back mountain for now; Senior Brother Xu needs to meditate early to rest and recover his Spirit Qi since we have another match tomorrow," Jin Qinghan said, stopping their conversation calmly.

Hearing Jin Qinghan’s caring words, Xu Qingfan felt a warmth in his heart, even though his voice remained cold.

After Yue Qingru also persuaded him, Xu Qingfan slowly returned to his cave in the back mountain, supported by Yue Qingru and Jin Qinghan.

The next morning arrived quietly while Xu Qingfan was deep in meditation. As the first rays of sunlight streamed into Xu Qingfan’s wooden house, he slowly opened his eyes and sighed with regret.

The Spirit Qi Xu Qingfan used in the match with Li Yuhan yesterday was too much, and one night of meditation was not enough time to recover, so now the two energies of Wither and Flourish in his body had only recovered about sixty to seventy percent. This made him a bit worried about today’s match; if his opponent was as strong as Li Yuhan, wouldn’t that mean he would lose more than win?

But after thinking about it, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but laugh, realizing he was worrying too much. Someone as skilled as Li Yuhan was not someone one could easily encounter.

Stepping outside, the bright sun was just rising, the wind gentle and the clouds light, a thin mist hung in the air, reflecting the golden sunlight. Coupled with the lush green trees around, it gave an unusual sense of beauty. The air was filled with the fresh scents of earth and flowers. But even with such beauty, Xu Qingfan could not calm his mind; ever since he stepped outside, a faint feeling of unease had surrounded him.

"What’s going on? Is it because of today’s match?" Xu Qingfan whispered to himself.

"Junior, you’re up early! How is your Spirit Qi recovering?" Suddenly, Yue Qingru’s gentle voice came from behind him, filled with deep concern.

Turning to look at Yue Qingru’s caring eyes, Xu Qingfan finally understood where his unease was coming from.

It’s Yue Qingru! Today is the day Yue Qingru is set to compete with Nangong Qingshan.

Yue Qingru’s character is best understood by Xu Qingfan after these years of friendship. He is well-read and firmly believes in the idea that "people are inherently good" and "treat others kindly," making him a truly nice person.

Such a person is certainly respected as a teacher and elder, and also as a neighbor, but this kind of character is really not suitable for fighting. Although he knows history well, he doesn’t understand the ways of the human heart; he only knows how to be kind to others, but rarely guards against them.

Although Xu Qingfan felt much more at ease after seeing Yue Qingru’s strong skills in the competition yesterday and had reminded Yue Qingru before, the thought of Nangong Qingshan’s cruel nature and resentful gaze made Xu Qingfan unable to help but say to Yue Qingru again, "Senior brother, you must be very careful in today’s match against Nangong Qingshan. You can’t hold back at all; someone like Nangong Qingshan will definitely not consider past friendships."

"I know this, junior brother. You don’t need to worry," Yue Qingru said with a smile, but looking at Yue Qingru’s kind smile made Xu Qingfan’s unease even stronger.

After arriving at the front mountain with Yue Qingru, Xu Qingfan originally wanted to watch the match between Yue Qingru and Nangong Qingshan in person, but unfortunately, both of their matches were scheduled for the second round. With no choice, Xu Qingfan had to walk to his own Stone Platform No. 5, glancing back once more to remind Yue Qingru.

With this uneasy feeling, Xu Qingfan quickly walked towards his Stone Platform No. 5.

Today, there were noticeably many more spectators around Stone Platform No. 5 than yesterday. Seeing Xu Qingfan approach, the crowd around Platform No. 4 instinctively parted to make a path. Looking at the mixed expressions of admiration and jealousy from the people around him, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but smile wryly. After yesterday’s battle, he had become somewhat famous. Perhaps there were even quite a few people in the crowd today who came specifically to watch him.

Before taking the stage, Xu Qingfan followed the usual routine and bowed to the elder who was acting as the referee, then began to carefully observe his opponent for today.

This opponent was a serious-looking middle-aged man, watching him with a wary eye. Obviously, yesterday’s battle had left a strong impression on him, but unfortunately, this man was much weaker than Li Yuhan, only having reached the middle stage of the Inedia Stage.

