Volume 4 Chapter 34

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Volume 4 Chapter 34: Standoff

"Deng Yuquan, do you have to interfere when I discipline the younger ones?"

After a long standoff, the stern-faced middle-aged man suddenly spoke, his eyes fixed on the delicate young man, who was evidently "Deng Yuquan." From the tone of the middle-aged man, it was clear the other young man was his junior.

Although Deng Yuquan had been at a disadvantage in the previous battle and was seriously injured, he was very intriguing. He had a naturally stubborn demeanor, even though he could barely stand, he still stubbornly faced the middle-aged man, firmly shielding the other young man.

"Uncle Li Qinglan, I wonder which elder would harm a junior? If I hadn’t intervened just now, Junior Brother Zhao would be either dead or injured. If I were him, I would rather not have such an elder. Besides, you always claim to be Junior Brother Zhao’s elder, but I’ve never heard him acknowledge it," Deng Yuquan snorted coldly.

Hearing the sarcasm in Deng Yuquan’s words, a flicker of anger crossed Li Qinglan’s eyes. He said coldly, "Deng Yuquan, I admit you are a genius, perhaps not much different from senior brothers Feng Qingtian, Jin Qinghan, and Xu Qingfan. You joined the sect during a calamity, the master died, yet through your own efforts, you have reached such a level of skill."

Pausing briefly, Li Qinglan’s tone suddenly turned solemn as he exclaimed, "But do you think you can rely on your talent to ignore your elders? Your time cultivating immortality is still short, you are not my match. If you don’t respect me now, once your strength surpasses mine, then what?"

Hearing Li Qinglan’s words, Xu Qingfan was at a loss, never thinking he would be seen as someone with extraordinary talent by other disciples in Jiuhua, even comparable to Jin Qinghan and Feng Qingtian. He wondered what Jin Qinghan and Feng Qingtian would think if they heard this.

In fact, although Xu Qingfan’s aptitude was far inferior to Jin Qinghan and Feng Qingtian, due to various fortunate circumstances, his cultivation level before the Core Formation stage had not lagged too far behind Jin and Feng. Now, decades later, the talent gap is starting to show. Xu Qingfan estimates that if he doesn’t use those newly refined magical tools, he may no longer be their match. But other Jiuhua disciples are unaware of this and still regard Xu Qingfan as someone on par with Jin and Feng, even setting Xu Qingfan as their idol and goal because his status in Jiuhua is above them.

At the same time, hearing Li Qinglan’s words, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but become interested in the young man named Deng Yuquan. According to Niu Qinglan, this young man entered Jiuhua Gate over forty years ago, reaching the late stage of the Inedia Stage in that time. Although it seems ordinary, considering that for the first twenty years there were no established academies, meaning half of his cultivation time was spent exploring on his own, to reach this level, Deng Yuquan’s talent, although not as exaggerated as being comparable to Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan as Niu Qinglan mentioned, is certainly not far from the likes of Lv Qingshang and Dongfang Qingling.

While Xu Qingfan pondered deeply, Deng Yuquan said coldly, "I only respect those who are worthy of respect, and people like you, who bully others with their power, are not worth my respect."

Hearing Deng Yuquan’s words, Li Qinglan’s anger intensified as he said, "It seems the lesson I gave you earlier wasn’t enough, was it?"

As Li Qinglan’s words fell, a whirlwind suddenly rose around him, with Niu Qinglan gently floating three inches above the ground amidst the growing aura.

"Deng Yuquan, I’ll give you one last chance. You can still leave now."

Deng Yuquan let out a cold snort, and a whirlwind appeared around him, though its power was clearly not as strong as Li Qinglan’s, as it couldn’t lift him into the air.

At the same time, Deng Yuquan didn’t respond to Li Qinglan’s words; instead, he turned to another young man and said, "Zhao Yuming, step back a bit so you don’t get hurt."

Although Deng Yuquan didn’t answer Li Qinglan, his words expressed his stance clearly. Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuming hesitated for a moment before reluctantly running towards the distance.

Seeing this, Li Qinglan gave a cold snort and, without saying anything more, waved his hands, dispersing the whirlwind around him into countless sharp wind blades that swiftly attacked Deng Yuquan.

After the previous battle, Deng Yuquan was not only internally injured but also exhausted of Spirit Qi. Yet, this young man seemed inherently stubborn, and as the wind blades rushed at him, he didn’t back down. Instead, he increased the Spirit Qi infusing his surrounding whirlwind, causing it to grow stronger and deflect most of the approaching wind blades.