After the elder who was the referee announced the start of the match, Xu Qingfan silently apologized in his heart and began to attack the person with all his strength. He fired countless fiery red Explosive Flame Flowers and fresh green Blade Grasses at the person, occasionally striking him with dark green Iron Vines. In an instant, the entire arena was filled with a dazzling array of red and green flowers and grasses, which contained a breathtaking danger within their beauty.

The loud sounds of explosions and the sharp clang of metal filled the arena, but Xu Qingfan’s opponent did not suffer much damage. This person practiced gold-type magic, and although he intended to speak to Xu Qingfan before the match, Xu Qingfan had already started his attack without a word. Despite his surprise, he reacted quickly. At the moment of Xu Qingfan’s attack, the Golden Spirit Qi inside him transformed into a giant golden spiritual shield, blocking in front of him for defense. Although he staggered back from the powerful force and turned pale, he continued to hold on.

Xu Qingfan was not someone who enjoyed defeating and toying with his opponents. Because of his character, he would not make his opponent feel too embarrassed even if he won, as he believed it would leave a shadow of failure in their hearts. He worried that this could shatter their confidence and ruin their future. Thus, Xu Qingfan always left some room for his opponent, even when he fought against Li Yuhan at the beginning.

For example, during the first match of the grand competition inside the school, Xu Qingfan faced an opponent at the Qi Refining Stage. Unlike others who ended battles within moments, Xu Qingfan allowed him to attack for a long time, building his confidence before he finally knocked him down. This is Xu Qingfan’s way of doing things.

However, today was different. Since leaving Yue Qingru, Xu Qingfan’s sense of foreboding grew stronger, almost to the point of fear. So, when he entered the arena, he didn’t even ask his opponent’s name before launching his full attack, wanting to finish the battle as quickly as possible and then watch his senior brothers Yue Qingru and Nangong Qingshan compete.

Unfortunately, even though his opponent was slightly weaker, he appeared pale under Xu Qingfan’s attacks, yet his defense remained strong. Xu Qingfan attacked with Explosive Flame Flowers, Blade Grasses, and Iron Vines for a long while without being able to finish the battle. Instead, he consumed a lot of Spirit Qi from continuously using the technique "The Formula of Wither and Flourish," and combined with his not fully recovered strength, he began to feel a lack of Spirit Qi inside.

Just as Xu Qingfan was growing impatient and was preparing to use the magical tool "Ruler of Wither and Flourish" against him, his opponent’s defense finally could not hold up anymore. The golden spiritual shield began to form cracks under Xu Qingfan’s continuous assaults, then suddenly shattered with a sharp sound.

Without the giant shield blocking him, Xu Qingfan could not stop his attack. The Explosive Flame Flowers and Blade Grasses hit the person repeatedly, but luckily, the person had shining golden light flashing on him at the last moment, which blocked some attacks. Even so, he was still blown away by the explosive force of the Explosive Flame Flower, and while airborne, he coughed up a mouthful of bright red blood, which made Xu Qingfan feel somewhat anxious. He then fell heavily to the ground, his body covered in scars from the Blade Grass.

Seeing him collapsed on the ground, looking weak and tired, Xu Qingfan felt a twinge of guilt. This was the first time he had seriously injured someone, and it was a fellow disciple with whom he had no conflict.

When the elder acting as the judge announced Xu Qingfan as the winner, Xu Qingfan first created a few pieces of "White Spiritual Herb" that had healing energy and placed them on the man’s wounds, sincerely saying to him, "I’m sorry, I have urgent matters to attend to."

Having said that, he ignored the man’s surprised gaze and quickly walked off the stage, parting the crowd as he hurried toward the sixth stone platform. Behind him, gasps of amazement echoed.

"That’s amazing! He managed to defeat an Inedia Stage opponent in such a short time."

"Not only is he strong, but the technique he used is beautiful."

"You haven’t seen his match from yesterday; it was spectacular."

"Nothing must go wrong; it absolutely cannot go wrong." Xu Qingfan could no longer pay attention to the voices behind him and kept silently repeating this in his heart. He reassured himself that, with his senior brother Yue Qingru’s strength, there shouldn’t be much trouble, but his heart grew more and more anxious.