However, Li Qinglan was of higher cultivation, being at the Lingji Stage, and his strength far surpassed that of Deng Yuquan, who was only at the late stage of the Inedia Stage. So, many wind blades still broke through the whirlwind’s barrier, piercing Deng Yuquan’s body and causing a torrent of blood to flow.

Still, Deng Yuquan was incredibly steadfast; despite his severe injuries, he didn’t make a sound. Much like Li Qinglan, he dispersed the whirlwind around him into wind blades to attack Li Qinglan. However, given the vast difference in their attack levels, Deng Yuquan’s wind blades were far fewer and weaker, easily deflected by Li Qinglan.

As Deng Yuquan launched his wind blade attack, he followed closely behind them, pushing his speed to the limit, charging rapidly towards Li Qinglan. Realizing his magical abilities were inferior, he opted for close combat.

In contrast, the other young man named Zhao Yuming was far less composed. Seeing Deng Yuquan wounded, he let out a surprised cry, turned pale, and shut his eyes tightly in fear, not daring to watch, which caused Xu Qingfan, observing secretly nearby, to shake his head repeatedly.

Meanwhile, around Li Qinglan, a whirlwind reappeared. Although there was a faint sound of wind in Deng Yuquan’s hands, as if he was using some kind of spell, it couldn’t harm Li Qinglan at all. Even if it hit Li Qinglan, the whirlwind around him would deflect the attack, making Deng Yuquan’s assaults clumsy and awkward.

Li Qinglan, clearly a proud and somewhat rigid person, grew truly angry when he saw the younger Deng Yuquan attacking him relentlessly. In the end, Li Qinglan stood still, allowing Deng Yuquan to attack while his ten fingers moved swiftly. A breeze rustled across a wide area, then quickly gathered, indicating he was performing a powerful spell.

Initially, when the two began their confrontation, Xu Qingfan intended to intervene. But when he saw they were both using wind spells, he was surprised, as wind magic was rare even in the cultivation world. Particularly on Jiuhua Mountain, only a few, as far as Xu Qingfan knew, mastered it. So he temporarily held back his intervention and watched their duel with interest.

After all, since Xu Qingfan mastered the "Wind of Desolation," he could, to some extent, be considered a wind-type cultivator himself.

Seeing Deng Yuquan, though constantly at a disadvantage, remain defiant and fearless, Xu Qingfan nodded approvingly but also shook his head.

Although the root cause of the situation wasn’t clear yet, Xu Qingfan noticed some clues. Deng Yuquan and a young man named Zhao Yuming seemed to be friends, while Li Qinglan was Zhao Yuming’s elder and didn’t like him. During a harsh lesson Li Qinglan was giving Zhao Yuming, Deng Yuquan intervened, leading to a private agreement to settle their differences here.

Comparatively, Xu Qingfan admired Deng Yuquan’s loyalty and inherent stubbornness in standing up for his friend. However, it seemed that due to inexperience, both in actions and combat, Deng Yuquan made rash decisions, opting for the most direct approach to solve problems when there were better methods.

"This young man is quite interesting."

Watching their duel, Xu Qingfan murmured to himself.

After mumbling to himself, Xu Qingfan suddenly paused for a moment, then began to shake his head with a bitter smile.

"This Deng Yuquan has been cultivating in Jiuhua for over forty years, but I called him a ‘young man’? It seems that my position has changed my mindset. I’ve only been a Deacon Elder for a short time, yet my tone matches that of the senior elders. Perhaps, after all these experiences, my heart has aged like those of the predecessors," Xu Qingfan thought, unconsciously touching his face that had not changed much over the years, smiling bitterly inside.

But just then, Xu Qingfan saw Li Qinglan begin to cast a spell with great power, and he couldn’t help but frown, speaking softly, "Wind Pigeon Technique? Does a Lingji Stage cultivator really need to use such a technique against an Inedia Stage cultivator? If Deng Yuquan is attacked by this technique, he won’t stand a chance. Are the current Jiuhua disciples all so thoughtless in their actions?"

Yet Xu Qingfan didn’t consider that most cultivators spend the majority of their lives in seclusion, rarely engaging in battles, and seldom traveling the world. When facing enemies, they only know how to use powerful techniques to assert dominance. Not everyone is as battle-hardened as Xu Qingfan.

But seeing Li Qinglan begin the "Wind Pigeon Technique," Xu Qingfan could no longer sit by idly. Without hesitation, he waved his right hand, and a small black bell the size of a fist suddenly appeared in his hand—it was Xu Qingfan’s "Five Spirit Bell."

When the "Five Spirit Bell" appeared, it exuded an undeniable aura of power, but the two on the field, busy with their spells, failed to notice.

Xu Qingfan tossed the "Five Spirit Bell" into the air, where it hovered, unexpectedly enlarging several times.

Then, Xu Qingfan summoned half of his internal Spirit Qi, forming a ball of Spirit Qi at his fingertips. With a flick, the Spirit Qi ball shot swiftly towards the "Five Spirit Bell." Against a non-Core Formation cultivator, Xu Qingfan dared not unleash even a tenth of the "Five Spirit Bell’s" full power.

"Dong…"

A rich, ancient bell sound suddenly rang out across the field, carrying far into the distance, even faintly audible in the Jiuhua foothills.

Initially, Li Qinglan only wanted to show his strength, hoping Deng Yuquan would back down. However, he didn’t expect Deng Yuquan to persist in attacking with relentless aggression. Though Deng Yuquan’s skills posed no real threat to Li Qinglan, the fierce determination on Deng Yuquan’s face shocked him, making him even angrier.

Reflecting on how Deng Yuquan, as the younger, had been challenging him recently and had embarrassed him in front of his peers, Li Qinglan’s anger intensified. Overwhelmed with the urge to teach Deng Yuquan a lesson, he started to use the "Wind Pigeon Technique."

But as he was about to complete the technique, Li Qinglan regained his clarity and realized his mistake. The power of the "Wind Pigeon Technique" was so overwhelming that it could tear Deng Yuquan to shreds if completed. Regretting his actions, he tried to halt it, but it was too late, as controlling such a powerful skill proved difficult.

What infuriated Li Qinglan more was Deng Yuquan’s recklessness. Even upon seeing the powerful technique, Deng Yuquan kept attacking without retreating. Did he have no fear of death?

Just as Li Qinglan panicked, a soothing, ancient bell sound suddenly echoed in his ears. At its chime, the elemental Spirit Qi around him became chaotic and uncontrollable, shocking him greatly. The "Wind Pigeon Technique" faltered and could no longer be controlled. Recoiling from his own technique’s backlash, he coughed up blood and collapsed weakly.

Meanwhile, Deng Yuquan was in no better condition. Although he hadn’t used any powerful technique, his weaker skills and earlier internal injuries caused him to fall before Li Qinglan, unable to stand.

In contrast, Zhao Yuming, the timid one with the least strength who had stood far away, suffered only a slight shock without significant harm. Seeing Li Qinglan and Deng Yuquan collapse, he was stunned and hurried towards them.

As the three stood in shock, a sudden gray whirlwind emerged, and when it cleared, a young-looking cultivator appeared before them.

The cultivator appeared young, but there was an immense sense of power emanating from him. His face was refined and gentle, yet beneath his left eye was a dark red phoenix design, and a faint scar marked his left cheek. He wasn’t wearing the traditional robes of a Jiuhua disciple; instead, he wore a casual white flowing robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist, exuding a purple aura. Most intriguingly, though he seemed incredibly powerful, there was a plain-looking crow perched on his shoulder.

"Deacon Xu!"

"Martial Uncle Xu!"

"Martial Uncle Xu!"

Coming out of their initial shock, Li Qinglan, Deng Yuquan, and Zhao Yuming all recognized Xu Qingfan and couldn’t help but shout in surprise.

What puzzled Xu Qingfan was that while Li Qinglan and Deng Yuquan were understandably anxious and frightened after being caught fighting privately, Zhao Yuming, whom Xu Qingfan had regarded with the least concern, appeared overjoyed upon recognizing Xu Qingfan, as if he had found a lost family member.

Meanwhile, Deng Yuquan and Li Qinglan, looking at the silent Xu Qingfan before them, were inwardly troubled. Although Xu Qingfan was rumored to be amiable, they feared he wouldn’t let them off easily for fighting. His silence since appearing suggested to them that he was deeply upset and considering how to punish them. The more they thought about it, the more scared they became, until their imaginations frightened them into silence.

Little did they know, Xu Qingfan was quiet not only because he found Zhao Yuming’s reaction strange, but also because he was inwardly smiling ruefully and blaming himself. He had long known the formidable power of the "Five Spirit Bell" but hadn’t expected it to be this overwhelming. He had used only half of his strength, yet both Li Qinglan and Deng Yuquan were injured. Unsure of what to say, he remained silent.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Yuming appeared to finally come out of his excitement and, remembering something important, quickly took a letter from his pocket. He carefully approached Xu Qingfan, lowered his head, and softly said, "Xu, Martial Uncle Xu, this is the letter my father gave you before he passed away."