As Xu Qingfan approached the sixth stone platform, he heard waves of exclamations around it. Hearing the noise made Xu Qingfan even more anxious, and without caring about the judgmental looks from others, he pushed through the crowd to the front of the platform, but what he saw shocked him.

The sense of foreboding that had troubled him all morning had finally come true.

He saw Yue Qingru struggling against Nangong Qingshan in battle, clearly at a disadvantage. Under the attack of Nangong Qingshan’s three sharp, green spikes, Yue Qingru was in a terrible state, with large amounts of flesh and blood taken from him. His once clean and white beard is now disheveled and covered in his own blood. For some reason, Yue Qingru did not counterattack with any techniques and didn’t even take out his protective artifact, the "Black Wood Bamboo Slip."

"Brother!" Xu Qingfan looked at the scene on the field, shocked in his heart, and could not help but shout loudly.

Xu Qingfan’s shout caught the attention of the two people in the arena. When Yue Qingru saw Xu Qingfan’s terrified expression, he offered a look of apology while dodging the green spikes, but he seemed so hopeless and heartbroken. Nangong Qingshan, on the other hand, showed a proud and cruel smile, raising his hand as four green spikes swiftly shot towards Yue Qingru. Yue Qingru had no chance to resist and was pierced by the four spikes in his limbs, blood instantly splattering everywhere, creating a scene of tragic despair.

"Nangong Qingshan wins."

After the elder, serving as the referee, announced the result, Xu Qingfan quickly increased his speed, and in an instant, appeared beside the fallen Yue Qingru. He carefully helped him up and examined Yue Qingru’s wounds, but the more he looked, the colder his heart felt.

Yue Qingru had severe injuries all over his body; his limbs were pierced, and there were many cuts on him, with blood flowing out uncontrollably. But among all these wounds, the injury at the "Spiritual Sea Acupuncture Point" on Yue Qingru’s chest was particularly noticeable.

The Spiritual Sea Acupuncture Point is the most important place for a cultivator’s body. This is where the Spirit Qi from the heavens and earth is stored. If this place is pierced, it means Yue Qingru’s lifetime of hard cultivation has been destroyed in an instant.

Looking at Yue Qingru’s increasingly aged and weak face, Xu Qingfan didn’t care about anything else and hurriedly placed "White Spiritual Herb" on Yue Qingru’s wounds, continuously sending Wood-type Spirit Qi into Yue Qingru’s body.

After a long while, a bit of color finally returned to Yue Qingru’s face.

But Xu Qingfan’s heart felt even colder. His brother was now one hundred and forty-five years old. With the "Spiritual Sea Acupuncture Point" pierced and his cultivation wasted, how could he continue to live?

"Very good! You are very good!" Xu Qingfan slowly placed Yue Qingru on the ground, turned to stare at Nangong Qingshan, who was still standing in the arena, and softly said. His voice trembled slightly, showing how angry he was.

Xu Qingfan had never been so angry, or even resentful, towards anyone before. The Blue-eyed Cloud-foot Beast destroyed his home, but it was just a soulless demon beast; sect leader Zhang Hualing took away his master’s belongings after his master’s death, but at least he didn’t go too far.

And this ungrateful Nangong Qingshan in front of him was undoubtedly the first.

"I have always been good." Nangong Qingshan said softly, filled with a sense of revenge, mirroring Xu Qingfan’s tone, but the slight smile on his lips betrayed how pleased he was.

"Please, I ask you, make sure you break into the top sixteen, and don’t get eliminated before I meet you, or I won’t be able to take revenge for my brother openly." Xu Qingfan said to Nangong Qingshan, staring into his eyes, speaking slowly. His Spirit Qi surged uncontrollably with extreme anger, flashing with gray and blue light, swirling fiercely around him like a descending Demon God.

"Hmph! Don’t be too sure about getting to the top sixteen; you might get eliminated before I do." Nangong Qingshan looked at Xu Qingfan, his terrifying appearance making him briefly avert his eyes, but then he looked up disdainfully, said this, and turned away without noticing Xu Qingfan anymore.

Xu Qingfan fixed his gaze on Nangong Qingshan’s back for a moment, then lifted Yue Qingru and rushed through the crowd toward the mountainside.

There was Xu Qingfan’s only hope now, the cave of his martial uncle Xiao Huazhe.